The Arkansas River – MIddle Section of the Tailwater (The Tree Hole to the Tire Hole)
January 17, 2023
Flows: 133 cfs.
Water Temp: 36F @ 8:30a. 38F @ 10:30a. 40 @ 12:30p.
Water clarity: Clear – visibility ~3’ .
Air Temp: Low 24F @ 8a – high 43F @ 3:30p.
Hatches: Midge- Light in mid-morning, heavier is spots after 2p.
Flies: #14 Euro Rainbow Warrior, #16 Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear, #22 Red Pure Midge Larva, #22 Flashback Black Beauty, #22 Chocolate Thunder, #24 Purple Jujubee Midge, #22 Black Rojo Midge, #24 Top Secret Midge, #20 Flashback Pheasant Tail, #18 Red Dale’s Midge Larva.
Top producers: Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear, Pheasant Tail, Pure Midge Larva, Dale’s Red Midge.
The Tree Hole
It was a cold morning - warming up to 24F as we pulled into the parking lot. It was empty - we were the 1st ones there. That didn’t surprise me.
I mentioned to Brian, we were the only ones crazy enough to fish in the freezing cold. Oh – we did run into a couple of other “crazies” – albeit a little later in the day. That is one benefit of fishing in the cold. There aren’t a lot of fishermen out. The sane fishermen are home drinking coffee by the fireplace – nice and toasty.
Brian wanted to fish the middle section of the Tailwater, starting at the Tree Hole and working our way down to the Tire Hole. That sounded good to me. With the below freezing temperatures my guess was that the trout would be laying low in the deep, slow pools of both holes. And that section of the river is relatively close to the dam.
When fishing a tailwater with a bottom release dam – as the Pueblo Reservoir Dam is - the expected water temperature in the river is a bit counter intuitive. On the cold days of winter, the closer you are to the dam the warmer the water temperature. In the hot summer days, the closer you are to the dam the colder the water temperature.
The water coming out of the bottom of the reservoir is about 40F. On cold winter days – when the air temperature is below 40F – the water cools off as it flows downstream. The colder the air the faster the river water cools on its downstream journey. When the air temperature is below freezing – ice forms along the sides of the river and the water temp drops off pretty fast.
The reverse is true in the summer. The water coming out of the bottom of the reservoir is still about 40F, but with the warmer air temperature, the water warms up the farther away you get from the reservoir. The hotter the air temp, the faster it will heat up as it flows downstream.
There were a bunch of midges hatching at the Tree Hole late in the day. Brian snagged this one.
Brian Kenney.
This is something to consider when selecting a place to fish. With the below freezing temp – we wanted to stay close to the dam. The Tree Hole is only about 2 miles below dam – but the water had cooled to 36F when I measured it at about 8:30a. The fish become very lethargic at that temp. They will hardly move and many of the fish will not even be eating.
A recipe for a tough day on the river. Besides the fishing being slow – you will be freezing your butt off too!
I was first to arrive at the hole. The sun was low and there were a few places where it was shining through the trees to the riverbank. That’s where I was – trying to soak it in. Way too cold for me to fish. The only thing I did was measure the water temp. 36F.
Brian showed up a bit later and began to cover the hole. It wasn’t until about 9a that I decided to get my nymph rig set up. For my lead fly I selected a Euro nymph – a #16 Rainbow Warrior. It’s a heavy fly and my though was that it would get my flies down where the fish were. I followed that with a #22 Red Pure Midge Larva and a #22 Flashback Black Beauty.
After completing my rig and getting the feeling back into my fingers – I began to fish. Brian and I took turns alternating positions while covering the hole. After about an hour with no action we decided to head downstream. Our plan was to go directly to the Tire Hole – then work our way back up the river hitting the various spots as we went.
1st fish of the day for me. A 16" rainbow.
