Don’t Believe It

March 7, 2023

Flows: 117 cfs.

Water Temp: 34F @ 9a.

Water clarity: Very clear.

Air Temp: Low 23F @ 8a – high 39F @ 4p.

Hatches: Midge: Throughout of the day. Heavier from 11a to 3p.

Flies: #20 Parachute Adams, #24 Top Secret Midge, #24 Flashback Black Beauty, Yellow egg, #10 Egg Sucking Leech, #20 Flashback Pheasant Tail, #24 Chocolate Thunder, #24 & #22 Matt's Midge, #22 & #16 Sparkle Dun, #22 Barr Emerger.

Top producers: Sparkle Dun, Matt’s Midge, Parachute Adams, Barr Emerger, Top Secret, Pheasant Tail.

The mountains were shrouded in fog.

Don’t believe it.

That was my advice to Brian when he told me the weather forecast for Deckers. We were chatting over the weekend. Fishing stuff – which led into a conversation about where we should go this week. It was either Pueblo or Deckers. Pueblo held sway – Deckers was the wildcard.

We hadn’t fished in Deckers for most of the winter – on purpose. It’s too damn cold there! But the forecast that Brian saw said it was supposed to be warmer on Tuesday than Pueblo. Don’t believe it – it’s always colder there than they say it’s going to be.

A few weeks ago, I saw the same thing forecasted. Warmer in Deckers than Pueblo – or at least as warm. Somewhere in the 40s. It was 10F in Deckers when I showed up at 9a – purposefully later than normal. On that day I just drove through and wound up at the Tailwater in Pueblo.

My 1st fish of the day. A 12" beauty.

Brian got me thinking though. I checked a couple of my weather apps – they said the same thing.

Don’t believe it. That’s what I told myself.

Then on Monday, I checked them again. Same thing. Then Tuesday morning. Same thing.

Hmmm.

My plan was to check them again when Brian showed up. Then we’d make a call. Pueblo or Deckers.

We encountered black ice, frosted trees, and ice fog as we drove over the mountain to Deckers. It was 23F when we arrived at Mark’s Run. Still overcast - the sky was a milky grey and the mountains had fog surrounding their tops. It was a damp, bone chilling cold!

It didn’t matter where we picked to start. There wouldn’t be any sun to warm us up – anywhere. Didn’t have to wait for it to come over the canyon walls. It wasn’t coming out. At least there wouldn’t be any crowds today – we both agreed. The weather is too nasty.

Winter scenery as we drove over the mountain pass.

Just as we were getting out of the car to gear up I realized I forgot my hat. You kidding me! I did have a hooded jacket, but that wouldn’t do it. I normally have an extra pair of wool socks and a tousle hat stashed in my car. I searched for the hat – and low and behold it was there in the hold by my spare tire. Saved the day!

With that minor emergency out of the way – we geared up and approached the river. No one else was there – just me and Brian – and the fish. Brian started at the top of the run. I searched the shallow water in the middle of it before deciding to wade in and cast a few flies. I had an egg and Egg Sucking Leech still tied on from a week or so ago. It was too cold for me to cut them off and tie on new flies – so I decided to give them a try. There were spawning beds all over the place – they may work.

After about fifteen minutes of fishing – my hands frozen to the bone and stinging cold – I waded back out of the water and set my rod down. With gloves on and my hands in my pockets I sighted for Brian. He was about a ¼ of the way into the river in the middle section as I walked along the shore peering into the shallow water.

They were there. Along the rocks that form a line in the sandy, shallow water near the edge.

Brian got this one on his Sparkle Dun.

Brian Kenney.

I signaled to Brian to come over. It had to be a stealthy approach. I didn’t dare move for fear of spooking them.

Technical fishing. Very technical. That’s what is required to get the fish from this spot. The water is shallow, slow and crystal clear. If you’re able to get a good drift, the fish have all the time in the world to inspect your offering – before refusing it. Invariably – your flies will get stuck on a rock right in front of where the fish is lying – spooking him off. Or the current will take your flies in a different direction as it swirls around the rocks.

