Last Night in South Fork

Spent some of yesterday and today getting the RV and Jeep ready for tomorrow's trip up to Denver ("down" really if you're looking at the elevations) so, had more time to reflect on what a great time I've had in this area again.  Nothing could top that 17" trout from night before last and some of the memorable moments like the Hummingbird and the first night's appearance of all those Mule deer were just jaw dropping -- so was tonight's sunset (as you can see at the left).  I did try fishing that same hole near the bluff at the Masonic Park but, only got one small hit from 6:00 to 7:30.  Still beautiful there even as the sun did set and when I walked back to the Jeep the mountains all around were lit up like the fourth of July.

Never made it to Mesa Verde as I thought I might but, I will have plenty of time for that in July as I have already reserved that month in a spot two spaces to my left (next to the cabin).  It will be fun to compare some of the rivers, streams and lakes or reservoirs to what I have seen during the past 16 days and plan some new adventures -- one outstanding place to go will be the Wheeler Geological Area that not too many people have been able to get to or see (Heck! The guy who thought it was out there somewhere never got to see it and he would have been amazed).  Anybody up for a road-trip -- 4 wheel style and 3 hours -- only 14 miles)??  Bring a lunch and spend the night -- at least one.

Fittingly, the Mule deer dropped down to the campground to graze just after the sun had gone down and now the twins are enjoying the close approach of one of the does as I enjoy another glass of wine before reheating that second Rainbow trout from last night's grilling session.

No Keepers or Lunkers Today

After catching that nice Rainbow last night, I decided to take apart the spinning reel and see if I could fix the drag and clean things out for today's brief outings to Beaver Creek and the Rio Grande at the Masonic Park (near sunset).  I discovered the problem with the drag to be a spring wire had slipped off the pin on the cam which engages the drag notches on the interior of the bail and once it was back in place, the reel worked really well.  The plan today was to only fish a couple hours at Beaver Creek Reservoir, spend some time in the afternoon getting some things cleaned and start getting the RV ready for the move to Denver on Friday.  Then, I planned to head back to the Rio Grande River near Masonic Park to see if there might be more than one of the big fish I caught the evening before.

My first stop today would be the corner under the sign at the dam with the idea that the corner might offer some protection from the westerly winds that were predicted -- instead the wind was blowing right into the corner from the east or southeast building up some floating scum and grasses on the water's surface.  Each cast I made had to come back through the stuff and had to clean the lure after each retrieval but, the reel was working great and the action really nice -- for about the first two dozen casts and then, something seemed to jam in the reel and I had to climb back up to ponder the problem.

The reward for having to do this was an amazing visit by a beautiful Hummingbird -- just as I got inside the Jeep and was about to open the reel, this little bird flew right to the middle of my windshield and hoovered there for a few seconds before heading off to somewhere else.  Really a magical moment.  Reminded me of all the Hummingbirds I had seen last year in the RV park where I stayed near Cimmaron, CO sometime in late June.

After opening the reel as much as I could without tools, I thought a piece of dirt or something got lodged under the wire pin that activated the bail return but, needed to get back to the RV to get the tools to check it out.  When I got back and took off the small cover over the spring mechanism for the bail operation, I discovered the wire spring had broken and a piece did get lodged under the wire pin.  Once removed, the reel again worked but, I had to manually close the bail after each cast.  Headed back up to Beaver Creek Rservoir and returned to the spot by the cliff or bluff where the lunker took my lure -- didn't feel like climbing the boulders and down the shute today.  Fished instead on the sandy shoreline and only caught one little fingerling Brown which I let go immediately after getting him unhooked.  I did give in to climbing over just a few of the boulders at the corner below the bluff and just far enough to throw a few casts near the spot I had hooked the fish before but, had no hits.

I then went over to the picnic area and fished the deep end nearest the parking lot for awhile before giving up and heading back to the RV -- content to think I might have better luck again at the Masonic Park spot around sunset.  Nothing happened there either after fishing for an hour and a half -- until 7:00 p.m.  Time to go back and cook the two fish I had gotten ready for the grille.  Guess the fishing Gods thought I had enough fish for the time being.

Fishing Gods Were Good Today

With my two new Panther Martins and more no. 12 barrel swivels in my possession, I felt ready to go back to Beaver Creek Reservoir and climb down those rocks and boulders again in search of the lunker that took my lure yesterday.  Since the weather forecast called for nearly 71 degrees and the sun already had been shining brightly for a few hours, I headed up around 9:15 and thought I could sit at the pull-out and tie on one of the new swivels and snap on one of the favored Panther Martins -- stay warm if the wind and cold air were not to my liking.

With the sun shining so brightly and my having on 3 layers and a vest, I figured it couldn't be bad down by the water's edge so, that's where I headed immediately after getting the lure on.  I took the easy way down to the left of the bluff and the sandy shoreline below hoping to start the day again with another nice Rainbow.  After casting numerous times and for nearly 45 minutes with no hits, I decided the wind (coming from my right) had died down enough to climb down the shute again to the bouldered shoreline below the bluff where the lunker should be (with my lure still in its mouth probably).  I fished there for more than an hour trying to get my new lure in just the right spot for that fish -- any fish please.  Did take a little break to sit down and rest my tired feet and legs about a half hour into fishing the boulders.  Didn't get any hits and began to doubt the Panther Martin or the fishing Gods.  During this time too, when I was standing on a fairly large boulder a few feet from the water's edge and below a 20 or 25 foot cliff of rocks, I felt a really sharp jolt or rumbling from the boulder like an earthquake or someone setting off dynamite somewhere below -- made me uneasy and not wanting to stay much longer there.

Dejectedly, I climbed back up and since I ran out of plastic bags, I put empty beer cans and bottles in my hand net until it started to drag on the ground -- put them in the back of the Jeep and headed for the picnic area to try for some Rainbows along the beach there.  I fished there and to the point looking for some action but, none came and only one hit -- no fish on.  After finishing my Gatorade and eating a banana in the car, I thought about the mildly bouldered section to the right of the picnic area and the shoreline going toward that bluff I had just been fishing -- thinking I hadn't seen anyone fishing there.  As I focused on the bouldered section, I fished the sandy, less rocky shoreline in that direction and soon had a fingerling Brown on my line -- relased him promptly and moved on.  Occasionally, a nice red and brown fish would jump out of the water near me as if to tease me.

