Arkansas River
Fishing dries to rising trout in the middle of winter? Little to no fishing pressure? You can find both of those unlikely scenarios on this great little tail water below Pueblo Reservoir! Their are nice rainbows and even bigger browns. The fact that it is usually 7-10 degrees warmer in Pueblo than in Denver is just icing on the cake. This is the perfect winter destination for those of whose who need a break from the tying vice. Thankfully, this river seems to fish best when other destinations are covered in snow with sub-freezing temperatures. From shallow riffles to very deep runs, this river has it all.
I have found that conditions are best here when the flows are between 200 and 350 cfs. Directly below the spillway, the river has typical high mountain qualities. There are shallow riffles and mid-stream boulders that make for wonderful hiding spots. The further you go from the dam, the deeper and slower the runs get. However, the water is usually clear enough to see feeding trout in the pools and tailouts. The fish here don't seem to be as picky as other rivers, but presentation is important. Drag free drifts are the key in clear, low water conditions as will be present on the Arkansas in the early part of the year. Long leaders (10-12 feet) are useful in getting the fly down deep and provide stealth for the shallow areas where the fish can see you coming. Your 3-4 foot tippet selection depends on the flows. Usually a 5X will do, but for lower flows (and clearer water) have 6X available as well. As in all Colorado streams, split shot is a necessity. I'm guessing that a few of the upper runs are in the 9-10 foot range so be sure to have plenty of weight available. Take your time when fishing these. It often takes a number of casts and drifts to really get your bug where you want it. Many of the banks are steep; to avoid spooking any fish, approach slowly and be watchful of your shadow.
As far as I'm concerned, early season fishing here can't be beat. For the past two seasons I have christened my license here and I plan on making that a tradition. The first nice weekend in January wakes me up and it's not long before I'm heading south on I-25. Mayfly hatches during this time can be great! Although a parachute adams and compardun patterns produce strikes, most of my success has come on my most valuable fly, the flashback pheasant tail. My advice would be take several of varying sizes (#16-22 should suffice). I'm not exactly sure why it has been so successful for me, but it is my most consistent producer for fish of all sizes. If it's overcast and the hatch hasn't started just yet, tie on an RS2 or Loop-wing emerger above the pheasant tail. Midges will work here also; black beauty, disco, red-hot and chocolate larvae patterns are always good choices. If you notice both mayflies and midges coming off at the same time, try a griffith's gnat first, trout seem to take these with less hesitance than more bulky blue-wing olive patterns. I have not fished this water past mid-March because, based on my experience, the action slows after the beginning of the month. By this time, the flows have picked up and many of the best spots are too deep to access. In addition, the angling pressure increases around that time and you may find yourself ducking to avoid getting hit with a treble hook full of power bait. I have yet to fish this river after run-off, but I can imagine that with all the foliage on the banks, terrestrials could be outstanding in late summer and fall (if you can stand the heat). Due to the large brown population here, I wouldn't rule out stripping a wooly burger through some of the pocket water or the numerous deep tailouts. You hear plenty about the rainbow spawn early in the year, but many times the brown trout spawning period in the fall is overlooked. The browns get aggressive during this time and can be taken on large streamers and big dry patterns like sofa pillows and stimulators.
The famous 'mother's day' caddis hatch may be what the Arkansas is most known for. Although it involves a different stretch of the river, I feel obligated to mention it. You'll start hearing reports of the hatch around Canon City by mid-April. From there, it will head upstream daily. During the hatch, my favorite part of the upper river is the 22 mile stretch from Cotopaxi up to Salida. On particular days, this can be a very heavy hatch. So far, it is the only place I've seen anglers actually wear those face nets that come out of hats and drape down over the head and neck. If you're there during a thick hatch, it may be a good idea to plug your ears and nostrils with a little cotton. Doing that can make for less annoyance and enable you to breathe freely and concentrate on the task at hand. Elk hair patterns in sizes 16 and 18 will work. You may want to try tent-wing patterns as well. Crippled caddis patterns and any with trailing shucks are also effective during the hatch when you need for your bug to stand out from the hundreds of naturals floating on the surface.
Directions
Take I-25 south thru Colorado Springs to the north end of Pueblo. Go west on US 50 to Pueblo Blvd and head south. At Thatcher Ave, take a right. The first access is about 2 miles up in a dirt parking lot or you can head up further toward the State Park entry and there is a parking lot off to the left just prior to the pay/entry station. Here, you can access the river directly below the spillway.
approx travel time 100 minutes