North Fork of the White River – 09/18/2026

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Time: 9:45AM – 2:30PM

Location: Between Buford and Trappers Lake

North Fork of the White River 09/18/2026 Photo Album

Friday was my getaway day, so I selected a stretch of the North Fork, where I remained closer to the road for an early departure. I completed all the required tasks for vacating the Pinon cabin at the Ute Lodge and drove to the pullout chosen for fly fishing access.

Lots of Fly Snaggers

The weather forecast predicted a chance of thunderstorms beginning at 1PM and continuing throughout the afternoon. The air temperature was 52 degrees, so I wore my raincoat for warmth and rain protection. Knowing that temperatures can drop precipitously with the onset of a storm caused me to tie a fleece hoodie around my waist and under my waders. As it turned out, a storm never developed, and the hoodie remained around my waist the entire day. For a fly rod I chose my Loomis two piece five weight.

Odd Spot Arrangement

Marvelous Pool

Friday turned out to be one of my best days of 2026, yet it was also weird. I began fishing at 9:45AM and took a lunch break at 11:45AM, and I landed five trout during the two hours in the morning. Throughout this time, I deployed a tan size 10 mini chubby supplemented with a size 14 prince nymph and a size 16 salvation nymph. When I sensed that I was covering prime spots with no success, I shifted to a tan size 8 pool toy hopper trailing a 20 incher. I felt the three fly dry/dropper was too long and snagging bottom too often, and the length was inhibiting the natural drift. In spite of these supposed shortcomings, the five landed fish were beautiful rainbows with thick bodies in the thirteen to fifteen inch range.

Cradled

After lunch I persisted with the hopper and 20 incher and slowly increased the count to eight. I was beginning to fear that Friday was a single digit day, and that is very unusual for the stretch of creek that I was fishing.

Big Tail

Another Shelf Pool

I decided to make a radical change. I migrated to a double dry featuring my ever reliable peacock hippie stomper and a size 16 deer hair caddis with a medium olive body. Initially these flies were ignored, but when I arrived at a wide riffle section, the results suddenly shifted. Suddenly the caddis could not be refused by the resident trout.

A Favorite Spot

Between 12:30PM and 2:30PM I progressed up the stream at a fairly brisk pace, and the dries were on fire. The fish count climbed from eight to thirty-eight in two hours of torrid fly fishing. Five eager eaters snatched the hippie stomper, and the remaining twenty-five grabbed the caddis. It seemed that every viable fish holding locale produced a fish. In fact, some extremely marginal spots also yielded trout.

Another Beast Brook Trout

One might guess that I was landing an abundant quantity of small fish, but that was far from being the case. Many of the netted trout were spectacular wild rainbows and cutbows in the thirteen to fifteen inch range. These fish were healthy as evidenced by their array of bright colors and their thick muscular bodies.

Prime Habitat

Why did I label Friday weird? I was convinced that it was going to be a slow single digit day up until 12:30PM, and then suddenly the action was on fire, and the fish emerged from everywhere. Looking back, I offer two factors of explanation. First, the morning section of the stream was characterized by a steep gradient and few viable fish holding locations. Second, the stream temperature moved into ideal feeding ranges, and the trout stopped hugging the bottom and aggressively sought food. Another oddity was the shift in ratio of brook trout compared to cutbows/rainbows. In past years I probably landed 60% brook trout and 40% bows. During Friday I estimate the ratio to have been 75% rainbows and cutbows vs. 25% brook trout. It was a weird day in many respects, but I will accept that weirdness any day, if it produces large quantities of quality fish. It was a blast and a great way to end my week.

Fish Landed: 38

Marvine Creek – 09/17/2026

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Time: 2:30PM – 5:00PM

Location: National forest

Marvine Creek 09/17/2026 Photo Album

Well, Thursday did not develop as anticipated. Rain began falling Wednesday evening and continued through the night and into the morning. I repeatedly visited the porch to check the intensity of the rain while also viewing Weather Underground to study the radar map. Initially Weather Underground indicated that the rain would stop by noon, but eventually the rain cloud icon slid to 2:00PM. Several periods of heavy rain interrupted the steady soaking. I did my New York Times games and read my book and ate the lunch I packed , when I optimistically thought that I would be fishing.

One of the More Attractive Spots

Early Stunner

Finally by 1:30PM the rain subsided to a drizzle, so I made the short drive to the Marvine Creek trailhead. The entire parking lot was full except for one space on the north side, so I grabbed it. Archery and muzzleloader seasons were in full swing.

