February 8, 2023
Flows: 128 cfs. (Below the hatchery)
Water Temp: 36F @ 9a.
Water clarity: Very clear – visibility ~4’.
Air Temp: Low 21F @ 9a – high 53F @ 3:30p.
Hatches: Midge: 10:30 – Fuzzy adults here and there lasting the rest of the day.
Flies: #16 Red Bead Head Midge Larva, #24 Miracle Midge, #22 Mercury Miracle Midge, #22 Black Rojo Midge, #22 Stalcup Baetis, #22 Top Secret Midge, #16 Guides Choice Hare’s Ear
Top producers: Mercury Miracle Midge, Stalcup Baetis, Top Secret Midge.
Brian fishing the Hatchery Hole - in freezing temperatures!
8:15AM Tuesday morning and Brian is hip deep in water just above freezing.
Me? I’m on the riverbank facing the sun, trying to absorb all it would offer. It was still low in the sky and the rays weren’t that warming, but it was the best I could do. After a bit I felt like an Egyptian worshiping the sun! The last thing I wanted to do at that time was fish.
I know. I was on a fishing trip --- and it may seem funny that that was the last thing I wanted to do at the moment, but the worst thing I could do was catch a fish. Then I’d have to get my hands wet in order to handle it. That would make me even colder. I was happy to watch Brian and take in the surroundings as I was slowly warming up.
The air temp was 21F and the water temp was 36F - a little warmer!
We were at the Hatchery Hole and Brian was fishing the tail end of it. After about fifteen minutes he got one. Foul hooked him on the tail. Once in the net, Brian pumped his stomach to see what he was eating. Again, he found a bunch of what we suspected to be shrimp larva in his stomach.
Later I would talk to the fish biologist at the Parks and Wildlife Division who covers the Tailwater and found out that they are Zooplankton. Microscopic aquatic organisms. The ones in the Tailwater are really big – that’s why we can see them with our naked eyes. As suspected, there are clouds of them in the water and the fish swim into them, gulping hundreds – maybe thousands – of them at once.
There are heavy cottonwood stands along the Tailwater. It was a beautiful - and very cold - morning.
After releasing the fish, Brian said he was getting cold and asked if I wanted to give it a shot. “Hell no” was my immediate answer!
Ignoring the cold, Brian tied on a Mercury Miracle Midge. It has a light tannish color and his thought was that maybe it would resemble a cluster of those tiny Zooplankton. It worked. A bit it later a 13” rainbow took it - first fish of the day.
It was about 9a or so when he released it and I was still worshipping the sun. it was higher in the sky and the rays felt warmer. It would be another 30 minutes before I decided to rig up and begin fishing. Following Brian’s lead, I tied on a Miracle Midge as my target fly and began to fish the top of the deep pool. Brian was below me fishing the tail end of it where the hatchery feeds into the river. After about a half hour with no further action we decided to pull up stakes and head down river to the Valco Ponds Run.
Here's the Zooplankton.
It was a little after 10a when we approached the run and we could see a guy sitting on a stool just below the sunken log. My first thought was that he was fishing with a spinning rod with his line in the water waiting for a hit. But he wasn’t. When we got there he said he was just sitting there waiting for it to warm up. It didn’t help that he was sitting in the shade, and it was obvious that he was just trying to stake his claim to that spot. Hmmm….
I’ve found some nice fish at the top of the run in the past and that’s where I wanted to start. If they were there, I might get one or two and then they’d be gone. That is if I didn’t spook them first. They’re very wary when they’re in that spot. I guess they feel a bit exposed.
There was one in there and on my second cast he hit one of my flies and ran. I didn’t see any indication of a hit. Not a pause or wobble of the indicator. Just a quick, hard tug on my line. It felt like a nice one but after only a brief fight he broke off. I didn’t find another fish at the top and began to work the trough in the middle of the run.
No takers.
Brian got this 13" rainbow in the Hatchery Hole.
Brian Kenney.
I was now just upstream from where they guy had his stool placed. He still wasn’t fishing, but to be courteous I asked if he would mind me fishing that spot. He said "have at it" - so I did. Still no takers. The water level was dropped about 20 cfs a day or so ago and it was now clear enough to sight fish. But there were no fish in sight.
