I unloaded my mountain bike and strapped on my back pack full of waders, boots, vest and food. The ride was just under 2 miles and my hands felt like popsicles from the cold morning air. I arrived at the river and saw one other fisherman making drifts in a big flat pool that attracts many anglers due to the amount of fish that hold there. I was on a mission of my own and the battle was going to happen in the lower part of the river. In my previous trip I cast to a Rainbow that was pushing the 30 inch mark. Its long red stripe stuck out from its slate grey back and I tried and tried to no avail. Today I was on a solo trip after this fish. I came to the hole where I had seen my target and although there were some decent sized fish in there I didn’t see what had been there previously. I rigged up with a micro mayfly pattern followed by a Grey RS2. This got me a few small aggressive bows before I decided to cross the river and make my way further into the canyon. I crept on to a snow covered rock that I have fish from before and saw a couple fish working in the current. One of the fish was huge, I know I have seen it before on one my summer outings here but it is always out of reach. Today it wasn’t. There was a small midge hatch coming off so I switched my trailing fly to a Black Midge Emerger. On my first cast I hooked the fish I had been watching and was in complete awe. The bigger fish in this river can be difficult to hook. The smaller fish tend to be more aggressive and usually get to your fly first. I saw the white mouth shaking furiously in the current as I eased my way into the water and prepared to battle. After netting the fish I was in disbelief of its true size. The red stripe and giant teeth filled mouth was marvelous. I watched him swim away and chilled on the shore for a few. This was how it went for me all afternoon. Just when I thought I couldn’t do any better or bigger my indicator would twitch and I would find another beautiful bow in my net. I didn’t catch the pig I saw the week before but I feel I couldn’t have done any better than I did today. Out of the many days I have fished Yampa River this was by far my best.
Hermosa trucha!, excelente historia, en solitario, con la mochila, y en un ambiente nevado! realmente envidiable!. Saludos.
what an awesome looking fish. nice work joey. it must be hell to live in a place where fish of that class can be pursued.
Yeehaw! Sick fish. What’s an RS2?
sweet JOEY — love the fish tale too .. going solo on a mountain bike in the snow and getting it done with super tiny midges … well .. it creates extreme ENVY by me … kind of like going into a fly shop and seeing all the nice pics of beautiful fish on the walls … people often forget, not me, that it’s the PROMISE and HOPE of NICE FISH .. that really keep me going .. i love catching fish, i won’t deny it and i am proud to admit it … sure the casting and all that stuff is a fun sidebar … but without the HOPE and PROMISE for big beautiful fish like this … I ain’t all that interested .. thanks for keeping the hope alive … keep it up .. now, go get that 30 incher and make me even more jealous!
joey – someone else asked “what’s an RS2?” .. here is what i have found .. locals sometimes lose the ability to keep it simple and FORGET that not everyone knows the “basics” for any fishery .. for example a local colorado guy knows all the ins and outs and all the tricks of the trade and the tiny details about his fishery … now, plop that same guy in let’s say key west, florida .. and he knows nothing.
so – i travel for work alot and always bring a fly rod .. and am constantly in positions where “i know nothing” … and what i am looking for in regards to any 1 region of the world that i am going to is “the simple solution” … and i am often amazed at how HARD it can be to find “the simple solution” … so my question to you for us not colorado folks is this …
“If going to colorado .. what are the 10 MUST HAVE flies … to cover all your bases” .. I know and udnerstand that there are literally gazillions of variations of patterns etc… but tell us, if you don’t mind, if we were to go to colorado and COULD ONLY BRING 10 flies .. what would those be? thanks man.
An RS2 is a small midge pattern that I have found to be deadly out here. Most common colors are grey, black and olive. I prefer grey but they all crush. Its a simple tie too. Just grey thread, a white poly wing and tail. A few strands of sparkle give it some spunk.
Dude that is one hell of a solo trip. Again I feel like I missed out on a lot the time I was out there. I especially never thought the fish out there would be so active in the winter. But all these great fish tales one after the other prove they are indeed active and then some. I think I have to plan a winter trip next season for a little skiing and whole lot of fly fishing.
Joey, after skiing in the morning on last thursday 6th my father and friend Steve fished the tailwater on the Yampa. We came in from the other side on snowmobiles.. Awesome fishing to say the least. We caught a bunch of big fish. i think you caught my friend butch. We saw a few real large rainbows each in separate pools and all by the lone big rocks in each of the 3 good pools. Walking through the snow was crazy and painful at times when it would break and I would drop 3 ft. Joey red was hot and so was grey.
Mickey
Wow Joey..epic.
Next time I’m in Colorado I guess the Yampa may be on the list.
Great work.
When I travel out there every april I can’t have enough zebra’s and bwo emergers 🙂
Those two would make my list anyway.
Joey, nice job brother killer fish and great photo solo… Alex
Awsome fish joey! and great pictures too. I bet that one will be in your memory for just a little while….
awesome tail man.
Every 30 inch bow i have caught is part of a vivid memory. Go get that fish and i guarentee you’ll be living in the past for several weeks!!!!