South Boulder Creek – 07/21/2026

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Time: 10:45AM – 3:00PM

Location: Below Gross Reservoir

South Boulder Creek 07/21/2026 Photo Album

My fly fishing adventure on Tuesday, July 21, 2026 contained some interesting developments. On Monday I experienced an average day on the South Platte River, and in spite of choosing a tailwater for my angling location, the water temperature registered 68 degrees, when I dipped my thermomenter in the river at 1:00PM. Flows of 108 CFS were not enough to buffer the bottom release water against air temperatures in the mid eighties, and it is not even August yet. What is an avid fly fisherman to do?

So Many Speckles

I regularly check the flows on South Boulder Creek, and when I reviewed the graph on Monday evening, I noted that the water was being released from the bottom of Gross Dam at 92 CFS. That was all I needed to see, as the narrow streambed and bottom releases would surely maintain temperatures conducive to coldwater fish. As I prepared to write this blog on Wednesday, I checked the DWR information again, and the flows actually dropped from 92 CFS to 77 CFS, while I was fishing in the tailwater creek.

Doing the Heavy Lifting on This Day

The temperature in the parking lot was in the upper seventies, so I was once again prepared for a hot day. On this stream my feet get numb, even when I wear my waders, so I decided to not wade wet, even though that option would have been advantageous for the inbound and outbound hikes. A little perspiration never hurt anyone. For my rod I chose my Loomis two piece five weight. I like the softer action of the Loomis for throwing dry/droppers and dry flies, and the shorter length also appeals to me among the tighter surroundings of a narrow creek.

Monster for SBC

I arrived along the stream by 10:35AM, and I was prepared to cast by 10:45AM. There were five cars in the parking lot, and as I hiked along the trail next to the creek, four or five anglers were spaced out throughout the section that I targeted. I selected that section because I was convinced that fishermen would avoid the relatively steep sided banks and opt for gentler terrain. I was wrong, so I hiked quite a bit beyond the initially chosen section.

Nice Brown Taken from Under Overhanging Branches

All aspects of fly fishing in Colorado in 2026 have been earlier than normal including stream levels, water temperatures and insect hatches. Based on this knowledge I decided to begin with a parachute western green drake. Normally green drakes hatch during the first week of August, but I was curious to see if they were present on July 21. My thought process was sound, but the green drake was totally ignored in my first fifteen minutes of fishing through some very attractive pockets and runs.

The Brown Trout Parade Continues

I decided to explore another pathway, and I substituted a size 14 yellow stimulator and size 16 light gray deer hair caddis. I prospected with this combination for an hour, before I broke for lunch at 11:45AM, and I pushed the fish count to three. One of the landed trout was a brown in the thirteen to fourteen inch range that clobbered the caddis beneath some low hanging branches. This was a highlight, as it was the longest fish of the day, and it required some pinpoint casting accuracy.

Lip of the Rock Contained a Decent Brown Trout

While eating lunch on a large boulder, I spotted two western green drakes, as they floated upward like helium balloons. Surely the trout would now tune into my green drake imitation.

Another Decent Rainbow

I removed the double dries and tied on the parachute green drake for a second trial run. Nothing developed from the move other than a couple refusals. Maybe the trout were looking for a bushy fly that better imitated a large mayfly attempting to become airborne? I swapped the parachute green drake for a user friendly green drake. Once again the trout ignored my offering.

Small Pool

As I was working upstream, another angler popped into my field of vision. He was hidden behind a small bend and some trees. I attempted to talk to me, but I was unable to hear him over the sound of the rushing water, so I waded to the right bank, and he met me half way. He left the section between me and where he first appeared untouched, and he was moving downstream fishing streamers. He also informed me that he encountered a bull moose not too distant upstream. He said it was along the right bank in the shade between the creek and the trail. I filed this away, but I expected the moose to have moved on by the time I reached the position that was described.

Chunky Rainbow

The green drake ploy was not effective, so I abandoned it, and returned to an olive body size 14 stimulator and the light gray deer hair caddis. While I moved upstream with this combination, I observed another four or five green drakes. No matter. I persisted with the stimulator and caddis and boosted the fish count from three to seventeen. A few of these trout smacked the stimulator, but the caddis was by far the main attractor. I was rather amazed at how aggressive the trout were for the small size 16 caddis, particularly in riffles over moderate depth. Another popular position for feeding trout was the cushion in front of a large rock or at the lip of a pool, where the current accelerated.

Looks So Good

By two o’clock the temperature was spiking, and the yellow stimulator began to induce refusals. I considered my options, and I guessed that perhaps a peacock body hippie stomper might be a more effective lead fly than the stimulator. I made the change, and sure enough, it worked. Of course, the move was accompanied by refusals, but the hippie stomper accounted for two nice trout, and the caddis registered another three to boost the fish count to twenty-two. I was rather satisfied with my day at this point, and I considered calling it quits. The heat was intense, and I suspected that the trout would turn off in response.

