Time: 11:00AM – 3:00PM

Location: Below first bridge traveling west on route 6 and then in upper section of canyon before the second tunnel when traveling west from Golden.

Fish Landed: 21

Clear Creek 10/09/2015 Photo Album

Perform an internet search on what is trending in the United States, and one discovers Nobel peace prize, guns in America, and plopping beetles. Well, actually I added the last one, since it represents what is trending in my fly fishing life. I actually have to give credit to one of my readers, Matt, who commented that he downsized his Chernboyl ants and experienced improved success on Clear Creek.

After a tremendous day on the South Platte River on Thursday, I was anxious to visit a local stream on Friday. The weather forecast was very favorable for October 9, and I wanted to take advantage of every remaining opportunity before winter placed its icy grip on Colorado. South Boulder Creek continued to rush out of Gross Reservoir at 173 CFS, and my last visit to the Big Thompson was quite challenging. By process of elimination, I chose Clear Creek as my destination. Since Clear Creek Canyon was only a forty-five minute drive from my house, I took my time on Friday morning and departed at 10:00 and arrived at the paved pullout just beyond the first bridge when traveling west from Golden.

My last couple visits to Clear Creek have been disappointing. I generally expect to catch a lot of small fish on big attractor dry flies, but instead I experienced a large number of refusals, and I needed to cover a lot of stream miles to net a few fish. Part way through my last outing, I tried a Jake’s gulp beetle, and this yielded more success, although refusals were not totally absent. As I prepared to fish on Friday, I considered experimenting with the thingamabobber/level line nymph technique that salvaged my trip to the Arkansas River on October 2. Unfortunately this entails a fairly radical change to my normal fishing system, and I was not quite ready to make such a large commitment at the start of my day.

I chose to stop at the first bridge, as I knew from past experience that there was a nice trail on the south side of the creek. I intended to hike down this trail for 50 yards and then fish back to the bridge before breaking for lunch. My plan was to try dry/dropper and beetle plopping, and if these tactics did not prove to be promising, I would reconfigure my line with the thingamabobber/level line set up over lunch. Since I experienced exceptional success with a Charlie boy hopper, beadhead hares ear, and salvation nymph on the South Platte River on Thursday, I opted for the same trio of flies on Friday as I began fishing. The creek in this area is narrow and thus cascades rapidly over large rocks that create plunge pools and deep shelf pools.

Amazingly my first cast produced a six inch brown trout that gobbled the salvation nymph. Perhaps my Thursday hot streak on the South Platte was about to continue on Clear Creek. Unfortunately that was not the case, and I moved through some attractive pools and observed several refusals to the Charlie boy hopper. The pre-lunch period was not all bad news, however, as I landed a couple more small browns on the salvation nymph, but the catch rate was below my expectations, and I was troubled by the number of refusals. In addition I hoped to test the effectiveness of beetle plopping in case the nymphing tactic was in order, so I clipped off the dry/dropper flies and tied on a Jake’s gulp beetle with a peacock dubbed body.

Jake’s Gulp Beetle Did the Trick

Nice by Clear Creek Standards

The beetle generated enough interest between noon and 12:30 to convince me that it earned more time on my line after lunch. I landed two more browns to bring my count to five before I climbed the steep rocky bank and returned to the car for lunch. Before eating lunch, however, I drove west and parked in a pullout just beyond a tall solar powered street light. I found a flat rock ten feet below the rim of the highway and munched my sandwich while peering down at the creek that flowed fifty feet below.

The View from My Lunch Perch

The afternoon proved to be a coming out party for the beetle. I clambered down the steep rocky slope below the highway and began to plop my Jake’s gulp beetle in all the likely spots, and more often than not a feisty brown trout responded. Although I did not use a downsized Chernobyl ant, I did deploy a smaller terrestrial, so Matt’s advice paid huge dividends. Some refusals continued to be interspersed with takes, but I estimate that the ratio of success over frustration was five to one. Included in my afternoon fish count of sixteen were a couple twelve inch browns, and this is a lunker by Clear Creek standards.

One of the Larger Fish from Clear Creek

My greatest concern was my supply of gulp beetles. I tucked the original size 10 that Jake Chutz gave me in my fly box, as I hoped to keep it in reserve to use as a model for constructing my own copies. I tied three after the original gift fly excelled on the Big Thompson, and I manufactured three more before our visit to the South Platte River. The peacock dubbed body versions seemed to outperform the ones with claret bodies, and I was losing appendages on the peacock beetles at an alarming rate. By the end of my outing on Clear Creek, I set aside two peacock beetles with no legs for refurbishment, and I managed to finish out the day with my last size 12 model still intact.

