The Lower Ark

I hit the tail water of the Arkansas River below Pueblo Reservoir yesterday morning. This section of “The Ark” is some of the best winter fly fishing in the area as water temps remain in the forties when other spots begin to ice over. I went with a worm pattern with an egg and nymph dropper. This approach yielded six rainbows in the first hour.

This was lots of fun, and surprisingly scenic given the proximity to Pueblo. I will go back tomorrow morning to repeat my success with the feisty little rainbows that smash just about anything, and to take a swing at the trophy brown trout that allegedly lurk in this tail water.

The Blue

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Now that I have dampened expectations in my prior post on the finicky nature of brown trout, I can report that my Dad and I got some real quality time on The Blue River. The highlight of the trip was Dad’s cutthroat that was easily over 15 inches. We had marginal success at the more traditional public access points to the stream to include the inlet where The Blue dumps into Dillon Reservoir, a very scenic spot about five miles below Silverthorne, and the infamous tail water section lined with fly fishermen just outside the Silverthorne outlet malls. In the end we found the most fish in the town of Breckenridge. My first descent hook up was right by the pool at the resort where Dad was staying. It was less than ideal but I was willing to take it. We were really digging deep when we defaulted to the large hole surrounding the fake river boat restaurant.

I always hear fly fishermen talk of seeking total isolation deep in the wilderness to feel at one with nature. In my mind this is the euphoria that precedes the mountain lion attack. So we were happy to take the nine brown and one cutthroat trout we landed...even if the fake river boat lent somewhat of a Disneyland effect.

The Truth About Brown Trout

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

My dad and I fished The Blue River in Breckenridge over the last few days. We had a good time in spite of the temperamental nature of the brown trout that are predominant in the upper stretches of The Blue. Browns are very much akin to the high school cheerleader who flirts with boys only to enjoy the act of rejecting them. Brown trout are beautiful creatures that are never quite sure what they want. The perfect drift can entice them into action only to then turn away as if to sneer ‘I don’t think so.’ The fly that drew a five pound rainbow a month ago wasn’t quite good enough for our little Blue River browns.

I will post the details of our marginally successful expedition, but I felt the need to vent about my experiences with brown trout over the last few years. These little guys have ruined more family trips than a drunk uncle.

God Bless Texas!

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Landing a 5LB+ largemouth bass on a fly rod makes me want to move back to Texas. This was the highlight of my short trip to the Lone Star State. The amazing thing about this catch is that it happened after about ten minutes on the bank of Stillhouse Hollow Lake applying the tactics I describe below in my entry on bass poppers. My stand by yellow popper was indeed the right selection. In fact, I fished this popper almost exclusively for the hour or so I put in each day of my visit. This was worth five bass to include a 20, 17 and 15” bass, although I should note the 17” fish was on a dropper fly.

Sometimes these things just happen. I was not particularly prepared to fish; I brought one of my cheaper bass rods and a couple boxes of flies. By the time I was wheels up I had landed about twelve pounds of fish.

It’s hard to beat Texas when it comes to warm water fly fishing!

Wooly Worm Bass

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

While I was in Texas I hit the bank of Stillhouse Hollow Lake with my fly rod. I found the purple wooly worm turned out to be the perfect fly to drop off my popper when the top water bite slowed. I usually go for a dropper fly to target other species. I have experimented with using streamers as droppers before with limited success, but I usually revert to a wet fly to entice bluegill, sunfish, and crappie. In this case I started with a wet fly and switched to a purple wooly worm. I thought this fly was the perfect compromise between a wet fly and a streamer. Purple seemed to be a good fit for the slightly discolored, choppy water. The approach was worth a 17” bass which was toward the limit of what I could handle on the 4X tippet I used for my dropper.

Bass Poppin'

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Before I spill the beans on the rest of my success during my short trip to Texas, I thought I would reflect on a few lessons I have learned fly fishing with bass poppers. First, neon yellow is by far the most effective color on a blue bird day. Cloudy weather calls for a dark popper, preferably black. Second, windy conditions favor a traditional popper over a slider. The calmer the water, the more subtle the presentation unless there is evidence of aggressive top water feeding. Third, a double haul with an open loop is the best way to cast a popper. This works best with a 7/8 weight system, and a 1X leader. Last, when casting a popper in breazy conditions, cast with the wind to get good distance along the shoreline. The heavy current turns on the bite and adds to the action of the popper. This fly works best close to the bank where amphibians and mice often draw the attention of hungry bass. Overall, this is a great technique for catching big largemouth.

