Arkansas River – 10/01/2024

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Time: 11:00AM – 3:30PM

Location: Bighorn Sheep Canyon

Arkansas River 10/01/2024 Photo Album

After a successful outing on the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon last Monday, I decided to switch things up and try my luck on the Arkansas River at Bighorn Sheep Canyon. With previous trips around this time of year yielding modest results—five fish one year, eleven another—I kept my expectations in check, as I headed out on Tuesday, October 1st.

The drive was smooth, until I was about a mile from my chosen pullout, where I hit a snag: one-lane traffic due to road construction. After sitting for eight minutes, stewing in anticipation, I was relieved, when my fishing spot appeared just beyond the last construction cone.

The weather couldn’t have been better. My dashboard showed 60 degrees, with a brilliant sun against a cloudless sky. Flows were in the 380 CFS range, which led me to stick to the bank along the highway rather than attempt a potentially risky river crossing. I rigged up my Sage R8 four weight, feeling confident, as I strung it with a dry-dropper setup—tan pool toy hopper, 20 incher nymph, and salvation nymph, on a four-foot dropper.

Low and Clear

The first hour produced some mixed results: one twelve-inch brown trout made it to the net, but I also experienced several momentary hook-ups and fouled hooked a few fish likely resulting from the excessive length and weighted 20 incher. After dealing with too many snags and missed opportunities, I decided a change was necessary. Out went the hopper, in came a trusty peacock hippie stomper, and I downsized the 20 incher to a size 22 sparkle wing RS2, while also shortening the dropper to three feet.

Hippie Stomper Fan

The adjustments paid off. I netted a beautiful fifteen-inch brown that couldn’t resist the hippie stomper in a shallow spot near the left bank. Still, the action was slower than I liked, so I switched to a double dry fly rig—hippie stomper and a tan mini chubby—a combo that worked wonders on Cascade Creek recently. The mini chubby duped a fish, but a wave of refusals followed, so I added a size 16 light gray deer hair caddis as the second fly. This fly attracted another nice brown trout, and I found myself sitting at four fish, when I paused for lunch.

Wild Fish and Bubbles

As I sat by the river, I noticed some surface activity—three or four small fish leaping after insects. The riffles in front of me looked perfect for another round of dry-dropper fishing, especially with blue winged olives and red quills potentially in the mix. I swapped flies again, opting for the mini chubby paired with a salvation nymph and sparkle wing RS2. Despite my efforts, the riffles remained quiet, so I moved on to a spot, where the main current angled against a rocky bank on the far side of the river.

Site of Rainbow Feeders

Here, I spotted two nice fish periodically rising, which convinced me to break one of my rules: don’t linger on fish too long. After running through a few different fly combinations to no avail, I finally tied on a size 22 soft hackle emerger and greased it to ride in the surface film. This choice was spot-on. I hooked and landed two gorgeous rainbows, both sporting brilliant red stripes and measuring fourteen to fifteen inches. These moments were the highlight of my day.

Pink and Scarlet

Afterward, I continued with the mini chubby and soft hackle emerger, as I worked my way through a stretch of pocket water. Thanks to the lower flows, I was able to wade out and reach some excellent pockets, which produced two more brown trout, bringing my total to eight. Both fish grabbed the soft hackle emerger, just as I began to lift at the tail of a pocket, and though I missed three more fish in this stretch, it was satisfying action nonetheless.

Wide Stripe on Second Rainbow Soft Hackle Emerger

By 2:30PM, I decided to try one last spot before heading home. I jumped in the car, drove .2 miles downstream, and rigged up again. I experimented with a few different caddis patterns, hoping to match the hatch of autumn caddis I’d read about, but the fish were unimpressed. After a couple more half-hearted strikes, I called it a day at 3:30PM.

Tuesday followed a similar pattern to my previous October trips on the Arkansas. While eight fish may seem average for four hours of fishing, the quality more than made up for it. Three of the trout were solid fifteen-inchers, and the rest were all chunky specimens between twelve and fourteen inches. The fall foliage was at its peak, with golden leaves lining the banks, and the weather was simply gorgeous. But the highlight of the day was the brief window of dry fly action with those stunning rainbows. I can only hope October offers a few more fishing days like this one!

Fish Landed: 8

 

Cascade Creek – 09/28/2024

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Time: 10:45AM – 3:45PM

Location: National forest

Cascade Creek 09/28/2024 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.

I was excited to return to Cascade Creek after visiting on August 19, 2024 for the first time. During that day I landed nineteen trout, but the action was slow until 2:00PM. I was curious to know. if I could surpass that performance, and Saturday, September 28 was the day to find out.

I began hiking at 9:30AM from the trailhead, with the intent of covering 1.7 miles before commencing my fly fishing. On my previous visit I hiked 1.2 mile, so I sought deeper penetration with a bit of overlap, since the latter part of my August trip represented the best fishing.

