Dream Stream Ice Bowl (Record Low)

Damn Cold!

If I didn't know any better I'd think that someone was trying to tell me to go to church (of course anyone that has the bug knows that I was at church). I think Marty and I found the coldest air in the state during one of the nicest days of the winter in Colorado Springs....

Marty has been riding the pine for a while due to a persistent shoulder injury. Life has handed Marty and his lovely wife Laurie some real challenges in the past few years. On top of Marty's injuries Laurie was diagnosed with cancer and has been handling her fight with strength, determination, grace, patience, and love. I can only imagine how hard that has to be. Please, please, please, if you can, help Marty and Laurie out with their growing medical bills by donating here. If you are interested in a guided trip to Rainbow Falls where 100% of the proceeds go to help Laurie and Marty please hit me up.

Marty HAD to get on some water injury or not. Even if just to get some fresh air and get some good pictures. It had been months since he has been on the water and I know that time on the water is good medicine. Good for the soul and Marty needed some recharging. We decided to hit the Dream Stream since the fishing had been so good and the weather in town on Saturday was absolutely gorgeous. Sunday's forecast looked even better.

Everyone knows what happens when you assume. And we should have checked the weather before assuming that just because it was going to be 70 in town it would be nice at the river. I was keeping my eye on the outside temp on the overhead display in Marty's Durango on the way up and when we started off I think it was twenty something. We watched it drop fifteen degrees in five minutes as we drove down the back side of Wilkerson Pass. WTF!

By the time we reached the parking lot it was ridiculous. I think our previous record for fishing in the cold was -16 which happened a few years back in Pueblo. It was miserable and you just can't really fish at that temp. Bad things happen. Ice ropes, frozen up rod eyes, snapped tippet, frostbitten fingers. Even if you do hook a fish, you probably wont land it and if you do its going to suck releasing it. It really becomes pointless to be out there until it warms up (see video on blog site if you are reading this in an email)

Long story short we basically stood around freezing our asses off for two hours before we could really fish. It's the only time I can remember looking up and down stream and seeing guys on every bend just standing around looking at each other. Crazy! 

Lil Fatty!

Once we did start fishing it was pretty slow. We wound up hooking a few but it was the slowest day out of four trips to the Dream Stream this spring. The good side was that Marty was able to fish. His shoulder was bothering him but not enough to prevent him from casting. Really good to see Marty fishing again. I just wish the weather had cooperated a little more.

When we finally made it back to the parking lot we were frozen solid. Those who fish with me will tell you that I don't get cold very easily but I was COLD when we jumped back in the Durango. I didn't even think about changing out of my waders for the trip home. We jumped in and cranked up the heater. Somewhere just outside of Woodland Park I noticed that we were no longer cold. In fact it felt like a friggin Sauna. We turned down the heater and rolled down the windows and it was like Summer outside! We took the scenic route through Manitou on the way home and people were walking around in shorts buying ice cream!

Basically we spent the nicest day of the winter in the one spot around us that was cold! But it was worth it to get Marty out on the water and catch a few nice cuts. Looking forward to a little warmer weather for our next trip Bud!