Hartsel – Blame it on the Easter Bunny. Or, in a more convoluted search for reproach, the west wind.
Whatever the cause, attendance at Sunday’s opening of the Spinney Mountain Reservoir fishing season will be recorded as the lowest ever, perhaps for all time.
Only a scattering of anglers showed up for an occasion that typically attracts several times as many. A lake once touted as the greatest spot for large trout in the country seemed strangely empty. Fishermen who in other years jostled elbow-to-reel-handle for prime position now wandered loose and maybe even lonely. At times, it seemed the place held more pelicans than people.
A signal event that seems to thrive as much as a festival as for actual fishing had a hollow feel to it. This came in part because, with the spectacle missing, the fish catching didn’t make up the difference.
In keeping with what has been a three-year lull, the Spinney opener failed to produce the fireworks for which it was known fondly and for so long.
The major difference in these three years has been the general absence of fish close to shore, where a great majority of anglers prefer to be. Except for a couple of hot spots, bank fishing was unexceptional. Those in the right place with the right flies caught a fair number of fish. That very few of these measured 20 inches is another troubling aspect of the recent trend.
One thing should be set straight. Spinney holds good numbers of fine fish, as evidenced by strong catch rates last year throughout a season that lasts into November. Those landed Sunday, mostly in the 17- to 19-inch range, were fat and full of fight.
It’s just that something about opening day has changed. A year ago, anglers in boats or float tubes – particularly those using lures – caught plenty of fish. On Sunday, only a half-dozen boats were launched, and tubers were conspicuous by their absence.
Colorado State Parks rangers counted just 111 vehicles overall, a figure that doubtlessly reflected preoccupation with another festivity, Easter Sunday. Then there was the fact that parks officials made the decision to open hurriedly, when a Thursday windstorm unexpectedly swept the reservoir free of ice. The Friday announcement missed the outdoor sections of both Denver dailies. Stormy weather along the Front Range also contributed to the thin turnout. A year ago, 347 vehicles were counted.
Jeff Spohn, biologist with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, estimates that overall trout numbers are considerably higher than in recent years, but offers no reason for the change in opening-day patterns.
Charlie Meyers can be reached at 303-954-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com.
