Category Archives: Fishing Reports

Fishing Reports

South Platte River – 11/15/2024

Leave a reply

Time: 12:00PM – 4:00PM

Location: Cheesman Canyon

South Platte River 11/15/2024 Photo Album

The 2024 fishing season had all but ended for me. Or so I thought. My last outing on South Boulder Creek on October 28 felt like the finale. But when my friend Nate texted about plans for November 15-17, my curiosity got the better of me. A quick check of the weather showed temperatures in the low fifties—mild enough for one more adventure. Nate’s suggestion of Cheesman Canyon sealed the deal, as he’d found decent success there just two weeks prior.

The Road to Cheesman

We met early Friday morning at a park-and-ride and carpooled to the South Platte River. Nate recounted his recent hike into Cheesman Canyon via the upper trail. I had tried a route to the upper canyon years ago and remembered it as steep and challenging. Still, I decided to give it another shot.

The drive itself turned out to be an adventure. As we wound our way up the steep dirt road to Cheesman Reservoir, a large tow truck with a flatbed trailer loomed ahead. Passing it was nerve-wracking; I had to back down 200 yards of narrow road with a rock wall on one side and a steep drop on the other. We finally squeezed into a wide spot, holding our breath as the truck inched past. Crisis averted!

When we reached the trailhead, it became clear that the roads and access points had changed since my last visit. A locked gate barred the road I remembered, forcing us to use the trail Nate had recently hiked. A chance encounter with another angler, Dale, and his companions confirmed that confusion about the logistics was widespread.

The Hike In

At the trailhead, the air temperature hovered in the upper forties. I layered up with my North Face light down jacket, stuffed a fleece hoodie into my backpack, and set up my Sage One five-weight rod. Nate and I began the steep 2.1-mile hike, tackling switchbacks, loose gravel, and even patches of snow and ice. The final descent into the canyon was precarious, requiring careful navigation around large boulders.

Cheesman Reservoir

Once we reached the river, we scrambled along its edge for another 0.3 miles to a sunny spot. Here, we paused for lunch and prepared for our first casts of the day.

This View of the Dam Provides a Sense of the Steepness of the Canyon

A Tough Start

I started with a three-fly setup: a peacock hippie stomper, a beadhead pheasant tail nymph, and an orange scud. Despite my best efforts, the fish weren’t interested. After losing all three flies to a snag, I re-rigged with a mini Chubby Chernobyl and trailed an emerald caddis pupa and a sparkle wing RS2. The emerald caddis pupa was in response to a caddis adult that landed on Nate’s sleeve. Still no luck.

Conditions in the Canyon

The early afternoon proved frustrating, with only a few half-hearted refusals to my flies. Nate fared no better. Around 2:30 PM, we noticed a few sporadic rises near exposed rocks. Hoping to capitalize on the activity, I switched to a double-dry setup: a tan mini Chubby Chernobyl paired with a size 16 deer hair caddis.

The Reward

By 3:00 PM, we reached a promising run that spilled into a deep pool. Nate fished the tail, while I focused on the faster water at the top. On my fifth cast, a swirl beneath my trailing caddis signaled a take. I set the hook, and a flash of crimson confirmed I had a solid rainbow trout on the line.

Site of the Only Catch of the Day

The fight was thrilling but brief, and Nate assisted with the net. This fish was a stunner—a vibrant rainbow with a broad red stripe, measuring an estimated 17 inches. As I struggled to remove the fly, the trout made a final leap, escaping the net, before we could snap a photo. Thankfully, Nate witnessed its size and beauty.

Wrapping Up

The rest of the afternoon yielded no additional action. Nate experimented with a streamer, but the fish remained elusive. By 4:00 PM, shadows covered the river, and the dropping temperature signaled it was time to leave.

Looking Back After Early Ascent

The hike out was grueling, requiring a steep climb over icy, loose terrain. By the time we reached the trailhead, we were exhausted but grateful for the experience.

Reflections

While the fishing itself was slow, the day felt like an adventure—a test of endurance and a celebration of the wild beauty of Cheesman Canyon. Nate’s luck didn’t hold, but I was thankful to avoid a skunking with one memorable rainbow trout. At my age, completing such a challenging hike without injury or equipment failure felt like a victory.

Whether this was my final outing of 2024 remains to be seen. The weather will decide, but for now, I’m content to reflect on this unforgettable day.

