Author Archives: wellerfish

Cascade Creek – 08/01/2025

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Time: 11:00AM – 3:30PM

Location: National forest.

Cascade Creek 08/01/2025 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.

After two very successful days of fly fishing, I was anxious for day three and the last during my visit with my daughter, Amy. I fly fished on Cascade Creek twice in 2024 with excellent results, so I felt like I was saving the best for last. I got off to an early start, and this allowed me to arrive at my chosen destination by 9:15AM. I quickly geared up and fit together my Sage R8 four weight and hit the trail. A two mile hike placed me at a starting point, and I knotted a tan body mini chubby to my line along with a hares ear nymph and a psycho prince. As I configured my line, I heard the rumble of thunder, and the daylight dimmed, as a large gray cloud rolled overhead.

I delayed my first cast and hustled beneath a large evergreen tree to remove my packs and pull on my raincoat. As I was doing so, another angler approached on the trail, and he heard me before he saw me and mentioned that he thought I was a bear. I’ve never been mistaken for a bear before! I asked how far he was going, and he stated another mile. I was pleased to hear this, as it gave me plenty of space to explore upstream.

Once I snugged up my raincoat, the rain increased in intensity, so I sought some shelter other than a tall evergreen tree. I found a small nook between some large rocks with an overhanging ledge, and I squatted there for ten minutes, until the precipitation became light. I was amazed at how much the temperature plummeted with the dampness and lack of sunlight.

I returned to the stream and finally began my day of fly fishing at 11:00AM. Within the first fifteen minutes my flies became snagged on a rock, and this forced me to wade downstream to a more manageable crossing point and then wade up the left side to dislodge the nymphs. I was not happy. I returned to the right shoreline, which was more conducive to progressing upstream, and in the next target spot, I attempted a sidearm cast under some overhanging branches. When I retrieved the flies, I noticed a serious tangle, and I spent the next twenty minutes undoing the mess.

Lunch View

At 11:45AM I broke for lunch, and the fish count stalled at zero. I probably only fished twenty minutes during the morning session. Most assuredly the day could only improve. During lunch the sun appeared, and the sky was blue, and this had to be a harbinger of better things ahead.

Not Bad

I continued fishing the dry/dropper after lunch for a bit, but after covering two first class runs and pools with no action, I decided to make a switch. Two refusals to the mini chubby suggested that the fish were looking upward, so I transitioned to a double dry with a peacock hippie stomper up front and a purple haze in the back. This combination finally provided results, although the early netted fish were quite small and barely exceeded the six inch personal minimum. One of the first six was a decent twelve inch rainbow trout. All the early fish chose the hippie stomper, and the purple haze constantly tangled with the stomper. When the purple haze disappeared, while I played a fish, I replaced it with a size 14 parachute green drake.

Low and Clear

The green drake attracted a few refusals and a temporary hook up, but it was rather ineffective, and I sensed that I was fishing through spots that harbored decent trout with no action. I made another change, and this time I replaced the green drake with a size 14 stimulator with a ight olive body. This pair enabled me to climb the fish count to eight, with several spunky twelve inch rainbows in the mix.

What I Was Seeking

During previous visits I landed many hard fighting rainbows in the thirteen to sixteen inch range, but I was not encountering similar fish on August 1. What was the answer? I remembered that the mini chubby was a desired commodity in the afternoon on my previous trips, so I replaced the hippie stomper with a tan mini chubby and retained the olive stimulator as the trailer. The mini chubby allowed me to track the drab olive stimulator, and several fish snatched up the trailer, but more trout refused the stimulator or quickly slipped off after a brief hook set.

Home of Rainbow

I once again made a change, and this time I swapped the small stimulator for a size 14 version with a darker olive body and darker hackles. This fly was probably the most successful of the day, as number nine and ten were wonderful rainbows of fourteen and fifteen inches. They possessed wide slab bodies and fought extremely hard, before I could nestle them in my net.

Wide Body Rainbow

I added another twelve inch rainbow to advance the fish count to eleven, when once again thunder and dark skies intruded on my afternoon. In this instance I retreated to a dense copse of trees and managed to remain relatively dry without the aid of a rain shell. After the brief storm passed, I resumed fishing up the river for another twenty minutes. I was very selective about where I chose to cast, and I managed to hook up with two fine rainbows; however, they leaped and shook free of the stimulator, before I could guide them into my net.

Another Rainbow Home

At 3:30PM I faced at least an hour hike back to the parking lot, and the river ahead seemed to narrow into a tighter canyon with steep banks on both sides. I decided to call it a day. Friday was not the day I envisioned. Certainly the rainstorms shrank my fishing time after the long hike. I also feel like I relied on the mini chubby too much after immense success in 2024, but those visits were later in the season. I wish I would have tried some larger hopper flies, and I also feel like I could have been more strategic in my selection of stream sections to focus on. My best results came from deep slots and large pockets near large rock structures. Obviously the low and clear conditions moved the trout to sanctuaries along the bank or near rocks, where they enjoyed cover yet could readily cherry pick drifting food morsels.