Mr. Moose

I was approaching a large bend in the creek, when suddenly the branches next to the stream parted, and a massive and very dark moose made an appearance. I froze. The moose was no more than ten yards away, and it towered above me. I always underestimate the height of a moose with its long legs and high antlers. The moose and I stared at each other for thirty seconds, and my heartrate skyrocketed. What was I to do? I was stuck in the middle of the small creek, with no easy exit path. I slowly grabbed my line and hooked the fly to the rod guide, and I turned my body to slowly wade to the opposite bank, where there was an opening in the bushes.

From Upstream. Keeping an Eye on Me.

When I reached the bank, I turned around to check on my fishing buddy, and the moose bent its long legs and collapsed in the shallow water of the creek. Apparently moose do not handle the heat any better than humans, although this male had the good sense to wade wet. I concluded that a moose wallowing in the cool creek was not about to charge me, so I removed my camera and snapped three photos and a video. My heart rate slowly crept downward, and once my photography duties were complete, I climbed a path to the top of the bank and circled around the relaxed moose. Now that it was over and my fear waned, I was euphoric with the sighting.

I stopped and fished for another ten minutes at another favorite section on my return hike, but after that I returned to the parking lot and called it a day. And what a day it was! I encountered green drakes, and although my flies did not produce, I consider it a positive sign that green drake action will elevate from here. I landed twenty-two wild trout, and this included a fourteen inch brown and a nice thirteen inch rainbow. I estimate that four of the landed fish were rainbows with the remainder browns. The deer hair caddis was a winning fly and accounted for most of my landed fish. If the water level remains in the 70 – 100 CFS range, South Boulder Creek will be a solid option, while the heat wave and drought take its toll. I’ll never forget the close encounter with a moose on the loose.

Fish Landed: 22

South Platte River – 07/20/2026

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Time: 9:45AM – 1:00PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 07/20/2026 Photo Album

Monday was an open date for fly fishing, so I took advantage of the opportunity. The high temperature in Denver was forecast to reach 102 degrees, so my choice of destination was crucial. I had an outstanding day on the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon on 07/07/2026, so that became my choice. The flows were steady at 108 CFS, but the high temperature was projected to reach the eighties. I decided to start early, and in all likelihood end my day early.

My early start enabled me to arrive at my chosen destination by 9:15AM, and after I geared up with my Sage R8 four weight, I was positioned next to the stream ready to cast by 9:45AM. The air temperature at the car was 71 degrees, so I knew it was going to be a hot day.

Inviting a Cast

I began my day with a yellow Letort hopper size 10 and trailed a size 16 olive-brown deer hair caddis. The hopper initiated some refusals, but the caddis yielded a decent twelve inch brown trout that smacked the dry fly, as I began to lift it to cast in the upstream cushion in front on an exposed rock.

Ooh. Looks Good.

I was not impressed with the fish attracting capability of my dual dry fly combination, so I modified my offering. I removed the Letort hopper and replaced it with a size 14 yellow stimulator. For the trailing second fly I added a size 16 light gray comparadun. I was imitating yellow sallies and pale morning duns. I noticed a few yellow sallies fluttering up from the river as well as a couple pale morning duns.

Dry Fly Eater

The changeover provided some success, as I landed a nice brown trout and rainbow trout. The brown trout rose to the stimulator and the rainbow sipped the comparadun. The fish count was at three, as I broke for lunch at 11:45AM. The pace of action lagged significantly compared to my visit on 07/07/2026. The trout were being very picky, and I was perplexed by that development.

I Love These Sluicing Runs on the South Platte

After lunch I approached a narrow section of the canyon that exhibited faster water and deep plunge pools. I decided to give a dry/dropper a test. I removed the double dry flies and replaced them with a tan mini chubby, a size 16 PMD supernova, and a sunken trico. Although I covered quite a few attractive spots with no results, I did land three nice trout on the subsurface offerings. Two trout snatched the sunken trico and one nabbed the supernova. I was very pleased to note that my sunken trico ploy yielded positive results. One of the brown trout was a fourteen inch beauty and my best of the day, and a thirteen inch rainbow grabbed the sunken trico. I actually saw the fish move to the fly and set the hook before the mini chubby showed any movement from the take.

Tucked in the Net

After the flurry of action on the subsurface flies, the river went dead. The sighting of yellow sallies prompted me to substitute a beadhead hares ear for the sunken trico, and this move paid dividends, when I landed a small brown trout to bring the fish count to seven.

Trough

By now the time was approaching 1:00PM, and the action stalled, so I decided to convert back to dry flies. At one spot along the bank I noticed at least five blue body damsel flies flitting about. I tied some adult damsels in blue three or four years ago after encountering a dense damsel infestation on a lake, but I never had an occasion to use them. I decided to try a few casts. I flicked the damsel to some nice current seams with no results, but then I turned my attention to a nice deep run along the far bank that ended in a small eddy in front of a large exposed boulder. On the fourth drift a mouth appeared, and the damsel disappeared! I executed a swift hook set and saw the side of a nice brown trout, but within three seconds the brown twitched its mouth, and the damsel fly released. In spite of losing the fish, this was my favorite moment of the day. It was an excellent example of observing what was happening on the river and then reacting to it.

