Report by: Ted Welling
New Regulation:
Dogs are prohibited on the
the boundary of Grand Canyon NP except when used in support of
hunting activities in accordance with applicable Federal and State laws.
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Today’s Fish rating
Upriver: 5.75
Walk-In: 4.0
Key: 1 = Go fish somewhere else
10 = Rent a helicopter and get here now!
Today Weather: Sunny with a high of 75 degrees
Today’s Crowd Rating: See Below
Upriver: 2.5
Walk In: 1.0
Key: 1 = Sleep late and fish where you want.
10 = Very crowded, get up early!
Today’s Fly Fishing: Another decent day of fishing here at lees ferry. We are still using the same approach to get to these fish if the flows are high we drift. Sometimes in the early afternoon the water will drop and you can find a place you can wade and get to the fish. I don’t mind drifting as long as the wind is not howling and you have capable casters on board. One misplaced cast can make really put the damper on the day, you know! Wearing a size 10 stimulator in your ear that your good buddy failed to de-barb isn’t all that much fun. Another way to get to these trout is to anchor off just above them and let the current take your flies down to them. Some times this may take a good long drift, only problem there is when you get that strike at 75 feet of drift it can be a challenge to set the hook. Sometimes you get out there and nothing goes right, first cast you’ve got a huge bird nest going on your brand new leader, get that out after 30 minutes of eye straining work. Next cast, right smack dab in the middle of a big bush….cus a few times and get that out. Re-rig and get another cast out, a perfect drift, Strike, you set, and you feel him there then…. NOTHIN’ . You didn’t pay attention while tying on those tiny flies and you lost your rig. Well that’s about the time I start digging into the ice chest! Another day’s fishing at lees ferry. Tight lines…. T
Releases from Glen Canyon Dam in April 2008 will average 10,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) through
(during early morning and late evening off-peak hours) and a high of 13,000 cfs (during late morning and early evening on-peak hours). On Saturdays and Sundays during this period, release fluctuations will likely vary between a low of 7,000 and a high of 12,500 cfs.
After
inflows to
Equalization tier, the annual release volume from Glen Canyon Dam will likely be greater than 8.23 maf and for the April 24-Month Study is projected to be 8.88 maf. The projected end of water year elevation of
Hydrologic conditions above
The current elevation of
Check out:
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Walk in: Sorry, no new reports. This is the latest. Anglers have done alright in the past few days. Just have to get the perfect amount of weight and depth along with a drag free drift. The scud has been working at the walk-in as well as worms and the zebra midge. One could even get tricky and use a dry and dropper rig. And when the flow hits around 1500 cfs in the lower section can be really fun. There is an area down here if we do have a decent hatch, and the water level is rite, the midges get trapped and using a dry-dropper rig is one heck of a lot of fun. If you are fishing this area, stop in and we’ll fill you in on the latest.
Spin Fishing: Spin fishing is still great! Stop in and pick up some egg patterns and ask us about the recommended rig and best areas to fish. We do have maps available in the fly shop as well.
Fishing Synopsis and Forecast by Terry Gunn
The high flow experiment was basically a non event as far as the fishery is concerned. It came and went with few visible changes to the river or the fishery. For more details and to see my complete comments go here: http://coloradoriverconservancy.org/
Lots of stuff happening at the Ferry and it is all good!
Important Note: Due to the higher than normal runoff conditions and the desire to equalize
It has been a very different spring than most years. The air (and water) temperatures have been much cooler than normal and as a result, the midge hatches occurred much later than in past years. The swallows did not arrive until the first week of April, the exact same time as the midges started to hatch (how do they know?!). The swallows normally arrive Feb. 28 and this is the latest arrival that I have seen in my 25 years on the river. Most of the ducks are still here and they should have migrated several weeks ago which tells me that it is going to be a cool spring going forward and winter is going to be hanging on later than normal
The trout spawn began in early December which we have not seen in several years. It was a good strong spawn until the start of the experimental flow. Immediately following the high flow experiment the trout spawn began in earnest. It looked like every fish in the river was spawning at once and was the strongest spawn that I have ever witnessed. It was an inspiring sight, fish spawning everywhere and in areas that I have not seen them use in years. The spawn occurred in mostly deep water (up to 40-ft. deep!) with very little shallow water spawning taking place. The deep water spawn should translate into a “bumper crop” of fry and the survival rate will likely be off the charts.
This is going to be a year to remember at Lees Ferry…there are so many good things happening at once which will make this THE YEAR that will set the stage for great fishing for years to come. First and foremost: the current snowpack in the Colorado River drainage is 121% of normal, (Lake Powell is predicted to rise 50-ft!) and if the ducks are an indicator as to whether winter is lingering, the snowpack is likely to continue to increase. When the snow melt begins in earnest, the streams that flow into
Here is a quick overview and prediction.
The high runoff will provide the river with a huge nutrient load that will result in tremendous growth of aquatic organisms and plants (trout food).
The current trout population is healthy and the fish are larger than we have seen in years. These fish will grow rapidly to a larger size with the arrival of the nutrients and food. The current average 17-in fish should grow at least a couple inches and we have a bunch of fish that are bigger than that. We will see lots of 20+-in fish in the river next year.
