January 17, 2024
The Arkansas River – The Tailwater (The Hatchery Hole to the Double Tree Hole.)
Flows: 107 cfs.
Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent (43% illumination).
Water Temp: 38F @ 9:03a.
Water clarity: Clear to about 5’.
Air Temp: 26F @ 9:15a – 57F @ 4p.
Hatches: Midge: 10:30a – 3:45p (The morning hatch waned about noon, then the PM hatch started at about 1:30p and was going strong when we left).
Spawning: No redds seen and no spawning activity observed.
Flies: #16 Red Rainbow Warrior, #14 Red Pig Sticker, #22 Blood Midge, #22 Black Manhattan Midge, #22 Black Rojo Midge, #16 Psycho Prince Nymph, #16 Red Midge Larva, #22 Flashback Black Beauty, #18 Pheasant Tail.
Top producers: Manhattan Midge, Rojo MIdge.
A weir just above the Valco Ponds Run
We stayed in last week. The Polar Vortex – with it’s frigid, below zero temperatures – had descended into Colorado. The lowest reading in the Denver Metro area was -19F and there were days when the temperature didn’t get above zero.
Too cold to be out – let alone to be fishing!
The front moved on at the beginning of this week and miraculously, the predicted high in Pueblo yesterday was 55F. Wow - what a swing.
But there where many questions left in the cold front’s wake, “what did that frigid cold do to the river habitat? How did it affect the fish? Would the lower part of the river – in town – still be too cold for the fish to be active?”
We decided to fish the upper part of the river – closest to the dam. The water is released from the bottom of the dam so the water is supposed to be near constant 40F when it enters the river. In the winter, with cold air temperatures - the farther downstream from the dam you go, the colder the water.
Brian bringing a fish to net in the Hatchery Hole.
In town we expected ice on the water – at least along the shore – and maybe worse, and we were hoping that the upper part of the river was close to 40F. I’m not sure if that is an ideal temperature for winter – but it’s pretty damn close. If it stayed near 40F during the cold front the fish’s metabolism wouldn’t have been negatively affected and neither would the bug activity.
All considered, it was a sound choice and we were hopeful that the bigger fish had returned to that part of the river. The last couple of times we fished it, it was hit and miss. Mostly miss.
We decided to start at the Hatchery Hole. In my mind, it was either that or the Osprey Run. The Hatchery Hole is a deep hole and has slow water in the middle and end of it where the Osprey Run is a deep trough with faster water. So the Hatchery Hole made more sense - thinking even at 40F the fish would be holding in slow, deep water in the morning.
Brian started first while I kinda putzed around. The air temperature was only 26F – too cold for me. As I was doing so, I realized I left my phone in the car. I very rarely use my phone – or pay attention to it – when I’m fishing, but I didn’t want to lose track of it.
Valco Pond #2 was iced over in the morning and by afternoon the ice began to melt.
Back to the car I went, a short hike to and from. As I neared the river’s edge on the way back, I saw Brian fighting what looked like a nice fish. I was encouraged as he netted a nice 17” rainbow. A good start. And it was enough for me to forget the cold and grab my gear!
It was about 9:30a when we got to the river and there were no midges in the air. The morning hatch was still to come. As I checked my gear, I was relieved when I discovered that my rig was already setup with midge imitations and there was no need to change it, saving my hands from the cold! I had a #16 Red Midge Larva leading, followed by a #22 Flashback Black Beauty and a #22 Black Manhattan Midge. It was the rig I ended the day with last time out and it reminded me of landing fish after fish with this setup.
I was at the bottom of the hole and Brian was at the top where he had a few more hook-ups. They were able to break free though. Meanwhile I had nada – not even a sniff.
Then we changed places. Still nothing. After covering the hole top to bottom and making all kinds of adjustment, I decided to head out. But where should I go? Upstream to the Osprey Run or downstream to the Valco Ponds Run? I decided on the Valco Ponds Run. I can’t say why – there was no real reason behind it – just a gut feeling.
Brian landed this 17" rainbow in the Hatchery Hole.
I gathered up my stuff and headed that way, choosing to walk along the path rather than the river’s edge. It was quicker and easier that way, and I really didn’t want to stop at the few fishy places along the way.
As I walked up to the run I saw a fisherman just downstream of the Dam Log. I was thinking he really shouldn’t mind me fishing the top of the run – where I wanted to fish. I asked anyway and was happy that he obliged.