Trout Emerged Along the Log

I geared up and fit together my Sage R8 four weight for small stream action. By the time I was prepared, the rain stopped, and I departed on the trail. The trail was another story. The steady rain converted the sunken trail into a nearly continual muddy hog trough. I did my best to straddle the narrow mud pit or stay on the packed earth that bordered the path, but getting my wading boots muddy was inevitable. I was headed toward wading in a clear mountain stream, so I am not certain why avoidance of mud was a priority.

Big Boy

Brook Trout Haven Was Foam

By 2:30PM I arrived at a narrow canyon section tucked deep below the trail high above. I knew from previous visits that the canyon section lasted for .5 mile, before the bank tapered to allow an easier exit strategy. I gambled that I could cover the .5 mile in 2.5 hours. My theory was that most anglers would not undertake the challenge. Well, I suspect my theory was sound, but I discovered that the narrow streambed and steep gradient provided a limited number of quality holding spots for trout. In addition, being a contortionist would be a huge advantage, as I twisted and turned my seventy-five year old body in all manner of positions to climb over, under and through fallen logs.

A Rare Double of Two Species

Double Site

How was my day? I fished a tan mini chubby with a size 14 beadhead prince and salvation nymph during my time on the creek, and I landed seventeen trout. Unlike previous visits to Marvine, the ratio of rainbow/cutbow/cutthroats to brook trout was 70% to 30%. I have no explanation. As one might expect, quite a few fish were beneath twelve inches including some six inch brook trout. However, the highlight was a fifteen inch cutbow, and I also landed a splendid fat brook trout that extended to thirteen inches. That is large for any Colorado stream let alone small Marvine Creek. Early on I netted a fat thirteen inch cutthroat that tested my four weight.

Pumpkin Brook Trout

Fish producing locations exhibited depth and slowing current, and these spots were rare in the canyon section. Of my seventeen trout landed, nine accumulated in the canyon, and the last eight were found in the wide and open meadow area. If I fish Marvine again, I will skip the high gradient canyon. Nevertheless, I was quite pleased with a seventeen fish day in 2.5 hours of fishing, and I managed a few larger than expected fish from a small mountain stream. At one point I was skeptical that I would even fish on Thursday, September 17.

Fish Landed: 17

Cutthroat with No Slash?

Home of Fish of the Day

North Fork of the White River – 09/16/2026

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Time: 10:30AM – 4:30PM

Location: Between Buford and Trappers Lake

North Fork of the White River 09/16/2026 Photo Album

I decided to fish a different section of the North Fork of the White River on Wednesday. Jane and our friend, Amy, planned to complete a hike and then return to Denver, so I had the Pinon Cabin at Ute Lodge to myself.

Magnificent Colors

Perfect Pocket

The weather forecast was unfavorable with a strong chance of afternoon thunderstorms. It rained all night on Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning.

Nice Fish for Small Stream

Shelf Pool

I arrived at my planned pullout a bit before 10:00AM. The temperature was 60 degrees, so I wore my long sleeve thermal undershirt and my raincoat for warmth and in case of rain. The sky was populated by large puffy gray clouds. I chose my Loomis five weight, as it is shorter and more suited for tight quarters, yet as a five weight, it provides a decent backbone for fighting feisty fish.

Slipping Away

After a thirty minute hike, I arrived at my chosen starting point. I began with a tan size eight pool toy hopper trailing a 20 incher, and the two-fly dry/dropper produced five trout in the morning, before I paused for lunch. One fish crushed the hopper, and the others grabbed the 20 incher, but I felt as if I was bypassing some quality locations with no response to my offerings. All the morning fish were rainbow trout except for a long slender brook trout. The rainbows were quite nice, with most falling in the twelve to thirteen inch range albeit very chunky.

Small Side Pocket

After lunch I decided to change things up, so I switched to a double dry with a leading peacock hippie stomper and a trailing size 16 light olive deer hair caddis. The caddis fooled three fish to increase the fish count to eight, but then a lull ensued.

Prime Real Estate

At 12:45 the warning sounds of thunder transformed into rain. Since I was already wearing my raincoat, I persisted, but in a short amount of time the precipitation descended in sheets with tiny hail balls bouncing off my body. I sought the shelter of a deciduous bush and waited fifteen minutes, until the deluge waned.

