Monthly Archives: June 2026

Eagle River – 06/17/2026

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Time: 11:15AM – 3:00PM

Location: Between Wolcott and Avon

Eagle River 06/17/2026 Photo Album

After touring the Rocky Mountains on Tuesday, I decided to return to flowing water on Wednesday. Originally I planned on taking a break from fishing on Wednesday while returning to a stream on Friday, but another personal commitment blocked that intention. Wednesday was my final chance to fish for the week, so I jumped at the opportunity.

Upstream from Start

I evaluated three options; the same three that I tend to gravitate to. The South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon was a strong option with flows lowered to 110 CFS, now that Antero Reservoir had been drained. The Arkansas River was tumbling along at a very favorable level in Bighorn Sheep Canyon at 330 CFS. Finally, the Eagle River near Avon was flowing at 300 CFS, which is very low compared to historical levels at this time of year, but actually a bit high compared to my take on ideal. I decided on the Eagle River, because the window of opportunity could close quickly for the freestoner given the hot weather system over Colorado. My thinking was also influenced by the string of excellent days that I experienced on the Eagle River earlier in the 2026 season.

Scored

I managed to get an early start, but traffic conditions did not cooperate. Heavy volume created bottlenecks in the Denver metro area, and then two crashes forced stoppages, as I ascended Interstate 70 in the Genesee area. Adding to my frustration was a twenty minute stall at the top of Vail Pass due to rock scaling. All of these situations extended my drive by thirty minutes and negated my early start.

Comma Formation

In spite of my traffic bad luck, I arrived at my chosen destination and prepared to fish. The temperature was in the upper seventies already at 10:30AM. I assembled my Sage One five weight and hiked a short distance to the river and then followed a pathway down the river a ways, before I cut down a bank. To begin my day I tied a tan chubby Chernobyl to my line and added an iron sally and bright green caddis pupa. Reports I read announced that caddis were present and attracting the attention of the fish population.

A Nice Run Ahead

Well, the caddis failed to generate interest, so I swapped it for a brown perdigon. I tied brown perdigons over the winter to imitate pale morning dun nymphs, and the fly shop reports informed me that pale morning duns were starting to hatch. I broke for lunch at 11:45AM, and I only had one temporary hook up to show for my efforts.

Took Me Through Some Rapids

After lunch I continued to work my way up the river, but the flies were not creating action, so I made an adjustment. I lengthened the leader between the chubby and the top nymph to four feet, and I swapped the iron sally for a green-black Pat’s rubber legs and replaced the perdigon with a hares ear nymph. This move paid dividends, when I connected with two substantial fish; however, both escaped after a very brief battle. Finally a fourteen inch brown trout grabbed the hares ear nymph, and I assumed that the puzzle was solved.

Home of Nice Brown Trout

In spite of my newfound optimism, another lull occurred, as I covered some very attractive runs and pools with only unproductive casts to show for my effort. By 1:00PM I noticed some pale morning duns in the air, so I switched the hares ear for a salvation nymph,. This move paid dividends, as I moved the fish count from one to five over the remainder of my time on the river. This is a relatively low fish count for me, but the quality of the fish was outstanding. For the last forty-five minutes I switched to a double dry featuring a peacock hippie stomper and size 16 cinnamon comparadun. I noticed sporadic rises, and I thought perhaps I could generate interest in the PMD dry fly imitation. Early on after the change in approach, a couple decent fish refused the comparadun, but I never succeeded in landing a trout on one of the dry flies.

Turned Around

Two fifteen inch browns rested in my net as well as the fish of the day…a fat eighteen inch rainbow. All of the afternoon fish grabbed the salvation nymph. Some responded to a dead drift, and several reacted to a swing and lift.

Another Fine Brown Trout

By 3:00PM I bumped into a trio of anglers 75 yards upstream, so I exited the river and hiked back to the car. Although the fish count was low, I appreciated the size of the fish, and I was challenged to solve the riddle of the hatch. I also noted a few golden stoneflies and yellow sallies, but caddis were virtually absent. Hopefully I can return to the Eagle again before the heat and lower flows make it off limits.