The fishy spots between the Tree and Tire Holes - the Weirs and some troughs between them - are relatively shallow. . The fish may show up in them later in the day when the water warms up a bit. If it ever would on this day! That’s why we wanted to leave them for our way back up.
As we walked downriver, we ran into another crazy fisherman. He was a local getting ready to fish Weir #2. As we chatted he mentioned the crowds that have been showing up on the river lately. Yes – the Tailwater has been discovered. We all agreed on one thing – we didn’t think we’d run into a bunch of fishermen on this day. After all - you’d have to be crazy to fish in weather like this!
Coming upon the Tire Hole we could see that a fisherman was in it – fishing Position A. Besides us, the second crazy guy we’ve seen today. Shouldn’t be a problem though - as long as the guy was reasonable – there’s room above and below him. Enough space for Brian and I without crowding him in.
Ended up he was reasonable. As I chatted with him – asking if he minded me fishing the spot below him – he said “not at all. In fact, I’m planning on moving upstream”. He wasn’t having any success. He said he wanted to fish the Tree Hole earlier – but Brian and I were in it. So we basically changed spots. He went up to the Tree Hole and we fished the Tire Hole.
Me with a 19" rainbow. Made my day!
Brian Kenney.
There we were - fishing in our planned spot, but the fish weren’t cooperating. It got to be about 10:30a, and the water had warmed up 2 degrees. It was now 38F. 40F is the magic number - it’s considered optimal for winter fishing. The fish become more active and many start looking for food. And the bugs like the warmer weather too.
With the water still a bit on the colder side and the fishing still slow – I decided to take a lunch break. My thinking was that I’d eat my lunch now while the water was warming up - then when it did and the fish were moving about looking for food, I’d be ready.
I found one of the boulders that make up a weir along the upstream side of the hole and sat facing the sun while I ate. As I was eating, a breeze kicked up coming from the north-east. There was a significant upslope storm approaching the Front Range. Upslope storms swirl in a counterclockwise direction as they dump snow along the Font Range.
The breeze was slight – but noticeable to me – making it a bit colder still on any exposed skin.
Another look at the 19" rainbow.
Brian Kenney.
Once back on the water, I picked back up where I left off – on the downstream side of the hole. A bit later, Brian mentioned that he saw a few fish rise below me toward the opposite bank. Not one to pass up an opportunity – I slowly moved that way.
I casted my flies toward the opposite bank below a tree and as my flies drifted downstream in the slow, slack water – my indicator paused. I set the hook and BANG – I had a fish on! The fish fought gamely, but I could tell it wasn’t a trophy. After netting him – a nice 16” rainbow – I had to get my hands wet before I could handle him. Something I was dreading!
Earlier I switched out the Euro Nymph for my trusty #16 Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear. And that’s what the rainbow took. After releasing the fish, my hands were so cold from getting wet that they were stinging and strangely felt hot for a few moments. Putting my gloves back on helped warm them up and I was back in the water in no time. The fish were starting to eat!
I'm betting this is the UGLIEST fish that we catch the entire year!
Brian Kenney.
No long after catching and releasing that fish, I was covering the same area – now moving upstream – but still in the slow, slack water. My indicator barely wobbled – a very subtle take – and I set the hook hard. Rod bent – line tight – FISH ON!
Big fish on!
I wasn’t sure how big – but it was big. Line was being pulled out at will. Then I’d reel him back in a bit – get him to about midstream – and he’d run again, taking line out. It was a recurring scene. When he was in midstream, I could make out the red slash along his side. He looked to be in the 20” range. The good thing was that I was able to keep him slightly above and across from me. Perfect position for fighting a fish.
Releasing a 16" rainbow.
As he tired, he came up and I had him near me – then he saw me and took yet another run. I was hoping that he’d tire out before me! After a few more of these runs – I got him to the surface and let him drift downstream into my net. A heavy, slabby, brightly colored, male rainbow measured at a bit over 19”. He took a #22 Red Pure Midge Larva.
