Cache La Poudre

[Catchingtrout]

Off to Colorado again in 24 hrs. The plan is as follows:

Sunday - Fishing some ponds, canals, and a warmer stretch of the South Platte in the West Denver area. One of these days I will listen to bd's advise and actually catch Carp regularly.
Monday - South Platte @ Deckers
Tuesday - AM Work, PM Cache La Poudre West of Fort Collins targeting Wild Trout and sleeping under the stars
Wednesday - Delaney Lakes targeting Browns then back to the Cache La Poudre and another night under the stars.
Thursday am Cache La Poudre - PM Work
Friday - TBD I fly out Friday evening so Thursday PM will determine where I stay and how things work out.

Here is the area of interest: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=colorado&hl=en&ll=40.674389,-106.01532&spn=0.656169,1.966553&t=h&z=10

Look for Hwy 14.

[Travis C.]

Safe travels and look forward to hearing about the trip.

How will you be fishing the lake for browns? Still water or any current?

[Catchingtrout]

Safe travels and look forward to hearing about the trip.

How will you be fishing the lake for browns? Still water or any current?
Still water, stripping Damsel Fly nymphs on a sinking and/or sink tip towards shore should do the trick.

Delaney Buttes Reservoirs - Fishing remains fairly steady. The best times are morning and late afternoons into the evening. Callibaetis mayflies, damselflies and Chironomidae midges still are plentiful, and sedge-caddis activity is increasing. Try streamers or crayfish and leech imitations at dusk. Fishing on all three lakes is by artificial flies and lures only. The bag and possession limit for trout is two and size restrictions apply.

[Travis C.]

Is the weather cooperating this time around?

You find any browns in Poudre yet?

[flipmode]

Post some pics when you get back. Spent a summer up at Pingree.... cool place for sure.

[Catchingtrout]

Sunday was spent around the Denver Area just kicking around in warm water.
Monday - The call was for the South Platte in the Deckers area. This area is a personal choice due to it being the first area in CO I fished when I started going out there 10 years ago. My fishing partner who passed away 4 years ago, was an avid big fish chaser his moto was "If there aren't big fish in the river; why bother?" In Memory of Tim I always seem to go to the South Platte.
The fishing was great but the catching was slow. I have at times caught 40 - 50 fish in a day here and some of the largest fish I have ever seen/caught in the wild still live here. My largest to date is a 23.5" Rainbow on a #12 Green Flashabugger.
This trip did not provide great numbers or size. Just another day fishing some beautiful country. The pictures attached are of the South Platte/Deckers Area including remnants of the Hayman Fire which still has the lower sections of the river full of sediment. I found a few areas that fished well last year to have more than usual sediment. They really need a flood or something to move the silt out. There is also a shot of the store (Flies and Lies) and infamous Deckers Bridge. Of all of the times I have fished this area I have never fished the bridge. With so much great water I guess a bridge right next to the store just doesn't do it for me. The discharge from the creek also seems to muddy things up too.
A trip to this stretch of the South Platte just isn't done until one takes a look at the historic Wigwam club. The area is beautiful, but my guess it isn't that much better than the public areas. Just fewer people. I am open to a visit if anyone would like to show me that the dues area worth it.

Gotta put the kids to bed. The Poudre is next.

[Reel Tune]

Beautiful country, thanks for sharing. We had a vacation planned to Durango for trout fishing one year, but had to cancel it due to re-locating for work.

[Travis C.]

Man, every time I see pictures of Colorado it makes me think again about my plans to retire in Montanna.

Great pictures..

Where does the road take you next?

[Catchingtrout]

Most of the week was spent in the Poudre River Canyon. For those of you who are familiar with the area you know this is one of the best kept secrets in Colorado. It seems to me that areas like Deckers/Cheeseman Canyon, Estes Park/Grand Lake/RMNP, Breckenridge, Aspen get the attention. I am actually glad they do. The Poudre River Canyon area has EVERYTHING Colorado has to offer. Sheep, Moose, Elk, Lions, Bears, Deer, Beautiful Sunrises and Sunsets. The air is clear and fresh. The skies are filled with stars as bright as any Texas claims to have. White water, which can get quite a bit of attention and slow traffic in the narrow canyon area considerably in the late spring and early summer. There are lots of Beaver ponds. Creeks are everywhere. Have I mentioned the fishing? The river is known to have Rainbows, Cutthroat, Cutbows, Browns. The back country has Green Back Cutthroat Colorado's State fish in the creeks, lakes and ponds. I have even heard rumors of Kokanee swimming around. Grayling are in Joe Wright Resevior and Spawn up Joe Wright creek in the late spring and early summer. Joe Wright Creek is closed during the spawn but opens back up at the end of July.