Fish Landed: 1

 

 

South Boulder Creek – 10/28/2024

Time: 11:30AM – 3:00PM

Location: Downstream from Gross Reservoir

South Boulder Creek 10/28/2024 Photo Album

As October’s mild weather streak lingered for one final day, I knew colder temperatures were just around the corner. With a dip in the forecast beginning Tuesday, October 29, I decided to make the most of the lingering warmth and venture out for what might be the season’s last balmy outing. After a slow Friday on the Big Thompson, I was ready for a change and shifted my focus to tailwaters, checking the flows on South Boulder Creek. With the outflows from Gross Reservoir holding steady at a promising 65 CFS, I packed up and headed out.

Pocket Water in the Shade

After a quick morning dentist appointment, I arrived at the Walker Ranch Loop Trailhead around 11:00 AM. It was a beautiful 64 degrees—perfect for late October—and I geared up with my Loomis two-piece five-weight rod. Prepared for a possible cool down, I wore my quick-dry short sleeve undershirt layered under my fishing shirt, with a Brooks long-sleeve undershirt and raincoat packed away just in case I needed additional warmth. I made my way down to the creek, excited to start the day.

I reached the creek by 11:30 AM and kicked things off with a double dry setup: a peacock hippie stomper trailed by a size 14 light gray deer hair caddis. This combination paid off, and by the time I broke for lunch at 12:15 PM, I landed four small browns and one rainbow. Both the stomper and the caddis were successful, and though the trout were modest in size, the steady action was encouraging.

Decent Early Catch

While enjoying my lunch, a light chill crept in from the morning’s hike-induced perspiration, so I swapped my shirt for the Brooks long-sleeve layer. That added warmth made a noticeable difference, as I prepared to resume fishing.

After lunch, I stuck with the double dry setup, which continued to yield results, bringing my fish count up to nine. Most were still in the six to nine-inch range, with the smaller size dominating, but a rise is a rise in late October.

Bank Pocket

As I continued, I noticed small stoneflies flitting about, one even landing on my shirt long enough for a close inspection. I attempted a photo, but naturally, it took off, before I could snap the shot. Inspired, I decided to swap out the caddis for a size 18 black stonefly pattern I’d tied a few years back for an October hatch just like this one. I trailed it behind the hippie stomper, and was rewarded with a small brown trout for my effort, boosting the count to ten.

The stonefly pattern, however, wasn’t a consistent producer, so I switched tactics again, tying on Jake’s Gulp Beetle. It wasn’t a game-changer, but it did result in two subtle downstream takes that bumped my count to twelve. At this point, though, the bite was slowing down, so I made another shift to a dry/dropper setup.

Jake’s Gulp Beetle

For this new setup, I kept the hippie stomper on top, extending the leader to three feet and adding a salvation nymph followed by a soft hackle emerger. Dark clouds were gathering, and I noticed a few sporadic rises on the water, suggesting some blue-wing olive activity. The emerger was the perfect choice for these conditions, and for the rest of the afternoon, I managed to land four more trout.

Curled Brown Trout

Halfway through, both the salvation nymph and soft hackle emerger snapped off. I re-rigged, this time swapping the soft hackle for a size 20 sparkle wing RS2, which turned out to be a good call. The salvation nymph and RS2 each enticed a couple of trout to bring my total to sixteen by the end of the day.

By 3 PM, the clouds had overtaken the sun, and while the air temperature held up, the bite had slowed considerably. Sixteen trout on October 28 marked a solid day, even if the fish were small. This warm fall day was a welcome reprieve, filled with the peaceful solitude of the canyon and the beauty of late October on the creek. If this does turn out to be my last trip of the season, I’ll head into winter feeling satisfied and grateful for one last balmy fall day

Fish Landed: 16

 

Big Thompson River – 10/25/2024

Time: 11:30AM – 3:30PM

Location: In the canyon below Estes Park

Big Thompson River 10/25/2024 Photo Album

I somehow strained my knee playing pickleball last Friday, and I then aggravated it on Monday, so I decided to steer clear of that fun activity for a while to hopefully encourage healing of my aging body. I discovered, however, that hiking in a straight ahead direction did not create discomfort during my hike into South Boulder Creek, and then I tested it again on a 4.8 mile hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. Since I was refraining from pickleball, and the weather forecast for Friday was reasonably favorable, I decided to undertake another day of fly fishing.

Originally I planned to make the journey to Eleven Mile Canyon, but in the final analysis, I was averse to making the long drive. South Boulder Creek on Tuesday was enjoyable, but again I was reluctant to endure the one mile hike up a steep hill at the end of the day. On October 15 I visited the Big Thompson River and experienced reasonable success, and the flows remained at 23 CFS, and the projected high temperature in Estes Park was 61 degrees. The Big Thompson became my destination.

