| The "Dream Stream" section of the South Platte River | | | | Tube, Yum Wounded Mega Tube, and Zoom's Big |
| is a beautiful winding stream that's filled with trophy | | | | Tube, to name a few. Color schemes are endless, but |
| trout. Deep bends filled with large boulders and logs | | | | the colors that produce the best results are white with |
| are typical fishing holes in this section of the South | | | | black flakes, black, and pumpkinseed. Some people |
| Platte. The nickname "Dream Stream" is a perfect | | | | prefer to Texas rig their tubes with an offset hook, but |
| description of this tailwater fishery.Like most famous | | | | for fishing the Dream Stream the hooks made |
| tailwater fishing rivers, the Dream Stream gets a lot of | | | | specifically for using tube jigs are much more practical. |
| pressure from fly fisherman. It's not uncommon on | | | | With the weight hidden inside the tube and the eyelet |
| weekends for parking lots to be filled, and every bend | | | | of the hook barely showing it makes for a more |
| of the first two miles of the river having a fly | | | | natural presentation.Before we get down to the nitty |
| fisherman in it...all in search of those trophy fish for | | | | gritty of fishing the Dream Stream, lets cover an |
| which this section of water is reknowned.As a spin | | | | invaluable tool for stream fishermen. Polarized glasses |
| fisherman, its intimidating to read the reports on the | | | | are a must for river fishermen in Colorado. They not |
| Dream Stream. All they usually talk about are these | | | | only protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays, |
| tiny little flies that the super educated trout | | | | but will help you see fish that otherwise would go |
| "microscope over" before biting. While spin fishing its | | | | unnoticed. Although they can be pricey, a good pair of |
| impossible to delicately present a tiny fly with a drag | | | | polarized lenses will, without a doubt, will help you catch |
| free drift using a clear bubble. Your standard trout | | | | more fish. I never fish a river or stream without my |
| spinners and spoons will produce results from time to | | | | polarized glasses and after using them for the first |
| time, but for the most part these big P.H.D. carrying | | | | time, I strongly doubt you will either.When using spinning |
| trout will pass them up. So do you need to pick up a | | | | gear on the Dream Stream, there are a few different |
| fly rod and learn how to use it in order to catch fish | | | | types of structure that will produce the best results. |
| out of the Dream Stream? Of course not! With the | | | | The Dream Stream, from the dam below Spinney |
| method I'm about to tell you about, there will be many | | | | Mountain Reservoir to the bridge close to Eleven Mile |
| times you will be catching fish and leaving the fly | | | | Reservoir has a great number of deep pools usually |
| fisherman next to you astonished and bewildered.Most | | | | located on one of the many river bends. The bottom |
| of us have heard the phrase "match the hatch" while | | | | of these deep holes often has big boulders which are |
| either learning how to fly fish or just reading through | | | | perfect ambush points for the resident population of |
| fishing magazines. It's simply matching your fly pattern | | | | big rainbow trout, cuttbows, and brown trout. Targeting |
| to the insects the fish are currently feeding on. It's a | | | | these boulders, cast your tube jig a few feet past |
| time proven fishing method that can really put you onto | | | | them and start with a slow retrieve with pauses just |
| countless fish in a single outing. However, sometimes | | | | before and after rocks. Many of your strikes are going |
| hatches are so prolific that artificial flies get lost in | | | | to be on the initial drop of your jig, so be ready!Another |
| swarms of emerging insects and getting bites can be | | | | great location for spin fishing on the Dream Stream is |
| very difficult at best.Sometimes during these hatches, | | | | right below the makeshift dams made out of boulders |
| trout feed exclusively on that particular insect, ignoring | | | | located all up and down the dream stream. Casting a |
| all other aquatic life forms and any terrestrials that | | | | minnow type jerkbait across these area's with a jerk, |
| might fall into the water. Situations like these are what | | | | jerk, pause retrieve will without a doubt stir up some |
| fly fisherman dream of, and why so many of us have | | | | reaction strikes.With your polarized glasses, sight fishing |
| picked up the sport. Having your fly rod and a fly | | | | on the Dream Stream can be unreal at times. Look for |
| pattern that matches the emerging insect can't be | | | | fish sitting in shallow rocky bottomed water gorging |
| beat at times like these.Do trout feed in between | | | | themselves on bugs being washed down by the |
