Originally when I embarked on my blog journey in 2010, I was seeking a way to combine the text from my fishing logs, that I maintained in Word, with the photos that I accumulated in my albums. Ten years later I can unequivocally state that my blog has more than served its intended purpose. My son has been instrumental in the evolution of this forum, as he provided endless hours of technical support from securing a server and URL to digging me out of technical difficulties. The tabs for the fish counter and fishing analytics are purely the creations of Dan.

This site now contains ten years of entries that include every fishing outing during that time as well as other significant travel adventures. In many ways the travelogues are more fun to review than the fishing logs. My blog has evolved into a hobby unto itself, as I enjoy writing, and I chronicled a significant part of my life story. I am convinced that composing the blog improves my writing skills, enhances my vocabulary, and stretches my mind.

What role do I envision from this blog? Well it is sort of grandiose to even think that I planned a purpose other than logging my stories, but I repeatedly refer to it, when I project future fishing conditions based on historical experiences on the same rivers. Why start a day of fishing from ground zero, when I already possess clues about what tactics worked in the past? Change is constant in fly fishing, and one must be careful to match the variables before drawing conclusions, but many times the past has been a predictor of the future. In addition to this practical application of the Wellerfish blog, I also enjoy immensely simply reading about many of my fishing days and travel adventures. During the winter I relive days on the stream from the summer, and I particularly love re-imagining my travel adventures years after the fact.

What about the readers? Why share all this information with strangers around the world? I have spent upwards of thirty-five years fly fishing, and if another angler can pick up a tip or learn about a fly that propels them to success, I am all in favor. I constantly read about fly fishing and fly tying, but the best teacher is on stream experience. I truly write this blog for myself, but if it can help others, that is even better. The ten years of fishing reports contain a huge amount of information on flies, approaches and conditions. Most of the information is available elsewhere, but this blog applies it directly to a specific river or stream, and that is not always easy to obtain. I have curated an infinite number of fly choices for my part of the world, and I can cite results to back their effectiveness. Are there other, better and even more productive flies out there? Of course, and I constantly search for new winners, but it is reassuring to have workhorse flies that I know I can depend on. Why not read and take advantage?

But what if I create efficient fly fishing robots armed with killer flies that hook, land, injure and pressure local fish? First of all it is quite presumptuous to suggest that my humble web site could do that. I do not have that much power. But more importantly I am a strong believer that fly fishing success is not attainable from having the right fly or fishing in the best place. It requires days and days of practice and years of continuing education. two of the most overlooked aspects of fly fishing success are casting and reading the water, and these keys to achievement cannot be learned by reading. They require on stream experience. The majority of fishermen do not have the time or inclination to devote to fly fishing in order to develop a high level of proficiency. The risk of stream exploitation from this blog is infinitesimal.

I also utilize different techniques, as I explore the waters of the west and beyond. I am a huge believer in paying attention to the water type that produces fish during a given day at a certain time of the year. My casting becomes more efficient, if I know fish are holding at the tails of deep runs or in the cushion in front of large rocks. I can exploit this advantage, as I move from place to place and limit my casts to higher probability spots. Dry/dropper, double dry, single dry, indicator nymphs, and streamers are all possible techniques; and I apply them all. This blog provides feedback on what worked and did not work in many situations. In short, this blog can accelerate the learning curve of novice or beginning anglers. Are you the type of person that needs to be hands on and learn through success and failure? By all means go for it. Half of the fun of fly fishing is the process, but I like to gather as much knowledge as possible, so that I can accelerate my learning curve and become better faster.

This blog opens me to criticism over revealing secret spots and contributing to the escalating crowding on western streams. If folks are using this blog simply as an enhanced Delorme Atlas, I really cannot do anything about it. However, most of the rivers and streams that I fish are easily accessible public waters. There are books and online resources that reveal more details about hot spots than this blog does. I have no problem with identifying a creek or river, when similar information is available in the fly fishing universe. For large rivers secrecy is never a concern. It would be ridiculous to assume that a fisherman could catch more fish if they used my blog to identify a place that is better than the wide array of options available. And if you do, congratulations, there are an unlimited number of alternative places for me to seek out and find success.

I never keep heavily fished rivers like the South Platte River and Big Thompson River secret. In these places the game is about being a better fisherman than others as a way to achieve success. There are a few high mountain creeks that I protect. If I put in a lot of shoe leather and discover a hidden gem, I am not going to reveal the location. A small stream is too fragile to expose, and I like to lessen the chances of meeting competing fishermen. But these situations are rare, and nearly all of my posts refer accurately to the actual destination.

Why am I going through all this background? A week ago I had a mitral heart valve repair, and I am considering posting short pieces that chronicle my recovery. The last week has been a rough experience, and perhaps other readers are out there that could learn from mine. Besides, I enjoy writing, and a lot of new material is available to me in the health care industry. Stay tuned. Perhaps the purpose of this blog will expand to include my new physical challenges. It has, after all, become my life story.