September 30, 2012

Flow: 92
Water temp: 65
Are you ready for some footballs?
The barometer for Colorado’s hottest winter fly fishing destination is just blowing my mind, man. After an emotional summer with unprecedented fishing opportunities, heartache over high temperatures, Personal carp records and having the opportunity to guide some extraordinary people we’re seeing a prophecy of our best winter season ever. At 65 degrees these trout are fat, energetic and thriving. The big dogs are coming alive and the river is almost devoid of traffic when you get away from the parking areas. Trout are exploring pockets and back eddies that were too warm a few weeks ago. Sight fishing is great if you work upstream SLOWLY. Look where you wouldn’t expect and you’ll see trophy trout. Pueblo’s hometown guides know where to put you on these monsters. Book your fall/winter trip now and get your tickets for Where the Yellowstone goes before they’re sold out.
Tight lines and as always thank you so much for your patronage.
Ben

September 22, 2012
Flow: 79
Water Temp 61.5-67
Fall temperatures are beginning to stave off the afternoon high water temperatures. In the next few weeks we’ll start seeing our bigger trout come to life. Recent days have offered technical fishing with limited results. Of course for the Arkansas River tailwater that means 10-20 fish days. Today produced a trifecta (rainbows, browns and a very lovely smallmouth). Even though the angling has been slower we have witnessed some key events that testify to our home waters health. One of which is a BWO hatch on par with any Colorado river I’ve ever seen. We made it through the high summer heat and are getting ready for a spectacular winter.
Join us October 27^th for “Where the Yellowstone Goes”, a great independent film following a great bunch of folks floating almost 500 miles down the longest undammed river in the lower 48. The filmmaker will be there and afterwards we’ll hold a guide auction to benefit TU and ongoing river projects.
Click the link below for tickets.
Hope to see you there and tight lines,
Ben

September 7, 2012

Flow: 107
Water Temp: 58-68
We had a beautiful and relaxing day fishing sections we hadn’t surveyed in a while. It amazes me sometimes how many spots we have in the tailwater. With the low summer flows and consistent summer business we haven’t fish any other river all year (thank you all by the way). We met a lot of great people with very different stories of success. The only thing the patterns had in common was they had nothing in common. The trick of the day is to stop, look and think. The water is clear with a slight stain that makes sight fishing a challenge. Read the water and take a long view at fishy water. Pound it and keep moving. There’s another spot around the bend.
Get your tickets now for our Pueblo premiere of Where the Yellowstone Goes October 27^th at the Runyon Theater. Just because this kid has been one of my greatest pleasures to guide and the reason we started this business I’m leaving his picture up.
Tight lines,
Ben

Sept 3, 2012

Water Temp:  58.1
Flow:  98 CFS
Ben and I had a holiday double.  He had 2 clients from Pueblo and Utah.  Check out the pictures!  Blue caught his first trout on a fly rod.  The look on his face tells it all.  Check out the pics.  I had a guy from Texas that had fly fished once before, he took a 16 and14” bow, numerous hookups and broke off a very large bow.  The fishing was slow and tough.  The barometer was falling and a cold front had just passed through.  Working flies, Zug Bug, Red San Juan Worm, Bead Head Pheasant Tail.  It was cool in the morning and a very limited hatch.  The larger fish were hanging on the shelves of deep pools and in the tail out of the deep pool.  It was a very good Labor Day, I hope yours was as awesome!!!
Tight Lines
Lou

September 1, 2012
Flow: 104
Water Temp: 64-69
Sharing is not a word you hear often in the parlance of fly fishing. If someone asks to share a hole I may be prone to suggest they stick I firecracker up their bum. That being said there are times as fly fishing men and ladies it’s in our best interest to share the river.

         After a good morning of fishing we sauntered back (Lou Sashayed) to the Coyote Grill for lunch. While not as spicy as some of the sloppers around theirs are one of Pueblo’s best. After lunch I didn’t feel like hiking too far and I still needed to net the obligatory 20”er that you all have come to expect. My go to cluster of rocks just off the Nature Center had a gaggle of kids swimming through it and others turning over rocks and netting bugs. My first thought was something I can’t say in polite company but I walked by and said hi, let the kids pet the dog and nymphed the fast water upstream. I figured the trout from my rock pile wouldn’t move far and the feeding lane above is a good one. This bow took an epoxy head san juan. I’m hesitant to recommend it as this is the first fish caught on it after a long day as an attractor. Progressively tapering a nymph rig down in size with a san juan or egg, zug bug or bh 20”, and miracle midge or rs2 worked well on a hot summer day with diminishing flows. Early morning blessed us with a great bwo/ trico hatch. Being an obstinate bastard I caught all mine on a hendrixson. In other news a dog having puppies in the Nature Center parking lot was cited for littering.

Tomorrow our friend Professor Sam Ebersole recommended a great show. Here’s the press release.

This Sunday, Sept 2nd, at 4pm, on Rocky Mt. PBS (KTSC, KRMA, KRMJ) tune in to watch Designed to Deceive. D2D is a one-hour program about five of the top fly tiers in Colorado. Here's the program description:

Join five of Colorado's finest fly tiers as they demonstrate their craft and fish their signature patterns on some of Colorado's most famous rivers. AK Best, Ed Engle, Larry Kingrey, Ken Iwamasa, and Charlie Craven are featured on the Thompson, South Platte, Arkansas, Frying Pan, and Colorado rivers.
Tight lines,
Ben