Near the Start

I adhered to my plan and waded into the creek at 10:20AM. I rigged with a tan pool toy hopper, 20 incher, and a salvation nymph to start, and between 10:30AM and 11:45AM I landed three rainbow trout under twelve inches. Yes, to say the fishing was slow would be an understatement. The creek was running fairly low and clear, and I concluded that the hopper was spooking fish with its heavy plop along with the weighted 20 incher. I modified my approach  to a peacock hippie stomper, trailing a salvation nymph. This combination did not improve my fortunes, so I added a beadhead hares ear to attain greater depth.

Early Catch

Lunch View

Finally I landed a modest sized rainbow on the salvation, but I contemplated shifting to a double dry to replicate the late success I experienced on August 19. This thought had barely cleared my mind, when a hunk of a brown trout rose to crush the hippie stomper. What a dose of needed excitement! I battled the fat fifteen inch brown trout and slid my net beneath it. Suddenly my optimism soared, and why not? If Mr. Brown slurped a foam dry, why not go all in with a double dry?

Hunk of a Brown Trout

That is exactly what I did. I copied August 19 albeit 1.5 hours earlier, as I complemented the hippie stomper with a size 12 mini chubby with a beige body. This combination remained in play for my remaining time on the water, until I quit at 3:45PM. Was it a surprise that the two foam fly lineup performed as well, if not better, than the previous Cascade Creek outing? The fish count climbed from five at the time of the switch to double dries to twenty-two on the day, and the quality of the fish was outstanding.

Double Dry Catch

Color and Length Equaled Best of the Day

Run and Tail Out Equaled Prime Water

Another Fabulous Rainbow

How Is This for Outstanding Water?

A very brightly colored cutbow trout matched the size of the brown trout, and many of the afternoon catches were healthy rainbows in the twelve to fourteen inch slot. These trout did not appreciate being hooked, as evidenced by their torrid streaks up and down the stream. In total only four trout were browns, as rainbows dominated the mix. The mini chubby was the top performer, with 70% of the trout gulping the poly-winged attractor. I lost two chubbys due to break offs, which is a concern, since I only tied five over the winter. Mini chubbys will one of my first ties during the tying season.

Tail Looks Powerful

Another Promising Pool

What sort of water produced results? As was the case during my first trip to Cascade Creek, prime deep holes and runs were the winning ticket. I learned to skip marginal locations. Particularly effective were the tail outs at the end of long, deep runs and the slow water seams next to fast currents. I foul hooked a few fish, and temporary connections and refusals were a significant part of the game. I simply chalked these instances up to the price of prospecting with large foam attractors. Grabbing attention does not always close the deal.

Autumn Splendor

Saturday was simply a spectacular day. Twenty-two fish of high quality landed in a stunning environment was highly appreciated. The weather was actually a bit warmer than I desired, but the wilderness was ablaze with fall foliage displaying reds, yellows and golds. My only regret was the leaf change announcing the rapidly approaching cold weather.

Fish Landed: 22

Frying Pan River – 09/27/2024

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Time: 10:45AM – 4:30PM

Location: Within the first four miles below the dam

Frying Pan River 09/27/2024 Photo Album

It had been awhile since I experienced a solid day on the Frying Pan River tailwater. Today my love for the Pan was renewed.

I stayed at daughter Amy’s condo on Thursday night, and this positioned me for a day on the Frying Pan River. The temperature in Carbondale in the early morning was 48 degrees, so I took my time getting to the river. In fact, I treated Amy to breakfast at Dos Gringos, one of our favorite spots in Carbondale.

Eventually I arrived at a pullout along the Frying Pan in the upper four miles below Reudi Dam. I quickly geared up, and this included stringing my Sage One five weight. One never knows about the size of the fish in the Pan. Over the last several years I have been mostly disappointed with the size of my catches, but I remained optimistic. The dashboard temperature registered 61 degrees, so I pulled on my raincoat for added warmth.

First Landed Trout

I hiked along the road a ways, after I was sufficiently prepared, and then I scrambled down a steep bank to the river. I began my fishing adventure with a size 8 pool toy hopper, a  20 incher, and a salvation nymph. Within the first thirty minutes I landed a very nice twelve inch brown trout, and conversely four trout escaped my hook, before my net could contain them. I was sorely disappointed by this turn of events.

Even more frustrating was the hot fish that streaked across the river to some heavy current, and then it buried my flies in a subsurface root wad or branch. I attempted to wade to a position to rescue the flies, but common sense superseded my frugal nature. A swift, deep run forced me to apply direct pressure, and I snapped off all three flies.

I paused to reconfigure my line with the same lineup of flies, and I worked my way up the middle of the river while probing the braids on both sides of a long and narrow island. My fortunes shifted in a favorable direction, and I built the fish count to eight, although none of the fish matched or exceeded the first brown trout landed. An angler below me circled above to a gorgeous long pool that I looked forward to prospecting, but by the time I arrived, he withdrew and crossed the river to the road and departed.