I arrived at a wide pullout in the catch and release section by 11:00AM, and the dashboard thermometer registered 48 degrees. I countered the unaccustomed chill by wearing my Under Armour long-sleeved thermal undershirt and my light down coat. For headgear I chose my billed hat with earflaps, and I tugged the flaps down for the start of my day of fly fishing. I chose my Loomis two piece five weight as my casting tool, and I was perched along the edge of the stream by 11:30AM.

Black Ghost

Cheech Leech

I read many articles extolling hot streamer fishing in the fall, so I decided to commit to that fly fishing methodology. I crimped a split shot to my line eighteen inches above the terminal offering, which was a size eight black ghost to start my day. I persisted with streamers from 11:30AM until 12:15PM, when I paused for lunch. I cycled through the black ghost, a Mickey Finn, and a cheech leech; but I observed nary a follow. I executed upstream, up and across, across and down, and swings and dangles at the end of the drifts, but nothing proved effective. I also varied the speed of the retrieve and experimented with twitches and pauses. Nothing.

Prime Spot Did Not Produce

After lunch I abandoned the streamer concept, and tested a double dry approach. I knotted a peacock hippie stomper to my line and then added a size 14 stimulator with a rust body. I also read many articles about the October caddis, and the stimulator was my attempt to imitate that popular autumn food morsel. Nothing.

During this entire time I was fishing in the shadows, and I was very thankful for my layers and earflaps. The chill would have been much more acceptable, had I been able to land a fish. I did manage to temporarily hook a trout on the hippie stomper during this time period, but it escaped after an acrobatic leap above the surface. No luck with streamers and minimal action with double dries suggested another change, and I went to a dry/dropper. The hippie stomper remained in place, and I added a beadhead hares ear nymph and salvation nymph on a relatively long dropper.

This gambit was also a failure. I temporarily hooked a minnow sized brown trout on one of the nymphs, but otherwise the subsurface offerings were essentially a nuisance. At one point the nymphs drifted beneath a large exposed boulder with a ledge, and I was unable to dislodge them, so I waded next the rock. I tried to use my boot and my wading stick to free the nymphs, but eventually I defaulted to reaching my left arm down to unsnag the flies. I should have broken them off, because I now had saturated layers up to my elbow, and this condition simply added to my discomfort while fly fishing in the shadows. The only positive was the near absence of wind.

Site of First Fish

Rainbow Kicked Things Off

I looked upstream, and I noticed that the Big T made a 90 degree bend, and the area beyond the bend seemed to be bathed in sunshine. I skipped the remaining shaded stretch and advanced to sunlight. The nymphs were not producing, so I returned to the double dry method. In this case I stayed with the hippie stomper, but I swapped the stimulator for a size 14 light gray deer hair caddis. The stomper/caddis combo has historically proven to be a winner.

Number Two Was This Nice Brown Trout

Shallow Run Along the Rocks Produced

Alas, the two flies worked their magic once again. Between 2:00PM and 3:30 I notched five landed trout. The first one was a nine inch rainbow, and the last four were brown trout. The brown trout were all relatively respectable fish for the Big T, with a couple stretching the tape to a foot long. Two of the landed trout nabbed the caddis, and the others were attracted to the hippie stomper. I was actually a bit too warm while working my way upstream in the bright sunshine. Along the way I noticed a gravel depression, and a trout that was wiggling in an effort to eject eggs, so spawning was evident. Before I recognized the redd for what it was, I made a cast of the dry flies, and a fish elevated and nipped at one of the flies. It actually looked like it was fending off something invasive and not making an effort to eat.

Another Fine Brown Trout

Foam Was Home

All my landed fish came from slower moving areas such as eddies and slow pools that bordered the bank or were adjacent to faster current seams or large sheltering rocks. I regard Friday as a success. I experimented with different approaches and eventually found a double dry combination that was reasonably effective. Catching trout on dry flies in late October is a positive in my book. The fish count lagged, but once I solved the riddle, the fish were fine quality trout. Future outings in 2024, however, will probably take place on tailwaters. It was amazing how much the action slowed between my last outing on October 15 and today.

Fish Landed: 5

South Boulder Creek – 10/22/2024

Time: 11:00AM – 3:45PM

Location: Below Gross Reservoir

South Boulder Creek 10/22/2024 Photo Album

After a tough weekend battling a cold relapse, I found some solace in the fact that the weather wasn’t all that inviting for fishing either—cold and wet. But by the time Monday rolled around, unseasonably warm weather made its way into Colorado, presenting an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. With the sun shining again, I set out for a much-needed day on the water.

