Monthly Archives: July 2020

North Fork of St. Vrain Creek – 07/09/2020

Time: 11:00AM – 2:00PM

Location: Button Rock Preserve

North Fork of St. Vrain Creek 07/09/2020 Photo Album

Thursday’s fishing adventure was the polar opposite of Tuesday on the Colorado River. The results were also on the opposite end of the spectrum, but the one consistency was the continuing heat wave in Colorado. July and September are generally my most productive fly fishing months. so I felt a strong impulse to utilize the summer prime time to rack up fly fishing hours. As is my practice, I evaluated all the Front Range streams, but some of my favorites continue to crash through their drainages at very high rates. The two exceptions to this condition were the North Fork of St. Vrain Creek and the Cache la Poudre River. I decided to sample the closer North Fork of St. Vrain Creek on Thursday, and planned a longer trip to the Cache la Poudre River in the canyon west of Fort Collins on Friday.

My last trip to the St. Vrain took place on 06/24/2020 with Dan, and it was essentially a bust from a fishing perspective, so I was a bit apprehensive about another visit. The water gauge below the dam registered 68 CFS, and that elevated my optimism, although the flows dropped from 90 CFS to 68 CFS twenty-four hours earlier. I generally try to avoid fishing within the first couple days after significant flow changes, but a downturn is usually less disruptive than a large increase. I rolled the dice and made the one hour and fifteen minute drive to the Button Rock Preserve northwest of Lyons, CO.

Such Unique Flowers

As I mentioned at the outset of this piece, the heat wave that settled over Colorado continued on Thursday, and the warm temperatures prompted me to undertake my first wet wading effort of the year. It proved to be a solid decision, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ice cold flows, while the air temperature soared to the upper eighties. Unfortunately trout did not appear to adapt as readily to the high temperatures. I fished from 11:00AM until 2:00PM and landed five small trout including three browns, one rainbow, and one cutbow. The creek was clear and cold, and the flows were very conducive to successful fly fishing. Insect activity was largely absent, and this might explain the lack of action. After lunch I noticed a couple pale morning duns and a single yellow sally, but that was the extent of my observed food sources.

Slick on the Right Looks Promising

I broke for lunch at 11:45 and landed four of the five fish in the first forty-five minutes. This is an indicator of how slow my early afternoon was, when the temperature climbed into the eighties. I began my day with a yellow fat Albert, beadhead hares ear nymph and salvation nymph; and the salvation produced three of the morning catches. The other trout gobbled the hares ear. After lunch a lengthy period with no action transpired in spite of some very attractive structure, I began to cycle through a variety of flies. I swapped the salvation for a beadhead emerald caddis pupa, and then I exchanged the hares ear for an iron sally. These flies were totally ignored, however, a couple looks and refusals to the fat Albert caused me to reconsider my approach. If the fish were looking toward the surface, perhaps a single or double dry approach would release the lock on the fish counter? I experimented with a size 14 gray stimulator, size 14 yellow stimulator, a size 14 deer hair yellow sally, a size 16 gray deer hair caddis, and a size 16 light gray comparadun. The stimulators and gray deer hair caddis spurred refusals, but none of the imitations yielded a trout to my net.

A Little Jewel

In a last ditch effort to dupe the St. Vrain trout with dry flies I tied a peacock hippie stomper to my line, and then copying from my Tuesday guide on the Colorado, I trailed a gray caddis eight inches behind the stomper. Both the hippie stomper and caddis attracted refusals, but the persnickety trout were apparently looking for something else. I finally abandoned the dry fly approach and returned to dry/dropper with a size 12 prince nymph and size 16 fusion nymph trailing the hippie stomper. At the lip of a long deep run a cutbow snatched the fusion nymph, as I began to lift it to complete another cast.

Area to the Right Beckons

After releasing the cutbow I continued fishing for another fifteen minutes, but at 2PM the stream ahead look less appealing, and I decided that the slow catch rate and diminutive fish did not justify additional time on the St. Vrain. I hooked my fly to the bottom guide and hiked back to the car. Thursday was a rough day on the North Fork of St. Vrain Creek. It was the second unproductive visit in a row, and I blame the heat and the lack of insect availability. The recent change in flows may have also played into the situation, with the stream residents requiring more time to adjust.

Five trout in three hours of fishing is not a ridiculously poor showing, but the size was very disappointing. The largest fish was perhaps nine inches, and most were in the six to seven inch range. The ice cold creek kept me very comfortable, and that was probably the highlight of the day. I will seek other options, before I make a return visit to Button Rock Preserve.

