What Winter?

Late January, but it feels like October, or March.  We've had a grand total of four inches of snow in these parts, all season!  Temperatures struggle to drop below freezing at night, and daytime highs soar from the 30's into the 40's and 50's.  I don't recall a single daytime high below freezing yet.  In my 35 years of living in the arctic, barren wasteland of southern Wyoming, I've never seen a Nov.-Jan stretch so warm and dry.  We've had some multi-day wind storms that have preserved the area's reputation, but no cold or precip.

The river corridor is snow and ice free.  The surrounding 12,000 ft. high peaks look more like May, with only a dusting.  Trout rise most of the day in the slower slicks.  Not the bigger fish, but the short skinny ones.  Noses to cast too. It's all midges lately, and the risers aren't picky.  I've been busy on the lake, where the unseasonable weather keeps attracting clients.  On days off the river calls. The flows are low, and there are no fluctuations.  Perfect.

I can always count on this riffle and pool being full of heads.

I guess the river is aptly named.

This parking lot is empty on only a very few days of the whole year.  Most of the year it's full everyday.

No wind. Mirror smooth. That's a little rare too.

This part of the reservoir is nearly always frozen in late January. Not this year.  The entire 90 mile long reservoir is ice free.  Unheard of.  It may be getting too late for any brutal cold, but the moisture will come sometime. It always does. 

Home Water-Big North Edition

This water has always grown bigger than average trout.  It's two reservoirs have grown bigger than average trout since their completion 60 years ago.  The river between them flows for 78 miles, and I've fished alot of it over the years. Its my Lando.  Like most tailwaters, the richest sections are closest to the dam.  It's windy, ugly, and a little off the well-traveled path.   I fish the run a couple miles below the dam, and another at Dodge Bottoms.

There's small fish rising to midges here and there, and once in awhile I see a monster roll, but am not sure if they're actually rising to eat something or just rolling to roll.  I've got the five weight, rigged to a 2X tippet and the big brown leech.  I'm not here to play games.  Late one afternoon I see someone land a brown easily over 2 ft using some kind of nymph.  Next day a couple of youngsters take a bunch of fish from a riffle with bobbers and something. I land a couple of rainbows between 22 and 24 inches, plus one that gets away. Some garden variety 16-20 inchers keep things interesting.  A big rainbow is easily the longest, fattest rainbow of my season.  There's browns and Colorado cutthroats in the mix.

Sunny and mid 50's.  November's miracle hangs on.

Bird's eye

That's a fish waking

Colorado River Cutts

Caught these just laying in the riverside mud.

G4 light show tonight

Over the river

September in November

Or is it June?  I'll take November and a size 10 dry fly with 60+ degree afternoons.  The crowds are gone for the season.  The flow is as low as it gets. I see only two other wade anglers both days and just a half-dozen boats float by late in the afternoon.  The place is abandoned by any standard, and just 45 minutes from home.  Trout are eating, hook-jawed browns waiting for a meal along the shallow banks, and cookie cutter rainbows rising in the winter runs.

The baetis and midge eaters are picky at this point in the season, but some are eager for one last steak dinner.  Some do that push, where they come up closed mouthed, pushing water underneath the fly in a sarcastic refusal.  The fish here are notorious for that, and turning around to follow big bugs downstream for a bit.  Both the big winged beetle and tiny baetis take fish, but the beetle is the sure winner.  Some even eat it skittering.  Must be some sense of urgency, like winter.

The approach

Tons of these cookie cutter rainbows.

Splashdown channel is nearly dry at this flow.

A light sunny day baetis hatch both days, all afternoon.

Sunny and 64 baby!  

The shadows creep in fast mid afternoon

An occasional big rainbow

The end of the half-mile walk back out

I don't know if they take it for a cicada, a beetle, a horse fly or house fly, or maybe just a big mouth full of calories.  Whatever it is, they sure take it!

In a #20

The higher double peak flows ended October 1st

The fish and this fisherman love a graph like this.