North rather than south?

If distance and direction suit, you will find the same insect attractions on the lakes of North Park, where both damsels and callibaetis finally have made their appearances on the Delaney Butte Lakes.

Grant Lessel of the North Park Angler shop in Walden advises a 10 a.m. arrival to greet the mayflies, which continue hatching until about 2 p.m. Damsels emerge a little later and last longer.

"They're pretty much around all the time," Lessel said.

Activity is consistently good in the weedy shallows on the north end of South Delaney Butte Lake, but Lessel also recommends East Delaney Lake.

"The East Lake is the most overlooked, with larger fish," he said.

The brown trout of North Delaney can be difficult, as usual, "but if you time it right with the damsels, it can be terrific."

Lake John, which has none of the fly-and-lure restrictions of the Delaney lakes, has produced remarkable catches of large trout.

"I have so many pictures of fish weighing 5 to 7 pounds, it's unbelievable," said Bill Willcox of Lake John Resort. "Fishing isn't always fast, but the size is tremendous.

Fish vacate the shallows during the day, when bait fishermen score well anchored in deep water. Deep trolling just above the weeds with lures and flies also is productive. Fly-fishermen will find a damsel hatch as well.

Charlie Meyers, The Denver Post

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