Fish Landed: 5

 

Curtain Ponds – 06/16/2026

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Time: 2:15PM – 4:30PM

Location: Ponds near Copper Mountain

Curtain Ponds 06/16/2026 Photo Album

As luck would have it, I would pass the Curtain Ponds on my return drive to Denver. I fished there numerous times with decent success, albeit small brook trout, but I was in need of a confidence boost, so I stopped there.

Near the Beginning

My rod was rigged with the slumpbuster and black leech, so I made a few casts with the double streamer in one of the ponds, but I was concerned that the flies would sink and snag in the aquatic growth, since the ponds are fairly shallow at many locations. I removed the streamers and moved to a double dry with a peacock hippie stomper in the first position and a size 14 stimulator trailing.

Riffled Surface

Once again the wind was gusting with abandon, and I had to position myself to avoid casting into the wind. The hippie stomper and stimulator enticed a wave of refusals, so I downsized the stimulator to a size 16 deer hair caddis. Once again refusals ruled, but I did manage to end the skunk and pulled three colorful brook trout of eight inches into my net. They all crushed the hippie stomper, and I was bewildered with why a few fish ate it, and the majority rejected it.

Lovely Colors

I speculated that perhaps a midge larva dangled below the hippie stomper might be effective with the constant wave action, so I replaced the deer hair caddis with a size 22 olive zebra midge. The olive midge never produced, but as I mentioned the hippie stomper yielded some positive results, allowing the fish count to reach three.

Along the Bank

I stood on the bank and pondered the situation. As I stood there, blue damsel flies fluttered about in great numbers. It seemed kind of early for damsels to hatch at the high elevation, but the evidence said that it already happened. I scanned the reeds along the pond for olive colored nymphs, but I never saw any. Nevertheless, I replaced the olive zebra with an olive balanced leech with no bead. This fly can also imitate a damsel nymph.

Spectacular Scene

I turned my attention to the next door pond, and suddenly I began to generate results. Over the remainder of the afternoon I landed an additional twelve brook trout to up my total to fifteen on the day. It was a much appreciated salvage job. For some reason the fish in the next pond were far more responsive to the hippie stomper than the first pond that I fished.

Easily Best of the Day

It seemed that a fish quickly reacted to my cast or the flies failed to attract attention. I adopted the approach of recasting in a fan from my position and ceased waiting and counting down and stripping. Two of the landed brook trout nabbed the trailing damsel nymph. I would have thought that they responded to movement via a slow hand twist retrieve, but that was not the case. They attacked the damsel, as soon as it entered the water. All the other brook trout hammered the hippie stomper, and of course refusals remained an issue, although the ratio of landed fish to refusals improved measurably.

Rich with Vegetation

Fifteen fish in a bit more than two hours of fishing is respectable. The wind remained a significant nuisance, and the fish were small with most being in the eight to nine inch range. I did land a gorgeous and colorful eleven inch brookie near the end, and that was very rewarding.

Fish Landed: 15

Black Lake – 06/16/2026

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Time: 1:00PM – 2:00PM

Location: Eastern end of Black Lake

Black Lake 06/16/2026 Photo Album

I abandoned Clinton Gulch and decided to explore the Black Lakes at the top of Vail Pass. It was only a short drive back to Interstate 70 and then up the eastern side of Vail Pass to reach the Black Lakes. I read about them in the Flyfisher’s Guide to Colorado’s Easy Access Mountain Lakes, and it seemed like a decent nearby alternative.

I arrived at 12:30 and parked in a dirt lot high above the lake and consumed my lunch. I actually drove past the lake looking for the second one, but my path was blocked by a gate across the road below the first Black Lake, so I turned around and settled in the upper lot.

A View of Black Lake

The wind was gusting furiously, but I grabbed my already strung rod from Clinton Gulch and carefully slid down the steep bank and crossed a tiny inlet creek to arrive on the south side of the lake. The water was low and revealed a muddy beach, and I carefully walked across the packed mud to a small point.

