Fly Fishing Lakes

Whether you crave the excitement of a feisty trout grabbing a dry fly off the surface or a carp making your reel scream, Colorado has a still-water for you. Below is a list of some of our favorite lakes and reservoirs within a two hour drive of Pueblo. The Drift Fly Shop employees are well acquainted with each of these, so if you would like further information on fly fishing them please come into the shop and we can help you out.       


Still Waters for Trout Enthusiast:

Often times still-water fishing is falsely thought of as being exclusively for those hunting warm water species, truth be told many lakes and reservoirs can satisfy trout-nuts as well. Here are just of few....

Lake Isabel

Lake Isabel is located in the beautiful San Isabel National Forrest, about 40 miles southwest of Pueblo along HWY 165. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps for the soul purpose of recreation, this lake boasts a heavy population of stocked Rainbow and Brown trout. Fed by the St. Charles creek, Brooke Trout find their way into its waters as well. These trout tend to be highly opportunistic and can offer great dry fly fishing during the summer months. Lake Isabel is open to non-motorized boating, and paddle boats can be rented on site as well. Walk-in tent sites are 15 to 50 yards from the parking areas. RV sites come with electric hookups. Lake Isabel is privately managed and requires the purchase of a daily parking pass. State Parks passes are not valid at this lake. 

Wahatoya Lake Reservoir

Positioned in the quaint city of La Veta along Bear Creek Rd (CR 358), only about 65 miles from Pueblo, Wahatoya offers a wonder of fishing possibilities. The waters hold Rainbow and Brown trout, Bass and Tiger Muskie. Wahatoya is restricted to flies and lures only. Camping is not permitted. Only boats propelled by hand or by wind are allowed. While this is a perfect water for a float tube or pontoon boat, shore access if also good. 

North Lake

North Lake is located on the Scenic Highway of Legends, about 30 miles south of La Veta on HWY 12 (about 90 miles from Pueblo) It was constructed in 1907 to create a water supply for the City of Trinidad. The lake is stocked with rainbow, brown, and cutthroat trout, kokanee salmon, splake, and recently tiger trout. With all of the trout species availible it is a great place to achieve a grand slam. North Lake is restricted to fly and lure fishing only. The lake has a boat ramp and restrooms. Crafts may be propelled only by hand, wind, or electric motors. 

Spinney Mountain Reservoir

No matter how you pronounce it Spinney is a spectacular trout fishery. The health of the Rainbow population has given Spinney a Gold Medal water status, a distinction given to only a handful of Colorado Lakes. At a 2,500 surface-acre size this reservoir is home to Rainbows, Browns, Cutbows, Yellow Perch, and Northern Pike. About 110 miles from Pueblo, Spinney offers fly fishing from both shore and boat alike. Inspections are mandatory for all trailed vessels. There is no camping at Spinney, but camping facilities are available at its neighbor Eleven Mile State Park.  

  

Warm Water Delight

With most of the year reserved for chasing Rainbows, Browns, and Brook trout, many anglers delight in the summer months as an opportunity to experiment with and enjoy fly fishing for the less traditional fish species; Bass, Pike, and Carp. 

Lake Pueblo

At 4,600 surface acres of water, Lake Pueblo is located about 5 miles west of Pueblo. As a fishery, Lake Pueblo is a plethora of diversity. This body of water is home to largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass, wiper, walleye, crappie, carp, channel and blue catfish, sunfish, and trout. The reservoir has two full service marinas and an assortment of campsites, though if you plan of camping it is strongly encouraged to make reservations as this is a busy place during the summer. The boats ramps are open from 5am to 11pm daily, unless inclement weather makes launching unsafe was is rare. 

Valco Ponds

The Valco Ponds are located in Lake Pueblo State Park, just off Hwy 96. Three of the four Valco ponds are open to the public for fishing. They hold a variety of warm water species including bluegill, small mouth bass, and catfish. The ponds are easily accessed from the Valco Parking Lot, which requires the purchase of a State Parks Parking Pass, which if you don’t already have one can be purchased from the Kiosk at the parking lot. Float Tubes/Belly Boats are allowed in ponds number 1 and 2, but all other water crafts including pontoon boats and kayaks are not. 