Brian cautiously approached - his nymph rig in hand and proceeded to cast to the fish. As he did, I continued to spot for him. There were fish moving in and out of along the line of rocks and some in small depressions in the sand covered bottom closer to shore.

As I watched Brian, I noticed that his flies weren’t always tracking true to his indicator. He had about 6’ between his indicator and first fly and at times they would go in different directions in the swirling water which made getting an on target offering difficult – and at times almost impossible. There were a few fish closer to shore where the water was much slower. They were eating bugs just below the surface. As Brian’s flies drifted to them – they were near the bottom and the fish ignored them.

Everything was covered with a layer of ice.

Brian made adjustments as he went along. Attempting to get his flies up in the column, he first took off all weight. His flies were still lower in the water than what he wanted so he changed out his Bead Head Pheasant Tail for a non-weighted nymph. Nothing seemed to work. The cold made each change a challenge. When your fingers are freezing it’s really hard to tie a knot with tippet that is the thickness of your hair!

After observing for a while it looked to me like a Dry/Dropper setup would be the best setup to use in this water. With a Dry/Dropper you tie your Dropper about 6” to 8” below the Dry. This would minimize the flies swinging out from the indicator (in this case the Dry) which would help keep the Dropper on target. It would also keep the Dropper up in the water column.

My car was parked about 100’ away. I walked to it – fired it up and put the heat on high. Then I positioned my rod so that I could tie on flies in the warmth of the heated car. I picked a #20 Parachute Adams as my Dry and tied on a #24 Top Secret Midge about 6” below it for my Dropper. For insurance, I added another Dropper – tying on a #24 Flashback Black Beauty about 10” below the Top Secret. Once setup, I went back to the river not sure if I was actually going to fish just yet or not. I was thinking of giving it to Brian to try – but by the time I got back he had moved on to another spot in the run.

A great shot of the various midges this fish was eating.

Brian Kenney.

I casted into a group of about four smaller trout that were sitting in a seam between two rocks. On about my second cast I had on one – but he was able to quickly spit the fly. That was encouraging though – giving me confidence that this was the right setup to fish in this water.

I continued to cast to various fish that I spotted in the rocks. They were moving in and out and not interested in my flies. Being my stubborn self - I kept trying. As I continued, I began to think that I needed to change my flies – and then BANG! Fish on.

It wasn’t a big one – about 12” – but a beauty of a rainbow with spots all over his upper body. And it really did feel like a “BANG” when he hit because I wasn’t even targeting him. Didn’t see him and he hit right at the end of my drift. At first I thought I might have foul hooked him – but no, he ate the Top Secret Midge.

A beautifully colored and spotted 15" rainbow.

I wanted to show him off, but Brian had moved on by then. He was headed downstream – to the Mini-Canyon was my guess.

After releasing my first rainbow, I continued to fish the shallows. The wind had picked up – making it even colder! On one of my back casts the wind took my flies into a tree where they were firmly stuck on a branch. The only choice I had was to break them off. I didn’t want to do it – these were very nicely tied flies! But I had to.

When I came back to the river after tying on new flies in my car – two guys moved into the run. They were further out into the river and I tried to fish behind them in the shallow water – but the fish were now spooked. I wanted to stay close to the car just in case I needed a warmup – so I waded just downriver from them and crossed to the other side. Still near enough to my car.

This rainbow took Brian's #16 Sparkle Dun.

Brian Kenney.

The end of the run is about calf deep with rocks spewed across the bottom. Tricky wading territory but very nice pocket water. I usually find fish in a couple of the seams right at the end of the run and among the rocks below them. And they were there – but they weren’t interested in my flies. A nymph rig would be better suited to go after them here. I usually have two rods with me – but this time I left my nymph rig in the car.

Picking a comfortable spot on the bank to sit, I proceeded to redo my rig – tying on nymphs. A #20 Flashback Pheasant Tail in the lead followed by a #24 Mercury Flashback Black Beauty and a #24 Chocolate Thunder.

They were in the deeper water. Some out in the seam, some hiding behind a boulder – moving in and out while they vied for position. It’s interesting to watch. The bigger, more aggressive fish actually chase other fish out of their spot. It took a while but I finally had one take. I watched him as he did – setting the hook on his movements. It was a nice 14” Rainbow. He took my Flashback Pheasant Tail.