Fish Landed: 5

Colorado River – 07/07/2020

Time: 7:30AM – 3:00PM

Location: Pumphouse to Rancho del Rio

Colorado River 07/07/2020 Photo Album

Tuesday’s float trip on the Colorado River was perfect in so many ways. After eleven weeks of recovery from mitral heart valve repair surgery, it was reassuring to learn that I could cast non-stop from 7:30AM until 3:00PM with minimal rest. The day on the large river was a rigorous test of my elbow, chest and shoulder. And then there was coronavirus. This was the first time since February, that I fished with another angler besides my son, and I was very pleased with the level of caution exercised by my fishing companion, Dave G., and our guide, Reed Ryan. It was fun to fish with a guide and friend after a long absence of social contact. And finally there was the fly fishing, but I’ll relate more about the core purpose of the trip in a bit.

My fishing friend, Dave G., contacted me in May to inquire about my interest in joining him for a guided float trip in early July on the Eagle River. I tentatively agreed, although I conditioned my participation to a recovered shoulder and chest after my surgery, as well as improvement in the always threatening covid conditions. Dave G. made a reservation with Cutthroat Anglers for July 2, and I put the whole idea in the back of my mind. Toward the middle of June I texted Dave G. to inform him that my casting arm was capable of handling a day of fishing from a boat, and he informed me that he re-injured his bicep three weeks after surgery on May 20. He asked if I would be OK with a delay of our trip until July 7, and I readily agreed. I anxiously observed the decline in the flows on the Eagle River during the late June time period, and I grew skeptical that we could float the river at 500 CFS. Sure enough Dave G. contacted me to determine, if I would be OK with a change in plans to the Colorado River. Once again I concurred with the change, and we were set for a day of fishing on Tuesday, July 7. I wade fished the Colorado River at Pumphouse several times in October of previous years, but I never made the trip in July, nor had I ever floated the popular section of the middle Colorado, so I was actually pleased with the agreed upon change in destination.

Dave G. and Reed Getting Prepared

On Monday Dave G. contacted me to say that the guide planned to launch at 7AM, so we could get ahead of the other guides and river traffic. In addition hot temperatures were predicted, so he planned to be on the water early and off, before the water temperatures grew dangerously high. Since Jane and I were driving to Pumphouse from Denver, we woke up at 4:15AM for a 4:30AM departure. This was probably the greatest negative to my fishing outing on July 7. The timing worked out nicely, and we arrived at the parking lot by 6:40AM, and this provided ample time to organize my essentials for the full day float. I slathered my face and hands with sun screen and assembled my Sage One five weight. I wore my tan wading pants, Chacos and fishing shirt, and I slid a buff over my head to serve as a face mask during our river trip. I even remembered to extract my fishing license from my fishing backpack, which was not needed for this outing, since the guide was expected to tie on all the flies and handle the fish.

Dave G. arrived five minutes after us, and then the guide wheeled into the parking lot by 6:55. By 7:30AM we launched, and Dave G. generously assigned me the position in the front of the boat, while he secured the rear. In spite of delaying the trip for five days, Dave G. was still rehabilitating his right arm. He adopted a left handed casting stroke while using his right hand to guide it for accuracy. It reminded me of a modified snap T spey cast. In spite of this innovation he knew that he was limited in what he could do, so he graciously allowed me to command the forward position.

My Mate, Dave G.

Our guide, Reed Ryan, started us out on double dry fly rigs. I had a size twelve bushy caddis that trailed a size 14 parachute mayfly imitation with a maroon body. Reed told us that rusty spinners were present on the river, and the parachute served as an effective imitation. Throughout the day he varied the dry flies, and the front fly included a madam X and hopper. During the afternoon he swapped the maroon parachute fly for a purple haze, and the fish were positively responsive.

Very Acceptable

Looked Promising, but No Luck

We drifted through two canyon sections, and during these brief forays into faster pocket water we switched to dry/dropper rods. Reed had a nine foot Winston rigged with a chubby Chernobyl, yellow stonefly nymph, and a variety of small nymphs that reminded me of pheasant tails. I landed a few fish in the Little Gore Canyon stretch, but the double dry fly rig accounted for most of my fish. During the seven hour float I landed twenty fish, and quite a few were substantial beauties in the fifteen to seventeen inch range. All my landed trout were brown trout; however, I tangled with one very respectable rainbow that managed to escape, just before I gained solid control.

Another Dave Catch Featuring a Purple Haze in the Lip

Very Fine

Around noon we glided below a very attractive wide riffle that was thirty yards wide and forty yards long. The ten feet next to the bank were relatively slow and shallow, and then the river grew faster and deeper as one moved from left to right. Reed announced that we would go to “nose up” mode, and I soon understood the meaning, as he positioned the driftboat facing upstream with the bow closest to the target riffle. I was in the bow, and this meant I had the entire juicy area to myself. Reed spotted a couple fish and guided my casts toward the shallow slower moving area along the left bank, and two spectacular brown trout rose to subtly sip the parachute mayfly. What a thrill to place an accurate cast over the feeding lane and then observe the confident sip of the artificial imitation!