Once again the wind was blasting from the west and creating waves and small whitecaps on the surface. I tossed the three fly dry/dropper across the wind and allowed the flies to float with the direction of the wind, and I persisted with this approach for ten minutes, before I deemed it unproductive.

Perhaps the fish were deeper, and I needed to strip streamers? I reconfigured my line with an olive slumpbuster and trailed a black beadhead leech. I spent an additional ten minutes stripping the streamers using forty foot casts, but I never felt a bump. My confidence was shot, and I was in a state of frustration. The book said the lake was mainly home to stocked rainbows, and I never saw the Black Lakes on stocking reports, so I was essentially fishing for holdovers. I deemed my probability of catching a fish low, so I once again called it quits and climbed the steep bank back to the car.

I am not sure I would return to the Black Lakes, although I am curious to know where the second lake is. I suspect one needs to park above the gate and hike down the cycling road to encounter Black Lake number two. It was an interesting exploratory detour, but I was still fishless. I decided to try a third option.

Fish Landed: 0

Clinton Gulch Reservoir – 06/16/2026

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Time: 10:30AM – 11:30AM

Location: Toward inlet

Clinton Gulch Reservoir 06/16/2026 Photo Album

I was feeling pretty good after undergoing a dreaded medical procedure on Monday morning, and I was finally able to focus forward. My last day of fishing was a huge disappointment, as I explored Evergreen Lake and Boulder Creek and landed a total of two fish on the day.

For Tuesday I decided to return my attention to lakes. I pulled my Flyfisher’s Guide to Colorado’s Easy Access Mountain Lakes book off the shelf and began perusing the options. I settled on Clinton Gulch Reservoir. I had my eye on this lake for several years now after reading about it in the book, and I figured the warmer than normal spring and low snowpack made it a logical choice for a mid-June visit. There was one factor, however, I failed to consider. Read on.

Looking West

I made the drive in just short of two hours, and it was 57 degrees in the parking lot, so I slid into my fleece hoodie and layered it with my raincoat. I thought I remembered reading that the best spot to fish was near the inlet, so I began my hike. After a mile of rolling terrain, I could see the inlet creek, so I cut down to the narrow end of the lake fed by the creek. I began fishing roughly fifty yards before the inlet.

My location was quite open and the wind was whipping small waves. I began my search for fish with an amber chubby Chernobyl, salvation nymph, and olive perdigon. I sprayed casts repeatedly and moved toward the feeder creek while allowing the flies to drift with the wind. I am disappointed to report that I experienced nothing but a tired arm from casting for forty-five minutes.

The Inlet Area

I decided to check out the lake at the entry point of the creek to see, if I could spot any fish. None were visible in the lake proper, but the riffles in the creek were loaded with spawning cutthroats. It is unsportsmanlike to fish to spawning fish, so I stripped in my flies and hooked them to my rod guide and began the return hike. Judging from the number of footprints next to the creek with spawning fish, there are quite a few unsportsmanlike anglers in our sport.

I thought I would resume fishing, if I spotted rises or fish along the edge of the lake on my return hike, but neither of these conditions arose, so I arrived at the parking lot and planned my next move. I would not mind returning to Clinton Gulch Reservoir when spawning season ends.

Fish Landed: 0

Boulder Creek – 06/10/2026

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Time: 1:00PM – 2:00PM

Location: Boulder Canyon

Boulder Creek 06/10/2026 Photo Album

I departed Evergreen Lake and made the drive north to Boulder and then west to Boulder Canyon. Upon my arrival I quickly munched my lunch, and then I pulled on my waders and wading boots. Remember I was not allowed to wade at Evergreen Lake, so I wore my jeans to fish there. My rod was already strung with the three fly dry/dropper combination from the lake, so I was prepared to fish by 1:00PM.

First and Only

The creek was flowing along rather briskly at 84 CFS, and it was obvious that the fly shop advice to fish the soft seams and areas behind current blocks was the key to success. The water was stained somewhat, so after ten minutes with not response from the fish, I decided to go deeper. I replaced the hippie stomper with a tan mini chubby Chernobyl for enhanced buoyancy, and for nymphs I opted for an olive-black Pat’s rubber legs and a Frenchie.

