Colorado fly fishing guide Blaine Haskell

Professional Fly Fishing Guide

Blaine turned his attention from the corporate world to the fly-fishing world several years ago.  After successfully completing the fly-fishing guide school taught up in the Vail Valley, Blaine set forth in a new career as a fly fishing guide.  By combining his newly acquired sheepskin with those of vastly contrasting disciplines that include Electronics Engineering and Computer Science obtained earlier from a well known western university, he felt ready to go forth as a guide.  These past several years have been very fulfilling for Blaine .  He has made a lot of new friends, fished in unimaginable places, and yet has furthered his love for the sport.

Growing up on an Idaho ranch with a live trout stream got Blaine ’s attention turned to trout fishing at a very early age, and he caught his first fish before he started elementary school.  He converted to fly fishing at age 15.  After years of fishing the region, which included the Big and Little Wood Rivers and the world famous Silver Creek, he now has a firm commitment to the use of flies.  In the 40 or so years since his first fly fishing trip Blaine has picked up a few more tidbits on fly fishing, and he is eager to share what ever might be useful to
his clients.

Big fish are always fun to catch, but Blaine gets a real big kick out of fooling even the smallest brookie that can be found making a living in one of Colorado ’s beautiful small streams.  Catching a fish in 2 inches of water is a real challenge.

Fly Rods: “There are so many great rods available today. The manufacturers have solved many of the problems I faced growing up
while fishing with a willow cut from along the bank with a string tied to the tip. The Sage XP 9 foot 5 weight is my favorite for strong conditions such as high wind, high water, and big fish. The Sage TXL 7’ 10” 0 weight is my favorite for fishing delicate conditions often found in the really small crystal clear streams in our high mountain valleys.”

Reel: “Ross reels play a big part in all of mys fishing activities with the Canyon Big Game being my favorite for Saltwater Flats Fishing for the elusive Bonefish. The drag systems are always reliable for handling the big fish ‘just right’. ”

Waders: “Simms products keep me dry and are very durable. I subject then to crawling up rocky slopes, under fences, and trees. Then I stand in the freezing water and am really happy when they still work properly. ”

Flies: “Being a high tech kind of guy from a low tech part of the world I like to experiment with the new synthetic materials to develop flies with increased durability, better floating characteristics, simplified tying requirements, and improved effectiveness. Some of my experiments have flunked, but like Edison I now know a few hundred ways that don’t work.”