Being the home of the infamous fly fishing writer, John Geirach, I had to finally try and fish through the town of Lyons. I had fished the St. Vrain a couple times before in the National Park and below Buttonrock Reservoir, but I have never really had the chance to explore the runs that go through the downtown area. I got out about a week ago on this stretch of river and I was amazed by the amount of “fishy” water. There were numerous runs that could easily hold nice fish, and I was more eager than ever to fish in a downtown setting. We fished for about two hours and landed only one small Rainbow and an even smaller Brown. Feeling defeated we headed to the car. The most heavily fished hole was by the car in the parking lot and it looked too good not to make a cast. Within two drifts, my indicator went down, and a monster Rainbow trout came flying out of the river. After his first leap, he proceeded to run out some line and leap about four more times. I ended up landing the fish and he measured a hefty 19″.

It wasn’t long after my fish came to the net, that my brother decided to take a few casts into the same hole. After about ten drifts, he hooked up and his rod took a bend he hadn’t experienced on a small river. The fish went wild and jumped about three times. We new his was big and chased him all over the small stretch in front of the car. I put a net on the fish and the excitement began. After the measurement, he turned out to be a 21″ Rainbow that not only surpassed mine in length but in beauty as well.

The St. Vrain river through Lyons holds some wonderful water and is definately worth a try, and who knows…….you may just run into John Geirach.

The “Dream Stream” was fishing all too well this year, so we decided to head up for another weekend to have our shot at some more migratory fish. This time around, our focus was fishing where the crowds were not.  On our first day, we spent a few hours on the lower stretches of the Platte and had our eyes set on some familiar holes that we hold close to our heart. As usual, these holes were not only productive but gave up some nice specimens. We brought over ten Kokanee to the net in these spots, along with a few decent trout.   

The next day, we decided to try out some new water. I have always wanted to explore the South Park area, but I am always tempted by the regular spots. We spent the morning hiking miles while seeing nothing in the river. Eventually, I came across a dead Brown Trout who seemed to be in the 20 inch class. Although it was a sad moment, it gave me some hope that this particular river may actually hold something that swims. As we kept hiking we stumbled upon a nice Cutthroat sitting in a deep pool. At this moment, I was jumping for joy with the realization that there truly were catchable fish in this stretch. It only took one cast, and the fish was on. I ended up breaking the fish off, but the adreniline was pumping and I knew the fish were active. The next deep spot in the river proved to be the biggest and best suprise of the year; it was a spot filled with large trout and they were willing to take just about anything (worms, eggs, pheasant tails, miracle midges, zebras, etc.). We sat along the banks of this deep spot and proceeded to catch about thirty or more fish in about two hours. It turned out to be one of the most amazing spots of the year, and the best part was that we didn’t see a soul. New places can be rewarding as long as you are willing to hunt.

The South Platte River between Spinney and Elevenmile Reservoirs is better known as the infamous “Dream Stream”, and although it has seen some serious pressure over the years, it still remains one of the premier fishing destinations in the state of Colorado. Not only does the river hold some nice sized resident fish, but this stretch of river experiences some great Spring and Fall migratory runs of trout and salmon. Every year, a crew of friends and I head to this section of river in search of big Brown Trout and Kokanee Salmon. This year, the entire state of Colorado had the same idea. The flows were ideal and the crowds were large. After much deliberation, we decided to relax during the day and fish hard at night. I have fished other stretches of river at night with little success, so naturally, I was worried about how many chances I would get. I prepared two rods; a five weight with a streamer (the size of Kentucky) and a three weight with some egg patterns and brightly colored scuds. The streamers brought many fish to the banks, but it was hard getting them to commit. The nymphs took a lot of fish, and to be honest, I was at a big disadvantage trying to bring a 22 inch trout to the net with a supple Orvis three weight rod. My quest was successful though, and many trout over 20 inches were landed under the cover of the night. The days were spent napping, reminiscing with old friends, and contemplating what flies to throw the next evening.

Every year, Kokanee Salmon make their way out of Blue Mesa Reservoir and move  into the Gunnison river to spawn. The annual run usually lasts from early September to late October, and fish can be found from the inlet of Blue Mesa all the way to Crested Butte. Although uncrowded spots can be hard to find this time of the year, there are literally Salmon in just about every hole.
The Salmon tend to be found in the deeper holes in the earlier months of the run, during the pre-spawn. Later in the Fall, the Kokanee move to the shallow gravel bars and sand, as they begin to fully spawn. I suggest searching for the “crimson beasts” while they are in the deeper holes and not quite spawning in full force. This helps to protect the future of the Kokanee Salmon in this river and is beneficial to you as an angler. The salmon caught earlier in the run will fight ten times harder and will impress an angler of any skill level.

This year, the Kokanee were thick in the Gunnison and were willing to feed. We found salmon in just about every hole, with a few spots being more productive than others. Assuming the fish were hugging the bottom, we fished deep nymph rigs about 12 feet under an indicator using 3x tippets to ensure more fish. This, along with the right fly choices seemed to do the trick. The Kokanee were willing to take any bright colored fly presented to them. We found most success with flashy red San Juan worms (#10-12), yellow Psycho Prince nymphs (#12-18), and Rainbow Warriors (#14-20). A few bigger fish were taken on leeches, but the strikes were few and far between. The average Kokanee on the Gunnison ranges anywhere from 15-20″, with a few smaller and larger coming to the net.

When hooked, these fish exhibit some of the best fights in Colroado. Each fish has the potential to, and probably will, launch into the air a few times, tailwalk like a Steelhead, and run you 60 yards down any given section of the river.  A six or seven weight rod is probably the weapon of choice, but you can get away with a five weight if necessary. I have heard many Coloradoans mention the annual Kokanee run on the Gunnison as being the most prolific display in the “lower forty eight”, and I must agree.  There seem to be countless salmon in the river this time of year, and the changing colors of the Aspens sure make the experience unforgettable.

While you are in the area, check out the Taylor River’s “catch and release” section late in the night. It can be spectacular with Mysis during the Fall.