As I approached the bouldered section (which I had not scouted from above to see where all the submerged boulders were), I cast cautiously just a little farther off shore to hopefully avoid the boulders and snags.  Then, I mistakenly cast a little too close and immediately had a small Brown trout on and he jumped acrobatically some 5 or 6 times out of the water trying to shed the lure.  I felt lucky to get this little 12 inch fish from the water and on my stringer and continued to move over the boulders and rocks to my right, occassionally casting back in the direction I came from.

On my way back to Grandview.

No further action here so I fished my way back to the area below the parking lot and decided to let this one rather puny but, fiesty little Brown loose to go get bigger.  Since it was around 3:15 I headed back to the RV for a snack and maybe some rest.

Road Looks Clear

After a peanut butter sandwich, chips and glass of milk, a nap sounded pretty nice and welcome to this weary body.  Forgot to mention that I did take one sliding fall on the loose rock and came up with a few scrapes but, luckily landed mostly on my butt -- no serious blood lost as I had my long-sleeved shirt still on at that time.

Around 4:30, and with the temps still around 70, I decided to head out once again with my sandals on and just a short sleeved T-shirt under my vest.  I decided that I had spent enough time on the boulders trying for that lunker that got away and thought I should go back to Masonic Park and that beautiful little spot by the bluff where I had seen that lunker in the grassy shoreline -- splashing its way downstream to get away from me.  The wind was still blowing hard out of the south or southeast but, once I reached the river's edge, I could hardly feel it.  When I cast downstream though, the wind would catch the lure and throw out deeper into the river.

With the sun shining brightly and warmly on my face and arms, I needed to get the sunglasses on and began to cast upstream around the boulder with the sticks behind it to see if anything might hit but, nothing.  Then I started casting straight out into the rushing waters at the center of the river and let it drift with the current and drew it back toward me to catch the eddy currents that were heading back upstream.  The second cast produced a huge hit but, no fish.  Had my heart pumping.  A little later, I cast a couple times into the start of the eddy currents toward my left and when the lure reached 5 or 6 feet off the shoreline, I had a couple more hits but, again no fish on.  Then, I threw one cast a little farther out into the fast moving water and let the lure drift a bit longer with the fast current before drawing it back into the eddy currents -- Wham! There was a huge jolt and the rod and reel were nearly jerked out of my hands but, again no fish.

I began to worry about this little mini-spin casting rig and wished I had the tools with me to take it apart and tighten things up as that last jolt seemed to cause the drag to fail -- so the reel could backspin freely now.  After another deep cast to the start of the eddy currents, the mini-rig got a test -- another huge jolt and this time there was a fish on and this baby was big and he started jumping and rolling as I guided him and got him to shore.  A real beauty of a Rainbow Trout that measured 16-1/2 inches.  Best fish yet.  Thank you Fishing Gods for a great day.

Big One Got Away Again

This time the big guy took my most productive Panther Martin lure and the swivel that attached it to my line -- broke it off.  If it was the same 16 to 18 inch fish I had on the day before, he was almost in the same  identical spot below the bluff -- which I approaced from the other side after working my way down a slippery shute in the cliffs (this time I had a freshly caught Rainbow on my stringer with me too).  I caught the Rainbow off the sandy shoreline in the center of the picture at the left and had really hoped to have two before hitting the rocks -- hoped the wind would die down too.

After fishing the sandy shoreline for about a half hour, I grabbed my usual half bag of gathered trash and the stinger and headed back up the nearside of the bluff or cliff -- planning to climb back down where I had exited the day before.  When I got to the road where I had parked my Jeep in a little pull-out, my neighbors Betsy and Gene pulled up and asked about a good spot and I directed them to the picnic area where the climbing wouldn't be as difficult (they are in their 80s) -- they noted that I seemed winded from the climb.  Of course, they saw my Rainbow and were eager to get some of their own and off they went and so did I -- leaving the bag of trash near the Jeep.

The steepest part of the bluff or cliff is the shadowed section just a little left and up from the dark rock at the shoreline in the center of the picture above.  That is where the footing is most difficult with all the loose rocks and boulders -- scarey too when you're passing under what could be ready to fall at any time.  I knew the big, submerged, flat-top boulder just around the point is where I had lost that big fish yesterday and that is where I hoped he might still be as I worked my way down the rocks and tried to keep from causing any of them to slide into the water.  I came down well right of the big rectangular boulder and after getting the one trout back in the water on the stringer, I started casting in both directions slightly off the submerged boulders and cautiously eyed the one that was my main target.

The wind was a little bit more of a nuisance in this shallow cove of the rocks and casting to the right was more of a problem so, I moved closer to the spot I thought the fish might be and carefully eyed spots for good footing as I moved along.  After a couple casts just off the boulder, the fish hit the lure hard and had my little rod bowed completely in half like a semi-circle and as I struggled for good footing to get the fish worked up to the surface (so I could at least see him), he pulled and jerked harder and then broke the line -- taking the lure with him.

I sat dejectedly for awhile on a stable boulder and soaked up some warm sun as I got my breath back and looked for another lure.  Unfortunately, that was the last of that particular style of Panther Martin in my little lure/fly box and all I could find was another Panther Martin with chrome spinner, green body with some yellow-green tail hairs.  I tried another dozen or more casts but, had no strikes so, I decided to hike back up and maybe go to the picnic area to see how Betsy and Gene were doing.  As I arrived back at the edge of the pull-out, they pulled up in their white pickup and said they were heading back for some fresh bait -- then, they were going back to Big Meadow as Betsy didn't much like using lures (not used to it either).

Just around the corner

I decided to go ahead to the picnic area anyway and intended to try a few other lures to see if I could find a substitute for that lost Panther Martin.  After trying three or four different things and getting no strikes, I had an idea about that other Panther Martin lure and got out my finger-nail clippers -- cut off all those hairs as best I could and a little red puff on the treble hook.   After a few casts, I had another nice Rainbow trout hooked and tried working him along the shoreline but, as I got him close to the stringer with the other fish, he rollled and spit out the lure.  Stupid me!  I should have walked the shoreline toward him and just pulled him the shorter distance onto the beach.

