There are pictures that are worth more than a thousand words. This just came in and bumped Richard Plemmons report down a notch. I don’t know exactly what we are looking at here. A hoax? Those teeth sure look ivory. Heck of a deal. Look out National Enquirer!

I had the good fortune of fishing with Coloradoan Richard Plemmons earlier this year on the Blue River in Oklahoma. Richard was in Denton, Texas, of all places – for a few weeks visiting his daughter, and he jumped at the chance for a trout fix on the Blue. The trip resulted in a first ever Golden Trout for Richard and that 20 inch brooder that I managed to deceive with a monster crawfish fly – or as a comrade called it – BAIT.

Richard’s e mail report:

Eleven Mile Canyon

I went fishing on the 19th too. We went to 11M canyon. We fished in the tail water below the dam for Eleven Mile resevoir.

Tom and I left the house about 8:30. Drove to about 2 hours through Colorado Springs, West through Woodland Park, with a pottie stop and then on west on 24 to Lake George where you turn south at the only intersection in the wide spot in the road. Then a half mile to turn up the canyon and eight miles to parking. We arrived about 10:15, piled out and started putting on layers. It was 26 degrees and 4-5 inches of old snow on the ground. The snowpacked road wasn’t particularily slick but 4 wheel was nice. We managed to not slide off the road.

A pair of long handles, a pair of running pants and a pair of fleece pants underneath the waders for the lower torso. An underwear shirt , 2 fleece shirts and a sweat shirt hoodie for the upper followed by vest over the waders. Oh yes a gaiter for my neck. Fingerless gloves for my hands that barely did their job.

Get out the 3 wt and get on some nymphs. Yung Special and Flashers, size 24 on 6x tippet. Step over to the stream and see a school right away. We threw every thing we had at them and didn’t get any to notice. Moved on down the stream to a hole we know. Caught 3-4 out of it. 12-14 inches one was 16. I had changed nymphs by then from red and blonde to a black and a brown. Two at a time you know. They seemed to prefer the brown but caught some on both. Ice formed in the line guides on a regular basis. It doesn’t take you long to realize when the line won’t feed out that some ice may be the cause. We had to pick it out with our fingers, literally breaking it out. Sometimes you could get away with dipping you rod in the water but eventually it had to be picked. We fished until about 3 when the sun started going behind the clouds and the hill and it got cool. All in all I caught about a dozen and, Tom, Who always out fishes me caught several more than I, so it was a great day. We got home about 6:00.

No pictures, I forgot my camera. Winter fishing is a lot of fun because there aren’t very many people there so you have your pick of the stream, It is very different from other times of the year. It certainly takes a few more clothes.

Merry Chrismas and Happy New Year
Richard

Richard had described this destination to me on our local journeys, and the image above is from his most recent venture to the San Juan River Navajo Quality Waters – a place I have seen, and have yet to fish. I am looking for any takers on a cold winter trip to the Quality Waters.I say it is his most recent venture – he’s probably out today.