A love of outdoor adventure gets nice start at local ponds

Among the most common reasons people choose not to venture into the outdoors are a lack of access and the lack of knowhow to get started. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is working hard to provide remedies to both.

Fishing is one activity in which a lack of early success can dampen people’s enthusiasm, especially for youth. I don’t know how many times I have heard people say “I don’t have the patience” or “my kids won’t sit there long enough.” Growing up in the Midwest, I had access to hundreds of lakes and ponds that were teeming with panfish like bluegills and perch. You could count on a bobber and a worm to provide steady action — and usually a few fish for the frying pan.

CPW does a good job of a lot of the local ponds for these same panfish, but they tend to not be as prolific as those ponds of my youth. I have long maintained that the true “panfish” of Colorado is the stocked rainbow trout. CPW does a terrific job of raising and stocking these fish.

“Catchables” are typically 8 to 12 inches long when they are stocked and are available to anglers immediately. They are also decent table fare.

The best attribute of the stocked rainbow trout is their willingness to bite a number of basic presentations. Berkley Powerbait trout dough molded on a hook and fished on the bottom is hard to beat. You can also fish it below a bobber. A good, old-fashioned night crawler will also produce bites.

If you would rather cast and retrieve a lure, small inline spinners or spoons will usually do the trick. In addition to being easy fish to catch, CPW tells you where and when they are stocking on its website to help you plan your outings. Tight lines. Sean Dunlavy from St. Vrain State Park joined me on my radio show last Saturday to expound on the incredible fishing during the fall at St. Vrain for stocked rainbow trout. More than 40,000 10-inch rainbow trout are stocked annually.

Trout are primarily stocked in Sandpiper, Mallard and Coot Ponds. Trout are strategically stocked in the spring and fall when cooler water temperatures prevail and to increase ice-fishing opportunities. The fall stocking usually takes place the last week of September or the first week of October.

Dunlavy said that after the fall stocking, and well into the winter, he bemanaging lieves St. Vrain is one of the best places in the state, if not the best, to catch rainbow trout. The limit is four, but he said it is not uncommon to see people catch and release 40 to 60 fish.

He went on to say he feels St. Vrain is a terrific place to take a child fishing. There also are deer, turkeys, eagles and other wildlife at the park.

St. Vrain State Park is a family-friendly destination for visitors seeking a peaceful, simple outdoor break. It’s an easy drive from Denver or Fort Collins, located on Highway 119 just off Interstate 25 (at exit 240).

Formerly named Barbour Ponds, this nature and people-friendly park offers 604 acres of land and 152 acres of water split among several ponds. It’s a great place for anglers, campers, photographers, birders, walkers and anyone else who loves nature.