I have not given up on Cascade Creek and hope to return at least once more before the 2025 season ends.

Fish Landed: 11

Frying Pan River – 07/31/2025

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Time: 10:00AM – 3:30PM

Location: National Forest

Frying Pan River 07/31/2025 Photo Album

After a fun day on Wednesday, I decided to visit the Frying Pan River on Thursday. I assumed that the Pan would be less crowded on Thursday versus Friday, when all the long weekend anglers arrived.

I opted for my Sage R8 four weight for the somewhat larger Frying Pan, and when I stationed myself next to the river, I began with a peacock hippie stomper trailing a size 14 light gray deer hair caddis. The fish awarded me a resounding thumbs down, so I swapped the deer hair caddis for a beadhead hares ear nymph. The hares ear generated a small brown, but the combination was otherwise lacking, so I converted to a heavier dry/dropper that featured a yellow size 8 fat Albert, a beadhead hares ear, and a salvation nymph. The salvation fooled a couple decent trout in the ten to eleven inch range, but I was covering some very attractive water with meager results.

Started Here

I felt like the large hopper was scaring the fish, so I downsized to a peacock hippie stomper and kept the salvation nymph in place as a dropper. This two fly combination worked to some degree, and I boosted the fish count to five, before I broke for lunch at 11:45AM. Five fish in two hours was fairly average and not what I expected.

Browns Were in the Minority

Fine Looking Section on the Left

After lunch the slow action continued, and I began to think that a double digit day was a reach goal. The hippie stomper duped a pair  of fish to reach seven by 1:00PM, but the takes were more than matched by refusals. I concluded the fish were mainly looking to the surface, so I returned to the double dry approach.

Bronze Body

The stomper was matched with a size 14 purple haze, and the new addition added two trout to arrive at nine on the day. When I cast upstream, the stomper was the first fly visible to the fish, and in nearly every case, it was refused. When I cast across and allowed the flies to drift downstream with the purple haze in the lead position, quite often a take resulted. I received the message from the trout, and I placed the purple haze in the forward position and trailed a small size 16 light olive stimulator behind.

More Rainbow Action

This combination clicked, and I boosted the fish count to twenty-five over the remainder of the afternoon. The stimulator and purple haze were favored in roughly equal proportions. During the last hour, after the dry fly action subsided, I reverted to the dry/dropper featuring a mini chubby with a tan body, a psycho prince, and a salvation nymph. The last three fish succumbed to the salvation including a fine fourteen inch rainbow that represented the best fish of the day. It was number twenty-five, and then I carefully slid along a steep bank, until I found a place where I could cautiously negotiate the significant tilt.

Tight to Cover Was Home

Thursday was once again a blast. It took a long time for the fish to become active. Once I discovered the right double dry combination; however, the tide turned in my favor. Was it the flies, the time of day, or the hard to access section? I will never know for sure, but I suspect all three played a role.

Best of the Day

The quality of the fish was decent. The ratio of species was approximately 25% browns and75% rainbows. The browns were typically smaller with a pair of nice twelve inchers in the mix. The rainbows were predominantly chunky twelve and thirteen inch torpedoes. I was quite pleased with their size and fighting capability. Friday will be a new challenge.

Fish Landed: 25

Beaver Creek – 07/30/2025

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Time: 11:00AM – 3:30PM

Location: National Forest

Beaver Creek 07/30/2025 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.

After a week away from fly fishing, I was itching to return to western streams. I planned to fish on Monday, but projected high temperatures near 100 degrees dissuaded that notion. The heat was too much for even high elevations according to my reasoning. My grandsons’ “other” grandparents arrived from Pennsylvania, and they assumed our kid sitting responsibilities  on Thursday, July 31, and this provided a window of opportunity for fishing. I asked my daughter, Amy, if I could stay at her condo for three nights. She readily extended the invitation, so I had a home base for fly fishing adventures from July 30 through August 1.

High Gradient

On Wednesday morning I was set to depart Denver at 7:10AM, but as I drove down 35th Avenue, I noticed the low tire pressure warning light appeared on the dashboard. Just my luck. I did a quick U-turn and parked behind the garage, where I connected my portable air compressor and inflated the left rear tire from 25 PSI to 32 PSI. The meter on the compressor showed 32 PSI, but when I resumed driving, the dashboard displayed 28 PSI. If there was a leak, I gambled it was slow, and that I could enjoy a day of fishing without facing a flat tire. My gamble paid off, and when I returned home on Saturday, I learned from the tire store that my left rear tire picked up a tiny piece of metal and did in fact have a slow leak.

