Old freind last Sunday - Cheesman Canyon

 Last Sunday got the chance to go visit an old Friend for the day. Haven't been into Cheesman Canyon most of the summer. Me and a co-worker left bright and early. We arrived at the parking lot to the view above, sky was on fire. Geared up and headed into the canyon, started off at the picnic table hole. Flows where running very good for this time of the year. Fishing was good, fish where pretty active. A lot of different flies caught fish. no one pattern worked better.  Crowds was on the light side, had the pick of the holes.

 Picnic table hole rainbow fell to a Yougs flasher

Kelly getting ready

Colorful little brown 

Easter Sunday Cheesman Canyon - 4/4/10

I had the fortune to get a kitchen pass to go fishing, decided on Cheesman Canyon. The flows where just raised to 185CFS. I thought with it being Easter Sunday that it might be a little quite in the canyon, somewhat wrong. I arrived a the trail head about 6:15am, I was the first in the lot. Geared up and hiked in. With it being Easter Sunday decided to stay in the lower part of the river. Started off at the picnic table hole, this is one of my favorite spots on the river if I'm first to the river. Picnic table hole did not disappoint. The weather was great, a little breezy at times but fairly warm.

1st fish of the day, nice rainbow. This fish was taken on a Youngs special

Up part of the riffle right above picnic table hole produced this pig of a fish. She took me on two screaming runs down river. She was taken on a mercury black beauty size 22

Same fish, 22"plus weighed 5plus pounds. I need to work on picture taking skills. When you are by yourself taking pictures can be tricky

The pig again.

This little male was taken at the meat hole

Same little male

Sitting on the bank of the river enjoying the day. Decided to head back a little early to enjoy a great Easter dinner with the family.

1/17/10 Cheesman Canyon

Let me start off by saying today was one of the most beautiful days for fishing I have had in January. Arrived at the parking lot with a friend at 7:00am temp was 27 degrees. Geared up and headed for mid river. This little rainbow was the first fish of the day. Flows for Cheesman Canyon where at 198 cfs. We did not see another person until around noon. That was sum what surprising considering how nice of a day it was.

As the day warmed up so did the fishing. Fish where moving into the riffles, me and Chris fished this shelf drop off and hooked up quite a few fish on the drop off.

Close up of the first fish of the day
Another beautiful rainbow
The fly of the day, Tan Youngs midge. Also my Golden stone nymph is a size 16 was tearing it up.

Hook: TMC101 size 24

Thread: 10/0 white

Abdomen: Coats and Clark thread tan

Head: White thread colored with black marker

South Platte River, Cheesman Canyon - 8/30/09

Got the chance to get out for the day to one of my favorite rivers. Arrived at the parking lot about 6:oo am, first car into the lot. Shortly after I started to gear up, two more cars pulled in. Started hiking in to the canyon about 6:45am, trying to come up with a game plan on where to fish. Decided to start fishing about mid point on the river. I call the area tree rock, because in the middle of the river is a big rock with a tree growing out of it. My first set was a size 14 golden stone nymph followed by a size 16 pheasant tail, followed by size 18 biot emerger. After about the 5th cast my indicator flat out disappeared, set the hook and after a few minutes I had this 18" rainbow into the net.

Worked to hole for about another hour picking up about 3 more fish. About mid morning I was noticing consistence fish rising on the other side of river. So I decided to change spots and dry my luck with a dry fly. After I relocated to the other side of the river I figured out it was a nice PMD hatch going on. Rigged up the rod with a size 16 parachute PMD, dropped a size 20 PMD emerger below. Sat there and watched refusal after refusal so I had to try something different. I took of the emerger and tied on a size 20 PMD compare dun. First cast with the compare dun on I landed this 16" rainbow. Fished the same area picking up a few more little fish. It has been a while since I fished a dry fly almost forgot how much fun it is to fish a dry fly.

Started working my way back to the car fishing my way out. I noticed this purple beetle on a tree stump. Never seen one this color before. I also watch a doe and fawn just of the trail from me. Did fish to much until I reached the lower river. Took advantage of the meat hole not being fished. Promptley landed a 17" rainbow and 16" brown. The one thing I noticed was how empty the river was for a Sunday. Then I realized NFL football is starting.

Overall it was a great day, fishing was great, scenery was great. Weather was awesome.