Zoomed in on the Beetle

Friday on Clear Creek finally met my expectations. I landed twenty-one small brown trout, and they were eager consumers of the Jake’s gulp beetle. Many fish darted to the surface and slurped the beetle from positions tight to the rocky bank, but I also enjoyed success in the deep plunge pools behind midstream boulders. Toward the end of my time I even landed two or three trout by casting to a slow shelf pool on the opposite bank. I held my rod very high to keep the fly line off the water and avoid drag, and this allowed a natural drift, and the hungry trout responded.

Hopefully I will have a few additional opportunities to test beetle magic before the temperatures plunge. Thank you, Matt, for causing me to reevaluate my fishing methods.

Time: 1:30PM – 4:00PM

Location: Clear Creek Canyon between first and second tunnel where creek crosses to north side of route six.

Fish Landed: 8

Clear Creek 09/29/2015 Photo Album

Jane and I returned from our trip to Pennsylvania late Sunday night. I was exhausted from the travel and from sleeping in different places, so I relaxed on Monday and worked on a backlog of desk jobs. However, by Tuesday I was anxious to resume fly fishing in Colorado to take advantage of the dwindling nice autumn weather. I had two appointments scheduled for the morning, so I ate lunch at home and then threw my gear in the car and departed for Clear Creek. After a fifty minute drive that was extended by an accident on interstate 70, I turned into a wide pullout between tunnels one and two and prepared to fish.

Clear Creek was flowing at 50 CFS, and that represents a nearly ideal level for the small drainage that flows along route six. I chose my Orvis Access four weight rod and found a path down the steep bank to the edge of the river slightly upstream from where the Santa Fe was parked. Given the low flows and relatively clear water, I chose to fish a single dry fly and began with a Chernobyl ant. It did not take long before a feisty ten inch brown rose and smashed the Chernobyl, and I was pleased to enjoy an early success. Perhaps the Chernobyl would be attractive to the Clear Creek trout on Tuesday September 29.

First Nice Trout from Clear Creek

I continued to prospect with the large foam terrestrial, and a second brown trout charged the buoyant rubber leg ant and inhaled it as I set the hook. These two fish bracketed a long distance release, and I was beginning to think that I was in for some fast action. Alas, that was not the case, and suddenly the residents of Clear Creek began to refuse my offering. As this early afternoon scene was evolving, I realized that the fish were mostly tight to the rocky bank, and they seemed to emerge from medium depth holding positions. Cover, moderate depth, and slow velocity became the key characteristics for locations that yielded trout.

I was frustrated by the sudden streak of Chernobyl rejections, so I clipped it from my leader and replaced it with a hares ear parachute hopper. This attracted attention, and I managed to land one small brown trout, but it also generated far more refusals than takes, so I opted for yet another change. I stayed with the terrestrial theme and tied my sole Jake’s gulp beetle to my line. Except for the last half hour, this foam beetle with a small orange indicator remained attached to my leader and yielded four additional trout. Like the other catches, the beetle attackers appeared from protected locations along the rocks. The beetle takes were more subtle than what I experienced with the Chernobyl ant, as all I saw was a small dimple in the surface resulting in the disappearance of the small orange indicator.

Jake’s Gulp Beetle to This Fish’s Liking

In addition to the four landed fish, I accumulated a series of momentary hook ups. I am not clear if this was due to the quick subtle take, or if the fish were tentative in their bite, but I could have easily landed double digit fish had I converted a higher percentage of takes. I covered a considerable amount of stream in the process of landing the four beetle admirers, and it seemed like many very attractive spots failed to yield fish, so I once again made a change. I was curious if perhaps a nymph dropper might increase my hook ups, so I returned to the Chernobyl ant and added a beadhead hares ear dropper.

A Pretty Scene Close to Denver

The conversion produced one more small brown trout that hammered the Chernobyl, but the subsurface offering was ignored. By 4:30 the shadows lengthened across the stream as the canyon walls tightened, and this made it difficult to follow the low riding foam ant, so I called it quits and scrambled up the steep rocky bank. I found myself half a mile above my parking place, and this necessitated a brisk hike back to the car.

