Siberia... I mean Antero Reservoir

Most of the reports coming out of Antero Reservoir over the past 2 to 3 weeks have been dripping with hyperbole regarding numbers and size of fish caught. By all accounts, if you have ever even had the notion that catching a trout would be fun, you should go directly to Antero because well, "fun" is about to take on a whole new meaning! I do not doubt many of these reports - several came from entirely reliable sources - and the rest are simply tinged with the typical overstated excitement that good fishing tends to produce.

And so it was, with childlike anticipation and giddiness, that we headed to Antero on Wednesday...

Weather forecasts are pretty easy to come by these days, and most of the ones I read did not predict what you would call "great conditions", but after all it is South Park, where bad weather and wind are as omnipresent as grass, Pronghorn Antelope, and State Troopers. The reality was quite a bit harsher - rain, sleet, snow, wind, more rain, lots more snow, lots and lots more wind.

In a few hours time we were able to procure three nice fish and lost a few more, but we did not venture very far from the vehicle due to the mind-numbing cold and rod-bending wind. I estimate the number of times the following phrase was uttered at roughly a dozen........"It is almost June right??" After a reasonable attempt to hunker down and "just deal with it" on the leeward side of the jetty, the day came to a hasty end.

Or maybe it was just beginning?..... The picture below is of my super sweet 4-cylinder Dodge Caliber rental car sitting outside the shop.... She's a real beauty.... the product of a little "mishap" in the slush along Highway 285 that claimed my beloved Jeep. - RIP -

At this point I just hope they forget to ask me to pay for that "US 285" sign I obliterated.

In summation, keep the gloves and stocking caps handy, your loops super-tight, and most importantly - keep the shiny side up!