Off the Point of the Large Rock

When I resumed fly fishing, the hippie stomper was serving as a distraction as evidenced by refusals, so I exchanged it for Jake’s gulp beetle. The beetle never produced a fish, but it served as an indicator, while the caddis fooled some nice fish. Eventually I encountered another dry spell, and the caddis was struggling to float, so I swapped it for a gray size 14 stimulator. The stimulator yielded a fish or two, until it mysteriously broke off, and I replaced it with another similar stimulator with a light olive body.

Speckled Lips

I slowly advanced the fish count to eighteen by 3:00PM, but it was slow and steady progress. I grew weary of constantly drying my flies, and tracking them in glare and choppy water was a chore, so I reverted to the dry/dropper approach. For the lead surface fly I opted for a size 10 tan mini chubby, and beneath it I hung a size 14 prince nymph and a salvation nymph. I chose the mini chubby, so I could support two beadheads, but I did not want the larger size that created too much of a crash landing when casting.

Swirling Trough

The combination clicked. Between 3:00PM and 4:30PM I advanced up the stream and exploded the fish count from eighteen to forty. The nymphs worked their magic. Initially the prince dominated, but later the salvation became a favored attraction as well. During this time period I encountered the nicest spot on the stream of the day. A long run entered a pool, and I landed eight trout while standing in the same spot. I continued making cast after cast expecting to come up empty after the commotion of earlier fighting fish, but it surprisingly kept producing. What a hot spot!

End of Day Scene

During the afternoon I weathered two additional showers, although they were a short nuisance compared to the 12:45 thunderstorm. From 3:30PM until 4:30PM a fairly heavy hatch of small mayflies commenced. I was tempted to swap the salvation for a RS2, but the salvation was producing, and it seemed like too much trouble to make a change. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush, as they say.

What a day! Forty fish is worth being thankful for. All but two were rainbows or cutbows, with the exceptions being brook trout. This ratio of brook trout seemed low compared to history for this stretch of the North Fork, but I was not complaining. The bows and cutbows were exceptional fish with many in the twelve to thirteen inch range, skewed to the upside. Could the low brook trout count be attributable to spawning activity? It seems early. I look forward to day three tomorrow. Weather is expected to once again be unsettled.

Fish Landed: 40

North Fork of the White River – 09/15/2026

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Time: 10:30AM – 4:00PM

Location: Between Trappers Lake and Buford

North Fork of the White River 09/15/2026 Photo Album

The week beginning with Monday, September 14 was my annual trip to the Ute Lodge in the Flattops area of Colorado. In 2026, however, I was joined by my wife, Jane, and our friend, Amy. Jane and Amy drove separately on Monday, while I navigated the two passes on the Flattops Scenic Byway in the Telluride. Jane and Amy were staying Monday through Wednesday to enjoy some hiking and scenery, while I planned to remain through Friday for a week of fly fishing, thus the two cars.

Super Start

Scene of Big Rainbow

Since Jane and Amy had each other for hiking companionship, I was free to fish as much as I desired, and Tuesday began my Flattops fly fishing blitz. I chose a favorite section of the North Fork of the White River, and by the time I geared up, assembled my Sage One five weight, and hiked down the road; I was ready to fish by 10:30AM. The air temperature was 61 degrees, as I departed from the Telluride, but the high was forecast to reach the low seventies. I packed my raincoat, but it was never removed from my pack.

My My, What a Fish

Deep Trough on the Left Produced

I was concerned about the stream level given the low snowpack and 2026 drought conditions, but I noticed only a small impact on the North Fork. I was able to wade to all parts of the river unlike some years, but the fish holding spots seemed very similar to higher volume years.

Love This Spot

I fished from 10:30AM until 11:45AM with an amber body chubby Chernobyl and prince nymph, and I logged seven spectacular rainbow trout. The second trout was a rainbow that crushed the chubby, and what a specimen it was! The fat slab was easily in the eighteen to twenty inch range. All of the morning catch were rainbows at least thirteen inches in length with several fifteen plus in addition to the beast.

Streamlined

After lunch I decided to go deeper, so I swapped the prince for a heavier 20 incher, and I added a second nymph in the form of a salvation. This combination yielded a pair of nice fish, but the pace of action slowed, and I experienced three very brief connections. I assumed the salvation was not quite what the fish desired, so I traded it for a supernova PMD. Voila! The chubby/20 incher/supernova combo clicked and remained on my line for the remainder of the afternoon. I moved the fish count from nine to twenty-two, and each fly was a contributor. Several respectable rainbows smashed the chubby, and the supernova and 20 incher split the remainder. A few of the additional thirteen trout landed in the afternoon were less than twelve inches, but otherwise the catch was once again hard fighting rainbows in the thirteen to sixteen inch range. All the White River trout fought extremely hard, and I was pleased to have my five weight in action.

