Ice Off 2015
As I sit at the vice in early March trying to fill my boxes with bugs to get through the coming season I can’t help but reflect on the below average winter and mild skiing conditions. I scribble in my journal that our snow-pack is hovering around 90% of normal and we’ve had more temperatures above freezing than below. Which, with my luck has resulted in skinnier ski’s and mogul runs rather than the infamous Colorado Powder Days (arrrrr). As a Fishing Guide in Colorado we’re always in-tune with the snow-pack and water conditions. Trying to stay positive I sneak a peek into my journal at years passed to compare notes that featured mild winters with less than 100% snow-pack. To my gratitude our fishing seasons on lesser winters were actually longer/better and for whatever reason presented higher numbers of “Big Fish”. This puts a smile on my face and electrifies my excitement for the coming season. It’s funny how news and weather reports can skew our view on what lies ahead of us when the truth is that every year is different and things are constantly changing. The real challenge in all of this is adapting to the changing seasons and taking advantage of what’s in front of us. For me it was becoming a better mogul skier this year instead of not skiing at all, which, in the end will make all of my skiing experiences better. Another positive that I have to take note of and keeps my bobbin spinning is that “old man winter” is finally showing up. With a recent blast of cold weather and champagne powder my fatter powder skis are finally getting time to shine. With a good 8 weeks before we hit our “peak date” for winter, I begin daydreaming about the warmer days ahead and the amazing fishing that is soon to be HERE.
Currently the local lakes have about 12-15 inches of ice which on normal (whatever that is) years is 25-30 inches this time of year. We’re expecting a decent water year and with the late start to winter we’re guessing the fisheries will open earlier this year and our fishing season could start in late March rather than our typical April. This could all change with erratic weather but this is where the crystal ball is sitting right now.
Soon ice edges will start to recede then oxygen levels and water temps will begin to rise which will offer the fish a glimpse of brighter days ahead. Usually by this point in time the fish have been under an ice cap for 6 months with depleting oxygen levels almost completely shutting off their metabolisms. Once the ice start to come off, the fish get a breath of fresh air and quickly they become very hungry. For a brief period of time (1-3 weeks) the fare will be less important to the trout than the job of just packing on as much food as they can. This is great for anglers because pattern selection and presentation become less important which is a good thing after a long winter of making turns not casts. During ice-off persistence is the name of the game, just equip yourself with some extremely warm gear, get out there and keep at it. Sometimes the fish are in tight feeding like crazy and others it seems like there’s not a fish in the lake but trust us, it’ just a matter of time and you may catch the biggest trout of your life… or the most.
Ice-off is a magical time here in North Park at the areas trophy lakes (Delaney Buttes and Lake John) and we invite you to get up here and check it out. Here at the shop we keep daily tabs on the conditions and will begin reporting what we know as soon as we catch a glimpse of open water. We’ll produce a map highlighting conditions that will be featured on FB, Instagram, and our North Park Fishing Report page of our website. We’ll also post pictures we gather of the trophies being caught so feel free to send them to us or post them using #iceoffdelaney2015. Hopefully there are a few more powder days in store but soon ski racks will be replaced with rod vaults and a new season will be upon us…
Looking forward to 2015, Fish On! Scott Graham
