Arkansas River (Pueblo)

It's been a while since I've fished the Ark! Too long! And Team Chuck and Duck need to knock the rust off our Pueblo skills!  (I need to knock the rust off my blog skills as well - still working on my RF wrap up) Man I'm excited though. This tournament is going to be fun (unless we place last). This year is about trophy fish and we hooked a not my rod breaking fish last year!

Ben and I decided to hit one of the beats if there was some open water. It was an absolute blue bird day and people were taking full advantage as they should as any respectful Coloradoan would.

Turns out the rust is pretty thick. I think it was a pretty slow day but we have some figurin out to do before Feb. We managed to catch 5 or so and miss a few more but it wasn't our best day on the water. We did catch some pretty ones (shown above slightly enhanced :-) The one on the right (majorly enhanced) hit on the edge of the hatchery outlet and looked like a mini hog. STRONG little dude.

But... he only ate after finally going to an egg. I have decided to start paying more attention to the bugs instead of jumping into patterns that have worked before. Everyone knows you should do this but not everyone can stop fishing long enough to do it. Anyone who has figured some of this fly fishing stuff out will tell you to know your bugs. I want to understand my hatches a lot better and come up with, or start using again, a very few simple, durable, fast to tie patterns and tie them in lots of sizes and colors.  I will always have some crazies in the box though because it's fun to make up your own stuff. The more crazies I try though the more I realize how good some old standbys really are. Why has it been so long since I fished a standard brassie?

So a few weeks ago I decided to make a little waterproof hook chart that I can look at bugs on to see if my fly size guessing needed some calibration. Yep. Way off. By two sizes in some cases.  I also decided to stop asking my fishing buddies to kick rocks up when I seine. I figure if I'm kicking stuff up, I'm looking at bugs that in some cases won't hatch for a year or more (I know that because of this and this and these guys). So even though I don't seine nearly enough, meaning rarely, I decided to make the hole process take longer.

I have taken Robert's (The Bug Guy) class and know how to collect and identify aquatic insects, plus I've read a few books that connect some dots. I need to stop being lazy about it. Plus it's fun. Just a hard activity to start. Especially when you start seeing bugs popping up. And since I'm going to attempt to be studious why not through in water temperature for the hell of it. Seems important......

So here it is. What I gathered during a few time outs from the whipping. Could be right, could be wrong. Use at your own risk :-) - Cool macro pics by my better half!

Location:  Anticline Bend
Time: 10:57 AM
Water Temp: 39
Weather: Sunny 40

Midge Emerger

Hatch: Midge (sparse)
Stage: Emerger
Size: #26/24
Abdomen Color: Chocolate / Cream / Flashabou Rib
Thorax Color: Black
Head Color: Black
Wing Color: Clear / Light Brown (case)
Sample: Yes

Caught 2 small bows just upstream from mid bend sand bar on #18 Red Hook
Hooked one on #22 Two Bit Hooker (w/ red beads). Missed a few on #22 Dorsey brown Top Secret Midge (looked like the perfect match for the midge emerger I found but I think I need them in #24-26 - maybe add the Flashabou tail). Decided to head downstream to join up with Ben at the hatchery outlet. 

Location:  Hatchery Output
Time: 1:10 PM
Water Temp:41 out of Hatchery
Weather: Sunny 40

Hatch: Midge (sparse / fair)
Stage: Adult
Size: #26/24
Abdomen Color: Chocolate / Cream / Brown / Rib
Thorax Color: Black
Head Color: Black
Wing Color: Clear
Sample: Yes

Location:  Hatchery / River Channel
Time: 1:20 PM
Water Temp: 44 main channel
Weather: Sunny 40
Hatch: Same midge seen at 1:10

Caught 1 small bow on #18 Red Hook. Caught 1 15/16" fat bow on 4mm yellow Otter Egg with yellow bead

Notes: Sample contains various midge adults / emergers, a baetis nymph (I think), and a caddis larva. One midge in sample is just emerging from the shuck. You can see a clear shuck hanging off the abdomen (shuck is same length of abdomen). Shuck looks exactly like a single strand of clear Flashibou. Very cool to see.

Test Pattern / Shotglass

I've been playing with a few patterns and this is the latest. Needs to be thinner though. Actually looks like a good baetis emerger. Pretty much the same thing as Shea's Shotglass as my buddy Justin has pointed out. After checking out that pattern again it is spot on for what I found in the water. No shortage of brilliant fly designers out there!

Flow: 61. fs