You can contact Dennis at: DSmith7136@msn.com

 

    Unless you’re a rabid tailwater junkie, February probably isn’t your all-time favorite month to fly fish. Mine neither.

     I have nothing against tailwaters; they generally produce above average fish (in both size and numbers), constant and predictable hatches and, of course, year-round fly fishing in some pretty spectacular settings.

     If there’s a downside - and that depends entirely on your point of view - the fishing tends to be somewhat technical: miniscule flies, long, fine leaders, precise, complex drifts…. And, given their celebrity status, tailwater streams are often crowded, particularly at this time of year when they are often the only game in town.

     The few times I’ve attempted to fish a tailwater in winter were all met with miniature disasters of one sort or another and, consequently, have left a bad taste in my mouth. Twice, I got trapped in monstrous traffic jams of holiday skiers on I-70 while on my way to the Blue River. On a trip to the Miracle Mile one February day, we got caught in a Wyoming blizzard and had to abandon the fishing trip in favor of getting back to a state highway where we at least stood a chance of having our bodies recovered in the event we froze to death. The following year, around the same time, we blew a tire on our way into the Spinney Mountain reach of the South Platte and wasted half a day trying to make our broken jack work.

     Eventually, it began to dawn on me that maybe I should stay away from tailwaters. Now, come February, I sit at home by the fire, tie flies and look to the day the midges will be coming off on the Big Thompson. It’s not that far off.

                                                                       - Dennis

Dennis Smith is an Outdoor Writer and Photographer. His articles and photos have appeared in numerous outdoor publications, catalogs and newspapers. Dennis can be reached at (970) 669-6074. Want to know more about Dennis?

Return to Trout Tales main page