Where the Fish Are...
Recently I have had some free time and have made it to a few fishing spots. I went with the Colorado Women Flyfishers to the Blue River at the end of snow runoff season. The water was mostly unwadeable due to massive flows, but I managed to catch a fish. Before a conference I fished the Roaring Fork in Basalt near Aspen and caught fish. This week I made it to Brainard Lake near Nederland, and the fish were hungry and jumping. Then I went to Cheeseman Canyon near Deckers, CO. This is a place where beginners often do not go due to the warning of the need for stealth and technical skill. It is close to Denver and receives a lot of pressure as well. I had been skunked there before and decided even a perpetual beginner should try again. My goal was to catch 5 fish but secretly I hoped for even one. I caught the two largest fish that I ever have and lost the 3rd when I forgot to keep a tight line and lost him while getting him in the net (rainbow and brown). The fourth was a baby brown. I quit before I reached my goal of 5 since I had to hike back out of the canyon and drive home. Reports say that the Blue River in Silverthorne and the Roaring Fork River are both red hot. Get out there and have fun with both dry flies and nymphs. Contact your local fly shop for reports or check online. Don't forget to check streamflows.
Teresa
May 15th, 2007 Where the Fish Are...
The snow in the Colorado Rockies is melting. That means runoff is coming and has already hit some rivers in Colorado. What you get is muddy waters with streamflows faster than a speeding bullet. Now is the time to catch some last river fishing until runoff is over late in June. Reports from guides as well as the Colorado Division of Wildlife are that portions of many of the major rivers are already "blown out", meaning too fast and muddy to fish.
Best bets right now are for tailwaters such as the Big Thompson below Lake Estes, the Blue River at Silverthorne and below Green Mountain Reservoir, the Frying Pan below Ruedi Dam, the Yampa below Stagecoach Reservoir, the Williams Fork and portions of the upper Colorado, where the stoneflies are expected to hatch soon. Check the guide services, fly shops and the Colorado Division of Wildlife before you make a decision on where to fish!
Soon you will be heading to the city and mountain lakes and ponds for some fun fishing. And that could mean some beautiful hikes, bike rides and 4 wheeling. There are always great opportunities for photography too. And, of course, you can get some golf and tennis in now!
Have fun!
Teresa