Long and Wide Pool

Wide Girth on This Brown Trout

I concluded that enough time elapsed to rest the area, and I worked my way up along the right bank, until I reached a fast water chute. During this early afternoon foray, I landed a gorgeous fifteen inch brown that gulped the 20 incher, as well as a few smaller browns to boost the fish count to twelve. I was feeling rather positive about my early results, as I retraced my steps. As I photographed the fifteen inch brown, I realized my sun glove on the left hand was missing. Fortunately I recovered it from a rock, where I snapped a photo of the first fish of the day.

Cube Rock Pool

I used the glove recovery as an excuse to return to the car to eat my lunch. I removed my raincoat and returned it to my backpack, and I replaced the flies I lost during the early going. After lunch next to the stream I ambled up the road a bit and then cut to the river at the bottom tip of another narrow island. I fished up the right braid, and I enjoyed some steady action in the pockets, before I reached the very attractive cube rock pool. Here, I landed some additional prime trout, as some dark gray clouds moved in from the southwest. Prior to the storm trout began to rise, but I persisted with the dry/dropper and added some nice fish that attacked the recently hot fly; the salvation nymph. Eventually I spotted size 16 pale morning duns slowly fluttering up from the surface, but by then I was absorbed with the task of pulling on my raincoat.

A Trout from Cube Rock Pool

I succeeded just in time and tucked under a bush, as sheets of rain descended. Fish continued to rise during the rain. I waited for twenty minutes and then resumed, as the rain dwindled to a drizzle. The entire rainstorm took place between 2:15PM and 2:45PM. After the rain ended, the air temperature remained quite cool, but I advanced to the attractive deep pocket water above the pool and the tip of the island.

Productive Pocket Water

Submarine Submerged

The pockets yielded some nice trout, but when I crossed to the bank next to the road, I was quite chilled, so I used my position as an excuse to return to the car. I added my light down parka as a layer beneath my raincoat and added my hat with earflaps, and I returned to the river. In this instance I chose the narrower and calmer left braid that paralleled the right branch that I just vacated. As I waded into the river at the tail of a thirty yard long, slow moving pool, quite a few fish began to dimple the surface.

Long, Slow Moving Pool

Dry Fly Sipper

I decided to make the big switch, and I clipped off all the dry/dropper flies and converted to a double dry approach that initially featured the peacock hippie stomper and a tiny size 24 soft hackle emerger. After quite a bit of casting and a few refusals, the soft hackle emerger that was being fished like a dry fly, generated a very fine fifteen inch brown trout. I fished dries from 3:15PM until I quit at 4:30PM, and I augmented the fish count from twenty-five to thirty-three. I cycled through a CDC BWO size 22, another size soft hackle emerger, and a size 16 light gray comparadun. The comparadun was utilized late, after I spotted a pair of larger light-colored mayflies drifting skyward. All these flies accounted for a fish or two, but I was unable to identify a consistent producer. Even so, I had a blast casting dries, presenting them softly and attempting to time the drift to the next rise.

Chunky Fish Near the End

What a day! I experienced days like this a few times previously on the Frying Pan, but it has been a few years. Although there was hatching, I never witnessed the type of dense emergence that typically yields high fish counts. Pale morning duns were present in sparse numbers, and I spotted one green drake during my day on the water. I believe the pale morning dun hatch would have been stronger had it not coincided with the rainstorm. Is there another trip to the Frying Pan in my 2024 future?

Fish Landed: 33

South Platte River – 09/23/2024

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Time: 11:30AM 3:30PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 09/23/2024 Photo Album

My cold was in the waning stages, and I was anxious to undertake another fly fishing outing. The brief visit to Clear Creek ahead of the impending storm on Saturday was not very satisfying, so I considered my options. It had been a while, since I fished in a waterway that was not a small mountain stream, so I checked the flows on the South Platte River at Lake George and the flows on the Arkansas River below Salida. The South Platte in Eleven Mile Canyon was hovering in the 105 CFS range, and the Arkansas was at 450 CFS. Both of these readings were within my ideal range, but I chose the South Platte, when I read that the tricos and blue wing olives continued to be active.

I arrived at my usual pullout by 11:00AM, and I was pleased to see only one other car parked below me, and that car was accounted for by a solitary angler in the long slow pool down the road from the pullout. The temperature display showed 53 degrees, so I pulled on my fleece cardigan and raincoat, and then I grabbed my Sage One five weight, in case I waged a battle with a larger fish.

