[rottal]

I was up at Keystone for a few days so i decided to leave the snowboard alone and hit the Blue for a few hours...

The water was clear but kinda low...i havnt fished this stretch in a long time so i decided to see how it was doing.  I didnt see any big fish and the choices of runs was limited due to the lower water levels, but i did manage to find a few holes to fish.  I used a few different fly combinations, mostly scuds or san juan worms with a black beauty dropper.  I caught a few little rainbows, but thats about it.  the snow was kinda deep, so walking the shore was a chore...i was pretty much limited to the paths that were already beaten down along the rivers edge.  Overall i wasnt too impressed, it just didnt seem like the same river i used to sight fish over 7lb rainbows 10 years ago.  I lost a lot of flies, it just seemed like one of those days where you snag every tree or rock in sight.  i got plenty of practice changing tippet and tying on new flies with frozen fingers...

i also talked to some other guys fishing the same stretch...they were having about the same luck.  due to its location and crowds its not my favorite place to fish, but it was still a chance to wet a line so i cant complain...

heres two pics from below the dam, about as high as you can go legally.  i used to see a lot of bigger fish in this stretch, but none were spotted that day.

upstream to the bridge...

Downstream from the same spot...lots of snow as you can see....

 

[trouthunter]

Rottal,

Was thinking about heading up to the Blue last saturday however the flat tire when at the dream stream derailed that plan. Last summer those big trout were hard to spot however you could find a few. I think they are in there but not in the numbers they were before. Maybe they are stacked up there near the dam?

TH

 

[fishinguitars]

I started fishing the Blue a big last year...and was really unimpressed. I read so much about 10 pound rainbows right in the middle of town here, and didn't spot any all year. I did manage to land a few just over 20 inches but that was it. Looks like I missed the river in its prime. I do have better luck a few miles down highway 9 than I do in town. All the fish I caught on the blue have been on my poorly tied wooly buggers.

 

[jamiehughes]

didn't someone just catch a state record cutt out of that river?? i though thta there was a post on here about that.

 

[fishinguitars]

yea below greenmountain on a stretch of private water...Still a really impressive fish, but for me kinda taints the record a bit.

 

[kokaneeking]

there is huge fish below the dam there , were the bridge is past you cant fish , but ive heard that there is alot of big browns, rainbows and brookies back there

 

[fish or die]

I think the blue is a great river ! Fished ther alot last summer and never went home disappointed. I always fish out of town. There is many good spots to fish off highway 9 all the way to Green Mountain. Never caught any 6or 7 pounders but numerous 18-22 inchers. My buddy floated the river below green mountain last summer and landed a 6 pound rainbow. Maybe thats the place to go ? Has anyone else fished below green mountain ? Is there easy access to the river there or is it mostly private ?

 

[hellfish]

I've fished the blue alot, nothing big has ever come out my labors, although I've seen my share of hogs. I thought I'd pass a little bit of info I received recently on landing big fish out of the stretch rottal just worked- mice patterns off the banks.  from mid stream- cast to shore- literally, and pull the mouse of the bank, if there is a big fish in the undercuts, they hit it really hard, mainly browns. I have yet to try it, but a pretty reliable source claims its the trick on those bigger fish. Glad to hear you were able to wet a fly!!

 

[rottal]

Well that was going to be my next course of action (fishing a streamer against the banks) but i opted not to as there were a lot of other guys fishing that day (well within a 100 yards or so) and i didnt want to put the fish down any more than i already had. If i was alone out there i would have done so in a heartbeat. As far as the fish right below the dam....man, i would really like to at least take a walk up there to see what lives in that stretch, im sure there are still some monsters in that area. It was nice to wet a line at least...but im saving myself up for the North Platte next weekend, if i dont do well up there you guys will hear my whining for sure

 

[jsbkrs]

How was the weather up there heading up to Green Mountain this weekend to catch some lakers. I was wondering if the roads were good or if they were bad?

 

[rottal]

With the recent weather and cold front i am going to guess the roads are less than stellar...be careful if you go up there and give yourself plenty of time to get where you are going.

 

[mojo]

went to Green mountain today, roads are fine. Its warmer over there than it is here in denver

 

[nymph4trout]

My best fish in Colorado came from the Big Gulp 3 winters ago. A 28-30" fish was eating subsurface, and I threw my whole box at him for over an hour. I finally went to a 12 foot leader down to 7x, no weight, and a black beauty with no mercury bead, checked my fly after I saw his mouth open and the fight was on. 2 moose were walking upstream eating stream side vegetation, and a large crowd had gathered on the bridge, so 10 minutes later when I finally netted this monster, I had a huge audience, but unfortunately no camera.

That being said, I haven't seen a fish that big again.