Author Archives: wellerfish

Beaver Creek – 09/22/2025

Time: 12:00PM – 3:00PM

Location: National Forest Land

Beaver Creek 09/22/2025 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.

I decided to pay daughter, Amy, another visit, as she lives in the heart of some excellent fishing destinations. I departed Denver on Monday morning and made the drive to the western slope. I arrived at my planned fishing destination and immediately prepared to fish. My casting tool was my Orvis Access four weight, since I was about to fish a relatively small mountain creek.

Once I was prepared, I completed a .8 mile hike in a constant ascent, and then I cut down the bank to a medium sized log, where I consumed my lunch. By the time I was prepared to fish, it was noon.

Lunch Spot

While I ate lunch, I overlooked a nice deep hole just below a small spillway over a log and above some overhanging branches. After lunch, just for kicks, I dropped a cast in the five foot by three foot space, and a nice eleven inch rainbow slammed the peacock hippie stomper.

Watched Me Eat Lunch

At the outset I prospected with a solo hippie stomper. For the first hour I moved steadily up the stream and built the fish count to seven. I experienced refusals and temporary hookups, but when I encountered a spot with decent depth and moderate current, I generally interacted with a fish. Toward the end of this time frame, however, the refusals became more frequent, and I felt like prime spots were not delivering as expected.

So Colorful

I paused and added an ultra zug bug on a one foot dropper to the stomper. The change worked miracles, and suddenly decent rainbows began to materialize from the better locations, as most snatched the ultra zug bug.

Ooh. What a Hole.

By 1:30PM a dark gray cloud floated overhead, and I quickly waded to an open spot on the shore and extracted my raincoat and pulled it on. I was outfitted with my rain shell just as the rain intensified, and for a brief amount of time I was pelted with tiny white ice pellets the size of a pea.

Parr Markings Visible

I weathered the brief storm and continued to compile netted fish. I got above a small tributary, and the stream narrowed, while the gradient increased. My catch rate slowed, as there were fewer prime fish holding spots. I boosted the fish count to twenty-eight, and once again the sky darkened. In this instance the blackness was accompanied by thunder and a couple visible streaks of lightning. I climbed the bank and found a large evergreen with dry soil beneath it. I crowded under the tree to wait out the storm.

Another Hot Spot

By now it was 2:50PM, and by 3:00PM the rain intensified. The temperature dropped significantly, and the rain created small streams of run off on the trail. I decided to abandon thoughts of resuming my day of fishing, and I marched back to the parking lot.

Some Length Here

Monday was a numbers day. My largest fish may have reached twelve inches, and of course the count include a bunch of six and seven inch dinks, but there were enough ten to eleven inch feisty ‘bows to maintain my interest. I love the surprise of a take by a wild rainbow in a small stream regardless of the size.

Fish Landed: 28

South Platte River – 09/19/2025

Time: 10:30AM – 3:15PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 09/19/2025 Photo Album

After a decent day on Wednesday, I had an open calendar on Friday, and the weather report was very favorable, so I logged a second day of fly fishing during the third week of September. I reviewed the usual options and settled on the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon. The high at Lake George was projected to be in the low seventies, and the flows were steady at 123 CFS. The heavy rush hour traffic lengthened my drive a bit, but I arrived at a pullout next to the river by 10:00AM.

What Lies Ahead

I quickly geared up including my Sage R8 four weight, and I shuffled down the road a short distance to begin my day of fly fishing. After walking less than .1 mile, I encountered a young man sitting next to the road, and he appeared to be waiting for another fisherman. I surveyed the river farther downstream, and I spotted the wide-brimmed hat of another angler, so I reversed direction and cut down a short bank almost directly across from my car.

Another View

Hit That Slick

To begin my search for trout I selected an amber ice dub body chubby Chernobyl, an olive perdigon and a classic RS2. The total length of my offering from the chubby to the RS2 was around three feet. I began prospecting the deep pockets and runs around a series of exposed boulders, and it was not long before I connected with trout. I steadily worked my way upstream, while prospecting the seams and deep slides, and by the time I broke for lunch at 11:45AM, the fish count rose to eight. Two of the eight were quite robust rainbows in the thirteen to fourteen inch range, and the best of the two mashed the chubby Chernobyl. Unfortunately in the process of attempting an escape, the angry rainbow broke off the two trailing nymphs including my valuable olive perdigon. It is valuable because the tungsten beads are expensive and because I have a limited backup supply to last through the remainder of the season.