After that I was thinking “that made my day. Even if I don’t catch another fish – I would still be happy”!
It was now about 12:30p and the water made it to that magic 40F temp. And the fishing was picking up and by the end of they day, I would catch more fish.
Brian was now in the middle of the run – just upstream from me. BANG! He had a fish on. By the bend of his rod I could tell it was a big one. I waded into the water below him to help with the net. Brian got him in close and I could see he was indeed a big one. Then the fish saw us, bolted and broke off! Ugh! Not too much time had passed, and he had another one. But this one broke off too. Jeez!
Brian snapped this just before I let the 19" rainbow back into the water.
Brian Kenney.
At the bottom of the run the water slows and there is a line of submerged boulders that form an even slower pool. I was casting my flies so that they would float in front of the boulders at the end of my drift. As they did a fish hit. I set the hook - - and held on - rod held high. That’s all I could do. A big, bad rainbow just took off upstream. A few seconds later he exploded completely out of the water. Looked like a salmon. When he splashed back into the water my line went slack. Wow!
That whole sequence might have been about 30 seconds max. But it was some 30 seconds. Brian and I both stared in amazement as it unfolded. There are some really big fish lying in this water!
It lasted about 1 ½ hours, maybe two. I’d bag a few more fish in the 16” to 18” range – all rainbows. Brian would bag a 20” sucker. Then it was off. Someone hit the switch.
Brian got his sucker on his Dale’s Red Midge. It’s a fly that one of the regulars – Dale – had showed him a few years ago. Brian ties quite a few of them and they seem to work quite well. As we chatted with the local guy that we ran into earlier at Weir #2, Brian asked if he knew Dale. The guy said he did but hasn’t seen him in the past year or so. Neither has Brian or me.
Releasing an 18" rainbow.
During those couple hours or so when the fishing was on, I had moved into the pool in the middle of the run. Position A. I had changed my flies and still had the Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear leading but followed it with a #20 Flashback Pheasant Tail and a #24 Top Secret Midge. There was a slight midge hatch that started about 10:30a and lasted the rest of the day. I was thinking there must be some BWOs hatching too – but neither Brian or I had seen any.
As my flies drifted in the pool my indicator made an abrupt stop. I was in sync with it as I set the hook hard in a downstream and upward movement. There’s a certain feel when you set your hook and your line is tight and you feel a fish run. It’s kinda like hitting a home run in baseball. Everything’s in sync.
This guy took me a bit downstream, and I followed. It was a struggle but I was able to get him slightly upstream and across from me. The position I like to be in as I fight a fish. Once you get them there – they usually fight the same way. Sit midstream – then run, head down trying to get downstream of you. Then back again – only to repeat until they tire. Then you can get their head out of the water - and you try to keep it out – and let them float with the current into your net.
Sounds easy. But it’s not!
It worked to perfection with this one though. A nice 18” rainbow. He took the Flashback Pheasant Tail. One I just tied before heading out. I tied it with a new UV glue which is very clear, making the flash really pop. The other rainbows took the Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear which has become one of the hottest flies for me.
Another look at the 18" rainbow. Just by looking at the size of his tail, you get an idea of how strong of a swimmer he is.
After that, we moved upstream and hit the spots as planned. Before leaving I got snagged on the submerged log in the pool in the middle of the run. Just about everyone who fishes this spot knows about the log and the ones that don’t find out about it the hard way! As usually happens I lost all my flies.
Brian set out as I was tying flies back on and was upstream of me the whole way. I hit The Weirs, the troughs in between them and finally met up with Brian as he was fishing the Tree Hole. It was dry. It’s amazing to me how some holes – like the Tree Hole – are go to spots for some time, then they just dry up.
Even though this might have been the coldest day on the water this winter – it was a fun day. Always great to be out on the river snooping around looking for trout.
I’m glad we were crazy enough to make it happen!
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