January 31, 2022
Pueblo Tailwater - The Gate Hole to the Tire Hole.
Flows: 116 cfs.
Water Temp: 38F @ 9a.
Water clarity: Very clear - ~6’.
Air Temp: 20F @ 8:30a - 63 @ 4p.
Hatches: Sparse midge (some very large) 10a to end of day. Sparse BWO 12N to end of day.
Flies: #12 Chubby Chernobyl, #10 Black Mini-leech, #18 Sawyer’s Pheasant Tail, #24 Top Secret Midge, #18 Red Midge Larva, #24 Black Magic Midge, #24 Gray Sparkle Wing RS2, #20 Black Beauty Midge, #18 Red Copper John, #18 Red San Juan Worm, #22 Grey RS2, #24 Flashback BWO Barr Emerger, #20 Mercury Pheasant Tail.
Top producers: Mercury Pheasant Tail, San Juan Worm, Gray RS2, Barr Emerger.
Releasing a 15" rainbow.
At the end of the day my thought was “this was a lot of work”.
And it was.
The river fished different on this day. Different from my last two outings, requiring hard work to entice the fish to hit. Some holes along the river were producing better than others so we had to cover a lot of water. And we had to change flies - often. These fish were picky!
Although we were able to see fish in some spots – they weren’t always willing to eat our offerings. In the Diver Hole I could see them in the river – their dark outline giving them away. After several on-point drifts without a hit I began to think about one of the fishing reports I read leading up to our trip.
There have been times over the last several years where I’d be drifting my flies to dark outlines in the water. Then after several on-point drifts with no hits I’d wade over to see what the deal was. There was some frustration in my step for sure – but more than anything I was curious as to why the damn fish wasn’t taking. Then I’d realize I was casting my flies to a rock!
After doing this on various occasions over the years I now know the difference between a rock and a fish ----- most of the time. And these were definitely fish – had to be.
The Diver Hole. We usually get fish just upstream from the submerged boulders - or in the run beyond them.
Back to the fishing report. One that I usually consult frequently mentions the effects of air pressure. They say low barometric pressure – which was forecasted for the day - makes the trout feel bloated and less inclined to eat.
As we were driving to Pueblo, I mentioned this to Brian. We were skeptical. “Does the air pressure really have an effect on the fish?” we were asking ourselves. We debated this for a bit. I wondered out loud “does anyone really know”? Brian suggested a fish biologist would probably know. “Nah –fish act in mysterious ways and there are so many outside influences that affect them - I didn’t think a biologist would really know. Not in their wheelhouse” - was my response.
So does the air pressure really have an effect on the fish? At the end of this particular day on the river I was pretty convinced that it does.
Still curious, I did a bit of research the next day. I found that it has been proven through scientific research - and agreed upon by the fishing community as well - that air pressure definitely has an effect on fish and their feeding habits. Among other factors – fish have air bladders to help their buoyancy and their swimming ability. Low air pressure causes lower water pressure which in turn causes the fish’s bladders to expand. That is why they feel bloated and are less inclined to eat. It also causes them to become a bit lethargic – feeling off a bit.
Sounds like this research is rooted physiology and biology to me. Maybe Brian was onto something.
Brian landed this 17" rainbow in the Tire Hole on a #22 Grey RS2.
Brian Kenney.
Well – now that we know about some of the effects that low air pressure has on the fish, what does a fisherman do when fishing when a low pressure system is present?
The guys at FlyCast recommend in their reports to use a bigger lead fly – an attracter, something flashy – and follow it with smaller flies that imitate whatever flies are hatching. They also recommend changing your flies if the fish are not taking your offering. They further explain that you will most likely have to change your flies often in order to dial it in.
I’ve been of the opinion that in most cases if you float any buggy looking fly – one that is near the size and shape of flies that normally hatch on any given river – on a dead drift by a fish, he will hit. I still think this is true – again most of the time - with the caveat, if the fish are feeding normally or optimally.
Now I ‘m also of the opinion that in low air pressure situations the fish will be more selective, and you have to really dial in the shape, size, and color of the flies you’re offering. Determining that will take observation of the bugs on the water and in the air, and trial and error to figure it out. A little luck and getting your flies right in front of the fish’s nose will help too!
Here's my 15" rainbow swimming away after being released.
We started our day at the Gate Hole. The plan was to fish that – then move upstream hitting our usual holes, runs, and pools along the way. Depending on the success – or lack thereof – of the various holes, runs, and pools would determine how far upstream we would go.
We got to the river about 8:30a. There were no bugs hatching. The water was clear but it was hard to see very far into it because the sun was low in the sky making the water look dark after only a few feet out in front of you. And with the sun low we had to deal with the glare of it bouncing off the water. When you hit the spots with glare it was blinding, as if someone was shining a bright light directly into your eyes and it was hard to track our indicators through it.