Deep Pocket Surrounded by Structure

At one o’clock after another futile fifteen minutes I decided to take the water temperature. I dug out my stream thermometer, and the air temperature read 82 degrees, before I submerged it. I held the thermometer against the streambed in two feet of water for more than a minute. When I extracted it, I checked the scale and it read 68 degrees. I instantly halted my angling efforts and returned to the car.

A Rainbow Joins the Count

Monday was an average day, as I landed seven fish in three hours. A fourteen inch brown and thirteen inch rainbow visited my net, and I was thankful for the good fortune that they embodied. Catching two trout on sunken tricos, and connecting briefly with a trout while using my blue damsel adult were superb highlights in my book. I am considering taking a break from fishing during the heat wave, although I have one more option to test. Stay tuned.

Fish Landed: 7

Colorado River – 07/15/2026

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Time: 7:30AM – 2:00PM

Location: Middle section

Colorado River 07/15/2026 Photo Album

Wednesday, July 15, 2006 was the scheduled date for the second guided float trip with my friend, Dave G., and Cutthroat Anglers. Once again we were in the expert hands of Reed Ryan, our favorite guide.

I spent the night at the home of Beth and Dave G., and this proved to be a fortuitous stay, as Reed requested that we meet him at a central parking lot by 6:15AM. I set my alarm for 5:00AM, and after an excellent Asian breakfast prepared by Dave G., we were off and met Reed at the designated location.

Nocturnal Stonefly Imitation

The 6:15AM departure enabled us to arrive at the chosen launch point by 7:00AM, and we were on the water fishing by 7:30. I packed my Sage One five weight and my Scott six weight, and Reed rigged the six weight with a dry/dropper combination, and he configured the five weight with double dries that included two large yellow body flies that represented the nocturnal stonefly.

Side Channel Invites Exploration

The river was in excellent shape with flows of 1200 CFS and mostly clear with a slight tinge of color. The 7:30AM start acknowledged the brutal hot temperatures of July, and we planned to be off the water by 1:30, the hottest part of the day. The air temperature, as we began our float, was 62 degrees, and I slipped on my raincoat to combat the slight chill.

An Early Brown

We floated for ten miles, and we alternated between our dry/dropper and double dry rods. The dry flies rotated among the nocturnal stonefly, grasshopper, a bionic ant, and a red quill imitation. A chubby Chernobyl with a rust body was the mainstay as the top fly on the dry/dropper, and it trailed a black Pat’s rubber legs and several pheasant tail nymph imitations. Most of the flies had their moments, but the most effective were the size 16 pheasant tail, black rubber legs, bionic ant and chubby Chernobyl. The nature of the section of river fished dictated the choice between the six weight and the five weight. Slower moving stretches next to tall grasses suggested double dry, and faster water with seams and depth screamed dry/dropper.

Big Fish, Big Net

Reed maneuvered the drift boat from side to side, and instructed us to cast either left or right. The key was casting ahead or at a forty-five degree angle away from the boat. The dry flies were most effective, when we plopped them very close to the bank; whereas, the dry/dropper targeted deep slots, troughs, seams, pockets and riffles of moderate depth. In other words, we covered the entire river with the dry/dropper approach. Reed, as usual, was very adept at maneuvering the boat for optimal casting positions for the two anglers. Dave G. remained in the bow for the entire trip, and I manned the rear, as that is my preferred spot.

Foam and Riffles

How did we do? I landed fourteen trout on the day. Four were rainbows and the remaining ten were brown trout. Two of the fourteen were sub twelve inch fish, but at least four stretched the tape to the fifteen to twenty inch range skewed toward the upper limit. The remainder were fine hard fighting trout in the thirteen to fourteen inch length.

Edna, the Guide Dog

The early start paid dividends, as the temperature spiked in the eighties by the time we quit, and the water temperature forced our exit. We had the entire section of river to ourselves, and we spotted a golden eagle, a great blue heron, a cluster of merganser ducks and quite a few geese. The highlight, however, was a river otter family. Presumably the mother otter caught a large fish, and the baby otters gathered around her and shared in the feast. Reed cautiously approached the cluster of otters, until we were no more than twenty yards away. Click on the photo album link above to view several otter videos.

Smooth Section

Wednesday was a very successful day on the Colorado River. I was very impressed with the size of the trout. Float fishing is the best method for fishing a large river such as the Colorado, as one can cover a lot of water very efficiently. Fourteen fish was quite respectable, but the size of the fish is what made the day special.

Fish Landed: 14

Beaver Creek – 07/14/2026

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Time: 11:30AM – 3:30PM

Location: National forest land

Beaver Creek 07/14/2026 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.

Hippie Stomper Batting Leadoff

With drought, low snow pack, and wildfires dominating the news in Colorado in early July, I was very concerned about my fly fishing future. The main freestone rivers that I enjoy like the Eagle River and Yampa River and to a lesser extent the Arkansas River were already in voluntary “no fishing” stages. Typically this occurs in August, and when it does, I focus my efforts on tailwaters and smaller high country streams. With the low snow pack, would the high country streams remain an option? I decided to visit one to find out.