Displayed

I stayed with these flies for the one hour on the creek, and I moved fairly rapidly upstream and poked all the slow spots behind boulders and along the banks. I experienced three temporary hookups and landed one ten inch brown trout. The landed brown grabbed the Pat’s rubber legs. The number of spots that I deemed worthy of casts was limited, so I jumped from location to location and progressed .4 mile in an hour. That was fast progress.

Productive Spot

By 2:00PM I concluded that the pace of fishing was not about to change dramatically, and I needed to be home to assist Jane in preparation for our dinner, so I called it a day. The wind was once again brutal, and that circumstance along with the high water created a very challenging fly fishing situation. Once again I recorded one fish in one hour. In short, Wednesday was not an outstanding or even fair day of fly fishing. My close by options are rather limited, so I plan to take a brief break, before I embark on a longer trip to more promising water.

Fish Landed: 1

Evergreen Lake – 06/10/2026

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11:00AM – 12:00PM

Location: Shoreline opposite Bear Creek

Evergreen Lake 06/10/2026 Photo Album

After a fair day of fly fishing on the Arkansas River on Tuesday, I was averse to making a long drive to quench my fishing thirst on Wednesday. In fact, Jane and I were hosting a dinner with friends, so I needed to return home by 4:00PM. This precluded a long drive, so I began to consider local options. Boulder Creek was chugging along at 84 CFS, and the fly shop reports suggested that results could be obtained by fishing the slow areas behind current breaks. The Big Thompson was a steady 125 CFS, and I fished that before at that level, although it was not pretty.

Lake trips were missing from my itinerary in 2026, so I checked the DOW fish stocking report. I was hoping that perhaps Pine Valley Ranch Lake had been recently stocked, but the only reference cited a stocking in April. Evergreen Lake popped up as a relatively local choice, and it was stocked last week according to the report. In past years I considered exploring Evergreen Lake, so it became my destination.

I was unfamiliar with the layout of Evergreen Lake and the park that contains it, so when I arrived, I headed to the large parking lot at the western end. There were spots available in the outer lot, but I gambled and checked out the parking lot closest to the lake and lucked into a nice space. I researched the lake ahead of time, and I learned that wading and swimming were not permitted, so I geared up minus my waders and wading boots.

Evergreen Lake was a hive of activity, and the warm June day brought out a swarm of kayakers and stand up paddleboarders (SUP’s). As I prepared to fish, I heard the constant din of pumps inflating the recreational water devices. I found it a bit odd that wading and swimming were not allowed, but kayaking and paddle boarding were.

I had no ideas where to begin fishing. The area along Bear Creek Road and Bear Creek look very interesting, although there were buoys strung along the entire shoreline, and it appeared that waders were desirable given the swampy shoreline. I could see a cluster of anglers along the south shore, so I set out in that direction. I followed a worn path along the inlet, but no fishing signs were posted there. When I got to the end of the dock area, I climbed over a small stone wall and moved onto a dirt path which quickly ascended a steep hill. Once I summited the top, I followed the path high above the lake, and then eventually I was able to cut down a path to a flat grassy area that protruded into the lake. A few fishermen were present in this area.

I decided to give this area a try. I knotted a peacock hippie stomper to my line and then added a salvation nymph and a beadhead hares ear nymph. I cast the three fly dry/dropper into the small cove on the east side of the point and waited. The wind kicked up and created some small waves, and I was fortunate that the wind direction was angled from left to right thus not impacting my backcast or forward cast substantially.

Kayaks, SUP’s and swan boats cycled by in waves, and not knowing where the fish were stocked, or the most productive spots made the entire venture seem rather futile. I allowed the flies to sit motionless for thirty to sixty seconds, and then I executed quick strips with pauses in between. I followed this routine two or three times, and I took a few steps to the right and repeated in order to cover the water.

