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The fishing at Hartsel Springs Ranch is nothing
short of "world class". With over 26 miles of
fishable water, we offer a tremendous opportunity
for fishermen of all levels. The open meadows
provide easy access to the streams and also provide
the best possible environment for flyfishing.
Because the streams run through the highland basin
of South Park, almost all of our water is easily
accessible. You won’t have to negotiate canyons,
cliffs or steep inclines to reach the stream.
Instead, you’ll find open, grass filled meadows with
gentle meandering streams.
Additionally, the valley in which the streams run
are relatively flat providing fishermen with slower
water conditions. The absence of trees and bush make backcasting that much easier as you don’t have to
worry as much about getting your line caught in a
tree on a long back cast.
These highly desirable fishing conditions lend
themselves perfectly for novice to expert
fishermen. Because the Colorado Division of
Wildlife has classified our fishing waters as Gold
Medal with a Wild Trout designation, fishing is
restricted to artificial flies and lures. This
guide will focus on giving you relevant information
to increase your odds of landing a trout at Hartsel
Springs Ranch.
But before we get into the fishing aspect of this
guide we encourage people to be familiar with
Colorado high country conditions. We also remind
everyone that the Ranch is still in a very pristine
environmental state and we aim to keep it that way.
Please remove all litter, even litter that you
didn’t deposit and dispose of it properly.
You will find volumes of information about how to
fish some of the South Platte’s famous public
sections of the river such as the 3.8 miles of
“Dream Stream” between Spinney Mountain and Eleven
Mile Reservoir downstream to the infamous Cheeseman
Canyon. These are public sections of river that are
so heavily fished that trout are deemed educated due to their learned ability to immediately detect
all but the best presented flies and lures.
But, this guide will be specific to the waters of
Hartsel Springs Ranch. Fishing at Hartsel Springs
Ranch can be quite exciting. While trout are
feeding on insects and other terrestrials, it is not
always that easy to determine what specific “fly”
you should tie on. Multiple hatches, different
feeding patterns, insect life cycles, water clarity,
water flow, air temperature and water temperature,
time of day and season of the year are some of the
many factors a successful fishermen will need to
take into account to land a trout.
Fishing, and flyfishing in particular, can be quite
complex, yet there is nothing as pure and tranquil
as fishing these high basin waters.
Our guide offers some basic flyfishing tips that will help
you in your quest for trout:
1) When the
fishing is slow, fish fast. If the fishing is fast,
fish slow. In other words, if you don’t see a lot
of action you may want to get more aggressive with
your fishing techniques. For instance,
try stripping a big Wooly Bugger with a strip and
flick technique to create a lot of action in the
hopes of attracting trout when not seeing any
action. Another trick is to cast down stream and
retrieve your fly upstream. While this technique
isn’t going to fool a large brown, you will often
find it very effective for catching smaller trout.
On the other hand, when you see the fish actively
feeding you know that they are going for particular
bugs. You are best trying to match the hatch with a
similar sized fly and color and carefully presenting
it by casting up and quarterly allowing for a drag
free or dead drift presentation.
2) Fish
during feeding times. Early morning and dusk are
prime fishing times during summer months, early
morning hours are good in spring, and mid day
fishing is best in fall. This doesn’t mean that you
won’t catch fish outside these times, but you will
certainly be more likely to get a strike when you
know the fish are feeding. And remember, trout like
to snack as well. Even if the fish aren’t biting,
it doesn’t mean that a tasty looking pattern might not
yield a trout.
3) Take
advantage of cloud cover and passing thunderstorms.
As a dark cloud approaches, you may want to consider
putting on your favorite dry fly. Often times trout
rise and insects suddenly appear when the sun ducks
under a cloud. The light conditions often mimic
that of dawn or dusk and help encourage feeding
behavior. After rainstorms is an excellent time to
fish as well. Bugs have been washed into the river
and the trout are going to be taking advantage of it
as well so be ready to fish. While this strategy is
mainly geared for summer months it can work in other
seasons as well. Keep in mind that Colorado high
country is also known as “lightning country” so make
sure to obey nature’s signs and retreat to safety if
lightning risk is eminent.
4) Fish
transitions. In other words, fish anywhere there are
opposite characteristics. Fish the seams where fast
water meets slow water, where dark water meets
lighter water, and where shallow water meets deeper
water. Trout love these habitats and you’ll
increase your odds of hooking a fish by fishing them.
5) Don’t be
afraid to bottom fish. Also known as tight lining
or nymphing, fishing so your fly drifts about 8-18”
above the bottom of the streambed is one of the
deadliest techniques you can use. Trout spend 90
percent of their time feeding on the bottom,
although most people think of classic dry fly
fishing in which the fly is on the surface of the
water. If the trout aren’t rising for natural
insects, you may want to consider fishing below the
waters surface.
6) When in
doubt select the smaller and darker fly (exception:
apply the opposite in high, murky water
conditions). Because of the incredibly diverse
hatches that occur at the Ranch, there will be many
times when you simply don’t have the exact fly,
size and color that represent the naturals the fish
are feeding on. Let’s say you catch a bug and it is
a size 20 and tan in color. The problem is that you
only have size 18 and 22 and only black and green
bodied flies to choose from. Select the smaller
size 22 and the darker black when in doubt.
