Twilight With Floyd

Floyd and I met up at a little reservoir outside of town to try the waning light dry fly action. We had plenty of takers but they were so small it was nearly impossible to hook the little buggers. It's so nice to have local water close enough to spend an hour on enjoying the evening air and watching the midges dance on the surface of the lake.

Rings from rising fish in the reflecting sunset


Floyd working the water as the day fades

First Dry Action Of The Year

I had some time at the end of the evening to spend casting about on a local lake. I blew about 20 minutes messing around with nymphs and picked up one little stocker on a midge, until I noticed the fish were starting to really rise as the sun was dropping in the sky. Switching over to a parachute ant pattern turned it into a strike every cast. The fish I landed were all stocker rainbows about 8 inches long. Quite a hoot to pick up some fish on a dry though for the first time this year. They would chase the stripped fly on the surface repeatedly striking away until you either hooked them or ended up recasting. Not a tremendous challenge, but a great way to spend an hour on the water while tickling your funny bone from the amusing antics of these little fish.

Lake was full and looking good


One of the "little gems"


We are starting to get those pretty spring and summer sunsets too

Inaugural North Park Trip

Mark and I met up for a pleasant Sunday in North Park. They never received the pounding snow storm the rest of the region did and the trip down and back was easy except for a small amount of ice on the road in the morning.

We worked looking for some cutthroats early in the day. Mark managed one small cutt that had probably been planted this past fall and I couldn't swing any cutties. The rainbows were around however and the fall planted trout were consistently dancing our indicators. We managed a couple better fish throughout the day with Mark landing a 20 incher to top the day. The best days are coming for the north park reservoirs as the high temps this week should really get things going.

Early morning calm


Mark battling away with an ice out trout


Mark with a nicer rainbow


The release


A rare photo of me with a trout thanks to Mark


Mark's nice one of the day

Backyard Predator

We had a beautiful red fox that decided to hang around the backyard for some lounging and a nap. Typically we see them on the move, coming through the area quickly while hunting, but this one just seemed to want to relax.

South Park Is Sublime

You often hear tales of the fertile reservoirs in South Park. I have fished up there a few times in the past, but I have never had such a rewarding and satisfying day as this Saturday. Marc was kind enough to fill me in on the current state of the area and his information was invaluable as he put me in the right place at the right time with the perfect fly.

I managed to land my best rainbow of the year and I got to tangle with the biggest rainbow trout I have ever hooked in my life. After starting the day with a nice 18 inch rainbow, I immediately hooked my second fish of the day. They are so powerful and thick bodied up here they jump and freight train you to no end. After landing him, I went to take "my fly" out of his mouth and it wasn't connected to the leader anymore. I thought, "oh, he broke off right in the net"....but wait this isn't my fly?! It was another scud.... so I find "my fly" again and remove it and throw it away to the side, thinking its attached to the leader. WRONG... it was ANOTHER earlier break off from someone else. Finally I got mine out as the third fly in his mouth. This fish was a powerful fighter and the evidence was clear as to what he had done to others in the past. I felt pretty fortunate to have landed him.

Every fish up there is deep and fat, that is how it was the entire day.. consistent deep fish. I did have my license checked when I went to the car to retreat the wind for a little break. It was nice to see the DOW out keeping an eye on things.

Towards the end of the day, I hooked, fought, and lost a complete beast. The fish looked like a giant chromed tank leaping time and time again from the surf. I did everything I could for about five minutes of battle, just trying to gain some sort of headway. It was a leaping powerful slab that seemed to have complete control of the entire situation. This was the first fish I have put on the reel all year, and it was the most drag screaming I have heard from my mid arbor ever. Finally the fly just came loose, the five weight breathed a sigh of relief, and he was gone. The whole thing was just wicked awesome. I lost the fish but still can't help but feel really satisfied from the whole experience. It was by far the largest rainbow I have ever had the luck to hook.

I ended the day with a few more healthy rainbows and then on the way out chatted with a float tuber who had been intently watching as the only other fisherman around when I was doing battle with the slab. He was a nice fellow down from Boulder.

All in all, this was one of the most satisfying days on the water I have had all year. What a tremendous resource there is existing in Colorado. I don't think many people realize what they have right there in their own backyards. I will certainly be back when circumstances allow another trip to south park.

My best of the day (and year so far)