One of the places that you will find me in the winter is at Rocky Ford Creek, just outside of Ephrata. The mile-long stretch of water is spring fed and doesn’t freeze, so it provides me with a place to spend a day with my fly rod. This stream is noted for big rainbow trout that can be very difficult to tempt to take your fly. It is not unusual to approach the water and see trout well over 20 inches right next to the bank, just leisurely finning in the shallows. Right about now I will make a stop on my way to a destination in the Columbia Basin to inspect the water. The stream becomes choked with weeds over the summer and it takes some cold weather to clear them out. When the weeds are gone, anglers come from all over the state to try to hook the big trout that reside in Rocky Ford. This stream has been very good to me some days and has sent me home humbled on others. I am always optimistic when I head for the Ford. The prospect of wrestling with trout that could weigh between 3 and 4 pounds is always possible.