I continued to work the run and eventually moved to the north – opposite - side of the river covering the pools in front and in back of the sunken log while Brian worked the run from the other side of the river. After a bit I decided to climb the bank and see if I could spot some fish.
After climbing over a bunch of big granite boulders to get to the path above, I scanned the run. I could see some fish – nice size one too. They were right in front of where the guy had placed his stool! The best position to approach them was from the other side of the river. From that spot I would be right in front of his stool. But he was now fishing downstream near the huge, partially submerged boulders.
My 1st one of the day - a 17" male.
I waded back across the river and began to move into position to cast to the spot where I saw the fish. Before leaving the path above the river I took note of landmarks so that I would be spot on. As I was working the area, Brian picked up stakes and moved downstream.
I was about to follow him then a fish hit. It was a nice size one. He took me downstream into slower water just upstream from that guy and those huge, partially submerged boulders. I got a glimpse of him as he came to the surface – but then he broke off. Damn!
As I began to get my gear back in order – inspecting my flies and such – I looked up and wouldn’t you know it - the guy moved from the boulder area to my spot. I guess he thought it was his since he placed his stool there! He was “That Guy”!
I soon broke for lunch and my plan was to check the run one more time – and if I didn’t see or catch a fish – I would head down to meet Brian. After finishing lunch I changed my flies to a #16 Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear leading, followed by a #22 Stalcup Baeis and a #22 Top Secret Midge.
Releasing the 17" rainbow. I caught it in the seam behind the partially submerged boulders below the Valco Ponds Run.
After covering the run without spotting or catching a fish, I picked up my stuff and headed downstream. I didn’t go too far though, and decided to try the area behind those huge, partially submerged boulders.
I’ve fished it before with limited success. There is a nice little tailout behind them – towards the middle of the river. Downstream of them, the water flattens out and becomes slow. Too slow for my liking – so I concentrated on the seam behind the boulders. As my flies drifted in the seam – my indicator paused and I set the hook hard.
Fish on!
After fighting to keep him away from the boulders and getting him into the slow water – I netting him. A nice 17” rainbow – he had taken my #22 Stalcup Baetis.
Another male - this one 16".
That kept me there for a while longer. If there was one fish – maybe there’d be another. After covering it for a bit I looked up and was surprised that “That Guy” had left. Pulled up stakes and his stool too! I think the cold got to him as it was a chilly day throughout.
Hurray!
I now had the whole run – from the Valco Ponds Run all the way to the boulders to myself. I would say that covers about 100 to 150 yards with nice fish all along it. They seem to cruise in and out and at times they are very hard to fool.
With the guy gone, I first moved just upstream of the boulders. My plan was to move slowly upstream insuring that I cover as much of the river as I could before moving. As I positioned myself just about the boulders – I noticed a big, brightly colored rainbow sitting in front of the first one.
It is difficult to fool a fish when they are in that position. There is the risk of getting snagged on the boulder they’re sitting in front of making it hard to distinguish a hit from a snag. From my experience, the best way to approach them is from upstream. You have to judge the distance of your drift with the idea being to have your flies stop right in front of the fish – ie…they stop at the end of the drift. If you get the distance right, your flies will drift up in the current in front of the fish – mimicking an emerging pupa - inducing a strike.
A 16" female - also caught below the sunken tree in the Valco Ponds Run.
I’ve found this to be an effective approach and have landed some nice rainbows using it. So that’s what I did. I’m not sure I had the distance dialed in though. My indicator paused – but it was too close to the boulder. Not knowing if it was a hit or a snag, I set the hook. The fish was on. He flew downstream taking line out – streaming out! I think he was foul hooked though and quickly broke off.
After reeling my line and getting ready for my next cast, I noticed a bright red fish in front of the boulder. Jeez – did that fish come back or was it another one? My guess is that it was another one. Another big one too. I hadn’t moved too much from my original position and the same thing happened. That was not the best execution on my part. I would go back to that spot from time to time to see if another fish had taken over that spot – but never saw another one the rest of the day.
