FISH XXII: First Fishing Day

I fished with Chad Sukurs and guide Jim Tilmant. Jim is a Federation of Fly Fishers casting instructor and an excellent, hard-driving guide. He is a master of the roll cast (off both shoulders) and the downstream water load cast.  In the tight quarters of this stream, (dense streamside willows over undercut banks), Jim worked hard with Chad on his roll cast which allowed him to be successful with the fish in this stream by avoiding the dangers of the conventional cast.
Chad was a pleasure to fish with and his bright smile told the tail of our day. It flashed often and consistently until he and Jim moved upstream and out of sight. As for me, I caught nothing but small dinks for the first hour. When I reached the first deep bend, my fortunes changed.

With two miles of private water to explore, I was expecting some good water, but I was not prepared for the size of the fish I caught. The rainbows were very deep and as powerful as any Alaska rainbow. I was successful with a hopper/dropper (I started with a small bead head flashback pheasant tail nymph and was also successful with a tiny copper John). I also caught fish with a black streamer and on a small chubby rubber legged hopper fished on a dead drift over the lush shallow weed beds.

Jim and Chad work a beautiful pool with a downstream water load cast.

At one point, as I was busy catching 19-23" rainbows, nature called. I was within 100 yards of my cabin, so I walked to my cabin, did my business, and was soon back on the river. Talk about civilized angling! 

A fat rainbow caught within sight of my cabin.

The rains that were plaguing Colorado's front range fell upon us too, but for us, the weather only increased our success. The light rains hid us from the fish and had them looking up when the day's sporadic light hatches occurred.

The slick was good to me.

Eventually, I reached a long slow slick above a breeched beaver dam that slithered over dense weed beds. The area reminded me of the classic spring creeks of Idaho and Montana. There were small slots between the weed beds and that, of course, is where the fish held. Casts had to be perfect to avoid hanging up on the weeds and thus spooking the fish. Long casts, good mends and quiet presentations were essential, but the rewards for such tactics were literally immense.

A big rainbow and the dense weed beds that feed him so well.

I fished by myself most of the afternoon as Chad and Jim explored the water upstream. They too had a great day and as the afternoon reached the cocktail hour, we pulled out of the river totally sated. Truly an incredible day!