Eight fish in 2.5 hours is a reasonable catch rate, but for some reason I continue to expect easier fishing in Clear Creek. The fish are small, and the creek is not rich in aquatic insects, so I anticipate opportunistic feeding. Unfortunately my last three or four trips suggest that the fish of Clear Creek Canyon are nearly as selective as educated spring creek sippers. It is hard to ignore fishing that only requires a forty-five minute drive, so I expect I will continue to make the trip with abnormal expectations.

Time: 11:00AM – 3:00PM

Location: From bottom of Floyd Hill on the west side upstream a half mile.

Fish Landed: 11

Clear Creek 08/31/2015 Photo Album

After a weekend with no fishing I was once again anxious to cast some flies on Monday, the last day of August. Since the flows on Clear Creek were finally favorable after one of the longest run offs I can remember, I decided to give it a try. I also read a favorable report on the Front Range Anglers web site.

Since the drive is merely forty-five minutes, I did my normal morning workout and run before departing at 9:50, and I arrived at my chosen starting point by 10:30. I parked at the end of the Clear Creek bike path at the bottom of the west side of Floyd Hill. By the time I rigged my line and put on my waders and entered the water it was 11AM. The fisherman who filed the report on Front Range Anglers said he was receiving refusals on the larger attractor flies on his dry/dropper rig, and he suggested downsizing to compensate. I used this information to downsize from the beginning and tied on a size 16 elk hair caddis with a medium shade of olive body. The caddis did not have any hackle, but there did seem to be some snowshoe rabbit foot fur tied in as an underwing below the elk hair.

I did not generate any interest in the first two deep pockets, but as I moved away from the parking lot, the small caddis imitation began to produce. I landed five small brown trout in the first hour on the simple pattern. The tan elk hair wing was very visible, as it contrasted nicely with the clear water, and the body rode deep in the surface film, which apparently was what the trout were looking for. I even caught two fish by casting to the opposite bank and using a reach cast as learned from Jake Chutz of Montana Fly Company. This was a significant achievement given the very fast center current on trough-like Clear Creek.

Best Brown Trout from Clear Creek on Monday

After landing number five I foolishly snapped off the elk hair caddis and substituted a size 14 deer hair caddis with a gray body. This pattern generated a few refusals, but then yielded a sixth brown trout just before noon. Unfortunately I also broke off this fly on a tree, as I was reckless with my backcast, and this seemed like a good time to return to the car to eat lunch.

I70 Highway Sign Mars Natural Beauty of Clear Creek

After lunch I checked my boat box and found one additional medium olive elk hair caddis, so I added it to the fly box that I now carry in my wader bib. When I returned to my pre-lunch exit point, I crossed the river to work the bank between interstate 70 and the stream. I always gravitate to water that is more difficult for the average fisherman to access, and the north side of Clear Creek in this area meets that definition. I immediately tied on the same elk hair caddis that was on fire between 11AM and noon, but alas it lost its magical qualities. I covered a fair amount of water propecting with the elk hair with no action, and then I once again broke it off on a brittle dead weed behind me, when I attempted to execute a reach cast and a downstream drift to some slow water along the far bank. Again I became careless when I redirected my casts across rather than upstream and did not check what was behind me.

Since I needed to tie on a new fly, I decided to experiment with the dry/dropper approach that produced so well for me on the South Platte River on Friday. One never knows what the fish are looking for if one does not try different flies and varied approaches. On to my line went a Chernobyl ant, beadhead ultra zug bug, and salvation nymph; but these flies were only moderately successful. I spent an hour prospecting with the dry/dropper combination and managed to land only two small brown trout; one on the ultra zug bug and one on the salvation nymph. I also generated a couple momentary hook ups, but I covered the greatest amount of water with these flies and had minimal return.

Flowers Border Clear Creek

As the sky clouded up I decided to revert to dry flies in case the low light caused trout in Clear Creek to look for caddis. I tied on a size 14 stimulator with a body color close to the elk hair caddis, and then I added a twelve inch dropper and tied on a size 16 deer hair caddis with a light gray body. I rarely fish a double dry combination, but I tried it in the dim light so I could follow the large lead stimulator yet still track the more difficult to follow caddis.

