Sunday, January 13, 2008 - South Platte River - Cheesman

Sunday, January 13, 2008 - South Platte River - Cheesman
Flows 42 cfs - water was crystal clear. Weather was bright deep blue sky - but cold cold cold - only about 20 degrees at around 11am and maybe 34 degrees around 1pm - if you were in the sun, you froze.

I really didn't want to fish today, but Chad talked me into it - and since I hadn't fished in almost 2 months I thought what the heck. I got down there and into the canyon around 11am. Met up with Chad at the big riffle - he was chatting with Carlp and SurferSean from the board - it was very cool to meet those guys.

I hooked and landed a little brown right off - it was just above the big riffle. He didn't fight very hard - but it was nice to get the skunk off early. He was only about 12 inches long and skinny like a snake. I was excited because he took one of my new soft hackles that I tied - with a bead head and a stretch magic ribbing body with a hens hackle behind the bead. Thanks Charlie for helping me out with this!

I fished my way up and back down the river and was just about done for the day at around 2pm. I perched my self on a rock set up high about 8 feet or so right next to the river and just watched. I didn't see a whole lot when I finally noticed a fishes white mouth open and close right in the narrows of where the water flows between two rocks. He wasn't huge, but he looked colorful - I thought he was a rainbow. He was about 14 inches long and I kept trying to throw my flies in front of him, but he wouldn't take. It was more like a game of cat and mouse and I was losing. I lost my whole rig on the rock right in front of the trout - but he didn't even flinch. I re-rigged and decided to try something tiny - since he didn't want anything I was previously throwing. I tied on a fly I had just gotten from one of the swaps on the other boards and within three casts I had him on. I managed to get down off the rock and land the fish. He was nice looking and I got him back in the water quickly - I landed him with the net and my hands barely touched the fish or the water but they started burning immediately. It was that cold. I brought a towel this time and wiped my hand and stuck it in my pocket quickly. The fly was a size 22 peacock quill that troyallgood had tied - it has to be the easiest fly to tie ever - but it WORKED!

I wait for Chad below the family pool, but when he wants to fish (and his wife and kids are out of town - so he was going to be there all day!) he'll fish until dark. I jetted.

It was nice scenery - and actually very busy in the canyon, I probably saw 30 people. But, that said, I should have stayed home and hung out with the family.