7) The
bigger the splash the bigger the bug. Watch the
fish feed. If you just see small rings in the water
it means that the fish are feeding off small bugs on
the surface or just under the surface. A big splash
would indicate a bigger bug. This will help you
determine what insect and what size of insect the
fish are feeding on.
8) Remember
the effort /reward principal. When feeding off
small insects the trout will not venture far from
its position to eat a small bug. Simply putting the
effort needed to get the bug is not worth the
calories the fish will get from consuming it.
Therefore, the smaller your fly the more accurate
you will need to be to successfully land a trout.
Bigger bugs offer greater reward so the placement of
your cast is not as critical.
9) Don’t
spook the fish. If you want to catch fish you
better not scare them away before making your first
cast. Despite the obvious suggestion in using
stealth and walking quietly, here are some other
hints. The clearer, the shallower, and the slower
the water, the more easily the fish will be
spooked. If you are fishing a clear section of
shallow, slow moving water with sun overhead, just
the slight shadow or ripple caused by your fly
hitting the surface of the water is enough to send
the fish swimming for cover. However, the deeper,
the murkier, and the faster the water, the more
difficult it is for the fish to detect you. Cloud
cover and time of day are also important components
to consider.
10) Watch
the stream flow. The fishing streams on the Ranch
do not flow immediately below a dam-controlled
reservoir so they are subject to greater fluctuation
in water flow, known as CFS (cubic feet per
second). CFS will often increase during daytime
hours in the spring and after summertime showers.
You’ll certainly want to adjust your fishing
accordingly.
11) What’s
in the environment? Observe and watch the natural
surroundings. You know the fish are eating
something in this environment and the trick is to
figure out what. One way to start is to catch the
bugs. If you’re quick you can catch a bug by hand.
If not, try using a small net or even mosquito screen
and skim the surface of the water and catch the bugs
floating on the surface. And don’t be afraid to
grab a stone in the stream bed and turn it over to
see what’s living under it. With careful
observation you will soon at least be able to know
what is in the trout’s environment and make a more
intelligent selection of fly pattern.
While most people think of fishing as a
summertime activity, fishing at Hartsel Springs
Ranch is an almost year-round adventure. In fact
some of the best fishing actually occurs in late
winter. Here are some seasonal tips for you to
consider.
Spring – Early spring, particularly March and April
offer some of the year’s best fishing. You will
want to have adequate clothing and neoprene gloves
and may have to periodically break ice from your
fishing rod guides, but these inconveniences will
often be rewarded with a great catch. With the water
cool and clear the trout have great visibility.
There can be good surface action and you just have
to pay attention to what hatches are occurring to
match the hatch. Because there are less insects
flying around this time of year, it is often easier
to determine what the fish are eating. You’ll find
the odd blue winged olive hatch and more frequent
midge hatches. If you do match the hatch don’t be
surprised to catch 20 fish in a day! Fishing with
small nymphs and shrimp imitations can also be
productive. Just turn over a stone and see what’s
in the water. And with the Rainbows and Cutthroats
spawning during the spring and heading upstream from
Spinney Mountain Reservoir through the Ranch, you’ll
have exceptional opportunity to land massive trout
during this time of year.
As you fish, remember that the trout are coming out
of the winter so they may appear lethargic. Don’t
expect great fighting and you’ll want to watch your
strike indicator very carefully and lift your rod
upon even the slightest hesitation. Strikes tend be
more like a nudge than an aggressive hit.
As the weather warms and the sun begins to melt the
snow the run off starts to increase and in May and
June the streams are at their highest levels of the
year. The water runs faster and is often quite
murky. Water temperature actually gets colder as
the ambient temperature rises causing snow to melt
from the high country and work its way downstream.
This is the time of year that separates the men from
the boys so to speak.
The fair weather fisherman will be discouraged and
will simply retreat downstream and join the general
public and fish the 3.8 miles of river below the dam-controlled Spinney Mountain Reservoir; however, the
experienced fisherman will use the conditions to his
advantage and keep miles of stream to himself.
For one, the smart fishermen will be fishing during
the early morning hours from 6 to 9 am while the
temperature is still below freezing. The water will
be clearer and the fish will be feeding during these
hours before the sun melts the snow and creates
murkier water. But even if you fish in late morning
and early afternoon there are some other tricks of
the trade. With water running so fast and murky,
trout are forced to the sides of the currents and
into calm water thereby confining them to select
sections of the stream. Fish will hold in
concentrated pockets and if you can find them you
should be in for an exciting day of fishing.
Additionally, because the water clarity is not good,
the trout cannot see as well and must make a much
quicker decision to strike. Again this knowledge
can be used to your advantage. You do not have to
be as precise in your selection of flies and you run
far less chance of spooking the trout. You can
relax a little on your presentation and your gauge
of tippet; however, you will still need to get your
fly over the fish because the fish isn’t going to
see it if you don’t place it right over him.