After setting my pack and dry fly rod along the bank, I scanned the river and was even happier when I spotted a nice size fish feeding at the top of the run. At the top of the run there are a few troughs varying in depth from mid-calf to just above the knee in depth, and in the past I’ve found a lot of big rainbows and brownies feeding in them. It’s sight fishing – stalking them. My favorite kind of fishing!
When going from fishing a deep pool to a shallow run there are adjustments to be made. In my excitement, I forgot to make one of them! I adjusted my indicator to account for the shallow depth, but I forgot to take some weight off. I had a .12g split shot on and had added some mud for additional weight while fishing the Hatchery Hole. It’s the mud I forgot to remove.
I got this 18" rainbow near the shore in the Valco Ponds Run.
Brian Kenney.
It cost me.
After several casts, I got the drift I wanted and my flies were on target. As my indicator floated just passed the fish, it paused and I set the hook. It was either a late set, or my flies had actually passed underneath the fish and caught on something causing the pause. I think it was the latter. And when I set the hook I got him on the tail – ugh!
Damn – I hated to waste that opportunity.
But there were more.
When I realized that I had foul hooked the fish I decided to break him off. I really don’t like doing it because a lot of time you will lose your flies – and worse, the fish will swim around with one of them imbedded in him with the others trailing behind. But I took the chance, and wouldn’t you know it they all broke off!
As I was retying flies on my line, the guy who was down below the Dam Log decided to move on. We chatted as he passed and he said he really like this run. The only thing he says is you have to watch out for that log. Invariably, you will get your flies snagged on it.
I replied – “We don’t call it the log, we call it the Dam Log”. He got a chuckle out of that.
Brian in the Hatchery Hole with a fish in the net.
After retying my flies, I removed the mud. Then I spotted a couple more fish patrolling the troughs – moving from one to the other, upstream and downstream, then back again. I went after one of them – following him as he moved about. At one time he was just a few feet in front of me close to the bank feeding. He was so close I had to move farther back on the shore in order to get a good drift to him.
As I watched him, I could see the whites of his mouth as he actively fed on midges floating to him in the current. After several tries my flies drifted on target and into his zone. It wasn’t a BAM – no it was a wobble. That’s all my indicator did, and I set the hook.
Fish on baby!
As soon as I set the hook I saw him shake his head, mouth open as he began to struggle to free himself. It was a nice one and put up a good fight - taking me all the way down near the Dam Log, then back up into the middle of the run where I led him to my net. A nice 18”, fat rainbow. He had taken my #22 Black Manhattan Midge.
Another look at Brian's rainbow.
After releasing the rainbow I scanned the river and saw that there were more fish cruising the top of the run and I zeroed in on one of them. He was in the far trough which is just over knee height in depth. I have a bad habit of not paying attention – or maybe it’s that I’m easily distracted. Either way I often find myself looking at my surroundings instead of watching my indicator.
There I am – casting to a fish, then something catches my eye. It was a movement away from my drift. Was that a fish? I’m looking to see – then as a look back toward my indicator I see it bobbing up and down and I set the hook.
Fish on!
It was another nice one. I could see it as it came to the surface shaking his head and quickly spitting the hook! It was a very brief fight – a late set will do that.
Damn – another opportunity wasted!
After that they were gone. Where? I don’t know but they were nowhere to be seen.
The 18" rainbow with the Black Manhattan Midge in his lip.
While this was going on Brian was covering the top of the run with me, then the bottom of the run. I would soon join him below the Dam Log. With neither of us having any action I decided to make a recon run. There is a high bank along the north side of the river – river left – that gives you a view into the river. If there are fish you will usually see them – that is as long as there is no wind, or only a slight wind.
After wading across the river and climbing the bank I began to peer into the river just as the wind kicked up. Dang it anyhow. I couldn’t see into the river. I waited for a break in the gusts, but they kept coming. Finally, I gave up and waded back across the river.
It was about noon and a good time to break for lunch.
Time seemed to sneak up on us. We got a late start. Someone got the departure time screwed up and set the alarm late. Oh – that was me! Then there was a wreck on 25 further delaying us.
As we ate streamside, we were plotting our next move. Brian mentioned moving on to Tom’s Run – while I was thinking the Osprey Run which is in the opposite direction. We went back and forth trying to decide and finally landed on Tom’s Run. It’s a good ways downstream of where we were and we planned to hit the fishy spots along the way.
Another view of Valco Pond #2. You can see the partially melted ice on the surface.
Brian finished first and headed out.
I told him I’d be right behind him but didn’t get very far. I was attracted to a couple of fish I spotted just below the Dam Log.
