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