Fishing Report

[admin]

Randy Waggoner showed up from KC and gave me an excuse to fish this morning. We drove to the dam- got there about 6:45 am. Not many cars in the lots at all and it never really got busy all morning. We fished the rebar- lots of big rainbows staging for spawn- lots of males (pics) and still alot of browns too. They took #18 gray or tan scuds or a #16 J-Scud, 6x tippet under an indicator 4 feet. Tried stripping soft hackles and cracklebacks- one looker only.

Randy with an 18-inch rainbow

Couple of beautifully colorful male rainbows!!

Water came on about 8:30 am one unit that built very slow over 45 minutes time. Didn't really turn it on full either. At 1:30 pm, water was starting to drop a bit as we left the river. Randy stayed in the rebar area while the water rose and I got out, mainly cause I had my camera and... I'm smarter than he is. But again the water never got too bad till an hour later so I continued to catch trout. He made his way to outlet 3 where he caught several very nice browns on same scuds. Saw some 10-pound-plus browns in the outlet.

I stayed along the bank below #2 around the steps and caught a couple small rainbows but couldn't seem to get a good drift- or they didn't like my bugs- something. We broke for a late breakfast at Sonic then back to the river.

We went up to #1 outlet- Randy fished in the outlet and caught lots of browns and a few rainbows. I stayed out in the lake below and hooked a couple of nice fish -hook pulled out on both. The numbers of browns in and below the outlet was amazing. It was like the hatchery- I'd say between 100-150 trout were crammed in the floom.

Is the brown run over?! No way!! There's plenty of big browns up there and there are alot of big rainbows there too. I've never seen this many big fish anywhere- that includes the San Juan for sure.

Talk to Matt, a young man from Springfield. He said he caught a 15 lb brown close to outlet #3 2 nights ago on a rapala. He's sending me the pic.

[Phil Lilley]

Sorry- I posted under admin again.

Identity problem.

And it's beautifully colored rainbows.

[loo10]

I like the pictures on the forum better than the latest ones on the general website.

Beautiful trout lying on the dry gravel or being squeezed with a rag

'bout halfway make me sick.

I hope they at least ate them cause they probably didnt make it.

[John Smoot]

I like the pictures on the forum better than the latest ones on the general website.

Beautiful trout lying on the dry gravel or being squeezed with a rag

'bout halfway make me sick.

I hope they at least ate them cause they probably didnt make it.

Couldn't agree with you more, loo10. Maybe people don't realize the impact a rag has of removing the slime that protects the trout, or squeezing them like a tube of toothpaste...hmmm. I saw a young guy, like 24 probably, in early October, hook a nice rainbow just above rebar, then play it in the deep pool on the south side...all done well, then simply beach it on the friggin' rocks! It was a 24" bow (I measured him) and it was floppin' all its weight on the rocks...several times. I mentioned something to the guy. He got it back into the water and it promptly went belly up near the bottom. I stated that we'd probably lost that one. He said something to the effect that it'd be alright. He waded out and kind of pushed it with his foot. I'm sure it's dead. And the way the guy fished and talked, I'm sure he's a regular...maybe he just doesn't know better.

Phil, maybe you could kinda get the word out. On those big fish, either leave them in the water, or lift them out like a cradle with wet hands. And get them back in quick. I'm sure the mortality on fish handled this way is very low.

[Seth]

I seen a guy one time catch a 22" bow and then he let it flop on the gravel and then he kinda just booted it into the water. Another guy who was fishing besides me went over and waded out into the freezing water and spent 15 minutes bring that fish to life. My hats off to that guy for doing that definetly.

You would think if you land a big fish like that, to atleast being careful handling it so it gets released as harmless as possible. People might just not know any better I guess . It sure is hard to see a big fish get treated like that though.

[loo10]

Most of the times, I just don't think people know any better.

They're so used to seeing bass flopped into the water on tv

that they think it's that way with all fish.

Dont get me wrong, I've had fish go belly up on me before too.

But I've also had them do that and I've kept working with them and they

finally swam outta my hands.

I've also fished with guys who just needed to see the right way to do it.

P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E !

Remember -

If YOU do it right, those who fish with you will too.