Zone 2 and 3 wading and water temp

[wadeaddict]

Hello everyone. New to the board. Actually new to any board  I have never posted a question on the internet before. Another sign of just how much fly fishing has affected me. Workaholic for 65 years and took up FF in Colorado this summer. Now - 7 fly rods and reels (3wt two 4s, a 5, 6 and two 7's for big rivers and streamers). Been hiking and fishing the Rockies - watching countless videos instruction videos and I am officially addicted. Enough about me.

I am headed to LMFork this week and am really looking forward to fishing in the cold and rain Wednesday. Get to use all my gear that day. This will be my 3rd trip to the area in the last month. Only fished Zone 1 so far and has been awesome. But I want to explore 2 or 3 this trip - or both. I've been intimidated by the power plant releases and the reputation for deep water and crazy rock mine fields. I plan to call each morning to get the release info before I go out. My guess is the rocks can't be that much worse than the rocks around the swim area just above the power plant - have waded both sides for the bridge there. Patagonia tractor boots, Costa sunglasses and wading stick are my best friends. And go SLOW.

Any advice from anyone on where to fish zones' 2 or 3? I am in great shape for my age and am used to 10 mile hikes at alpine elevations in Colo. I have all day Wed and Thurs - by myself and don't plan to do anything other than fish and watch eagles fish. Thanks for any help.

Best,

Larry

[huntnfish2much]

Larry, welcome to the forum and welcome to the addiction. If you’re looking for some solitude, Zone II is the place to go. I don’t know how well it’s being stocked, but Z2 can be a great place to fish.

I like swinging streamers and soft hackles in the tail-outs in that Zone. There’s always the possibility of catching a nice hold-over fish. Many of the trout move into deeper holes when temperatures rise, and they’re well out of reach at those times. As temperatures drop and oxygen levels rise, the fish return to the riffles, waterfalls and chutes that Z2 is known for. Thread midges fished below a strike indicator can also be productive.

You may be surprised at just how slick the rocks are in Z2. I believe they’re even slicker than the rest of the river. You definitely want to use a wading staff!!

There are some distinct and notable areas to fish in Z2. The first area is directly below the Old Park Dam. It can be very productive. Next, you’ll see ‘The Chutes’ as you’re walking downstream. Then you’ll come to ‘The Rock Garden’ which is pocket water. Downstream from there is the ‘Steven Tyler Tree’ or ‘Lips Tree’ area. It’s a long, fairly shallow riffle. That area is actually best fished from the opposite side of that riffle. There’s an undercut bank on the side closest to the road, and fish will lie in that area.

I’m giving away too many secrets, so good luck with your new addiction! Maybe I’ll see you on the water... especially if you are fishing Zone II.

JR

[wadeaddict]

Very generous with this information and so appreciated. Obviously I plan to put them all back - and regardless of size. I'll let them know of your introduction if I am lucky enough. Thx again. 

[dannys]

JR: When I was fishing up there frequently (a few years ago), that tree was known as the "Mick Jagger" tree. Funny how even the ID of a tree changes over time. I'm actually surprised it's still identifiable. That said--it was one of my favorite Z2 areas back then, even though I saw more Copperheads along that trail section than any other.

[huntnfish2much]

Nov 30, 2020 17:39:20 GMT -6 dannys said:

JR: When I was fishing up there frequently (a few years ago), that tree was known as the "Mick Jagger" tree. Funny how even the ID of a tree changes over time. I'm actually surprised it's still identifiable. That said--it was one of my favorite Z2 areas back then, even though I saw more Copperheads along that trail section than any other.

Doubt there’ll be any copperheads out with recent temps, but yes... I have seen my share down there. In fact, a guy I was fishing with went after a copperhead in the shallow riffles, and as he raised a rock to smash it, he lost his footing. From the angle I was watching, I could have sworn he hit his head on a big rock.

He scrambled to his feet, only to fall again. Thank God the snake was trying to get away. He could have easily been bitten. It was a BIG copperhead!

I will say, though, that LMF doesn’t have HALF the snakes that the Blue River has!

JR

[wadeaddict]

Hello guys - more good info for a newbie - I plan to keep my eyes open but counting on low temps to be my friend with snakes. I plan to be fishing in the Rockies May through Oct based out of my Estes Park house. Bears, cougars - slips and falls and sheer exhaustion are the challenges there. Bears and cougars extremely rare - but I do keep my eyes open. One fiesty bear last year.

I'll be in zone 2 this week. Look for the guys untangling his wind knots and doing a little fishing. Thanks again !!

[gui]

Welcome Larry!

The LMF truly is an awesome and unique river to fish for us fly-fishing enthusiasts (ie addicts...) living within a 3-5 hours drive.
What I like the most (second to the LMFR browns) is the variety of water types that you can fish.
Zone II is where I always go for my streamer fix. As mentioned by JR, swinging a streamer across the tail-outs can be very productive. I've caught also a few nice smallies this way down there, which always get me pumped.

If you like to look at satellite imagery as much as I do before going fishing and own an Apple device, Apple maps may have the most updated and detailed imagery of the area. In particular, Apple maps imagery is post-flood while Google maps is pre-flood. 

Good luck out there!

Gui

[golferjeff]

LARRY - I spent almost the entire summer in Colorado, albeit south of I-70. A few bears, but the dangerous animal for me was moose and elk. One ill-tempered baby bull moose chased after Magick. The elk just spook so easily and don't care if you are in their way.

You will like zone II, especially in December thru February. Far fewer fish, but wilder, bigger, and more natural. Gui is our resident aerial maps expert, trust his input. Copperheads really aren't a problem in my book. Unless you step on one, they want nothing to do with humans. They are such beautiful creatures.

For reliable generation schedules, also check out www.swpa.gov. They will tell you times and units of generation for the whole network, not just Broken Bow.

Welcome to the addiction.

[wadeaddict]

Thank golferjeff and Gui - the apple map showing current is awesome. Tomorrow in the cold and rain should test me hard - but that's part of the fun. Thank you so much for the help.