Foam Pool

I arrived at the small parking lot near the trailhead, and I was fortunate to find a parking space. Only one other vehicle preceded me, and it contained a group of elementary age kids staged for a short hike. The high temperature on Tuesday was projected to hit the nineties, so I was very concerned about the water temperature.

Nice Fish

I am not a big fan of wet wading, but as I geared up for my day of fly fishing, I could not bear the thought of hiking and fishing in waders. The temperature had already soared into the upper eighties at 11:00AM. I pulled out my quick dry wading pants and neoprene booties and committed to wet wading on Tuesday, July 16. I grabbed my Orvis Access four weight, and I began my hike to my starting point on the small stream.

Short Pool

I looked down at the tumbling creek, and I concluded that it was lower than usual, but it still maintained adequate volume to avoid excessive stealth when casting and approaching target areas. The first half mile was a continuous uphill, and I was pleased with my decision to avoid waders.

Another Surprisingly Chunky Rainbow

I continued another .2 mile beyond the top of the hill, and then I cut down to the cascading creek. I stepped in the creek, and I was pleased with the coolness of the water on my wader-less legs. I knotted a peacock hippie stomper to my line, and I began prospecting all the likely holding spots. My success was not immediate, but close to it, as I landed three rainbow trout, before I broke for lunch at 11:45. The stomper fooled three trout in a short amount of time, but for every fish that ate my fly, another refused it.

Ready to Get Wet

I was somewhat frustrated by the refusals, so after lunch I launched a change. The hippie stomper was drawing attention and some eats, but it seemed like it was not the close match that the trout were seeking. I switched to a light olive size 14 stimulator, and the move paid off for awhile, as the fish count moved from three to eight. The key seemed to be finding suitable water with depth and cover, and when I did, the fish responded positively to the stimulator.

Photo or Painting

Unfortunately, for some reason I stalled at eight, and the stimulator also began eliciting refusals. What were the fish looking for? My first two fly choices were not green drake imitations, but they did offer some characteristics. I never spotted a green drake, but could the trout be looking for that style of fly? I decided to find out.

Scarlet Stripe and Cheeks

I replaced the stimulator with a single size 14 parachute green drake. The move worked wonders, and the fish counter began to click. I moved from eight to twenty-two, before I quit for the day at 3:30PM. Needless to say, I was pleased with the impact of the western green drake imitation. I am sure that the trout in this high gradient mountain stream were opportunistic, and that other flies may have performed equally, but I found a winner and stuck with it.

Yet Another Prime Spot

Of the twenty-two fish landed three were small brook trout, and the remainder were wild rainbows. At least ten of the rainbows were in the twelve to thirteen inch range, and this size is very respectable for the relatively small stream. I took the water temperature at 3:00PM near the time that I quit, and it was sixty degrees. In this case the high mountain stream strategy helped me combat the heat and safely land some trout.

Along the Ledge Rock

The successful day was not without its challenges. I spent an abundant amount of time climbing over large slippery rocks and straddling large logs to enable upstream movement. I rescued at least five flies from overhanging branches on streamside trees and bushes. In one case I broke off the dry fly, and I could see it dangling from a branch without leaves. I found a long broken tree branch, and I swiped at the dangling fly, until I eventually strafed it with enough force to cause it to fall in the creek, where I quickly scooped it with my net. It was one of my finer recoveries.

Fish Landed: 22

East Fork of Brush Creek – 07/11/2026

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Time: 1:00PM – 3:00PM

Location: National Forest

East Fork of Brush Creek 07/11/2026 Photo Album

Saturday fly fishing was devoted to a pair of kids at the campsite. Alden and Emma were the son and daughter of Jacy and Dana, who were friends of my daughter. They were both eleven years old. Jacy accompanied us on our brook trout adventure, and she lugged along a flexible rubber bag with handles to hold the fish that we kept for dinner, hopefully.

I decided to begin this adventure at the series of beaver ponds that I scouted on Friday. I removed my Fenwick five weight fiberglass pole from mothballs for this outing, as I wanted to avoid damage to my more expensive rods. I rigged the Fenwick with the red hippie stomper, but I also assembled my Orvis Access four weight. On the line on this rod I placed a size 14 olive green stimulator.

Nice One

Alden and I carefully waded into the creek below a beaver dam, and I refreshed his memory on casting. This included gripping the line with his left hand and clasping the cork rod handle with his right hand thumb up. I allowed him to make some short casts, but it was evident that his novice casting ability would inhibit our efforts to catch dinner. If there is another occasion next year, I plan to practice casting on the road near the campsite, before we enter the stream.

Beaver Pond Fly Fishing

Alden acknowledged that he was in over his head, and he handed the Fenwick to me. I began casting the red stomper, but unlike Friday, success was not instantaneous. After a half hour of intense casting, I managed to land two sub six inch brook trout and one barely above my six inch minimum. We kept number three in the hard sided bag for a bit, but eventually I decided to move, and we released the diminutive brookie. Besides the slow action on my flies, I was not seeing many rising fish, so for some reason, the circumstances shifted from Friday. I cycled through the stimulator, a Jake’s gulp beetle, a deer hair caddis, and a black parachute ant; but I never found the key to success in this area. I suspect that the lack of cloud cover and the timing of fishing in the early afternoon were factors.