Aiming Back

Productive Section

After lunch I persisted with the dry/dropper, and I managed to boost the fish count to ten, but the difficulty factor ratcheted up. The two fish landed in the early afternoon also crushed the chubby Chernobyl, and for some reason it seemed like the fish turned away from nymphs in favor of surface feeding. One of the rainbows was the longest of the day at around fifteen inches, but it barely fought and appeared to be in a sad state of health. It was very slender, and I feared that it would not recover, but eventually it slapped its tail and returned to the faster water in the river. In addition to the landed trout, the chubby also attracted quite a few refusals,

Lovely Colors

After fifteen minutes of futile casting, I decided to take a cue from the trout, and I converted to a double dry configuration. I removed the three fly dry/dropper combination, and I tied on a peacock hippie stomper and a size 14 olive body deer hair caddis. The move paid instant dividends, as I temporarily hooked up with a fish on a downstream drift through a deep trough, and then a brown trout attacked the caddis.

Submerging

I continued my upstream progression with the double dry and increased the fish count from eleven to fifteen. Another very healthy rainbow trout of fourteen inches was among these catches, and it crushed the caddis almost before it landed on the water. I was feeling pretty smug about my switch to the double dries, but then a wave of refusals took over followed by an hour of no action. During the period when the caddis was taking fish, I noticed a sparse number of very small mayflies, likely blue wing olives, but the fish never responded with rises. The thin hatch did, however, coincide with the period of effectiveness of the olive caddis. I am not sure there was a connection other than the fact that the trout were tuned into food availability on the surface.

Some Attractive Slicks

Caddis Smacked Here

The one hour of futility convinced me that it was time to call it a day. I considered reverting to the dry/dropper, but I concluded it was too late in the day to undertake the conversion. Friday was a fun day. The section that I fished was delightful, as I prospected the many likely fish holding spots and met with reasonable success until the last hour. The weather was gorgeous. and after the initial encounter, I never met another angler. Three respectable rainbows highlighted the day, but I also netted three brown trout in the twelve inch range. It was a success on a late summer day in September.

Fish Landed: 15

Eagle River – 09/17/2025

Time: 11:15AM – 3:30PM

Location: Between Avon and Edwards

Eagle River 09/17/2025 Photo Album

Yes, I was spoiled by my four day stay in the Flattops. I was concerned about how I might adjust to tougher trout and reduced fish counts. I spent September 12 – 14 at a condominium at Bachelor Gulch celebrating Jane’s 70th birthday, but on Sunday morning, before we all went our separate ways, my entire family completed a hike. Guess where we hiked? We walked along the concrete pathway that borders the Eagle River in Avon. With a five year old and 20 month old we did not progress very far, but it was enough for me to get a good look at the Eagle River.

By Wednesday, September 17 my cold symptoms subsided enough for me to entertain the idea of a day of fishing, and after checking the flows of several options, I decided to make the drive to the Eagle River. First hand knowledge of conditions is always information to be taken seriously.

Large Pool

I left Denver by 8:15AM and unusually heavy traffic on Interstate 70 prompted me to utilize the express toll lane. I made it through the Floyd Hill and Idaho Springs construction zones without any stoppages, and I arrived at a favorite pullout above the Eagle River by 10:30AM. The temperature on the dashboard was 51 degrees, so I pulled on my fleece hoodie and rain shell, before I removed my Sage One five weight rod from its narrow tube.

Decent Catch

A brief hike placed me next to one of my favorite spots, but a young man was flicking sticks to the middle of the long pool and urging his German shepherd to retrieve them. I decided that I could fish the entering run, while this dog play took place, since the man and canine were a decent distance below me. Numerous recent reports have mentioned outstanding streamer fishing, so I knotted an articulated brown and olive conehead monstrosity to my line and spent fifteen minutes stripping it across the entering run and downstream riffles. I exercised my arm, but other than that, my streamer efforts were not rewarded.

Another Nice Netted Rainbow

I concluded that Wednesday was not a streamer day, or I was using the wrong lure, so I re-rigged with an amber ice dub body hopper and trailed a 20 incher and salvation nymph. I moved upstream to a series of pockets in an area where the river was rather wide, and I prospected through this section, until I paused for lunch at 11:45AM. During this brief morning session I managed a temporary hook up with a fish, and then I connected with what appeared to be a decent fish, but in a short amount of time it escaped. When I stripped in the line, I discovered that the trout somehow broke off the 20 incher and salvation. I suspect a bad knot was the cause.