Typical Pocket in the Morning

Another Great Spot in the Morning

The first stream that I reviewed was South Boulder Creek below Gross Reservoir, and I was relieved to see flows at 82 CFS—a much-needed improvement after weeks of meager trickles around 6.7 CFS. However, a scare came early Tuesday morning, when I noticed a spike to 97 CFS. Thankfully, by the time I checked again, flows had returned to 82 CFS, holding steady as I prepared to head out. Oddly enough, when I returned home later that day, I found the flows had dropped to 65 CFS, while I was on the creek, which is nearly perfect for me. It turned out to be an ideal day to hit the water.

Right Area Next to the Bank Was Typical of Very Productive Water

Stunning Colors

I arrived at the trailhead around 10:00 AM, greeted by a brisk 56-degree temperature and a stiff breeze. For the hike in, I wore my usual fishing shirt layered over a short-sleeve undershirt, but packed an extra long-sleeve Under Armour layer just in case. The air was cool, but comfortable enough that I never felt the need for a clothing change. By 11:00 AM, I reached my starting point along the creek and rigged up with my favorite fall setup: a peacock Hippie Stomper trailing an ultra zug bug and salvation nymph.

Wide Productive Section

Feisty Rainbow

The morning session proved to be steady, although the wind and the shade made things feel colder than expected. The combination of light sweat and the breeze led me to put on my raincoat for some added warmth. Despite the chilly start, I landed four fish by the time I broke for lunch at noon—three small browns and one small rainbow trout. Although none of the fish were large, they were a good start to what would become a fruitful day.

After lunch, the fishing picked up. I continued upstream, sticking with the dry/dropper setup that had brought success earlier. By mid-afternoon, the fish count rose to sixteen. The catch was evenly distributed: eight fish smashed the Hippie Stomper, while the ultra zug bug and salvation nymph each accounted for four fish. Interestingly, the ultra zug bug started strong but seemed to lose effectiveness as the day wore on, with the salvation nymph picking up the slack.

Long by Tuesday Standards

Center Slick Looks Prime

Upon reaching sixteen, I decided to change tactics and switched to a double dry fly setup. I kept the Hippie Stomper as the lead, but added a size 14 light gray deer hair caddis on a twelve-inch dropper. The move paid off. The afternoon saw another seven fish come to hand, with half falling for the Stomper and the others grabbing the caddis. Toward the end of the day, I swapped out the size 14 caddis for a size 18, which proved just as effective.

Another Nice Spot Along the Bank

Throughout the day, I noticed an abundance of refusals on the Hippie Stomper—enough to prompt the shift to a double dry setup. Despite the occasional refusals, the overall catch rate using double dries remained steady, and I was pleased with the action.

Near the End of the Day Jewel

Most of the trout landed were on the smaller side, with the largest coming in around eleven inches. Brown trout outnumbered rainbow trout by a two-to-one margin, and the most productive water tended to be the tails of long pockets, riffles, and slower-moving pools near the bank. I was surprised several times by fish emerging from shallow lies, where I wouldn’t have expected to find them.

Probed Both Sides of the Pyramid Rock on Right

All told, I landed twenty-three trout—admittedly small, but each a vibrant testament to the beauty of fall fishing in the foothills of the Rockies. More than half of the trout came to the surface on dry flies, and dry fly action in late October is always a welcome treat. The relatively smaller size of the browns might be a result of their spawning activity, although I didn’t observe any active spawners. With cooler weather on the horizon, future outings will depend on Mother Nature, but I’ll be keeping my gear ready for the next window of opportunity.

Stay tuned for more fishing adventures as 2024 unfolds!

Fish Landed: 23

 

South Platte River – 10/09/2024

Time: 11:30AM – 3:30PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 10/09/2024 Photo Album

The continuation of summer-like weather deep into October had me yearning for another day of fishing. My recent visit to Eleven Mile Canyon was a success, and the flows remained at 107 CFS, and the weather forecast a high of 70 degrees at Lake George, CO, so I made the drive.

Quite a few cars occupied pullouts along the lower open section of the canyon, but I passed them by and arrived at my preferred wide pullout by 11:00AM.  Another car was present, but that angler was positioned downstream from the pullout in a very long and smooth pool. This did not interfere with my plans whatsoever, so I geared up and pulled my Sage One five weight from its case. I ambled up the dirt road along the river and found a reasonably safe path down the steep bank, after which I rigged my five weight with a peacock hippie stomper, salvation nymph and sparkle wing RS2.

