Tailwater Tango Day 1 - Mighty Rainbows & Mighty Fishermen of the Arkansas PT 10Apr15

A small portion of CoWW-dom approached the Pueblo Tailwater with anticipation. Most were not disappointed on a gorgeous spring day filled with midge and BWO hatches. Honorary member Superfly Haine was into a nice fish upstream from Nature Center parking in hole #2. After switching to a visible indicator, a drag-free drift of a smaller fuzz-ball thorax midge took the fish. Landing was deft (if one excuses the awkward leg squeeze on the net required)... awesome. Yoho was unfortunately thwarted - but his persistence was undeterred as his day two of the Tailwater Tango was productive (see next gr8fish entry). Entirely notable and delicious was the early PM lunch break at the Crusher consisting of habanero mango chicken brats, with Dave's fresh mango-chipotle salsa and roasted chilies - and other stuff like Yoho's sampler of IIPAs, including our first tasting of American Beauty (Dogfish Head barrel-aged with oats and almonds... almost cracked open for breakfast). We carefully navigated to Valco Ponds after lunch and fished till about 5:30pm. There were fishermen around but we were able to find some feeding lanes and catch some fish. Frankly GR8 Fish Man Dave slayed 'em with 3-4 twenty inch (or bigger) mighty rainbows netted and a passel more smaller but still huge. The 'bows are fat and strong now on the PT and many sport the tough looking kype jaw from spawning activity. A number of flies worked but far out-catching the sparkle wing RS2 and the KF Flasher was the #24 Awesome midge again - this bug on tailwaters is just technically devastating. We stopped at The Drift to get Rob a license early and he was provided weaponry to "outfish the locals;" hmmm, Springtime in the Rockies baby.