Damon's Honey Hole

I spent the last couple of days at a conference in Texas. After I got off the plane I linked up with my friend Damon. As is often the case in Texas, he has a pond across from his house loaded with big bass. We went over just before sunset. He had a baitcaster with a spinner bait tied on. I had a fly rod and a box full of poppers and streamers. Within a few minutes Damon caught a monster green sunfish that was easily over a pound. I later got on the board with a small bass. As the sun set the popper bite turned on. Suddenly a 15” bass engulfed my popper and put up a heroic fight before I winched him out of the weeds. Holding this pig and high fiving Damon made the trip well worth it for me. Many thanks to Damon for showing me a good time and helping me land this fish.

I thought this was the highlight of my Texas bass excursion, but there was more to come.

Gold Medal Trout Fishing

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Today marked my first day of fishing in the mountains since I ran into a couple of true fly fishing experts from North Georgia. I was heading back from a conference earlier this week when met a guide and an outdoor photographer at the airport in Atlanta. We exchanged pictures and thoughts on fly fishing. When I got home I tried to recall how much I learned from these gentlemen, but I was mainly amazed by the fact that they consistently net trophy trout…in Georgia! As I journeyed this morning to Eleven Mile, and Spinney Mountain Reservoirs armed with a fly rod and a float tube, I reminded myself that I live in Colorado now and I should catch at least an occasional trout over 20”.

Today was my day. After one good hook up at Eleven Mile, I switched to Spinney Mountain Reservoir and made a commitment to my bead head leach streamer pattern. Spinney is designated as a “Gold Medal” trout fishery, which basically means the fish are huge. I fished it like fish for bass. I was just looking for one big bite on my streamer. This strategy paid off: I got what I estimate to be a 20” Rainbow, declared victory, and decided to head back to my home in Colorado Springs. As I pulled my float tube from the water I paused for a moment and soaked up the snow packed peaks on the horizon and thought: this is Colorado!

Willow Springs Ponds

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

I was hesitant to try Willow Springs Fishing Ponds yesterday morning because of the history of contamination. Word is that these ponds in Fountain were the local hotspot until the discovery of percloroethylene (PCE) shut the ponds down from 1997 to 2007. The ponds have been sufficiently rehabilitated to be reopened with a fish consumption advisory. Unless I later develop some type of PCE induced disease or ailment, I would rate the morning as a success. I got a 14” rainbow trout in addition to a half dozen bluegill. I hooked and lost one small bass. My use of a wet fly dropper under a bass popper has now proved effective for trout as well as bass and bluegill.

Skaguay

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

I hit the jackpot on Saturday at Skaguay Reservoir near Cripple Creak. Fresh from the wounds inflicted by the monster trout at Antero, I headed to Skaguay in search of a lake more manageable from a float tube. This lake is perfect. It doesn’t have the wind associated with South Park, and there are large numbers of smaller fish that are easier to land in a float tube. My selection paid off; within a few hours on the water I had landed six rainbow trout, and four small pike.

I fished the creek below the spillway on the way out. I put in about fifteen minutes before the weather turned bad and I got three brown trout. Overall, this was my best afternoon ever! I have had good runs in the morning and evening, but this time a landed thirteen fish in the middle of the afternoon through early evening.

I have made a few adjustments to my fly fishing. I am back on wooly bugger and leach patterns, and I have switched from homemade leaders to a knotless tapered 2X. If my streamer patterns don’t work I can always add lighter tippet on the end to go to a nymph or dry fly. I feel that my day on Skagway proves that my dedication to streamer fishing doesn’t just deliver occasional big bites; it can deliver good quantities of trout as well.