Wolf Creek Pass in the distance

Since it was nearly 2:00 in the afternoon and the trout already dead (me too), I decided to head back to the RV and clean the fish.  I did stop for a short try at catching some Brook Trout at a spot on Beaver Creek about a mile from the dam but, no luck there either -- hot dogs and a beer sounded good enough for me.

I stopped at Rainbow Grocery and picked up two more of that special style Panther Martin lure and am ready for another day.

Woohoo! Another 4 Bagger Day

The Daily Limit

It now seems like a day of perserverance as I headed out around 9:30 with the forecast calling for storms by noon -- my thinking to beat them to the reservoir up the mountain.  I stopped to get a pair of forceps to remove the small hooks from the small mouths of the trout and picked up a hand net too and one more backup Panther Martin as I hoped for a busy day at the Beaver Creek Reservoir.

I decided to start in reverse from yesterday's route and so, went to the dam and the little corner below the sign at the dam.  After two casts, I had my first 12 incher on the stringer (from exactly the same spot I had caught two fish the night before) and then shortly, I released two small ones, in hopes for bigger things.  Then, the weather turned colder (we reached our high around 10:45 in the morning) and the rain and sleet returned to test the hardiest of folks -- saw less than a half dozen vehicles during the day up there.  I thought to wait out the storm at the top of the dam and had scouted the next corner closest to the spillway -- which was 30 feet or more above the water level.

While I waited more than 40 minutes for the rain to stop and for the sun to return, two other vehicles pulled up when the rain had pretty much stopped -- so, I decided I had better get down to that spot before they had any ideas of getting there first.  I got down to nearly the water's edge and started casting in both directions just beyond the bouldered shoreline.  While I did this the assholes in the two vehicles threw there lines out over the top of me from the top of the bank and I first got tangled in one of their lines -- amuzingly when I got my lure untangled from his line he got snagged on the rocks near the water and had to come sliding down to retrieve his lure (the older guy of the two).  He ended up kicking lots of rocks and small boulders into the water during the process (messing up the fishing for sure).

Shortly after that, I tried casting to my left and got the other, younger guys line hooked on my lure.  He still was standing next to the parking area at the top of the bank.  I should have asked what the hell these guys were trying to do but, decided to just head for another spot and took their license numbers on my way out.  They had a big fat woman with them in the burgundy mini-van and a couple kids they kept yelling at to stay back from the banks -- saying they might fall into the water.  What assholes -- wish I had a baseball bat with me, I would have taken their heads off.

Another chance to warm up didn't hurt at this point either as the sun never did reappear (and still hasn"t) while I drove back to the picnic area and then beyond to use the restroom at the far end of the reservoir.  I took a peek at the boat ramp while at that end of the lake and for some reason it didn't look as steep as viewed from the picnic area -- a visual anomally it seems (it slopes toward the picnic area and therefore looks steeper from there).  I passed an old guy with a silver beard who had parked in a little pull-out and he had climbed down to a sandy bank to fish -- about halfway back to the picnic area.  When I returned to the picnic area there was one vehicle parked there and I decided to move on to the next little pull-out near some higher bluffs or cliffs overhanging the water with a little sandy cove on the nearside (nearest the picnic area).  I decided this should be my next spot to test the Panther Martin that had done me so well, thus far.  The sun seemed to be nearly shining through as I traversed the slope to reach the sandy shoreline -- with the winds still whipping steadily from the east end of the lake.

I had left the one Brown trout in the cooler but, did remember the stringer and my new net and forceps.  Had no results from my casts along the sandy shore so, I decided to start moving across the boulder field below the bluff or cliffs and casting the lure along the way in both directions -- sunshine seemed to be brighter now and a little warmth seemed to be building in me (probably from the climbing across the boulders).  Soon, I had another fish on and managed to land this one of about 12 inches and got him on the stringer, ready to move farther across the boulders as I peered at the towering and seemingly unstable cliffs to my right.  A little further on I got another fish on but, he rollled a couple times and got off.  Farther on, I could see my lure skip towards me just below the surface and a big brown came at it but, must have seen me over its shoulder and just nudged the lure then, disappeared.  Then, I hooked a really nice fish of some 16 to 18 inches and as I tried to work him towards me, he crossed over a large boulder with a few inches of water over it and then after a few more of those rolls, he too was gone.  Had my heart pumping for sure.

This short stretch of water produced more hits and more fun than I have had all these nearly two weeks down here -- and two more Browns to make my daily limit of four.  I cast a few more times after getting the third fish on the stringer but, knew I couldn't keep anything more -- just hoped to see that tropy fish maybe -- and perhaps put back one of the others.

What fun it was -- even with the chilled hands and cold toes.  Made it back to the RV by 3:15 with a stop at the licquor store for a bottle of wine.  Now enjoying some white wine and just finished cooking those three trout from yesterday on the grille (while doing a load of laundry -- my fishing clothes) -- ready to eat and think about tomorrow.  Been reading the regulations and I could keep another 10 brook trout too so, maybe that creek on the way to the reservoir could produce some of that species -- Hmmmm.

Weird Fishing Day - Colorado Style

True Colorado weather down here today after some violent storms last night -- which had me turning off the TV while watching the Nuggets and Laker playoff game (assume they did win as they were comfortably ahead at that time).  There was a flash of lightning and the thunder clap right at the same, which told me it was close so, I even unplugged the laptop as well.  Tiger and Molly were not startled as much as I would have expected but, maybe the fish dinner later last night had them too pleasantly full to be bothered by it -- they stayed right on their red blanket at the foot of the bed.

Barely had a glimpse of the sun this morning around sunrise but, seemed to be less clouds as the morning progressed so, I got some grocery shopping done early and washed dirty dishes before having a cup of oatmeal.  Think it was only in the low 50s when I couldn't resist getting an early start at Beaver Creek Reservoir after yesterday's catch -- arrived there close to 10:30 and fished for nearly an hour, switching from one lure to the next looking for action like the day before.  Did finally get one fish on but, he got off just as quickly.  I could see rain drops hitting the water and I had become somewhat chilled anyway so, I decided to head for the Jeep and got there just as the storm hit around 11:30 -- it lasted for 40 minutes and it was rain, sleet and hail mix.  Good time for a nap.

