Well, its happening again, we are short of water. The Coyotte Gulch blog does a good job of summing up the current situation. A quick synapses: The next couple of weeks are very important to front range water plans. Plans are created and implemented locally, based upon water storage information from NCWC or Denver Water in the northern front range. Some cities have already started water management plans. Boulder is asking we don’t water lawns until May. Here is the link to more details: http://coyotegulch.wordpress.com/2013/03/21/drought-news-st-charles-mesa-water-district-on-voluntary-watering-restrictions-codrought/
Some bad news has come to fisherman over the weekend. Antero Reservior will be depleted of its water this year. The catch and keep limit was changed on Wednesday 3/20/13 from 2 fish to 8 fish with hopes to clear-out the lake of trout. The Colorado Springs Gazette has a good article: http://www.gazette.com/articles/dry-152376-reservoir-colorado.html
If this tells you anything, it should be to get out early in the season while water temperatures are low and fish are healthy. I have recently fished the S Platte, the Blue River, the Big Thompson and Boulder Creek in town. Fishing has been fantastic everywhere, but be careful where you walk because the rainbows are starting to spawn. The Big Thompson is experiencing fantastic mid-day dry fly midge fishing. The Blue and S Platte continue to be technical as ussual, but fish are starting to key-in on small mayflies more than midge.
Purchasing a temperature gage is of great importance as temperatures warm, most experienced fisherman will restrain from fishing if the water temperature goes above 68 degrees. Last season the Big Thompson canyon reached temperatures up to 72 degrees, and there were too many people still fishing it. As a guide I have to put people on fish, but when water temps are high, I can always move to higher altitude areas which are normally fishing fantastic on hot days. Get out and explore!
Chad Pettrone [email protected]