March 16, 2022
The Tailwater – The Diver Hole to the Tree Hole
Flows: 124 cfs (@ 9a) to 277 cfs (@4p).
Water Temp: 42F @ 9a. 47F @ 2p.
Water clarity: Clear in the morning to off-color in the afternoon.
Air Temp: 37F @ 8:30a - 62F @ 4p.
Hatches: Sparse midge 10a to noon. Scant BWO 1p to 3:30p.
Flies: #12 Chubby Chernobyl, #20 Mercury Pheasant Tail, #18 Psycho Prince Nymph, #24 Grey Sparkle Wing RS2, #22 Black Flashback RS2, #20 Flashback Black Beauty, #18 Red Copper John, #22 Disco Midge, #22 Red Pure Midge Larva, #22 Red D-Midge, #18 Hare’s Ear, #20 & #18 Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail, #22 Purple BH Zebra Midge, and #22 Pheasant Tail.
Top producers: #20 Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail, Purple BH Zebra Midge, Pheasant Tail, D-Midge, Black Beauty, Pure Midge Larva.
“It’s a great day to catch fish”.
That’s the first thing I said to Brian when I met him yesterday morning before heading to the Tailwater. I wasn’t really sure it was going to be one though. They were messing with the flows. Really messing with them and that had me very concerned.
Looking upstream and west from the Tire Hole.
I picked this Wednesday to fish. The weather forecast was for cloudy skies, rather mild temps with highs in the 50s to low 60s in Pueblo. There was a chance of rain too. That would be welcome. I like those kinds of days. They usually produce significant hatches and the fish are willing to move about under the cover of the grey sky.
I checked the flows on Tuesday night and was thrown for a loop. Starting Monday afternoon, the water department increased the flows from 95 cfs to 230 cfs. A huge increase. And conventional wisdom says it will take the fish quite a while to acclimate to this drastic increase in flows - and they will be less likely to feed until they do.
It concerned me enough that I consulted with one of the local fly shop guides. I was thinking of changing plans and go elsewhere. He encouraged me to still go to the Tailwater. He said it probably would have some effect on the fish – you just have to find them.
Hmm. I was not optimistic.
Even though – I wanted to be positive. It always seems to help.
A nice rainbow Brian caught in the run above the #1 Plunge Pool on a Pheasant Tail.
Brian Kenney.
Brian and I chatted about the increase and the possible effects on the fish as we drove to Pueblo and agreed that at the very least it will add to our experience and our in-person knowledge of how the increase effects the fishing. Although our experience in the past has not been good when fishing in the middle of rising water levels.
I didn’t check the water levels before we left on Wednesday morning and unbeknownst to me – the water department proceeded to lower the water the night before. So when we arrived at the river it was sitting at 124 cfs. If I would have know that – I would have been even more discouraged.
It seemed that the flows were rising throughout the day as we fished and I checked the flow chart the next day to see. Yes indeed they were. Between 8a and 10a they bumped the flows back up to 277 cfs. Luckily for us, it took awhile for the rise in water level to reach us a couple miles downstream of the dam.
It’s no coincidence that we were catching fish regularly until a little after noon. After that it was hit or miss. And it’s no wonder the water was off color by the end of the day. To say these wild swings in water flow are challenging for the fisherman is an understatement.
My 1st fish of the day. A 19" rainbow taken out of the run above the Diver Hole on a Flashback Black Beauty.
But you know what? All-in-all it was a great day on the river. Both Brian and I had several fish in the net from 14” to the 20” range. And they were beautiful, brightly colored ones too.
As the water flows are increased I found that the best places to locate and catch fish are near the bank where the water is slower. Or behind shelter as in large boulders or weirs. They seemed to moderate the effect and the trout seemed to stay active below them. For a while that is.
We started in the run between the #2 Plunge Pool and the Diver Hole, and in the Diver Hole itself. I was in the Diver Hole and Brian was in the run. Not wasting a lot of time, we both worked our way upstream and it wasn’t long before Brian was in a run above the #1 Plunge Pool and I was in the run above the Diver Hole.
It was in this run that I spotted the first fish of the day. They were dark outlines in the water in there typical lies just upstream from the cement slab that sits on the south side of the river. I’ve seen them there many times in the past. They’re hard to catch in this spot – but they’re usually nice size and a lot of fun when you hook one up.
A 14" rainbow I caught in the run above the Diver Hole on a Red D-Midge.
They were in a line from about the middle of the river to the far – south side - bank. And they looked like nice size ones too! I was targeting two fish. They were moving from side to side – working from the far bank back toward the middle of the river. After several tries I finally got one to take my fly. And he was a big one.