Noticed when I got to the Jeep that another white Jeep Cherokee had arrived in the parking lot and the people stayed in their car too.  When the storm stopped and I had a sense that some sunshine would be hitting the picnic area and shoreline, I cleaned off the windshield wipers and headed back to a spot closer to the parking lot -- saw more clouds and nasty weather approaching and figured I might get a half hour of fishing before the second storm hit.  That's just about what it turned out to be and I anticipated it better than the guy and his two sons -- they got pretty wet, I think after stayin out for about 10 minutes (maybe expecting it to let up which it didn't).  This storm lasted about another half hour and the white Jeep left before the storm stopped.

I headed back to the shoreline below the picnic area and fished the point to both sides with only 2 or 3 strikes and no fish.  Then, I could see some really serious clouds approaching with thunder and lightning so, I decided to call it a day and headed back to South Fork to check out one of the little diners there -- hoping for a beer and maybe a snack -- turned out they had some spicy-hot chili (just right for such a day) and the waitress said they had "Colorado Native" beer so, I tried it (pretty good amber lager).  The beer is only sold in Colorado and is made from all native ingredients and, of course, Rocky Mountain spring water.

After I got back to the RV, I cooked a pot of rice with green peppers, onions, garlic and diced tomatoes and checked the weather station for updates.  A neighboring camper couple came in a two days ago from Denver and the husband (Gene) knocked on the door to say they didn't have any luck at Big Meadow and said it was really windy and cold there -- didn't catch a thing he said and they really hoped to bring back some fish for me (I had given them the two Rainbows I caught yesterday for their dinner last night).  A little after he had come by, I went over and gave them the two Brown trout for tonight's dinner -- I still had one to reheat from yesterday.

After the rice was done, I set it aside and checked the radar again and thought I saw a small window between the storms so, I headed back up to the reservoir around 5:30 as a few raindrops were still falling.  As I approached the dam, the opening in the weather seemed to be just about to arrive and I could see the rain and sleet moving to the northeast away from the picnic spot.  After waiting 5 or 10 minutes, the sun came out and so did I -- with fishing pole in hand and stringer in my pocket.  I tried the sandy point again with no strikes and worked my way to the steeper boulder covered bank and this time I caught a small Brown trout which I released.  I continued across the boulders and worked the shallows over the boulders until I finally caught another Brown -- a keeper of about 12 inches.  I left him on the stringer and worked my way acrosss the boulder field until I reached a sandy area and a large red boulder I had seen yesterday from the road -- took note of the sandy areas at both sides with the idea I might try the spot.  No luck at either of the two areas but, I could see marks in the sandy shore from somebody's chair and foot prints on both sides -- some bait fisherman had already been there today.

Once again I could see some more nasty weather approaching so,  I worked my way back to the stringer and headed back for the point and the area below the picnic spot -- throwing the lure alternatly in each direction as I went, anticipating a dash up the bank between the rocks and boulders.  Another bag of beer cans and trash and one trout with me as I hustled to beat the light rain and sleet to the Jeep.  As I drove back toward the dam, I stopped once at a little turnout to look down the bank but, then continued on to the dam.  As I approached the dam, I noticed the near corner, just behind the sign for the dam looked to be possibly accessible and the sun began to shine again as I stopped to peer down the slope.  Yeah!  Why not?  So, down I went with pole in hand -- left the stringer and one fish in the car with the bag of trash not fully expecting to catch anything as I had seen some trucks parked here earlier in the day.

Ready for cooking.

It wasn't a very difficult or long climb down and from the steepness and boulders all around, I thought this should be a perfect spot for those Brown Trout -- and it was shielded nicely from the wind by the dam.  After a couple casts, I had another 12 inch Brown from the rocks and boulders to my left.  Since I left the stringer in the car, I had to put the fish under a large stone so I could try a few more casts -- after two casts into the same spot I caught another Brown trout (biggest for the day at 14 inches).  Two more fish (no stringer), two hands and one fishing rod -- time to leave for sure (pockets weren't big enough to stuff another fish into).

Day's End - Weird Day

I will definitely be back there again -- maybe tomorrow. :)

1st Daily Limit Caught Today

Stopped for some groceries and that backup Panther Martin lure just in case I should loose it on a snag or rock -- did so later in the early afternoon.  When I arrived at the dam, all the parking spaces there were occupied and as I passed there, I noticed that more than a couple of the vehicles had FWC logos on the driver's doors.  As I continued on for the parking area at the picnic spot around the corner, I worried that it might be full and the grounds occupied by more FWC people or fishermen but, when I got my first look, there appeared to be no vehicles at all parked there -- a sigh of relief.

When I parked the Jeep and got ready to get out and start fishing, I noticed that I had left my vest with other lures and glasses back at the RV -- luckily had my stringer and the hook removing tool in the cooler that I did remember to bring.  The weather looked threatening from both ends of the reservoir but, the sun was shining brightly as I headed to the far end of the picnic area and down to the edge of the water.  I started countng the number of casts until I had a fish on or a strike but, after more than a dozen casts, I stopped counting and tried to focus on the direction of the storms that were approaching.  I worked my way from the sandy point toward the steeper boulder covered banks and cast both directions as I moved toward the rocks and boulders.  Soon I had to climb along the rocks and boulders and before long I had a nice Brown trout to put on the stringer then went clamboring over the rocks and boulders for more.  Shortly after that I lost another nice fish just off the grassy cove back toward the picnic area.  A little later I had my second Brown trout but, had to walk/climb back to the stringer I had left closer to the picnic area (because of the threatening storms).  The sun had disappeared by now and I could hear thunder and see the rain approaching from the end where the dam was with some turbulent and nasty looking clouds starting to come over the mountain on the far side of the lake -- time for a break, I thought.  Guess that was about 11:30 and about 30 minutes later the sun came out again so, I headed back out for more fish.