Another Monster Eludes Me

My family was away over the weekend. I attempted Lake Antero in my float tube on Friday, which turned out to be an unexpected day off. The lake is located in South Park. This makes for windy conditions and it is packed with boats, tubes, and pontoons. Within an hour I discovered why so many people were fishing this lake. I was trolling a leach pattern when my line took off. I went tight on a monster rainbow. He jumped and my heart stopped. This was the biggest trout I have ever seen -- easily ten pounds. I did the best I could with my 5 weight rod and 3X tippet. The tackle held up, but after about a ten minute fight and four jumps he spit the hook. The experience was somewhat heart breaking but exhilarating and rewarding at the same time. I later got another bite which resulted in an instant line break. After a few hours on the water a storm drove me and everyone else off the lake. I rebounded the following day. I found a place called Skaguay -- details and pictures are forthcoming.

Beyond Streamers

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

I have evolved over the last few years into a fly fisherman who specializes in streamers, and poppers, which are the ticket for bass. Now that I live in Colorado it’s time to expand my horizons. My go to fly, the wooly bugger, is the best fly for sheer versatility and luring big fish, to include trout. However, my home lake is really a dry fly lake. While the water is clear enough for sight fishing, the most reliable way to locate trout in Quail Lake is by following insects, swirls, and rises. Matching the hatch will take time, but so far I seem to have found luck chucking caddis flies. I am currently out of parachute adams, but that fly is next in the rotation.

More Float Tube Trout And The Other One That Got Away

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Yesterday morning proved the value of being close to your fishing spot. I hit Quail Lake on my float tube at sunrise and quickly landed a “pan fryer” rainbow trout, as my cousin BJ calls them. On my next cast I noticed that I had wrapped my line around my leg while I was stripping the fish in – a small technical difficulty. After I sorted out my fly line I went tight on another fish. I set the hook and immediately gave up all my slack line to this fish. I started to apply drag as I quickly ran out of fly line. Once the fish got in my backing I went for the brakes before I got spooled. Applying minimal pressure, the loop connector between my fly line and backing snapped – a major technical difficulty. So not only did I lose another monster, I lacked a replacement fly line making my system completely inoperable. I paddled off the water, went home to pick up a new fly rod (had time to pick up milk for my two year old), and got back on the water with enough time to get another rainbow before I had to get on with the rest of my day.

Lessons of the day: fish near home, have extra fly line handy, and NEVER use a store bought loop connector when fishing for Colorado trout. Ironically, I had tied my own triple nail knot loop for my line to leader connection because I distrusted the loop connectors that came attached to this line. I had forgotten about the one attaching the fly line to the backing…Doh!

The Trout Lake Next Door

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

My new place in Colorado Springs is within two miles of a lake stocked with trout: Quail Lake. I first tried the lake fishing with my son the other night. Within ten minutes I hooked a monster rainbow trout that broke me off in about two feet of water. I returned this morning with my float tube. I got three rainbows chucking a wooly bugger. The one in the picture was the smallest, but had the best color. Bobbing in my float tube in the shadow of Pikes Peak is a true Rocky Mountain High.

Catfish...On The Fly Rod?

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I was content with scoring a couple small bass at our friend’s place in Superior. I was fishing a Murray’s Strymph, which is a great all purpose fly for those situations when you are totally clueless. It turns out that this streamer/nymph combo is more versatile then I realized. Designed for Shenandoah River smallmouth bass, the Strymph was too much for an 18” catfish to resist. We returned to Superior on Memorial Day. Within fifteen minutes of chucking a Strymph a 19” cat took the offering. So you can catch catfish on a fly rod, provided you have a pocket full of smallmouth flies.

Colorado Fly Bass

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

We have moved to Colorado Springs, CO. On the day after the movers showed up we drove up to Superior to pick up our kids from a friend who was looking after them on move in day. Chucking a fly at a small lake behind our friend’s house was worth two bass in short order. They were small, but small bass are made for fly fishing.

Dad's Monster Smallie

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

My Dad is starting to establish himself as a monster smallmouth hunter. Each year he spends on Lake James he seems to log more and more over the coveted 16" range. The entry below details his recent victory over an 18" smallmouth. This week Dad topped that fish by boating a true monster, 21", five-pound North Carolina bronzeback. Once again, the winning tactic was Uncle Leroy's sunset spoon technique. Hats off to Dad for the bass of the year

Weekend With Dad

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Dad and I knew up front that Lame James is tough, but if it didn’t produce we would be spending quality time together. It took awhile to get our patterns established. I got a drop shot going through wood cover that hooked three largemouth bass; unfortunately I learned the importance of sharp hooks on the two best bass. When Dad had exhausted the trusty green plastic worm he would employ a spoon tactic we learned from Uncle Leroy who taught us both to fish and was surely watching every cast we made from above. We also each got a small taste of the crappie bite, which is on this time of year.