Lunch View

Once I was prepared for a day of fly fishing, I hiked up the road for .25 mile, and then I angled down a steep bank to the the edge of the river. The water was extremely clear, and the flows were elevated a bit from my preferred level but certainly favorable for fly fishing. I added a 2.5 foot section of 5X tippet to the 4X that my guide tied to my tapered leader last Wednesday, and then I knotted a peacock hippie stomper, beadhead salvation nymph and sparkle wing RS2 to my line.

I began casting in some deep pockets bordered by large exposed boulders, and I experienced two long distance releases almost immediately. This was an ominous sign for the day, but I persisted and finally managed to coax some fish to my net. They were all small brown trout in the seven to nine inch range, but I was pleased to learn that the trout were tuned into my flies. The sparkle wing RS2 was the favored target of the trout in the early going.

After a half hour I encountered the long slow moving pool that entertained me repeatedly in the spring with dense baetis hatches and fast action. I moved immediately to the entering runs at the top of the pool, but on this day the trout were not interested in my offerings. After I devoted a concentrated effort to the runs, I decided to consume my lunch on a large rock on the bank above the pool. From this vantage point I could observe the entire pool in case some insect activity commenced.

Unfortunately that was not the case, so after lunch I continued my progression up the river. Another angler was above me, but a considerable distance existed between us allowing me to prospect some nice pockets before arriving at the next large pool. Once again I began working the pockets, and in a repeat of the morning, I landed four more smaller trout in the six to ten inch band of length. One was a rainbow and the others were small browns. Both the salvation and RS2 generated takes during this time period.

Fifteen Inch Brown Trout

I attained a fish count of eight rather early in my upstream journey, and I was pleased with this success, but I was puzzled by the lack of size and the absence of fish in the obvious large pools. Finally, in a deep elongated pocket below a slightly exposed boulder, I hooked and landed a superb fifteen inch brown trout. It snatched the salvation nymph, just as it began to swing in front of another boulder at the bottom of the pocket.

First of Two Gorgeous Rainbow Trout

Rainbow Home

This catch of a larger fish propelled my confidence, and I continued with the same strategy for the remainder of my time on the water, until I built the count to nineteen. During the day, I landed two trout in the fifteen inch range and one thick slab that approximated sixteen inches One of these was the brown trout described above, and the other two were rainbows. During the afternoon the salvation nymph became the breadwinner, or should I say fish winner? Movement was definitely a trigger, as many of the fish attacked, when the fly began to swing at the tail, or when I imparted a lift to recast. In fact I was amazed that several fish grabbed the fly, after it spilled over rocks at the tail of a pocket or run.

Decent Brown Trout

The other factor that defined success was identifying the water type that the trout preferred on September 23. As I discovered in the morning, they loved seams along fast water with large exposed rocks nearby for protection. I actually began skipping the large pools, and I targeted the faster runs and pocket water among exposed rocks in between the major pools. This worked perfectly, since some of the pools were occupied by other anglers, and I simply took advantage of the sections that they avoided.

The Type of Water That Produced

The fish count was perched on sixteen fish, when I began to prospect a nice wide pocket that spread out behind an exposed boulder. At the tail the water split around another exposed boulder and then accelerated into white water flumes on both sides. I made five casts to the top of the pocket with no response, and for some reason I allowed one of the drifts to tumble along the rock and down the flume. I decided to lift the flies to recast and avoid a potential snag below me, and as I did so, I felt the weight of a significant fish. Sure enough a gorgeous brown trout appeared, as it attempted to free itself from the hook that now penetrated its lip. I got a perfect side view of the trout, and I was certain it was in the fifteen inch range if not longer. I fought the fish and manipulated it into the pocket above the exposed rock at the tail, and then it turned its head and disappeared. My line dangled limply above the water, and when I stripped it in, I discovered that both nymphs were absent. Not all fish stories end on a positive note.

A Second Splendid Rainbow Trout

At one o’clock I noticed a dense swarm of mayflies above the river, that I assumed were tricos. Based on my experience, this was rather late in the day for the trico mating cycle. I carefully observed the downstream river for rising fish, but I never saw any. A bit later in the afternoon I noticed a very sparse emergence of blue wing olives, but once again the event did not produce any surface feeding. I persisted with my dry/dropper nymph rig throughout my time on the water, and I was not tempted to make the conversion to dry flies.

Rainbow Lived in the Run Near the Bank

Monday was an enjoyable day on the South Platte River. The temperature rose to the upper sixties in the afternoon, and I was actually a bit overheated in my fleece. The sky was a brilliant blue, and the foliage was in the early stages of turning into red and gold. I landed nineteen wild trout including three in the fifteen to sixteen inch range, a pair of feisty thirteen inch rainbows. and a couple standard twelve inch brown trout. The remainder were on the small side, but I appreciated them nonetheless. I closely observed the type of river structure that produced positive results, and I applied this knowledge to my angling progression to achieve decent results. For me, fly fishing is a continuous learning exercise, and that is what makes it my passion.