Nice Pose

I returned to the large pool for lunch and carefully observed the area. I saw some very sporadic rises, and after lunch I rigged anew with an amber ice dub body size 8 chubby chernobyl, a salvation nymph and an RS2. I gambled that the sporadic rises were generated by some early hatching blue wing olives, and this theory prompted the RS2. I covered the upper one-third of the pool, where faster water entered, with the dry/dropper, but I never provoked a look or refusal.

Nice Riffle

I was beginning to regret my choice of fishing destination, and I began to plan a relocation, but I decided to commit another 1.5 hour to the area, before I abandoned the Eagle River. I exited the large pool and hiked upstream on the bike path, until I reached the place, where I exited for lunch. I returned to the river, but I was once again in a stretch that featured a wide streambed and relatively shallow slicks and riffles. I worked my way through the area quickly, but I probably should have skipped it entirely. The salvation and RS2 were not generating an ounce of interest, so I swapped the RS2 for a beadhead hares ear to provide more weight and hence deeper drifts.

Respectable

Finally I landed a pair of rainbows that measured around ten and eleven inches, and I was on the scoreboard. I paused to consider my lackluster results, and I decided to seek out faster and deeper sections of the river, since the trout needed cover for protection, thus, depth; and faster water translated to more oxygen. My idea suggested that previous heat waves placed a premium on oxygenated water.

Prime Water

Sure enough, the strategy paid off. I advanced to a section where the streambed narrowed, and this in turn resulted in a preponderance of deep runs, pockets and riffles. Trout began to snatch my nymphs, and the fish count blossomed to five. All three fish were respectable trout in the thirteen inch range, and one was a chunky rainbow, while the other two were brown trout. I also foul hooked a couple decent trout, and a couple of long distance releases added to the action.

Another Hungry Brown Trout

I was getting into a nice rhythm by 1:30PM, when I encountered a long, slow moving pool. I was about to skip to the head of the pool and the faster entering current, when I began to see some fairly consistent surface feeding. At least ten fish were showing themselves between the midsection and the tail. I was reluctant to remove my dry/dropper set up, but I relented and snipped off the three flies. I began my dry fly quest with a CDC blue wing olive, although I had not seen a natural. The size 12 CDC olive generated one splashy refusal, but it was otherwise ignored in favor of some other tiny natural morsels.

Productive

I paused and gazed at the river, and within a few minutes I spotted a tiny blue wing olive, as it attempted to become airborne. Surely this was the cause of the surface action in the pool. For the next hour I cycled through the CDC BWO, a soft hackle emerger fished as a dry, and a Klinkhammer emerger. I was disappointed to get shutout by the snooty trout of the Eagle River.

I finally surrendered and reverted to the dry/dropper, however, in this case I used the salvation combined with another RS2. I advanced to the fast entering run with the thought that perhaps the trout could not see the surface flies as easily and, therefore, focused on the nymphs. This theory was quickly debunked, and I replaced the RS2 with a beadhead hares ear nymph and eventually an olive perdigon.

All was not lost. For the remainder of the day I prospected some very nice pocket water and deep troughs and slots, and the salvation and perdigon combination clicked to yield four more trout. Two were small and barely above the count threshold, but two brown trout in the thirteen inch range caused me to smile in appreciation.

I persisted on the Eagle River on Wednesday and managed to register nine trout. Once I determined the type of river structure that produced fish, I gained modest success. Hopefully I can apply this knowledge gained to a future effort on the Eagle. I learned that the blue wings are already active, but I was unsuccessful in finding the key to unlocking that puzzle. Had I not broken off a couple fish and landed a higher percentage of my connections, I would have easily exceeded double digits. Wednesday was quite a retreat from the halcyon days of the Flatttops, but it was a success in my book.

Fish Landed: 9

North Fork of the White River – 09/12/2025

Time: 10:15AM – 1:15PM

Location: Between Trappers Lake and Buford

North Fork of the White River 09/12/2025 Photo Album

Friday was my getaway day, as I departed from Ute Lodge and drove to Bachelor Gulch, where the rest of my family was gathered for Jane’s special birthday celebration. Because of the Derby Creek wildfire, I was unable to take the usual direct route to Avon. I was forced to drive west to Meeker and then south to Rifle and then east to Avon. For this reason I logged a shorter than normal day of fishing in the Flattops. I did, however, witness the sad aftermath of the Lee fire, as I drove south from Meeker to Rifle. All the hillsides were charred, and I sympathize with the ranchers, who lost immense amounts of grazing land.

