Muddy Ck - New Grand Co Tailwater 05Sep16

Back fishing hard after a great Labor Day WE of concerts. It was a clear, warm but windy day in the mountains as I headed a smidge north of Kremmling to try a new tailwater named Muddy Ck, a tributary of the Colorado, not unlike Williams Fk or the Blue. Muddy Ck is a the effluent of Wolford Rez. Not a pretty name and not really a pretty place - though a decent fishery. The name came before the reservoir, which might've cleaned the stream, but still this day recent rains stained the river. There are two public access points and I fished both - immediately below the dam first. I hiked down to the private boundary and fished back upstream a mile or so. The river here is slow, choked with growth, but cold. It's not abundant with fish biomass though I caught some great fish among a bounty of 3 fish/hour and mostly 14" rainbows. However I caught a pretty big and strong rainbow and nice 16" german brown too - on purple midge and rainbow warrior.

Then I moved down to the downstream access (off #227 dirt road) and had lunch before reengaging. Here I was hoping to call up migrating big browns from the Colorado. I again hiked down a mile and fished back up. The complexion of this section was about the same as to flow & flatness but seemingly had some deeper sections. I was armed again with the Winston 4 weight for flinging dries - and a nice foam hopper (a number of which I encountered on the hike in). I didn't catch anything but lost two 30" giants ~ my heart is OK. The other dozen or so similar prehistoric beasts I spied, I'd spooked. Bummer the place is kind of ugly, slow and flat (not covering up my crap casts). Good day on new water though.