2/23/2013
Dream Stream Fly Fishing Report.
When I winter fish in South
Park I have to be careful to not
make mistakes. Dealing with tangles and
re-rigging break-offs can be tough to endure. Hands become dysfunctional quite
quickly. Caution must be used to keep gloves dry and clothing dry. A thermos of
hot coffee can make the difference along with good clothing. When I go fishing
in winter I dress similar to how I would on a ski trip. I also bring an extra
rod rigged so that if I do mess up I can just fish my second rod. It is not a
good idea to have to rig a rod on the river. Have every thing rigged the night
before.
If I can endure the conditions, not make mistakes, and keep
my flies in the water, there are fish to be caught on the dream stream. And until the spawn starts the crowds are not
here. Nice to fish the dream stream virtually alone.
Today my friend and I caught a fair number of good fish on
apricot/orange pegged eggs and size 22 RS2’s along with small Zebra midges of
several colors. Most of the fish were Browns in the 15-17 inch range. We each
“almost” landed a big fish in excess of 22 inches but for each one of us, the hook pulled out. I even saw a good number of fish rising to
midges. If I had brought along a dry fly rod rigged and ready with a small dry,
I think I could have hooked up on dry fly fishing. Small black midges were
hatching and many of the bugs could be seen on the snow banks along the river.
We met another guy on the river who was new to the area and
was fishing the river for the first time. He was catching fish also. At one
point he asked me I these fish ever hit streamers. I told him, “Sure,
sometimes… Give it a shot. Show them something different”. He tied on a large
double hook streamer fly that looked something like a drowned rat, with yellow
metal eyes. Within 5 minutes he had two strong “attacks” to the fly. Interesting!
That got my attention.
Storm clouds could be seen dumping snow over Hoosier
Pass. Good to see. More water for
the South Platte. But this storm was coming our way. One does not mess around with winter in South Park. The wind was already picking up and the
temperature was dropping. No time for mistakes. Time to get out. Time to ride the storm out.
You are the intrepid fisherman to brave the winter waters. But there is beauty and serenity to be found in the quietude of snow and ice covered streams.
ReplyDeleteGood that you take the precautions and know when to exit...
Yes, I think that is what fly fishing was originally all about for many of us. To enjoy the "beauty and serenity in the quietude". Thanks for the comment. Well said.
ReplyDelete