When looking back on 2012 and the fishing we
experienced on the Pueblo Tailwater, it’s hard to sum things up in short order but
I will do my best!
Winter and early spring played out much the same as
in past years. The cold water temps of
January and February offered anglers the usual challenging, but often rewarding,
fishing that is associated with the dead of winter. With fish needing to feed less due to their
slowed metabolisms, and fewer hatches occurring, spoon feeding them tiny midge
imitations was the norm. The upside was that when you hooked into a big fish
they were just a little easier to handle.
As March approached fish came out of their winter
slumber and put on the feed bag in preparation for the spawn. This resulted in epic fishing that lasted
through the spawn and into April. By the
end of April we all started to wonder how much longer the flows would hold out
before the gates were opened up and wading became too dangerous to effectively
fish. I knew the snow pack was down
considerably and the big spring storms had yet to materialize but surely it was
only a matter of time before shareholders downstream would call for their
water. Weeks past and the fishing only seemed to get better and better as we
moved into May and early June…. And the high water never came. The upper Arkansas never saw anything close
to normal runoff and it was hard not to imagine what piscatorial travesties
were laying ahead. In early July flows
from Pueblo dam dropped below 100 cfs and water temps spiked well above 70F in
town. I walked the lower stretch of the
tailwater each evening expecting to find fish laying belly up as they succumbed
to the relentless heat of summer and lack of dissolved oxygen in the river, but
the tragedy never came. Somehow, some
way, the trout in the tailwater and across the majority of the state held their
own. Not only that, but the water temps
on the first few miles below the dam never topped 70F. With seemingly endless hatches of tricos,
beatis, midge and caddis through June, July and early August, the fishing was
better than ever. Another surprise was an
abundance of juvenile rainbow trout like I’ve never seen before. I contacted Michelle Mcgree, the local
aquatic biologist, and she confirmed that fingerling rainbows had not been
stocked and they were likely the result of this springs rainbow spawn. They may not be trophies now but they will in
the near future!
Eventually, continued low flows, year-round fishing
pressure and increasing water all added up for some tough fall fishing. Instead of moderate flows and aggressive opportunistic
fish, we were faced with finicky trout that often required long leaders and
near perfect presentations. By late
October water temperatures finally turned the corner and a steady decline,
prompting increased hatches and actively feeding fish. Certainly an improvement over the previous
eight weeks but low flows persisted and the fishing was far from easy.
We are now several weeks into the winter water
storage period. (Nov 15th to March 15th) Flows are running about 25 cfs less than past
winters but conditions are closer to normal now than they’ve been since early
spring. More importantly, the fish are in great condition and as colored up as
ever. (Although still a bit snooty if you ask me J)
2013 may prove even more memorable than this
year. Starting mid-January the tailwater
will be getting a “face lift.” Over two
hundred improvements and repairs are planned to increase the health and fish habitat
of our water. While change can be a
little intimidating (many times we have heard “They better not mess up my spot”)
it is also vital for success. The rewards
of the initial The Legacy Project are very apparent with the fish size and
count increasing dramatically over the last six years. With the improvements made in 2013 we can only
speculate how much better this water can get.
As a last note, we would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank
you” to all of our customers. With your
ever continuing support and friendship The Drift Fly Shop is alive and well,
and we look forward to 2013.
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