Thursday, July 5, 2012

Colorado Fires Calm Down While Fly Fishing in 11 Mile Canyon Heats Up!


Maybe it was the short break the fish were given due to a fire closing the Canyon. And then Highway 24 closed not allowing the usual crowds to hit the canyon. I have often wondered how our fisheries would improve if we gave them a break.

The past two days I guided in 11 mile canyon. I can’t think of a time when it fished better. Dozens and dozens of fish lined up in the riffles and runs sipping trico mayflies, PMD’s and midges. My client fished dry flies for at least 2 hours. And when the dry fly fishing tapered off,  even the nymphing with bead head pheasant tails and RS2’s was productive.
During the Trico spinner fall it seemed that anything small black and white that was properly drifted took fish. At times my client was getting a strike on virtually every cast.

The losses due to the various fires in Colorado were horrible and beyond my understanding. I cannot comment. Anything I say would fall flat.

But after returning to 11 mile canyon I do wonder what possible benefit could take place if we gave our fisheries a rest. Maybe we could find a way to rest our fisheries intentionally rather than have fire keep us out. Maybe a closed season? Perhaps close the canyon for one day a week?

A day of rest might do us and our fisheries good.

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