This move proved to be moderately effective, as I landed three additional brown trout before quitting at 3PM. During this time I reached water that appeared more attractive as the creek channel narrowed, and this created more deep pockets along the bank. I suspect that I could have lured more trout to the surface, but my efforts were suddenly interrupted by a streak of lighting and then the loud clap of thunder only seconds afterward. The quick succession of light and sound told me that the lightning strike was nearby, so I hustled up the steep bank and walked back along the shoulder of interstate 70 while the wind picked up and the sky darkened. In order to reach the car I was forced to scramble down the steep rocky bank next to the highway and then cross the creek to the bike path on the other side. As I emerged on the bike path some more lightning brightened the sky and then sheets of rain began to pour from the clouds. I was prepared with my raincoat on, but the threat of another lightning strike kept me on edge until I reached the car.

Since the rain continued to pour from the sky in heavy quantities, I threw my rod, front pack, and backpack in the car and jumped in the driver’s seat clad in wet waders. I drove east on route six a bit to wait out the storm and hopefully sample different water, but when I turned right into the pullout below the gravel quarry, I could see that the creek was beginning to show color. It was a bit after 3PM, so I decided to call it a day and drove home in my waders.

I am grateful for landing eleven fish within an hours drive of my house, but Monday August 31 was also a frustrating outing. The fish were small and ridiculously easy to catch for the first hour, and then they became quite difficult in the afternoon. It just seems that small fish on a lightly pressured stream with flows finally at ideal levels should be more cooperative. But if fly fishing were too easy, I probably would not love it as much as I do.

Time: 2:00PM – 5:30PM

Location: Mile Marker 266.5 in Clear Creek Canyon

Fish Landed: 8

Clear Creek 04/28/2015 Photo Album

I was concerned that the steady rain of all day Sunday continuing into Monday morning raised the streams to levels that were not conducive for fishing. Another possibility was snow accumulations in the higher elevations that was now creating early run off, but when I checked the flows on the department of water resources web site, most of the local streams seemed to be at manageable levels.

Tuesday morning remained cool, but the forecast called for gradual clearing during the afternoon with the temperature rising to the low 60’s. I was very anxious to maximize my fishing time before snow melt became a significant factor, so I decided to make the short drive to Clear Creek Canyon in the afternoon. Jane and I biked to Coors Field to exchange our rain check from Sunday’s postponed baseball game for a future Rockie’s game and then stopped at Snarf’s for a delicious sandwich, so I was able to depart by 12:45, and I found myself on the stream fishing by 2PM near mile marker 266.5. I like this stretch of water because it runs on the north side of route 6 and, therefore, enjoys more sun than some of the narrower areas.

Near Starting Point – Quite Murky

When I looked down at the water I discovered that it was quite stained. The color approximated that of split pea soup, but the water level was a reasonable 66 CFS. For some reason dirty water always creates the illusion of higher flows in my mind, and I’m also somewhat intimidated by murkiness. I began fishing with a royal tarantula since it performed well for me on an earlier trip to Clear Creek, but on Tuesday it was not popular.

I decided to switch to a black Chernobyl ant, and I theorized that the black color would contrast nicely with the dense olive green color of the water. Since the Chernobyl was more buoyant than the tarantula, I added a 3.5 foot tippet to the bend and then attached a size 16 beadhead prince nymph. For the first 1.5 hours I worked these flies with the only change being an exchange of the prince for an emerald caddis pupa half way through the early time period. I succeeded in generating attention, but the five fish I landed were all foul hooked. It seemed that the fish were looking at the Chernobyl but not taking it, and when the fish appeared from the murky depths to inspect my fly , I set prematurely and dragged the fly into the fish.

I grew weary of the refusal and foul hook game, so I began switching flies. I tried a Cathy’s super beetle, a tan pool toy, and an olive size 14 stimulator, but I quickly realized that these flies were not even able to generate a refusal. I actually gave some thought to quitting, and I planned to blame my skunking on the dirty water, but for some reason I decided to try a different Chernobyl ant. The Chernobyl was creating interest, but it was not exactly what the fish were looking for, so why not try a different version? The first ant was relatively small, and the black rubber legs were short, so I found a size 10 foam imitation in my fly box that had longer brown rubber legs. These legs would be much more visible to a trout with the added advantage of offering more wiggle action.

Big Fly for Small Fish

I knotted the fly to my leader and decided to forego a dropper since that approach was simply increasing the odds of entanglement. My other significant change in strategy was to focus almost entirely on deep pockets bordered by large boulders along the bank. It seemed fruitless to cast to the faster runs away from the bank, and I did not see any competing fishermen so I could afford to cover a significant amount of real estate.