Bankside Slot

I packed up my belongings at the Pine Cabin and made the relatively short drive to the chosen section of the North Fork. The temperature was in the upper fifties, so I pulled on my fleece hoodie, and I assembled my Loomis two piece five weight. By 10:15AM I found myself perched along the stream with a peacock hippie stomper trailing a salvation nymph. I read my posts from a year ago for this same section of the stream, and I learned that the stomper and salvation performed quite well.

Very Large for a Small Stream

Alas, after ample time prospecting with the two flies, I failed to notice any sign of a fish, so I shifted directions and deployed a tan size 8 pool toy hopper, a beadhead hares ear, and a salvation nymph. These flies remained on my line for the remainder of my time on the North Fork.

Home of Brook Trout

Before I took my lunch break at 11:45AM, I accumulated fourteen trout. The first hour included a high gradient stretch, and I probably devoted too much time to short pockets. Once I encountered more favorable stream structure, the fish count grew rapidly. Among my morning catch were some chunky fourteen inch rainbows and a wide slab of an orange bellied brook trout.

Orange Dominates

Little Eddy

After lunch I continued upstream for another hour. I was more selective about my target spots, and the approach paid off, as I notched another twelve landed trout to boost the fish count to twenty-six. Two more brilliant brook trout in the twelve inch range rested in my net, and four cutbows and rainbows of twelve to fourteen inches were much appreciated.

Amazing Deep Charcoal Color

By 1:15PM I reached my planned exit point, so I hustled up a steep bank and climbed over deadfalls to return to the car. The return drive by way of Meeker and Rifle took nearly three hours.

Friday was another rewarding day in the Flattops. Twenty-six trout in three hours netted some fairly fast action. There were some locations, however, that historically produced, that shut me out on this go round. Nevertheless, it was a solid day on the North Fork of the White River, and I will most likely miss the beauty and remoteness until next year. I never encountered another angler during my four days of fly fishing, and I love solitude.

Fish Landed: 26

North Fork of the White River – 09/11/2025

Time: 10:15AM – 4:40PM

Location: Between Buford and Trappers Lake

North Fork of the White River 09/11/2025 Photo Album

What can I say? After a relatively tough day on the South Fork, Thursday on the North Fork could not have been any more different. The most obvious deviation was the weather. The sky was covered with huge gray clouds much of the day including a thirty minute downpour at lunch time. Fortunately I pulled on my rain shell in the nick of time and huddled under a dense cluster of deciduous trees. The temperature took a major dive from the low sixties, and I was pleased to be wearing my fleece hoodie and raincoat.

What Colors!

I chose the section of the North Fork to fish on Thursday, because I had the entire day, and I hoped to progress farther than previous visits. My mission was accomplished. For casting, I chose my Loomis two piece five weight, because I like the slow action and shorter length on the smaller stream.

Small Stream Beast

Long Pocket

From 10:15AM until lunch at 11:45AM I tallied fourteen trout. I was deploying a tan pool toy hopper and a beadhead hares ear much of this phase of my day, and both flies delivered outstanding results. Two splendid cutbows of thirteen inches were part of the morning haul.

Best Brook Trout of the Trip

After lunch and waiting out the storm, I resumed with a peacock ice dub hippie stomper and a salvation nymph. The combination produced with most of the action on the hippie stomper, but the salvation was mostly ignored. I decided I needed a larger nymph, so I swapped the salvation for a prince nymph. The change improved results, and the fish count climbed to twenty=six.

Another Colorful Masterpiece

Small Productive Pool

At this point, which was around 2:00PM, I weathered a slow phase, and I decided to test a double dry, since the nymph was attracting minimal interest. I snipped off the prince and replaced it with a size 14 light gray deer hair caddis. This double dry combination was magical, and the fish count mounted from twenty-six to forty-three. Both flies generated takes, but the caddis seemed more effective. Although the double dry yielded a steady stream of trout, I felt that the size of the fish was not as large as earlier catches. Some of this related to a higher proportion of brook trout.

Splendid

Sweet Spot

What a day! I covered a mile of the North Fork and racked up forty-three trout. Wading was difficult among the high gradient stream, and I was rather selective regarding targeted spots. It seemed that the ratio of twelve to fourteen inch rainbows and cutbows was lower than last year, but that could simply be fading memory. I will not nitpick over a forty-three fish day.

