Fishing Report ~ by Senior Ranch Guides

with edits by other guides' daily observations

Updated December 1, 2011

(Also see Fish Stories for more conditions, tips, photos & fun reading!

Scroll down for status on all ranch waters

and call Ted 970-215-2816 or Bill 970-372-7183 if you need further detail.)

Main Ranch River

Flows: The river on most days is holding between 30-50! Clarity is perfect and the fish have settled into obvious runs.  A bit of shelf ice exists, but fishing is still possible - just be careful!

Hatches: There are still some Red Quills #16 hovering and a few caddis are still laying eggs.

Flies: Dries-Fish are still hitting the surface.  Caddis #14-18, red quills #16.  Nymphs: brown and yellow stones #8-10, caddis pupas #14-18, PT’s#12-14, Prince #12-14.

Upper Valley

Note: Please read the bullet points below on how to handle big fish properly so you can catch them again on your next visit!  You may be surprised to learn a thing or two about "best practices" in fish handling!

Help us keep a great fishery!

Mother Lake ~

Partially iced now, but fishable always near the springs, with the warmer water there, it rarely - if ever - freezes over.

Clarity: Good.

Water temperatures:  Surface temperature has come down with the cooler days and nights. Surface temperatures are between 40-45°

Hatches:  Midges in the morning with some sporadic callibaetis.

Flies: Nymphs- Still-water nymphs are working well and bunny leeches, autumn splendors.  Also, chironomids and midge larvae #16-20; callibaetis #16-18.  Dries- midges, black #18-24, callibaetis #16-18 cream/tan; On warm days: Chernobyl ants #8-12, lighter colors seem to working the best; beetles, black or dark brown, #12-16. Streamers - woolies and minnow patterns, fish them slow.  

PHOTO: Jarrod Musick enjoys fishing in a December past, and his father wrote: "Freezing water? Float tubes in December? Are you nuts? Yes we are! To catch these kind of fish – you betcha! We had another therapeutic blast: ice fishing without an auger.  Thanks Sylvan Dale!"

So remember folks, you can fish in the winter here and have fun! 

Island Lake ~

Mostly iced over and probably will be until a warm spell.

Clarity: Pretty cloudy, 12” visibility. 

Water temperatures: frozen over!

Hatches: Midges in the mornings

Flies: Nymphs- Chironomids and midge larvae #16-20. Dries- midges, black #18-24;  Chernobyl ants #8-12, lighter colors seem to working the best; beetles, black or dark brown, #12-16. Streamers-woolies, minnow patterns, and crawfish. 

Lower Valley

Weldon Lake ~

Clarity:  Clear. Not frozen yet! 

Hatches: Dragon flies. Midges in the morning.

Flies: Nymphs- bead head nymphs and bunny leeches doing well.  Chironomids and midge larvae #16-20; dragon fly nymphs, olive, #10-12.  Dries- midges, black #18-24, beetles, black or dark brown, #12-16, grasshoppers #10-12. Streamers-woolies and minnow patterns. 

The Bass Ponds ~

Clarity- All bass lakes are clear and full.  Grass is up from the bottoms and be clearly seen.  Some moss on top.

Flies and lures- In the mornings and evenings, surface lures such as minnow patters and poppers are working well.  During the heat of the day the fish are down.  Grub-tail jigs, rubber worms, and spinner baits are taking fish.

Lower Valley River ~

Flows: The River is holding between 25-50 cfs and is clear. 

Hatches: Still a few caddis.  Watch for the BWO’s.

Flies: Dries-  Nymphs: brown and yellow stones #8-10, caddis pupas #14-18, PT’s#12-14, Prince #12-14, mayfly mergers #16-18.

SPECIAL NOTES FOR TROPHY TROUT HANDLING

Please review these helpful hints on landing and releasing

our big lunkers in still water.

It will help us keep a great fishery for you, your fishing buddies and clients!

• Each angler should have a net when fishing; rubber nets are better than harsh nylon. Wet nets, as you do your hands, before handling fish.
• Each angler must be prepared to get into the water (waders/boots or wet wading in whatever you're wearing!) Get in the water - shin to knee deep - when fighting the fish and especially when preparing to net the fish. Keeping them in deeper water shortens the end of the fight and prevents excessive thrashing in shallow water along the shoreline.

• Barbless hooks only!  Pinch any barbs flat with hemostats or pliers.

• DO NOT use less than a 5 weight fly rod on trophy trout waters, which can lead to excessive numbers of break offs or, if trout are landed, to exhaustion and possible death.  Please keep photo sessions short and on the water.  Always keep fish in or over the water; never over dry ground. 
• Remove the hook promptly.  If it won’t come out promptly, cut the tippet off and leave it. The barbless hook will fall out soon enough.
• Grab the fish by the tail, gently cradle the belly and remove it from the net. 
• While still in 2 feet of water, place the fish down in water column and begin the slow and steady, back and forth motion to get water flowing over the gills.  The surface water is the warmest, so get them down in the water column.
• Never push the fish away from you and let it go. When you think the fish is ready, stop the back and forth motion, let go of the tail, and see what the fish does. If it doesn’t bolt away, grab the tail again and continue the reviving motions. It is critical to fully revive the fish until it DARTS out your hands away from you.
• Please do not fish with 3 flies at a time. 2 is the maximum.  The fish often roll during the fight tangling the flies, leaders, and tippet into real mess.  Removing the tangled flies and ine from the fish and net often takes a too much time and prevents us from reviving and releasing the fish in a timely manner.

NOTE:  Unlike releasing a trout by facing it upstream in moving waters, it often takes several minutes to completely revive a large fish in still waters. Please take the time to properly revive the fish.  We thank you, and the fish thank you, too!