Brilliant Colors

I arrived at the trailhead for Beaver Creek by 10:30AM, and I prepared to fish the small mountain creek with my Orvis Access four weight rod. A short but steep climb advanced me to an entry point, and I rigged with a solo peacock hippie stomper. Fly choice was rather straight forward on this day. I stuck with the hippie stomper for the first four hours on the creek, and it delivered twenty-nine trout. The same fly produced all the fish without unraveling, before I carelessly snagged it on a backcast. Rescue was not possible, so I snapped it off and replaced it with a size 14 purple haze. I am not sure what motivated the choice, but it immediately became a hot fly, and I moved the fish count from twenty-nine to thirty-six in the last half hour. My day was too excellent to second guess, but what if I had switched to the purple haze sooner?

Hippie Stomper Did the Job

The trout seemed to relish the parachute attractor, as they attacked it quite often on the first drift. The white wing post was far more difficult to track than the large wing of the stomper, but on several drifts decent trout grabbed the purple haze as I lifted, or when it was not visible.

First Brook Trout

Tough Wading Ahead

What sort of fish was I catching? Three of my netted finned fighters were brook trout, and the remainder were rainbows. This is highly unusual for a small Colorado stream. Size was lacking, as the largest may have extended to twelve inches. The rainbows made up for their lack of size with their spirited fights and vivid colors. Many were in the ten to eleven inch range, but they were all quite chunky, and they fought hard on my light four weight stick.

One of the Best

Melon Color Scheme

Did I mention colors? The stripes ranged from purple to pink to orange to red, and the same color scheme matched the cheeks in many cases. Although it may sound like a walk in the park, it was not. The gradient was severe, and this created very challenging wading. The willows, bushes and trees inhibited moving along the bank, so climbing slippery rocks and clambering over large fallen logs were the only options to advance. Of course, the tight quarters reached out to grab flies at each turn, but my caution limited the frustration on that front.

Very Nice Spot

The effort was very challenging, but it did seem that the trout were more prevalent in sections that featured difficult access. I love prospecting with dry flies and a small rod in a high mountain stream, and Wednesday was very satisfying.

Fish Landed: 36

 

 

Taylor River – 07/22/2025

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Time: 10:00AM 3:00PM

Location: In the vicinity of Lodgepole Campground

Taylor River 07/22/2025 Photo Album

Jane and I snagged a first come, first serve campsite number one at Lodgepole Campground for July 21 and 22. On the day of our arrival, we hiked along the Taylor River, and then we completed a four mile hike on the South Lottis Creek Trail. We did these hikes after driving from Denver to Lodgepole and after putting up our tent and canopy. The weather was magnificent with high temperatures in the upper seventies.

A Good Starting Point

Solid Water Ahead

Tuesday was my day to fish. This gave Jane access to the car, although she never took advantage. After a tasty breakfast, I prepared to fish the Taylor River. I selected my Sage R8 four weight and pulled on my brand new Guideline waders and set out for the river. Jane accompanied me to make sure that I did not attempt any unsafe crossings. While she was watching, I actually tried to cross at two spots near the campground, but using my better judgement, I reversed course and moved on. Eventually I found my preferred crossing point and managed to wade across the river, as Jane observed. The Taylor River is one where I firmly believe that fishing away from the pressured bank next to the road is advantageous.

Fine Fish

By 10:00AM I was positioned along the left bank, and I opted for a size 14 peacock hippie stomper trailing a size 14 parachute green drake. I suspected that July 22 was near prime green drake emergence time, and history told me that trout have long memories, when it comes to western green drakes.

Getting Bigger

During the first forty-five minutes I built the fish count to three. One of the early catches was a decent twelve inch brown trout that grabbed the trailing green drake on a downstream drift. The other two trout were small browns that favored the hippie stomper. During this time, I experienced quite a few refusals and several long distance releases. It seemed that the fish were drawn to the large hackles and profile of the stomper, so when the hackle on the parachute green drake got shredded by fish teeth, I replaced it with a size 14 green drake comparadun. This comparadun had a large and high fan-wing with a long moose mane tail. The switch made a difference, and I increased the fish count to ten, before I broke for lunch at noon. A thirteen inch rainbow and a couple twelve inch browns were among the late morning catch, and the fly of choice was split fairly evenly between the stomper and the comparadun..

Along the Seam

After lunch it seemed that the comparadun was favored, and the pace of action accelerated. I actually saw a natural green drake between 1:00PM and 2:00PM, and this sighting was accompanied by some rises. The actual hatch, if there was one, took place between 1PM and 2PM.

Green Drake Comparadun Slimed

More Shelf Water

By 2:15PM the maroon thread rib on the comparadun began to unravel, and there was a lull, so I replaced it with a fresh comparadun. This fly, however, presented a sparser wing, and the fish avoided it. Perhaps I needed a fly with bushy hackling? I tested a size 14 Harrop hair wing, but it also failed to deliver. I inspected my green drake box and found another comparadun with a dense wing. It was tied to the leader from the stomper, and between two and three o’clock I added three trout to boost the count to nineteen.

