The Fishing Report • by Bill Edrington

Winter in the Southern Rockies

Fly fishing Colorado’s rivers in January and February can be an exercise in cold weather survival skills, or it can be a wonderful experience when the temperatures are in the 40s and the wind is calm. March is a different story. Many rivers really start to turn on the switch in March, even the big freestones like the Arkansas and Roaring Fork respond as if spring is here. Regardless, most of the action is subsurface during all three months, so nymphing techniques are extremely useful.

I have seen great Midge hatches on the Frying Pan in March making dry fly fishing the thing to do, but that is not as common as I would like. Fish will actively feed on the surface on tail waters like the Pan and the South Platte if the conditions are right. If not, you need to be prepared to nymph fish and remove ice from the guides.

The important thing during this time of year is wearing the appropriate clothing. I like to layer up so I can remove the outer layers of wind blocking clothing if it is not necessary. Gloves are important. I like fingerless fleece with Windblocker or a substitute material. Windblocker simply keeps the wind from reaching your skin when your hands are wet. If you can keep the palms of your hands warm, the finger tips will feel better too. I am not a fan of neoprene gloves due to their bulkiness and inability to function as good fishing gloves. Rag wool is good as long as it doesn’t get wet, which is darned near impossible if you’re catching fish, which is why you’re there in the first place. In order to keep my hands warm, I put on my gloves while I am still in the car, before I gear up with waders and such.

Don’t put your gloves on last after your hands are cold. If possible, put on your waders while you’re in a warm room and wear them to the river. That helps tremendously. If you’re spending the night in a motel, bring the waders and boots in at night so they don’t freeze in the trunk of your car. Warm waders, like warm ski boots, go a long way in establishing comfort levels on a cold day.

All in all, choose a nice day and go fishing. There are no rules that say you can’t. Try an afternoon on the Blue after skiing all morning at Keystone. If you can get back down the hill in time to grab 9 holes, you can get the Colorado Grand Slam. Something to truly be proud of……..

Arkansas River
During January and February, the Arkansas from Canon City to the headwaters generally has morning ice flow. In the canyons below Texas Creek, ice bridges form creating a wonderful feeding area for Bald Eagles. Fishing therefore is limited to open areas with a southern exposure after several days of warm weather. Below the dam at Pueblo Reservoir, however, the environment is totally different. With normal winter flows of around 100 cfs, the tail water fishes very well with BWOs and Midges hatching all winter long. Cloudy days can be terrific fun on a #22 Parachute Adams dragging a #22 Sparkle Wing RS2 or your favorite Baetis emerger pattern. Nymphing with a bead head Prince trailing a Mercury Midge is also a local favorite. Expect to see tremendous Blue Wing hatches here in March as well. As of this writing, the water from the Pueblo Nature Center off Pueblo Blvd. up to the dam has been incorporated into the Pueblo Reservoir State Park. With the structural improvements to this water being recently completed, the Arkansas should become a quality experience which should not be overlooked. Upriver, March starts to break loose the fishing season. Golden Stones begin molting in late February and that moves fish from the deeper runs to the choppy, oxygenated stretches to feed on this “buttered popcorn”. Try Larry’s Golden Stone or the Arkansas Rubberleg Stone trailing an RS2 or Black Ice BWO nymph.

These patterns work well during the month of March and into the April Caddis hatches. March is not a month for big crowds, but I guarantee you some of the best nymph fishing you’ve ever experienced with nice Blue Wing hatches on cloudy, warmer days. See you there…..

South Platte
With the Deckers section on the mend, winter fishing on the Platte should be excellent this year. Life here is simple with patterns like RS2s, Mercury Midges and Barr’s Emergers leading the way whether you’re on the Dream Stream, Elevenmile Canyon, or Deckers. If flows are maintained around 100 cfs, these are great places to spend winter days.

Remember, the best times are mid day when surface temperatures are the warmest. I like showing up about 10AM and pulling out around 3PM. There are days when this is extended and days when nothing works. That’s when you go skiing. Late February and March sees tremendous Rainbow and Cutthroat fishing below Spinney. As these big boys up to ten pounds move up from Elevenmile, they inhale nuclear eggs and woolly buggers of various sizes and colors. Always plan at least a couple of trips at this time, so you can have some success. This can be hit or miss, so don’t just go once. That’s a good rule to follow when fishing anywhere, isn’t it?

Frying Pan
My favorite place to fish during the winter is the Frying Pan. These beautiful fish move to midge larva all the time and during mid-day rise to adult midges methodically. #22 Mercury Midges, Black Beauties, CDC adult midges, and basically your South Platte box will work here. I like to start out the new year by fishing the Pan on New Year’s Day. That’s how you build positive fishing karma and you’re generally out there alone. There’s nothing like landing a colored up Rainbow while standing enveloped in snow. The solitude is simply breathtaking. It always reminds me that I’m glad to be alive and fortunate to be there.

Blue River
The Blue at Silverthorne is a classic winter tail water fishery. This is a great place to get away for a day of midge fishing with the family. If they don’t want to fish, the Outlet Mall or a ticket at Keystone will keep them occupied while you cast to huge fish with #22 midges. This too can be volatile depending on the weather, but I have seen the Blue produce some great Midge hatches bringing up big fish to the surface. You can always duck under the Interstate if it starts to snow too hard.

San Juan River
Even though I usually restrict this report to Colorado Rivers, I would be doing you a disservice by ignoring the best fishing in the area. The San Juan, like all Rocky Mountain rivers has been suffering through the extended drought. This year, however, the snow pack produced good flows and the fishery went into winter in better shape than we have seen it for a long time. I expect the winter fishing will be spectacular here. All colors of midge larva in #22 and #24 will do the trick behind a San Juan Worm. I love to fish the March midge hatches in the upper flats using a #20 Griffith’s Gnat. Big fish, shallow water, and small flies make for a great time. Expect to see folks fishing here, especially on weekends. Everyone knows how good the Juan is and the weather here can be gorgeous on winter days, often much warmer than the Front Range.

In Conclusion
There are lots of rivers in the area that break out of the winter doldrums in mid to late March, but for the most part, we want to concentrate on the tail waters during this period of time. With their constant water temperatures, insects and fish lead a rather normal existence unlike their freestone cousins where Mother Nature totally dictates the photograph on a daily basis. The main thing to remember is to get out on a river during the winter and fish for a while. The rest of the time you can tie flies and hang out in front of the fire. The spring hatches are not far away and you don’t want to be at the vise when the ice breaks loose.

About the Author
A sociology professor for 25 years, Bill Edrington has owned Royal Gorge Anglers in Canon City, Colorado since 1990. In addition to teaching fly fishing, he is an author and outdoor photographer. His most recent book is Fly Fishing the Arkansas: An Angler’s Guide and Journal. He has carried a fly rod on Colorado and New Mexico waters for nearly forty years. To order a copy of Bill’s book, visit www.royalgorgeanglers.com.