Single Fish from Evergreen Lake

On the fourth such cast, the hippie stomper suddenly disappeared, and I quickly lifted the rod and felt the throb of a live fish. Wow! I could not believe my good fortune. The fish put up a decent fight, but I brought it to shore and netted a twelve inch rainbow trout. Of course, I was without my waders, but I needed to kneel to remove the fly and snap a photo, so I did so, and I immediately grimaced, as I felt both my knees soak up moisture from the soggy grass next to the lake.

Location of Solitary Fish Landed

I released the rainbow and continued along the shoreline toward a wooden boardwalk. No more fish savored my flies, so I stripped in my flies and mounted the boardwalk to explore more of the lake. My vision penetrated rather deep into the steep drop off while overhead on the boardwalk, but I never spotted a fish. The other end of the boardwalk delivered me on to another point, although this one was smaller that the previous, and several anglers were already positioned in the area. I found a spot above the group of fishermen, and I once again sprayed casts into the lake. The wind was once again ridiculous, but the water dropped off quickly, so this scenario did not require lengthy casts.

Looking Back at the Main Parking Area

After ten minutes without any action, I once again moved eastward to another open area with a precipitous drop off. The wind was gusting, and my flies were ignored, and I became disenchanted with the entire scene, so I decided to call it a day at Evergreen Lake. In an effort to salvage the day, I decided to migrate north to Boulder Creek in Boulder Canyon. The fly shop reports provided some optimism, and I decided to test it out.

One fish in an hour of fishing was not great, but I justified it as an R&D project. I probably would not return, unless I obtained better information on where to fish with a higher likelihood of success.

Fish Landed: 1

Arkansas River – 06/09/2026

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/Time: 11:00AM – 3:00PM

Location: Salida area

Arkansas River 06/09/2026 Photo Album

After a stellar outing on my trip to the Arkansas River last week, I craved a return visit. However, not wishing to be rash, I also reviewed the Eagle River near Avon and the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon. The flows and fly shop reports convinced me that my best option was, in fact, the Arkansas River. I made the three hour drive on Tuesday morning.

Near the Start

I arrived by 10:30AM, and I immediately observed the river and confirmed that the flows were 330 CFS and clear. The air temperature was in the upper sixties, but one negative weather factor became obvious; wind. By 11:00AM I was perched along the river with my Sage One five weight. I began with a size 8 yellow fat Albert, a 20 incher and an iron Sally. I wanted to test the yellow-bodied foam imitation, since I felt like the trout were seeking yellow during my visit a week ago. Stoneflies are always a good bet on the Arkansas, and the iron sally was my top producer on June 3.

Nice Run

As things evolved, Tuesday was a relatively rough day, and I blame the wind. I had to stop and turn my back against the wind frequently, and casting was a challenge. The wind caused my normally accurate first and second casts to go askew, and it also contributed to several ridiculous tangles that caused me to invest an inordinate amount of time to resolve.

Has Some Girth

In the early going I stuck to the three fly arrangement as described, but it was not delivering results other than a few refusals to the fat Albert. Before lunch I logged three small brown trout, after I replaced the 20 incher with the iron sally and then added a supernova PMD nymph. One of the three early catches grabbed the iron sally, and the others nailed the supernova. I fished some very attractive spots, and the three small fish were my reward.

Just Above the Water

The nymphs were not getting it done, but I noted several swirls to the dry fly, so I changed my tactics after lunch. I abandoned the dry/dropper for a double dry fly set up. For the first fly I attached a size 14 yellow stimulator, and behind it I trailed a size 14 yellow sally dry fly. The trailing yellow sally prompted a take, and I landed a very nice thirteen inch brown. The stimulator created quite a bit of action in the form of refusals, but it never actually delivered a fish. I also hooked a second nice brown on the yellow sally, but it released itself, and then I discovered that the fly was missing most likely due to a poor knot.

Placid Section

The trout were looking toward the surface as evidenced by the stimulator refusals, but the heavily hackled attractor apparently was not a close enough imitation. I spotted a very large stonefly, probably a golden, as it clumsily fluttered above the river. I decided to try a classic Letort hopper, but in an attempt to cover my bases, I added a single salvation nymph on a 3.5 inch dropper. The Letort hopper created a splashy refusal, and then it ceased to be an item of interest.