Two other fishermen had arrived in a burgundy pickup just before the first rain and the windstorm came through.  They also sat out the storm in their vehicle and got back out when I did -- one of them had a broken reel and they hadn't caught anything up to that time.  Later I heard from the other guy that he had caught and released 5 Brown Trout -- had to touch it first with his finger-tip so he could claim having caught it to his friend.

When I arrived at the water's edge for the second time, I had thought that maybe one more fish would be enough and I could return to the RV with enough fish for another cookout -- and I did catch another nice fish but, had forgotten the stringer with the other fish on it so, I had intended to carry the fish back and toss him in the cooler with the other two fish.  As I started to walk back up the rocks and boulders to the picnic area, I lost my grip on the fish and he fell into lots of dirt and sand so, I took him back to the water to rinse him off however, the slippery and strong fish managed to slip out of my hands and swim away.  That's what I get for leaving the stringer in the Jeep.

With the weather threatening again, I cast another half dozen times mostly with the stiffening wind direction and managed to snag and loose that precious Panther Martin -- good thing I had the backup in my pocket but, my hands were getting cold from the recent dipping while loosing that fish so, I headed for the warmth of the Jeep again to tie on the lure.  As it rained a little more and the winds picked up, I told myself to get that stringer in my pocket before heading out again.

Soon there was another break and my hands had warmed up for another go at the trout.  This time I took the shortest route to the water as I could see more threatening clouds coming in from the west.  Shortly after reaching the water's edge for the third time, the winds were whipping waves nearly into white-caps so most of my casts went parallel to the sandy shoreline where I had lost two fish yesterday (one of them had jumped the amazing 2 or 3 feet out of this stretch of water).  After a few casts, I had my first Rainbow trout of the day and got him on the stringer this time before worrying about how dirty he got during the hook removal process.  A few more casts and I had the bigger of the two Rainbows -- this completed my four fish limit for the day and I only cast a few more times to see if that trophy fish might get hooked.  Now my hands were really cold and the nasty weather was closing in so, time to hustle back to the Jeep -- had already gathered another grocery bag of cans and trash but, found a couple more beer cans on my way to the car.

As I passed the dam on the way back, I noticed only one vehicle (a white pickup truck) parked there and all the others had left.  The rain began to fall more heavily as I drove back with my limit and it wasn't even 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon -- plenty of time to relax and have a few beers (before cleaning those fish).

In Fishing Heaven - South Fork

The sun is just breaking through some clouds and shining brilliantly on the white bark of the aspens -- the ones here in the campground that I have seen transform from just empty branches to ones with small yellow/green leaves.  Molly and I had minutes earlier seen a red fox trotting down the road toward the camp office but, no mule deer this morning -- only saw 5 last evening at the far west side of the campground and they all layed down near a small clump of bushes beneath a cluster of pines.

Didn't see any frost on the Jeep this morning so, I am anxiously hopeful that the temps will rise to the high 50s or near 60 before mid day and then, I can get back out to the hotspot I hit yesterday.  First though, I went out to that bluff in the river at Masonic Park around 10:30 and sat in the warmth of the Jeep with the sun shining brightly as I put new line on my "Micro-mini reel" (fearful that if I did manage to get that monster fish on, he might break it or take it all as he fought to get away).  Then I tied on the swivel I had removed from the old, thin line and clipped on my favorite Rooster-tail before I stepped into the slight breeze coming from the west (down the valley) -- gulped some water, put on some suntan lotion and walked down that familiar road to that beautiful spot on the river downstream from the bluff (slightly protected from the wind by its towering presence).

When I reached the top of the bluff, I peered down to see if there might be any indication of that trophy fish's presence below me at the water's edge or near any of the somewhat visible submerged boulders.  I thought there might be something sizeable near the boulder closest to the bluff but, wasn't too certain if it was a fish or just part of the boulder so, I carefully approached the edge of the river just downstream from the boulder -- making sure my shadow didn't cast over the edge of the grass covered riverbank.  I cast my lure a couple times to both sides of the boulder and worked it back to me without any hits or signs of movement so, I carefully approached the boulder and noticed what appeared to be chunk of a tree branch or two lodged just behind the boulder -- no fish.

View from the Bluff

I worked that section of the river below the bluff for about a half-hour with no strikes and then, moved on downstream to check all the areas I could get to without having to beat my way through the bushes -- didn't have a majete with me.  I went farther than I had on previous visits and nearly reached what appeared to be the Masonic Park's fenced in storage area for boats, jet-skis and ATVs before I decided to return to the spot by the bluff -- gathered a few more empty cans on the way back.

When I reached this favorite spot of mine again, I decided to switch to a Panther Martin (dark body with brass spinner) and tried for another 15 to 20 minutes with no strikes.  Since the temps seemed to be decidedly higher, I thought it might be warm enough at the Beaver Creek Reservoir to try for that fish that got away the day before and decided to head up that way.  I stopped at the RV to get my camera and headed up the scenic road I travelled the day before -- ready for some pictures this time.



Beaver Creek (below)

 The drive up the dirt road (after the campgrounds) is jaw-dropping gorgeous and worth the occasional stop to get a better view -- except maybe when there are some towering cliffs to the left as you drive up toward the reservoir.  Sometimes those cliffs made me want to drive faster for fear some boulder might come crashing down -- do you think?

 

Beaver Creek Reservoir

 When I reached the dam, I snapped another picture before heading to the mid-point parking area where the picnic tables were located and the point of land below that I hoped to fish from.  When I pulled into the parking lot, two guys in a flat boat were just pushing off from the shoreline below -- leaving their white pickup truck parked in the lot where I parked.  I took another picture of the boat ramp near the far end of the reservoir before making the short, less difficult climb down to the point.


Boat Ramp in the distance.

 When I reached the shoreline, I could see those two guys in the flat boat heading toward the dam as they started to troll with their little electric motor on the back as they readied their lines.  I checked the wind and felt it coming slightly from my right and decided to cast across the point to my left, letting the wind help carry it.  After half a dozen casts, I had a fish on and the little rod bent nearly in half as the trout rolled toward my left at the water's surface -- a real beauty (made me glad I had that new line).  Then, he immediately changed direction and shot straight into the air -- spit the lure and was gone.  The two guys in the boat saw the action and moved slowly on their way to my right.