When I set the hook he quickly bolted downstream – line zipping out of my reel. I followed and did the best I could to stay up with him – but he broke off. Then I had another one on. This one wasn’t as big but somehow he was able to break off too. Not long after that I had another nice size fish take – but the same result. He broke off!
I was thinking to myself “You’ve got to make the best of these chances on a day like today. You may not get many more. You’re wasting your opportunities”.
Another one Brian's rainbows. This one 17" caught in the Tire Hole on a Soft-hackle Pheasant Tail.
Brian Kenney.
Then I finally landed a couple of them. One a 19” – brightly colored rainbow who took the #20 Flashback Black Beauty. Like the other ones he quickly took me downstream, but I must of got a better hook set on this one and netted him just above the Diver Hole. The other was a 14” rainbow who took my #22 Red D-Midge. I would hook up a few more fish with this fly that I’ve been meaning to try.
About that time Brian came down to meet me. He said he landed a couple of nice rainbows above the #1 Plunge Pool. We had a good start to the day. Brian also mentioned that there were several redds in the run he was fishing and fish were actively spawning. But he could see fish below the redds. They weren't spawning and those were the ones he was targeting. I decided to go take a look and we ended up switching positions.
As I approached the run – I could see the redds and the fish below them. As I was observing the area I saw a couple of trout come to the surface to take emerging midges in the riffles. So I casted to them and the fish below the redds being careful not to drift my flies over the redds.
I got this brightly colored beauty in the run above the #1 Plunge Pool on a Red D-Midge.
A few years ago I took a trip to the Taylor River to chase big rainbows. The Taylor is renowned for brownies and rainbows in the 25” range - and it’s not unusual to see and catch 30” fish. A local fly tier developed a fly called the D-Midge – and it has been reported to be very effective on that river. Red ones especially. I tied a few for my trip - but strangely - I didn’t get a chance to use them on the trip and I’ve had them in my fly box ever since, never using them.
But I made a point to tie one on this morning – and that is what I had on as I fished the run above the #1 Plunge Pool. Red is a good color to use when fish are spawning. Not sure why that is – but it works! The fish below the redds were big and they were sitting just above the waterfall that forms the #1 Plunge Pool below it. I hooked a couple up and they ended up going over the waterfall into the plunge pool and eventually broke off.
They say the third time is a charm – and my third hook-up proved to be one. He also went over the waterfall and into the plunge pool but I was able to fight him to my net. It was another 19” beauty and he took my D-Midge. I was happy to finally find out that the D-Midge is truly an effective fly.
Brian took this rainbow out of the Tire Hole on a Purple Zebra Midge.
Brian Kenney.
After that, Brian and I headed up to the Tire Hole. We briefly stopped at the Flag Hole. It hasn’t produced for us in quite a while so we only gave it a short try before moving on. There is a beaver hut in the hole and I spotted one of the beavers in it later in the day. I’m wondering if those beavers are taking fish from the hole and that’s why it hasn’t been producing lately.
It was about 11a when we walked up to the Tire Hole. As we approached the riverbank I said to Brian “we’re going to get a bunch of fish out of here”. It proved to be a prophetic statement!
I observed the water as we approached the bank of the river and I noticed that the higher, faster water was creating a seam where it meets the slower water near the bank. Anticipating that there may be fish in close to shore – I casted into the seam near the bank – and BAM! First cast I had a nice rainbow on - the kind this run is known for.
A 17" female Brian got in the Tire Hole on the Soft-hackle Pheasant Tail.
Brian Kenney.
But with a few head shakes he spit my fly. Damn – I let another one get away. In retrospect – it was because of a bad habit I have of not setting the hook aggressively. Being in the shallow water I wasn’t sure if I was snagged up on the bottom and it wasn’t until I lifted my line and felt a tug that I set the hook. Too late.
The renown Pat Dorsey advises to envision a river with only fish – nothing else to get snagged on. And when your indicator stops, jiggles, or otherwise does anything abnormal – set the hook. Bad habits are hard to break – but I’m going to break this one. Damn right I am!
It only took a few minutes more though and I had another one on. I set the hook on this one and the fight was on. He was a nice rainbow and he took the D-Midge. I could tell as I had his head out of the water for a bit. Brian was downstream of me and in a position to net the fish for me. As he approached the fish, it took another run and got his head back down under the water. He was right in front of Brian and I began to pull back on my rod in an attempt to get his head back up out of the water. In doing so he broke off right at Brian’s feet. Ugh!
A 19" sucker Brian got in the lower Tire Hole.
Brian Kenney.
