11 Mile Canyon 4/02/2010

[farcefiasco]

Pulled up short of the catch and release section at some of my favorite holes that a lot of guys overlook on their way to the "good area." Once again, the deadly combo was a pink san juan on top with a #20 RS2 on bottom underneath a single split shot. Did well in a short amount of time, netting several rainbows and a brown all in the 10-14" and LDRing a couple more.

After the last rainbow I was ready to leave, but got hung up on that "one more cast" and had to traverse the river to free it, which put me in a good position to throw a drift to some deep water next to a couple boulders. Felt a good tug, set the hook and saw a nice long flash of silver and started to get excited. After a couple minute battle, I got her close to the surface and then I got really excited, not by the size, but by what'd I just caught:

My very first Northern on a fly, fair hooked in the top lip, amazingly, without cutting my line. I decided to let that really be my last cast and left for home.

 

[mcnerney]

Nice fishing report and northern pike, congrats!

Larry

 

[yatahey]

Congratz on the toothy critter. I talked by email with the DOW biologist for the S Platte last week about pike in 11 mile canyon. He said with the ice melting first at the dam, the pike are sunning themselves in the warming open water. Many (estimated 500-800) get washed over the spillway and into the river. He said this happens every year but I've never noticed it before, and he said they won't stay long and will make their way down river to the lakes at Lake George.
There is no size or bag limit on pike in the river and can be kept even in the C&R area.
I've seen pics of pike over 40" on another board in the last couple weeks.

 

[mcnerney]

Congratz on the toothy critter. I talked by email with the DOW biologist for the S Platte last week about pike in 11 mile canyon. He said with the ice melting first at the dam, the pike are sunning themselves in the warming open water. Many (estimated 500-800) get washed over the spillway and into the river. He said this happens every year but I've never noticed it before, and he said they won't stay long and will make their way down river to the lakes at Lake George.
There is no size or bag limit on pike in the river and can be kept even in the C&R area.
I've seen pics of pike over 40" on another board in the last couple weeks.

Yat: Thanks for sharing the information, I had never heard of Pike in the canyon but then I haven't fished there since the 80's.

Larry

 

[farcefiasco]

Thanks for the info. There was another Pike hanging around the shallow water just upstream. A couple of guys were trying to either catch him or snag him with some big leech patterns, hard to tell from where I was.

That particular pike was pretty scarred and banged up, so I figured I'd let him continue the fight for a while longer, despite never having ate one and hearing nothing but good things about their tasty meat. I may grab the 7 weight and take to the shallows up at 11 Mile and Spinney and catch some to find out soon, though.

 

[Ard]

fiasco,

I don't wish to sound off all negative on this topic but.............everywhere I have ever lived or fished there is nothing good about Pike being introduced into trout or salmon water. I harvest salmon and release all trout and steelhead but I do however kill pike when I find them in trout or salmon water.

Pike fishing in a lake that is full of them is fun but seeing them as a predator in cold water wild trout habitat is not a good thing. Good to hear the catch excited you but I'd kill the next one or two or....................

Ard