I smell Spring!

I figured that I should post something for the month of January.  It's been a busy month for me with some shows and a lot of time at the vise.  I've been looking forward to February for a while now.  Things will start to warm up a bit around here and the days are already getting longer!  Soon, the golden stoneflies will start moving around on the upper Arkansas River and that will get the trout looking around for them more.  There is nothing like seeing bigger bites available to the fish to get them looking for Big Macs rather than french fries.

Stoneflies, along with the usual midges and Baetis, will kick start the late winter/early spring feeding on the Ark.  The usual early spring set-up for me is a stonefly/caddis larva or a caddis larva/baetis nymph.  Some days even start with a stonefly/caddis/baetis nymph set-up.  The fish will let me know what they are eating and I can remove one fly.  If they continue to eat all three patterns, I keep fishing all three patterns.  Make sure to use weight and get the flies down!  

If you would like to make a trip down there with me, please contact Royal Gorge Anglers to set up a guide trip to show you how to fish this river in the early spring.  I am really looking forward to fishing this river very soon as I think it is the most overlooked season.  I'll post pictures!

BWO Time!!

After spending some time on the water the last few weeks, now is the time to get moving and make sure you have those patterns you rely on.  Right now, it's BWO time.  You have to make sure you have the lifecycle of this bug, from nymph to emerge to dun.  I've had a couple days with fish looking and feeding on duns on the Arkansas River.  They were also feeding well on nymphs and emergers too, so don't ignore that stage of the lifecycle.  I've attached a video of the CDC Sparkle Dun.  It's a go to pattern for me on top and it's an easy fly to tie.  I used a TMC 2488 hook on this video, but you can certainly use a standard TMC 100 or 101 hook.  Get out and have fun!
CDC Sparkle Dun from Juan Ramirez-Hopper Juan on Vimeo.

Big water, high water and low water.

This past weekend I was able to get back on the South Platte River.  After spending the last 6 weeks on the Arkansas River, it was quite the difference.  On the Ark, the water has been higher, colder and stronger.  It beats you down, wears you out and makes you seriously consider not getting in the water at all.  The rocks are round and hard to grip and when using studs and there are times when it hurts more than it helps.  There aren’t many places to cross the river safely and when you do, after fishing and getting beat down, you have to cross back again under tired legs.  This is possibly after the river has risen with a little snowmelt so an additional 150 CFS is added to that water volume on your way back.

The South Platte is controlled by man.  It’s not nearly as wide and as strong as the Ark.  It’s been tamed and it’s been controlled.  The granite rocks here are a dream for studded boots.  The studs grip the rocks like a cat’s claws into a leather sofa.  The water can be strong, but normally, it’s not.  There are a ton of places to cross the river, even in higher water.    There are always people fishing on that water and if you happen to fall in and go for a swim downstream, you are likely to piss off a few people.  On the Ark, you will die. 

Ark in mid April

After visiting the Ark and the Deckers section of the South Platte, I visited 11-Mile Canyon.  At 77 CFS, it was as if I was fishing a small creek.  The water was crystal clear and flowed gently over the rocks.  If wading the Deckers stretch was fairly easy compared to the Ark, this was like walking through the wet grass.  Most of the water I walked in was less than knee deep and any other water deeper, you were fishing it.  It’s easy to get lazy when wading these lower flows.  Things will change here in the future so enjoy the lower flows while you can.  Oh, and the fishing was pretty good too!

77 CFS

Late March flows

11-Mile Canyon

Clear, low flows before run-off.  

"Hey, did you see that?"

As I casted my flies into the small rapid of water, I shouted to the youngster across the pool from me.  "Hey, did you see that?" It was one of the brightest rainbows I have ever seen.  It came up in the fast water, eating something off of the surface......