Solid

Best of the Day

The prime green drake time from 12:30PM until 2:00PM accounted for trout numbers eleven through sixteen. One of these netted fish was a healthy fifteen inch brown trout that gulped the comparadun at the lip of a pocket not more than eight feet above me. This fish charged into fast water, and I was forced to follow it downstream over some rather large and slippery boulders. Another highlight was a rainbow, only the second of the day, that crushed the compardun on the first cast to a faster run. A testy battle ensued.

Along the Log Is Obvious Fish Magnet

I quit at 3PM and crossed once again at the location, where I knew it was doable. Nineteen fish was a decent day on the Taylor River. Six fish in the twelve to fifteen inch range were notable. The best aspect of the day; however, was fishing green drakes. Casting large green drake dry flies to hungry trout is one of my favorite activities. Hopefully I can encounter more such occurrences in 2025.

Fish Landed: 19

 

 

 

Arkansas River – 07/16/2025

Time: 10:30AM – 2:30PM

Location: Hayden Meadows area

Arkansas River 07/16/2025 Photo Album

After a decent day on Tuesday, I was debating where to go for a second day of fly fishing. My initial thought was to try a newly created state wildlife area on a small mountain stream, but then I recalled that I enjoyed some productive days with gray drakes on the Arkansas River in Hayden Meadows around the mid-July time frame. I made the decision to drive to Hayden Meadows.

I arrived at a wide pullout near the river at 10:00AM, and I was poised for action by 10:30AM. I once again chose my Sage R8 four weight. The air temperature was 62 degrees, and a light haze was visible against the mountain peaks.

The river was very clear and churning along at decent velocity. The Arkansas River is a fairly large waterway for being located at a relatively high elevation. I saw no insects or rising fish, so I began my day with a yellow size 8 fat Albert, a prince nymph, and a salvation nymph. Between 10:30AM and 11:50AM I worked my way up the river and prospected likely trout lairs. In spite of some fairly intense fishing, I managed to land only one fish in 1.5 hours of fishing. The one netted fish grabbed a beadhead hares ear, after I swapped out the salvation nymph.

A Nice Fish At Least

During the morning time frame I connected with four trout, but only the hares ear consuming brown trout rested in my net. One brown ambushed the fat Albert and broke off three flies in short order. I hooked another fifteen inch brown, but as I played the fish, the fat Albert slipped free, and I foul hooked the fish in the tail area with a trailing nymph. A third fish crushed the fat Albert but ejected the hook within a second or two. Needless to say, I was frustrated with my relatively futile morning.

I paused on a beach area to consume my lunch, and then I resumed my advancement up the river. For chapter two I switched to a double dry arrangement. The top fly was a peacock hippie stomper, and the first trailer was a yellow size 14 stimulator. On the first and second cast, a fish swirled and refused each of the flies. I persisted for a reasonable time. but the flies did not attract interest. I swapped the yellow stimulator for a size 14 parachute green drake, and once again the results were not satisfactory. In my opinion the drake looked very tasty, but I am not a fish. I was banking on the trout having long memories, when it comes to drakes.

Home of Brown Trout Landed

My next move was to replace the green drake imitation with a size 14 light gray deer hair caddis. The stomper and caddis combination created interest, but I never landed any of the eaters. I hooked up with four fish, but each shrugged off the hook after very brief battles. At one location I had two fish slash and hit the trailing caddis, as it began to swing at the end of a long drift. I thought I was on to something, but the swinging action failed to arouse interest after the initial flurry.

Between 12:30 and 1:00PM a thunderstorm rolled in, so I rushed back to the car for shelter. I removed all my gear and sat inside, while I waited for the rain to subside. Once the steady rain dwindled to a light sprinkle, I returned to the point on the river, where I exited. I wore my raincoat for the remainder of my time on the river to repel occasional very light showers.

By 2PM I noticed another angler fifty yards above me. I was vexed by this development, even though he was a reasonable distance away, as this now blocked my advancement. I stripped in my line and hooked it to the rod guide, and I walked back to the car and then beyond, until I saw a no trespassing sign. The sign gave me incentive to cut to the river, which I did, and I renewed my efforts to catch some Arkansas River fish. Alas, that eventuality was never accomplished. In the 2PM to 2:30 time period I never spotted a rise nor any sort of insect activity. In a last ditch effort to add to the fish count, I removed the hippie stomper and caddis and replaced them with a yellow body pool toy hopper. I fished it solo for ten minutes in some deep water along a grassy bank, but the tactic proved fruitless. I chose the yellow pool toy because the yellow fat Albert delivered a bit of interest in the morning session.

I never saw a gray drake. In fact the only insects I witnessed were caddis. My recent history with Hayden Meadows has not been good, and I suspect it will be awhile, until I return. The interruptions of the storm and the upstream angler only served to heighten my frustration. The small stream option probably would have been more rewarding.

