Anderson lands his first trout from the Poudre River

It was a hot, but not scolding, day in Fort Collins, with high clouds creating a nice bit of overcast.

Anderson and I headed out to the Poudre River, Nix Natural Area to be more specific, and fished from 4-6:15 p.m.

The river was surprisingly low, the lowest I've seen all year, but the fish were still lively.

It was so low, and due to the overcast skies, it was very easy to see through the water and see the fish.

After around 45 minutes of fishing, Anderson caught the first--and only--fish of the day, a nice 9" rainbow trout.

He was using a rainbow colored spoon that seemed too big for the foot-deep river, but it worked like a charm.

I tried a variety of lures; three different rooster tails which got a few bites, and multiple different Kastmasters as well. I actually saw a few trout follow the rainbow colored lure all the way into the shore but it didn't bite.

After a few hours, we moved a little bit down river, and I ended up going swimming.
It was cool and refreshing and all, but I would have much rather stayed dry and caught a fish.

For the first time all season I went out and didn't land a fish, and it was completely fine, because I had a great time in the end with my fishing buddy.
And it was special to see him bring in his first ever trout, the first of many to be sure.

The key to this spot is to have patience and to switch lures often as to find what the fish are biting on.

Good luck anglers!

Rich Kurtzman is a freelance journalist. Follow him on facebook and/or twitter.