Chico Basin

About a 40 minute drive northeast of Pueblo is a sweet bit of bass heaven. Chico Basin Ranch is comprised of private ponds. These waters are packed with sunfish and largemouth bass. Chico Basin offers non-stop fly fishing action. The fishing is not technical and is a great option for children and beginners. Due to the fact that this water is private, a guide trip must be booked in order to fish it. If interested please visit the shop or give us a call (719)543-3900.  

Lathrop State Park

What’s better than one fishy lake? TWO! Lathrop State Park is located 3 miles west of Walsenburg (about 53 miles from Pueblo). There are two lakes at the park, Martin and Horseshoe. Both lakes hold bass, walleye, northern pike, saugeye, blue gill, trout, carp, and catfish. Horseshoe Lake is also known for its large tiger muskies. Martin Lake allows water skiing, power and sail boating. Horseshow Lake is reserved as a wakeless waters. Camping opportunities are abundant at Lathrop State Park, with two campgrounds there are 103 sites which can accommodate motor homes, trailers and tents.   

Connell's Sage Corner: The Pulse

                Hello all and thanks for checking in at the SAGE corner. When asked to put together a small article on what’s new in the Sage world it took all of about second and a half to figure out what I would write about. Before I go on, I want to share just a little about why this product came first to mind. Being part of a wonderful marriage and being part of the fly shop for so many years now, I have learned to really enjoy the perks that go along with these things. Every time one of the top end rods comes out I either get to own or at least try them out. Now I understand that sometimes I feel like one of those high end snobs and I wish I wasn’t that way but…… I remember several years back when an adversarial acquaintance came into the shop and began to bad mouth the high end rods. He spouted off at length that the $150 rods were no different than the top shelf rods, meanwhile I smiled, said very little and after his rant watched him drive away.

You see at the time I saw no reason to argue with him. I was driving a Dodge Neon and used his same bit of logic in buying my car. A few years later my “take a licking and still kept ticking” Neon finally began to have serious issues. I replaced it and when that one gave up on me I decided to try something fancier and purchased my Rogue, which is way nicer and with more perks than I ever could have imagined in a car. I have become spoiled, when I get into Cat’s X-terra I find it a little annoying that I have to use a key instead of just pushing a button (crazy right?). Ok, so why am I telling you about my car history? Well, the lesson I learned with my vehicles directly relates to the differences in rods. You see, while I fully knew all of the long list of technical differences between the Neon and the Rogue, I didn’t really understand their impact until I FELT the difference. The same goes with rods. Yes, both cars get you down the road, just as any rod can aid you in getting into fish, but the ride is different.

With fly rods I see the value in entry level gear. Not everyone has the budget to drop serious cash on a rod and for those just starting out less expensive rods allow the sport to be accessible. But I have always had a hard time finding great mid-priced fly rods. The $250 and under fill an important need and the $800 plus rods fill every desire a fly fisherman could have. But the $300 - $600 rods, except for a rare few which I sold the heck out of, leave us just slightly less than ecstatic.

                So the product that this long winded article is about is the new mid-level priced rod by SAGE called the Pulse. As my readers know, I’m not high on stats, but I like to talk about what a rod can or can’t do. First of all the rod is made in America and is constructed of Generation 111e graphite. The quality of the rod can be felt immediately as it fits into your hand, a quick shake and the rod snaps back into place, none of that jiggling up the arm stuff. I know a “real” fly fisherman should never think about the color but hey if it’s going to be part of you, it better look as good as you (easier for me...hehe.) The rod has a fast action designation but and to me it feels like a med-fast with the flex falling deeper down the tip. The power in the lower half of the rod and the softer tip make for the easiest of nonchalant casts and plenty of “nads” when the conditions want to eat you up. The rod has power to spare up the shaft and a tip that allows you to enjoy every second that you have a fish on the other end. The rod is truly a rod that could end up as an heirloom, although you may never want to give it away. Now I’m not going to say it’s just as good as the One, but the Pulse is certainly one of those rare mid-priced rods which holds its own. We have a full line of the Pulse in stock so we hope you get by and give them a test drive…..      