Fish Landed: 1

Eagle River – 07/15/2025

Time: 10:00AM – 1:00PM, 1:30PM – 3:30PM

Location: Between Avon and Edwards and then Minturn area

Eagle River 07/15/225 Photo Album

After an excellent outing on the Eagle River on  7/7/2025, I was anxious to return. I checked the flows on the DWR website, and they were in the 250 – 300 CFS range. Fly shop reports indicated that decent fishing continued with ongoing hatches of PMD’s, yellow sallies, and caddis. I took the plunge and made the two hour drive.

The high temperature for Avon was forecast to reach 80 degrees, and that projection proved accurate. I selected my Sage R8 four weight, and I was positioned along the river ready to cast by 10:00AM.  To start my search for trout I tied a peacock hippie stomper to my line along with a light gray size 16 deer hair caddis, but these flies went unmolested in the first thirty minutes, so I made another change.

I decided to probe the depths since no insect activity was obvious, and I converted to a yellow size 8 fat Albert along with an iron sally and salvation nymph. None of these flies appealed to the trout other than a single refusal to the fat Albert. After a prolonged period of casting the dry/dropper with no positive results, I made another change.

Dark Olive Colors

I reverted to the double dry, and this time it featured a size 14 yellow stimulator and a size 16 light gray deer hair caddis. For this final session of the morning I crossed the river at a wide riffle section in order to work up along the left bank. I played the hunch that the left bank was unpressured, since flows only recently enabled a crossing. The hunch worked somewhat, as I landed two brown trout. The smaller fish grabbed the caddis, and the twelve incher snatched the stimulator.

Promising Area

At 12:20PM I began a retreat, but to do so, I was forced to wade downstream, until I found a section where crossing was possible. I managed to ford the river, but there were some scary moments. I hiked back to a spot with some large boulders, and I paused to eat my lunch. As I observed the river from my lunch perch, a dozen swallows dove and flitted across the river, but I was unable to determine what they were eating.

Handful

After lunch I swapped the caddis for a size 16 light gray comparadun, and I executed downstream casts along a seam in the pool next to my lunch spot, but the effort was futile. I elected to relocate.

For my afternoon session on the Eagle River I moved upstream to the Minturn area above the Gore Creek confluence. I operated under the assumption that the water temperature was cooler farther upstream.

Lots of Pockets

I arrived at a pullout and pulled on my gear and dropped down a short bank. I made five casts to a deep slot with the double dry that remained on my line, and as I prepared to move, I looked ahead and spotted another angler! What were the chances? I immediately returned to the car and drove another .5 mile, before I returned to the river.

Caddis Fancier

As it turned out, the move was fortuitous. Between 1:30PM and 3:30PM I landed eighteen trout. The first three sipped the comparadun, but then the stimulator began interfering with the allure of the caddis, as refusals predominated. I finally relented to the wishes of the trout, and I converted to a peacock hippie stomper and a size 14 light gray deer hair caddis. A few of the eighteen landed trout preferred the hippie stomper, but the remainder savored the caddis. Quite often the fish grabbed the trailing caddis at the lip of a long pocket, just as I initiated a lift to recast.

Nice Slots and Seams

What was the quality of the afternoon trout? All but three were brown trout. Two rainbow trout were chunky and in the twelve inch range, and three browns stretched to a similar length. Of course I landed a few smaller fish, but I was overall pleased with the size of the fish given the smaller size of the stream.

Lovely Spots

I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon of prospecting with dry flies, and the fish were far more accommodating than their cousins in the bigger river, where I began my day. I would like to explore the Eagle River further on a future trip.

Fish Landed: 20

East Fork, Brush Creek – 07/12/2025

Time: 11:00AM – 12:00PM

Location: Between Sylvan Lake State Park visitor center and Yeoman Campground

East Fork, Brush Creek 07/12/2025 Photo Album

A friend of my daughter reserved two campsites at Yeoman Campground from July 11 through July 13. Jane and I were invited to join, so we spent two nights at Yeoman. Amy’s friend, Jacy, was the organizer, and she arranged for her family to join her along with another friend of Amy and Jacy and his family. By Saturday the campground was filled with the laughter and enthusiasm of six youngsters ranging in age from ten to five.

Jacy’s son, Alden, expressed an interest in fly fishing, so on Saturday morning I provided instruction to the three oldest members of the youth group that was present. There was Alden, Emma and Emerson. I began the day with some casting instruction in the driveway next to the campsite. I explained a bit of terminology including an explanation of a fly line as opposed to a leader, and I explained that the line is the key to propelling flies to their destination. I shot some line out of the rod and then allowed each kid to try making some casts without the presence of a fly. The results were mixed, but it was only a brief session.