Fish Landed: 43

Another Pallet of Colors

Rare Open Area to Cast

South Fork of the White River – 09/10/2025

Time: 11:15AM – 4:20PM

Location: Upstream from South Fork Campground

South Fork of the White River 09/10/2025 Photo Album

Not all days can be like Tuesday, September 9, and Wednesday on the South Fork was certainly different. The weather was perfect but maybe a bit too bright and sunny for fish.

I hiked a decent distance from the South Fork Campground and began fly fishing at 11:15AM. The temperature in the parking lot was 55 degrees, so I tied a fleece around my waist beneath my wader bibs, but I never gave a thought to pulling it out. Once again I deployed a Sage One five weight in case of muscular catches.

Definition of Plump

Over the course of the day I covered .8 mile. I attempted to be very strategic with my casts, but I suspect I needed even more discipline to effectively fish the South Fork. After today’s outing I concluded that one needs to hike a good distance and look for sections, where the stream bed narrows. Wide and shallow riffles should be circumvented entirely.

Cannot Wait to Cast

On the day I landed ten trout, and all were rainbows. Two silver bullets in the fifteen to sixteen inch range made my day, and they displayed amazing fighting spirits. I added three bows in the twelve inch range. and the remainder were small fish within six to eight inches. Yes, it was a paltry catch considering I fished for nearly five hours and covered .8 mile.

Better View

Rather Nondescript Lie

I broke for lunch at 11:45AM after thirty minutes of fishing with nary a refusal to report. After lunch, I fooled three small rainbows, but even this meager fish count necessitated a couple hours of casting. After 2PM the action picked up a bit, but I am not sure whether to attribute the improvement to the water temperature warming or being in a more attractive section of the river. I moved the fish count from three to ten between 2:00PM and 4:20PM, and this included the two prizes of the day. I also experienced four hookups with powerful fish that I failed to land. Isn’t that always the case?

Another Fine Catch

Depth and Moderate Current

Wednesday was a fairly strenuous day with moderate results. It was a struggle to get to double digits. I lost quite a few flies due to breakoffs. The scenery was spectacular, the weather was marvelous, and I battled two respectable rainbows. Life is good.

Fish Landed: 10

 

North Fork of the White River – 09/09/2025

Time: 12:30PM – 4:45PM

Location: Between Buford and Trappers Lake

North Fork of the White River 09/09/2025 Photo Album

I made the drive from Demver to the North Fork of the White River in four hours and fifteen minutes. My Google maps suggested long routes through Rifle/Meeker and Steamboat Springs, so this caused some concern regarding my usual route over the Flattops Trail and two mountain passes. I called the Ute Lodge, and the woman that I spoke with assured me that the gravel road was open. When I stopped for gas in Yampa, CO, I had a cellular signal, so I asked ChatGPT about the status of the route, and the AI guru called me a lucky man, as both passes were open.

Re-entry

Another Likely Spot

I arrived at my chosen pullout by 11:45AM, and I immediately munched my lunch. As I was eating, the wind kicked up, some dark clouds slid across the sky, and a ten minute shower washed Jane’s car, which I was occupying. I waited out the worst of the downpour, and then I assembled my Sage One five weight and performed my normal preparation to fly fish. I carefully inspected my fleece wallet and fly box and replenished several dry flies and nymphs.

Amber Hued

So Many Spots

When I was prepared, I ambled along the road and then cut down a two track lane to the river. With all the wildfires in the Flattops, I was concerned about low flows, but the river looked normal for September, and my heart beat elevated in anticipation of an afternoon of fly fishing.

Chunky One

To begin, I knotted a yellow foam hopper with a gray dubbed body to my line. I am not certain whether I tied or purchased the fly, but the size 8 dry remained on my line for the duration of the afternoon. It was very buoyant and visible, and its nearly total foam construction required very little false casting for drying. Beneath the hopper I added a 20 incher, and on the point I tied an ultra zug bug. The hopper and 20 incher were constants, but I rotated the point fly among the ultra zug bug, a size 12 brown nymph with rubber legs, a salvation nymph and a PMD supernova.

Money in the Bank

Two of the better trout that I landed smacked the hopper, and the 20 incher was very popular with the North Fork trout. The salvation and supernova were also productive in the mid-afternoon time frame. Two landed trout were brook trout, and the remainder were rainbows and cutbows. Several of the cutbows presented vivid colors with amber bodies and prominent speckles. I estimate that fifteen of the thirty-four landed fish were rainbows and cutbows in the twelve to fourteen inch range. These fish were valiant fighters, and they put on aerial shows with numerous leaps. Several dashed to fast water, but I allowed them to run and strip out line, until I could gain the upper hand.