Slow Edge Pockets Were Productive

Success. Over the last two hours I rapidly worked my way upstream along the steep rocky left bank and plopped the Chernobyl ant into all the likely locations that matched my criteria. I landed eight trout using this approach, and I missed at least half this many as well. The fish were quite small and averaged 6-8 inches, but catching fish of any size was preferable to just exercising my arm and climbing over rocks. I was actually quite pleased that I persisted and solved the riddle enough to dupe fish in fairly adverse stream conditions.

Keeping ‘Em Wet

Time: 11:00AM – 2:30PM

Location: Mayhem Gulch

Fish Landed: 5

Clear Creek 04/05/2015 Photo Album

Seventy-two degrees on April 5, Easter, is rather balmy. With no Easter egg hunts on the calendar Jane and I decided to enjoy the spring weather with a trip to Clear Creek Canyon. We arrived at the Mayhem Gulch parking lot at 10:30AM, and Jane prepared to do the hike that looped to Cathedral Dome, while Dave prepared to fish in Clear Creek. The fishing destination was not extraordinarily appealing as earth moving equipment and orange cones adorned the stream. Apparently a bike path is being constructed on the south side of Clear Creek.

No Traffic in This Photo

With the temperatures in the upper 50’s or low 60’s, I decided to forego any layers and descended to the slightly discolored Clear Creek with just a fishing shirt. Since the pine squirrel leech produced on the murky Eagle River, I opted to begin with a nymphing set up including the leech and an ultra zug bug. I fished this combination aggressively for a half hour with no results before switching the ultra zug bug for a red San Juan worm. This combination did not improve my results, so I exchanged the worm for a prince nymph. Again no fish, so another change was in order, and this time I clipped off the San Juan worm and tied on a bright green Go2 caddis.

After an hour of fishing I was skunked and frustrated, so I found a safe spot to exit the stream and climbed the steep bank to highway six and hiked back to the Mayhem Gulch parking lot. Jane was still in the midst of her hike, so I unlocked the car and enjoyed my lunch. I was a bit chilled during my one hour morning fishing experience, so I added my Adidas pullover and returned to the stream at the point where I exited. A significant head wind and canyon shadows made the air temperature feel five to ten degrees colder than the temperature reading.

Just before lunch I observed the first fish of the day as a shadowy form rose to inspect my bright pink-red strike indicator! While back at the car for lunch, I added a royal turk’s tarantula and royal stimulator to my front pack. I did not resort to these weapons immediately after lunch, but instead tested a tan pool toy trailing the ultra zug bug and subsequently a copper john. Neither of these offerings produced, so I swapped the pool toy for a Chernobyl ant, and I was still without a fish touching my net.

Large Fly for Small Brown Trout

I was pretty much resigned to a zero fish day and considered returning to the car to see if Jane returned, but in a final effort to break the slump, I tied the royal turk’s tarantula to my line and added a beadhead hare’s ear below it. I was positioned across from a slow moving side pool with numerous submerged boulders, so I lofted the huge attractor dry to the middle of the area. I was shocked to see a slender undernourished brown trout rise to the surface and suck in the tarantula. Apparently these trout were serious about looking for a touch of red in their meal.

Second Trout Came from This Area

Since this initial catch was on the far side of the creek, I found a place to wade across and worked my way up along the left (south) bank. The tarantula enticed two additional trout to the surface including a ten inch rainbow trout. The fish catching improved significantly over the morning doldrums, but it remained relatively slow with significant wading and casting between takes.

Rainbow Gulped Large Royal Turk’s Tarantula

After landing three fish, the large cumbersome attractor absorbed water and began behaving like a submarine with only the white poly tuft remaining above the surface. I grew weary of drying the waterlogged fly and clipped it and replaced with the royal stimulator. This move paid off with another small brown trout, and then I continued through another unproductive period until this fly also exhibited sinking tendencies.

One last change was in order, and this time I elected to tie on a dark olive size 14 stimulator. I approached a very attractive deep run, and fluttered the hackled stimulator to the top of the run. As it danced over the riffles and settled in the slower moving water near the tail, a small brown trout rose and gulped it. I was encouraged by this turn of events, but as I moved upstream and covered quite a bit of new water, I was unable to create any additional interest.