Alden Reaching for a Brook Trout

Exchange

Next, I returned to my campsite and pulled on my waders and gear, and when I returned to the base campsite, five of us headed to the stream. The group consisted of Jacy, Alden, Emma and Emerson. The section that we chose to fish would have been decent for somewhat seasoned anglers, but it was a challenge for novices. Why? Because it was nearly all slow-moving beaver ponds. The kids were dressed in swimsuits, but I wore my waders. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate fishing and wading among beaver ponds? They are surrounded by boggy marshes with abundant holes, and the stream bottom is notoriously mucky.

Tender Grip

Emma Waiting for a Handoff

Many bushes and trees bordered the ponds, and this made it important to stand in the middle of the stream to get a clear backcast. Wading sent out warning waves across the pools. I decided that the best approach was for me to cast and and attempt to hook fish and then allow the youngsters to reel in the catch.

Emerson in the Wings

There were spots where the pond depth surpassed the top of my waders, so I was forced to cast from the bank or shallow swamped sod clumps. This dictated keeping the backcast high and making long backhand casts. It was not a situation that accommodated young novices.

Proud Displayer of First Brook Trout

I strung my Loomis two-piece five weight, and I knotted a red body hippie stomper to the leader. Within five minutes a hungry brook trout slapped the hippie stomper, and I landed the first fish. I allowed Alden to reel in the little fighter, after I spooled the slack fly line. Needless to say, excitement reigned among our small group.

Terry Cleans Fish after I Demonstrated

I continued slowly working my way upstream, but suddenly the trout refused the hippie stomper or ignored it completely. I was conscious of the need for action for the young students, so I swapped the red stomper for another with a dark purple body. The change was like magic, and I landed six additional brook trout. Alden was my guide, as he led the way and warned me of deep holes and drop offs. I rotated among the three young anglers taking turns reeling in the fish, and Jacy kept a watchful eye for safety reasons while lugging the white fish bucket.

Touching the Head

I found that making long casts and allowing the fly to simply sit in a near stationary state was the key to prompting strikes. We kept five brook trout in the bucket, and eventually even Alden’s interest waned, and he was the most ardent and patient student of fly fishing. In addition, the cumulative impact of standing in ice cold mountain water was creating a chill among the youngsters.

Fishing Hole Became Swimming Hole in the Afternoon

The crew was excited about the prospect of eating the freshly caught brook trout, so we returned to the campsite. For some reason the kids thought that the fish would like vegetation in the bucket, and it was filled with reeds and blades of grass. I quickly marched over to our next-door campsite and retrieved a couple knives. When I returned, one of the girls scooped a brook trout from the bucket after a few slippery releases, and she delivered it to the cutting board. I beheaded and gutted the small fish, while Jacy’s brother, Terry, observed; and then I turned over fish cleaning duties to Terry. I was impressed with the lack of squeamishness on the part of the young observers. They took turns touching the tail and head and even the eyes of the recently gutted fish.

A Pair of Dogs Refresh

Seeing the enthusiasm of the young folks made Saturday one of the most rewarding fishing days of the year for this seasoned angler. Hopefully this will become an annual tradition, and in future years I will witness the growth of beginners becoming competent anglers.

Fish Landed: 5

 

East Fork, Brush Creek – 07/11/2025

Time: 3:00PM – 4:30PM

Location: Between the Sylvan Lake State Park visitor Center and Yeoman Campground

East Fork, Brush Creek 07/11/2025 Photo Album

Jane, Amy and I camped at Yeoman Campground on Thursday night, and we hiked the McKenzie Gulch Trail and the Sylvan Lake Shoreline Loop Trail on Friday morning and continued into the early afternoon. When we returned to the campsite, Amy and Jane released me to do some fly fishing, while they relaxed.

I pulled into a small parking lot and prepared to fish at 2:40PM, and by 3:00PM I was perched on the small creek ready to do some exploration on new water. The air temperature was in the upper seventies, and that was quite warm for the high elevation location of East Fork of Brush Creek. Because of the small stream and the tight nature of the surroundings, I chose to deploy my Orvis Access four weight rod.

Off and Running

I hiked down the road a short distance, and then I cut perpendicular to the creek and managed my way down a short but steep bank. To begin my trout quest, I tied a size 10 classic Chernboyl ant to my line. On my first flip of the fly, a trout nailed the Chernobyl. I set the hook, and the fish wiggled free sending my Chernobyl ant into a tree behind me. I attempted a rescue, but the thicket of branches was too dense to allow me to bend down the branch that possessed my fly, so I popped it off and knotted another similar foam fly to my line.

Gorgeous Hole

For the next forty-five minutes I hooked seven trout, but I landed only one. Talk about frustration. I concluded that the tight quarters prevented me from executing solid hook sets for fear of snagging another tree limb. In addition, the thick foam and invasion of the hook gap may have been a factor. A third explanation may have been tentative takes on the part of the trout.

At any rate, I switched flies and selected a peacock hippie stomper; and, suddenly my landed percentage climbed. This sort of reinforces the tentative take theory as an explanation for a low conversion rate with the Chernobyl ant. I ended up with eight landed trout on fifteen connections.