Fish Landed: 19

Clear Creek – 09/21/2024

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Time: 1:45PM – 3:30PM

Location: Clear Creek Canyon

Clear Creek 09/21/2024 Photo Album

Saturday marked the sixth day of my ongoing battle with a cold, and although I wasn’t fully recovered, I felt well enough to squeeze in a short fishing trip. A storm watch was in effect for the Denver area starting at 3:00PM, but I hoped to sneak in some action, before the weather took a nasty turn.

Clear Creek Canyon was my chosen destination, mainly due to its close proximity. Upon arrival, the conditions were rather pleasant—temperatures hovered in the upper sixties, sunshine bathed the creek, and, perhaps most importantly, there was no wind. Quite the contrast to what was forecasted later in the day. However, by the time I called it quits at 3:30, the wind had picked up, the sky was ominously gray, and the temperature had begun its rapid descent.

For this outing, I opted for my trusty Sage four weight rod. I started with a classic combination: a peacock hippie stomper and a size 14 light gray deer hair caddis. The first half hour was frustrating—one small brown trout, barely long enough to count, and a whopping nine refusals. Swapping the caddis for a smaller size 16 version didn’t change the story much. The trout in Clear Creek, while small, are certainly selective.

Productive Spot

Determined to crack the code, I switched tactics. Off came the stomper and caddis, and I tied on a Jake’s gulp beetle. The result? Silence. Not even a nibble. I moved on to a parachute gray hopper paired with a beadhead hares ear nymph. Again, nothing. It was getting to the point, where I missed the earlier refusals—they at least confirmed the presence of fish.

Best of the Day

With time running out, I decided to go back to basics. I tied on a single size 16 olive body deer hair caddis, and finally, I found some success. The fish count rose from one to five. Though the trout were small, and I had to cover a lengthy stretch of water, I was glad to finally experience a bit of action.

By the time I finished, the sky had darkened, and the wind was howling. I was more than ready to climb into the warmth of my car and head home. Clear Creek remains something of a puzzle, when it comes to local fly fishing.

Fish Landed: 5

Colorado River 2 – 09/18/2024

Time: 10:00AM – 4:00PM

Location: Middle Colorado River

Colorado River 09/18/2024 Photo Album

For this blog post, I am offering two versions. One was composed by me as usual and the other used artificial intelligence. Can you guess which is which, and tell me your preference?

Yesterday, I finally got to experience the long-awaited guided float fishing trip on the Colorado River. After a couple of washouts due to high and muddy waters earlier in the summer, I was excited to hit the river with my friend Dave G. and our guide, Reed. The anticipation had been building, and as I drove to Dave’s house in Eagle, Colorado, I couldn’t wait for the adventure that lay ahead.

We met at the boat launch by 10:00 AM. The sky was a stunning pure blue, but the air was brisk, with temperatures lingering below 40 degrees. I layered up in fleece and a rain shell, shedding a layer within the first hour as the sun warmed us up. By lunchtime, I was down to just my fishing shirt—a testament to how quickly the day transformed.

A Bit of Cloudiness

Reed had rigged up my Sage One five weight with new Rio Gold fly line, which performed beautifully. He also set up Dave’s rod and a six weight for me, outfitted with a dry/dropper configuration. I claimed the front of the boat, eager to get started. Reed’s dog, Edna, accompanied us as always, adding a bit of charm to the outing.

Edna

Funky Midge Cluster

The morning began with high hopes as I cast a double dry rig featuring a size 14 caddis and a funky midge cluster imitation. Unfortunately, the fish seemed uninterested. Meanwhile, Dave G. was reeling in a few on his dry/dropper setup, prompting me to switch tactics. I opted for a large attractor top fly paired with a Pat’s rubber leg and a perdigon nymph. It proved to be the right call; by the time we paused for lunch along the riverbank, I had landed ten nice trout!

Nice Morning Catch

After lunch, Dave and I switched positions in the boat, and I continued to increase my count, bringing my total to sixteen. Reed made adjustments to my rig, introducing a psycho baetis along with the rubber legs. While the rubber legs were still dominating, the baetis helped reel in a few more fish.

Hopper Eater

The highlight of the day came in the afternoon, as we approached a densely vegetated bank. Reed set us up with solo hopper flies, and I managed to cast close to an overhanging grassy bank. A thrilling moment unfolded as I witnessed a sixteen-inch brown trout rise to meet my fly—a visual eat that I’ll cherish long after the trip. Despite that excitement, the hopper action remained slow, and we soon switched back to our dry/dropper setups, landing a few more trout before reaching our takeout at 4:00 PM.

Focused on the Mouth and Lip

The day was mostly delightful, despite the afternoon winds that plagued us. I found myself in a few tangle mishaps until Reed stepped in with a brilliant short over-the-left-shoulder backhand cast to counter the crosswind. With the temperature reaching a comfortable 70 degrees, the fish were hungry, and we capitalized on pounding the banks with our dry/droppers. Thanks to Reed’s expertise in positioning the drift boat, we were able to maximize our chances.