Easily Over Twenty Inches

As is usually the case on this section of the White, I was very strategic with my casts. I skipped wide, shallow areas, and I minimized my coverage of marginal spots. Riffles over moderate depth and long slots and troughs were the most productive locations. Day one in the Flattops was a definite success, and stream flows seemed to be adequate.

Fish Landed: 22

Clear Creek – 09/01/2026

Time: 10:45AM – 1:15PM

Location: Clear Creek Canyon

Clear Creek 09/01/2026 Photo Album

September got off to a rough start. Tuesday on Clear Creek was just plain weird.

After a decent day on Monday, I was averse to making another long drive. Originally I was planning to make another trip to South Boulder Creek, but the water managers reduced the flows to 10.6 CFS. I fished that level in the past with moderate success, but the timing was later in the season, when night time temperatures cooled the creek considerably. I was skeptical about attempting to fish 10 CFS during the 2026 summer heat wave.

I used the CPW web site to ask whether Denver Water was aware of the risk to the South Boulder Creek fish population, and within a day I received a nice reply from Ben at CPW. Ben was unable to touch base with Denver Water, but he informed me that the stream temperature below the dam was 58 degrees. Based on this information, I planned to make the drive and hike, but when I checked again on Monday evening, I noted that the stream level dropped again to 6.74 CFS, and I deemed this too low.

I made a pivot to Clear Creek. My last two visits, although short, produced decent results, and I was surprised with the size of several of the brown trout. Could I replicate these results? Google Maps informed me that the drive was 53 minutes, and this included a stoppage for construction of the Peak to Plains Trail. After a brief wait for single lane traffic, I parked in a wide pullout high above the creek. The air temperature was 72 degrees and Clear Creek was tumbling along at 48 CFS, and it lived up to its name, as it was very clear.

Trout Materialized Here

I stayed in the car and completed my preliminary routine of applying sunscreen and lip balm and gathering the gear that I need for a day of fishing. When I exited the car to move to the hatch, I noticed another angler had pulled in behind me. With miles of available stream in Clear Creek Canyon, why did this individual choose to invade my space? In fairness, I was in the car doing my thing, so he had no idea I was another fisherman. Nevertheless, I was annoyed.

Before putting on my waders, I jumped back in the car and drove another .2 mile west. After I assembled my Orvis Access four weight and slid into my packs, I crossed the highway and carefully maneuvered down a very steep bank with plenty of loose gravel. It was very dicey, but I pulled it off.

Upon reaching the bank of the creek, I found myself next to a long section of wide shallow riffles, so I simply waded upstream, until I encountered water more appropriate for searching out trout. During my last visit I experienced quite a bit of success with a Jake’s gulp beetle, so I went to the foam beetle initially.

Another Chunky Brown

Was I surprised with the results? I was beyond surprised. In the first thirty minutes I landed three very nice brown trout by Clear Creek standards, and one probably measured in the fourteen inch range. All the trout sipped the beetle, and I also connected briefly with two additional fish. I was rather excited to anticipate how the day would develop.

A Good Look

Well, it never developed. I fished upstream from 11:15AM, until I quit at 1:15PM, and I managed to land only one additional small brown on a parachute hopper. For some reason the foam beetle failed to excite the trout, and I cycled through a myriad of replacements. For dries I experimented with the parachute hopper and deer hair caddis. I also tried a dry dropper with a tan pool toy hopper trailing a beadhead hares ear and olive perdigon. The tungsten weighted perdigon was hanging up frequently, so I replaced it with a salvation nymph. The nymphs were worthless except for one momentary connection. The pool toy prompted a couple refusals.

From 12:30PM until 1:15PM I covered some very attractive deep runs, seams and pockets, where the creek narrowed. I was sure that the fish count would come alive, but my expectations were misplaced. I focused my efforts on the most attractive spots for the sake of efficiency, but there was no sign of fish. The sun was high in the mostly cloudless sky, and this probably explained the lack of action.

Deep Run Produced

By 1:15PM my confidence was shot, so I decided to climb the very steep bank back to the highway. I used a narrow gully where rain had washed out the gravel leaving protruding rocks that could be used to brace my steps on the ascent.