Vibrant Colors

Past visits to the White River have taught me to be very selective about my casts. Marginal spots are nearly always a waste of time and elbow exposure. I waded around long and wide, shallow sections and saved my casts for deep pools and long troughs and slicks next to fast water. Depth and length were the keys. My annual Flattops fishing trip was off to an auspicious start. Monday was one of my better days of 2025 and probably the best ever on day one of my annual trip.

Fish Landed: 34

South Boulder Creek – 08/27/2025

Time: 10:30AM – 3:00PM

Location: Below Gross Reservoir

South Boulder Creek 08/27/2025 Photo Album

I was a bit under the weather on Tuesday after over exerting and not drinking enough fluids on Monday, but I made plans to fish South Boulder Creek with my young friend, Nate. It had been quite a while since Nate and I fished together, since his job and pursuit of a career dictated higher level priorities. However, with a short break in his education, we managed to meet up on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.

Because of my concern over my weakened condition from illness, I parked at the kayak lot, as this allowed a shorter albeit steep return hike at the end of the day. The sky was overcast, and the temperature was in the mid-sixties, as Nate and I prepared to fish. I selected my Loomis two piece five weight for my day on the creek. Flows were steady at 100 CFS.

Lunch View

We were positioned along the creek by 10:30AM ready to cast. I began with a solo parachute drake with the hope that the trout had a long memory for western green drakes. In the first decent pool I witnessed five refusals to the parachute green drake. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. I tested it in a few more promising spots, but fairly quickly I converted to a dry/dropper featuring a size 8 tan pool toy hopper, a prince nymph, and a salvation nymph. I never really got a read on this combination, as all three flies separated from my line for some unknown reason, probably a bad knot connecting to the eye of the hopper.

Amazing Color

When I rigged anew, I switched to a peacock hippie stomper and an olive perdigon. Nate was having quite a bit of success with his dry/dropper, and one of his nymphs was a perdigon similar to a rainbow warrior. I managed to land two small brown trout on the perdigon, but then I suffered through a lengthy time period with no action in spite of some very attractive creek structure. I finally ended the late morning frustration by wading to the bank to find a decent resting spot to eat my lunch.

Cannot Wait

Since Nate was faring quite well after lunch with his dry/dropper, I reverted to that approach. I knotted another tan pool toy hopper to my line and then followed it with an ultra zug bug and a size 18 pheasant tail nymph. The pool toy hopper suddenly worked some magic, and I landed two decent rainbow trout in the eleven to twelve in range on the foam terrestrial. Next, a fish grabbed the pheasant tail, and suddenly I was in the realm of respectability at five fish landed. Another trout grabbed the ultra zug bug, and then Nate and I spotted some natural green drakes floating above the creek.

Sleek Look

Nate quickly switched to a green drake, and he immediately netted a couple fish. This was the impetus I needed to make the same change, and I placed a size 14 parachute green drake on my line. For the remainder of my time on South Boulder Creek I fished green drake patterns including the paradrake, a user-friendly geen drake, and a comparadun green drake. The fish count climbed from six to eleven, and most of the takes were instigated by the parachute green drake.

Hit the Pocket

Although I enjoyed the two hours of green drake prospecting, the episode was nothing like my experience on my two previous visits to South Boulder Creek during the green drake hatch. The fish were very discerning, and I probably had one refusal and one temporary hook up for every fish that I landed. I rotated among the green drake styles, but none of them delivered the consistency that matched my earlier trips.

Backhand Casting Wizard

The highlight of the day occurred around 2:30PM. I was presenting a double dry with the user friendly in the forward position and the parachute green drake trailing. I made a reach cast across some currents and created a long drift over a relatively smooth slide of moderate depth, and suddenly I spotted a take just as the flies were set to drag before the lip of the run. I swiftly set the hook and immediately saw the side of a substantial brown trout flash. Eventually after a spirited battle, I slid my net beneath a fifteen inch brown; a giant by South Boulder Creek standards. Needless to say, this made my day.

