On The Fly - Tackling The Spinney Wind

Here's a few tips for anyone interested in taking on Spinney this season! This sounds like the silliest thing on planet earth to say to a fly fisher, but the wind is good... Follow this link to learn more!

Opening Week at Spinney Reservoir - 2015

Compared to previous years, this Spinney opening was slow. And, for a place so associated with wind and waves, it was more than a little ironic that our first 3 days on the water had almost perfect weather. And by perfect weather, I mean weather that's great for watching sunrises, not for fishing, but who's complaining?

Every morning it was slow but consistent until the afternoon wind showed up, and then fishing got better. A week later, at the peak of the good weather, we had the best afternoon of fishing yet. The wind was up around that magic 15-20 m.p.h. mark, and the waves were just tall enough to occasionally have a white cap. The best part about that day was the fact that we got to bring grandpa along for his birthday, and he landed the 3 largest trout he has ever caught. Dad is the man who got me into the sport of fishing, but he didn't take the plunge and turn to the dark side when I did 16 years ago. Instead, he's chosen to stick to his lure fishing roots, and he bounces back and forth between casting a fly and bubble, or a spinner or spoon.

This time he was throwing solid white tube jigs that the guys at Colorado Tackle Pro turned me onto for Spinney. Just wanted to give a special shout out to Chris and Travis at C.T.P. for that! Dad managed 3 trout to the net that were 20" or bigger along with countless others, and finished the day with the fattest 22" female rainbow I've seen in a while. This thing was all belly and shoulders! It was a blessing to see how happy he was to fish with his family.

Speaking of fishing with family... Bree stuck to her routine of wanting to cast, kissing the occasional fish for good luck, and throwing rocks and playing with sticks. Dad finally got to see how committed and good Kristen can be at fly fishing. She was her usual self, matching me fish for fish, and showing a natural talent for the sport that many women seem to have.

We also made a new friend, Tim Ryan. Tim was a ton of fun to fish with! Mr. Tim cracked jokes with us, which is a constant when we're fishing, and he fit right in with our little group. He was also humble enough to take any advice I would give him, and as a result landed some nice fish. This is what fishing is all about - having fun, not taking things too seriously, sharing helpful information, and creating memories. We just wanted to thank him for his kind words of encouragement about our fishing family. Tim, we look forward to hearing about your trips with your grandson!

Here's the photos from the week! Thank you to everyone who reads and supports our little site - to all of my clients for supporting our family and simultaneously supporting my fishing habit, to Anglers Covey for continuing to give me opportunities to teach, and to Kristen for being the most supportive and loving lady on planet earth!

Tim playing a nice fish!

Again...

Tim holding up a chunky bow.

Kristen with a fish on.

Again.

One fish.

Two fish.

Red fish.

Blue fish.

Great shot Kristen got of me in the heat of battle!

Again.

Again again.

Bree with her grandpa.

A special moment with father and son holding up a double. And look at that tub of a rainbow he's holding!

Opening Day of Spinney - Fishing Report and Photos 2014!

It was a memorable opening day! We got up there as the sun was coming up, and were greeted with a bitter cold south park wind, deciding to brave the weather mostly out of excitement. The toddler was cranky and I can't say that I blame her. Mama and Bree stayed wrapped up in layers of clothes and a fleece blanket, and refused to move. The air temperature reading in our jeep said it was 22 degrees outside, so I'm not going to guess what the wind chill was.

Standing on the shore and getting crushed by wave after wave, you can't help but think about the fact that a few days ago this reservoir was completely covered in ice, and you start to feel like a slice of lemon in a cold glass of ice water. We withstood the punishment for almost 3 hours before deciding to call it and find our buddies, Steve and Travis.

They were fishing in a mud puddle by the south boat ramp. For you guys and gals with boats, that ramp was closed, and I didn't think to ask the game warden -who was checking licenses- when it opens. I'll give you a heads up if I hear anything. Anyway, the girls stayed in the car to get warm and I joined the fellas for a half hour before they left for warmer fishing opportunities. All this after the game warden told Kristen she had to sign her fishing license before he had to pistol whip her. Awkward... and hilarious!

We went back to our original parking spot by the dam, and I decided to give it one last try before we threw in the towel. I can't count how many cars we saw leaving this morning! Literally, I thought everyone was giving up... Being the stubborn angler that I am, I figured I would stick around and see what happens when it warms up a little. None of that having to do with the fact that Kristen reminded me that the fishing didn't pick up last year until around 10 a.m.

9:45 and I hook and land my first fish! It was a healthy rainbow roughly 20 inches in length and colorful. It fell victim to the classic orange and red egg, and the hit occurred right past the end of my rod. Kristen made me promise her that if I hook one fish I would come back to the car to get her, but I wanted to make sure that first fish wasn't a fluke, so I threw out one more cast and landed another fish as big as the first.

I get to the car and Kristen is signing for me to give her a thumbs up or a thumbs down, and the look on her face was priceless when it was a thumbs up. Two ladies who didn't want anything to do with the cold anymore were suddenly jumping out of the car with excitement and racing me to the spot. Funny how the fish biting will do that!

We get down to the water and I had to prove the bite was on by catching another fish, which didn't take very long. The only part about catching this trout that wasn't routine was when I looked over at Kristen after hooking up, to see her sitting on the edge of the ice shelf lining the shore, and watching it break under her butt. She landed with a thud, and we were both so shocked that we began laughing uncontrollably, all while I was still playing the fish.