I took the stream temperature at noon, after I ate my lunch, and it was 55 degrees. Miraculously, when I took it again, before I climbed the bank, it continued to register 55. Warm creek temperatures did not explain the absence of hungry trout on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

Fish Landed: 4

South Platte River – 08/31/2026

Time: 11:00AM – 3:15PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 08/31/2026 Photo Album

My last fly fishing outing was last Tuesday, so I was itching to visit a Colorado stream again during the week that began with August 31, 2026. The weather forecast played a role in my choice of destination, as the probability of afternoon storms was in the 50% range in most locales. I decided to make the drive to the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon, because the road runs along the river, and I would not be far from shelter should a storm roll in.

Breaking in the New Net

I arrived at my chosen pullout by 10:30AM. I was surprised by the number of cars in pullouts along the road, as I drove toward the dam, but I found a favorite section unoccupied. The temperature on the dashboard was 58 degrees, as I prepared to fish, so I slid into my raincoat for additional warmth. I suspected that I would remove it during my stay on the river, but it never came off, as heavy clouds blocked the sun for most of the day. There was a sunny stretch, when I felt excessively warm, but I waited it out, and more clouds blocked the sun’s rays for the remainder of the afternoon.

Nice Pool

The flows were 66 CFS, and the river was very clear. I chose my Sage R8 four weight, since wind was not a factor, and I did not expect to tangle with many trout in the fifteen to twenty inch range.

A Trout Came from the Side Pool

During the morning I opted for a light dry/dropper configuration. I began with a peacock hippie stomper trailing a sunken trico. The South Platte in Eleven Mile is known for its summer trico hatch, and I thought perhaps I could cash in on some straggling sunken spinners, but the strategy failed. Between eleven AM and 11: 50AM I managed to land four small trout. Two gobbled the hippie stomper, and one snatched the salvation nymph, after I replaced the sunken trico, The fourth landed trout nabbed a gray size 16 comparadun, after I replaced the sunken trico and nymphs. Three were small rainbow trout and the other was a sub twelve inch brown trout.

Beast Brown Trout

Brown Grabbed Hopper in the Froth

After lunch, since the hippie stomper was attracting refusals, I swapped it for a large deer hair caddis, and I retained the gray comparadun on a long leader behind the caddis. These flies were relatively easy to track, and as I mentioned previously, a small rainbow grabbed the comparadun. I did have a few refusals to the caddis and a couple very momentary connections. It seemed the fish were interested, but something made them very tentative.

Orange Border on the Tail

Run Next to Boulders Delivered

I grew weary of tracking the flies in the glare for minimal return, so I shifted my strategy once again. I went big with a tan pool toy hopper and trailed an olive perdigon for weight and followed that with a salvation nymph. The move paid huge dividends, when a sixteen inch brown trout smashed the hopper in the froth of a deep but short pocket in the middle of some fast water.

Another Brute

Hopper Eat Below the Round Left Side Boulder

For the remainder of the afternoon I worked my way up the river at a steady pace, and I boosted the fish count from five to ten. The second five to visit my net were quality trout with a couple thirteen inch rainbows, two thirteen inch brown trout, and another hopper crusher in the form of a fourteen inch brown. Catching these fish required an abundant number of casts and a lot of wading, but I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. The action was frequent enough to hold my interest, until I called it quits at 3:15PM.

Pool Toy Hopper

Before I returned to the car, I pulled out my new stream thermometer (my old one went through the wash, and the mercury sank, so that the scale was off by 30 degrees). I glanced at the scale before submerging, and the air temperature was a cool 66 degrees. After one minute in the river, I extracted the cylinder, and the new reading was 57 degrees. I thought the water felt warm, but that was in comparison to the relatively cool air.

Monday was a fun day on the South Platte River. Dry fly action has slowed compared to earlier visits in July, but I discovered that persistence with a hopper/dropper and nymphs could be rewarding. Perhaps I can return in September for some blue wing olive activity.

Fish Landed: 10

Curtain Ponds – 08/25/2026

Time: 1:30PM – 3:30PM

Location: Near Copper Mountain

Curtain Ponds 08/25/2026 Photo Album

I departed Clinton Gulch, and the Curtain Ponds were along the way, and I could not resist the need to stop and try my luck. I parked in the lot provided and hiked along the bike path to one of the ponds along Interstate 70.