The point below the picnic area.

After the disappointment of losing that fish, I cast a few more times and again had another fish on and this time I brought in a small 10-inch Rainbow trout -- unhooked him and got him on my stringer.  Shortly after that I had another larger trout on and this one got off without me even seeing him.  I moved along the shoreline toward boat ramp and the steeper boulders, found more strikes and another Rainbow of about 14 inches -- took two hands to control this strong fighter and get him on the stringer with the other one.

This action went on for a couple hours and although I brought home only two trout, it is no true indication of the fun I had.  Five big fish on that got away and a number of smaller ones and more hits than I could have anticipated.  The weather started to look threatening and the two guys in the boat had nearly made a complete circuit of the lake as they passed by me heading to their take-out point -- said they'd only had one strike and they could see I was having lots of action.

I worked my way back along the shore to where I had started as the winds started whipping stiffly and I readied myself to run for cover but, found it hard to leave -- hoping to get that third fish on the stringer.  Had one nice fish on and he shot 2 or 3 feet in the air and spit the lure again -- as he flashed that red stripe and dark topped body at me -- seemingly teasing me from the wind whipped waves.

Tonight's Dinner

Will stop at Rainbow Grocery to get another Panther Martin as a backup for my return to the reservoir -- when the temps get a bit warmer (it's colder up there for sure).



Yesterday -- NO FISH FOR US

View of the Bluff at Masonic Park

It started out a little warmer than the day before (maybe 36 vs 32) and I half expected better results, especiallly at that beautiful spot in the Masonic Park -- at least I took a few pictures this time.  Between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. in the morning, I spent some time reading some blogs about the fishing in the area and looking up various lures and flies to put on my shopping list -- things like the Elk Hair Caddis, the Bitch Creek Nymph, Panther Martins, Hildebrandts and Mepps.

So, before driving to that spot around 10:30, I had restocked my supply of Rooster-tails and added a few other things to try from the list aforementioned.  After tieing on a new swivel in the warmth of the Jeep and getting those pictures, off I went down the dirt road to the spot on the other side of the bluff at water's edge.  At the edge of the river, I started with my favorite Rooster-tail and cast it numerous times with no results so, I decided to switch to one of the Panther Martins and then another, and then a bigger, heavier Rooster-tail and then the Mepps -- all with no strikes and no fish.  Had to remove my top long-sleeved shirt during that time and just kept the vest over a long-sleeved pull-over and my t-shirt -- just beautiful and pleasant to be there and hoping for a fish.  Unfortunately, that's part of fishing so, I decided to head back to the RV for a short rest after 2-1/2 hours of fishing.  Oh, I did put on sunscreen too.

On my walk back to the Jeep, I took a few more pictures of this picturesque area of the river and one of the small cactus with blossoms.

After getting back to the RV, I rested a few minutes in one of the leather seats and then grabbed a Gatorade from the fridge and decided to head up to the Beaver Creek Reservoir somewhere off the road before Riverbend (the resort I stayed at last July on my first journey).  I passed the cutoff to Million Reservoir and continued on until the pavement ended and another mile or two following the beautiful stream (Beaver Creek).  Worthy of more pictures but, decided I might only have a half hour or more before the sun might dissappear behind the mountains or the winds and clouds come rolling in and end my chances of catching a trout or two.  After spotting the dam a short distance up the canyon, I think it was approaching 2:30 p.m. and thought I should have about an hour to fish this larger reservoir.  I pulled over just past the dam and noticed immediately that the water level had to be some 20 feet below normal and the sides leading to the water's edge were steep (more than 45 degrees) and riddled with boulders and some loose rocks.

The next pull-out had more parking spaces and picnic tables but, I pressed on toward the end of the lake where the stream might be feeding it.  As I passed that middle area I noticed that section had a couple points at the water's edge and it also seemed to be the narrowest section of the lake -- not quite as steep too.  When I spotted the boat ramp at the far end of the lake, it was concrete and totally out of the water and very steep as well -- the stream came in on the right side and looked to be nothng but mud flats to get there so, I made an immediate turnabout and headed back to the parking/picnic area where I climbed down to one of the points I had seen.

With the sun shining brightly and the wind hardly blowing, it was really quite pleasantly warm as I cast numerous times to the calm water's surface -- only broken by my lure's splash and an occasional trout.  I only used my favorite Rooster-tail (a small one) which I thought would produce the best action with the least amount of cranking on the reel.  I had three strikes including one that was only a couple feet off the water's as I tried casting and retrieving the lure at an angle to the shores (occasionally straight out).  Didn't get a good enough look at the fish near the water's edge to tell if it was Rainbow, Brown or Cutthroat -- maybe today or another day, I'll find out.

At about 3:15 the winds began to blow through the valley again so, I decided to head back, fire up the grille and cook those two Brown's that were caught the day before.  As I climbed the bank, I gathered yet another grocery bag of cans, bottles and trash others had left behind (seems the norm everywhere I go -- damned slobs).

After grilling the fish and 5 turkey dogs (afternoon snacks for next couple days), I sat at the front of the RV and enjoyed a couple beers and the abundant sunshine -- warmed me up and made me hungry -- hungry to go back and try that spot again near the bluff.  I fed the cats and set the food aside with covers to keep them warm and headed back to the Masonic Park -- arrived at water's edge around 5:30 and the sun was still shining brightly.  I had changed out to black shorts and sandals while cooking the fish so, that is how I was dressed when I arrived at the edge of the river -- still pleasantly warm there.  I fished for another hour until the clouds rolled down the valley and blocked the sun and its warmth.  Near the end of that hour, as I stood a couple feet from the water on the grass covered riverbank, I had turned away with rod in had to make another cast (checking to be sure the lure was clear of the brush behind me) -- and as soon as I made the cast, a huge trout splashed through the grassy area at my feet heading downstream -- startled no doubt by my presence and movement (as was I).  It had to be over 20 inches and huge as it tore through about 6 feet of the grassy river's edge.  Whoa!  I'll be thinking of him for a long time -- just hoping.

However, I did get another grocery bag full of trash from there too as I headed back.