Last and Best Fish

We both quit at 3:00PM, when we reached a narrow streambed that created fast whitewater. We were tired and not up for continuing, so we hooked our flies to our rod guides and made the return hike. Although Wednesday did not measure up to earlier South Boulder Creek green drake outings, it was a success nonetheless, and I valued my time with Nate. Nate’s fly fishing abilities have advanced measurably, and he accumulated fourteen fish on the day. I, in turn, landed eleven. All our fish were hard earned, and two double digit fish counts were worth a gorgeous day on South Boulder Creek.

Fish Landed: 11

 

 

Lake Mary – 08/23/2025

Time: 11:00AM – 12:00PM

Location: One of the wooden docks

I was very anxious to introduce my five year old grandson, Theo, to fishing; and we were babysitting both our grandsons on the weekend of August 22 – August 24. Jane and I concluded that Saturday offered the perfect opportunity to deliver on the idea of a fishing outing.

A year ago when Theo was four, I also attempted an introduction. I shopped at Bass Pro Shops and purchased an all-in-one Jurassic Park rod and reel. I also parted with a few bucks to buy a styrofoam cup of night crawlers. On a Saturday in late August or early September, Jane and I along with Theo and his parents tromped to Warembourg Pond in Louisville.

It was a hot day, and the pond was very low requiring fairly long casts to get beyond the dense algae that bordered the shoreline. It was not ideal for a novice four year old. I rigged Theo’s Jurassic Park setup with a bobber, split shot and hook baited with a small section of a nightcrawler and tossed everything toward the middle and beyond the muck. I handed the rod to Theo, and the bobber remained stationary for what seemed like five minutes, but was actually only a minute or two, but nothing happened. I took the rod back and reeled in, and I was about to cast to a new location, but I noticed that the line was twirled and kinked along its length. I spent some time unfurling it and made another cast with similar results. Our fishing venture ended pretty quickly, due to a lack of fish and the frustrating line condition.

I returned the rod to Bass Pro Shop and bought another, where the line actually passed through the hollow rod without rod guides, but when I tested it, the same twirling and kinking plagued me, so that outfit was also returned. I eventually released the nightcrawlers into my garden. so at least I gained some benefit from the experience.

Summer turned into fall and then winter, and I pondered the youth fishing problem. At some point I discovered an old rod in the corner of the garage, and I remembered that an old push button reel was settled in the bottom of my fishing box. In anticipation of a new attempt at introducing Theo to fishing, I retrieved the reel and attached it to the rod and strung the line. However, when I attached a heavy rubber weight to the line to test the casting capability, I discovered that the push button release was not functioning. Theo had a bit of fun in the alley, however, bouncing the rubber sinker off the concrete.

At a social gathering with friends, Howie and Sandy informed us that they took their granddaughters to Lake Mary at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge, and they mentioned that the girls caught loads of fish. They described small sunfish actually fighting to eat the bait. This was my ticket to select Lake Mary as my next fishing destination for Grandson Theo.

As our babysitting days approached I, along with assistance from Theo, spent quite a bit of time picking Japanese beetles from my garden. For some reason they prefer pole bean leaves and eggplant leaves, and it is a constant battle to stay ahead of the infestations. Theo loves spotting the pests, and then I pluck them and shove them into a large yogurt container with a clear plastic lid. It may sound inhumane, but I let them sit in the garage in the heat, and they eventually suffocate.

When Saturday arrived, Jane and I loaded Benny and Theo into their car seats and motored off to Bass Pro Shop. I stowed the rod and the yogurt container with Japanese beetles in the back of the car next to the stroller. I planned to purchase a new functioning reel with line that would not kink at Bass Pro Shop on our way to Lake Mary

I approached the non-fly fishing counter and described to the friendly salesperson what I was looking for. I wanted a fairly inexpensive push button reel for my five year old grandson (who was standing nearby) with a decent line that would not kink. In short order he led me down the counter to a box filled with red push button reels that were on sale for $5.99! I inspected the footing to make sure it was compatible with my rod, and I scooped up the reel. Next I marched over to the refrigerator and bought a box of medium nightcrawlers in case Colorado fish did not savor Japanese beetles. We were now set for fishing adventure number two.

A short drive delivered us to the parking lot at Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge (RMAWR). We unbuckled the boys from their car seats and approached the lake. We quickly discovered that the perimeter of the lake was filled with tall cattails that made it almost impossible for an experienced fisherman to cast let alone a novice five year old. We spotted two wooden platforms that extended into the lake, but it was a Saturday, and not surprisingly, they were filled with anglers, young and old.

