Author: Ed

NBFF May Meeting – May 26th, 7:00 pm

Once again, Darryl Yarbrough has reserved the Summit’s pavilion for meeting on May 26th at 7:00 pm. The Summit is located at 13105 River Road and the pavilion is behind the clubhouse/pool area.

We will have a short business meeting followed by the “Casting Rodeo” once again.  Seems as if all enjoyed last time so we will try it again.  Hopefully, there will be less wind this time (that’s my excuse).  Points awarded for accuracy and distance.  Top 3 will win prizes and a special prize for last place.  So…..bring you favorite rod and let’s have some fun.

Sorry for the short notice but I have been out of town for a few days.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Colorado Parks and Wildlife enacts emergency fishing closure on heavily fished portion of Yampa River below Stagecoach Reservoir
OAK CREEK, Colo. – Due to critically low water flow caused by dry conditions and minimal snowpack levels, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) will implement a mandatory fishing closure on a 0.6-mile stretch of the Yampa River between the dam at Stagecoach State Park downstream to the lowermost park boundary.

The closure begins May 25 and will continue until further notice.

“Should the flow rate increase substantially for a continuous period of time, CPW will re-evaluate the emergency fishing closure,” said CPW Senior Aquatic Biologist Lori Martin. “But because of the current conditions, we need to take this course of action now.”

CPW works closely with the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District (UYWCD), who owns and operates Stagecoach Reservoir, to stay informed on reservoir releases and monitor drought conditions. UYWCD is finalizing a contract with the Colorado Water Trust for environmental releases later in the year.

“Timing (environmental releases) is critical to the health of the river system,” said UYWCD General Manager Andy Rossi. “We manage the reservoir and collaborate with our partners to ensure that water is available and legal mechanisms are in place to release water when the river needs it most. Unfortunately, flows are already low, but hot and dry summer months are still to come,” said Rossi.

Water releases are currently only at 20% of average, and will be dropping to less than 15% of average for this time period. When water flows are minimal, fish become concentrated in residual pool habitat and become stressed due to increased competition for food resources. The fish become much easier targets for anglers, an added stressor that can result in increased hooking mortality.

“We are trying to be as proactive as possible to protect the outstanding catch-and-release fishery we have downstream of Stagecoach Reservoir,” said CPW Area Aquatic Biologist Bill Atkinson. “This stretch of the river receives a tremendous amount of fishing pressure, especially in the spring when other resources might not be as accessible. This emergency closure is an effort to protect the resource by giving the fish a bit of a reprieve as they can become quite stressed during these extreme low-flow conditions. This spring we have not witnessed a spike in flows, which can offer fish protection and allow them to recoup energy following the spring spawn season.”

CPW advises anglers to find alternative areas to fish until the order is rescinded. Many other local areas will become more fishable soon as runoff tapers down. Several area lakes are also opening and should be fishing well.

CPW asks for cooperation from anglers, who should be aware the mandatory fishing closure will be enforced by law with citations issued for anyone violating the order.

Wildlife officials warn when a fish population is significantly affected by low stream flows or other unfavorable environmental conditions, it could take several years for it to fully recover if not protected. Given the extreme drought conditions we are currently faced with, other stretches of river in this area may be subject to additional closures this season.

Like many rivers and streams in western Colorado, the Yampa River offers world-class fishing and attracts thousands of anglers each year, providing a source of income to local businesses that depend on outdoor recreation.

“We ask for the public’s patience and cooperation,” said Stagecoach State Park Manager Craig Preston. “It is very important that we do what we can to protect this unique fishery, not only for anglers, but for the communities that depend on the tourism these resources support.”

For more information, contact Stagecoach State Park at 970-736-2436, or CPW’s Steamboat Springs office at 970-870-2197.

For more information about fishing in Colorado, including alternative places to fish, visit the CPW website.

May meeting – “What’s in your fly box?” – San Gabriel River

Event by San Gabriel Fly Fishers
San Gabriel Park is the location
Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 7 PM CDT
Price: Free
Public  location is the San Gabriel Park, see link above
For our meeting we will be having our first “What is in your fly box?” presentation focusing on our local water, the San Gabriel. Many of us have our go-to flies and I have asked a few of our members to share their top 5 fly patterns for fishing the San Gabriel with us. If you are new to fly fishing, or new to the area, you will not want to miss this.
In regards to COVID 19.
We will be having this meeting outside.
Please bring a chair.
Please continue to practice social distancing.
Please bring a mask if you are within 6 feet of someone.
A mask will not be required.

Minutes of April NBFF Meeting

Meeting was held 04/28/2021 at the Summit Resort Pavilion.

Dan Cone called the meeting to order at 7:10 pm.

The fly raffle netted $47.00.

Brien John couldn’t attend the meeting but emailed Ron DeMeyer that he would be filing the club’s Texas Franchise Taxes this week.

Pat McQuinn, Director of Membership, reported that we had 31 members.

Ron said that the outing on the Guadalupe had five members attend and that a few trout and sunfish were caught.  He also said that it was a cold and windy day.

Rather than a speaker, there was a “Casting Rodeo” consisting of three stations.  John Schlobohm was the winner.  Everyone had a good time participating and it was suggested that we should do this again.

You can ditch the 5X tippet

Fly fishing bass against the shoreline is one of fly fishing’s best adventures.  The finesse of dropping your fly inches from the reeds, letting it sink just right…. twitch twitch…. WHAM!  It’s an addicting process yet requires an extremely simple tackle setup.  You can ditch the 5X tippet, split shot, floatant, 2-fly rigs, and strike indicators.  Talk about a breath of fresh air!

Combine some opps at lunker largemouth with some panfish kickers here and there and that’s a fine day on the lake.  We encourage everyone to set some time aside and try to catch a bass of reasonable size this spring. Set a realistic goal, and stick with it!

Simple Tackle Setup for Bass

  • #6 – #8 Fly Rod and Reel w/ Floating Line
  • Bass Leader – For the cost, this is a must.  It’s a cheap way to help your fly turnover correctly.
  • Strong Tippet Material
  • Flies – You don’t need a lot, but they should be good patterns.
  • Video of Proper Bass Setup

  • A Proper Setup for Largemouth Bass

    While I personally prefer the #6, which is really considered a 6+, the #7 is a wonderful choice for anglers buying this rod specifically for bass without overlap into trout fishing.  The right style of rod makes casting these big flies easier and more enjoyable.  If you enjoy this type of fishing, you’ll stick with it long enough to become good at it and succeed.