Pockets Around Exposed Boulders

Using my last trip as a proxy for Wednesday, I decided to focus on the faster water and pockets around exposed boulders and only spend time in the large pools, if rising fish were present. I essentially adhered to this strategy up until 2:00PM. In the half hour before lunch I landed four small rainbow trout in the eight to nine inch size range, and these spunky fighters attacked the salvation nymph.

After lunch I swapped the sparkle wing for a prince nymph and positioned it above the salvation. This combination delivered two small brown trout, and then I finally landed an eleven inch rainbow. At the tail of a nice small pool, a trout grabbed the salvation nymph, as it began to lift and swing, and this rainbow proved to be a twelve inch specimen that boosted my fish count to eight. I was pleased with the catch rate, but the size of the trout was severely lacking.

Wide Riffle Area Delivered

Best of the Day

As I approached the large bend pool, another angler slid down the steep bank, and he was positioned across from me. I made a few half hearted casts to the run nearest to my side of the river, but then I stripped in my line and advanced to the bend. The upper portion of the gorgeous bend pool was occupied by another angler with pure white hair, so I once again skirted the area and moved around the bend to an area with a wide set of riffles that spanned the entire western braid. I typically give this stretch a decent amount of attention, but the results were historically lacking. On Wednesday I devoted quite a few casts, and toward the upper third of the moderate depth water, the stomper dove, as a magnificent fifteen inch rainbow snatched the salvation nymph. The nymph had barely hit the water, when it was greedily consumed. Number nine made my day, and I moved on.

Second Nice Rainbow Came from This Area

Headed Home

In a very non-descript slow moving spot that could not have been more than three feet deep, a fish suddenly darted to the surface and crushed the hippie stomper. I set the hook, and it immediately streaked downstream, but I arrested the run and coaxed it into my net. Another rainbow in the fat thirteen inch range looked up at me, and it was not pleased that I interrupted its feeding time.

I was now at the upper tip of the narrow island, so I decided to inspect the long, smooth pool next to the very steep bank that borders the access road. The sun was bright, and I considered removing my raincoat, but a large ominous gray cloud moved into the southwestern sky. I decided to wait. The decision proved prescient, as the temperature dropped, and a brief rain shower developed. As the weather turned, a sparse blue wing olive hatch commenced, and the long, smooth pool displayed some random dimpling

Top of Long, Smooth Pool

I decided to make the conversion to dries, and initially I tied on a size 22 soft hackle emerger and applied floatant and fished it like a dry fly. I executed across and downstream casts and drifts, but it was extremely difficult to track the low floating emerger in the glare. After some futile casting, I swapped the soft hackle emerger for a Klinkhammer BWO emerger, and although the white wing was more visible, the fish were uninterested. I paused to reevaluate, and I decided to revert to a smaller soft hackle emerger.

Dry Fly Reward

For some reason I cast upstream and to the left along a current seam, even though I never saw a rise there, and a nice fourteen inch rainbow trout sipped the low riding fly. My confidence rose, but additional casting in the pool proved fruitless, so I moved on up the river. I planned to hit the attractive pocket water above the massive pool around the bend, but when I moved to the top of the pool, I spotted some rises along the entering currents. I tried my soft hackle emerger and then exchanged it for a CDC olive, and after an abundant quantity of casts, I landed a small brown trout to elevate the count to thirteen.

The sun peeked out again and this ended the blue wing olive activity, so I converted back to a dry/dropper with the peacock hippie stomper, an ultra zug bug and a hare nation nymph. I worked these flies aggressively around exposed boulders and deep runs for another thirty minutes, but it seemed that the fish developed late afternoon lockjaw, so I shut it down and climbed the steep bank in preparation for a .6 mile hike back to the car.

Wednesday was an enjoyable day on the South Platte River. Thirteen was a decent quantity of fish, but the size was somewhat lacking, although three very respectable rainbow trout made my efforts worthwhile. I experienced a bit of dry fly action, and that is always welcome late in the season. If the weather holds, I hope to log a few more fun days on Colorado streams.