I was disappointed on that one. Tactical mistake – should not pull, rather lift up the rod and not too hard. None the less I was able to land another rainbow later. It was another 19 incher. Wow – I was liking that. After netting that nice rainbow I took a break for lunch. I didn’t realize it at the time – but things were about to get more difficult.
Meanwhile, Brian landed a handful of rainbows and a big sucker – a 19” one. He was getting them on a Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail. He tied them up specifically for fishing this spot. Last trip out – he ran into a guy who is a professional fishing guide and he had landed several fish in this run with the Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail. Copying success is never a bad idea and Brain now has several nicely tied - and most importantly, effective - flies added to his arsenal.
One of the rainbows that Brian caught had an interesting coloration. Half of one side of the fish was darker that the other half of the same side. It looked like a shadow - but it wasn't. Rainbows do change color as they get closer to - and when - spawning. They get the bright coloration seen in the photos in this blog. So not sure if this one was in the middle of changing color or not.
This rainbow's coloration was darker in the front on this side only. Was it related to pre-spawn coloration change? Not sure.
Brian Kenney.
We fished the Tire Hole a bit longer then headed up to the Tree Hole. We each stopped at different runs along the way. I was further upstream from Brian and could see that there were two guys fishing the Tree Hole. My plan was to fish above them in a run formed by one of the many weirs that have been placed in the river to improve the fish habitat. I’ve had success in that run before.
But as I walked upstream the guys left the Tree Hole and were now in the run above it. Dang it. So I stopped and fished the Tree Hole. This is another hole that has for some unknown reason turned off. I can’t remember the last time that Brian or I have caught a fish there. With the higher flows I thought it might produce – but it didn’t.
While I was fishing the lower part of the hole one of the guys walked down to get something out of his backpack. We chatted a bit and he said he wasn’t having much success. He said that they could see fish in the run that they were fishing but couldn’t get them to take.
I was planning to fish the upper part of the hole but wasn’t sure if he intended to try it or not. I asked if he was, and he said he was going back up to join his buddy. So I fished the upper section of the Tree Hole for a bit. The two guys were now further upstream in the run above me and the bottom of it was open. I’ve caught a few fish in that spot in the past – so walked up and asked them if they minded if I fished it.
A cutbow I caught in the run above the Tree Hole on a Red Pure Midge Larva. He was a bit over 19" and stout.
They didn’t mind – in fact they said they were about to leave. As I waded in, they waded out and I now had the whole run to myself. There were no fish in the bottom section of the run, so I moved further upstream. There is a redd at the end of the shore-side of the weir in this run and I could see fish active on it. So I moved further upstream.
The water flows over and around the weir and forms a deeper column of faster water that bends around it. It was in this column of water that I could see dark shadows. Rainbows --- or maybe brownies - couldn’t tell which, but I knew they were fish. Nice size ones too!
After several tries I got into one of them. It was a big fish and felt even bigger in the fast water. There are a lot of big, round, smooth rocks in this run and they make for very difficult wading. The fast water added to the difficulty. And then I had a big fish fighting me. I had to be really careful here.
As I was fighting him, Brian waded in to help. The fish was across from me in fast water facing upstream. I was in an ideal position for fighting a fish. The trout would eventually tire fighting me and the current. I asked Brian to get downstream of the fish and then I would let it drift back into his net. As Brian approached – the fish bolted. But I was able to get him back into position and let him drift downstream toward Brian. It was a big fish in fast water and not easy to net. Brian missed him on his first few attempts and now the fish was downstream from me. Not good. I remember saying “Uh-oh!” Then after two more stabs of his net, Brian was able to get him.
A close-up of the 19+" rainbow.
Brian Kenney.
Another nice rainbow – his coloration was almost fluorescent. He was a little over 19” – close to 20” – with a wide girth. He took a #22 Red Pure Midge Larva. At least I think he did. The fly was imbedded in the top side of his snout. Maybe he hit my top fly and I was late on the set. Or maybe he was in the process of spitting the Pure Midge Larva when I set the hook. Either way – he was no worse from the wear. I was able to take the fly out quickly with little or no damage to the fish.
That would be the last fish of the day for both of us.
We proceeded to head downstream toward the car. Brian stopped at the Tire Hole and I continued down to the Diver Hole and the Plunge Pools. Neither of us had a hit or saw any fish. No wonder. The flows were now at a whopping 277 cfs. A little more than twice what they were at the start of the day.
Despite the wild swings in the water flow – and the uncertainty that we were faced with – it was another good day on the Tailwater.
The author with a hefty rainbow. (You can see part of the weir in the background.)
Brian Kenney.
We found the fish.
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