Mirror Smooth

I ended my time at Clinton Gulch with a size 14 olive-brown deer hair caddis, so I kept that dry fly on my line, and I began to fan casts toward a shallow cove. I was pleased, when a brightly colored brook trout slammed the caddis, and I was on the board at the Curtain Ponds.

Glamour

For the next two hours I moved along the shoreline and sprayed casts toward the middle of the pond, and I managed to land five brook trout in total. Near the start I noticed a decent brown trout, as it spooked from the shallows to deeper water, but I was unable to connect with any browns during my two hours.

Respectable

I began with the caddis, and then, after I observed two very dainty insects skittering across the surface followed by a few random rises, I found a tiny tuft of a fly with an olive body and a CDC wing. This fly generated one small brook trout that reacted to a strip.

Chowed on the Hippie Stomper

After this success, however, the tiny fly failed to produce, so I decided to go big. A peacock hippie stomper was a star performer on other Curtain Ponds, so why not try it here? I did, and it brought three more brook trout to my net. One was actually quite decent and probably measured eleven inches. I cast the stomper within a yard of the bank, and the brook trout crushed it.

Home of Nice Brook Trout Next to the Bank

Five trout from the Curtain Ponds salvaged my day to some degree. By 3:30 I was in the midst of an extended lull, so I decided to begin my return drive. Lake fly fishing continues to be a bit of a mystery with this fly angler.

Fish Landed: 5

Clinton Gulch Reservoir – 08/25/2026

Time: 10:45AM – 12:30PM

Location: South shore

Clinton Gulch Reservoir 08/25/2026 Photo Album

I visited Clinton Gulch on 06/16/2026, and I was disappointed. An abundant quantity of cutthroat trout were stacked at the inlet, but fishing in the inlet was prohibited, as it should be, and I was unable to tempt any fish elsewhere in the lake. I vowed to return after the cutthroat spawn was complete.

Tuesday, August 25 was the day, when I fulfilled my vow and returned to Clinton Gulch. I arrived at the south parking lot by 10:00AM and quickly geared up including fitting out my Sage R8 four weight. The air temperature was 61 degrees with a stiff breeze, but I decided to roll up my raincoat in order to stuff it in my backpack. Throughout my time on the lake, thick clouds rolled across the sky, and I donned my raincoat several times for added warmth.

I chatted with another occupant in the parking lot who was embarking on a hike with his wife, and he told me that he had fished the lake previously. I asked for a suggested starting point, and he mentioned a spot along the south shore halfway between the dam and the inlet, where there was shelf and drop off.

Lots of Chop

I hiked for .3 mile and then dropped down a very rocky bank to the edge of the lake. The lake at this point was very deep up to the edge of the steep bank, so I suspected it was not the recommended shelf area. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a shot. I began with a peacock hippie stomper, but the fish were not interested. Some dark clouds moved in and the wind picked up and created small waves on the surface. After fanning casts around the area, I decided to move east a bit, but I placed all my weight on a large round rock. I assumed that its size made it stable, but I was wrong, and the boulder rolled like a bowling ball. My 75 year old body crashed to the rocks, and I dropped my favorite fly rod to avoid breakage. The rod was saved, but I landed on my hip, elbow and finger on my right side, and the pain was rather intense. I flexed my finger, and it bent in the right places. My hip felt fine and my elbow struck the rocks, where I wear my elbow brace. What a break! I sat on a rock and waited things out, until I felt up to more fly fishing.

My Only Fish

I deemed my first stop cursed, so I hiked above the high water mark and boulders for a bit, until I reached a small cove. I could see a light colored shelf or bar forty yards out from the shoreline, so I assumed I found the spot that the parking lot gentleman referred to. The wind was still whipping, but I fired some casts with the hippie stomper, until boredom caused me to reconsider. I decided to try a pair of streamers, although I felt it was a long shot. I knotted a beadhead black woolly bugger to my line in the first position and then added a black mini leech. Guess what? On the fifth strip I felt a grab and strip set and felt myself attached to a feisty trout. I never got a good look, but in the brief tussle, it put up a decent fight. Unfortunately, my line went limp, and it was minus two streamers. Apparently I tied a bad knot to the woolly bugger. As you can imagine, I was deeply disappointed.

A Stunning 14″ Cutthroat on a Beetle

On the plus side, I actually located a fish. The wind abated somewhat, so I decided to try a terrestrial combination. I opted for a size 14 Jake’s gulp beetle in the front position trailing a size 18 black parachute ant. I fired three casts, and the flies floated unmolested, but on the fourth cast, an aggressive smash signaled me to set the hook. This fish was very rambunctious, as it fought me back and forth a few times while thrashing about. Eventually I slid my net beneath a gorgeous cutthroat trout that extended to around fourteen inches. What a prize! I was hoping for cutthroats, and now I held one.

