Welcome to Basin & Range Outdoors

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. ~Theodore Roosevelt

Basin & Range Outdoors was created to share the adventures experienced by two brothers in the American West. From the highest alpine terrains to the lowest sonoran deserts we will chronicle the pain and triumph that accompanies all of our outdoor pursuits.

There will be no high-fence hunts, no fly fishing lodges, no streamside caviar and wine breaks. Instead, you can expect cold nights sleeping in the dirt, flat tires on old trucks, and big dreams realized on small budgets. With Basin & Range Outdoors you will find useful reviews of hunting and fly fishing products, techniques, locations, and a general review of our outdoor expeditions on public land.




Friday, February 24, 2012

Guadalupe River Rainbow


I had a few spare hours last week so I haphazardly threw my fly rod and reel into the truck and headed east.  My expectations were low and I had no desire to put any effort into this expedition.  So I didn't...


I sat, barely conscious after a long work week, on a limestone ledge looking over the Guadalupe River.  I was on the downstream end of the Horseshoe watching the leaves blow and the bridge drip.  Periodically I would check the river for any feeding activity.  There wasn’t any…
The sun finally peaked out and the wind died.  I started seeing bugs on the water.  What kind?  They were small.  I approached the river to take a closer look and see a fish roll in the tail-out upstream.  Good fish…
I promptly tie on a small brassie dropper, secure a strike-indicator, and roll a cast into the riffle. Repeat.  After several attempts, I notice a pause in the indicator.  Lift rod.  Fish on…