Starting Over: Fly Fishing Colorado Springs

Bad news for the haters and losers - I'm back.

In all seriousness, the blog is not dead! I've just been spending my free time on the water quite a bit more since my relocation to Colorado Springs. Abundant with tailwater fishery sections along the South Platte and the Arkansas rivers, my days have been filled with ideal conditions on the water. Green Bay offers wonderful fishing opportunities, but as soon as the winter freeze begins, ice fishing certainly becomes the most prominent tactic to find success. And because I am not much of an ice fisher, this is when my blog really began to take shape. But even if I am now surrounded by year-round fly fishing opportunities, I will not stop writing! My blogs may be posted on a more sporadic basis, but they will continue to appear here and there when I get a good chance to sit down and write.

Starting Over: Fly Fishing Colorado Springs

After a few hours on the water, I still did not have a bite. It was a beautiful February day on the lower Arkansas River, with temps in the upper 50s, the sun shining brightly, with signs of trout activity including the occasional rise and finning. My experience on the Freestone trout streams of Montana had me fishing deep with heavy split shot, a big bobber, and meaty bugs. As I continued to be ignored by my swimmy adversaries, I looked around the river to see anglers around me meeting success left and right. Another distinct difference coming from Montana - at least if I was getting skunked, I didn't have to feel pressure from the magnitude of anglers all around me finding fish. The only spectators I would have to worry about would be the occasional mule deer or osprey flying overhead, but they never seemed to judge. I knew this was in my head though, and these locals probably wouldn't be able to tell I was an "out of stater".

Moving to the next spot, I happened to pass a few older gentlemen who had been fishing the hole above me. "How's the fishing been?" they ask me. After telling them it was going pretty slow for me, one of them asked, "Well what are you using?". Showing him my current set-up, he was quick to ask, "Where are you from man?". My cover was blown. After explaining my background in Montana and informing him that this was my first time on the waters out here, he was happy to impart some local wisdom on me. Due to the nature of wintertime tailwaters in the area, the bugs are extremely small. Flies smaller than anything I had ever used in Montana, size 20-26. Not only do these flies need to be tiny, but they are to be fished on extremely light tippet, 6x, in order to fool the fish who are so heavily pressured from the large angling populations of the greater Denver Area and Colorado Springs. At that moment, I realized that I was about to enter a whole new world of technical fly fishing that I had never experienced before. I thanked these kind fishermen for the advice, and I was even given a few of their hand-tied flies to try out.

The following week was my first day of work at Angler's Covey in Colorado Springs. Unsure of what to expect for my first job at a fly shop, I was anxious to determine that general vibe and to get to know my fellow staff members. All the nerves went out the window on my first day, as I was welcomed like family and treated with respect by the amazing people I would get to call my co-workers. Not only are they very friendly, but the staff at Angler's Covey are true professionals and absolute experts on the surrounding area. I knew I could rely on their knowledge and advice to help me in my pursuit for my first Colorado trout, so I began to pick their brains during my weekly shifts. Learning some effective tactics for the area, I began to re-arm my fishing arsenal. It was time to get revenge the next time I hit the river.

Fortunately for me, I was to be "guided" by my wonderful co-worker Sky. She is an incredible fisherwoman who has years of experience fly fishing the challenging streams of our area and knows of some prominent fishing spots where we would be able to test our luck. I would need all the help I could get because we were heading to the South Platte for this excursion. As the saying goes, "If you can catch a fish on the South Platte, you can catch a fish anywhere in the world". Arriving on the Platte, the river runs windy, low, and crystal clear. Spotting fish comes with ease, but the concern remains that if you can see the fish, it can probably see you. Sometimes these trout only allow you a few shots before their concerns turn to action, descending into the lower water column, refusing to feed. Armed with Colorado's favorite dry fly, the RS2, I take a few cautious casts to a pod of rising trout. There is no indicator to this miniature fly, so with a low visual, I decided to set the hook as soon as I assumed the fish struck. My gamble paid off, and the fight began.

Fighting a fish on a tiny fly with light tippet is a different game than horsing a fish in using the big stuff. You have to play the fish gently, or you will be punished for overestimating the strength of your tackle. Patience is key and can prove to be a challenge when the exhilarating battle ensures, especially when the fish is marginally within netting distance. It can be tempting to force the fish to net that first time, but oftentimes this is when they make their final run. I tried to keep this in mind while I steered this fish to the softer current. When the time came, I thrust my net into the water and pulled out my very first Colorado trout. To my surprise, it was a beautiful little brown trout who would claim this title. Upon completing a quick photo op for this little guy, I safely released him back to his home waters to swim another day.

The rest of the afternoon proved to be filled with exciting dry fly fishing and hard earned nymph fishing with a yarn indicator. Employing our best tactics, Sky and I were able to each catch a good handful of fish to make it a productive day on the river. With the ice finally broken on my Colorado fishing experience, I sighed with relief as we gathered our gear to head out. I guess fishing here would be possible, although it was clear I still would have a lot to learn. For this day though, I would be grateful. Celebrating with a river beer, I toasted my new friend for taking me to this special place and aiding me in the beginning of my journey to understanding these beloved waters.