I then continued to move upstream and then back down again for the rest of the day. It was getting to be about 2p and I had caught a couple more rainbows – both 16”. I got them at the spot I had seen them in earlier - from up on the path. There is a log stretching across the riverbed and the fish hang out behind it. I got both the rainbows on my Stalcup Baetis. I recently replenished my supply of them – tying up a bunch of size 22s and have been intending to use them. For some reason, this was the first time this winter that I did – and I was happy to see that they worked their magic!
At one point I spotted a rainbow in the same area and a litter closer to shore. The wind was blowing a bit causing ripples on the water surface which made it hard to keep an eye on him. As my flies drifted toward him – spot on – I saw him move and lost sight of him. At first, I thought he got spooked by my indicator – then I saw him swimming downstream toward my flies and I set the hook. This all happened in a few moments.
Deer getting their morning drink. They came out by the Hatchery Hole earlier in the morning - after it warmed up a bit.
When I set the hook – I set it in a downstream motion – the way you’re normally supposed to. Fish sit in the current facing upstream and eat insects as they float by. That’s why you’re supposed to set in a downstream motion. Or you can set in an upward motion – just in case. That’s what I should have done this time – set in an upward motion because the fish wasn’t facing upstream when he hit my flies. He was swimming downstream when I set the hook.
Once I did, he flew upstream – a big rainbow just flying upstream – taking line out of my reel as he went. It’s amazing how fast these fish can swim! Then he broke off. When I set the hook I probably pulled it out of his mouth some and didn’t get it firm. I’ve been with guides who said to set on an upward motion rather than a downstream one – just in case. Old habits are hard to break!
It was getting late and I saw Brian walking my way. He was downstream from me quite a ways – and I was back at the spot where the log lays across the riverbed. I couldn’t see any fish at the time – and was just covering the water. From early on as I adjusted my weight and depth to get my flies in the zone, I found that I needed more weight than I usually put on.
As my flies drifted downstream a big rainbow flew out of the water and skimmed across it on his tail – like he was dancing on water – going downstream! Quite a sight. Again, in microseconds – I’m thinking dang it, I shouldn’t have so much weight on - the fish are hitting flies near the surface.
An exciting catch. A 20" male who put on quite a display after hitting my Top Secret Midge! (Valco Ponds Run in the background.)
Brian Kenney.
At first there was no indication that the fish had hit my flies. No indicator pause, bobble – or anything else. That was until I noticed my indicator flying downstream toward where the fish was dancing on the water. I set the hook – hard. This time in an upstream motion.
Fish on! Big fish on!
He headed downstream – line zipping out of my reel. I followed as quickly as I could careful to not trip over the various boulders as I waded after him. I finally got some control over him in the slow water below the partially submerged boulders, but he wasn’t giving up. By that time Brian was standing on the bank near me watching. He asked if I wanted help netting the bad boy. “Hell yeah” – that was my response. Brian positioned himself downstream of me – net in hand. The first attempt was a miss, and the fish took another run but I was able to get him back in near Brian. His head was still down – but I was able to let him drift with the current toward Brain who had the net in the water waiting.
BANG- BANG!
Twenty-inch beautiful rainbow in the net! He took another fly that I haven’t used much lately. A #22 Top Secret Midge. That was as much excitement I’ve had fishing in a long time. The way it unfolded with the fish flying out of the water and skimming across it – with my fly in his mouth! Then fighting that bad boy – and with Brian’s assistance – netting him. Yeah – that was fun.
Brian spent the afternoon in the Doubletree Hole. On the way there he hit Tom’s Run and the weirs between it and the Doubletree. He didn’t see any fish or have any takers in Tom’s or the weirs, but he got two nice rainbows hooked up in the Doubletree. One was big – in the 20” range – and unfortunately, both broke off before he could get them to net. He said he got them right after the drop off into the pool.
Releasing the big guy.
Brian Kenney.
We both were now working the run as high clouds were forming. The sun was barely visible above them and not shining brightly. The wind was kicking up. It was getting nippy out and it was time to go.
The car blocked the wind as we geared down. The sun came back out and was shining brightly. I was again facing it to warm me up.
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