Fish Landed: 13

North Fork of the White River – 10/06/2024

Time: 3:30PM – 5:30PM

Location: Between Buford and Trappers Lake

North Fork of the White River 10/06/2024 Photo Album

Jane, Amy, Chara and I booked three nights at the Ute Lodge from October 5 through October 8. This has become an annual event, and we celebrate Amy’s birthday early during this couple of days. Unlike my earlier trip in September, this visit to the Flattops was devoted mainly to hiking. On Sunday morning we completed a 6.0 mile hike along Marvine Creek and then followed a spur to Muskrat Lake and back. The scenery was stunning, and the weather was perfect, but I felt a strong urge to cast some flies on Marvine Creek. My fly rod remained in the car that was parked at the trailhead, and this restrained my addiction. When we arrived at Muskrat Lake, Chara, Amy’s St. Bernard,  found a mud hole and rolled in it, until she was coated with black mud. Dogs do what dogs do.

Chara Coated in Mud

By the time we returned to our cabin, it was 3:00PM, and the temperature hovered around seventy degrees. I decided to pay a visit to the North Fork of the White River. Upon my arrival I grabbed my Sage One five weight, and I followed a worn path to the river. I fished a size 8 amber ice dub chubby Chernobyl trailing a 20 incher and a salvation nymph.

First and Best

Source of First and Best

Over the next two hours I fly fished the North Fork, and I landed three very nice rainbow trout along with a massive whitefish. The first rainbow was the best, and it grabbed the 20 incher. I was surprised to see a fat fifteen inch trout putting a severe sag in my net. Rainbow number two rose and slurped the chubby in a narrow band of slow moving water between the bank and the fast current. The third rainbow snatched the salvation in a nice run with moderate depth and current.

A Second Nice Rainbow

The whitefish nabbed the 20 incher in a deep trough next to a deadfall tree. At first I thought I hooked a massive rainbow, but it moved downstream and then resisted with short bursts, as I dragged it back against the current. The salvation snapped off in the heat of the battle, and I replaced it with a pale morning dun supernova.

Heavy Whitefish

After landing the whitefish, I continued up the river for a short distance, but I then glanced at my watch and decided to call it a day. This section of the North Fork featured a significant amount of wide, shallow riffles and braids lacking fish holding locations. I waded quite a distance, as I concentrated on spots that displayed the proper depth and current velocity for trout. Three fish in two hours represented a below average catch rate, however, the results surpassed my expectations for a bonus window of fishing in the Flattops. When I returned to the cabin, Chara was relaxing in a vastly improved state of cleanliness.

Fish Landed: 3

 

Arkansas River – 10/01/2024

Time: 11:00AM – 3:30PM

Location: Bighorn Sheep Canyon

Arkansas River 10/01/2024 Photo Album

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

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

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

Low and Clear

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

Hippie Stomper Fan

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

Wild Fish and Bubbles

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

Site of Rainbow Feeders

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

Pink and Scarlet

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

Wide Stripe on Second Rainbow Soft Hackle Emerger

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

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

Fish Landed: 8

 

Cascade Creek – 09/28/2024

Time: 10:45AM – 3:45PM

Location: National forest

Cascade Creek 09/28/2024 Photo Album

Note: In order to protect small high country streams, I have chosen to change the name for a few. This particular creek happens to be one of them. Excessive exposure could lead to crowding and lower fish densities.

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

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

Near the Start

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

Early Catch

Lunch View

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

Hunk of a Brown Trout

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

Double Dry Catch

Color and Length Equaled Best of the Day

Run and Tail Out Equaled Prime Water

Another Fabulous Rainbow

How Is This for Outstanding Water?

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

Tail Looks Powerful

Another Promising Pool

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

Autumn Splendor

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

Fish Landed: 22

Frying Pan River – 09/27/2024

Time: 10:45AM – 4:30PM

Location: Within the first four miles below the dam

Frying Pan River 09/27/2024 Photo Album

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

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

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

First Landed Trout

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

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

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

Long and Wide Pool

Wide Girth on This Brown Trout

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

Cube Rock Pool

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

A Trout from Cube Rock Pool

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

Productive Pocket Water

Submarine Submerged

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

Long, Slow Moving Pool

Dry Fly Sipper

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

Chunky Fish Near the End

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

Fish Landed: 33

South Platte River – 09/23/2024

Time: 11:30AM 3:30PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 09/23/2024 Photo Album

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

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

Lunch View

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

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

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

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

Fifteen Inch Brown Trout

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

First of Two Gorgeous Rainbow Trout

Rainbow Home

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

Decent Brown Trout

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

The Type of Water That Produced

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

A Second Splendid Rainbow Trout

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

Rainbow Lived in the Run Near the Bank

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

Fish Landed: 19