Spent a few hours on the South Platte River in Colorado. Monday, Elevenmile Canyon. 64 and sunny in the afternoon.
There were trout rising here and there, but I don't use a fly rod where someone might see me. So I was chucking my homemade spinners and got two small 'bows and one brown. Weeds, moss and current made it a less-than-great venue for working those lures. Also had a larger fish, two pounds or so, follow a small Rapala but wouldn't commit. Here's one of my spinners flanked by a Panther Martin and a Rooster Tail. Remember that PM....
Today (Tuesday) I went to a spot called Happy Meadows, a little ways downstream. County Road 77 off the 24 will get you there. I'm told it's a popular spot for tubing...not fishing, but the floating downstream with a cooler full of suds. Anyway, very pretty area. Anyway, I was getting a few follows and halfhearted taps on my homebrew spinners so I tied on the Panther Martin, as the shadows of the trees moved over the water in the late afternoon.
Got a couple small rainbows and that little brown. Conditions were improving for spinners, was getting more follows in the shady spots. I wish I had tied on one of my own spinners, just in case something interes....
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A 14 inch hook-jawed rainbow in spawning warpaint. It would be nice to say it was on my lure...but oh well.
These spots are an hour outside of Colorado Springs...and there are probably some other decent stretches of the S. Platte....this is all I had time to visit.
If you're a fly person, you should do well.
If you're using spinning gear, bring along some spinners, Kastmasters, Super Dupers, Thomas Bouyants, whatever. But in Elevenmile Canyon, there are some fish that lurk in deep spots beneath boulders, where the water's moving very fast. Monday, I got one spinner down deep and hooked a decent brown but it came unbuttoned. I had nothing in my pocket (only brought a few lures) that could get down in the dark before being swept away. I would love to have tried a big-arse maribou steelhead jig, or a Kastmaster of at least a quarter-ounce to dunk in those deep, dark, holes.
In Elevenmile Canyon, there are places where one could wade and cast flies...and other spots to just scramble down the boulders to fish the whitewater and black holes.
