Spirituality Fly Fishing Retreats: Eleven Mile Canyon

From the beginning, we have all known, there is "some-thing" about being in nature, being and  participating with the creation, that seems to give us pause, to consider God. Few activities bring us so intimately engaged with nature, as fly-fishing.  I don't know exactly what it is or how to put words to it; yet, when I stand in a river under the immense sky,  there is a sense that the divine is being revealed.  It may be "some-thing" we see or perceive in the trees, the sky, the river or the fish we manage to sometimes catch and hold in our hands. Maybe it is the excitement and the smiles we see in others as they momentarily "connect" to a fish by hooking it, even if only to release it. I don't know what it is but it is "some-thing,"and it is wonderful.

The fishing remains good in Eleven Mile Canyon with the usual assortment of flies working such as Brown San Juan Worms, small Pheasant tail nymphs, brassies, zebra midges, and RS2's. If you have not tried going smaller with an RS2, give it a shot. A size 26 gray sparkle wing RS2 remains my best "go to" fly.

Eleven Mile Canyon: Overcast Conditions; Trout Rise to B.W.O's

BWO's love overcast days. The bugs seems to hatch in greater numbers. More fish seem to rise on overcast days. I am not sure if that is truly the case or if  the cooler moist air delays the duns drying of its wings. If the drying takes more time then the bugs are on the water longer and draw more attention/feeding from the fish below. More fish rise. Maybe it is both, more bugs hatching and bugs on the water longer. Now lets throw in a 3rd variable. Trout do not like bright light so perhaps on overcast days more fish are likely to rise.

BWO's are hatching right now on the South Platte in Eleven Mile Canyon. Dry fly fishing is great in the upper two and half miles. A size 24 parachute adams or a BWO parachute, usually does the trick. But you have to love these dreary overcast days and learn to look carefully. BWO's are not easy to see on the water and especially in overcast conditions.

Years ago at Deckers there was a spring snow storm that dropped snowflakes the size of half dollar coins. The BWO's started coming off like crazy and the fish rose all over the river. This went on for an hour or so and then the clouds parted and the sun came out. I could not find a single BWO or a single fish rising.