Coldest Morning - Best Day of Fishing

First of two Brown Trout today

Yeah, well go figure.  After waking to a chilly morning temp of 32 degrees and snow covering the Jeep, picnic tables and grassy areas again, I decided to wait for a little thaw before venturing to Coller State Wildlife Area to monitor the conditions of the Rio Grande River there -- expecting more muddiness and an increase in the level of water.  As it turned, out the waters had receded a bit and it seemed the water might have been just a little clearer when I arrived there -- maybe around 11:00 in the morning.  So, I decided to throw out my lure and see if anything could happen -- maybe a half-dozen casts produced a nice Brown Trout which hit near the water's edge (in the more clear water).

Masonic Park

No more action after another half-dozen casts or more so, I decided to head downstream to do another task I had predefined for the morning -- taking some pictures of the Masonic Park to possibly send to my old client contact at the Masonic Temple in Alexandria.  When I stopped there to take the pictures that I felt would be good to send to my old contact, I noticed that there was a small parking area for "Fishermen" and it stated that this was public access and that permission to fish was not required -- which, of course, peaked my interest and so I looked more closely at both the upstream and downstream sides of the river from the bridge going into Masonic Park.  I immediately took note of a wonderful cliff-like outcropping at a bend just to the east of where I stood -- to me it seemed even better than that "Perfect Fishing Spot" at the other side of the Masonic Park upstream.  Maybe worth a trip back to investigate after I got the first Brown Trout into some cold water back at the RV.

After showing Tiger the latest catch and getting it in some cold water for good keeping, I headed back to the parking area at the entrance to the Masonic Park to see what I could discover.  Forgot my camera so, will have to go back tomorrow to take pictures -- and maybe fish some more.

Early morning here.

Anyway, I walked in the direction of the cliff-like outcropping and got to the downstream side of it where the water looked to be slow-moving and good water for some nice trout.  The sign said "Masonic Traffic Only" so, I hoped that the other little sign was correct about not needing permission to fish there -- hoping I wouldn't get shot at.  After getting down to the water's edge beyond the outcropping, I really felt this was the best fishing spot I had yet come across in my exploratory trips.  This spot indeed yielded a second Brown Trout, two fish chased my lure to the water's edge, one small fingerling Brown Trout that I put back, and nearly a third nice sized Brown Trout at the water's edge.  Whoa!  And on a day that started out so cold and forebiding.

So, we now have two nice trout on a platter in the fridge nearly ready for another cook-out on the grille tomorrw night -- weather permitting, of course.  Maybe more fish will join the fry (I hope).

My biggest platter - almost full.

Not a Day for Fishing

As you might be able to tell from this picture taken from the inside of my RV, the weather changed a bit and I didn't go fishing -- for fish anyway.  Did go to the store when there was a break in the rain and got pelted with little sleet balls when I came out.  Then, I headed to the liquor store to look for a bottle of white wine to go with the fish tonight (those Spanish Mackerel cooked on the grille yesterday).

Shortly after gettig back to the RV, the temps dropped into the 30s and the snow began to fall -- covering the Jeep, picnic tables and the grassy areas with about an inch of white stuff.  It's still snowing lightly and the hillsides among the trees are getting coated as well and a dense fog fills most of the view around beyond the nearby trees and mountains.  Not quite the weather that had been in the 10 day forecast but, that's Colorado weather for you.

Me and the twins stayed in except for my runs to the stores and I looked up Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons for campsites near both and think I will hope to get into Colter Bay campground at Grand Teton National Park and explore both parks with the Jeep -- and of course, on foot too.

Made a pot of rice with peppers, garlic, onions and diced tomatoes to go with the second of the fish cooked last night -- no wine unfortunately as they didn't have my favorite Lucky Duck brand of Riesling or Moscato.  Oh well!  That's the life of roughing it. :)

Spring Run-off - Poor Fishing Conditions

Coller Bridge looking downstream

It looks like the best day to fish this last week would have been Tuesday, the day I arrived -- but, I wasn't quite prepared with the knowledge of public accesses to the Rio Grande River or the first hand experience of checking them out for the best spot(s).  Many of them turned out to be rediculously inadequate or poorly maintained.

Since Wednesday (my first day of fishing here), the river has risen a few inches and has gotten considerably muddier so, the fishing has gotten really poor.  The first day, I could see my lure coming through the water and could see the bottom and some of the boulders in the shallows -- ones to avoid getting snagged on or ones that might have a fish hiding under or beside them.  Now I can barely see the lure as it comes from the water after casting and retrieving it -- imagine the fish can't see it either.  Maybe they have headed upstream to find some pools where the sediment has settled a bit.

Poor little Red Fox

Yesterday's outings to CR 17 and the spot near the Masonic Park and others upstream in Coller State Wildlife Area yielded no strikes and of course, no fish.  Guess I will be looking elsewhere such as the South Fork, Beaver Creek or Pass Creek on the approaches to Wolf Creek Pass to monitor the impact of the run-off their and maybe find some lakes or ponds open to the public that might produce some fish -- will thaw a few of those Spanish Mackerels today, just in case.  Save the Elk and Buffalo for possibly next week if I can't find some decent fishing somewhere nearby.

Today, I decided to head west toward Creede which is about 20 miles upstream with the hope of finding some clearer water in the Rio Grande and maybe discover where all the snowpack might be that could be feeding the muddy water to the river.  On the way up the valley or canyon there were numerous falling rock areas and lots of cliffs with huge threatening boulders -- always a hazard in the spring when the temps get above freezing and release the loose ones.

Snow-capped peaks in the distance

The town of Creede is at 8845 ft. and is nestled in the curve of US 149 on a small stream that goes into the Rio Grande.  It also has a mining museum and just a handful of little businesses.  I headed about 8 miles to the west looking for the Rio Grande Campgrounds and the accesses it supposedly provides for fishing.  Along the way I began to see some snow covered peaks in the distance most likely at the headwaters of the Rio Grande -- proof there was a sizeable snowpack feeding the sediment and water into the river.  My hope was the river might not be so muddy up here and maybe the fish would be biting.