Fish Cleaning in Progress

We all adjourned to the beaver ponds next to Jacy, Alden and Emma’s campsite. I continued to provide the casting, and over the course of the next 1.5 hours I landed nine additional brook trout. We kept five for dinner, released one, and three escaped in the process of transferring from my net to the flexible bucket. I returned to the peacock body hippie stomper, and it served me well.

The Last One

I awkwardly climbed up a steep and very high beaver dam to reach the rim. Jacy was actually concerned for my well being, as I teetered a few times, when my wading boots sank through the web of sticks forming the dam. Once I reached the top, however, I was in perfect position to cast to the placid pond with totally open backcasting space.

Five for Tacos

Eventually the brook trout wised up to my offering, so Alden and I carefully exited the dam and circled around on land. In order to access the main portion of the deep beaver pond, we had to carefully wade through spaced out clumps of shrubs that were inundated by the backed up water. Alden wore his swimsuit and summer shoes, so he led the way. We found a path to the edge of the deep drop off, and I managed to land a few brook trout to up our dinner total to the target quantity of five.

In the Pan

I decided to move to another bush clump that took me ten feet away from Alden. There was a deep trough between me and the next one, and I made an exploratory poke with my wading staff. It was definitely deep, but not over my waders. I took the plunge, literally. There was a hole in the trough that perhaps led to a beaver tunnel, and my left foot just kept going down, until water trickled over the top of the waders. I was not happy, but fortunately it was a minor amount and actually felt good during the hot afternoon.

I continued casting from the new clump for another ten minutes or so, and I landed three or four decent brook trout. As is usually the case, the harder a place is to reach, the better the fishing. With our goal of five fish for dinner attained, I carefully shuffled my way back through the muck and called it quits. Alden had a blast transferring my catches from the net to the bag, and seeing his excitement made it all worthwhile.

Fish Landed: 10

 

East Fork of Brush Creek – 07/10/2026

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Time: 3:15PM – 4:30PM

Location: National forest

East Fork of Brush Creek 07/10/2026 Photo Album

Jane, Amy and I completed a long and challenging hike near our campsite on Friday morning. Because the hike was steep and longer than expected, I adjusted my fly fishing plans. Jane and I were responsible for Friday dinner at our campsite, and Jane suggested that I return from fishing by 5:00PM. We were preparing a meal for seven adults and four kids using a camp stove on a picnic table, so it was not a small chore. I needed to be present to help.

Hand Size

Originally I hoped to fish a relatively high gradient section of the East Fork, where I experienced decent success in 2025; however, time constraints prevented me from repeating last year’s adventure. Instead, I chose to fish near our campsite in a series of beaver dams. Have I mentioned that I do not like fishing beaver dams? They are inevitably surrounded by tunnels and holes and troughs and mucky bottoms. Wading is a true hazard. On a positive note, I was planning to fish with a couple eleven year old kids on Saturday, so it was not a bad idea to scout out the nearby options.

Hot Spot Where the Flow Was Entering

I asked Jane to drop me off to save time, and then I rigged my Orvis Access four weight and knotted a peacock hippie stomper to my line. Almost immediately a few brook trout attacked the stomper, and I knew I was in for some fun. In fact, I advanced upstream through four separate beaver dams and landed twelve brook trout and one brown trout in 1.25 hours of fly fishing. Not bad. I was encouraged that success might be within reach on Saturday.

After the Brief Shower

By 4:00PM some dark clouds rolled overhead, and a very brief rain shower followed. I never had time to pull on my raincoat, but the impact of the rain on the surface of the pond ended the series of sporadic rises that preceded the rain. I, however, continued fishing through the rain, and the large attractor hippie stomper apparently was too enticing for the fish to totally abandon feeding. After the rain stopped, a few rises resumed, but the pace slowed considerably compared to before the storm. I found that I had to allow the fly to sit motionless for an extended amount of time, but if I maintained my patience, a surface crush would occur. Also, around this time I broke off the peacock body hippie stomper on an errant backhand cast, and I replaced it with another with a flashy red body. The red version seemed to be a favorite of the brook trout as well.

Orange Belly

Friday was a fun, although brief, outing on the beaver ponds of the East Fork. I landed thirteen trout in 1.25 hours, and all were duped by hippie stompers. Fishing a single attractor dry fly was a blast. I hiked back to the campsite and arrived in time to assist with dinner preparation. It was a good day in Colorado.

Fish Landed: 13

St. Vrain Creek – 07/08/2026

Time: 10:15AM – 2:30PM

Location: National forest land

St. Vrain Creek 07/08/2026 Photo Album

I had a great day of fly fishing on Tuesday, and with another open day on Wednesday I committed to another fishing trip. I was reluctant to drive two plus hours as was the case on Tuesday, so I chose a relatively close destination. On Friday, July 3, 2026 I enjoyed quite a bit of success on St. Vrain Creek. The size of the fish was somewhat lacking, but the western green drake hatch was the attractor. Could I hit it again? Read on.