The spawn from 2007 survival rate was substantial; the river is currently full of 7 to 8-in fish and the increased productivity of the nutrients should arrive just in time to stimulate growth of these juvenile fish. These fish will be 12-in and larger by this next fall and be catchable. The nutrient load should last at least a couple years even if next year’s snow pack is below normal. One strange phenomenon regarding juvenile fish at Lees Ferry is that once the fry reach 3-in long, they “disappear” until they reach 12-in and then suddenly they reappear and populate normal fishing lies. We’ll be seeing these fish this next fall.
I have already told you about the trout spawn from this year. The number of trout fry will likely be off the chart and the survival should be good. The river conditions should be perfect for survival and growth of these young of the year fish and they will show up as 12-in or larger fish in the fall of 2009.
Higher water flows always provide better health and growth rates for trout at Lees Ferry. Due to the projected run-off and the desire to equalize
In the short term the higher water will make fishing conditions tougher. The trout normally stop feeding on sub-surface midges when the water flows exceed 12,000-cfs and the flows will exceed this value for the remainder of this season. The fish will shift their diet to worms and scuds in the higher flows which means we will be using heavy nymph rigs and be doing more drifting than wading.
For details on
For a real time graphic view of water releases and ramp rates go here: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/az/nwis/uv?09380000
Overall the trout are in great shape and the average size is larger than we have seen in several years. I predict that the size and condition of the fish will continue to improve this spring and summer and we should continue to see great fishing for the remainder of 2008 and into the future
New guides at Lees Ferry Anglers. The last couple of years we have had several long time guide staff move on to bigger and hopefully better things. This year I’m proud to introduce 4 new guides, though new to our organization they are not new to guiding. Luke Blaser, Nick Gibb, Tom Jones, and JD Miller have joined our team. They bring with them a couple of decades of combined guiding experience on various waters around the world, college degrees, and an enthusiasm for guiding that is contagious. I’m proud to introduce these fellows and I’m sure that you will agree that they are a great addition to our team.
The AZ Game and Fish Department recently detected whirling disease in a small percentage of Lees Ferry trout that were collected for a random sampling. A recent sampling turned up no sign of the disease, which may mean that it was a “one time” exposure, where the disease was not established or that the disease is present but at a very low prevalence. Anglers should still use caution in cleaning their equipment both before and after they have fished here or in other waters. For more information visit: http://www.whirling-disease.org
I have had some people that are fishing on their own (unguided) tell me that they are having a difficult time catching fish. The fishing has changed from the peak of 2000 and many people are not adapting to the new conditions. The current fish population is lower than it was in 2000 and there are not fish “everywhere” in the river like there were several years back (this is probably the reason that we are seeing better conditioned and larger fish today). Just because you might have been successful in one spot on the river in the past does not mean that particular spot is always good. There are many times of the year that the water flows, or conditions are not right to hold fish at “famous” spots such as 4 mile or
Lees Ferry Anglers - Fly Shop Specials:
“GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE”
*****CLOSEOUTS******
SIMMS WADERS- Travel Waders $89.95, Lightweight Waders $109.95, Half-finger Gloves $13.00, Women’s Classic Guide Waders $180.00, Wading Boots $50.00
EXOFFICIO- Men’s & Women’s Amphi Shorts $46.00
SMITH/ACTION OPTICS POLARIZED SUNGLASSES- 2006 discontinued models at 50% OFF
ROSS SPOOLS- 50% OFF
Cliff Dwellers Lodge:
Our lodge has rooms with cable TV (20 channels), in-room coffee, and the basic amenities. Choice of rooms are ONE king-size bed $80.00 plus tax, TWO doubles $75 plus tax, and TWO queen-size beds $85 plus tax for 1 to 2 people. Also our group unit we call the HOUSE, sleeps six with two baths, dining area, kitchen, patio with a view, and cable TV. We are excited about the cool fall season and have some great “black board” specials planned. Patio dining is available. (Enclosed in the winter months)
Meet the Guides:
THE GUIDES AND STAFF OF LEES FERRY ANGLERS have thousands of days on this water, and over 100 years combined fish-guiding experience. Captains’ Terry Gunn, Jeff English, Skip Dixon, Rick Smith, Natalie Jensen, Nick Gibb, J.D. Miller, Luke Blazer, and Tom Jones make up our guiding staff. Lees Ferry Anglers is proud of our fly-fishing guide team! Wendy Gunn, Natalie Jensen, Sandy Willie, Ted Welling, and Kris Stoudt work in the fly shop to provide you with the best customer service in the industry.
Email: anglers@leesferry.com
Lees Ferry Anglers
HC-67 Box 30
Toll Free 1-800-962-9755
Direct 1-928-355-2261
Fax 1-928-355-2271
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All rights reserved Lees Ferry Fishing Report
Terry Gunn
Lees Ferry Anglers Fly Shop, Guides, & Rentals
Cliff Dwellers Lodge
http://www.terrygunn.com
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800-962-9755