The weather has been so mild that I wondered if the weeds had died off and cleared out of Rocky Ford Creek. I really like to fish this mile-long stretch of flowing river in the winter. It never freezes, as it comes from an underground spring that keeps the water warm. I figured the best way to find out if the weeds were gone is to run down there and see for myself. I did just that on Thursday. There was plenty of weed-free water, so I rigged up my favorite Mini Leech and Ultra Scud combo and went to work. There was very little flow, and I usually know if the fishing is going to be good right away. I made a bunch of casts and moved around, and nothing touched my flies. I finally saw the tell-tale wake of a big fish moving upstream, just under the surface. I tried to judge the direction and speed of the fish and made a cast to where I thought it would see my fly. Boom! My line jolted tight, and a big fish came to the surface and made a violent, swirling splash—and spit the hook. That’s Rocky Ford. Even though the fishing was slow, I am eager to go back.