David Knapp of The Trout Zone blog and I were finally able to met up to fish together.  We have been planning this for a few months now.  When I heard that he was relocating to Colorado from Tennessee, I figured that I would invite him to go fish together.  Usually, these things never work out as he wasn't even going to be in the same area as I am in.  He moved up north and I am in Colorado Springs.  The good thing about that is that Colorado Springs is on the way to Pueblo!  We hatched a plan to fish in Pueblo.  It is a great little tailwater, unlike any other tailwater that I have ever fished.  It has gained some well deserved attention from anglers all over the state.  Over the years, the fish have grown and on any given day, you can catch a 20"+ fish.  Of course, there are smaller fish if you don't want to discriminate.  

Photo by David Knapp

We started off slow as we worked our way up stream, looking to see where we could squeeze in.  It didn't take long to find a spot and start tossing out our flies.  I took 2 rods with me.  I usually don't take two rods on the water, but what the heck? You have twice as many chances to tangle up right?   I rigged them differently and added a different midge on each one of them.  I figured they were eating small bugs and the guess paid off.  After a few minutes I had on the first fish.  It was on a #26 Rainbow Warrior.  That fly and the #26 Foam Back Emerger, proved to be a good choice for the day as all the fish I caught ate the #26.  

Photo by David Knapp

David didn't take too long to start hooking up and had the first bigger fish of the day.  These fish are colored up and are as bright as anything I have ever seen.  

Photo by David Knapp

He continued to hook and land fish. I experimented with the Foam Back Emerger and it was just not what they were wanting.  I went back to the Rainbow Warrior and it was fish on again.  Crazy how that works.  Just small differences on the patterns, but it made a difference.  We both agreed that the flash must be what they were looking for at that time of the day.    

Photo by David Knapp

Photos by David Knapp

As the day progressed, we moved around a bit and found some more fish.  Perhaps one of my best fish I have ever caught was at the hole pictured below.  It was a great fish, but what will I will forever remember is how I watched the whole thing unfold in about 4 seconds.   

As I casted my flies into the small rapid of water, I shouted to the youngster across the pool from me.  "Hey, did you see that?" It was one of the brightest rainbows I have ever seen.  It came up in the fast water, eating something off of the surface......It was a beautiful fish and he just ate something off of the surface.  As soon as those words left my mouth and my smile relaxed, I said to myself, maybe he ate my Foam Back Emerger......I did just cast my flies into the water right before the fish ate something off of the.......  I immediately raised the rod and felt the hook set and the fish start moving towards the rocks.   David was re-rigging and watched the whole thing unfold.  

Photos by David Knapp

Whenever you fish with someone new, you never know what to expect.  I was pretty sure that David could fish.  I have followed his blog for a while now and I have been jealous more than a few times with his trips and his time on the water.  It was evident that he was fully capable of adjusting to the new landscape and the waters he now calls home.  We fished and walked and walked and fished.  It was not hurried, it was a relaxed day of fishing.  We didn't try to get in too many last casts.  We didn't want to stay all day and try to catch as many fish as we could.  It was just good to get out for both of us.  It was fun and that is what it is all about right?  New friendship and some trout.  We strolled back to the car to head out and grab a bite to eat.  That was my kind of day.  Relaxed and good.  There will be more adventures in the future as I am already working a plan for an Upper Arkansas River trip.  Stay tuned.  

Make sure to read David's point of view at his blog, The Trout Zone

Hopper/Dropper Fishing

Working the BWO hatch on the Dream Stream after a late summer storm.  

You got 'em ?

How do I like to fish the Hopper Juan? 