I pulled into the dirt road and drove past all the campsites (only one seemed occupied by someone just getting setup) and I stopped near the empty "Camp Host" spot where there was an opening to the river.  The breeze was quite stiff and to the right of the spot was a stand of pine trees that seemed to shield me from some of the wind and the sun shined down with some warmth as I cast numerous times with no strikes.  The water definitely looked better here and I hiked downstream some and passed the guy setting up camp and talked a bit with him -- he wasn't a fisherman he said but, he said he saw somebody catching some fish earlier at a reservoir nearby.  He also said it had been 24 degrees there in Creede this morning so I thought maybe the fish up here are still in a dormant state.

After hiking downstream about a half-mile with no action, I decided to head back to the Marshal Park Campground which I passed a couple miles back.  The bridge into the campgound was chained off and closed so, I climbed down to the river near the base of the bridge and the US 149 bridge running parallel to it just 100 yards downstream.  I had looked from the approaches of the campground bridge and thought there were some boulders and a nice mix of fast and slow moving water that might produce some fish.

The best looking spot was just downstream from the 149 bridge where a previous bridges supports had been left standing and the one nearest the bank had been clogged with logs and branches which created a little pond behind it and a stretch of slow moving water along the bank -- numerous boulders seemed to create great hiding places in the water for some lunkers (or some of those fish tired of the muddy waters downstream).  As I climbed over the field of boulders to the water's edge, I was greeted by a couple of scurrying little chipmunks -- probably looking for handouts.  Unfortunately, I left my granola bars in the Jeep and I wasn't going to climb back up to get them.

So, I set about casting into the pool, near the concrete support and into the slow moving waters near the bank but, had no strikes again and didn't see any signs of fish.  Since the hiking/climbing at 9000 ft had me a bit tired and the winds didn't seem to be letting up, I decided to pack it in and head back to South Fork.

Creede is just on the other side of these tan colored bluffs as I headed back down the highway.  A couple mining structures were nestled at the base of the bluffs but, I didn't stop to take a picture as the shoulders weren't wide enough there.

On the other side of Creede, I caught up with the Rio Grande again as it began tumbling down the canyons and valleys so, I stopped at one spot and took a couple pictures.

Wagon Wheel Gap near Creede

Here's that skeleton behind the boulder in Coller State Wildlife Area that I mentioned in my previous blog (decided to stop and take its picture too).  I also checked the spot near the Masonic Park and threw my lure in about a half dozen times.  Did note that one large boulder near the center of the river is now nearly being completely washed over by the rising waters and some near the bank are now covered.

Now will enjoy one of the three Spanish Mackerel I just cooked on the grille like the last Brown Trout.  I expect there will be one or two cats wanting some of these too -- none of my salad though.

Cinco de Mayo without Fish Dinner

Well, for all you working folks and the weekend to enjoy -- hopefully, there's a place to go and have an evening of fun -- doesn't seem to be anything out here in this neck of the woods.  I've had a few beers and a few glasses of wine anyway so, won't be venturing out this evening myself.  Should be a colorful sunset as there seem to be a number of clouds behind the mountains to the west and will hope for the return of the herd of Mule deer soon.

Today I decided to run an errand down Hwy 160 toward Del Norte to possibly get some Elk steaks or burgers at a little ranch a few miles west of the city.  I picked up a couple packs of Elk medallions, a three pack of 1/3 Elk burger patties and a Buffalo steak as well.  Also, looked at the stacks of Elk antlers and some of the huge bull Elk antlers.  There was one huge, scraggly Elk in a coral there at the ranch and a couple other small ones in a separate coral.  Then, after that I headed to check out the closest access to the Rio Grande River near there -- just off CR 17.  I parked near the bridge and hiked the half mile along the south river bank and tried the very few openings in the thick bushes and small trees -- really poor access for such a swiftly moving stream and I got snagged a couple times on the branches hanging close to the waters surface and decided it was a big waste of time.  Only a good point for putting in a raft, canoe or kayak for float fishing the river.

All things considered, the best way to fish this river is by floating on it -- but, it is swift moving and requires one person to steer while other(s) fish.  I saw one such group in a raft as I fished the hole where I caught the Rainbow and my first Brown trout -- there were two guys fishing from the bow and stern while one person steered with oars and one small child sitting in the middle (along for the ride, I guess).

After the disappointment of seeing the latest poor access at CR 17, I headed back to the spot near the Masonic Park up Hwy 149 and hoped for something better than that one fingerling Brown trout I caught there the other day.  As I fished there, I couldn't help but, think that the water seemed to be higher and contained more sediment.  After about a half hour without any strikes I decided to head back to the spot where I first caught some fish.  As mentioned earlier, as I fished there a blue and white inflatable raft came by on the far side of the stream and whizzed right by with its four occupants -- one with two oars controlling the raft.

As I fished this same spot again, I again noticed that the angled boulders seem to be covered more by water and seemingly a lot muddier (I confirmed this after looking at the pictures taken the other day).  After another dozen or so casts, I decided to head farther upstream to where a really big Redwood stood at the water's edge to see what might be accessible there at the bank of the river but, found nothing much so, I continued on to the next big pine tree and a little beyond.  Guess I had walked more than a mile upstream from where I had parked and at this point I noticed more skeletal remains than previously seen and a little farther on, I saw a few carcasses at both sides of the dirt road.  At this point, I began to have doubts about climbing down to the edge of the river to fish near the heavy brush -- in fact, I decided I should be getting back and call it a day perhaps.

As I walked back to the Jeep along the deserted road, I began to study the cliffs on the other side of the highway thinking any mountain lion or pack of coyotes or wolves would have a great vantage spot to watch for possible prey going down to the water's edge -- could have been me they were watching.

When I got nearly back to the Jeep, I also noticed behind a large boulder at the edge of the road bending into the parking lot, another almost complete deer skeleton on the ground.  Something has been eating well up here along the Rio Grande -- and they haven't been eating fish.

I made a quick run up the highway to see what the farthest access provided and then headed back to the RV to put away the Elk and Buffalo meat.  After that, I washed the RV and Jeep, took a shower and shaved before having a couple of those hot dogs I cooked last night with the fish -- no fish for dinner tonight though.  Laundry night -- Cinco de Mayo.