How I Caught (and Released) the Colorado State Record Rainbow Trout

I drove up to do some lake fly-fishing in northern Colorado a couple of years ago during mid-March. It was just after first ice-out, with plenty of snow on the ground, and only a small section of the lake open on the north side of the lake.

I hiked around the lake from the public launch area to a small beach area that was relatively shallow adjacent to a rip-rapped dam that created this reservoir-lake.

I was wading casting black tunghead wooly bugger and catching 12"ers, one after another. I look down, and there is a huge trout near my feet, nosed into the rocks.

I was alone at the time, but after a few minutes, another guy shows up and takes a spot just down the shore.

After closer examination, I could see the fishes huge gills working, so I knew it was still alive. I guess the icy water was still cold enough to slow the fishes metabolism down or maybe it was old age. In my best estimate, the fish looked to be four feet in length, or possibly longer.

Having caught great lakes steelhead in the 28"+ range, I knew this fish was probably 20+ pounds and most likely a state record.

After fishing for an hour or so and observing this gigantic fish, I decided to reach down to see if the fish would respond. I reached down into the water and grasped the fish by the tail, and in one swell swoop put my other hand under it's belly and lifted it out of the water. At the same moment, I yelled to the fisherman down the beach to take a look.

His expression was one that can only be described as dumb-founded.

The fish was so large that when I lifted it, it could only shimmy side-to-side in a slow-motion wag. Forty-eight inches (48") was a base minimum. After a triumphant whoop, it occurred to me I had to make a decision. Turn and walk back to shore with my trophy, or release this magnificent fish.

With little regret, I gently placed the fish back in the water, head first, still grasping the tail. After a couple swishes back an forth to revive him, he gave a mighty thrust of the tail and with a splash returned to the icy water.

You would have to have used a shovel to wipe the smile off of my face as the perma-grin stayed resident for quite some time.

Author's note:  The current Colorado state record rainbow trout is 34", caught in 2003 in the Morrow Point Reservoir, Gunnison County. It's weight was 19 lbs. 10 oz.  The fish I caught was 14" longer.  The Colorado state record "by length" is 40 1/4", caught in the Taylor River.  My fish was easily over 8" longer than that fish.

Wahhabism and ISIS: "Hatred's Kingdom"

Wahhabism: The driving force behind ISIS, Saudi Arabia and Jihad.

Just read Dore Gold's (Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations) "Hatred's Kingdom" and you will understand. 

Wahhabism, the Sunni Muslim Islamic extremism taught by clerics in Saudi Arabia is the root of all Muslim terrorism.

The United States and all peace loving countries need to accept this fact:  That Saudi Arabia, our so-called ally, has been and remains, the chief ideological and financial enabler of our most virulent enemies. 

It is this Wahhabi Islamic sect that is teaching the ideology of hatred in the schools and mosques of Saudi Arabia.

There is an interesting symbiotic relationship between the Saudi Royal Family and the Wahhabi clergy: The royal family gives the latter power and influence in order to maintain favor. Oil money has funded the export of radical Wahhabi ideology and the terrorist activities conducted by the latter. And paradoxically, because of Western dependence on oil, the money came from the very countries the Wahhabi ideology holds in contempt!

Now throw in ISIS.

ISIS is a Wahhabi sect that doesn't recognize the Saudi royal family as deity.

ISIS, with their unique blend of anti-western hatred and jihad have been poised, waiting to fill that vacuum created by propped-up U.S. sponsored democracies in these feudal tribal-based countries of the mid-east.

The United States foreign policy and post-war exit strategy has been intent over the past 25 years on converting every allied country to democracy. 

At least the Republicans in one of the most recent debates all seem to acknowledge this fact: Countries that have been feudal societies for centuries (going back to Persia), cannot culturally support democracy.

And that the vacuum created by their inescapable collapse, creates the perfect opportunity for ISIS to infiltrate, emerge and dominate.

That's why there has been such heated debate over the most sensible U.S. approach to Syria.