Splendid

The fishing was very challenging. The narrow creek funneled through dense overhanging bushes and branches. In addition, the gradient was fairly steep. Because of the tight vegetation I could only advance by wading up the stream, and even this approach was difficult at times. I was concerned that I would find a suitable exit point, but by 4:30PM I noticed an open area, and I could see the roadway high above me. I jumped at the opportunity for a decent route and called it quits.

Slow Area Next to the Boulders Delivered

What was the quality of the fish I was catching? Seven landed fish were browns, and one brook trout found my net. The browns were decent fish for a small stream with quite a few feisty twelve inchers. I would definitely like to return to explore the small stream more extensively, when I have more time at my disposal, even though I know I could expect adverse wading and casting conditions. It truly was a physical workout, particularly for my aging body.

Fish Landed: 8

 

Willow Creek – 07/08/2025

Time: 10:00AM – 3:30PM

Location: National Forest

Willow Creek 07/08/2025 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.

Poised to Return

I sensed that the declining flows on the major freestone rivers meant that high country streams were down to fishable levels, so I decided to pay a visit to Willow Creek. My disclaimer explains that this is not the real name of this stream. I experienced some superb days on this small stream in 2024, so I was anxious to return.

Solid Prospecting Spot

I arrived at my chosen parking space by 9:30AM, and I fit together my Orvis Access four weight. This is my smallest rod, and I reserve it for small stream fishing. The air temperature was in the low sixties, as I began my hike to the creek. When I arrived beside the stream, I knotted a peacock hippie stomper to my line, and I began to prospect likely places. The stomper proved ineffective, so I added a size 14 light gray deer hair caddis, and only a few random refusals to the stomper resulted from the addition. The section of the creek where I began was dominated by a series of slow moving pools created by small beaver dams. I must admit that I scattered every fish except for the ones that refused the double dry. I made very long casts and concentrated on shooting high to allow the flies to flutter down, but darting fish were my reward.

Pretty Section

After an hour of frustration I approached a section with a higher gradient and more current, so I switched to a dry/dropper with a classic Chernobyl ant and a trailing beadhead PMD supernova. The combination clicked in the fast currents, and I built the fish count to five, before I broke for lunch. Three of the five were brown trout, and these would be the largest fish of the day. Of course, that was a low bar, as the longest brown may have stretched to ten inches.

Huge Spots on a Small Fish

I continued after lunch with the dry/dropper; however, the nature of the creek shifted to long glides and smooth pools. I concluded that the beadhead nymph and foam attractor were spooking the trout with their splash down, so I once again made a change. This time I opted for a double dry that consisted of the return of the peacock hippie stomper and a purple haze. The white wing of the purple haze was extremely visible, but it instantly became a magnet for trout refusals. At least the surface flies were prompting attention, so I removed the purple haze and replaced it with a size 16 light gray deer hair caddis.

The Type of Water That Produced Brook Trout

Finally I had a winning combination. I moved up the creek and executed long casts and built the fish count to eighteen. The downside was that all the netted fish in the afternoon were small six and seven inch brook trout. The action kept me focused, and fortunately I deployed my lightest fly rod, but size was not a factor. Clearly the most productive spots were long riffles of moderate depth and the tails of pools. Once I learned that many trout hovered at the tail, I exercised considerable caution in my approach.

Flaming Orange

Tuesday on Willow Creek was very different from my visits in 2024. The quality of the fishing fell short compared to last year. The fish were far more selective, and there was an absence of above average size brown trout. I noted quite a few footprints in the morning section as well as a worn area that was perhaps a disbursed campsite, so increased pressure may explain the change. Also the beavers have been very active, and much more of the stream was converted to ponds and slow moving pools. Will I return in 2025? I suspect the answer to that question is no.

Fish Landed: 18

Eagle River – 07/07/2025

Time: 10:00AM – 3:45PM

Location: Between Avon and Edwards

Eagle River 07/07/2025 Photo Album

My last outing on the Arkansas River was mildly disappointing, so I shifted my fly fishing horizons to other options for Monday, July 07. Jane and I played pickleball on Friday and Saturday, so I was interested in returning to a Colorado River or lake to start the week. I considered some small streams, but after I checked the DWR web site for the Eagle River and noticed that the flows remained at a robust 400 CFS, I decided to pay the river near Avon another visit.

I got off to a nice early start, and the traffic was surprisingly light in Denver, thus allowing me to pull into my chosen parking space by 9:30AM. The air temperature was in the seventies, and as mentioned earlier, the flows were in the 350 – 400 CFS range and very clear. Once I was prepared to fish with my Sage R8 four weight, I marched directly to the river, and I rigged with a yellow fat Albert, iron sally and salvation nymph. From 10AM until 11:45AM I worked my way up the river prospecting with the dry/dropper arrangement, and I netted six fish. Several thirteen inch brown trout graced my net along with a chunky and slightly longer rainbow. Half the morning count fell for the iron sally and the other three nipped either the salvation nymph or a PMD supernova that replaced the salvation nymph, when the salvation was lost in the process of playing a fish.