Sage Corner: August 2015

Hello all and thanks for checking in to another edition of SAGE Corner. With fall nearly upon us, and our beloved Ark Tailwater still not up to its awesome potential, I have had the opportunity to reminisce about my early days of fly fishing. 

I remember my first fall as a full blown fly fisherman. I had headed to the Ark just above Canon City, and by that point hadn’t had much success fishing dries, but that one magical day made me see fly fishing in a whole new light. I remember casting up behind a rock and watching an 11 inch brown explode to the fly. He came a foot out of the water to enjoy the treat. I don’t remember if I landed that particular fish, but the experience of watching a take from the top, to this day, still gives me goosebumps.

As the years went on and my addiction turned more to big fish, I kind of lost the rush of dry fly fishing. I, along with many anglers during that time, began moving away from traditional fly rods and began preferring stiffer and stiffer rods. Reading magazines and dealer books on the fast rods seemed to come with the same voice of the “Monster Truck Rally” pitchmen. “OUR rods are the fastest, fastest, fastest rods you have ever put in your hands, cast straight through any brick wall, throw that Adams 175 feet with no problem, even 100mph winds won’t affect these tight loops”. Okay, I may be exaggerating a little, but I think a few of you might get the point. Yes, I love the fast rods as well as anyone, but now that I have put my years in on the river, I have come to appreciate the benefits of the medium and moderate flexed rods as well, so in this article I wanted to highlight why each day, I grab more and more for a softer flex.

            Now the main point I want to start with is that these med fast rods are to me, really the do-it-all rods. For this introduction, I think we need the voice over from the old Ronco commercials “they slice, they dice and they make julienne fries, and you can even cut through an aluminum can.” Okay, another one of my over exaggerations, but you get the point. Probably the best attribute of the med fast rods are the ease at which they cast. I know as a guide one of my jobs is to teach newer anglers to cast, now if you have ever seen me cast, then you could see how that could be a problem. My Accel 9ft 4wt makes that part of my job easy. I put it in a clients hand, tell them to bring the rod forward, and watch the client smile as they realize how easy it is to throw a proper loop. Now as September hits, and the upper Ark clears and lowers, almost every fish in the river will be looking up. Some days it seems that every rock and oxygenated foam line hold a fish and that is where the med fast rods (Accel), sorry about that.

         When walking up a long riffle, those forty foot casts are not only unnecessary, but are nearly impossible to control, so here is where you need to be able to make that accurate and lightly landed ten foot cast. The med fast rods are perfect for loading and unloading at shorter distances and dropping dries exactly where you want them. The super fast rods can be a little difficult to delicately drop a dry at ten feet, but a midflex makes it easier. If you ever want to turn a ten fish run into a twenty fish run, think short, delicate and accurate casts.

       The last great attribute I wanted to talk about with the medium fast rods is just the plain feel while fighting fish. I just had a chill run up my back as I was thinking about fighting fish on my Accel. I know I tease people who fish stiff, about how maybe they would be just as well off fishing a pool cue with line but truly feeling every head shake is an awesome experience.

            Now to bring this article back to The Drift, the shop is currently stocked very well with the Accels. The latest rod coming out from Sage is the new Mod, and these rods have been built with the same Konnetic technology that made the One famous, but with a little softer taper. We should have a few of these in the shop a little later this fall.