New Lace for My Simms Wading Boot

Wednesday was forecast to be another hot one, and indeed, by the time I quit at 2:30, the temperature spiked into the eighties. I repaired my wading boot BOA lace on Tuesday evening, and I am happy to report that it worked perfectly. Wading in a tight fitting boot is more comfortable that shuffling along in a boot that resisted tightening. For Wednesday’s action I rigged my Orvis Access four weight. This is my lightest fly rod, and I felt it was appropriate for the small stream.

Early Brown Trout

From 10:15AM until 11:45AM I fished a section that was characterized by a lower gradient than the stretch that I visited on Friday, July 3; however, it was still flowing at an above average speed. During the 1.5 hour morning session I failed to land a single fish, and I sensed that the day was going to be a challenge. I began with a peacock hippie stomper and trailed a size 14 light gray deer hair caddis. The stomper provoked a couple refusals, and that was the extent of the double dry fly action.

Parachute Green Drake Along the Bank

In a state of disbelief, I changed tactics and adopted a dry/dropper approach. In this instance I used a tan body mini chubby and an ultra zug bug as a single nymph. After failing to interest any stream residents, I suspected that maybe I was not drifting deep enough, so I added a hares ear nymph. Two momentary tugs were all I had to show for my dry/dropper test, and the nips were so subtle, that I may have imagined them.

Aligned

After lunch I decided to move upstream to the high gradient canyon section that rewarded my difficult wading on Friday. I used the change in location as an excuse to switch from my Orvis Access to my Loomis two piece five weight, as I need more backbone to punch casts into the wind.

Nice Spot

When I arrived at my second destination, I decided to try a parachute green drake. After all, my main motivation to return to St. Vrain Creek was my previous success with green drakes. The size 14 parachute green drake fooled three small brown trout to place me on the scoreboard, but then a string of refusals returned me to a state of frustration. I swapped the parachute green drake for a user friendly version, and that imitation created one or two refusals. Maybe the fish wanted a sparser profile? I switched again to a green drake comparadun, and it also prompted a refusal, but then it ceased to be relevant, and it was difficult to track, so I abandoned the green drake gambit.

Steep Gradient

As I mentioned earlier, the wind was ridiculous, so why not try terrestrials? I knotted a classic Chernobyl ant to my line and trailed a Jake’s gulp beetle on an eighteen inch dropper. Once again a couple splashy rises ensued, but the fish were being highly selective.

I abandoned the terrestrial trial and returned to aquatic insects, and in this instance I chose a size 14 yellow stimulator as a yellow sally imitation and a size 16 deer hair caddis with an olive-brown body. The olive-brown representation of a caddis failed to connect, and I replaced it with a size 16 light gray comparadun. I landed a decent brown on the stimulator, but then another lull developed. I was about to quit at 2:00PM, when another decent (for St. Vrain Creek) brown smacked the pale morning dun fake. I continued for another thirty minutes and added a sixth brown trout on the stimulator.

Better Focus

At 2:30PM I approached a segment characterized by whitewater, narrow chutes and huge boulders; and I was not up for the task of negotiating the tricky wading and hiking. Some large black clouds were building in the west, so I scrambled through some brush and climbed some rocks and returned to the car.

Such a Pretty Pool

The fish count was only six and the size of the fish was six to nine inches. The temperature was hot, and it was a struggle to entice fish to feed. I never saw a green drake, and my green drake flies worked only marginally. Nevertheless, I was in a stunningly gorgeous canyon environment, and I had the entire place to myself. I did not break any equipment, and I did not injure myself. Any day with those attributes is a success in my book.

Fish Landed: 6

South Platte River – 07/07/2026

Time: 9:30AM – 2:30PM

Location; Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 07/07/2026 Photo Album

For the week beginning on Monday, July 6, 2026 my calendar was open for Monday through Wednesday. Guess what I did? I went fly fishing on Tuesday. The weather forecast suggested hot temperatures with highs in the nineties in Denver; however, Monday was the hottest of the three days. I played pickleball on Monday morning and remained inside handling chores for the remainder of the day.

Tuesday was forecast to be moderately less hot, so I made it my first fly fishing day of the week. I decided to make a longer drive and chose the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon. Flows out of Eleven Mile Dam were in the 105 CFS range, and I was optimistic that these bottom releases would be enough to buffer the warm air temperatures. As an insurance policy, I prepared thoroughly the night before, and this enabled me to depart by 6:45AM, and the early departure in turn delivered me to my chosen pullout along the South Platte at slightly after 9AM.

Starting Run and Pool

The air temperature was in the upper sixties, as I geared up and fit together my Sage R8 four weight. For the first time I wore a hooded sun shirt that my son and daughter-in-law gave me for Christmas. As I pulled on my wading boots, I discovered the one glitch of the day. The cable lace on the BOA system had broken, and I was unable to tighten the left boot. I had no choice but to tolerate the loose fitting boot, and I now faced the task of repairing the lace on Tuesday evening for a day of fishing on Wednesday.

Stunning Rainbow Trout

The river looked amazing, as it chugged along at 106 CFS, and it was very clear. To begin my day, I deployed a double dry fly system with a peacock hippie stomper and a size 14 light gray deer hair caddis. I began casting at 9:30AM, and my earlier than usual start paid dividends, as I landed three brown trout in the first thirty minutes. Two trout nabbed the caddis and the other one smashed the hippie stomper.

