Pikes Peak Region Trail Finder

Arkansas River Tailwater

Details

Created on Wednesday, 08 December 2010 21:57

Written by Jon Kleis

Anglers Covey guide Chris Ramos with a nice Arkansas river rainbow!

photo taken by Jon Kleis



The Arkansas river below Pueblo Res. is fast becoming one of my favorite tailwater fisheries within reasonable driving distance from Colorado Springs. The winter months in Colorado can be brutally cold in the high country. This particular tailwater provides good fishing without the negative windchills and the constant breaking of ice from your rod guides. Most people think of brown trout when they hear the words Arkansas and then river but we didnt land a single brown the entire trip. The place is literally loaded with healthy rainbows quite a few of which are the size of the fish Chris is holding.



There are excellent Blue Winged Olive mayfly Hatches through out the winter months that usually start around lunch time. Look for overcast days because that is typically when there are the best BWO hatches. There are also great midge hatches year 'round that the trout will focus their attentions on as well. Flies of choice are egg patterns in a size 16, Gray RS-2's in a size 22-24, small black and red thread body midges in a size 22-24. When the BWO (Blue Winged Olive) hatch came off last sunday the dry fly fishing was as good as Ive seen anywhere in Colorado, and a great dry fly to "match the hatch" with is a size 22-24 parachute adams. When the fish are looking up with such reckless abandon like the other day it is possible to catch them on just about any dry fly you throw at them with a properly dead drifted fly.

For those of you who are still relatively new to fly fishing a dead drift is when you present the fly so that it flows naturally with the current much like a dead or dislodged bug would hence the term. If a fly is being pulled through the water it is an unnatural drift because most flies are either dead or hopelessly flowing with the current. More often then not epecially if your fishing with dry flies on the surface the fish will not take your fly if it isn't being dead drifted.


For more information on fly selection, techniques, and fly presentation to simplify and and make your experience more enjoyable check out www.anglerscovey.com or call us at (719)471-2986.

Copyright Jonathon Kleis