            Thanks for reading, and as always if you ever have a question about which rod would suit you and your preferred water best, stop by the shop and we can help you out. – Connell O’Grady

Summer's in the Rearview Mirror

     It’s hard to believe the kids are back in school and Labor Day is just around the corner.  Summer sure did blow by fast but we always look forward to fall and the excellent fishing opportunities that come with the change of seasons.  The upper Arkansas River has fished great ever since peak flows subsided in early July and fall conditions should be better than average, with flows likely to stay in the 400 – 500 cfs range for the foreseeable future.  Hatches of pale morning duns, red quills and caddis have been sporadic of late but fish are still very willing to come to the surface and the effectiveness of terrestrials this summer has been noteworthy.  The baetis hatches should get popping up river over the next few weeks as water temperature begin to cool. Cody and Travis have kept very busy guiding wade and float trips throughout the upper Ark and are available by request should you be so inclined.

      The Drift has recently acquired access to a prime stretch of private water in the Coaldale area that is home to good numbers of 14 – 18” fish, many of which are rainbows.  The property has a great mix of water and very reasonable rod fees associated with guided wade trips.  Be sure to call or stop by the shop for more details. 

There are also great opportunities remaining for excursions into the numerous alpine lakes of the Sangre de Cristo and Collegiate Peaks mountain ranges.  Most of these lakes require a good deal of hiking and/or 4-wheel driving to access, but the solitude and availability of wild cutthroat make the effort all worthwhile.  The Drift has a limited supply of free pamphlets that include a comprehensive list of alpine lakes and streams in the Arkansas drainage with available species and access information. Stop by the shop and pick one up before they are all gone!

        Finally, the Pueblo Tailwater is starting to come into shape with flows ranging from 420 – 820 cfs over the past ten days.  The water clarity is rather poor but the fish don’t seem to mind.  More importantly, the trout that are being caught appear to be in excellent shape!  Look for good hatches of tricos, pale morning/evening duns, aquatic moths and caddis to keep the fish fat and happy.  If you enjoy throwing streamers, we recommend patterns that are suggestive of crayfish, leeches and juvenile suckers.  Water temperatures are in the mid 60’s from the dam and are climbing into the mid-70s on a daily basis below City Park. Therefore, we recommend fishing the river west of Pueblo Boulevard, especially if fishing in the afternoon and evening hours when water temps are at their highest. 

        The Drift Fly Shop would like to thank you for your continued patronage and we hope your fall fishing adventures are filled with tight lines, bent rods and great memories!

       

       

Sage 4200 Reel Review

           Sage 4200 Reel 

By Connell O'Grady

           Hey all, this article will be the first of a series that we will call the “Sage Corner” for the newsletter. If you have followed my blog over the years, you know that I have a tendency to ride the line of decency and have way more fun than I should. The boss has instructed me that this series needs to be a little more professional and a little more product oriented. I will do the best I can, but being boring has never been my style. Regardless, while discussing Sage’s products things can never get old.

          I wanted to start the series with a little info about the Sage 4200 series fly reels. Many years ago I was in a fly shop and was contemplating a new rod and reel purchase. The salesperson spent some time explaining to me that when making a purchase the majority of my money needed to go to the rod and line and the reel should be just an afterthought. I respected the person deeply and when later entering the sales end of the fly world, I reiterated the same sentiment many times over. After all, the reel did nothing more than hold the line. Ten years ago or so my fishing began to change, I felt like I was king of the little fish, but was clueless when it came to the piggies. Cat and I spent a few years busting our tail trying to figure out the monsters and finally one trip things just began to click. I had a great rod and a cheaper reel at the time and really thought that was fine. One of my first serious hookups was a quick run and then a snap that sounded like a .22 going off and then I got to duck as the line came back at me.  I then loosened the drag way up before the next take exploded half way across the river and came to an immediate stop, I looked at my reel and it looked like it could home a Bald Eagle. I landed a few, but any notion of a reel being nothing more than a line holder was gone for good. 

          One of the most important things I have found in these reels is what the manufactures call the “startup inertia”. Now what that means to us non-engineers is when we are fishing those 5 and 6x tippets and the fish drills the fly and begins to run, the reel is moving immediately. No more changing the drag during the battle, the drag is the same at startup as anytime during the run.