Color Changing Along River Bottom

In total, I landed 19 fish, and the experience was well worth the wait. Here’s to more days like this on the water!

Fish Landed: 19

Colorado River 1 – 09/18/2024

Time: 10:00AM – 4:00PM

Location: Middle section

Colorado River 09/18/2024 Photo Album

For this blog post, I am offering two versions. One was composed by me as usual and the other used artificial intelligence. Can you guess which is which, and tell me your preference?

I scheduled two float fishing trips with my friend, Dave G., and guide, Reed, for the summer of 2024. The first two were washed out by high and muddy water. Wednesday, September 18 was my regularly scheduled second trip, so I made the drive to my friend, Dave G.’s house in Eagle, CO on Tuesday evening in anticipation of the guided float. Severe weather warnings were in place for Colorado for Tuesday evening, and I was concerned that I would be the victim of another cancellation. Our guide, Reed, contacted Dave G. on Tuesday evening, and they made the final arrangements for our time and place to meet.

A Bit Off Color

By 10AM on Wednesday morning the three of us were positioned at a boat launch along the Colorado River. According to Reed the river flows were up compared to his previous float, and the clarity was a bit off color, but not enough to inhibit our fly fishing prospects. The sky was pure blue and remained so for the remainder of the day, but the temperature on the car dashboard registered less than 40 degrees. To start, I wore two layers of fleece and my rain shell, but within the first hour I shed a fleece, and by lunchtime I was down to just my fishing shirt.

I strung my Sage One five weight with my new Rio Gold fly line spooled onto the reel. During my day on the river, I was quite pleased with the performance of the new line. Before we started, Reed rigged Dave G’s rods and then prepared a second six weight rod for me that was outfitted with a dry/dropper configuration. I chose the front of the boat for the morning, and we blasted off. Reed’s dog, Edna, as usual, was along for the ride, and we were barely aware of her presence.

Edna

Funky Midge Cluster

In the early going I tossed a double dry rig that featured a size 14 caddis and a funky midge cluster imitation, but these flies did not interest the fish. Dave G. was having a bit of success with his dry/dropper, so I switched to the previously rigged six weight with a large attractor top fly and a Pat’s rubber leg and a perdigon nymph. Over the remainder of the morning the action improved, and by the time we paused for lunch along the river bank, I landed ten nice trout.

Nice One from the Morning

After lunch Dave G. and I switched positions, and we continued our float, as I continued to increase the fish count to sixteen. At some point in the mid-afternoon Reed reconfigured my offerings to include a psycho baetis along with the Pat’s rubber legs. The rubber legs continued to dominate the catch statistics, but the baetis accounted for a few fish as well.

Foliage Changing Color Along the River Bank

Toward the middle of the afternoon, we approached a bank along the western side of the river that contained dense vegetation, so Reed set Dave G. and I up with solo hopper flies. Armed with these big attractors, we splatted casts close to the bank, and I managed to boost the fish count by a few.

Hopper Eater

A highlight was a drift that bobbed less than a foot from an overhanging grassy bank that resulted in a visual eat. The grasshopper molester was a sixteen-inch brown trout, and the memory of this encounter lingered in my mind. In spite of this success, the hopper action was slow, so we switched back to our dry/dropper rods and hooked a few more trout before reaching the takeout at 4:00PM.

Focused on the Mouth and Lip

Wednesday was mostly a delightful day, although afternoon winds plagued us on a regular basis. I was guilty of creating some nasty snarls, until Reed demonstrated a short over-the-left shoulder back hand cast to counter the cross wind. The cast also kept he and Dave G. out of harm’s way for an added benefit. The temperature was around 70 degrees, and the fish were hungry. Nearly all of our casting involved pounding the banks with dry/droppers, and quite often a willing trout consumed our offerings. It was definitely a nymphing day. Reed was expert in positioning the drift boat to place us in advantageous positions to catch fish. I finally logged a guided float trip in 2024, and it was well worth the wait.

Fish Landed: 19

North Fork of the White River – 09/12/2024

Time: 9:30AM – 2:15PM

Location: Between Buford and Trappers Lake

North Fork of the White River 069/12/2024 Photo Album

Thursday was my last day in the Flattops and my get away day. I gathered all my belongings from the Aspen cabin at the Ute Lodge, and I was on my way for one last day of fly fishing. I planned to get an early start and leave early in order to allow for a reasonable arrival time at my my home in Denver, CO. Little did I know that two significant traffic snarls awaited me, adding thirty minutes to my already lengthy drive. One was on the west side of Vail Pass, and the other was the approach to the Eisenhower Tunnel.

