From: bc@col.hp.com (Bryan Call)
Subject: South Platte Fishing Report
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 16:27:04 GMT
Organization: HP Colorado Springs Division

Dave Fleck and I have managed to get out to the South Platte
for the past three weekends, which is really good considering
how fickle the spring weather in Colorado can be.  I posted 
a report for the first weekend already, so this one will cover 
the last two.  My son Greg has joined us for these last two 
trips and I think we have him firmly hooked.  We have been
concentrating on the stretch of river between Spinney and 
Elevenmile reserviors.  This stretch holds rainbows, browns,
cutthroat, and sometimes kokanee salmon.  All of our action
has been with rainbows so far this year.  This is all gold
medal, catch & release, fly/lure water.

4/4/92 - We got on the river about 7:00am and found it high 
 and fast with a lot of weeds and branches being swept down
 stream.  They had upped the flow from the dam at Spinney and
 the fish were really spooked and fickle.  We only managed to 
 land one fish all day (Dave, got him of course), but we did 
 get a reasonable number of good strikes, and a few hookups 
 that gave us some fights before throwing the fly or breaking
 off.  This was Greg's first time fishing with flies and he 
 had enough strikes and quick releases to get him interested.
 The hot fly seemed to be a San Juan Worm, but we only had 
 a couple which were lost by mid morning.  Most of the other
 fisherfolk we talked with were having no luck at all.

4/12/92 - Since daylight saving time kicked in last weekend
 we were able to get a little more sleep and didn't get on 
 the river until 8:00am.  The water was lower, slower, and
 had much better clarity.  Dave had tied up a good batch of 
 San Juan Worms which still seemed to be the fly of choice
 for these fish.  I had the first rainbow to net by 8:30 
 and was feeling pretty smug for a while.  Greg got a good
 hookup but was broken off after a good fight.  Then Dave
 kicked into gear and got the next three fish, the last of
 which was a 24" beauty.  Greg had found the fish and had
 called us over.  He spooked it over to Dave and yelled, 
 "Here he comes".  Dave flipped the fly in front of him  
 and he nailed it immediately.  I thought I would drown 
 trying to net the darned thing.  He kept heading into 
 deep swift pockets and holding there.  Dave was finally 
 able to guide him into the net after about a 15 minute 
 running battle.  What a beautyful fish!  Wouldn't you 
 know it, my wife's camera (which I had borrowed) had 
 run out of film with the picture of the previous fish.
 That's the last time I neglect to check the remaining 
 frames on that camera.  

 Dave then hooked another from the same pool and gave the 
 rod to Greg to land him.  I think he felt quilty about   
 the previous fish.  Besides, we both wanted to make sure
 that Greg was firmly hooked.  Greg landed him in short 
 order, and then proceeded to hook and land another, all on  
 his own, from the same pool.  Meanwhile I was trying without 
 success both up and down stream.  I only managed another
 couple of quick releases for the rest of the day while 
 Dave got one more to net and Greg almost had another as
 well.  Boy did I take a ribbing on the way home.  All in   
 all we had a really great day.  Greg had a blast.  I think
 we now have another seriously afflicted fly fisherfolk    
 firmly on the hook.

 Next report forthcoming, and soon I hope.

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 Remember:  Fishing is NOT a matter of life and death.
              It is much more important than that.
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Bryan Call (719)590-5772  |All opinions expressed here are mine & mine alone.
Hewlett-Packard Co.       |  But then, I've never let that stop me before.     
Colorado Springs Div      |--------------------------------------------------
P.O. BOX 617              |    Many men go fishing all their lives without 
Colorado Springs, Co 80901|    knowing that it is not fish they are after.
bc@col.hp.com             |                                         - thoreau
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