Written by: Bob Reece, Reece’s Thin Air Angler
It took just the slightest twitch of a crayfish pattern to entice this bad boy to strike.
Photo by Bob Reece
The lakes in North Park, Colorado are just starting to crack. The areas of open water are slim but very much fishable. I saw this fish cruising in about 10 inches of water, so I cast my Ritts Fighting Crayfish into its path. The brown charged the fly and stopped dead in front of it. I stripped, and he charged and stopped. He did this for about 10 feet. I decided to switch it up and gave the line the slightest tug. The fish devoured the fly, which at that point was four feet away from the lake shore and my crouched form. It was an awesome thing to watch and a great learning experience.
Here’s another shot of the brownies, as well as a rainbow I caught, as well:
Bob Reece is a junior-high science teacher from Cheyenne, Wyoming, who spends his summer guiding for North Park Anglers in Walden, Colorado. He also works with the Cheyenne branch of Project Healing Waters and runs a fly-fishing club for 7th and 8th grade students at the school where he works. You can learn more by visiting his Reece’s Thin Air Angler Facebook page.