Sunday night provided the finale we will remember for a long time. The sun was setting and Dad wanted to throw a spoon in the low light just like Uncle Leroy used to. This tactic had produced a huge white bass on the first night. As the sunlight faded, Dad became frustrated with his inability to thread the line to complete the knot on his spoon. I offered to tie it. As I finished tying the knot I said “this is the least I can do -- consider this payback for all the knots you tied for me.” Dad made one cast and hooked an 18” smallmouth. A long fight ensued with a jump, a dart under the boat, and a dangerous lunge toward the trolling motor putting Dad’s six-pound line to the test. Finally we netted the pig and reflected on the victory. Dad had succeeded again using Uncle Leroy’s spoon tactic, but he was also using a spoon he had inherited from Uncle Leroy. It was almost like there were three of us in that boat.

Drop Shot Bassin'

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Fishing Lake James with my Dad over the last couple of days has allowed me to work on my drop shot technique. The depth of this lake really demands some type of deep water technique and the drop shot seems to be the ticket. I retract my earlier assertion about this lake lacking structure; there are several banks lined with downed trees. The ends of the trees often hang over a drop off providing excellent largemouth cover. I developed this pattern with a drop shot rigged finesse worm probed deep into the cover. I hooked and lost some real nice big fish. I changed to a sharper hook and finally got a bass in the boat. This lake doesn’t give up bass easily so you learn to appreciate success.

Poor Man's Striper

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Dad and I fished yesterday afternoon and evening after my furious seven hour drive to the mountains of western North Carolina. Lake James is a tough lake: crystal clear, limited structure, and very deep. This place is all about expectation management. Our primary target is smallmouth bass which don't always cooperate with your fishing plans. Dad hooked one early, but it popped off next to the boat. I later hooked a very nice largemouth that jumped and spit the hook. Just when hope was beginning to fade, Dad hooked up and said "what is this?" I saw the body and exclaimed "striper!" After further review, Dad's day saver turned out to be a white bass. As far as white bass goes this was a good one. The state record is five pounds. Way to go Dad!

Love Them Browns

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

There are a few things in life that can turn around a dreary Sunday, tangling with some chunky brown trout while fishing with your son is one of them. We hit Accotink Creek yesterday in recognition of my ongoing bass slump. My misfortunes are not shared by David who has been bagging bass with regularity over the last few weekends. However, Accotink is a pretty sure thing for brown trout right now so we went there. We got four trout, to include two descent browns, a couple small rainbows, and we lost count how many bluegill, and sunfish we caught. David landed all the fish himself but hooked and caught the small rainbow completely unassisted – good times!

Accotink Browns

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

About a year or so ago I posted an entry advocating stocking more brown trout in our Fairfax County delayed harvest streams. The idea is based on the brown’s greater resilience in warmer climates compared to other trout species. Fortunately, the last two spring stocks in Accotink and Holmes Run have been comprised primarily of brown trout. If browns are not viable in this suburban DC environment, they are at least a great change of pace. Although they are finicky and tend to soft strike, a 12” fish can really put up a good fight on light tackle. I got a couple nice ones this morning on a wooly bugger before my Easter Bunny duties called.

David's Latest Bass

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Our little fly fishing prodigy has scored again. Today's bass is David's second on a fly rod in six days. He is starting to expect this success and becomes visibly agitated when he doesn’t deliver Mr. Bigmouth. I try to remind him that he is only four, but he’ll hear none of it.

David's Rally

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

David and I had a rough start today at Lake Mercer. We were heading to the truck conceding defeat when David proposed a few last casts at the spillway. After we located some feeding fish, David quickly took control of the fly rod and began hauling them in. He started by hooking up with his first bass on a fly. He followed with a bluegill, and a white perch. Way to go little man!