I often start fishing the hopper in early spring. I know that there are no hoppers out in February, but that is not what I am expecting. On the Arkansas River, above Canon City, CO, the water is low and clear in early spring. In late February, the BWO nymphs are numerous and are just starting to become a more important food source for the fish. After eating mostly midges during the winter, the sight of drifting baetis nymphs must be a sight. I still like to use a nymph rig for the deep dredging of stoneflies and midge larva, but as soon as there is a temperature rise and fish become more active, I like to fish with a dry/dropper. The fish may move up to feed on drifting BWO nymphs in the riffles and adding a heavy dropper such as a Copper John or a stonefly nymph followed by a Randy’s Baetis or a 719 Baetis nymph may just be the ticket. I can fish closer and have more control over my flies than a nymph rig. Also, fish may be nosed up in warmer, more shallow water, picking off a few bugs in about 6” of water. By putting a dry/dropper rig over those fish, you have less of a chance of spooking them. I would rather use a smaller caddis or mayfly dry at that point, but if you are already rigged up and only have one rod with you, then chances are you don’t want to change out and chances are that you might get that fish to eat one of your bugs. As early spring moves into late spring and early summer, I can still use the same rig to target fish eating BWOs and caddis nymphs. Over the last few years, I have hit more days where the fish were keyed into the BWO emergence and not the duns. This is usually due to the fact that the bugs are out and so is the sun. 

The fish can eat right below the surface without having to expose themselves up higher in the water column. As the fish move into the upper third of the water column, you can see them feeding on nymphs and emergers, but they are too high to use a nymph rig and too deep to use a small dry like a Parachute Adams with a dropper that will not get down deep enough to them. This is where I like a hopper on top followed by a tungsten dropper like a Glossy Back or a 2 Bit Hooker to get down in front of their faces. I then follow that with a more impressionistic pattern like an RS2 or a Foam Back Emerger. This set up works great and adjustments can be made by the length of your dropper tippet. 

In the early summer, when runoff has the flows higher, there is a time and place for the same set up. When the South Platte is running higher than normal, a lot of those fish retreat to the banks where they can still eat with out having to exert too much energy. This means the pocket water that has been created by the higher flows and close to the banks. Again, a hopper pattern followed by a heavy stonefly or heavy mayfly pattern thrown up against the bank where a 6”wide holding slot holds a fish can mean the difference between a couple fish and a couple of good fish. I know a spot near Deckers that has always held a nice fish, up against a rock, where only a rig such as this one has been able to get the fish to eat. The fly needs to get in front of their face in order for them to eat. If they don’t see the dropper, they won’t eat it. As the water starts to drop, the fish settle down into a more normal summer routine. On the S. Platte, flows can move up and down like the stock market. Fish move according to these ups and downs. When flows are more stable, fish are more stable. I like to fish those spots that most people miss because they are fishing a nymph rig. Those slots behind small rocks are everywhere in the summer and the fish are in there. The beautiful seams become more defined and knee-deep water is everywhere. 

 I can target those fish with the dropper, again making sure it is heavy enough to drop in front of the fish and matches something they are eating. I love those slots about 6” wide and knee deep. I have pulled some really nice fish out of those places when a nymph rig would have been too much. A dry/dropper rig is more precise and I have more control over it in those situations than a nymph rig. Also, how many times have you seen a fish feeding in the hydraulic cushion in front of a rock? The one time I tried to use a nymph rig, I ended up having the flies go one way around the rock and the indicator going the other way. After breaking off the rig, losing everything and scaring off the fish, I decided never to try that again. 


By late summer and early fall, I have already targeted the BWOs, Caddis, Stoneflies and PMDs with this set up. The Hopper Juan was designed as a hopper and while it is not the answer for everything and doesn’t exactly look like a hopper, it makes a fine imitation. As many of you know, here in Colorado and more specifically, the S. Platte, it’s not known as a huge hopper river. Sure they are around and fish eat them, but it’s not like fishing in a Montana meadow stream. I didn’t specifically design this pattern for a particular stretch of water. I designed it to work as more of a problem solver pattern. Those situations I mentioned above led me to find a pattern that floated well and caught fish and held up well after a few fish. While I do love plopping this pattern on the water and hoping for a fish to smash it, generally that is not the case. I enjoy watching it float along perfectly on the waters surface, only to be jerked down by a fish eating the offering below the surface. Either way, as long as there is some action and fish are landed and released, everything in my world is right. The really good days are when you only fish the hopper and a dropper is not needed. This sometimes happens earlier in the season when fish are keyed into the Golden Stoneflies. 






