Rocky2001reports

6/22/01 Hot weather has reduced angler traffic. Stream flows have increased as the irrigation season has begun to add more water to Rocky Ford's aquifer. Flows are still much lower than normal. Most sections of the creek have begun to fill up with seasonal plant growth. Fishing has been mostly good. Best hatches currently: Sulfers and Tricos. Also look for Calibaetis and possibly some PMDs on cooler, cloudy days.
The average fish size in Rocky Ford has increased substantially since the creek was changed to a catch and release fishery a few years ago. A recent trip included two 25 inch fish and one 24 incher caught on a size 24 trico spinner.

3/29/01 Lots of pressure on the fast water section near the lower hatchery. Pity these fish. The water level here is extremely low and trout literally have nowhere to hide (unless they retreat into the carp and sucker infested private water downstream). Water from the creek is diverted into the lower hatchery and with decreased flows in Rocky due to the current drought there is very little water left for this incredible stretch of spring creek. Combine that with the dozens of "fly fishers" that stand in one spot for hours on end and pound the same ten or twenty feet of creek and it becomes obvious that the problems which this section has had for years have become critical. The portion of Rocky Ford above the lower hatchery has fared somewhat better. Water flows are adequate and while crowds have not reached critical mass it's still discouraging to see stomped down vegetation and muddy trails everywhere. With probable reduced flows throughout the spring and summer, the load of dissolved waste from the upper hatchery will be even more concentrated, resulting in even more algae and excess plant growth choking the creek. Changes are needed at Rocky Ford. From the perspective of anyone who appreciates Rocky Ford for its uniqueness and who would like to see the years of degradation reversed, the closure of both hatcheries and returning this upper portion of Rocky Ford as much as possible to a pristine state would be a start.

1/8/01 Mostly good fishing. The Ford was heavily fished over the Christmas holidays. The fast water near the lower hatchery (which is very shallow during the winter) was hit particularly hard, causing many fish to move out of this section. Most of these fish will eventually move back. Lots of big fish. Scuds, small nymphs, streamers and midge patterns.