Deep Colors

On June 3 a tan mini chubby Chernobyl  was effective as a surface fly, so I replaced the Letort hopper with the mini. I kept the salvation in place, and eventually I added a hares ear nymph. This combination enabled me to increment the fish count from four to seven, before I retired for the day at 3:00PM.

Another One in My Net

One gullible brown crushed the mini chubby, and the other two snatched the salvation from the drift. I covered a massive amount of water and made an abundant quantity of casts to land the three afternoon fish, but they were all very robust wild browns in the thirteen to fourteen inch range.

What Lies Ahead

On Tuesday I battled the wind and waded along a large amount of river shoreline in order to catch and release seven trout. Four were very worthwhile catches, and three failed to measure twelve inches. I spotted a pair of yellow sallies and one golden stonefly. I never really noticed any caddis or mayflies. I suspect that the wind was blowing insects off the water, before trout had an opportunity to hone in on any food items. My intuition and research led me astray. Of course this presumes that the other options were better, and that I will never know.

Fish Landed: 7

Arkansas River – 06/03/2026

Time: 11:15AM – 3:30PM

Location: Bighorn Sheep Canyon

Arkansas River 06/03/2026 Photo Album

My confidence was at a low ebb after getting skunked on the South Platte River in Waterton Canyon. This was the second zero fish day delivered by the South Platte River sections downstream from Cheesman Dam in the last month. As I surveyed options for a day of fly fishing on Wednesday, June 3, 2026; I was intrigued by the Arkansas River. Yes, it was a long drive, but the flows were at a reasonable 320 CFS at Salida, and the fly shop reports were very encouraging. The report from the fly shop in Salida mentioned late blue wing olives, golden stoneflies, caddis and pale morning duns. It also emphasized that the fish were spread out and feeding. All of this at the beginning of June, when the river is usually crashing along at 2000 CFS and discolored. I had to test it out.

But wait a minute. My last trip to the Arkansas River on 5/11/2026 yielded two small fish. Would Wednesday be a repeat? I decided to gamble on the Arkansas, since many of the other options were more impacted by the weak early run off of 2026. However, instead of visiting the river in the Buena Vista area, I opted for Salida.

Number One

I made the long drive from Denver to Bighorn Sheep Canyon below Salida, I arrived at 10:45 AM, and this put me on the water by 11:15AM. The temperature was in the low seventies, as I prepared to fish, so I wore no extra layers, but I stuffed my raincoat in my backpack in case of afternoon showers. When I gazed at the river from high above at my parking spot, I noted that it was indeed very clear and flowing at very favorable levels.

Narrow Ribbon Along Bank Produced First Fish

I hiked along the highway for .3 mile, at which point I found a nice angled worn path that led me even farther downstream, but the slope was mild and very agreeable to this aging fisherman. I immediately rigged my line with a tan chubby Chernobyl trailing an olive and a black Pat’s rubber legs. The first bankside pocket failed to deliver, but when I delivered my first cast to a marginal ribbon of slow water along the bank, a fish attacked the olive rubber legs, and I played and landed a fourteen inch brown trout. What a start to my day!

Rubber Legs Duo

I continued up the river through a section with very deep slow moving pools among huge rocks, and my flies remained unmolested. As I progressed, I noticed a couple pale morning dun size naturals, and a few blue wing olives, and more golden stoneflies, as they soared upward from the river. The rubber legs were not attracting attention, so I swapped the black model for an iron sally which imitates the nymph of a golden stonefly.

Amazing Black Spots

Bingo. The iron sally was popular, and I landed two more fine brown trout in the thirteen to fourteen inch range, before I paused for lunch at 11:45AM on a sandy beach inlet next to the river. My first half hour was quite productive, and I was encouraged by the success of the iron sally. I was even more pleased that I spotted natural golden stoneflies and selected a nymph imitation that matched the hatch.