Unfortunately that was the end of the action. I continued stepping down the shoreline and casting, and I eventually decided to go big with a pool toy hopper combined with the beetle. My guess was that the large hopper was more visible in the chop created by the wind. At 12:30 I was executing a long cast toward the deeper area between the shore and the shelf, and I snapped off the two flies on the backcast. I wandered to the area behind me thinking I could spot the large pool toy with a pink wing indicator, but all I managed to find was a chubby Chernobyl with a purple body. A one for two trade was better than none.

Dark puffy clouds rolled in from the west, so I knew that wind and cool temperatures were going to exist for a while, so I hiked back to the car and moved to another lake destination.

I landed my best cutthroat of the year, and it was a very pretty fish, so that made my day, although it barely compensated for my dangerous fall. Will I return again to Clinton Gulch? I am not sure.

Fish Landed: 1

 

Moose Creek – 08/24/2026

Time: 11:00AM – 3:30PM

Location: National forest

Note: In order to protect small high country streams, I have chosen to change the name for a few. This particular creek happens to be one of them. Excessive exposure could lead to crowding and lower fish densities.

My last fly fishing effort was last Tuesday, August 18, 2026 on the Taylor River, and now that Jane and I were back in Denver, I was anxious for another day of fishing. The high temperature in Denver was once again projected to exceed 90 degrees, so I needed either a cold tailwater or cold high country creek. My initial impulse was to spend a day in South Boulder Creek, but when I checked the flows, I learned that Denver Water dropped the releases from 69 CFS to 10.6 CFS. The 10.6 level was in place for four days. I have fished at 10.6 successfully, but those experiences were in September, when the air temperature, especially the nighttime lows, were more favorable to fishing at low flows. I decided to consider alternatives.

My last two visits to Moose Creek were very enjoyable, and the flows in that stream seemed to be holding at decent levels compared to other drainages around Colorado. Moose Creek became my choice.

Brilliant

When I parked near the trailhead, I quickly assembled my Orvis Access four weight. The high temperature in the area was forecast to reach the low seventies, so I opted to wear my waders instead of wet wading. The possibility of showers also existed, so I expected cloud cover to keep things cool.

Prime

I found myself poised along the creek by 11:00AM, and I began my search for trout with a classic Chernobyl ant. Why? The Chernobyl requires no floatant or false casting. If the fish were duped by the Chernobyl ant, I was in for a low maintenance day. Well, the fish rejected my large foam attractor, so I switched to a size 14 Jake’s gulp beetle. The beetle attracted attention in the form of refusals, but it never produced a fish. Next I tried a double dry with a light olive body size 14 stimulator in front and trailing a light gray size 16 deer hair caddis. Finally a trout grabbed the caddis, and I was on the board, but then the two fly combination failed to deliver.

Workhorse Fly

Would a dry/dropper do the trick? I moved to a peacock hippie stomper trailing an ultra zug bug, and the zug bug delivered a nice brook trout. Unfortunately the stomper started generating refusals and distracted the trout from the nymph. I switched the ultra zug bug for a supernova PMD nymph, and the nymph produced, but once again the hippie stomper was a distraction.

Glistening

By 11:50, when I broke for lunch, my fish count was stalled at four, and I was puzzled by the slow action in a creek, where I previously experienced fantastic action. I ate my lunch on the south bank of the creek, and when I looked around I noticed many disbursed camping sites and well worn paths along the creek. I concluded that I was in an area favored by campers and fishermen.

So Colorful

I persisted after lunch with the hope that I would move at a faster pace and advance beyond the suspiciously pressured section of the stream, but the results remained disappointing. I did manage a few long distance releases, but prime spots that yielded multiple fish on my last visit, were seemingly devoid of fish.

First Cutthroat

By 1:30 I had enough, and I decided to move. I found the trail and moved westward by .5 mile and cut to the creek. The change of scenery was my salvation, and I moved the fish count from four to twenty-four, before I called it a day at 3:30PM. I abandoned the dry/dropper and settled on a light olive body stimulator trailing a size 16 tan body deer hair caddis. The caddis really started to produce, but about halfway through my afternoon period after changing locations, I set the hook on nothing and flicked the flies high above into a hemlock bow. There was no hope of rescue, so I broke them both off.