Early Gem

Getting Bigger

In previous years I experienced great success on a section of the North Fork, and I reserved it for Thursday. The temperature, when I arrived, was 54 degrees, so I bypassed added layers, but I did pull on my raincoat. I planned to wear it for the first hour or so, but it remained in place during my entire time on the river. The reason for this was the fly angler’s four letter word, wind. The wind gusted for significant amounts of time, and I was forced to halt my casting, turn my back and hold my hat in place numerous times. Fortunately I was on a small stream with fast water that enabled me to approach relatively close, thus, facilitating short casts.

Brighter Colors Too

Brook Trout Joins the Parade

Perfect Holding Spot on High Gradient Stream

I chose this stretch of the North Fork, since it produced abundant quantities of fish in prior years, and I was concerned that I would not have as much time on the water due to my planned early departure. As it turned out, my plan was on the mark, although I still logged 4.5 hours of fly fishing. During this time I landed forty-six trout. Yes, aside from the constant battle with the wind, it was a magnificent day.

Another Respite from the Churn

Pumpkin or Fish?

After I intersected with the stream, I continued to hike without fishing for a decent distance. I wanted to make sure I reached my planned exit point by early afternoon, and the early section was characterized by high gradient and limited fish holding locations. When I finally began casting, I armed my Loomis two piece five weight with a size 14 olive ice dub hippie stomper and a salvation nymph. These same patterns remained on my line throughout my tenure on the North Fork. During the first hour I landed eight, after two hours the fish count rested on seventeen. In the morning session one-third of the landed trout crushed the hippie stomper, but this ratio shifted dramatically in the afternoon.

Long One

Look at This Flipper of a Tail

After my noontime snack, I continued, and the pace of catching fish accelerated from an already impressive morning rate. The fish counter moved from seventeen to forty-six, before I called it quits at 2:15PM in order to prepare for an early start. During this time period the salvation was king. I could rely on every prime spot to produce one if not two trout, as they aggressively grabbed the shiny nymph, as it tumbled by. My dropper was only 2.5 feet long, so the trout were elevated in the water column and looking for any sort of food to eat.

Home to a Big One

What sort of trout was I catching? Twenty-five percent of the finned creatures that occupied my net were brook trout, and the remainder were rainbow trout and cutbows. A couple of the brook trout approached a foot long, but the real prizes were the cutbows and rainbows. I landed many dazzling, chunky thirteen and twelve inch battlers with a couple fine fish pushing the fourteen inch line. All were healthy and hefty for their length, and they delivered heroic fights in their effort to get free.

Vivid Black Spots on This Cutbow

What type of water did they inhabit? The two main requirements were depth and slow current velocity. I skipped many high gradient stretches with minimal marginal pockets in order to efficiently utilize my limited time, and the strategy was successful.

Narrow and Fast Was Typical

Thursday was an amazing day and perhaps the best of 2024. The angling adventure was a success from both a quality and quantity standpoint. I moved quickly, popped casts, landed fish and snapped photos of the most memorable. The wind was indeed, a nuisance, but it just added to the gratification, when I achieved a high level of success. It was a splendid way to top off a fun week in the Flattops with stunning scenery, mostly beautiful weather, and productive fishing.

Fish Landed: 46

 

South Fork of the White River – 09/11/2024

Time: 11:30AM – 4:30PM

Location: Upstream from the South Fork Campground

South Fork of the White River 09/11/2024 Photo Album

Wednesday was an interesting day. I was concerned about PM thunderstorms, so I wore my fleece and billed hat with flaps. The temperature in the parking lot was 54 degrees, and it never peaked above the upper 60’s. Part way into my hike, I began to perspire, so I removed the fleece and tied it around my waist. This was obviously not a solution for when I began fishing. I arrived at my chosen destination at 11:15AM, and I immediately made an adjustment, as I tied my fleece around my waist inside my wader bib. It was tight, but it worked.

I Skipped Many Wide Shallow Sections Such as This

Pockets Along the Left Bank Were My Targets

I was armed with my Sage One five weight, and I started my quest for South Fork trout with a tan Amy’s ant, a 20 incher, and a Pat’s rubber leg. The flows seemed a bit higher than normal for this time of year, so I used two weighted flies to get down. After a reasonable trial period, I declared my deep drift strategy a bust, and I replaced the Pat’s rubber legs with a salvation nymph.

Early Success

A Nice Handful

Sweet Spot. Depth and Slower Current

I paused at noon for lunch, and when I resumed, my frustration reached new levels. In the period after lunch I landed one rainbow, and I endured five long distance releases. One can imagine the level of frustration present on the South Fork. I was trapped at one fish and convinced that is where I would remain. I decided to mix things up, so I replaced the 20 incher with an ultra zug bug. A sloppy release of a fish snapped off the salvation, so I replaced it with another. I was hoping for a sharper hook. These moves resulted in a couple decent rainbows to boost the fish count to three, and I remained at this level for a long interval.

