Tenkara TalkTenkara Talk
Tenkara Talk
a tenkara fly fishing blog
Search TenkaraTalk
  • Home
  • Tenkara Gear
    • Tenkara Rods
    • Tenkara Lines
    • Flies
    • Line Holders & Spools
    • Fly Boxes
    • Nets
    • Packs, Organization & Storage
    • Clothing & Accessories
    • Wading Gear
  • How-To & Resources
    • What is Tenkara?
    • Tenkara 101
    • Presentation Techniques
    • Streamcraft
    • Tenkara Videos
    • Fly Tying
    • Knots
    • DIY & Hacks
    • Warmwater Tenkara
    • Books & Media
  • News & Fun
    • Trip Reports
    • Interviews
    • Philosophy
    • Humor
    • Art
    • Tenkara News
    • Events
  • Tenkara Links
  • About Me
  • Contact
FacebookTwitterYouTubePinterestInstagram
  • Home
  • Tenkara Gear
    • Tenkara Rods
    • Tenkara Lines
    • Flies
    • Line Holders & Spools
    • Fly Boxes
    • Nets
    • Packs, Organization & Storage
    • Clothing & Accessories
    • Wading Gear
  • How-To & Resources
    • What is Tenkara?
    • Tenkara 101
    • Presentation Techniques
    • Streamcraft
    • Tenkara Videos
    • Fly Tying
    • Knots
    • DIY & Hacks
    • Warmwater Tenkara
    • Books & Media
  • News & Fun
    • Trip Reports
    • Interviews
    • Philosophy
    • Humor
    • Art
    • Tenkara News
    • Events
  • Tenkara Links
  • About Me
  • Contact

Race Against Runoff

June 5, 20195 CommentsTrip ReportsBy Jason Klass
Tenkara USA

Tenkara on the St. Vrain

Here in Colorado, we’re lucky that we don’t have a designated “trout season”. Legally, we can fish for trout all year round. Notice I said “legally”. That’s because we have another season that’s a de facto “off season”: runoff. Anyone who lives and fishes in the West is familiar with runoff season–that time in early summer where the snowpack from the high country begins to melt and all the streams turn to a torrent of chocolate milk for (sometimes) several weeks.

Here in Colorado, this is a bittersweet year for the angler. After finally coming out of a 20-year drought, our snowpack is currently 130% above average. This will be good for flows in the long term, but when runoff inevitably hits, it’s going to hit hard.

Of course, this is part of the natural cycle of things. It’s been happening for hundreds and hundreds of years and the trout and insects have adapted. But for the angler, it means interminable anguish–waiting anxiously for the flows to stabilize and the hatches to begin. If you think “cabin fever” is bad, you haven’t had “runoff fever”.

And even after they do settle down, many once-familiar streams may be unrecognizable. That favorite pool in front of the log jam has been swept away by the swift currents. Completely new channels have been carved out while others have filled in with sediment. Coming back to a river you used to know like the back of your hand just last spring can feel like starting from scratch on alien water. But that’s the game. And some might even look forward to the challenge of fishing the newly re-designed stream each year.

Well, runoff hasn’t quite started yet, but I can feel it coming–like the hairs on the back of my neck standing up before an approaching lightning storm. Luckily, I’ve been able to get out a few times over the last couple of weeks before the inevitable hits. Almost all of the streams along the Front Range are high right now due to the previous month of rain and hailstorms, but still fishable and so I count myself lucky that I’ve been able to take advantage.

The St. Vrain

The section of the St. Vrain I’ve been fishing isn’t really what I’d call a true tailwater in the sense that the S. Platte or the Frying Pan are. The damn and reservoir are pretty small by comparison, but it does help control the flows better than some of the other local freestone streams. Here, I’ve mostly been catching small browns (8″ – 10″) which are about average for this watershed. The beauty in the St. Vrain isn’t in the size of its fish, but its signature Colorado scenery and classic pocket water, runs, and pools.

Tenkara on the St. Vrain

And the fish are more than amenable–always in predictable lies and take your fly as if they’ve diligently read the Fly Fishing 101 textbook.

Tenkara on the St. Vrain

Tenkara on the St. Vrain

Tenkara on the St. Vrain

Tenkara on the St. Vrain

Tenkara on the St. Vrain

I’ve had a couple of baker’s dozen days here with all fish being taken on sakasa kebari. Mostly, my go-to glass bead Takayama Sakasa Kebari, Caddy Kebari, and Half-Palmer Sakasa Kebari (in order below):

Glass Bead Takayama Sakasa Kebari

Caddy Kebari

Half-Palmer Sakasa Kebari

Aside from the abundance of great holding water, I also love this stretch of the St. Vrain because there is plenty of casting room and a lot of dry stream bed meaning I can leave the waders at home. It’s a super-luxe stream to fish.

