LAKE GEORGE — Anticipating a late run of rainbow trout, Zach Shpall’s pulse quickened as he approached the long, dark shapes finning in strong current at the inlet to Elevenmile Reservoir.
It took only a moment to realize his mistake. These fish weren’t trout on a late spawning mission spurred by the heavy flow. Instead, they were carp. Very large carp.
Shpall actually is a fancier of carp caught on fly rods, one of the fastest-growing elements of North American angling.
But he and his little group had declared a strong intention to search for trout; today was not the time for ol’ rubber lips.
A short time later they heard a man in a high state of excitement tell of seeing several big lake trout swimming in shallow water near the Elevenmile boat ramp.
Such distinctive events point up the remarkable diversity of one of Colorado’s most productive reservoirs, where emphasis at least temporarily has drifted from ship to shore.
A publicized die-off of kokanee has been replaced in large part by a rainbow bloom that in turn represents just part of a rich bouillabaisse that keeps anglers wondering what to try for next.
When Colorado Division of Wildlife biologist Jeff Spohn peeked into his sampling nets Tuesday, he found a healthy crop of rainbows ranging from 14 to 18 inches, proof that his earlier plants had paid solid dividends.
Two smaller catchable classes of Snake River cutthroat also are doing well, and a future boost will come from a wealth of rainbow-cutthroat hybrids happily chewing their way up the size ladder.
Although Elevenmile anglers still catch more rainbows, it is the others that offer the most promise, at least in terms of size.
“Cuttbows and Snake River cutts are growing faster than rainbows in all our South Park impoundments,” Spohn reported. “You see it at Antero as well.”
Spohn believes genetics, the difference in strains of fish, is the dominant factor in a trend that seems to extend to Spinney Mountain Reservoir, where only rainbow trout are stocked.
Spohn’s largest catch was a 24-inch cuttbow, the largest brown trout a 22-incher.
“But we know there are some monster browns in the lake. We see them in the river in the fall when we take our kokanee spawn.”
Kokanee remain a sticky subject in the wake of a die-off caused by gill lice. An infestation that began in 2006 and peaked last year killed many of the older age classes.
“It didn’t wipe out every kokanee, but trolling for larger fish will be slow,” Spohn said.
The biologist predicts kokanee fingerlings stocked in April 2007 will reach acceptable size for next winter’s ice fisherman.
“Trollers will catch a few rainbows in deeper water, but most of the action will be along the weeds in the shallow bays and along the rock outcrops,” he said.
His recommendation: match the fly hatch or toss small spinners and Rapalas.
The thing at Elevenmile is that you never know what you’re going to catch.
Charlie Meyers: 303-954-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com
