Fish Tacos, Anyone?

When you think fall, you don’t always think of fishing. I however think that fall is the greatest time of year to go fishing. Early fall, around September, gives you the best weather to fish in. It’s not too hot, but not too cold, the sun stays out late enough to get a full day in, and it’s nice and cool up in the Rocky Mountains.

For the newbie to fishing, I’d suggest hitting up the Dillon Reservoir situated between Dillon and Frisco, Colorado. It’s about an hour and a half drive on I-70 from Denver, and in September the drive is beautiful. You get to see the leaves changing color and the true beauty of the Rocky Mountains.

Starting off as a newbie to fishing, you will need to gather up some gear. I’ve found that your local Walmart is the place to go for affordable and strong gear. A few things to remember are: extra fishing line, sinkers, bobbers, hooks, a variety of bait (I’d suggest different types of Power Bait), pliers, a stringer (To loop the fish you catch on), a cooler, and some ice to transport the fish home in. All of these things should be available in the outdoors section at Walmart, but you can also check out some sporting goods stores as well, such as Dick’s or Big 5.

When you get to the Reservoir, check in at the clubhouse by the boat docks. There they let you know how big the fish have to be for you to keep them, usually it’s about the length of your forearm or longer, and how many fish you can keep. When I went last year each person could bring home four fish, which is plenty to make some fish tacos later. There they will also have photos of the different types of fish that are in the water, so you can identify the fish you catch. After picking up your info, find a spot along the shore. The best spots are usually where there’s a little stream letting into the lake, as a lot of fish have to head through there to get to the lake. There you can set up camp and start fishing.

Bring some chairs to sit in, maybe a book to read, and some sunscreen, just in case. You’ll have to set up your line, which is something I’ve never personally been great at, but it’s not too hard. I’ve found that nail clippers work best when cutting fishing line, so put some of those in your tackle box. When you’re setting up the line, decide if you’re going to fish off the bottom, or if you want a bobber to hold the bait a bit below the water’s surface. Early morning and around twilight are the best times to use a bobber, and the middle of the day you should fish off the bottom, as the fish like to hang out in the cooler water. When fishing off the bottom, use a couple sinkers, giving you enough weight to keep the bait down low, as most forms of bait float. I’d suggest a three pronged hook, as those are the easiest to wrap bait around and has more ways for the hook to catch the fish’s lip.

After all this is set to go, cast out and wait for your bite. Yeah, fishing is a lot of waiting, but bring some friends, pack a picnic, and I guarantee it’ll be an amazing autumn day spent in the great Colorado outdoors.