Late Fall On Pueblo's Arkansas River Tailwater

When it is 72 degrees and fish are rising to Blue Winged Olive Mayflies on Pueblo's Arkansas River it is difficult to believe December is just several days away. The best fishing this time of year seems to be around 11:30am to about 2:00pm when the B.W.O's are hatching. We have been using size 22-24 parachute BWO dry flies.

Jim and I had a nice day on the river enjoying hooking up to some nice fish both on nymphing rigs and dry flies. The flows are low right now under 70 CFS.  Water seems to be clearing.

Today, I was actually "too warm" as I had a few too many layers on. Tying on flies with "warm fingers" was pleasant. The only problem is that there are many folks who also find the fishing pleasant and so crowds can be heavy.

When There are Bugs Or Snow You Go!

I kind of live by by this motto when it comes to fly fishing and skiing. When the hatch is on, you just go. If you don't, if you hesitate, a dozen reasons not to go, will come crashing down on you. You might not make it out the door.

Responsibility is one thing, but indecisive wavering is something else. The South Platte can have some great hatches; BWO's, caddis, Tricos and then in the fall, BWOs' again, but the snow can also fall. Sometimes the snow just dumps.

Over the last few days a  cold snap hit and there was snow.  Time to go!  I found a mountain trail, where the snow was  blowing  and I glided on freshly fallen powder. Few things are as special as skiing on brand new deep powder. It is similar to catching a heavy BWO or trico hatch. You just have a sense of having found a secret treasure and the timing is perfect.

If you hesitate an hour you might miss the hatch. If you don't throw the skis in the car and just start driving you might not make it over the pass. Remember the Greek story of trying to get the ship past the crushing blue stones? When there is an opening; time to go!  When there is snow, you just go! When there are bugs, time to go. 

I will now be looking for one of those big midge or late BWO hatches on the Arkansas River tail-water.  Ready to go.

No Place Like a Home River: Returning to the South Platte

The phrase, "There is no place like home,"  seems to speak of a deep truth to me as a fly fisher. When I go away and travel, even to a world class river such as the Bighorn in Montana, I miss my home river, the South Platte. Of course, the Bighorn is a fabulous river,  however, as I fished it, I was strangely being pulled back to the Platte. There really is no place like home.Sometimes it takes a trip away to appreciate what we have here at home.

What an amazing varied river we have in our back yards. From the meanders of the Dream Stream in South Park to the boulder filled canyons of 11 mile and Cheesman Canyon. We are still finding fabulous dry fly fishing to BWO's in all sections.What is so strange is that even though the South platte is so much smaller than rivers like the Bighorn, the Platte produces amazing fish! Where can one fish a river of a volume similar to the Platte and have a chance of hooking a 25-30 inch fish?  Where can we fish where we can  consistently catch trout 14-16 inches? When I think of its value I wish we could find ways to better protect it and secure its quality in the decades to come.The South Platte is a jewel! Let's treat it well.

Finallly, cold weather is on its way. Perhaps the cold will give the river some needed rest.

Still "Summer" at Deckers 10/24/14 Fly Fishing Report

I just can't believe this weather. It still feels like summer even in the mountains at Deckers. I could have easily wet waded today.  We had a good flow of 140 CFS for the South Platte River. There were some marvelous hatches still occurring about  mid morning that continued into the early afternoon. This morning we saw BWO's and Tricos. My client and I  were impressed with the number or large fish rising to the small bugs. These were "slabs";  big healthy rainbows. My client caught several large rainbows in the 20-21 inch range and broke off several larger. We also netted a number of  "smaller" fish. How exciting to catch big fish on small dry flies. As is often the case we just use a variety of small parachute type dry flies in sizes 22-26 on 6X tippet using "reach mend" and "parachute" casting techniques.

Hard to believe the snow is going to fly soon.  An old song from my high school years just popped in my head with the lyrics,  "It may be warm but the snow is going to fall, enough to cover us all....."

Better get those last drifts while it is still summer.

Looking For Big Fish In All the Wrong Places: Big Fish On Dream Stream On The Rise

This time of year, on the dream stream, the crowds go after the big Browns that run up out of 11 mile reservoir. Most fly fishers are chucking heavily weighted nymphs and fishing down to the monsters that are laying low. We are looking "down" trying to sight fish, but maybe we should try looking "up".

This morning, once again  there was  a heavy Blue Winged Olive Mayfly and Trico hatch that brought the fish up on top. I put aside my nymphing rod and fished to large rising rainbows, Cutthroats and Cut-bows. I landed several heavy fish over 20 inches. It felt "right" to fish on top since that was where they were and they were actually eating. It also felt right to match the hatch and make a nice delicate dry fly presentation. Sometimes, I just get tired of chucking lead. 

It is also common knowledge that there are a lot of little dinks that are rising. In fact, most of the rising fish are small, but in their midst you will sometimes notice a slurp and a gulp that is NOT  made by a small fish. Cast to those gulpers and you may be rewarded for looking for the big fish in all the right places.

LATE TRICOS in ELEVEN MILE CANYON

Unbelievable BWO and Trico hatch in Eleven Mile Canyon. It lasted for hours and better than I have seen all summer. Every fish was up top slurping. As always I just use tiny size 24 parachute adams or a black parachute trico (white wing post), or a BWO parachute. It seems to help to mix it up and try different ones. A perfect drift is way more important than the fly. This rain and cooler weather might but an end to it though.

Dream Stream October 3, 2014

What was most strange about fishing the dream stream today was the huge hatch of Tricos. They were so thick below the dam that I had a hard time seeing through them as I was trying to sight fish. And the fish were responding to them. Big fish! It is October 3!  This past summer I had seen some great trico hatches on the dream stream but often the fish were apathetic. Today they were gulping and not messing around.