My time in Colorado is almost done. Jess and I are starting our drive back east tomorrow, so I decided to get back into the Stagecoach Tailwaters one last time. With the access road still closed, I borrowed my neighbors bike to cut down the travel time.
The fishing started slow with temps around 15 degrees when I first arrived. Nymphing zebra midges was the way to go until about 11 o’clock when more trout heads started to look up towards the surface. Black and olive size 20 RS2’s were the next flies that took trout. At about noon, aggressive surface activity picked up and I switched over to Charlie Craven’s size 20 mole fly. This fly did the most damage and was consistently nailing the fish until about 1:30 when the trout began sipping in more of a rhythm. When this started, I still got some on the mole fly, but when I tied on a snowshoe spinner it was instant success until I left. 21 trout in total, 4 on nymphs, 17 on dries. The size range was 8-20″, great colors on the rainbows! Now back to the New Jersey for a week, some fishing with fellow bloggers Chris, Dave, and Zach, then off to the Bahamas in pursuit of bonefish! Thanks Steamboat Springs for everything these past 6 weeks, it has been amazing.
Lower Tailwaters
Middle Tailwaters
Size 20 Zebra Midge on the NoseA fiesty little guyJust over 19″ on the Zebra MidgeSize 20 Black RS2RS2 again
RS2 Hook: 20 Thread: Black Tail: Two Split Microfibbets Wing: Snowshoe Hare Foot Body: Black Superfine
This guy was just over 20″, had him on a size 20 mole flyNice hook jaw
Erik was leaving early today to beat the weather. We decided that hooking into some of those pike from the other day would be a nice way to finish of the weekend. I tied up two leaders made up of three feet 20lb Maxima blooded knotted to two feet 15lb Maxima. I also brought along my striper flies to see if we could lure the biggest one of the beat to our lines. We were all set for pike. Guess what?!?! We both hooked up with two large trout. I had a 18″ brown on a all black size 2 Half & Half. Eric had a 18″ rainbow on a Zonker streamer. Both trout had nice size and colors on them. We added a few pike into the mix but those trout were the big surprise. Big Fly = Big Fish
Erik’s RainbowThis guy nailed the all black Half & Half
I invited a MKFF friend, Erik, down from Wyoming for the weekend to check out the Stagecoach Tailwaters. He arrived around 1 on Friday, so I suggested we hit up a newly thawed out part of the river close to my condo. I heard about pike in this area of the river; however, I had no I idea that the pike fishing was going to be as good as it was. We caught over 30 pike in total. Destroyed or lost over 10 streamers in the process. I eventually just tied on straight 20lb test to deal with the teeth on these fish. Any big streamer with movement attracted these pre-spawn predators.
Erik drove down from Jackson, WY for some trout fishing, he had no idea we would be throwing streamers for aggressive pike
On Saturday, we biked into the tailwaters in search of trout. The fishing was great, only 3 other anglers, but the fish have become extremely wary over the past month. When I first fished this section back in February, size 18 comapraduns were doing the trick. Now, I need size 20 and 22 RS2’s and CDC Emergers. We managed over 20 rainbows between the two of us. The best part came around 1 o’clock when it seemed every trout was methodically rising to small baetis. After 2:30, everything shutdown and the trout were completely inactive. My camera battery died early into the day, so I only have one picture from the trout fishing. It was an amazing day and we came home to a great corned beef, cabbage, and irish soda bread meal prepared by my wife Jess.
This guy destroyed my Bunny MuddlerHere’s looking at youGreat colorsThis tail gives the pike the ability to be the top predator in any watershedClamped down on my version of a Meal TicketThis guy tried to break him self off on a ice shelf we were standing onThe castThis was the largest pike of the dayMy first of the day before the camera diedMidge right on the noseGreat sight after a day of fishing! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
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