South Platte River – 10/05/2026

Leave a reply

Time: 10:45AM – 3:00PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 10/05/2026 Photo Album

With a non-fishing trip planned to the mountains later in the week, I felt I needed to take advantage of Monday, October 5, 2026 with another day trip. The South Platte River was running at a steady 67 CFS, and fly shop reports indicated that tricos and pale morning duns were still present along with early stages of fall blue wing olives. That information was enough to convince me to make the drive to Eleven Mile Canyon.

Love the Look of the Water In the Background

I arrived at my chosen section of the canyon at 10:15AM, and the dashboard temperature was 56 degrees. Much of the stretch that I was about to fish was covered with shade, so I decided to wear my raincoat for warmth. I wore it the entire day, although there were a few times, when I was in full sunlight, and I was overheated. My fly rod of choice was my Sage R8 four weight, since I love casting it, and the wide open South Platte River is a benign environment for a fly rod.

Rainbow Haven

By 10:45AM I was perched along the bank, and I began my day with a size 8 tan pool toy hopper, a salvation nymph and an olive perdigon. In the first hour from 10:45AM until 11:45AM, when I broke for lunch, I landed five trout. Needless to say I was rather pleased with this result. The first fish was a surprise thirteen inch rainbow that slammed the hopper. The remaining four were brown trout, and they all snatched the olive perdigon. I saw two tricos, but a surface feeding trico spinner event never materialized. I suspect one needs to be in the first couple miles below the dam for a true trico experience.

Trough Productive

After lunch I continued with the dry/dropper, and I raised the fish count from five to nine with nearly all the takes attributable to the olive perdigon. There may have been one salvation customer.

Flabby Belly

By 1:30 I began to see a few random blue wing olives in the air, but no surface rises were evident. I decided to test a RS2 which imitates the nymph state of a blue wing olive. I moved the olive perdigon to the upper position, and I found a 20 incher with a one foot section of monofilament attached. I knotted the mono to the eye of the olive perdigon, and rather than remove the 20 incher in favor of the RS2, I decided to give the large stonefly imitation a trial.

Prime Run

It did not perform well, and it seemed to be snagging and creating an unnatural drift, so I finally conceded to my initial inclination and tied on a size 22 RS2. The RS2 worked its magic, and I landed three trout on the tiny nymph to bring the fish count to thirteen. All the RS2 takes were associated with a swing or lift at the end of the drift, so the trout were attracted to an emerging or escaping nymph.

Another Fine Bow

At 2:30PM I arrived at a gorgeous pool with a center cut current that fanned out into a nice long pool. The pool was not entirely smooth and contained small swirly surface riffles. I began to see sporadic rises among this perfect pool environment, and more tiny blue wing olives were present than earlier.

Juicy Spot

I concluded that I should commit to dries, so I removed the dry/dropper rig and converted to a peacock hippie stomper and a mole fly. I waited until I spotted one of the random rises in order to locate a fish, and I began popping the double dry to the vicinity of rises. This approach entailed a fair amount of waiting, as the rises were spaced out time wise, and prospecting seemed futile. Eventually I popped a cast toward the swirly center section, and a brown trout pounced on the mole fly.

Pool Had Rising Fish

I thoroughly dried the mole fly, so that it would float and be visible, and after quite a few casts, I tossed one to the entering current right above me, where I had seen a solid rise. Wham! A solid thirteen inch rainbow clobbered the hippie stomper and increased the fish count to fifteen. In the process of landing the rainbow, the mole fly broke off, so I replaced it with another, but the rainbow that ate the stomper would be my last catch of the day. I swapped the mole fly for a soft hackle emerger fished dry for the final fifteen minutes, but I quickly ended up with a tangle, and that ended my day.

Fifteen trout on a section of the South Platte in Eleven Mile never before fished was a success in my book. I landed a fourteen inch brown trout before lunch, and three chunky rainbows in the thirteen inch range joined the parade. Add a few twelve inch browns and a remaining population of sub-twelve inchers, and that equals a fine day of autumn fly fishing. I would not mind returning on a cloudy day to see, if the BWO hatch intensifies.

Fish Landed: 15

Eagle River – 10/02/2026

Leave a reply

Time: 10:30AM – 3:15PM

Location: Between Minturn and Edwards

Eagle River 10/02/2026 Photo Album

After a successful day on Thursday on the Frying Pan River, I was undecided on my fly fishing option for Friday. The action on the Frying Pan heated up late in the afternoon; and I would, therefore, want to remain on the river until late in the day. However, Friday was my getaway day, and I faced a three hour drive back to Denver. From the upper miles of the Frying Pan the trip was closer to four hours. My alternative was to test the Eagle River. It was along my homeward drive, and it actually reduced my trip home by an hour or more. I made the Eagle River my destination.

Surprised by This Hopper Eater

Hopper Take in Current Seam Along the Bank

I experienced quite a bit of success on the Eagle in the spring of 2026 and during the fall of 2025, so I was guardedly optimistic that I could recreate some of that good fortune. I arrived at my chosen parking space by 10:00AM, and by the time I geared up and hiked to the river, it was 10:30AM.

