Jefferson – Considering the dire media predictions – erroneous, of course – for snow and cold across the region, the five dozen or so anglers who punched holes through the sheet at Tarryall Reservoir on Sunday deserved commendation for their diligence and dedication to ice fishing.
Also for their good sense in picking a location that promises a high component of action, albeit nothing special in the way of size. More about that later.
But there’s another line of thought at work here, one that slowly seeps into a slightly frozen brain in the course of several hours staring down a 10-inch hole.
The usual illusory weather forecasting aside, the real wonder is: Why wasn’t the crowd even larger?
Make all the jokes you want about fishing while perched on a slab of ice. Insert your favorite here.
But for all those shut-in outdoor types complaining about cabin fever and the long wait for spring, here’s a few things to ponder about an activity that deserves more attention. While you’re looking, you just might find some pearls of wisdom to help when the water again turns soft.
Such as:
To answer the first, it’s important to accept the reality of ice-fishing success. On a frigid December morning at Tarryall a year ago, I caught a trout every time I dropped my jig down the hole. In less than half an hour, I released an estimated 15 rainbows between 11 and 14 inches.
Would I rather have landed these in shirt- sleeves on a fly rod? You betcha. But could I ever have caught so many so quickly? Almost certainly not.
Which brings us to the crux of the ice riddle, which is the way an immovable station can be used to best advantage in giving a fish what it wants most. The key, as it is with every fishing form, is presentation.
Difference is, ice anglers have no choice. Unable to cover much water, they must maximize every opportunity that swims past. Each presentation must be the best. Generally speaking, ice fishermen pay more attention to what they’re doing than a great majority of summer anglers.
Mostly, they know how to tease, to make a small lure or fly perform in a tantalizing way that causes a fish to bite. In many cases, that means not much movement, or maybe none at all.
Which is precisely the larger lesson that should be gleaned from the ice. When fish aren’t responding well to moving presentations, slow down. It’s a philosophy demonstrated frequently by anglers who use indicators to suspend midge and mayfly nymphs on still water. But there are many other situations where a slow, teasing approach beats speed.
Which brings us back to Tarryall as the prime location in the area where such lessons can be learned. With a rich population of eager-eater trout up to 16 inches, it provides the repetitions needed to hone ice skills.
“I’ve been telling people all along that this is the place with the best catch rate,” said Jeff Spohn, the Division of Wildlife biologist who looks over the region. “If you want to teach kids to fish, this is the place to go.”
The reservoir, centerpiece of a state wildlife area, also offers the optimum in access. Just 165 acres, it invites ice anglers to move about exploring new locations, all with minimum effort and expense.
On Sunday, the bite gained momentum as the day progressed, rewarding anglers willing to persevere into the afternoon with a couple dozen hookups. Chalk that up to yet another lesson learned.
Charlie Meyers can be reached at 303-954-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com.
Pike return to Tarryall
They’re back.
Demonstrating the tenacity that marks them among the most successful fish species, northern pike have firmly re-established themselves in Tarryall Reservoir.
Biologists who prefer to manage the impoundment for trout fishing had hoped that the two years the lake spent drained dry might have solved the pike problem. But some of the tough predators apparently were hiding out farther upstream in Tarryall Creek. Anglers catch them sporadically, rarely as large as 2 feet long.
“There aren’t a ton of pike in the lake yet,” said biologist Jeff Spohn, who conducted electrofishing surveys earlier this year. “But I eventually expect them to return to historic levels.”
CHARLIE MEYERS
Icing on the lake
Colorado’s ice fishing season is off to something of a slow start, in large part because solid ice has been slow to form in several of the larger and more popular reservoirs. Here is a rundown of conditions at the beginning of the week:
Elevenmile: Nine inches of ice in the coves has attracted anglers, but not many bites. Kokanee action is fair and should get better as season progresses.
Green Mountain: Some open water remains toward midlake. Angling is concentrated near the inlet and toward the dam.
Granby: Ice has formed in Arapaho Bay, but much open water remains. The principal bite is for small lake trout.
Delaney Butte: South lake is producing the best numbers, with some over 20. East has been temperamental, but rewards anglers willing to move. North lake browns are typically difficult to deceive.
Lake John: The west shoreline is producing best for rainbows, with an occasional prize approaching 5 pounds. Action is best at 6 to 12 feet. North Park ice is the best in the state.
Stagecoach: Ice is 4 to 6 inches deep in the coves, thin toward midlake. Action hot for the 20,000 rainbows stocked Dec. 6.
Williams Fork: Dan Murphy of the Fishin’ Hole in Kremmling reports large swatches of open water. “Some guys are fishing the inlet, but I’m not brave enough to go out and ask how thick the ice is,” Murphy said, joking.
Wolford: Four inches near the inlet, where splake are biting at 8 feet; ice unsafe on the main lake.
