Fishing the Taylor River in early spring, you'll deal with weather, but fewer anglers. Ray Rickard holds a 10-pounder that guide Rod Cesario helped him catch. Photo courtesy of Dragonfly Anglers.

Like a predator, I surveyed the riffle, looking for him as the sun's rays warmed my face. Moments earlier, I could see clearly the 'bow's florescent pink stripe as he drifted between two boulders. Now his spots disguised him against the river's rocky bottom. But it wasn't long before his appetite got the best of him, and he drifted again, revealing his lair.

With a No. 22 Barr's emerger flashback dropped behind a No. 20 brassie, I slowly eased into position and presented a well-placed rollcast with my 5-weight Sage.

After throwing a mend to create a drag-free drift, I watched as my strike indicator floated beside the torpedo-shaped trout waiting just below. With a slight jerk of the indicator, I lifted the rod to set the hook.

The fish erupted with a boil, and the scream of the reel told the rest of the story as my bulky prize thrashed upstream. A few minutes later, I was admiring a colorful 22-inch rainbow.

That catch set the pace for another memorable early-spring trip on one of Colorado's premier tailwaters.

Mention early-spring fly-fishing to many dedicated anglers, and visions of colorful, plump rainbows gliding into a waiting net fills their minds, and for good reason. This season just might be the best time of year to tame a trout with a thick 20-inch frame.

If you're interested, there's perhaps no better place to hunt for these early-season hogs than on one of three legendary Colorado tailwaters.

Unlike most Western freestone fisheries, tailwaters offer visiting anglers a chance to consistently catch fish measured in pounds, not inches. Tailwaters create an optimal environment that's conducive to growing large fish.

There are several factors that enable this. One is the never-ending supply of protein-rich scuds, mysis shrimp and other food pumped in from the reservoir above. Add to this the invertebrate biodiversity the river already provides, and the residents put on the pounds as they feed on this year-round smorgasbord.

Another factor is the more consistent water temperatures that deep reservoirs provide. These bottom-release dams pump into the river water with a narrower range of temperatures, creating a more stable environment for growing trout.

However, there's a drawback to the tailwaters: crowds and easy access that often comes with them. With well-maintained roads to the dams, the best fishing is usually only a hop, skip and a jump from the nearest parking lot or pull-off. Also, during the peak summer fishing season, it's not uncommon to see scores of trout enthusiasts drifting flies through every boulder pool or casting spinners in every riffle run.

In fact, during the summer months, if you're not there with the rising sun to stake your claim on the best run, you might find yourself fishing for scraps. And needless to say, it doesn't take long for those tailwater residents to become smart and spooky.

So if you want to fool some big hungry trout and want a stretch of river to yourself, what do you do? Fish in the early spring before the fair-weathered crowds of summer come out of hibernation!

Late February into early May is prime time to dust the cobwebs out of your waders and chase some of Colorado's thick and sassy tailwater trout. You will have company, especially on weekends, so look for elbowroom on mid-week excursions.