I had a great time yesterday ice fishing for the first time at Eleven-mile Reservoir. This remains a great location even when you are reliant on a hole drilled trough 36” of ice. My new fishing buddy Anthony showed me the ropes. I had success applying the drop shot technique to a trout magnet. Anthony had success with a jigging spoon. Together we totaled nine trout comprised mainly of rainbows with a few cutbows mixed in. The highlight was a football sized rainbow I was lucky to manage.
Many thanks to Anthony for showing me a new part of the sport, and for plunging his hands into ice cold water to salvage the chunkster rainbow I nearly broke off with my sloppy landing technique
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Sunday, December 20, 2009
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.
Friday, September 4, 2009
The Blue
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.
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.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
The Truth About Brown Trout
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.
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.
Monday, August 24, 2009
God Bless Texas!
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!
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!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Wooly Worm Bass
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.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Bass Poppin'
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.
Friday, August 21, 2009
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.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Gold Medal Trout Fishing
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!
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!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Willow Springs Ponds
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.
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