The Fishin' Magician: Rocky Ford Creek

I have been having great times fishing for steelhead this season, and it is only going to get better. There are other things to do this time of year, though, and since my wife has the day off on Thursday, we are going to make a trip to Rocky Ford Creek, just outside of Ephrata. The Ford is known well as place anglers, particularly fly fishers, can find open water through the coldest winter. It is spring fed and stays at a constant temperature pretty much year round. I warned Darc Knobel, at the Desert Angler Fly Shop in Ephrata that I coming his way, and asked his advice. He said there is nothing new in terms of what to use to catch the big rainbow at the Ford. Small scuds and leeches are working well, and so are egg patterns. I like to fish a leech trailed by an Ultra Scud on an intermediate sinking line in the deeper stretches down there. I have some amazing days stripping this combo. I have also caught many large fish with just a scud under an indicator, too. My wife will probably just drift a scud, no indicator, and I have seen catch rainbow to 25 inches doing it. It has been a while and we're both excited about the trip.