Sweet Run

After lunch I continued up the river with the three fly dry/dropper combination, and I added two very nice browns to the count. One crushed the chubby Chernobyl, and the other grabbed the iron sally. These trout were respectable fish in the thirteen to fourteen inch range. By one o’clock some heavy dark clouds rolled above me, and I heard some distant thunder. I had the foresight to wade to the shore to pull on my raincoat, before conditions deteriorated.

Wide Riffle Section

As luck would have it, I foul hooked a nice fish, and it twisted my line into several overhand knots, and I struggled to untangle the mess. Of course this was the very moment, when the wind kicked up, and the rain began to splash down. I retreated to some slanted vertical rock walls and cottonwood trees while holding the tangle, and then I performed line repair while waiting out the storm.

Gentle Release

Fortunately it was very brief, and I was able to resume with my flies and line in their proper arrangement. At this point I began to witness repeated refusals to the chubby Chernobyl. I suspected that the trout were tuned into golden stoneflies, and my tan size eight chubby was close enough to entice them to look, but at the moment of decision on whether to eat, it was too large. I contemplated my options, and I remembered the mini chubbys, that I carried in my box.

Love the Curl

I replaced the top fly with a tan mini chubby, and below it on a four foot leader I knotted the iron sally. This combination enabled me to boost the fish count from six to ten, and similar to earlier trout, these were respectable brown trout. One smashed the mini chubby and the others nabbed the trailing iron sally.

Deep Slot

The weather cleared, and although I only landed one trout on the mini chubby, it seemed to not attract the many refusals that resulted from drifting the larger chubby. I saw a few more larger gray mayflies, and I began to wonder, if pale morning duns were present. I stripped in my line and added a supernova PMD imitation to imitate the nymph of a PMD.

Net Overhang

For the remainder of my time I persisted with the mini chubby, iron sally and supernova; and I increased the fish count from ten to nineteen. This was easily my best action of the day. Numbers eleven through thirteen were sub twelve inch fish, but fourteen through nineteen were very nice brown trout in the thirteen to fifteen inch range. The iron sally continued to produce, but the supernova chipped in with four landed fish, and these trout seemed to respond to movement of the supernova nymph in the form of swings and lifts.

Perfect Pocket

By 3:30 I reached a point, where I was “walled out”, so I retraced my steps to an easy exit point. Walled out means that I faced a huge boulder, and the water was deep and swift next to it, so it was impossible to progress without climbing a very steep bank back to the highway to circle around the barrier. At 3:30 in the afternoon I was not prepared for this arduous task. In addition the sky was once again threatening.

What a day! My slump was left behind. I landed nineteen gorgeous brown trout. Three were less than twelve inches, two were roughly a foot long, and the remainder were in the thirteen to sixteen inch range. One brown was sixteen, and a couple were fat fifteen inch prizes. On the day two trout ate chubbys, one grabbed the olive Pat’s rubber legs, four nipped the supernova, and the remainder attacked the iron sally. Hooray for the iron sally; the fly of the day.  Hopefully I can make another trip to the Arkansas River before the flows drop and the water temperatures warm.

Fish Landed: 19

South Platte River – 06/01/2026

Time: 11:00AM – 1:00PM

Location: Waterton Canyon

South Platte River 06/01/2026 Photo Album

I set several goals for my fly fishing expedition on Monday, June 1, 2026. First, I planned to get exercise, and this was fulfilled, as I cycled nine miles on my roundtrip to my fishing destination and back. Second, I hoped to see wildlife, and on my return trip down the canyon I encountered two bighorn rams and paused to grab some photos. Third, I hoped to avoid some serious thunderstorms forecast for the afternoon. I made it back to the parking lot, before overhead dark clouds produced rain or hail. And last, I hoped to catch a few fish.

I chose the South Platte River in Waterton Canyon, after I reviewed all the flows on all the Colorado Rivers that I frequent. Several surprising options appeared that required longer drives, and I was not up for that, so I focused on nearby alternatives. South Boulder Creek was flowing from Gross Reservoir at 142 CFS. That level is a bit high for my tastes, but I have successfully fished SBC at flows up to 180 CFS.