This is also the time of year where you can use
brighter color and bigger flies to attract the
fish. For this reason you can choose from a variety
of standard patterns including yellow stone flies as
well as bead headed and gold ribbed nymphs.
Yes, the fishing can be more difficult, but once you
find the fish and the correct pattern, don’t be
surprised if you have banner days.
Summer – Summer is the most associated with
fishing. Meadows with mountain wild flower, clear
water, singing birds, and rising trout are what one
pictures during the summer months. From late June
to early September you can expect to see a lot of
insect activity. Trout are active and dusk and dawn
fishing can be outstanding. Through the summer you
will want to have a number of patterns available as
the multiple insect hatches will make it all but
certain that the trout’s diet will be changing all
the time. July and early August are prime dry fly
fishing months. A variety of midge patterns,
caddis, and mayfly patterns will be needed. Sizes
tend to be in the 18-24 range, but if fishing is
slow and you don’t feel like striping a wooly bugger
or streamer, try a size 14-18 elk hair caddis or a
humpy along the banks, logs, and undercuts and
you’ll be surprised at the action.
If you want to bottom fish this time of year you can
try standard nymphs such as small brassies, pheasant
tail or hare’s ear nymphs, or even a San Juan worm.
Of course, you’ll always want to have an ugly wooly
bugger ready to go.
As the summer progresses into July and August
continue to rotate your dry flies and wet flies and
match the odd hatches as necessary. As you enter
August you can begin experimenting with larger
terrestrials such as grasshoppers and beetles. If
you get a strike on one of these larger patterns get
ready for a good fight as the trout will no doubt
slam the fly.
In September, you may want to go for the big
browns. Browns, especially big ones, like lakes and
deep calm water. They also are one of the few trout
that will feed at night. If you would like to try
some night fishing think big. Frog and Mouse
imitations may work and you better have strong
tippet and a lot of backing on your reel because if
a trout hits a pattern that big, you know it’s got
to have some size to it.
Fall – As fall approaches the daylight hours will
dwindle. Stream flows will vary depending on the
snow melt the winter before. If there was plenty of
snow melt, the stream may fish as a continuation of
the summer month with good dry fly action as well as
good bottom action; however, if it has been a dry
year, the water may be low. If the water is low the
fishing will be tougher and you can expect to find
trout holding in the deeper water. Nymph fishing
will tend to be tough but it’s worth trying a
rotation of small nymphs, a San Juan worm, and even
an egg pattern. And if that fails, go with the old
reliable elk hair caddis or humpy and surface fish
the deep undercuts.
You’ll need to adjust your approach as needed. One
thing to keep in mind is the fact that Browns and
Brook Trout spawn in the fall. You’ll most likely
find Brown in the water around the Ranch, but in the
small tributaries Brookies can be found as well.
The spawning season offers you a chance to land a
sizeable catch if you can find them in a feeding
mode. Also keep in mind that breeding season is
also fighting season. Fish are very territorial and
even if they are not hungry they may take a swipe at
an aggressive intruder which can be mimicked using a
flash tail wooly bugger or other colorful
streamers. Bright egg patterns and even a bright
scud pattern can lead to productive results.
As this case with Rainbows and Cutthroat in the
spring, we do encourage utmost responsibility and
care in the spawning seasons. Our waters are
classified as wild trout waters and are not
stocked. The spawn is of absolute
importance to the reproduction of trout in our
waters and trout tend to endure physical hardship
during this time period.
For these reasons we encourage the use of barbless
hooks and heavier tippet. Remember not to play the
fish to exhaustion, to wet your hands before
handling the fish, to keep the fish in the water as
much as possible and to adequately revive the fish
before setting it free by gently moving the fish
forward and backwards to generate the flow of water
through the gills. Another piece of advice is to
avoid walking across gravel stream bottom as these
areas tend to be where trout lay eggs. And if a fish
is actively spawning, don’t try catching it, leave
it alone so it can reproduce so you and your
grandchildren will have many more opportunities to
catch these fish.
One pattern to follow is as the daylight hours
become less, the fishing becomes more difficult.
Most people aren’t fishing in late fall, but hatches
still occur and you do get some good action in
spurts as fish try to feed up for the winter
months. The timing of the feeds tend to be less
predictable but more critical. You’ll generally
find that daytime hours have several feeding times.
Smaller nymphs and spinner patterns may be
productive, but as we have found if you can’t match
the hatch and aren’t getting any bites on the
bottom, tie on a humpy or elk hair caddis and fish
the banks and undercuts.
The streams will ice over
in the winter but if you do want to brave the elements and
happen to find some open water, try fishing a shrimp imitation
or a buggy stone fly like a halfback. You don't expect
much of a fight, but you may get lucky and pull out
a few fish.
At the Ranch, we have miles of stream that are not
heavily fished so you’ll have a much better chance
of landing a trout. We hope this guide helps you in
your quest for trout. Don't be afraid to ask
anyone at the Ranch for the "local knowledge" of
where the fishing hot spots are as well. |
