Extreme Dry Fly Fishing

March is a funny time in the UK. The Grayling really need to be left alone to get on with their annual orgy, the Trout are still looking down so I tend not to fish too much around home.

However, this is s great time of the year to dig out the passport and travel for some fishing.

Work lent me an opportunity to have a crack at those crazy Trout in the South Platte below Cheesmans Dam in Colorado. If you have not read John Gierach you should, well you should if you like fishing rivers with fur and feather, he captures better the feel of fishing this part of the world and I for one am hooked!

In March the Rockies are full of snow but there are one or two micro-climates that form below the outlet from the deep dams. Because the water comes from such depths its temperature is constant throughout the year, which means when the banks are lined with snow and ice the flies still hatch and Trout are looking up.

This micro-climate does create a false sense of security and the drive back to the hotel in Denver was a little scary as the snow closed in.

I took a day with my favourite guide, Jessy (see blogs from June 2009). We caught a load of fish, in fact it was nearly a South Platte grand slam of Rainbow Trout, Cuttbow Trout, Suckerfish and Brown Trout...only the Brown eluded me. It was fun fishing tiny size 22 nymphs under a small dry. The air temperature was well down and the hatch, light and sporadic.

The following day I fished alone, hiking up river into the canyon. Here I was closer to the dam and the water warmer. What a great day catching some really nice Rainbows and Browns on size 22 and 24 dry midge patterns.

I look forward to returning next year for some more Trout in the Snow.