Now I am not one of those spec guys, but I do know that the production materials found in the 4200 are absolutely A1, top shelf stuff and more than competitively priced. Now for most people when looking at reels it is the feel that gets them when they pick it up. I love putting one of the 4200’s in someone’s hand and tell them to play with it. The smile begins to widen, they do the quick weight determination, and I can see them begin to sweat.  Then as they put the reel near their ear and listen to the click, I can almost hear their heart beat speed up like a teenager asking out the head cheerleader.  The reel also has a number system on the dial that makes it easy to set the reel where you want, no guessing. Come by the Drift and fall in love, but only if you are interested in big fish….

For more information on about this awesome reel follow this link : http://www.sageflyfish.com/fly-fishing-reels/all-water/4200/ or come by The Drift Fly Shop : www.thedriftflyshop.com

           

A Great Start to the "Winter" Season

After a two long months of continuously changing flows and consistently poor water clarity, the winter flow regime that started on November 15^th was the catalyst for the great fishing we had all been waiting for.  The first ten days of winter flows brought dense hatches of Blue Winged Olive mayflies and, in my opinion, the most consistent dry fly action in over a year.  Hopefully you were able to get out and enjoy the some of the fantastic fishing.   By Thanksgiving, the weather was almost too nice.  Lighter hatches and lots of anglers combined to make fishing a bit tough, though still productive at times. The current arctic weather system has put a temporary hold on the BWO hatch but they should resume hatching once the weather breaks.  If you are lucky enough to hit the river over the coming weeks when there is good cloud cover and moderate temperatures, you should really be in for a treat.  Mild weather and overcast skies seem to really get the BWOs popping and the fish are more willing to feed on the adults.  Top patterns for the BWO hatch include the Hi-Vis Parachute BWO, Thorax BWO and Parachute Adams when fish are rising; and the F.O.D., Barr’s BWO Emerger, Mercury Rs2 and WD40/50 when fishing the film on down to the bottom.

While the BWO hatch is always a welcome sight this time of year, the recent cold front has reinforced the importance of the mighty midge.  Midge may be small in stature but they big in numbers, and midge patterns have been the key to success during the current cold spell.  As we move into late December, the BWO hatch will surely fade and midge will become the dominate food source through February.   While size 16’s and 18’s will work some of the time, it has become increasingly important to fish patterns on the tailwater in the 20 – 24 size range.  Some top midge patterns include the Bling, True Blood, Top Secret, Ninja and New Moon midge when fishing subsurface. 

When chasing trout on top during a midge hatch there are three flies I often rely on.  They include the Sprout Midge which rests on the film with the body extending below the surface, the parachute midge, and the old but reliable Griffith’s gnat. However, fishing to trout when they are feeding on tiny adult midge can be about a frustrating as watching the Broncos give up a 24 point lead to the Patriots.  So when you see fish starting to nose up on the surface and you know there isn’t anything but midge hatching because it’s the middle of January and the expected high for the day is a balmy 22 degrees, you have a decision to make. You either A - ignore them completely and continue nymph fishing, OR you choose option B, and switch over to the longest and lightest leader and tippet you have and ready yourself for battle.  Most sane people will choose option A and continue catching fish subsurface, ending the day happy and content to have brought so many fish to hand in the middle of winter.  For the rest of us, the day will likely finish with a series of last second rejections, interspersed with a few takes here and there, which we often blow by setting the hook too quick.  On a good day we may fool a handful of small to mid-sized fish but often leave the water asking ourselves “What could I have done differently????” However, there is the possibility of having one of those magical days where you do everything right.  You choose the right fly, get into position without putting the fish down, make the perfect cast… see the head of a big fish break the surface….and wait, wait, wait just a second before lifting the rod…and BINGO … FISH ON!  If things really go well, you will actually get the beast to the net, look it in the eye as you take the hook from its mouth, and marvel at what just transpired as it slowly swims back to its lie.  For whatever reason, I’m willing to endure a lot of rejection and disappointment in search of those magical moments….and I doubt I’m alone.  After all, fly fishing is highly contagious.

