It was a long but eventually productive day yesterday down Waterton Canyon! Rode the bike in and was hitting the water by 0830 as the sun was just starting to illuminate most of the water (and the rams were still feeding roadside!). Unfortunately, the fish didn’t become “illuminated” until I got my first 12” brown at 1140 while tactical nymphing…he grabbed onto a #20-22 trailing black zebra midge. At 1220 I found another 12” brownie and he took the top, large tungsten beadhead tac nymph with green flash. I saw lots of insect activity everywhere. I went all day long (hoppers, black flies, midges, dragon flies etc.), with seemingly endless tiny midge hatches, but no risers……until 5:30p, when I rode back downstream to a long calm stretch of water where I finally saw some topwater dimpling breaking the surface…

From 5:30p (1st cast!) til 7:30p I landed 6 12” rainbows and lost almost as many! They were a lot of fun and very eager to jump on ANY of the 3 flies I had on…a dry, light cahill or royal coachman on top, dry adult caddis as #2, or the #18-20 black smokejumper emerger as a trailer!

I suspect this will be the first of MANY more trips down the Waterton Canyon section of the S. Platte… “Who’s with me!?!?!?”

Your brother in Christ,

Greg