A young  angler and  friend of mine Andrew Trathen wrote a great little article about Brown Trout in Lake Dillon.  Over the last couple years ive had the pleasure to fish with Andrew several times, and let me tell you, the kid can catch some fish!  Here he is with one of many Browns he caught on our last outing.

 

BROWN TROUT

by Andrew Trathen

Brown trout are one of the most sought-after species in Colorado. They range from 8in all the way up to 25 inches and above. Dillon Reservoir is a fantastic place to catch these amazing fish. In the right season, several fish over 17 inches is expected with a good chance at a master angler.  This is because of the food sources available. Dillon is stocked frequently with fingerling rainbows (2-4 inches) and “Catchable Rainbow trout”. The “Catchable Rainbows” get stocked at about 7-12 inches and don’t grow all that much. The Browns feed on these fish throughout the whole year. Since the rainbow do not grow that much, the food source is maintained. In other places however, the Rainbow trout grow and often less eatable fish are left. Third is the water temperature. Dillon always has cold water temperatures. That in turn always lets the brown trout stay active. In lakes with warmer water, the brown trout go deep and scatter during the summer. This makes for a hard time locating fish. At dillon, the browns run in the three inlets where the coolest water is. That in turn allows easy access to great fishing. If you are looking to target browns, use baitfish imitations. Jerkbaits have been a go to in the past few years. Dynamic lures Travado has put up big fish in the past few years. Smithwick rogues are another great producer for the smartest big browns. Another technique that produces big fish is the fly. Nothing drives a brown more bezerk then the slap of a steamer on the water’s surface. Maybe the best part about this technique is the eat. These once graceful fish turn into ravage predators that would like nothing more then to murder your fly. Sometimes they can even knock your fly out of the water in an attempt to wound the prey. If you have never done this, it should go on your bucket list. I can’t think of a better way to spend a day.