Local Fishing Champ Strikes Again!

By Mike Speer

Golden resident Roxanne Speer is at her best again hooking a trophy trout last Saturday on Colorado's beautiful Frying Pan river. An avid angler and winner of the Granby Fly-fishing Festival, Roxanne caught this 25" 10lb. German Brown on the section of river directly below Reudi Reservoir near Carbondale, Colorado.

"The fishing was fantastic because of the higher water flows coming through the dam. The fish were on a feeding frenzy!" said Speer. I knew I was going to catch a nice fish this day."

Fly shop owner Jeff Dysart of Roaring Fork Anglers in Carbondale explains the good fishing."During runoff most rivers are too muddy to fish. The dam sends clear water through after Reudi Reservoir has time to settle the dirty water. Also, the high water flows send fresh-water mysis shrimp through the dam which are very rich in calories. Some of these trout become very big, like the one Roxanne landed."

" I thought I had snagged the bottom when this huge fish raced upstream from my feet." said Speer."My rod was bent and the reel was screaming. This trout had some fight!" Her fish was ornery as it zig-zagged back and forth in a challenging battle witnessed by several other anglers. After one unsuccessful landing attempt by Roxanne's husband Mike, the stubborn fish sat on the bottom and would not budge. On the second landing attempt she gently pulled it's head off the bottom, floating down to Mikes waiting net, five feet downstream.

Then disaster.The fish came unhooked! Roxanne's head bent over. Then, in an amazing maneuver, the fish floated back down over Mikes net where he gently scooped it off the bottom. "As the fish backed towards me I wondered if the thing was going to fit in the net! I was so nervous. Then swosh - into the net and out of the water! I about fell over laughing."

Poor Roxanne had been put through the ringer - "I thought it was a goner. When the line went slack I slumped over and nearly cried. Then Mike jumps up with this monster trout bulging out of his net! We hooted, screamed and jumped up and down. I was so happy."

"After a few pictures and admiring it's beautiful colors we gently released him back to the cold currents. Whew!"

Soon after, two local fishing guides came to congratulate Roxanne, one saying "You've probably pushed your luck for one day..." We all chuckled as she agreed.

Roxanne concludes, "Of all our great fishing adventures in Colorado this day will be our best fishing story ever. Mike always says having the skills to hook & fight a big fish is one thing, but getting it into the net is a whole other skill level. All our skills came together nicely this day."

Roxanne's trout is considered a line-class trophy, using 6x tippet (3.2lb test). Roxanne caught the Brown on a very small, #24 UFO midge fly pattern.

To read more about Roxanne Speer fishing adventures at Your Hub, go to: http://denver.yourhub.com/Golden/Stories/Outdoors/Story~326734.aspx

Picture by Colorado photographer Mike Speer.His outstanding fishing photos can be viewed at: www.mikespeerphoto.com.