The fishery that jumped out at me was the South Platte River in Waterton Canyon. Releases from Strontia Springs Dam were reasonable at 130 CFS, and the drive to that destination was forty-five minutes. Reaching the upper special regulation water, however, required a bike ride, but I viewed that as an opportunity for exercise. I made the commitment to fish the South Platte River in Waterton Canyon. It had been at least two years since I last visited the waterway in southwestern Denver.

In addition to my normal checklist of fly fishing gear, I added a backpack and mountain bike. I threw everything in the back of the Telluride and arrived at the designated parking lot by 10:30AM. The sky was bright blue and nearly cloudless as I prepared to fish. I followed my normal routine, but when I arrived at putting on my waders, wading boots, backpack and frontpack, I packed them in my backpack. My fly rod and wading staff and reel and net also found a spot in my pack.

I maintained a moderate pace, as I cycled up the gradual grade of the dirt road that used to serve as a train bed. Eventually after 4.5 miles of pedaling I arrived at my chosen base camp spot, the Rattlesnake Pavilion, but another angler occupied my preferred spot. I performed a U-turn and found a picnic table next to the river just above a bridge. I cabled my bike to the picnic table and prepared to fish by pulling on my waders and wading boots and all the other gear that was required for fly fishing.

Downstream from Start

Once I was properly geared up, I hiked down the road for .5 mile, and then I angled down a short but steep bank to the river. The rest of this story is rather brief. I fished upstream from 11;00AM until 1:00PM through prime water, and I failed to catch a single fish. In fact, I never saw a fish. There were no rises, no fish darting from a clumsy wading step, no looks, no refusals and no takes.

130 CFS

I led with a tan chubby Chernobyl trailing an olive Pat’s rubber legs and bright green caddis pupa, but I quickly switched the caddis pupa for a black rubber legs. This setup matched that which delivered excellent results in recent outings. After the futility of the rubber legs, I swapped the black version for a beadhead hares ear. My results did not improve, and then I replaced the olive Pat’s rubber legs with an olive perdigon. I wanted additional weight for deeper drifts with a small footprint, and the perdigon met those requirements.

I sought the seams and deep runs at the tops of the pools as well as deeper pockets, but none of these locations yielded results. I hoped that these locations were less pressured, and the faster current spurred the fish to react without much time to study the flies. It was a solid thought, but it did not produce.

At one o’clock I was wading along the edge of the river, and I placed my right foot on a slippery angled rock. I leaned all my weight against my wading staff, which I believed to be solidly anchored, but suddenly the stick slid. I placed even more weight on the staff, and it was trapped beneath a rock ledge. I heard a snap, and the wooden rod broke one-third of the way from the top. The inertia of my lean continued, and I tipped over on my right side briefly, which allowed a small amount of water to spill over the top of my waders.

Snapped in Two

Had the fishing been average, I could have continued, but given my lack of success, I chose not to undertake the risky path of fishing without a wading stick. I was a bit wet, and some dark clouds were sliding across the sky just south of my position.

I gathered my rod and my broken wading staff and returned to my base camp at the picnic table. I quickly removed my gear and stashed it in my backpack, unlocked the bike, and coasted back to the parking lot. Along the way I encountered two rams on the side of the road next to the river. I assume they were making their way to the river for liquid refreshment. Up close they impressed me with their thick size and large horns. I took a movie and snapped a couple photos and moved on.

Back to Calm Along the Road

I finished loading the SUV before some drops of rain appeared on my windshield. When I returned home, I was met with the aftermath of a significant thunderstorm. Leaves were everywhere, and piles of marble size hail balls filled the raised beds and patio landscape. I quickly inspected the carnage in my garden, and it was not pretty.

After I unloaded the car, I began the task of replacing my wading staff. I had another wooden rod that I purchased at Home Depot, so I cut it to size. Next I drilled two large holes that could accept the nylon rope at the top of the staff. My final production step was to attach a rubber knob to the bottom of the wooden rod. Of course, I grabbed the the rubber knob that I miraculously recovered on a recent fishing trip. For this wading staff I attached the rubber knob with two wood screws instead of one. I am now prepared for another fishing trip, hopefully this week.

Fish Landed: 0