If you time it right, the fly fishing on a freestone river can be magical in the hours before the runoff explodes. A few days ago, I made a journey up the Poudre River with Dave and Jason in hopes of finding fishable water. A quick check of the stream flow report indicated that the river was at about 500 CFS at the mouth. It was too windy to float tube on a favorite lake, so we decided to travel up the canyon to try our luck.
We found a nice stretch of river where the water was still somewhat clear, and mostly wadeable. Using a variety of flies (mostly zebra midges, and hares ear nymphs), we all landed nice trout.
The weather was warm and the sun was shining, making the day on the water very enjoyable.
Trout can sense when the river is about to hit runoff, and they can activily feed. Although you can still do well fishing the edges of a river during runoff, I often turn my attention to the various lakes in my area during late May and early June.
Enjoy your Spring fishing, and let me know how it goes!
The Spring fishing has really stunk around here Mike! Of course I can't blame the rivers this time. The big skunk has been lying across my shoulders. I can't wait until the health problems settle down and I can head north to hit the Poudre. Keep at it buddy!
ReplyDeleteHoward, thanks for stopping by, and I hope you feel better very soon!
DeleteMDB...I remember some spring pre run off trips together on the Poudre River. Damn... I miss those times.
ReplyDeleteThose were the days! Nothing better than a big Royal Wulff fished on a cool spring day. Ha
DeleteEnvy the fact that you are getting out and wetting a line on the river. Catching a few fish always helps. These lakes and ponds should be fun if we can ever get the weather in to some sort of reliable pattern. Maybe, I am just getting old.................
ReplyDeleteThis weather is crazy! Heavy snow at the house this morning...glad I brewed a big pot of coffee. Hopefully all this moisture will slow the fire season down a bit.
DeleteNice fish buddy! Glad you guys had a good time on the water! Definitely running fast and the recent moisture is just adding to it. Time to chase some warm water fishes for a while!
ReplyDelete