| Marshall Estes | | | | pool before the hatch tapered off. Switching back |
| Do you have a lucky hat? | | | | to the standard rig I usually fish. (A #16 flashback, |
| | | | gold ribbed, bead head hare's ear upper and a #18 |
| I was fishing the bridge pool where CO 67 and a | | | | or #20 gray RS2 dropper on 7X tippet) I fished |
| Jeffco Highway come together. The water was | | | | the west bank downstream from the bridge. |
| crystal clear. The pool had just enough moss in it | | | | After catching and releasing a couple more fat 15 |
| to offer fish protection and challenging fishing for | | | | or 16 inch rainbows, I headed upstream toward |
| the fisherman. After two hours, I had only had a | | | | Deckers, CO; stopping a mile below to fish. This is |
| couple of strikes but could not get hooked up. | | | | one of my favorite areas of the S. Platte. Often it |
| So I headed to the car for my secret weapon. | | | | will be crowded but today there were only a |
| The "Lucky Hat" or in my case | | | | couple of other fishermen upstream from me. I |
| "Lucky Cap". Mine is old and dirty. I | | | | fished a couple of small pools, while wading |
| purchased it in 1990 on a trip to Cancun, Mexico. | | | | toward a main pool farther out. I caught and |
| How long it has been my lucky cap, I rightly can't | | | | released a couple of small 12 inch bows from |
| remember. Probably some 12 years or so. It has | | | | these pools. At the larger pool, I added more |
| a logo on the front that says "Hard Rock | | | | weight to get closer to the bottom. This pool is |
| Cafe". It is not even a fishing cap. Yet when | | | | deep even at 250 CFS. About 10 minutes later, |
| I wear it, I almost always catch fish. | | | | the line stopped dead half way through my drift. I |
| Armed now with my fish catcher, I headed back | | | | knew that a good fish was on. Raising the rod, |
| to the pool. On the way, I noticed a hatch of | | | | the battle started. After ten minutes, the fish was |
| very small insects coming off. Letting one land on | | | | still racing up and down the pool. Finally I got his |
| my hand, I examined it. It was a baetis hatch | | | | head to break water. Thinking I had won the |
| getting started. | | | | battle, I put too much pressure on. With a pop of |
| Hurriedly, I clipped off the RS2 from the 7X | | | | broken tippet, the fish disappeared into the depths |
| dropper and tied on a 24 baetis I had purchased | | | | of the pool. |
| on a recent San Juan River, New Mexico trip. | | | | That was the last fish of the day. But my tally |
| Wading carefully to my casting position behind a | | | | was nine very nice fish for a day on the S. Platte. |
| medium rock, I dropped the two fly rig into one | | | | I had fished the S. Platte off and on for many |
| of the runs feeding the pool. The currents swirled | | | | seasons. This was my best day on the Platte. |
| the fly into the depths of the pool and by some | | | | I had worn my "Lucky Cap" a lot that |
| big rocks in the middle. Then out into the faster | | | | 2000 season. The 2000 season was my best |
| currents at the tail of the pool. | | | | ever with over 425 fish hooked and released. |
| Nothing this cast. Repeating this same drift | | | | Was that cap responsible? Of course not! Such a |
| pattern for the third time, I felt a solid strike and | | | | thing would be superstitious. "Right!" All |
| raised my rod to set the hook. After a good 5 | | | | I know is that I seldom get skunked when that |
| minutes of fun, this beautiful rainbow came to my | | | | cap sits on my head. Probably I pay more |
| net. | | | | attention to my drifts and to fishing conditions |
| A couple of casts later, I hooked up with a really | | | | when I wear my Lucky Cap. |
| nice brown. This one was 10 plus minutes of fun | | | | It just couldn't be that cap! Could it? |
| before netting. | | | | If you don't have a Lucky Cap or Hat maybe you |
| During the next hour, I caught and released 3 | | | | should. |
| more bows on my #24 baetis out of the bridge | | | | |