The Inside of the Bends Were Prime

During the afternoon a pair of brown trout in excess of fifteen inches crushed the purple haze, as I cast near the bank and executed long downstream drifts. These experiences also added vivid memories to my mental scrapbook.

A Highlight

By two o’clock the wind kicked up to a ferocious level, and Reed had to row downstream against whitecaps, and Dave G. and I took an extended rest. I nearly lost my hat five times, and it was only saved by the strap and clip, that I had the foresight to attach. During our ten mile float we only saw a couple other inflatable rafts with fishermen, but the river was alive with all manner of water enthusiasts. Whitewater rafters were out in force along with kayakers and stand-up paddle boarders. A spring break party atmosphere pervaded the canyon for much of the day, but we focused on the banks, while the others commanded the center of the very large river.

The Red Rocks Caught My Attention

Tuesday was just what the doctor ordered. I enjoyed magnificent canyon scenery while landing twenty gorgeous fish. The quality of the fish was unsurpassed, as nearly all exceeded twelve inches. The wind and heat were small negatives, but our early start allowed us to record hours of great fishing before the gusts ruined the day. Frankly, I remain in a state of euphoria twenty-four hours after our Pumphouse to Rancho del Rio float trip experience. A repeat trip likely lies in my future.

Fish Landed: 20

Eagle River – 07/02/2020

Time: 10:30AM – 3:30PM

Location: Between Wolcott and Eagle.

Eagle River 07/02/2020 Photo Album

Jane reserved a condominium in Eagle-Vail for the Fourth of July weekend, and we arrived at our temporary lodging on Wednesday, July 1.  The original plan incorporated a full day guided float trip on Thursday, July 2, 2020; but my fishing partner suffered a setback in his recovery from shoulder surgery, so we delayed that highly anticipated outing. This circumstance produced a large hole in my calendar for Thursday, so I took advantage with a wading trip to the Eagle River. My most recent visit to the Eagle River was June 23, 2020, when the flows hovered between 1,100 and 1,000 CFS. I followed the DWR charts with keen interest, and I was pleased to see a trend line that depicted a steady descent to the 600 CFS range. I anticipated a river that remained high enough to push the fish to the edges, and from previous years I knew that dense hatches of caddis, pale morning duns and yellow sallies could be expected. In short, I was pumped for some outstanding fly fishing on the Eagle River.

Cannot Wait to Probe This Area

Number One on July 2

The high temperature spiked at a warm eighty degrees on Thursday, and the flows were indeed in the 600 CFS range. More cloud cover would have been welcome, but conditions were mostly conducive to a fun day of fishing. I arrived at one of my favorite roadside pullouts by 10:00AM, and after I assembled my Sage One five weight and jumped into my waders, I made the hike to the river. I began probing the probable fish holding spots with a size 8 yellow fat Albert, iron sally, and salvation nymph. These flies remained on my line for most of the day except for a period around lunch, when I replaced the salvation with an emerald caddis pupa and later with a hares ear nymph. The pupa and hares ear each produced one fish, however, when I spotted an increased quantity of pale morning duns in the afternoon, I reverted to the salvation nymph. Other than the caddis pupa and hares ear eaters, the iron sally accounted for sixty percent of my landed trout with the salvation responsible for the remainder.

A Broad Chunk

Between 10:30AM and 11:45AM, when I paused for lunch, I landed four robust trout. Two were fine brown trout in the thirteen inch range, and the other two were rainbows. The iron sally fooled the first three, and number four was the victim of the emerald caddis pupa.

Slack Edge Water

After lunch a blizzard hatch of yellow sallies commenced, but surprisingly I never observed surface rises. With the relatively high water and no rising activity I stuck with the iron sally, and it rewarded my confidence during the hatch, but it was not as effective as I anticipated given the abundance of stoneflies in the air. Caddis adults were prolific among the streamside bushes and willows, but the trout never expended the requisite energy to chase the erratic surface dippers.

Deep Olive Beast

Perfect Territory for Trout

By the end of the day at 3:30PM the fish count climbed to thirteen. The afternoon fish were the best of the day from a size perspective. In fact, other than the rainbow that was fish number two on the day, all the Thursday trout were twelve inches or greater. My net was visited by a sixteen inch rainbow and a fifteen incher as well. Three brown trout stretched the tape to fourteen inches. There was no magic formula to catching fish on Thursday. I moved upstream at a steady pace and fished areas with slower velocity and moderate depth. Current seams were popular spots as were swirly water at the top of long deep runs and riffles. The pale morning duns never developed into a significant factor, and this was a disappointment, and the yellow sally emergence was heavy but brief, and it also did not provoke surface feeding.

Beast

Chubby

In summary, it was a pleasant and enjoyable day on the Eagle River. As flows drop, and the air temperature remains elevated in the eighties, the Eagle River’s productive days may be limited, so I was pleased to extract one more excellent outing from the popular Colorado River tributary.

Fish Landed: 13

Produced Two Nice Trout