Then Kristen stepped up to the plate and landed fish of the day 3 casts into her first attempt! The look on her face when she saw it jump was priceless.

The "oh my word" look.

Kristen's first fish, and fish of the day. Safe to say, you're pretty stoked when your first hook up is a tubba rainbow like this.

The wind and water were still freezing, but the air temp had come up ten degrees, and even Bree started doing her usual thing; playing with rocks and kissing fish. She even took the time to get a nap in...

30-40 m.p.h. winds with temps probably in the single digits? Think I'll take a nap on this uncomfortable looking rock! Seriously, who's toddler does this?! People driving by probably thought she was dead. Mom and dad continue to fish...

 Is it any wonder why I'm whooped! Kristen holding another fish of the day contender, and just look at those smiles!

Me playing a fish and getting crushed by waves of ice water.

Daddy getting hit with another wave, and Bree playing with a stick.

Kristen going to work.

Game face, bro. Game face...

Fumble shot.

Kristen enjoying her new Simms jackets. Having fun in the cold.

Overall, what started out as a bitter cold doodoo show, turned into a classic day on Spinney. Anyone interested in fishing here should bring eggs, black or olive leeches, and a few different flavors of chironomids. If you're fishing from shore, get close to the dam, or find a point with a drop-off. I love to do walk and wade trips these first couple of weeks after opening day, so if you're interested in doing a guide trip here drop me a line at jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com Hope you enjoyed the story/report/photos! Tight lines.

Short Video of Fly-fishing From a Float Tube - Spinney Reservoir

Fellow trout bum Justin Herrera sent me a video he put together of his recent Spinney trip. Chironomids are everywhere, and the fishing looks like it's still fantastic. Thanks for sharing Justin!

Photos Taken During The Spinney Opener

There were a few photos taken on opening day also, and we wanted to share those with everyone. I promise this is the last of the Spinney opener posts. As always, if you like what you see subscribe, and if you would like to try your hand at Spinney Res. with me as your guide, shoot me an email to jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com for rates and availability.

Opening Day Video Madness!

Hey everyone check out this video we put together from what little filming we did of opening day on Spinney Reservoir. It was shot in it's entirety with gen 1 gopro cameras and a few still shots with our DSLR. There is a slight hiccup during a part of a clip where I panned in on Kristen's reel, but other than that the process went smooth. I'd go so far as to say that making this video was almost as fun as the fishing during opening day, so we hope you all enjoy it! If you do, please follow this site and like us on facebook to keep the fish porn coming.

Spinney Reservoir Is On Fire!

I recently convinced my clients for sundays trip to do some stillwater fishing on Spinney as part of our guide trip and we had a blast! Our average fish was the size of the ones shown with a few 22" brutes mixed in. Most people go their whole life without catching a trout that size and we netted fish like that all morning. Anyone wanting a change of pace and scenery from the usual South Plattes and Arkansas rivers, and wants to learn how to fish Spinney Reservoir just needs to send me an email at jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com for my guided trip rates and availability. The trips will be walk and wade from the shore. A half day trip for one angler is only $250 and I provide all of the gear. If this is something that interests you schedule your trip soon and lets strike while the iron's hot! Also I just wanted to give a shout out to Pat, Reyn, and Taylor McBride! Thanks for being such amazing students and for letting me use your pictures! Here are just a few of the photos from last sundays trip...

Spinney Mountain Wild Kingdom

I had another interesting experience with wild animals on yesterdays guide trip.  I was working with Lew Romett on the finer points of casting and site fishing on the Dream Stream when we heard a loud noise that sounded similar to birds in our back yard when they are being eaten by a cat.  We were fishing by the barns when the terrible yelping started, and even though you could tell it was coming from a distance the cries of this animal were so loud it sounded like it was right next to us.


As we were trying to locate where the noise was coming from we saw an antelope being chased down the side of Spinney Mountain by the biggest Coyote I have ever seen.  The screaming noise we were hearing was the sound of a full size antelope crying for help before it became a wild dogs next meal.  The Coyote tackled it right at the edge of a steep drop off.  Lew described the scene best, "That just looked like a scene out of the Wild Kingdom t.v. show!"

Lew holding a nice Dream Stream Cutbow

Lew and I were fishing on the Mountain side of the river when it happened and my camera was on the opposite bank.  Combine that with the fact that everything transpired so quickly and there was no way we were getting photos of the event.  I did climb up the bank and walk towards the animals to get a closer look and the moment the Coyote saw me he popped up and took off.


Unable to see either the Coyote or the Antelope at this point I got back into the water thinking that maybe I saved the Antelope's life by scaring off the predator, but the moment I got back in the water the Antelope took off running and the Coyote came out of nowhere and tackled it again.  This time behind a hill where we couldn't see.  Let me reiterate that this dog was big enough that we questioned whether or not it was a wolf.


We all know there aren't suppose to be wolves in Colorado but I have had enough experiences in the wild to know that anything is possible and there is a lot of wilderness in our beautiful state.  We couldn't see any other dogs in the pursuit which lead me to believe that this was a huge lone Coyote making a big kill from a great position on the side of a mountain.  Either way it was an amazing sight and something that I hadn't seen in real life up to this point to add to my list.