Nice Little Run Boulder to Boulder

I selected my Sage One five weight for Friday duty. The Eagle River was one of the rivers that experienced voluntary closure during the hot summer months, so I was concerned about the stream level for this October visit. Once I returned home, I discovered that the flows were between 65 and 70 CFS during my stay on the river. Clearly these were low flows, but the river seemed to be quite fishable. I adjusted my approach by focusing my efforts on sections of the river, where the riverbed narrowed thus creating deep pockets, slots, riffles and oxygenated whitewater.

Different Light

I cast a three fly dry/dropper throughout the day, and only varied the offering a few times. Initially I presented a tan size 8 pool toy hopper and trailed an olive perdigon and salvation nymph. One hungry brown trout crushed the hopper early in the game, but that was the extent of the action between 10:30AM and 11:45AM. The brown was a spectacular specimen, as it probably measured in excess of fifteen inches.

Behind the Large Exposed Rock

After lunch I contemplated a change, and I did, in fact, adjust my lineup. First I shortened my dropper to three feet, and then I replaced the pool toy hopper with an amber ice dub body chubby Chernobyl. I was opting for the improved visibility offered by the two white poly wings of the chubby. I knotted a 20 incher in the upper nymph position, and I moved the salvation to the point. These flies allowed me to move the fish count to three, but it took quite a while.

Held Above the River

I was drifting flies through all the likely structure that delivered excellent results in previous visits, but the fish were not readily cooperating. At some point I replaced the salvation with the olive perdigon, and the chubby/20 incher/olive perdigon yielded the best results. I finished the day with nine trout landed, and I felt this was actually rather commendable after the woeful start.

Another Bank Eater

Although the fish count was on the low side for nine hours of fly fishing, I did land some fish that were above average in size. There was the pool toy savoring brown trout in the early going, and I netted a second brown of at least fifteen inches late in the day on the olive perdigon. A thick slab of a rainbow crushed the chubby Chernobyl in the two o’clock time frame, and fish number eight was a superb rainbow that grabbed the 20 incher in a deep slot. Number eight was a muscular torpedo of a fish that probably measured sixteen inches, but it’s girth was very impressive.

Quite a View

On the day I landed three rainbows, and the remainder were brown trout. Two trout smacked dry flies, as I mentioned, and the remainder of the fish were split among the nymphs. I recall one fish taking the salvation, two gobbled the 20 incher, and the rest grabbed the olive perdigon.

Rainbow Home

I noticed virtually no insect activity. There were a few sparse tiny caddis buzzing about, but they were not on the water enough for the fish to waste energy in pursuit. I was hoping for straggling pale morning duns or early blue wing olives, but neither made an appearance. I’m pretty sure I will return again to this destination in October, but Friday was a tough day. Large fish always offset any disappointment, and that was the case on October 2, 2026.

Fish Landed: 9

Frying Pan River – 10/01/2026

Leave a reply

Time: 10:00AM – 5:00PM

Location: Between MM10 and Ruedi Dam

Frying Pan River 10/01/2026 Photo Album

When I arrived at my chosen pullout, the temperature was 51 degrees with a stiff breeze. I was chilly. I pulled on my Under Armour long sleeve insulated undershirt and then added three layers; my fishing shirt, a fleece hoodie, and my rain shell. I was comfortable.

I decided to devote the first hour to tossing streamers, so I dug my sink tip line and reel out of my backpack and attached them to my Sage R8 four weight. I was using a five weight line on a four weight rod, but chucking weighted streamers is an inexact science, and I did not notice the line to rod mismatch.

The river was chugging along at 125 CFS, and it was tinged with an olive color. I knotted an olive articulated streamer with a skull head to my leader as the lead fly and followed it with a size 8 Mickey Finn. I persisted with the double streamer for an hour, and I landed a thirteen inch rainbow on the Mickey Finn and experienced two momentary grabs. I moved up the river at a steady pace and experimented with casts in all directions and a variety of retrieves.

Streamer Eater

By 11:00AM I reached the top of a long run and pool, and I was roasting under the overhead sun, so I retreated to the car. I stripped down and shed the Under Armour and replaced it with a high tech short sleeve undershirt. I also dumped the fleece, and I rolled up the raincoat and placed it in my fishing backpack. In addition, I reeled up my line and swapped my sink tip line for my floating four weight. By the time I completed all these adjustments and hiked back to slightly above my original starting point, thirty minutes elapsed.

Respectable

I resumed fly fishing with a size 8 tan pool toy hopper, a 20 incher, and a salvation nymph. Between 11:30AM and my lunch break at 12:15PM, I added two twelve inch trout to the count. One was a rainbow, and one was a brown, and one ate the 20 incher, and one consumed the salvation. I ate my lunch at 12:15PM with the fish count paused at three after 1.5 plus hours of concentrated fishing. Several severe snarls caused by foul hooked fish also necessitated some unproductive maintenance time.

Right Braid

After lunch I progressed up the river along the right bank, and I increased the fish count from three to eight. This period featured some nicer fish in the thirteen to fourteen inch range, and the salvation became the desired food for the trout. This was by no means hot fishing, as I covered a lot of water and generated an abundant quantity of casts.

