Warm enough today to ditch another layer. After the half mile walk up to the Green Drake water, standing in the river knee high was comfortably cool despite the 42° water. The fish were right down the middle of the river, rising when there was reason. I went up a size on the hanger, and they loved it. Grateful. Two boats passed me all day, and never saw another wade fisherman.
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| Up to the size 16 today, and it was flawless. |
I never thought I'd see this place empty of fishermen, especially with bugs on the water and trout rising. But here I am. Overcast and in the 40's. Midges from 11am through the afternoon with some mid afternoon blue wings. The fishing is easy, upstream right over 'em. There's nobody here!
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| A comfortable 830 cfs. |
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| Doin' it all over here in pods |
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| For the midges, size 18. |
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| For the baetis, size 18. (I know, I know!) |
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| One of three new Pac Bays I built in December. Two peices, cigar grips, REC nickel silver, with flex and soul. |
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| There's nobody here! |
Winter. What's that? A season, a block of time on the calendar. The north end of earth tilted away from the sun during its annual revolution. Reduced daylight and early sunsets. I remember cold air, snow, ice, and frigid winds too. In my neck of the woods this year, winter came and went without such encumbrances. To date, we've had three snowfalls, four if you count the one when it melted on impact. Eight inches, maybe, for the season's grand total. Temperatures have been warm with more nights above freezing than below. My wood pile only has a dent. I've never seen a season like it, and I can't find an older-timer who recalls one either. In my mind, this cancels out the winter from hell 2 years ago, when my neighbor had to dig me out several times with his big John Deere and my local reservoir was frozen until April 29th. It never dreamed of freezing this year.
This week's forecast calls for record-breaking heat, "a powerful heat dome" they're calling it. Sounds better than "polar vortex," "atmospheric river," or a "wind event." Most of us across the Rockies had tickets to that just a couple days ago, and it's still nearby, though moving a little east of my location.
There's a new tow vehicle to try out, empty campgrounds, spring midges with a dash of blue wings, and temperatures that are going to reach into the 70s this week. I hear the call. The roads are dry and the days grow longer. Damn near to equinox. Winter is still messing around to the north and east, but could still show its ugly spring face. Fishing later in the season could probably use it. For now though, the blocking high creates an opportunity.
I haven't made time to tie flies for the season. Cold mornings provide that opportunity, and I always do my best work parked riverside.
My home water, one of the very best winter fisheries in the country, is fishing well. It's that old backyard thing though, I'm always thinking about places a little further away. I've never been to the South Fork, Ashton, Last Chance, or the Madison in March. The door is open for discovery.
For the trout, early spring is grateful season. They haven't seen much for flies or living insects in quite a while, so they feast on both.
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| Under 1,000 cfs. Little more than a regular sized river. 5,000-12,000 is normal May-Oct flow. |
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| Midge city. |
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| All to ourselves |
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| Frisbee chasin' ain't bad either. |
Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you. The bears ate well in Campeche last week, but the tarpon didn't. Worked for every fish, which were few and far between. Creek fishing okay at times, Mangrove fronts and offshore grasses not so much. The chance you take planning in advance for destination fishing. Five years ago I had the best week of fishing I've ever had in my life, with the same guide at the same place during the same week. Just goes to show history has little bearing on current fishing conditions. The company and weather were good, as were the Yucatan-favored suppers in downtown Campeche. I'll keep trying as long as I can.
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.
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| I can always count on this riffle and pool being full of heads. |
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| I guess the river is aptly named. |
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| This parking lot is empty on only a very few days of the whole year. Most of the year it's full everyday. |
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| No wind. Mirror smooth. That's a little rare too. |
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| 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. |
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.
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| Bird's eye |
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| That's a fish waking |
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| Colorado River Cutts |
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| Caught these just laying in the riverside mud. |
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| G4 light show tonight |
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| Over the river |