Poised Torpedo

Unfortunately the hippie stomper began to provoke refusals and tentative bites, so I moved the caddis to the forward position, removed the hippie stomper, and added a size 16 light gray comparadun. I was anticipating an earlier than usual pale morning dun hatch. This two fly combination produced, and the fish count surged to seven by 10:30AM. The additional four trout that landed in my net nabbed the caddis, and the size of these fish improved over the earlier catches.

Long and Deep Pocket

Between 10:30AM and 11:00AM I elevated the fish count from seven to eleven. I remember thinking to myself that I had eleven by eleven! Again most of the action was on the caddis, but the comparadun contributed a fish or two. Refusals continued to be an issue, but the takes were frequent enough to offset any frustration, and the size of the fish seemed to improve.

Covered in Ink Spots

By the time I broke for lunch at 11:45, the fish count rested on seventeen. Even if I failed to catch more fish, I deemed Tuesday to be a success. The caddis continued to be the main attraction; however, the comparadun accounted for a few, and it seemed the comparadun attracted larger than average fish. I noticed caddis dancing along the banks, and a few sporadic pale morning duns confirmed my hunch that they were present. I also noticed a few yellow sallies. This observation became a factor later in the day.

Home of Beast Brown

After lunch I continued my upstream migration, and the fish continued to mash my flies, although it seemed the gaps between trout interaction lengthened. The fish count mounted to twenty-two, and among this group of landed fish was a stunning eighteen inch brown trout. It was deeply colored in gold with black ink spots. What a specimen!

Pink Cheek

By now the sun was very bright, and the fishing action slowed significantly. The yellow sally sightings prompted me to replace the light gray caddis with a size 14 yellow stimulator, while I retained the light gray comparadun. The original comparadun lost most of its deer hair wing during one of my hook removal procedures, so I replaced it with a fresh version with a thicker wing.

Rock Garden Ahead

For the remainder of the day I once again experienced steady but slow action, and the fish count lifted from twenty-two to twenty-six. It seemed like I attained the best results in the afternoon with long upstream casts and dead drifts. Across and down casts were not effective, and this is very unusual, since I have experienced many days, where this was the most effective technique.

Bankside Home

Tuesday was a banner day. The early start paid off with extensive morning action. The early afternoon was definitely slower, and I executed many more futile casts to places that appeared to be very attractive. The caddis was easily the most effective fly with smaller contributions from the comparadun, stimulator and hippie stomper. The size of the fish was satisfactory, with many trout in the twelve to thirteen inch range. Of course I also registered six smaller brown trout. The eighteen inch bruiser brown was a highlight of the day. It sipped the compardun from a relatively shallow lie just below some overhanging branches. As long as flows remain above 100 CFS, I plan to make additional visits to the South Platte River.

Fish Landed: 26

 

St. Vrain Creek – 07/03/2026

Time: 10:15AM – 3:00PM

Location: National forest land

St. Vrain Creek 07/03/2026 Photo Album

I fished for a couple hours during our trip to Steamboat Lake State Park, but I was anxious for another outing. We had grandson kid sitting duty on Thursday with another session scheduled for Saturday, so I felt the need to take advantage of an off day from sitting on Friday. I was not up for a long drive, so I surveyed the options near Denver and settled for St. Vrain Creek. It had been awhile, since I fished the St. Vrain, so I was uncertain how my day might develop.

Early Brown Trout

I arrived at my chosen destination by 10:00AM, and I was next to the stream ready to cast by 10:15AM. The air temperature was in the low seventies, and I chose my Orvis Access four weight for the small Front Range creek. I did not have a source for the flows, but the creek was chugging along at a decent pace. Clarity was perfect, and the water felt cold, and I was sure the fish were appreciative.

Attractive Section

My day can be broken down into three segments. Initially I tossed a tan pool toy hopper, a hares ear nymph and an ultra zug bug. This combination resulted in three landed fish with one small brown trout nipping the ultra zug bug and two browns grabbing the hares ear nymph. The pool toy hopper was noticed by the fish, but it only produced looks, refusals and very brief nips. The action stalled, and I broke for lunch stuck on a fish count of three.

Decent Hole

I reacted to the signals from the fish, and I replaced the dry/dropper rig with a double dry configuration that featured a peacock hippie stomper and size 16 light gray deer hair caddis as the trailer. This was the second portion of my day, and the double dry approach commenced after lunch. The caddis produced a pair of trout, and the hippie stomper yielded two, before the action once again stalled with the fish count at seven. Although a few fish nailed the hippie stomper, it created two refusals for every eat, so I swapped it for a size 14 Jake’s gulp beetle. Almost instantly the beetle duped a trout in a nice riffle of moderate depth, and that action was followed in short order by a grab on the light gray deer hair caddis.

Very Nice Pool

The fish count rested at nine by one o’clock, and while moving upstream to a new location, I spotted a western green drake, as it slowly floated above the creek. Would the trout favor a green drake imitation? July 3 is very early for a green drake emergence. I eventually saw a second natural, and that was the total observed on the day, but it was enough to prod me into switching to a green drake dry fly.