At 2:30 I reeled up my line and clipped the stimulator to my rod guide and made the long hike along the highway shoulder back to the car where I found Jane reading in her camp rocking chair. Five small fish over three plus hours was a bit disappointing, however, it was a pleasant Easter Sunday, and I enjoyed the outdoors in Colorado.

Time: 10:30AM – 2:00PM

Location: Large wide pullout on north side of route 6 and half a mile below where stream cuts to north side; 50 yards below bridge until just above the bridge

Fish Landed: 8

Clear Creek 11/09/2014 Photo Album

The water that one elects to fish is one of the keys to fly fishing, but I’m not talking about stream destination choice, although this is certainly another critical factor. Another critical decision revolves around the stretch of water that a fly fishermen chooses to fish, and I discovered how important this seemingly minor choice is to fishing success on Sunday November 9, 2014.

After skin surgery on my back (wear sunscreen) on Thursday, October 30 2014, I was not able to fish for at least a week. Until I experienced this incision, I did not realize how many movements bring the middle of one’s back into play, and casting a fly was certainly at the top of the list of aggravating actions. Unfortunately my recovery period coincided with a week of continuing mild fall weather in Colorado, and it was difficult to refrain from enjoying bonus fishing time.

Sunday was forecast to be the last of the mild weather before a blast of arctic air descended on the Front Range, and I felt that my back could withstand a couple hours of casting, so I committed to a late season trip. I did not want to make a long drive, so I evaluated nearby options. South Boulder Creek was flowing at a ridiculously low 13 cfs, so I ruled out my home water. The South Platte River was also trickling through Waterton Canyon at 34 cfs, and that represents quite low water and technical fishing. In addition this option necessitated a bike ride with a backpack, and I did not want to test the stitches on my back to that extent.

The next close option was Clear Creek, and the flows were fairly ideal at 50 cfs. Clear Creek Canyon is a mere 50 minute drive from my house, so I decided to make it my destination on Sunday. With the change from daylight savings time to standard time, I estimated that prime water and air temperatures would be in the 11AM to 2PM window. I packed my gear on Sunday morning and left the house by 9:30, and this enabled me to reach a wide dirt parking space on the north side of route six by 10:15, and I was in my waders and ready to fish by 10:30.

As I stood behind my car preparing to fish, another vehicle pulled into a pullout directly across from me, and a solo fishermen began a similar routine. When I initially arrived, I walked across the road and scanned the creek up and down for competing fishermen, and I was pleased to see no one else. After all my caution, my desire for stream space was being compromised unknowingly by the gentleman across from me. I considered moving on, but then decided to walk down the road .2 miles and fish back up to the Santa Fe, as I assumed the other fellow would cut directly down the bank.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Tzn0eDFeIQE/VGAuURweETI/AAAAAAAAqvo/Lh4s8n7ehV0/s144-c-o/PB090040.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108128655430094950653/11092014ClearCreek#6079910422849130802″ caption=”Clear Creek at My Starting Point” type=”image” alt=”PB090040.JPG” ]

I executed my plan and walked by a large rock formation that separated the highway from the stream and then found a nice worn path that took me gradually down the bank to the edge of the river. Another fisherman was in a nice pool thirty yards below me, but he seemed to be rather stationary, so I waded into the creek and crossed to the south side away from the road. A gorgeous pool and deep run presented itself just above me, and a rush of anticipation surged through me as I tied on a Chernobyl ant and ultra zug bug.

I was certain that this attractive water would yield one if not two small trout, but certainties are rare in fishing. I covered the length of the pool and the deep run at the top, and I had nothing to show for my efforts. Perhaps it was the flies? I added a salvation nymph below the ultra zug bug and moved up along the bank, and ten yards above the lovely starting pool I saw a fish dart to the surface to grab the Chernobyl. A swift hook set allowed me to connect, and I quickly stripped a skinny eleven inch brown trout to my net. I was pleased to have a fish and even more impressed that it took a fly on the surface. Did this fish lose weight in the spawning process?