Dipper Nest

I anxiously anticipated cube rock pool, but when I arrived there, it was occupied by another angler. I retreated to the bottom of the island and waded up the pitifully low and unfishable left braid, until I reached the deep pockets above the split in the river and the angler blocking my upstream migration.

Big Grip

It was around 3:00PM, and a few PMD’s, BWO’s and caddis were present, and I observed a handful of sporadic rises. I was not tempted to switch to a dry fly, and I continued to fish the three fly dry/dropper. The salvation began to out produce the 20 incher, and eventually I swapped the 20 incher for a brown perdigon. The perdigon/salvation combination performed slightly better than the 20 incher/salvation alternative.

Pleased

I continued fishing the pocket water in the narrow section that is usually too fast and marginal at higher flows. On this day, however, many more fish-holding lies appeared, and I moved the fish count from eight to sixteen. Eventually I encountered another angler in a prime pool, and I watched him land at least three fish.

Next to Exposed Rock Produced

I climbed the bank to an angled pool and eddy just below a large exposed rock that jutted at a right angle into the river. I spotted several rising fish, so I very stealthily shed the dry/dropper and tied on a cinnamon comparadun. After an inordinate number of casts to rises, an eleven inch brown sipped the comparadun.

Fish of the Day

I decided the fish were eating something different, but it must have been quite small, because I observed no food source in the air or on the water. I decided to try a CDC BWO, and to ease tracking I combined it with a hippie stomper. Nothing. The fish were still rising, so I cycled through a tiny size 18 caddis with a beige body and a light gray size 18 comparadun. Again the fish voted no. Next I selected an Adams, and it was also rejected.

Eddy Home of Large Brown

Quite a few caddis danced about, so I tried a size 16 gray body deer hair caddis. This move paid dividends, and I landed three browns to move the count to twenty. Icing on the cake were a sixteen and twenty inch brown among the final three.

A small fish was rising next to the jutting rock at the core of the eddy, and I decided to try for it. On the third cast the trailing caddis inched toward the vortex, and suddenly a large mouth appeared, and the caddis disappeared. What a pleasant surprise to slide a twenty inch brown into my under sized net.

In the end I managed a twenty fish day, but the path to that accomplishment was not without challenges. I expected more hatch activity including green drakes, but most of the day was spent tossing the dry/dropper. Nevertheless, five very fine trout in the thirteen to twenty inch range found my net, and that was quite rewarding. The Frying Pan River remains a favorite for this avid angler.

Fish Landed: 20

Beaver Creek – 09/30/2026

Leave a reply

Time: 12:15PM – 4:15PM

Location: National forest

Beaver Creek 09/30/2026 Photo Album

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.

Wednesday was the first day of a planned three day fishing trip on the western slope. The weather was a concern, as I drove through steady rain and cold temperatures, but by the time I reached my destination, the dashboard temperature registered 61 degrees, and the air was dry, although heavy clouds blocked the sun most of the day.

On Display

I geared up and assembled my Orvis Access four weight. I was also concerned about the flows during this drought year, so I peered down at the creek to make sure that Beaver Creek was a viable fishery. It was, so I hiked up the trail a decent distance, before I cut across some large rocks and approached the stream. By this time it was nearly noon, so I found a suitable rock and gobbled my lunch.

Lovely Pool

After lunch I knotted a peacock hippie stomper to my line and began my quest for trout. The solo stomper was ignored, so I added a short 18 inch dropper and tied a supernova PMD to my line. The two fly dry/dropper clicked somewhat, and I boosted the fish count to six in the first hour, but the stomper was provoking a lot of refusals. The supernova accounted for most of the early catch, although there were a couple stomper takes.

Spots Like This

I concluded that I was bypassing some juicy spots with no action, so I reworked my configuration. I replaced the stomper with a tan mini chubby and swapped the supernova for a prince nymph. I also extended the dropper leader to 2-2.5 feet. I was seeking deeper drifts by way of a heavier fly and longer leader.

Pastel Rainbow

Well, the prince failed to deliver, so after a reasonable trial period, I exchanged it for a salvation nymph. I am not certain whether it was due to the fly change, depth adjustment, time of day or section of the creek; but my flies began to produce with regularity. Over the last two hours I raised the fish count to thirty-three. Roughly 70% of the grabs were on the salvation, but the mini chubby attracted its fair share of eats.

Quite a Pool

Five of the netted fish were twelve inches or greater with the largest estimated to be fourteen inches. Most trout were small and between six and eleven inches, but they were fun to fool and play nonetheless.

I Was Unable to Fool the Pair of Trout in the Center

Thirty-one of the thirty-three fish were rainbows, and two were vibrant brook trout. Fishing the narrow, high gradient stream was very challenging, as I contorted myself over slippery, moss covered rocks and over and under large deadfalls. Deep pools and tailouts produced most of the fish.

Glowing

Wednesday was a successful day with nearly perfect weather for fishing. The aspen leaves were bright although trending past their peak.

Fish Landed: 33

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

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

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

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

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