We were about to acknowledge that the fishing gods did not want Theo to catch a fish, when the occupants of one corner of the platform offered us space. We jumped at the invitation, and Theo and I moved to the right corner of the dock. The dock contained a railing, and that was good for safety reasons, but it also served as an impediment for a five year old to sling the line over the top.

Lots of Small Sunfish

I removed the lid from the beetle container and impaled one with a size 8 snelled hook that I purchased in the early 1980’s. Because Theo was unable to fling the rig over the railing, I pressed the button and flipped a cast ten feet from the dock. It only took a second before the bobber moved sideways, and I set the hook and felt the small weight of a fish. I attempted to hand the rod to Theo, so he could experience the fun of reeling it in, but he refused! I wound the handle and brought up a four inch bluegill. Theo and Benny admired the flopping fish, but neither were brave enough to touch it. I quickly removed the little guy and flicked it back in the lake.

I embedded the hook in several more beetles and landed another smaller sunfish, but then it seemed that the beetles were falling off prematurely, so I switched to nightcrawlers. I ripped a piece of a nightcrawler off, and double hooked it. By now the nice anglers that offered us the corner moved to the left, and this opened up space where the railing was lower. I thought Theo could cast over the lower barrier, but he remained adamant that he did not wish to cast. With the worm as bait. I simply dropped the bobber off the edge of the dock, and Theo and I could see at least twenty small sunfish nipping at the worm. We stuck with it for another fifteen minutes or so and landed three more tiny sunfish. Theo continued to resist reeling them in.

I discovered that catching small sunfish on a worm is not an easy thing. The fish were very adept at grabbing the part of the worm that did not contain the hook. This caused the bobber to slide and sink, and I reacted with a hook set, but more times than not, I came up empty. I made a bit longer cast, and decided to allow the bobber to dive deeply before executing the hookset. This worked too well, and I landed a three inch sunfish with a size eight hook embedded in its gullet.

As Theo looked on, I used my hemostat to yank out the hook, but in the process blood squirted all over my hand. It was a tough lesson for Theo on his first fishing outing. This little study of the harshness of life was the impetus to call it a day.

Was Theo’s first day of fishing a success? I think he would still like to give it another try. I would like to identify another lake with plenty of small fish, but with more shoreline access. The lesson I learned is that Japanese beetles work better than worms, because in order to consume the beetle, the fish needs to eat the hook. If I could only figure out a way to get the beetle to stay on the hook better. Hopefully Theo and I will have another opportunity to try fishing in 2025.

 

Colorado River – 08/22/2025

Time: 8:00AM – 1:30PM

Location: Glenwood Springs to South Canyon

Colorado River 08/22/2025 Photo Album

Friday, August 22 was my second guided float trip of 2025. I stayed with my friend, Dave G., on Thursday night, and we met our guide, Reed, of Cutthroat Anglers at 7:00AM on Friday morning. The early start enabled us to complete a decent float before temperatures peaked in the early afternoon.

I secured the bow position for the first half of the float, while Dave G. took the position in the rear of the driftboat. As usual, Reed’s dog, Edna, was present, but she barely moved, until she jumped in the river at the takeout.

Bow Ahead

Reed rigged my Scott six weight with a dry/dropper set up, and the Sage One five weight was designated for double dry fly duty. I never floated this section of the Colorado River, and I was impressed with the quality of the fishery. As one would expect, the river at this stage is quite large, but the many riffles, eddies, and pocket water sections provided interesting challenges for a guide and focused anglers.

Best of the Day

Reed had Dave G, and I switch between dries and dry/droppers, as the river dictated advantages to each. A nice heavy cloud cover blocked the sun for much of the morning, and this provided comfortable temperatures for most of our trip.

My Second Best Fish

During the 5.5 hour float, I landed six trout. Three were substantial fish in the fifteen to seventeen inch range. Two of the larger fish were rainbows, and one was a gorgeous brown trout. Two small rainbows were part of the count, and the sixth rainbow was in the midrange. I recall that all the landed fish grabbed one of the trailing nymphs that comprised the dry/dropper arrangement. I had some looks, refusals, and misses on the dries, but the dry/dropper rig proved to be the most effective on August 22.

Productive Area

This was my last guided float trip of 2025. Although the fish count was subpar, it included some very substantial trout. I cast to new water, and the experience was very enjoyable. My expectations were low given the heat wave and time of the year, so the results were not disappointing. In fact, I can see the potential for very productive days at other times of the year on the Colorado River below Glenwood Springs.

Fish Landed: 6