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-OrtX4k8CDEY/VGAuU8MZCCI/AAAAAAAAqv0/Rts5UQWfNbw/s144-c-o/PB090041.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108128655430094950653/11092014ClearCreek#6079910434240530466″ caption=”First Catch Was This Skinny Brown Trout” type=”image” alt=”PB090041.JPG” ]

I was pretty excited as I moved on after this minor success, and I focused my propecting casts on the water that bordered the bank and rocks on my side of the river. Despite some solid casting and drifts, my fish count remained at one as I worked my way upstream on the south channel that flowed around a long narrow island. After an hour of fishing I approached the tip of the island, and here I noticed the tip of a fly rod moving back and forth. When I moved closer, I found a heretofore hidden fisherman just above the island, and he appeared to be younger than the person who arrived and parked across from me.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rT9DlngH2To/VGAuVa61XXI/AAAAAAAAqv8/wzm2fKORciE/s144-c-o/PB090042.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108128655430094950653/11092014ClearCreek#6079910442488388978″ caption=”Liked the Chernobyl Ant” type=”image” alt=”PB090042.JPG” ]

I crossed the island and the small north braid and climbed the steep bank to circle around this temporary block to my progress, and when I crested the steep bank and looked upstream I could see the owner of the green Subaru that was parked across from me. At this point I realized that I had probably fished through water that the lower fisherman covered not more than thirty minutes beforehand.

With two fishermen now blocking my path I threw my gear in the car and slowly drove west to just beyond the bridge that crosses Clear Creek where it shifts from the south side of the highway to the north. Cars filled the parking spaces on both sides of the road just beyond the bridge, but I did not see fishermen in the stream. A second pullout on the south side of the paved two lane had an open space, so I made a U-turn and snagged the spot. In a matter of minutes I had my backpack and front pack in place, and I walked along the shoulder to the bridge where I jumped the guard rail and found a nice path that followed the creek along the south side.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-bj1_wo9xgNM/VGAuWjz5KDI/AAAAAAAAqwI/-OC_GRpoTCg/s144-c-o/PB090044.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108128655430094950653/11092014ClearCreek#6079910462055065650″ caption=”Nice Spot” type=”image” alt=”PB090044.JPG” ]

I hiked along this path for fifty yards and then angled down a short steep bank to the edge of the water and resumed my prospecting. The remainder of my time on Clear Creek was quite enjoyable as I methodically worked my way upstream and cast the Chernobyl and trailing nymphs in all the likely pools and pockets. The creek in this area was faster due to the tighter canyon walls, and this probably explains why I no longer needed to share the water. Fortunately I developed a preference for pocket water, and the stretch of water below the bridge suited me perfectly.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-lSBfVTmoP7I/VGAuV6JFAPI/AAAAAAAAqwE/_y3rtIzoQrs/s144-c-o/PB090043.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108128655430094950653/11092014ClearCreek#6079910450869633266″ caption=”Another Decent Brown for Clear Creek” type=”image” alt=”PB090043.JPG” ]

I landed seven additional brown trout in the remaining two hours as I fished to the bridge and slightly above. The weather was quite pleasant for early November with partial clouds and sunshine ruling the sky, and the high temperature reached the upper sixties. By 2PM I reached a churning white water cascade, and this forced me to once again scale the steep bank. I knew the shadows would shortly cover the stream and the temperature would plummet, so I decided to honor my commitment to quit at 2 and returned to Stapleton to watch the Broncos vs. Raiders NFL game.

I continue to be amazed by the amount of pressure that Clear Creek receives in the canyon between Golden and Idaho Springs, but I suppose fishermen head there for the same reasons that I do; proximity to Denver. The fish are small, but they still help to satisfy the avid fisherman’s need to feel the intoxicating tug on the end of a long rod. I enjoyed some bonus fishing on Sunday November 9, and I am thankful for that.

Time: 1:15PM – 3:15PM

Location: The first point after tunnel 1 where the stream crosses to the north side of the highway when driving west through Clear Creek canyon.

Fish Landed: 13

Clear Creek 10/25/2014 Photo Album

The original plan for the last weekend in October was to hike and fish with Jane on Friday, work on chores around the house on Saturday, and then hike and fish again on Sunday. Fortunately, the major task of repairing a broken shelf in the garage did not take as long as anticipated, and the high temperature in Denver was once again expected to be in the low 80’s, so I made a last minute decision to visit Clear Creek. I could not forego fishing on such a beautiful day in late October.

Normally a trip to Clear Creek is a blatant number boosting gambit, but on my last visit during the summer I discovered the small fish in Clear Creek canyon were quite selective thus requiring more focus than I normally associate with this small stream. I was apprehensive that the same situation would evolve on Saturday, particularly given the late October date and the scarcity of aquatic insects. As usual most of the pullouts were occupied with numerous cars as I slowly cruised west on route six looking for the ideal spot to wet a line in the early afternoon. The canyon is narrow at most places, so I was mainly looking for a stretch of water that would be in sunlight for a few hours.

