Silver Creek on the Double R Outlook
DOUBLE R FISHING . . . . .
It won’t be long now! Opening Day is only a week away. Everything on the Ranch is ready for your arrival. The surrounding hills and fields are green due to several recent rain storms, wild flowers are blooming and a variety of birds have made their return. The creek is really low, about 75 to 80 cfs due to the low level of the aquifer and less than an average snowpack. There are mud flats along the creek’s bank in some locations but it looks like one can float tube down the deeper channels. The 10 day forecast is for some warm weather and they are irrigating in the upper valley, so the creek may rise a bit before Opening Day. Plan on focusing on the deeper stretches of the Ranch water.
We are blessed with a deeper Kilpatrick Pond featuring more fishable water so there will be some exciting still water options this year. We are going to construct a gravel road along the Pond’s north bank that will allow you to access the newly dug channel. More handrail and boardwalk access facilities are in the planning stage. The banks and new islands of the Pond have been planted with 17,000 plants; all we need is some rain.
I have been driving the Ranch water 4 or 5 times a day to scare off dozens of pelicans. During the past three weeks I have observed a nice midge hatch that can come off anytime between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. The past two days I have seen fish rising to Blue Winged Olives. Today I sighted some Baetis spinners all along the field (i.e. at Beats 10 thru 3). Trout have also been rising on the lower end of Kilpatrick Pond. The two foot long Tiger trout (cross between a Brown and a Brook trout) has returned and is hanging out by the Gazebo Bridge along with a dozen 20 inch plus Brown trout and some mid-size Rainbows.
I plan on making daily blog entries during the season. The next entry will be posted just before Opening Day. When we run into each other on the Creek, let me know what information is most helpful to you. Stop by the trailer at any time to chat, tie flies or drink a beer. Be sure to pick up your hang down tag and information packet at the Picabo Angler shop.
Tight lines!
Doug Andres
Stream Keeper