CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Great blue herons are one of the most difficult animals to photograph. They are patient and lethal predators that are always aware of their surroundings. Sometimes you need just a little bit of luck and a little bit of cover. The high country of the Frying Pan River holds some of the purest strains of native Colorado River cutthroat trout. Long hikes to isolated water are well worth it to put one of these beautiful fish on the end of a line. On walks during springtime, I like to pay particular attention to the calls of birds. Not just their songs, but the variety of calls. A stressed or agitated call means you are near a nest. I have used this knowledge to locate nests on several occasions, a type of connection to a place and its creatures that is at the heart of what inspires me. The easiest way to locate a raptor’s nest is by the droppings-stained rock walls. Three red-tailed hawks, almost old enough to fly, take in their surroundings. THE FLYFISH JOURNAL 091
The Flyfish Journal The Flyfish Journal 13.4: Page 91
