Dream Stream Fly Fishing Report 10/27/2012 "Pulling Teeth"

What was the fishing like today when I guided 2 dentists and a 5^th grader on the dream stream ?  Like pulling teeth.  Well, it was not that bad, but a bit painful on our hands.  

We fished right below the dam just above the upper parking lot. Conditions were tough with a cold steady wind making it challenging to not tangle up leaders. Flows were low and clear. Fish were picky.  But this small group of hardy fly fishers managed to catch some respectable fish and had some spurts of action that made the day quite successful. Between this group of three they landed about 15 fish.  The best flies were an apricot colored egg pattern, a size 18 red copper john and a size 22 black beauty midge.

The big browns for the most part were absent. Either they did not make it up this far yet or they came and gone already. The young boy did hook a respectable brown of around 19 inches but it broke off. Other than that, I did not see any big browns in the area. Of course I am aware  that there are respectable numbers of big browns downstream closer to 11 mile reservoir but I decided for this trip, I did not want to compete for water with masses of other fishermen. Having fished this section of river for the past 25 plus years I am particularly drawn to its lonely meanders.

Through out the morning, there were times when we enjoyed some solitude even as the wind tried to push our leaders back in our faces. And these fine fly fishers pulled trout from the South Platte River even if it was a bit like pulling teeth.

Skinny Waters of Pueblo's Arkansas River Tail-water is Fine for Kids

Presently, Pueblo’s Arkansas River Tailwater is flowing at 60CFS.  A trickle of skinny water.  This is not the best flow for veteran fly fishers who have experienced the fabulous fishing of this past year and even this past summer where we saw reasonable flows between 200-300CFS. Yet, this skinny water was fine for a group of 4^th and 5^th graders I took on a field trip this past Friday. The low flows are much more manageable for kids.

For the past two decades, as a teacher and counselor, I have been taking groups of kids on their first fly fishing trip. How could I not? To see a kid’s face light up as they catch their first trout on a fly is one of the most amazing experiences. And the fact that such experiences cannot be measured or assessed on some standardized test makes it all the more wonderful.

The kids managed to catch small rainbow trout by drifting a small RS2 fly in the riffles and runs. A size 22 RS2 nymph continues to be one of the most consistent fly patterns for this section of river. The kids were amazed that such a small hook could actually catch fish. 

For the most part the bigger fish eluded us. However, one 5^th grade girl was fishing in a run when suddenly her strike indicator shot up stream. She lifted the rod and was battling a good size rainbow. She respectfully listened to my instruction as she did a great job of letting the fish take out line when it surged away and yet she also kept the slack out and reeled quickly when the fish moved back upstream. Back and forth she battled the fish.  I could tell she did not really know how big the fish was as it remained below the surface during the fight. Finally, I slipped the net under the 15 inch rainbow and lifted the fish out of the water for her to see. I said, “Look at this fish you caught”!

Her face lit up. Her laughter was ecstatic, perhaps, in part, in disbelief as she observed the colorful rainbow trout in the net.  Her first fish. Her first fish caught fly fishing. The skinny waters of Pueblos Arkansas River tail-water is fine for kids and a great place for them to catch their first fish.  

Big Fish, Little Pond, Big Fish Prevail in Small Waters of Pueblo's Arkansas Tail Water

 

The big fish survived. They survived the fires, the drought, the record high temperatures and the low waters. The Arkansas River below Pueblo is a small river right now flowing at less than 50 CFS. The river is merely a series of small runs and pools. A little “pond” with big fish.

Today, Jim White and I found the fish to be quite healthy and willing.  We caught most of the fish on a size 18  red copper john nymph and a red zebra midge with a gold bead. Gray size 22 RS2’s also worked trailed behind the bead head nymphs. In the slack water, fish rose to midges and small mayflies. I carried an extra rod rigged for drys and took fish on small (size 24) parachute adams, griffiths gnats and a black parachute midge pattern.

I have mixed feelings about catching fish in low water conditions. The conditions stress the fish and for the most part the fly fisher has the advantage. First, there are limited places for the fish to hide so finding the fish is not difficult.  And then when a fish is hooked there is not much room for it to run. Usually the fly fisher can keep the fish in the pool where the fish was hooked and landing the fish easily becomes a ‘done deal’.  In some sense, the fly fisher becomes the “big fish in the small pond”.  But he becomes “big” only because the conditions are stacked in his favor. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say he is a “Small  fisherman in a small pond” similar to the individual who has made his mark in his small home town and never ventures beyond the town borders. “Big fish, small pond”.

I guess I have the same mixed feelings about stalking fish during the spawning period on our South Platte River, particularly, the “dream stream”. Big fish can be found in small waters as they often migrate out of 11 mile reservoir into shallow riffles of the South Platte. Big fish that are rarely seen during most of the year are now vulnerable.  The rainbows and cutthroats make the move from deeper waters in the spring time and the browns migrate in the fall. Some big Browns are up as I write.  I say I have mixed feelings because I love sight casting to a huge fish in a run but I also feel a bit guilty harassing these big fish as they try to “do their thing”.  I guess it just doesn’t feel all that fair. If, I and hoards of others continually make thousands of casts over a big fish in “small water”, eventually, that fish is going to get hooked; (fair or foul) not just once, but multiple times.

It’s really not that difficult or much of an accomplishment to hook a big fish in a small pond. Even a small fisherman can do it.

Maybe we can all try to get away from our small ponds and find deeper waters.