Here I am sitting inside, looking out to the snow-covered streets thinking, I want to go fishing! Some of the most relaxing days I have had have been during the dead of winter. There is something exciting and peaceful about hiking through some snow in order to throw some small midge patterns to the seemingly sleepy trout piled up in the deep holes. Most days there are few to no fellow anglers out on the water, unless you head out to more popular locations like Cheesman Canyon. I have been there on 20 degree days where there have been more anglers than I have seen during the summer. Regardless, I find myself fishing there most often during the winter time as it is a fairly short drive from Denver.
There is something so special about the canyon that brings me back time and time again. The something is a combination of many aspects that make fishing fun. First and foremost, my blood always gets going when I look down and see some very big fish and many of them. That sight instantly makes my brain go into hunting mode, looking around for the best route to get situated in order to make a cast. I find myself crawling on all fours, scaling slippery rocks in the middle of the river, and always looking where my shadow will be cast.
This is where the second piece comes in. Knowing that Cheesman holds the reputation for some of the smartest, heavily-fished trout in CO, it should be no surprise that sometimes you wonder why your perfect cast and mend combo yielded no strike. I find fishing in this moment to be at its hardest, as you tinker with the amount of split-shot on the line, change flies one size smaller and concentrate on the fish below. Sometimes the strike never comes from the wily old trout, but knowing that he may just take your #24 Black Beauty keeps your adrenaline pumping. When the strike does come, all of the challenges of winter fishing are forgotten.
The final component of winter fishing that always amazes me is the scenery. If you are lucky enough to find yourself on the river the day after a fresh snow, you too will understand the definition of tranquility. Everything around you is silent and covered in a fresh coating, and all you hear is the river underneath you.
This is why I find myself putting on extra layers in order to get out and stand in a river.