| hatches? The answer is yes, and heavily. A common | | | | current. The strategy here is not to provoke a strike |
| misconception is that trout feed exclusively on small | | | | out of hunger, but from anger. These fish are very |
| flying insects. A big portion of a trout's diet is indeed on | | | | territorial when it comes to feeding lanes, and bigger |
| small insects that are in different stages of their life | | | | fish defend their feeding lanes violently. Cast your jerk |
| cycle, but trout are also opportunistic feeders with | | | | bait just past the feeding fish, bringing the lure past him |
| hearty appetites that make crayfish, smaller trout, | | | | with a steady retrieve. Now stop your lure six inches |
| grasshoppers, and even field mice the meal of choice. | | | | to a foot in front of the feeding fish, letting the |
| Another myth among anglers is that trout are finicky | | | | resistance of the current give your lure its swimming |
| eaters that only eat certain flying insects. Trout, like | | | | action. If you don't receive a strike right away, stay |
| most game fish are opportunistic feeders that find it | | | | persistent. After a few casts, the fish's territorial |
| hard to pass up an easy meal, or for that matter a big | | | | instincts will kick in and it will strike to protect its feeding |
| meal that's rich in protein.So how do spin fisherman | | | | lane.A couple things to consider while fishing the |
| take advantage of all the information stated above? | | | | Dream Stream. Fish here can run anywhere from 10 |
| We "Crash The Hatch" instead of relying on weather | | | | inches to well over 10 pounds!!! Make sure you have a |
| conditions for certain hatches to take place and trigger | | | | smooth drag thats set properly before taking even |
| a feeding frenzy. We are going to use the aggressive | | | | one cast. Every cast is a possible trophy when fishing |
| and territorial nature of big tailwater trout to our | | | | this section of water. Watching a 10 pound plus |
| advantage. Not only relying on hunger for strikes but | | | | rainbow trout snap your line due to an improperly set |
| also anger and territorial responses that will put fish on | | | | drag will surely turn your Dream Stream experience |
| the end of your line.While Crashing the Hatch, two | | | | into a nightmare.The water running through the Dream |
| different types of fishing lures are vital to success. The | | | | Steam is extremely clear. Smaller diameter fishing lines |
| first is minnow imitation jerk baits such as floating | | | | are a must if monofilament is your preference. If you |
| Rapalas or Smithwick Rattlin Rouge Shallow Diver. A | | | | like using super fishing lines such as Spectra Power |
| few other fishing lures to consider are the Storm | | | | Pro or Stren Super Braid, make sure you attach an |
| Thunder Stick, Bomber Long A, Rebel Minnow, and | | | | invisible fluorocarbon leader. I personally use P-line's |
| Yo-zuri Crystal Minnow. I generally look for fishing lures | | | | Fluoroclear in 8 pound test. It's a fluorocarbon coated |
| with a tight wobble that run at a depth between 1 and | | | | copolymer which has great strength and is virtually |
| 3 feet of water. Most of the lure companies have the | | | | invisible underwater.This section of the South Platte |
| running depth printed on the box, but if not, you can | | | | River that runs between Spinney Mountain Reservoir |
| always tell by the size of the plastic lip on the front of | | | | and Elevenmile Reservoir is filled with trophy trout and |
| the lure. The bigger the lip the deeper the fishing lure | | | | serious fishermen. It fishes well year round and is |
| will dive. Between the different companies, there are | | | | considered by many to be the best trophy trout |
| hundreds of different finishes, and all have certain | | | | destination in the state. With the "flies and lures only" |
| situations in which they will shine. For the Dream | | | | restriction and being a "catch and release" water it's |
| Stream stick with natural colors like a rainbow trout | | | | perfectly managed to insure trophy trout opportunities |
| finish or a silver minnow finish.The next type of fishing | | | | for generations to come. A beautiful winding river filled |
| lure we are going to discuss has been highly under | | | | with monster trout and a gorgeous mountain back |
| utilized by trout fisherman for years. The tube jig!!! Bass | | | | drop, this section of the South Platte River has |
| anglers have been successfully using tube jigs in clear | | | | certainly earned its nickname the "Dream Stream."Eric |
| water for years. Tube jigs are extremely versatile | | | | Allee is a phenomenally successful fisherman in |
| fishing lures that produce when nothing else will. Some | | | | Colorado. He has a website dedicated to helping |
| of the most productive tubes include Berkley Power | | | | anyone catch more and bigger fish. |
| Tube, Chompers Ultra Tube, Strike King Bleeding Bait | | | | |