Another rainbow in the net.

As I moved upstream a bit I could see a bunch of fish feeding just below the surface – and at times they would come up and eat a bug off it. Having just changed my rig – I wanted to avoid changing it again. Some would say I was lazy. My though was, first take off weight – my flies would float up in the column. It might work. If not, then I would change to dries.

It didn’t work.

I picked another #20 Parachute Adams as my lead dry fly and followed it with a #24 Matt’s Midge. I couldn’t see what they were eating – but I didn’t see any BWOs so I guessed they must be midges.

First cast – fish on. Second cast – fish on. Then just about every third or fourth cast – fish on. It went on like that for a good forty-five minutes. Right though lunch time. I didn’t get them all to the net – but I got the majority of them. A few hit the Parachute Adams the rest hit the Matt’s Midge. They were in the 12” to 15” range - it was fun – nothing like getting fish on dries! I had to quit though – I was hungry – it would be a late lunch. It helped that the action died down too.

These rainbows were spotted more than what we've caught in Pueblo.

As I fished this spot – near the downed tree, river left – I looked upstream and it looked like a convention. There were the two guys fishing Mark’s Run with me, just upstream two more guys, further up I saw Brian and another four or five guys all the way up to the Cable Hole. Jeez – we thought the place would be deserted – but it wasn’t.

Brian came up to the car just as I was finishing my lunch. Fish rising all over the place he says. He was in the Road Hole and left his rod and pack there so no one else would take his spot. He came to tell me. I quickly finished what was left of my sandwich and headed that way.

When I got there Brian was eating his lunch streamside and I began to cast my dries to rising fish. They were rising all over the place. When fish are rising every which way, it can get you off your game. There’s one there – try for it. There’s one over there – try for that one. And it seems like they keep moving. I found the best tactic is to target one, or a particular seam – instead of “scatter shooting”. It’s not easy – especially if you can’t see the fish – but it works better for me.

Brian got this one in the Road Hole.

Brian Kenney.

I still had my Parachute Adams and Matt’s Midge on and wasn’t getting any action. Brian said earlier they were hitting his Sparkle Dun and a Barr Emerger that he tied on as a Dropper. After he finished his lunch he joined me and got a nice fish in quick order. It hit his #16 Sparkle Dun. Yep I proceeded to tie on a Sparkle Dun. A #22 though. At the time I didn’t realize Brian’s was a size 16 – which is big for a BWO – but it worked for Brian.

After making that change I finally started getting some hook ups. It wasn’t like I experienced before lunch, but both Brian and I were netting our fair share. Most on our respective Sparkle Duns. At one point, Brian had tied on a Matt’s Midge and got a few on that one too. We both missed some takes and had some break off.

It was about 2:30 or 3 when the action started to die down that Brian suggested that we head back down to Mark’s Run. We headed that way in hopes that we’d find some open water.

Releasing a rainbow back into Mark's Run.

Brian took up a spot at the top of the run – where he started in the morning. I waded across the river and was headed to the hole by the downed tree – where I caught a bunch of fish before lunch. On the way I was able to land a nice rainbow in the rocks below the run. Yep – he took the Sparkle Dun.

The hole by the downed tree was in a shadow when I got there. It was colder there and the dark shadow made it hard to see into the water – but I could make out a few fish near the surface. I casted into the faster seam that flowed into the hole – and it was BANG – BANG. Two quick fish. They both hit the Sparkle Dun. Brian’s spot was still in the sun and he landed a couple too.

After releasing the second one – I noticed that my hands were FREEZING. It literally felt that way. I had to leave. Didn’t want to – but I couldn’t take it anymore! I gloved up – and waded back across the river. On the way I chatted with one of the guys who’d been in the run all day. He and his buddy were taking them a Mole Fly. It is tied to imitate a fly that is stuck in his shuck – making it an easy prey for the fish. It’s also called a Cripple.

Even with the damp, bone chilling cold – and the crowds – we had quite a time.

The storm made for some nice winter scenes.

We shouldn’t have believed it – but we did. My fingers finally stopped burning about midnight.