Pre-spawn Rainbows in Colorado

Spawning season is upon us in the tail-waters of Colorado.  I personally enjoy Feb and March more than any other time of year.  The rainbows are pre-spawn, the tourist crowds are still skiing, and the fish are waking up from the winter.  The year is new, bugs are starting to grow and change, specifically mayflies. Snow begins to melt mid-day and bring new sediment that will continue to fertilize our rivers throughout run-off.  Believe me, fish welcome the slightly off colored water. To a fish that has been in gin-clear water for 3 months eating the same old midge, sediment filled water must smell like steak and potatoes on a BBQ grill.  Mix that in with a couple whiffs of perfume from a fat-bellied beauty, and you got yourself a great combination for finding a big fish with its guard down.  Of coarse, this does not mean fishing to spawning fish who are sitting right in front of you, protecting fertilized eggs, ensuring the next generation of wild fish…Don’t do it man! : )  But, do help yourself to all the rest of them.  Getting out early in the season comforts me.  I like knowing that I am not going to be walking on spawning grounds (called Reds), but finding the time in a busy schedule sometimes can mean fishing into the dark.