If crowds become a problem there is PLENTY of water to escape to. At one point I decided that I was tired of seeing people (I saw 2 within a mile in less than an hr) so I took off up the Laramie river and played on a creek for a few hours. This turned into one of the better ideas I have ever had alone with no cell service. I was on the creek fishing and having a great time catching lots of wild Browns and Brookies. I noticed that there were a few human foot prints very early on and they only lasted a few hundred feet. I actually landed a nice Brookie that apparently swallowed a baited leader and broke off the main line. After a while working my way down the creek I noticed Moose tracks, then stumbled across his scatt. A little while and a few more fish later I noticed a smell. It didn't smell like a skunk, camp fire, evergreen tree, or the last Brookie I released. It was straight up Moose. The worst part was I didn;t know if it was a Bull or a Cow. This time of year the difference is the Bull is interested in getting fat. A cow on the other hand is protecting her Calf. this is when it dawned on me that this might not be the smartest place for me to be ALONE. But, hell, Daniel Boone did it. Fish on.

I intentionally planned to hit the Delaney Butttes Lakes, but after making it to Walden and traveling across the Arapahoe I decided that the Poudre had everything I wanted. It was time to go after the Colorado Native. The Greenback Cutthroat Trout. Back across the Colorado State Forest and into the Alpine country the Cutthroat love. All I can say is what a beautiful fish.

After the end of each day and into the night the Stars, Moon, Camp fire, and a Fat Tire were on the menue. I even had a little dinner by the fire. Fortunatly I was able to sleep river side under the Moon and fish for lurking Browns in the Moonlight.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. The next trip is to Sonora, CA. I will definitly have a rod in tow, but we'll see what happens. I'll most definitly be on the Bitterroot @ Hamilton, MT in September and if life goes as planned my buddy who has lived in the Bitterroot valley his entire life and I will rip a lip there too. BTW he is a guide if anyone has interest.

[Catchingtrout]

Here are some more

[Catchingtrout]

Pictures

[Catchingtrout]

pictures

[Travis C.]

Very nice... That looked like an awesome time.

Those brookies were starting to color up for the fall. Everyone would fish for trout if they caught fall colored brook trout.

Did that temp say 42 degrees?

Mountains are always pulling me back to them. Just today my wife and I were looking at a house in Sevierville online. Our kids aren't school age yet so it is just the grandparents to convince. Since we are 9 miles from each currently that may be a task. Good thing about the possible move is my uncle would be right down the street. The house is so close to the East Fork of the Little Pigeon that I could walk out the door and head straight down the street into the river before my cup of coffee got cold.

I better quit talking about it before I end up with a forwarding address. :D

[bd-]

Sunday was spent around the Denver Area just kicking around in warm water.

Where are the carp pictures???

:)

bd

[Catchingtrout]

Where are the carp pictures???

:)

bd

On your camera.

[Catchingtrout]

Beautiful country, thanks for sharing. We had a vacation planned to Durango for trout fishing one year, but had to cancel it due to re-locating for work.

As of today I will be in Durango, CO 8/21 - 8/23 2012. The plan is to fish the San Juan 1 day and the Animas another. I was in Durango this year from January til May and never wet a line.

I'd like to take the train from Durango to Silverton and stop along the way. From what I understand there are stops in between that you can get off and they will pick you up on a return trip. The best part is that there are only stupid Trout and no Carp.

[Catchingtrout]

Man, every time I see pictures of Colorado it makes me think again about my plans to retire in Montanna.

Great pictures..

Where does the road take you next?
Next week takes me to Sonora, CA for a work/fishing venture.

Where in Mt do you want to retire? I go to the Bitterroot valley every year and just added Billings to my 2012 schedule. If I could get my wife to realize pleasure in not having family in regular life I'd join you.

[Travis C.]

Next week takes me to Sonora, CA for a work/fishing venture.

Where in Mt do you want to retire? I go to the Bitterroot valley every year and just added Billings to my 2012 schedule. If I could get my wife to realize pleasure in not having family in regular life I'd join you.

Billings. My wife is from Costa Mesa area of California and having access to a city for us would still be a benefit. I don't think she'd ever be ready for the total away from it all I would at that point or really now for that matter. Plus air travel to/from for family then having major medical close yet still having all the surroundings of MT scenery.

One can only hope... I'd settle for the Smokies. Would be hard to leave TN completely unless you want to give up some species. We about everything I'd ever want to fish for and great places for each.