Action Improving

Deeper Colors

I was covering a huge amount of water, skipping wide shallow riffles and marginal spots and casting my arm off. The Amy’s ant was not a factor, so I replaced it with my old reliable olive ice dub hippie stomper. Between 2PM and 2:30PM I managed to climb the count to seven, but the action remained lackluster, although quite a few feisty twelve and thirteen inch rainbows were among the landed fish.

Productive Spot

By 2:30 some large dark clouds rolled in, and I managed to pull on my fleece and raincoat and dropped my earflaps, before the precipitation descended. I waited out the ten minute downpour, before I resumed casting. Needless to say, I was pleased with my foresight which provided the extra warmth to withstand the temperature drop and rain. I continued to stress, however, about how to carry the fleece on my return hike.

A Fine Trout

Once the storm passed, the fishing conditions shifted dramatically. I surmised that the long distance releases and lack of consistent action stemmed from the salvation not being a close enough imitation of the pale morning dun nymph. I swapped it for a hare nation, which is essentially a salvation with hares ear legs rather than rubber legs. The results were immediate. Between 3:00PM and 4:30PM, I doubled the fish count from seven to fourteen, and number twelve was the fish of the trip. The wide slab of a rainbow nipped the hair nation and fought me up and down the run, before I was able to slip it into my net. It was the fish of the trip so far, as it extended the length of my net opening. The girth was the more impressive characteristic. In addition to slab sides, numbers nine and eleven were also in the same length range, however, they failed to carry the extreme poundage of number twelve. They were not lean trout, just not as thick as the prize of the day.

Another Trout Condo

At 4:30PM I approached a long wide and shallow riffle section, so I stripped in my line and hooked the end fly to the rod guide. I solved my concern over carrying layers back to the parking lot by stuffing my raincoat in the backpack, and I tied the arms of the fleece around my neck.

Best of the Day

Most of the day was slow and frustrating, but the last 1.5 hours turned my fortunes around. The South Fork is a tough river, and I question whether a return is in my future. Yet, the image of those three fifteen inch rainbows may draw me back in a future year.

Fish Landed: 14

North Fork of the White River – 09/10/2024

Time: 10:00AM – 3:30PM

Location: Between Buford and Trappers Lake

North Fork of the White River 09/10/2024 Photo Album

On day two in the Flattops I confirmed that a lot of beautiful fish reside in the relatively remote high mountain region. I spent another day on the North Fork of the White River, however, I chose a different section.

Pollinating

My Home for Three Nights

The air temperature at my cabin, when I departed, was 44 degrees, but it increased to 51 degrees by the time I arrived at my chosen pullout. In an effort to remain comfortable, until the  sun warmed the atmosphere, I pulled on my rain shell. For my casting tool I chose my Loomis two piece five weight. I expected to cast a lot of dry/droppers.

Copper and Scarlet

Brook Trout Resting

Watermelon Colors

In the two hours before I paused for lunch, I used a tan pool toy hopper size 8 and a size 14 prince nymph to elevate the fish count to ten. The hopper accounted for three trout and numerous refusals, while the dependable prince delivered the remainder to my waiting net. The morning session transpired in some high gradient terrain, and I skipped around quite a few narrow sections with minimal trout holding possibilities.

Nature’s Palette

Mostly Rainbow Here

What a Spot

After lunch I reconfigured my offerings with a size 14 peacock hippie stomper and a salvation nymph. I read my blog posts on the North Fork from recent years, and they cited these flies as effective. The action was not immediately improved over the morning, but after twenty minutes, the fish demonstrated their appetite for my two flies. The key was finding deep water with length. Short, deep pockets did not produce, nor did long riffles, if the current velocity was too strong.

Turned Around

Trout and Leaf

Between 12:30PM and 3:30PM I landed another forty-eight trout to boost the daily total to fifty-eight! Whew! What a day! I covered a significant amount of river length, as I searched for stream characteristics that consistently yielded trout.

Perhaps the Best Pool

What type of trout was I catching? Unlike previous years, the cutbows and rainbows far outnumbered brook trout. I estimate that ten of the total catch were brook trout. Two of the brookies approached twelve inches, which is impressive for that species in Colorado streams. The cutbows were amazing. Thirteen inches was likely the maximum, but the patterns and colors of these trout were magnificent. It seemed that the cutbows were in varying stages of hybridization. The body color varied from the light gray displayed by rainbows to the deep copper hue of a cutthroat. Pink stripes and scarlet cheeks blended with an orange slash and dense spot patterns to make the fish absolute jewels.

I will be extremely interested to see what tomorrow offers from the Flattop streams. Tuesday was a rare fly fishing bonanza, and I am thankful to maintain my ability to enjoy another year in this wilderness wonderland.

Fish Landed: 58