Tenkara on the St. Vrain

Tenkara on the St. Vrain

There’s also a healthy population of caddis and stoneflies and I’m looking forward to some great dry fly action with Caribou Captains and Stimulators this summer once the once the waters calm down.

Tenkara on the St. Vrain

Clear Creek

Whereas the St. Vrain has yielded mostly browns, it’s been the opposite lately on my home stream of Clear Creek. Clear Creek has a mix of browns and rainbows and it seems that I can go there one day and catch nothing but rainbows, and the next day, nothing but browns. I don’t understand the phenomenon, but like so many other nuances of our sport, I enjoy the mystery.

Tenkara on Clear Creek

Like the St. Vrain, the average size of a Clear Creek trout is 8″ – 10″, but I did manage to catch a nice, dark-colored 12″ rainbow the other day on a Caddy Kebari fished downstream.

All the rest were pretty typical, but no less beautiful to me.
Tenkara on Clear Creek

 

Tenkara on Clear Creek

Out of a couple dozen fish, this was the only brown …

Tenkara on Clear Creek

I’ve been pretty much using the same sakasa kebari that I use at the St. Vrain. The streams are nearly identical twins in both structure and entomology. Here’s a little black stonefly on my Tilley Hat–an omen of the runoff to come and a reminder to be sure I’m stocked up on Caribou Captains when it’s over.

Clear Creek Stonefly

Clear Creek Stonefly

But that’s a long way off. And first, we have to get through the “raft hatch” …

Rafting on Clear Creek

The “raft hatch” begins in spring right before runoff, sending hordes of obnoxiously loud tourists downstream in their garish orange and yellow flotillas as they yelp and holler, disturbing everyone else’s solitude for a 45-minute cheap thrill. It subsides during actual runoff (because the “rafters-by-the-hour” are too inexperienced to run anything resembling a real rapid) and then picks up again as runoff winds down a little. It’s my own fault. I should have known better and have driven up above Idaho Springs beyond their put-in point. But I can’t complain. I still caught a lot of fish before the lunacy began. As I mentioned, we’ve been in a drought for two decades which used to mean during the late summer months, the flows were too low to raft and anglers could reclaim their solitude. But with the substantial snowpack this year, who knows. The raft hatch might be extended. In which case, it might be well worth it to finally invest in a a good harpoon this summer.

Prepping for Runoff

So while I’ve snuck in a couple of weeks of good fishing before the surge, I am starting to tie some runoff-specific flies. Namely, larger, darker, weighted patterns for the heavier flows and off-color water to come. They’re nothing special–just #10 or #8 sakasa kebari with either tungsten beads for heavier runs in the main channels, or double glass beads for the shallower edges where trout take refuge from the overwhelming currents.
Tenkara Flies for Runoff

Tenkara Flies for Runoff

Tenkara Flies for Runoff

Tenkara Flies for Runoff

Tenkara Flies for Runoff

These are my “heavy artillery” and are quick and simple to tie:

Hook: Firehole Sticks 315
Thread: Uni, 6/0 Red
Head: Single Tungsten Bead (silver) or Double Glass Beads (Crystal Pearl)
Hackle: Pheasant
Body: Black Outfield #11 Dubbing
Tag: Red Thread

Since I lose a lot of flies during runoff, I like to use a “disposable” pattern–one that I can tie a dozen of with minimal time investment and sacrifice without hesitation. The dark, variegated body, mottled hackle, and red tag make it highly visible to fish in turbid water so it’s a good choice.

The Wait Begins …

You may be asking why I don’t just fish a tailwater during runoff season. The answer is because everyone else will be. Anywhere with a controlled flow is going to be a zoo. And as someone who prizes solitude over catching fish, I’d rather rise to the challenge of the runoff head on than run away from it. Given the choice, I’d prefer to have an entire stream to myself and catch no fish than to fish elbow-to-elbow landing 30 lb. kings on the Salmon river all day.

So, in the meantime, I’ll be at my tying desk winding up some weighted kebari–stocking my arsenal for the battle ahead. To me, it’s not whether you win the war or not, but how well you fought it that matters.

Do you have a runoff season where you live?