From everyone at the Drift, we hope you have a very magical Holiday Season and find plenty of time to get out and enjoy this awesome fishery.  Tight Lines!  

 PS – I spoke with Doug Krieger, the SE Aquatic Biologist with CPW, and he expects work to commence on the final stage of stream improvements in early January.  This will included modifying existing improvements and adding new ones on the stretch of water from Juniper Bridge on down to the “Tree Bend” which is about a ¼ mile upstream from the Valco Bridge.  Work should be finished by early February.

 

August Fishing Forecast In And Around Pueblo: 2013

Pueblo Tailwater:

Drift client Gale enjoying a beautiful summer day on the tailwater.

In a good water year, the Pueblo tailwater generally doesn’t start fishing until mid to late August.  2013 has not been one of those years.  This summer we saw good fishing flows from the low 200’s to the upper 500’s by the end of June, aside from the occasional bump in flows when rainwater was being moved downstream.  I feel confident that August will be a very fishable month on the tailwater.  Prime hatches of interest will be tricos in the early morning, caddis and aquatic moths from late morning through dusk, along with a mix of PMD’s, Pink Alberts and tiny baetis throughout the midday hours.  Terrestrials should also be productive on top and the streamer fishing will be kicking into gear as well.

When fishing the Pueblo Tailwater in late summer, keep in mind this is not your typical mountain tailwater.  Come August we see water temperatures from the dam in the mid to upper 60’s.  With the multitude of rock weirs, boulder clusters and riffle water below the dam, dissolved oxygen levels remain quite high.  However, to ensure successful catch and release practices, focus your efforts on the first four miles of the tailwater, from Pueblo Blvd up to the dam.  If flows are over 200cfs, fishing  below Pueblo Blvd in the morning hours is not an issue.  Regardless of location and flow, it is also important to play fish aggressively and land them as soon as possible.  Luckily the water carries a decent tint this time of year which allows anglers to use 4 or 5x tippet on all but the smallest of flies.

Barring unusually cool weather, you will be most comfortable wet wading on the tailwater through summer and into early fall. I prefer quick drying pants over shorts as it affords protection from bugs, sun and Poison Ivy.     

Arkansas River – Parkdale to Salida (Bighorn Sheep Canyon)

Aside from the sometimes frequent “gully washers” that will turn the river into a temporary mocha latte, fishing on the Arkansas river can be fantastic throughout the Big Horn Sheep canyon.  Along with the typical hatches of red quills, micro caddis, yellow sallies and tricos, you will find the best terrestrial fishing of the year.  A double dry combo such as a Charlie Boy Hopper trailed by a red quill or ant pattern can be absolutely deadly.  If the fish are not willing to come up to eat then lose the second dry and a bead head pattern like a caddis pupa, pheasant tail or copper john in sizes 14 – 18 should do the trick.  I prefer to trail dry flies with a short length of tippet in the 12 – 18” range.  When dropping a nymph(or two) off the back of a dry, I will double the length to 2 – 3’ and longer in some instances.

High Lakes:

The days are still quite long and if you’ve been talking about hitting some alpine lakes this year the clock is ticking.  Winter comes early in the high country so now is the time to pick a lake and go for it before the weather turns.  The Sangre and Collegiate Peaks mountain ranges have dozens of lakes that hold a mix of rainbows, brookies, and cutthroat.  Most require a decent hike but many can be access with a 4x4 vehicle with decent clearance.  The fishing can be feast or famine on these lakes but when you hit it right it will be memorable.  A short list of top fly patterns for these high lakes and streams include the Parachute Adams, Foam Caddis, Beetle, Renegade and Griffiths Gnat for dry flies (sz 14 – 18) and wooly buggers, prince nymph, pheasant tail and the birds nest in sizes 12 – 16 to cover the subsurface action.  The water in these lakes are crystal clear so plan on using 5 and 6x tippet.   

 

Whatever water you find yourself fishing as summer comes to an end we wish you many hook-ups and happy landings.
 Thanks For Reading, The Drift