Father Son Bassin'

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David and I hit Woodglenn and cracked into the first bass of the spring. While these little guys were small, a fly rod makes a non-keeper bass much more sporty. Today's winning presentation was a neon green BH wooly bugger pulled against a wind current. The stained water called for the obnoxious color. Once again, the wooly bugger delivers!

Mom Scores!

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Way to go Mom. You have now been initiated into the order of fly fishing Olsons. It is a very prestigious distinction which, until tonight, was exclusive to David and myself. That leaves Zach as the odd man out. We'll take being 21 months old as an excuse for not landing a fish on a fly rod...for now. As for Mom's bluegill, these little guys are gateway fish that lead to more powerful and addictive species.

David Weighs In On World's Best Fishermen

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Before David and I took part in another non-bass catching bluegill fest, David weighed in on the three best fishermen in the world. His picks are: “Roland Martin, Kevin Van Dam, and Mr. Duane.”

Way to go Duane, you rank with the best!

The One That Got Away...From the Camera

I fished Accotink Creek briefly this morning and landed a nice rainbow trout, which looked to be about 11" long. Unfortunately, my little finned friend made an untimely dash to freedom during the photographic documentation phase of victory. As I watched him disappear into open water I noted that he could have been 13" or more. Next time I land a 15" rainbow trout I will make sure I get a picture immediately, and I will save it even if it's a little blurry. A 17" rainbow is hard to come by, too bad I couldn't post a picture of a 19" trout this morning -- I was so close.

Early Spring Bluegills

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

I hit Lake Royal over the weekend in hopes of getting a jump on pre-spawn bass. I opted for my popper/wet fly dropper rig. This approach allows you to pick off bluegills while you wait for the bass bite. The bass appear to be a week or so off, but the bluegills are moving shallow into the creek arms to feed. The bass will soon follow.

Accotink Quick Fix

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

I had about an hour to devote to my beloved sport this morning. I am longing for the days when I can get after largemouth bass with my float tube. Unfortunately, it was just below freezing this morning, so I opted for my "go to" hole in Accotink Creek. I got three rainbows on a white wooly bugger but I had the bites to put together a limit.

A key to this morning’s session was opting for hip boots over chest waders for a faster stream entry. I made it home before Zach stirred making my clandestine trout outing a complete success.

Holmes Run

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Yesterday morning I hit Holmes Run briefly and immediately landed a rainbow trout. The bite slowed, but I hooked one more trout that popped off on an ice sheet. I think it is worth noting that Holmes Run is a very good stocked trout stream with lots of riffles and boulders creating very suitable habitat for trout. There is also a trail that weaves through the stream in a series of fords that create excellent opportunities for fly-fishing.

I thought I would note this short outing to emphasize that the numbers of fish taken are descent considering that these fish were stocked in October. Also, while the trout are small, they continue to be brightly colored and seem remarkably healthy. I now find myself blogging the most colorful, most beautiful fish as opposed to the biggest fish.

Ice Trout

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Today I continued to hone the very specialized skill of extracting trout from a stream that is nearly frozen over. This is kind of cross between fly fishing and ice fishing. My strategy is simple: float a wooly bugger into the current and get as far under the ice as possible. Stripping the fly back up the current seam usually elicits a strike if there are fish in the hole. This approach was worth two rainbows at Accotink today.

I later stopped by Holmes Run which, being tail water, wasn’t nearly as frozen as Accotink. Throwing my trusty wooly bugger scored me another two rainbows. That’s four for the day, which I am happy with given the freezing temperature.

UK Fly Fishing

I am visiting my mother in England. Upon arrival, I immediately regretted my decision to leave my fly tackle at home. As it turns out, there is a stream three and a half miles from here that holds brown trout: the River Lee (depicted in this 19th century oil painting). I am awaiting a 5-weight fly rod my mother ordered for me for my birthday. I have managed to put together a small box of flies and secured a pair of wading boots from a local tackle shop. Most importantly, I have found publicly accessible water on the River Lee just below Wheathamstead, which is one of the villages near by. I don't know if this stretch holds decent numbers of browns. According to the net it holds "chub, dace, and barbel" which are all similar to both our North American fallfish and carp. I know that the River Lee is generally known to hold browns and I know trout fishermen are prone to hold secrets. The rod should come tomorrow which leave me about four days to fish. Wish me luck.