These conditions made sight fishing difficult but there were some spots that if fish were there we would be able to spot them. But we didn’t see any. And neither Brian or I had any action in the Gate Hole itself, or the runs above it. After we covered the area a couple of time each we decided to head upstream.
The Diver Hole was on my mind. A couple of weeks ago I got a few nice rainbows out of there and I was anxious to get there. Maybe too anxious.
On the way Brian suggested a route that would take us along the river’s edge so we could observe as we walked up. There are a few very fishy spots that would be in our path just upstream from the Visitors Center. We’ve both tried them many times before – but for some unknown reason we’ve never had success in them. I made a comment to that effect as we walked by. I didn’t want to waste time in them.
In retrospect I think we both should have given them a shot. Why not? You never know. But I was too anxious to get to the Diver Hole. Next time I’m planning to give them a very thorough attempt.
I was ahead of Brian when we arrived at the hole and could see the fish laying across the river. Just what I was expecting!
I started out fishing at the top of the hole and Brian took up a position in the run that leads into it. I was using my Dropper/Hopper rig. A Chubby Chernobyl as my Hopper followed by a #18 Red Copper John and a #18 Red Midge Larva and a #24 Top Secret Midge.
Got this 15" rainbow in the Diver Hole on a #20 Mercury Pheasant Tail.
The fish just ignored my flies. I wasn’t sure I had the right depth – and it’s a little difficult managing the depth with a Hopper/Dropper rig - so I decided to change to a standard nymph rig.
With that I tied on a #10 Black Mini-leech as my lead fly followed by a #24 Black Rojo Midge and a #24 Red JuJubee Midge. Again, the fish just ignored my flies. Changing my flies with different midge emergers, and my depth by alternately adding weight and adjusting my indicator had no effect. Same thing. I was thinking “What the heck? What is wrong with these fish?” They just sat there like grey ghost in the water.
We moved on.
The Tire Hole was next. This was another spot I was anxious to get to. But there was a guy in the hole when I arrived. He ended up “camping out” in that spot the whole day. Even eating his lunch right in front of the spot he’d “taken”, protecting it so that no one else could give it a shot.
I asked if he’d mind me fishing below where he was now eating his lunch and he gave his OK – with specific instructions not to fish above into his protected spot. This was his response even though he was not presently fishing it. Rather just sitting there eating his lunch. Hmm – guys like him…..
Another look at the 15" rainbow taken out of the Diver Hole. She had a wide girth and fought like a bigger fish.
Not really wanting to fish near that guy – I gave it a few drifts through and moved downstream. There were a few BWOs in the air and I was now at the Antennae Hole. As I was changing my flies to baetis a fish came to the surface to eat something. He’d come to the surface a couple of more times as I worked to tie on my new flies. By the time I was done – he was gone. Where too? Who knows?
After moving down and fishing the Flag Hole and all the water between it and the Antennae Hole. I walked back up to the Tire Hole. Brian was there and I wanted to see what he was up to, and I wanted to let him know I was heading back downstream to the Diver Hole.
It was about 2p. When I walked up – the same guy was still there and Brian had seemed to join him. Earlier Brian had landed a couple of rainbows in the run. One was 17” and took a #22 Grey RS2. The other one was 12” and took a #18 San Juan Worm. He asked me how I was doing and I still hadn’t had even a hit.
Brian joined me and as we walked by the Flag Hole we commented on how this hole just seemed to turn off. For a while it was almost a sure bet we’d take a few fish out of it on any given day. Nice ones too. But lately we haven’t seen any fish, nor have we had any success fishing it. It seems that it just abruptly turned off.
Where did they go? It’s a mystery that only the fish know.
Another 15" rainbow taken out of the run upstream from the Diver Hole on the #20 Mercury Pheasant Tail.
As I approached the Diver Hole I could see a couple of fish in front of the hole. The same place where I saw a bunch of them earlier in the day. “Your first cast is your best cast”. That’s a common refrain of the fly fisherman. And it was for me.
My first drift through and I had a fish on. It was putting up a good fight and I was thinking it was at least a 17 incher. When I got her to net I was surprised that she was only 15”. But she had a wide girth which enabled her to fight like a bigger fish. She took a #20 Mercury Pheasant Tail.
I would get a couple more rainbows in the hour or so before we left – one 15” and the other 13”. Got them in the #1 Plunge Pool and in the run just upstream from the Diver Hole. They took the #20 Pheasant Tail and a #24 Flashback BWO Barr Emerger respectively.
Another look at releasing my 1st catch of the day.
We ended the day soon after I landed that third fish.
Yes, there are mysteries as to how the fish respond to their environment. They suddenly disappear – then just a suddenly they reappear. Sometimes you can hook one up almost accidently and other times you fish your brains out and don’t.
On any given day you're never really sure of what you'll run into on the river.
It’s what keeps us coming back.
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