Again, more often than not, they like to eat the bug below rather than bug on the surface. As fall gives way to colder water and lower flows, this set up again proves its worth by being able to hit the nooks and crannies where fish are feeding. Usually at this time, fish are on the feed before spawning and winter. Big nasty streamers are great fun during this time and are effective. By late fall, the hopper/dropper set up is replaced by the standard nymph rig for fishing the deeper water where the fish are waiting for the baetis nymphs begin to start drifting and the cycle begins again. While I prefer to use a Hopper Juan for this style of fishing, please don’t think that this is the only way to fish it. I generally use a size 8 to hold up most of my droppers. When I tie the flies, I always finish it with a good waterproofing material such as Water Shed. I cannot stress how important I think this is. While foam floats great, once you put everything together; foam, elk hair, wing material, thread and a water absorbent antron wing, it tends to take on water and sink. By adding a waterproofing agent, along with some floatant, it will repel water and keep on floating for a long time. Without a good waterproofing, it tends to sink in rough water or if you have too much weight off the back end of it. Again, you can use any fly you like to use in this system. I often use an Amy’s Ant, a Chubby Chernobyl, a Club Sandwich or a Fat Albert in place of the Hopper Juan. When fishing in smaller streams, I often downsize my offerings. A size 10 or 12 works better and is better suited for the smaller fish. I also like to use a Juanna Be Hopper Juan, which will hold up a small tungsten dropper and allows the small Cutts and Brookies to get it in their mouth. Whatever fly patterns you choose to use and what ever style of fishing you choose to do, just remember to have fun. It’s the reason why we tie and why we spend time standing in a river waving a stick.

A good day at work.  Durability is a must!

The Mini -or Juanna Be Hopper Juan

I like me some Chubby too!

Make the Best of It.

When I thought about fishing the Ark today, I imaged a dark, cloudy day, occasionally spitting snow and about 1:00 or so the BWOs would come off and the fish would rise to them in the clear, low water.  Well  today was not quite what I had imaged.  After a few days of warm weather, some of the lower elevation snow was melting and made it's way to the river.  While it was slowly dropping and clearing, it definitely  was not how I had hoped it would be.  The day started clear and cold.  The wind was blowing as it always does this time of year.  The water was higher and off color and the fishing was a bit harder than usual.   After about an hour of fishing I had a terrible thought.  Could a skunk be coming?  I haven't been skunked since leaving the Rio Grande in New Mexico where on any given day it could happen, but on the Arkansas?  Really? I realized this is possible but not for me.  I have invested way too much time in this passion and since this was not the Rio Grande, I didn't have to worry.  The fish would come.  Soon the first fish and second fish were found in a usual spot and on a usual fly, the cream caddis larva.  With the weather hot and cold, snow and bright sunshine, the fishing was still slow.   I kept telling myself to throw on a woolly bugger, as I love to fish them in this type of water and in these conditions.  When I did, it was pretty intense.  Follows right to the rod tip and then they were gone.  I knew I would see lots of fish this way and also assumed I could hook up with 1 out of 4 or 5 follows and I did.  The rest of the day was spent this way all the while I was waiting for the BWOs to start emerging.  I saw about a handful and that was it.  The sun would come out after a few minutes and the bugs would disappear along with the clouds.  I didn't see a single rise all day long and after a good day on the water and some testing of new patterns, I called it a day and headed home.  Some days, no matter how bad, are just plain better than sitting in front of a computer at work.    

Love the old cars in the canyon.  Do they ever move them?

First fish on the bugger.

Lots of these in the water.  

Pretty little things.  

Although I see these the most, I still throw a cream colored one and they eat it.  Hmm, I wonder if they would eat an olive one????

About a size 14

There were only a few of these out today.  I didn't see a single rise today.  

Caddis are out, but not many.

Testing out a new hopper pattern.  It floated well but it needs to be tweaked a bit before summer.

This is a cool pattern that I want to use more on this river.  It's a Jeremy's Arizona Prince.

I eventually hooked up with a few of these.

 Currently my favorite fly on the Ark. My cream caddis larva.