As though an apology from
nature, the best still water fishing of the year in Colorado coincides with the
worst fishing of the year in our rivers. As our rivers flow high and dirty our
high country reservoirs and lakes begin to experience insect hatches dreams are
made of and, consequently, the fly angler is blessed with some of the best
fishing of the year. Many fly fishing enthusiasts shun still water angling. But
they are, effectively, choosing to miss out on some very good fishing. I often
hear that fishing still water is too much like fishing with a bobber and bait.
I get that. I don’t much enjoy hanging a scud or egg pattern off of an
indicator and waiting for, no, hoping for, a trout to randomly swim by and eat
one of my offerings. During a hatch, whether that hatch occurs in moving water
or still, trout are anything but random feeders. Trout in still water actively
seek out the hatching insects. At its best, the action during a strong still
water hatch is fast and furious, requiring intense concentration so as to not
end up with more “takes” than “hook-ups.” Still water fish are often
surprisingly strong. I have seen many a skeptical client get “knuckle-busted” trying
to stop the run of a powerful, 20” Spinney
Mountain rainbow. When the
hatch is over, and the action has slowed to a bobber and bait crawl, either go
shopping or head to the nearest tailwater—which is often just below the
reservoir you are fishing!
Here are the insect hatches
you can expect to encounter while fishing still water in Colorado, and the hatches you should target:
the Giant Chironomid (Midge) hatch, the Damselfly hatch, and the Callibaetis
hatch. When any one of these hatches occurs it is time for you to get to the
water! Luckily, these hatches are easily imitated by the fly angler. Any good
fly shop (including ours) will have patterns that effectively imitate these
insects. Let’s talk about tactics we can use to entice the trout in our
reservoirs to eat our flies.
Trying to catch a hatch on a still
water is usually a mid morning (8am-9am) to early afternoon (1pm-2pm) affair.
It is during this time of the day that most of the insects hatch in our lakes
and reservoirs. Maybe more importantly, this is also the typical window for the
best weather. Being blown off the water by an early afternoon storm is common;
probably more common than leaving a reservoir because the hatch didn’t
materialize or because the fishing was poor.
Be prepared to spend most of
your day fishing under the water. Although you will see fish feeding on the
surface, and you may be able to catch a few of them, you will catch more fish
if you stay with an underwater approach. That said, I often have a second rod
rigged with a dry fly just in case I can’t resist the urge to throw at a
sipping trout. As an aside, you can of course fish any flies you want when
fishing in still water, including Wooly Buggers, but most often “matching the
hatch” tactics will provide the best action.
Use as many flies as the local
regulations permit. In Colorado,
the use of 3 flies is the standard legal limit. Set-up your rig like you are
going to nymph fish a river; only be prepared to go longer between your
indicator and your first fly. You may not need to fish deeper than 3-6 feet,
but you may have to go as deep as 12-15 feet. Access the water clarity.
Fluorocarbon tippet may be necessary.
A typical, initial set-up for
still water is the same as for nymph fishing a river except that extra depth is
often required when fishing still water. The standard, initial set-up depth of
a still water rig is 9 feet. 9 feet is a good “starting out” or “searching”
depth ( A depth of 9 feet is achieved by making the distance between your first
fly and your indicator equal 9 feet). It helps to start with a larger (beaded
and/or weighted) fly as your first fly. It will attract a trout’s attention and
encourage any other non-weighted flies to “get down” to the depth specified by
the distance between your indicator and your first fly. Avoid adding pinch-on
weights as they tend to fall off while casting. If you don’t notice a weight is
gone, you may end up losing your bet with your fishing buddy and have to buy
the beer, or worse. The next two flies should be more realistic imitations of
what is hatching, or what you expect to hatch soon. The next two flies can be
attached simply by tying a piece of tippet from the bend of the first (weighted
attractor) fly to the eye of the second fly. Repeat the process to tie on the
third fly.
Often, the first fly is a
weighted Damselfly nymph, the second fly is a large midge larva (Black, Zebra,
Red or Olive), and the third fly is a nymph of the Callibaetis persuasion; all purchased
or tied hastily the night before on some fly shop’s website recommendation. Be
prepared to cut those first flies off and experiment with what is working that
day. If the hatch is on, and you aren’t hooking up, try different depths before
changing flies. Don’t over-look shallow set-ups—especially if you spot fish
sipping or cruising just below the surface. Many times during a hatch a shorter
set-up will provide amazing results.
Everyday on the water is
different but, in general, successful still water angling involves finding the
right flies for the day, the right depth, and keeping the movement of those
flies to a minimum. Slow Down! Insects do swim in the water but their movements,
while perhaps “twitchy,” don’t cover a lot of ground. I can’t remember the last
time I saw a moving angler catch more fish than a stationary angler. An
anchored boat, whatever the design, will keep you in the fish longer and
encourage a slower presentation. If you aren’t hooking up from your anchored
position, but believe you are in a good “spot,” move in 30 foot increments
until you start hooking up.. There is rarely only one hot spot. But there may
be the “hottest” spot! If someone else has the “hottest” spot, tip your hat to
them and hope their boat springs a leak. Maybe also mark that spot on your GPS
for next time.
Many times the breeze on the
water, or the slight chop on the water, is all the movement needed to fool a
trout into munching your offering. When experiencing a dead calm when fishing a
still water location, it is often very effective to twitch your set-up or to
slowly retrieve it. Be sure to pause during your retrieve, especially if you
aren’t getting any strikes, as the real deal doesn’t constantly swim without
resting! Sometimes you have to experiment with techniques to find what works
best for any given day. On occasion, a quick retrieve of the flies is required
to entice a strike. But, more often than not, slow is the way to go!
Spinney Mountain
Reservoir, Antero Reservoir, and Delaney
Buttes Lakes
are all excellent choices for a day out on the flat water. They have good
populations of trout and experience reliable hatches of Midges, Damselflies,
and Callibaetis. So stay in touch with what insect is hatching on which still
water and go fishing. Don’t let run-off get you down. We are entering one of
the best times of the year to fish in Colorado………..as
long as you are cool with fishing still water.