The wind was still gusting and it was now causing problems with casting and mending. When casting into the wind, it will knock your indicator and flies down on the water. They hit hard on the surface and when this happens the commotion will spook a fish. To avoid this, I try to cast farther upstream than I normally would hoping that when my indicator and flies smack the surface it will be far enough away that it won’t spook the fish - but it doesn’t always work.
Further complicating things, the wind makes it very difficult to get a good mend and without good mends it’s almost impossible to get a good drift – and without a good drift the fish will not hit your flies.
It’s a double whammy.
I got this 20" rainbow in the Valco Ponds Run on a Black Rojo Midge. (You can see it in his upper lip.)
The two fish I was targeting were soon gone. Take your pick – was it a bad cast with my rig landing hard on the water too close to the fish or was it a bad drift that spooked them? It didn’t matter, either way they were gone and it was time for me to head down to meet Brian.
I had some other difficulties though – including a lost pair of glasses – without which I can’t see my small flies, thread my tippet into them, or even tie a knot. In other words – they’re important! But I did manage to find them lying along the bank – thankfully!
All this took some time and as I was approaching Tom’s Run, Brian was ready to leave. After walking all that way I wanted to give the various spots along this part of the river at least a try. As I did, Brian found a spot just below the Double Tree Hole. He had already covered Tom’s and the weirs below it without any action.
All the spots were empty for me too – Tom’s Run, the weirs, the Small Pool – nothing. After covering the Small Pool I moved to bottom of the gravel bar that makes up a small island and was casting into an eddy that feeds back into the Double Tree Hole. There is a huge, downed cottonwood tree trunk partially submerged in the water and I was able to get my rig caught up in it and had to break my flies off.
Just great.
After retying I mentioned that we should head back up to the Valco Ponds Run. With any luck no one had been in there since we left it, giving it some time to rest. We headed to the walking path – the fasted way there. As we hiked along the path we peered into the river at various spots and only saw a couple of fish the whole way.
That got me wondering if the fish were being depleted along this stretch. Even though catch and release is encouraged, Colorado’s standard fishing regulations apply (allows for taking of four fish) along the Arkansas Tailwater below the Pueblo Reservoir – except the section of the river from the Valco Ponds Bridge downstream to Pueblo Boulevard. This part of the river is artificial flies and lures only, and all trout 16” or longer must be released.
A slightly different view of the weir that feeds into the troughs at the top of the Valco Ponds Run.
When we finally got back to the Valco Ponds Run, we found a young guy fishing the top of it – the spot I wanted. He was actually farther upstream than where I wanted to fish, but not far enough to where I wouldn’t be intruding on his space. So I just scanned the river – and I could spot a couple of trout, they were back in the troughs.
As I was peering into the river the guy called out and said he was moving on. We chatted a bit and he said he had landed a big rainbow a little farther upstream a little bit ago.
I thanked him – and grabbed my gear. There were fish to catch!
There was a big fish in the far trough, the same trough that I lost one earlier in and I went after him. Another wobble of my indicator and I set the hook. BAM – fish on – and a nice one. A really nice one. I could tell this fish had some size – taking me where he wanted to go with me quickly following. For a while I couldn’t get his head turned and I was concerned that I might have foul hooked this guy too.
But that wasn’t the case – he was just big! When I finally got him tired out and near me, I had a hard time just holding my rod with one hand as I reached for my net with my other. As I was struggling to control the fish with one hand I realized I was at a critical point here – netting a big fish. This is where you can easily lose him – believe me I know.
I never really did get his head out of the water. He was too heavy. But I did manage to get him to drift into my waiting net – just beneath the surface. He was indeed a big one – measuring 20”. The year is young – very young – but that is my biggest one so far and we were encouraged to find that the big fish are back!
Me with the 20" rainbow.
Brian Kenney.
He took the #22 Black Rojo Midge which has been a go to fly for me in the afternoon here on the Tailwater. I’ve noticed that the midges that hatch in the afternoon are bigger, and they have the fuzzy antennae which the Rojo is designed to imitate.
Later, I did manage to foul hook another rainbow. Brian mentioned that I probably had too much weight on – and he was probably right. I still had on my .12g split shot with the only other weight being the Psycho Prince Nymph I had tied on as my lead fly. It’s tied with a tungsten bead giving it some weight. On some of my drifts it’s likely that the Psycho got hung up on something along the bottom – a rock, kelp, a stick – who knows.
If the fish didn’t quickly vanish – again – I would have changed out the Psycho for a non-weighted fly. The fish were now gone though – and we decided to go too.
We got into some fish – big ones. And we both agreed that we could of had a few more in the net than we did.
But it we had our moments.
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