Quail Lake

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

I have had a good time this spring hitting Quail Lake on my float tube in the early morning. The local lakes have been the beneficiaries of brood stocks this year. These larger hatchery trout offer a nice change of pace from the standard “catchable” trout that are predominant in this area. On several occasions this spring I have landed a limit of smaller trout then opted for a streamer that takes one of these 16”-18” rainbows. Olive and Brown wooly buggers seem to be the ticket for the larger brood stock. A size #18 Adams often yields a quick limit of smaller fish when fish are active on the surface.

I hope to get up into the mountains to tackle some legitimate wild trout soon -- but as the run-off rages I am content with the action in the local lakes on my float tube.

Fishing With Dad

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

I visited my Dad in North Carolina the week leading up to Easter. We had hoped to get a jump on some good pre-spawn smallie action. However, my expectations for fishing Lake James are tempered by the lake’s technical nature and past experiences working all day for one or two quality fish.

Within the first hour and a half on the water we found a school of smallies. My Dad hooked three quality smallmouth landing two that both exceeded 15 inches. We were sure our pre-spawn smallie-fest was on. Unfortunately, the bite abruptly stopped and the electronics on Dad's boat completely fried -- a real killer on a cold, deep mountain lake. We ultimately settled for about twenty minutes of smallie glory. We later went to Cherokee and each caught trout on the Oconaluftee. This river is so beautiful you can honestly view the hook ups as a bonus. Even though we never really dialed in the trout bite, it was a needed break from fishing for lock-jaw smallies on Lake James.

Looking back on the trip I am most happy to have spent some real quality time with my Dad and I am proud to have been there to net two of his prized Lake James smallmouths. Fishing always seems to teach valuable life lessons. In this case I was left with the thought that all things are fleeting, so enjoy the moment. But as I reflect on the trip I can’t wait to start planning the next one.

Ice Fishing

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Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

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

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.