Well, as time does, the month of April flew by, and it was a good one. We had some great days of fishing out there and other days were a bit of a grind but paid off with good quality fish. In this week’s blog, we’ll highlight some of the memorable moments of the month of April.
First up is Colton’s ~20″ Bonytail Chub. This one came as quite the surprise. Now, if you’ve read my previous blog, “Native Fish of the Colorado River Basin,” you’ll know that this species is incredibly rare. In fact, Colorado Parks and Wildlife state on their website that there are no known self-sustaining populations in the wild.
At first, I second guessed whether it was a Bonytail or a Humpback chub. Both of which are native species and the Humpback is considered endangered but more common than the Bonytail. After some research, I believe that this fish is a Bonytail Chub and the largest I’ve ever seen.
Despite the negative reputation that these fish get, this is a true, trophy fish. This fish was just over 20″ and at the upper end of their size range.
Next up we have Pete’s beautiful brown trout. Our day started off a little slow on the nymph rigs at the first hole of the day. We left the first spot and decided to throw dry droppers as we floated down river. That decision paid off quickly and we popped this brown trout not long after.
This was the first fish of the day, which was foreshadowing to how the rest of the day would go. We had an opportunity at an even bigger fish later on this day, but luck would not be in our favor, and we would lose it before being able to land it.
Anna nymphed up this fat rainbow trout and sealed her new personal best! This one put up a good fight but Anna fought it perfectly and got to hold her best fish to date. The smile says it all!
Anna and her husband (pictured above with the brown trout) have been fishing with me for a few years now. They started out with a fly fishing 101 class and have quickly fell in love with the sport. Seeing them learn and grow as anglers has been awesome and I enjoy every minute on the water with these two!
Business parter, fellow guide, and owner / operator of the Drift Boat Tarpon Club, Tyler Morris found this fish on a scouting mission. In our neck of the woods, you have an opportunity at fish like this almost daily. The health of the fishery has been on full display this spring!
Cameron from The Guided Trip came over for a day on the lower Colorado River. This was his first time fishing the Colorado and he was impressed with the quality of the fish we were catching. The river showed off in its typical spring fashion to the enjoyment of friend, colleague, and fellow outfitter.
April is typically a great time to be up at one of our lake offerings and this month was no different. Despite being low water, the fishing treated us well. Pictured here is Jules with her personal best trout on the fly rod!
With April in the books, we turn the page into May and there’ still lots of good fishing ahead. The past few weeks have brought in some weather, including some much-needed precipitation. However, there will still be some water issues to navigate this summer.
If it all possible, try to get out on the water in May and take advantage of a time that’s not usually great fishing on our local rivers. We do have some availability for the month of May, give us a shout if you’re looking to get out on the water!
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