Not Bad for Early

When I reached six fish landed, I encountered a gorgeous long run and pool. Two young anglers were in the process of taking positions at the tail of the pool. I asked if I could move on to the top, where the main center current created a nice shelf pool, and they agreed. By now it was 11:50AM, so I found a large flat rock and ate my lunch, while I observed the river. As I gazed at the splendid pool, yellow sallies popped off the river in heavy numbers, but I never witnessed a single surface take. In addition to the sallies I noted caddis and one or two pale morning duns. I also noticed that one of the pair of young anglers was driving long casts across the river to the opposite side, and during one of these casts, he hooked a dead tree limb. It was obvious that rescuing the fly was not an option, and sure enough he popped off his fly and returned to shore to reconfigure. I was baffled by the long casts, but who am I to critique?

Deep Slot

Once my lunch was completed, I began casting the dry/dropper from the midsection to the entering run, and I foul hooked a splendid rainbow trout in the process. I suspect it rose to the fat Albert, and I set the hook and dragged the trailing nymph into it. Once I covered the top third of the run and pool, I decided to revamp my offerings. Even though I did not see rises to the yellow sallies, could the fish be opportunistic if confronted with a yellow sally imitation? I decided to give it a try, I knotted a size 14 deer hair yellow sally to my line and then added a light gray size 14 deer hair caddis on an eighteen inch extension.

A Rainbow Joins the Catch

I prospected the same section of the run and pool that I covered with the dry/dropper with the double dry flies, but I achieved the same result; zero fish. Before I entered the pocketwater zone, I once again changed my approach. I replaced the deer hair yellow sally with a yellow size 14 stimulator, and I trailed the same gray deer hair caddis. I prospected this duo through the fifty yard pocketwater section, and I doubled the fish count from six to twelve. Quite a few of these fish were exceptional wild trout that put up very valiant battles. Two of the landed fish were rainbows, and the remainder were brown trout. Four of the six fish were healthy twelve and thirteen inch fish. The caddis accounted for all but one, and the outlier smashed the stimulator. I also endured a few long distance releases.

Pocket Water Bonanza

By 2:15 I reached the point, where I typically end my day, but given the early afternoon time, I decided to drive upstream to another favorite spot. By the time I hiked back to the car and drove a couple miles and hiked back down to the river, it was 2:45PM. Once again I chose a section that was mostly comprised of pocketwater, and the higher than normal flows restricted me to the right bank. I was actually skeptical that I would have success in the late afternoon.

Thick

However, some large clouds slid across the sky to provide intermittent shade, and PMD’s and caddis remained in play. I observed more pale morning duns, than I spotted at the earlier location, so I swapped out the caddis for a light gray size 16 comparadun. Between 2:45PM and 3:45PM I moved up the river along the right bank and probed all the likely riffles, seams and pockets with the two fly combination. Was my lack of confidence reinforced by the late afternoon results? No. I upped the fish count from twelve to twenty-one, and these were all very nice fish. The catch included several brown trout that extended the tape to fourteen inches along with several feisty rainbow trout in the twelve to thirteen inch range. I had a blast.

Promising

The comparadun worked for a couple fish, but then I suffered through a lull, as I moved through some very attractive water, so I replaced the comparadun with a size 16 light gray deer hair caddis. The caddis seemed to meet the needs of the hungry trout. The takes were actually difficult to see, as the trout barely disturbed the surface to snatch the food morsels. Glare was also a problem, and I shifted my position several times to place myself in more advantageous lighting.

Showing Off Color

My day ended with a disappointment. I cast the double/dry up and across the stream and then allowed the flies to sweep along some overhanging branches. Sure enough, after a five foot drift, a large nose surfaced, and I set the hook. Immediately I could see the side of a substantial brown trout perhaps in the fifteen inch range. It dove to the left, and I stripped in line, but then it headed directly across the current toward a cluster of overhanging dead branches. I knew that the game was over, if the robust fighter attained the shelter of the sticks, so I maintained steady pressure toward the left. This ploy lasted for a second or two, before the line popped free. I stripped in my line only to discover that it was devoid of flies, and this offered the perfect excuse to call it a day.

Beauty

I landed twenty-one healthy wild trout on the day, and this easily surpassed my expectations. The dry/dropper fishing was passable, but the highlight of the day was the double dry fly action. In spite of the warm air temperatures, the high flows kept the river residents in fine fighting condition, and they took advantage of the abundant aquatic insect supply. I matched their appetites and enjoyed superb dry fly fishing. I hope to return to the Eagle River again within the next couple weeks before the dog days of August arrive.

Fish Landed: 21