High Gradient

I removed the beetle and caddis and knotted a parachute green drake to my line. Clearly the trout were aware of green drakes, as instantly my fly became the object of their desire, but not quite. I endured a flurry of refusals and uncertain nips to the parachute green drake. This lasted for twenty minutes, as I persisted with the parachute style drake knowing that it is typically my top producer during western green drake season.

Prize of the Day

Finally I acknowledged that the paradrake was not what the trout desired, and I switched to a user friendly green drake. This fly contains a foam strip that aids in floatation, and consequently it requires very little in the way of prep and care to maintain its buoyancy on the surface. The user friendly clicked, and I advanced the fish count from nine to sixteen. The bushy drake imitation fooled many fish, but it was also refused. For some reason casts across the creek accompanied with a downstream drift seemed to entice takes. I am not sure whether to attribute this to the fly entering the trout’s window ahead of the line, or whether it was a function of fishing the less pressured opposite bank from the road.

Very Promising

Once again a lull occurred, and the user friendly failed to attract looks or refusals, so I made another change. In this instance I introduced a green drake comparadun size 14, and the third green drake imitation fooled one trout, before I called it quits at 3:00PM.

One of the Better Brown Trout

Friday evolved into a fun day. I landed seventeen brown trout with the last eight attempting to eat a green drake. I love fishing the large bulky green drakes, so hitting a sparse hatch in early July on a seldom fished creek was very rewarding. The day was not without challenges. The section I fished consisted of a steep gradient, and this in turn resulted in some very challenging wading. Actually it was more like rock climbing than wading. The relatively high flows tight to the bank and steep gradient created numerous situations, where I was forced to leave the creek and carefully climb around huge streamside rock obstacles. Many times I was forced to put down my fly rod in order to utilize two hands to pull myself up and over barriers. The fast flows also reduced the number of fish holding lies, and this in turn dictated longer than normal moves between casting spots.

I have three open days next week after the Fourth of July, and I am already considering options. Stay tuned.

Fish Landed: 17

Elk River – 06/30/2026

Time: 3:15PM – 4:30PM

Location: National Forest

Elk River 06/30/2026 Photo Album

Jane and I completed a long but beautiful hike on Tuesday morning, and that opened a short window for some fly fishing. The streams that we passed on our way to our hike were flowing at decent levels, so we stopped at a dirt parking lot, and I geared up and assembled my Sage R8 four weight.

Prime Lie

Once I was prepared, I hiked for .4 mile, and then I cut down a relatively steep bank to the river. Once I arrived, I realized that it was flowing above the level that I am accustomed to, when I fish this same stream in early August. The air temperature was in the low seventies, and I was rather tired after our 5.8 mile hike and the added .4 mile to my chosen river starting point.

Silvery Brook Trout

I began my quest for trout with a peacock hippie stomper, a beadhead hares ear nymph and a beadhead bright green caddis pupa. The hares ear and hippie stomper produced two small fish each in the early going, but the caddis pupa was ineffective. I only used it because it was attached to a length of tippet that I used for my final dropper section. Since the caddis pupa was not effective, I swapped it for a black sunk ant. On our hike I spotted numerous large black ants crawling on tree branches and logs, so it was a good bet that they frequently blundered into the water.

Just Above the Angled Log

The ant never produced a fish, but the hippie stomper generated quite a few refusals, so I decided to counter with a double dry set up. I retained a hippie stomper but switched to a purple body, and then I added a light gray size 14 deer hair caddis. These two flies remained on my line for the remainder of my time on the water, and I built the fish count from four to nine. Two of the last five landed fish snatched the light gray deer hair caddis, and the remainder smashed the purple hippie stomper.

Pleased with This Catch

The section of the stream that I covered was narrow with a high gradient, and this made wading quite a chore, as I was forced to scramble along the edge and in some cases bash through thick vegetation to advance upstream. After 5.8 miles on the trail, I was absolutely bushed, and I began to be concerned about my safety. I found a steep but relatively clear path that enabled me to climb the steep bank back to the hiking trail and returned to the parking lot.

Brown Trout Lair

Jane and I agreed to meet at the lot at 5:00PM, and I was a bit early, so I crossed the dirt road and hiked a short distance below the bridge. I found a nice deep shelf pool, where the stream curled along a jumble of logs, and I made a series of downstream drifts in the slow water next to the logs. On the second pass I noticed a fish that flashed at the hippie stomper, but on the third float the fish smacked the dry attractor. This fish topped off my day at nine, and it was a very fine brown trout of twelve inches.

I marched back to the parking lot, and Jane was present, so I removed all my gear, and we headed back to camp. I fished for 1.25 hour on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, and I landed nine trout. One was the twelve inch brown I just described. I also netted two shiny brook trout that probably measured ten inches. Two small browns just over six inches and four small brook trout in the six to eight inch range capped off my count. The river was higher than I was used to, and the fish were smaller, but I actually experienced decent success for only being on the stream for 1.25 hours. I would not mind returning in a couple weeks, but I suspect that will not be in the cards.

Fish Landed: 9