In the Net

I replaced the duo with a size 14 lime green trude and a size 16 olive-brown deer hair caddis. These flies continued to fool mainly brook trout, and I moved upstream at a steady pace. The lime green trude’s white calftail wing was easy to track as an indicator; although it also fooled a few fish. The caddis did the heavy lifting, and likely spots finally began to deliver.

Another Cutthroat

On the day I landed twenty-four wild trout. Twenty-one were brook trout, and three were cutthroat trout. Needless to say, I was quite pleased to net a few cutties. Even more rewarding was scooping a fourteen inch cutthroat into my net, after it smacked the caddis. I also hooked a pair of cutthroats that escaped before I could net them. The cutthroats came from deep, slow-moving areas next to large boulders. In two cases I was able to hide above the tail of the pool, and I sent downstream drifts to the deep areas, where the cutthroats confidently sipped the caddis. The cutthroat eats were the highlights of my day.

I definitely feel that I spent 2.5 hours in a more heavily pressured section of the creek. I need to trust my instincts, when I see evidence of heavy human usage. If I visit Moose Creek again, I will definitely be very selective about where I fish.

Fish Landed: 24

 

Taylor River – 08/18/2026

Time: 11:00AM – 3:15PM

Location: Below Taylor Reservoir

Taylor River 08/18/2026 Photo Album

Jane, Amy Jo, and I made a trip to Crested Butte. Amy Jo had never been there, so we volunteered to show her the sights. Tuesday was my fly fishing day, so I was given access to the Telluride for the day. I dropped Amy Jo and Jane off at the Lower Lower Loop Trailhead and left them dependent on the Crested Butte transportation system and their feet.

Nice Section

I arrived at my chosen pullout along the Taylor River by 10:30AM, and I immediately geared up and assembled my Sage R8 four weight. Have I mentioned that I love this rod? The Taylor was running very low with flows out of the dam at 115 CFS. From the road the river looked very challenging; however, once I arrived next to my chosen section, I realized that the river was very fishable. Of course, I chose a stretch with high gradient and a narrow riverbed, and these features created lots of deep runs and pockets. The tailwater effect was also beneficial, and although I never took the temperature, it felt quite cold. The air temperature was in the sixties, and the dashboard displayed 72 degrees, as I commenced my return drive. Several periods of overcast and near showers had me debating whether to slip on my raincoat.

More Size Here

I spent most of the day tossing a dry/dropper configuration, as the fast and deep water suggested deep nymphing. During the morning and early afternoon I drifted a tan pool toy hopper, a 20 incher, and a salvation nymph. I built the fish count to six, but the action was slow and steady.

Rock Garden

During the afternoon the hopper began to generate refusals, so I made a major change and switched to a double dry featuring a peacock hippie stomper and size 14 olive-brown deer hair caddis. The hippie stomper was largely ignored, so I replaced it with a size 14 Jake’s gulp beetle. Throughout this double dry time I managed to land three trout on the caddis, but it was very slow going.

Far Bank Slick Produced

For the last 1.5 hour I returned to the dry/dropper approach, and the three fly lineup included another tan pool toy hopper, a brown perdigon, and a supernova PMD. I landed two additional trout in my last 1.5 hour, and they grabbed the supernova. The dry/dropper was clearly the preferred fishing technique, and during my second session I experienced quite a few temporary connections.

A Rainbow Visits My Net

I was satisfied with my eleven fish day that included four trout in the thirteen to fifteen inch range, but my results could have been even more impressive. During the morning a large brown grabbed the salvation, as the nymphs began to swing in front of a large exposed rock at the tail of a pool. I fought it for five seconds, at which point my line no longer had any weight on it. The bruiser broke off all three flies at an old surgeon’s knot above the pool toy. I caught a nice view of the brown that broke off, and I estimate that it approached the magical twenty inch threshold.

Rainbow Pocket

During the early afternoon a very fine rainbow smashed the pool toy, and it likewise performed an evasive maneuver to free itself. I suspect the rainbow was in the fifteen inch range.

Release

During the later afternoon two brown trout topped the rainbow in the race for most annoying fish. Both grabbed one of the nymphs in nice riffles over moderate depth, and both turned their head and allowed the hook to spring free. In both cases the pent up energy in my rod released and catapulted the flies high above me in overhanging branches. Other than some foul language directed at the smart ass fish, all was well, as I was able to bend down the branches and unravel my line and flies.

Fish Landed: 11