On Thursday, we took a break from fishing and rode the train from Chama, NM to Antonito, CO. It was a great adventure! We returned to fishing on Friday. We headed back to The Meadows to try and fish some areas we didn't hit on Wednesday; Cody fished it well, while I only had one species, but I got to add to the species list with my catch. After enjoying our packed lunch, we headed up above Platoro Reservoir and fished the headwaters. We were amazed at how well hidden the fish were in the faster moving headwaters, and how close to us they were--9 feet or closer. Interestingly, we caught no Rainbows.
One of Cody's Several Browns--Love the Sparkles
Another Brownie for Cody
Conejos River between The Meadows and The Pocket Water
After first learning of the Conejos River and Conejos River Anglers from TroutFest 2015, we joined TWFFers in Southern Colorado and booked our day. Our guide was K.K., and he took us into the Rio Grande National Forest to fish the Meadow and the Pocket Water sections below Platoro Village. The morning action was grand, but due to unseasonably high temps, drought conditions, and fishing pressure, the afternoon action was slow in the public waters. Still, we landed quality fish numbering in to the double digits, so it was an excellent day of guided, wade fishing!
To escape from the Texas heat, participate in TWFF's unofficial outing, and to redeem our Conejos River trip won at the Fort Worth Fly Fishers auction from the Conejos River Anglers, Cody and I headed northwest; Cody pulled the RV, and I pulled the kayaks. We camped at the Conejos River RV Park just east of the Rio Grande National Forest for a week. We fished on our own, with Conejos River Anglers' guide K.K., from our kayaks on Platoro Lake, and waded the Conejos River headwaters into the reservoir. Temperatures were mild; fishing was grand; and the wildfires had not yet begun.
Cody
and I headed northwest to Cutty's RV park on Hayden Creek in Coaldale, Colorado
to fish the spring pre-runoff Caddis Hatch. I was attending a Sisters on
the Fly event, the 6th annual Caddis Hatch event hosted by Michelle Cummings,
and Cody and I planned to go to Eagle's Nest, NM for Pike afterwards.
Weather prevented our trip to NM, but we certainly enjoyed fishing both the
Arkansas River and the smaller but equally fun Texas Creek. The Arkansas'
cut through glaciation geology takes fly fishers through a majestic beauty
backdropped by snowcapped Rocky Mountain peaks. While not big fish, the
Arkansas boasts some excellent dry fly fishing, partly due to the ongoing
caddis hatch. Not yet warm enough to move the fish to depths of the
river, we casted to and caught fish in some pretty skinny water, skinny enough
that we could see their flashes as they turned on to and took our flies.
Seeing the resilience of these trout was pretty amazing, especially how healthy
one particular Brown Trout was seeing a bird of prey's talon had harpooned it
previously. We enjoyed our guided trip with Matt from Ark Anglers, as he
put us on many trout, a total of 27 boated for the picture-perfect day.
The
next day we took our very small rods and headed to two creeks, Hayden Creek at
Cutty's RV Park, and then farther east to Texas Creek. Regrettably, the
slope of Hayden Creek was a little too steep, and the water flowing through it
was too fast with almost no pools that would allow trout to hold in the creek.
So, we moved farther east to Texas Creek, where we learned is not at the Texas
Creek Recreation Area, which is where Texas Creek confluences with the
Arkansas. Instead, we headed down Colorado State Highway 69. Using
the 4WD, we made our way down a dirt road to a nice meadow parking area.
Encompassed by shrubs meant wading in the creek, and moving upstream provided
great access to small, wild trout who greedily ate size 12 Elk Hair Caddis
flies. Aggressive fish, regardless the size, offer amazing fishing on small
weight rods, an experience which I always enjoy.