Tenkara USA
fishing colorado runofftenkara fishing during runofftenkara flies for runofftenkara on clear creek coloradotenkara on the St. Vrain
About the author

Jason Klass

Jason is an avid fly angler and backpacker. As a former fly fishing guide originally from Western New York, he moved to Colorado and became an early adopter of tenkara which perfectly suited the small, high altitude streams and lakes there. He has not fished a Western-style fly rod for trout since.

Like this article? You might also like these ...
Tenkara Fly Fishing Central Park
Stretching Lines in NYC
April 26, 2019
Jason Klass Fishing Tenkara on the St. Vrain
Hat Trick Redemption on the St. Vrain
March 25, 2019
San Juan River, New Mexico
Tenkara on the San Juan River
November 2, 2018
Jason Klass and Karin Miller
Tenkara Fishing with Karin Miller
August 14, 2016
Tenkara lake fishing
Tiger Trout, Glaciers & Tenkara
August 9, 2015
Clear Creek
After the Flood
October 3, 2013
5 Comments
  1. June 6, 2019 at 7:52 pm
    Jeff

    Jason, what size of tungsten beads are you using?

    Many bead charts leave me filled with anxiety. The reason is simple, the chart may state a particular bead is for a size 12,14,16 hook. However, it leaves me feeling sort of like Goldilocks staring down a bowl of porridge. Is the bead best for a size 14 hook, on the small side for a #12 hook, or bordering on becoming over-gunned for the smaller number 16?

    Again, which bead size sensei of Tenkara Talk?

  2. June 6, 2019 at 8:03 pm
    Jason Klass

    Hi Jeff, the answer to this is the same as it is for every question in fly tying: “it depends”. While the bead manufacturers prescribe certain hook sizes for certain bead sizes, it is somewhat flexible depending on the look and properties you want your fly to have. For example, most companies would tell you for a #12 hook, you should use a 1/8″ bead. But you could use a 3/32″ bead instead if you wanted the bead to be less prominent. And since tungsten is much heavier than brass, you can easily use a smaller bead if you want and still get a good sink rate. To me, one of the advantages of the bead (besides weight) is the flash so I usually don’t want to hide it. Since I mostly fish #12s for tenkara, I use a 1/8″ bead most of the time. But keep in mind, this is for heavy, fast flowing water only–during runoff or if I’m fishing a very deep pool. But for 95% of my fishing (if I’m using beads at all), I use two glass beads. This seems to strike a good balance of just the right amount of weight flash without being awkward to cast. And the double glass beads add translucence and flash: https://tenkaratalk.com/2018/09/double-glass-bead-sakasa-kebari/ Does that help at all?

  3. June 6, 2019 at 9:22 pm
    Jeff

    Thanks Jason! It makes perfect sense. I bought several models of the Firehole hooks over the past couple of months, so with some of the unique shapes and wire diameters it added to the complexity as well. Plus, I assume most tenkara rods are not meant to handle heavier hardware on the tippet end, even if you’re allowing the rod to load and longer the fly out to its target.

    Again thank you very much for the reply!

  4. July 23, 2019 at 10:22 pm
    Gilbert Ayala n

    went to Waterton today and the run off I guess was still on…….was not able to take a shot however it was a nice walk with my ohana……..Aloha

  5. July 23, 2019 at 10:27 pm
    Jason Klass

    Good to know. I’m trying to decide where to go tomorrow.

Leave Comment

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

clear formSubmit

About Me

Jason KlassJason Klass is a former fly fishing guide & casting instructor based in Colorado. He was an early adopter of tenkara in the West and has been fishing the method for a variety of species since 2009. Read more >>

Get an email when I post!
TenkaraTalk Sponsors
Dragontail Tenkara   Tenkara Times   Tenkara Rod Co   Zen Tenkara   TAO Tenkara   Tenkara Tanuki Tenkara Fisher
Search by Category
Send Jason an Email
Search TenkaraTalk
Tenkara Talk Archives
Tenkara + Backpacking!
Is there any other sport that goes better with tenkara than hiking and backpacking? Be sure to also check out my ultralight and DIY backpacking gear blog.

Tenkara and Backpacking
Latest Posts
  • Tenkara Memes
    Tenkara Memes Round 7
    November 2, 2019
  • Sources for Tenkara Fly Tying Materials
    October 25, 2019
  • Tenkara Flies by Jason Sparks
    Jason Sparks on Tenkara Fly Tying
    September 4, 2019
© 2019 | TenkaraTalk by Jason Klass | All rights reserved