Rocky Ford

We made it through back country and the fog. When we arrived to wind was cold and blowin  just a bit from the west. We passed the north end the parking lot had a couple of rigs there, the middle section had  6-7 rigs so we headed to the south end bridge end and it only had 1 rig. The south end bridge is closed off  which was OK by all of us that put the wind to our backs. After getting suited and rods put together.
   We made it to the water just before 10 with the three of us spreading out the first place that I could lay down a 30-35 foot cast I did.. With just a short drift my line went tight as Gary and Rich watched the pretty little bow took a jump and spit the tiny hook bac at me and was gone. I hadden even told them less than 5 minutes before not to try to set their hooks to fast, and here I was the one doing it.
    Gary had never been here before so it was all new to him. After he saw me hook up so quick the grin on his face was like an orphan kid having his first family Christmas. all smiles. Thinking that this is going to be easy pickings. HAW !!
   With me having the only net and the spyglasses to tye on the tiny flies we stayed fairly close to begin with but as time passed by we slowly moved farther away from each other.
The fishing was tough and it stayed that way all day. I'd gotten a few more bumps here and there and one other hook ups. and got broke off in the weeds across the creek. Around noon I walked back to where Gary was to see how he was making out, He had a big tangle in his line so I gave him another leader tyed on some tippit and new bug. Left my gear with him and went and talked to Rich.
  Rich was doing about the same as us a few hook ups some back cast lost flies to the weeds, but nothing that could be landed. It's tough but a blast.
I took the short walk up to the truck to grab some water, Cliff Bars, and my dry fly box. There was a bit of Midge hatch going off every now and then with some fish surfacing. And to me there is nothing better than tying into one of the mighty giants on a # 22 dry.
The sun tried to pop out every now and then but never really made it out, But it was warm enough in the upper thirties may have hit just over forty, and the wind calmed down to nothing at times. We could see some nice fish cruising when the wind let up and the chopp was gone the water was crystal gin clear.
    After we chewing down  the Cliff Bars and washing it  down with some water we were back at getting our casting practice in. I walked back up to where there I watch all the rings forming in the water with the lips poking out or the large fins, cut off my Nymph and tried like hell to tye on a #22 midge dry.
   By the time I got it all together the rings had disappeared and three other fishermen and an lady carrying her boyfriends extra rods were across the water. She didn't look to happy about it either.  He was flogged the water with a huge bobber for five minutes before moving on.
I miss my chance the fish were gone to quieter waters, So I walked up the creek and found another pocket of water set out my line and the first fish the hit my dry just looked at it and took one just past mine. After fifteen minutes of refusal my bubble was popped and I went back to my nymph (bloody midge) without a indicator casting up stream with a slow retrieve. BOOM Fish on felt good adrenalin was down and I paid close attention as to what was going on and didn't let it get to the other side and into the weeds, slowly it came closer and closer to me.I reached around to my back with my left hand and pulled the net free and scooped it out of the water. Just tooo Bad it was not the 20 inch fish I needed. But it was a football.
 Not the biggest or the smallest fish that I've put to net here at the infamous Rocky Ford Creek. Tho it did make it worth while for me to do the four hour round trip, The only thing that would of been better would be to have netted one of the bigger fish in my net for Gary on his first trip or for Rich it had been many years since he had been here. The three of us have vowed to come back more often. I make the trip here at least three or four times a year mostly in the winter when I need that tug fix when the River is either froze over or to hi for me to be safe.                          }><)))'>
Rocky Ford is always a challenge for me thats why I love it so. There has been times where nothing I did was right fishing the same thing same way as in the past or as the guys either above or below  me where  getting all the fish and times where it didn't seemed that I could do anything wrong, Yes I admit I've been skunked here before and days that have been epic Like last year on News Year's Day.  On the water by 10am and off the water at 2pm with 34 degrees out a light fog hardly any wind and 14 fish in the net. That is a day that I will always remember.
PLEASE PICK UP ANY TRASH YOU ENCOUNTER, DON'T CLIP YOUR TAG ENDS AND LET THEM FALL, PUT IT AWAY WHERE YOU CAN DISCARD  PROPERLY FISH OFTEN, FISH HARD AND TAKE A BUDDY

 The epic day last year. I had to trade off one of my fish catchen flies to get this picture taken. Size 22 scud. Then I had to tye it on his line for him, only to hear a few minutes later " ah Shit I lost it" and maybe I could get another one from him. and yes I did give him another one and tyed it on for him. 

         So far I have not meet the requirements to stay in the 20/20 Club  20 inch plus fish on a size 20 or less
BETTER LUCK NEXT TRIP  can hardly wait!!!