[silicone boy]

I woke up this morning wanting to go to Mitchell Lake in the Indian Peaks, but my brother wasn't up to it. He was kind of under the weather so he suggested Waterton Canyon. I never considered this to be a productive place to fish but heard it had been doing well lately. I sure am glad I went. I rode up just past the Marston Diversion dam and found a riffley stretch. I started with my favorite-a San Juan worm. Within 10 minutes, I landed 3 smallish bows, but they were incredible fighters (I had gone up to a private pond in Silver Plume earlier in the weekend and caught several 20 plus bows-they were not nearly the fighters these guys were). I ended up with 8 trout in the net (and released) and several misses, all on the eventually gnarly looking worm fly. I also saw a couple of groups with their limit of trout (a young family and a couple of youngish chicks-good to see that fisherpeople are not all geezers like us) from the bait-allowed section. I guess the canyon is more productive than I give it credit for. I'll be sure to be back because I get some good exercise riding up there and there is a variety of water to fish--some slow and some very technical. I need all the practice I can get at this fly fishing stuff.

 

[silicone boy]

I saw some bait fisherman just killing them there. I really didn't know how productive this stretch could be.

 

[silicone boy]

Dead drift them just like a nymph. I don't usually use any weight. I find that commercial San Juans are a little stiff. I would like to tie some with red rubber bands you find at any office supply store. That would give them some great action in a current, or you could work them in still water like a wiggly worm.

 

[silicone boy]

while i continue to use an indicator with a worm, I'm thinking about stopping because it's a transition to a "bobberless" dead drift. Besides, I find that the fish hit so hard that I don't need an indicator.