Finally a few miles after passing through tunnel number one I reached a place where the creek crossed beneath the highway and ran for a half mile along the north side of the road, and this stretch was bathed in sunlight. I executed a U-turn and parked in a pullout that already contained two cars. I assumed that the fishermen from these cars were in the water directly across from the pullout, and I planned to walk east on the shoulder and then fish back upstream to the car. When I was ready with my Loomis five weight, I followed my plan and walked along the narrow shoulder to a point where I could descend the steep rocky bank without excessive risk of injury.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UGILuD67vvM/VE3AuieKxFI/AAAAAAAAoIo/H00OVIbZyxc/s144-c-o/PA250054.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108128655430094950653/10252014ClearCreek#6074723378152522834″ caption=”Near the Beginning of My Fishing Outing on Clear Creek” type=”image” alt=”PA250054.JPG” ]

When I reached the edge of the water, I decided to begin with a dark olive size 16 deer hair caddis since this fly performed well on Friday afternoon. The canyon walls at my starting point were fairly steep on both sides, and this topography forced the water through a fairly narrow channel. Despite the high velocity in the middle of the stream, quite a few nice pockets presented themselves for me to prospect. I began popping quick casts into these areas. This type of fishing yielded short drifts, but I landed two small brown trout in a short amount of time.

I continued the strategy of making a few quick casts in all the likely spots as I moved at a fairly rapid pace upstream. During the first half hour I managed two more browns in addition to the two in the initial set of pockets, but then I noticed two or three fish in succession that rose up to inspect the caddis but then settled back near the bottom. The caddis was also requiring more frequent trips to my dry shake canister in addition to developing a rejection complex, so I elected to replace it with a size 12 stimulator with a gray body. The large bushy dry fly could support a beadhead dropper, so I added a short 18 inch section of tippet and tied on a salvation nymph.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-tOmsTir3MYc/VE3AvFgU3rI/AAAAAAAAoIw/DJmH-8qkHmo/s144-c-o/PA250055.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108128655430094950653/10252014ClearCreek#6074723387556814514″ caption=”A Very Sweet Pool Ahead” type=”image” alt=”PA250055.JPG” ]

With the change of flies I decided to cover the water that yielded refusals from two fish, and each fish stopped the stimulator in its tracks by gobbling the trailing salvation nymph. It was pretty clear that the brown trout in Clear Creek preferred a salvation nymph over an olive caddis. These flies remained on my line for most of the afternoon, and I added six more fish that inhaled the salvation. Several of these fish proved to be the best fish of the day in terms of size, as they stretched the tape measure to ten inches.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1iygY2Uz5sY/VE3AvjcPyGI/AAAAAAAAoI4/8nuixbOfd44/s144-c-o/PA250056.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108128655430094950653/10252014ClearCreek#6074723395592767586″ caption=”A Small Brown Liked My Salvation Nymph” type=”image” alt=”PA250056.JPG” ]

By 2:45 the shadows covered most of the stream, and the stimulator with the white wing was sinking more frequently. I was curious to know if adding a second nymph to get my flies deeper would attract more attention, but I required a larger top fly to support the added weight of two beadhead nymphs, so I tied a gray pool toy to my line as the surface fly and then added an ultra zug bug below the salvation nymph. I fished these flies through some water covered in shadows and managed to add a brown that smacked the pool toy to the fish count .

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IHDm29XZ8YE/VE3AwMXm36I/AAAAAAAAoI8/oFOVvEnr7mg/s144-c-o/PA250057.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108128655430094950653/10252014ClearCreek#6074723406579163042″ caption=”Another Salvation Nymph Fan” type=”image” alt=”PA250057.JPG” ]

I was approaching an area where sunlight remained on the water as the canyon opened up a bit, but when I looked up three fishermen came into view. Since my path was blocked by this trio, I circled around them and reentered the stream and fished some attractive water with no positive results. Just as I was about to merge back into the shadows another fisherman appeared, so I decided to quit and scaled the high rocky bank to the highway.

It was admittedly a numbers padding outing as I landed thirteen small brown trout in two hours of fishing. The fish were quite small with the largest measuring ten inches, but it was still an enjoyable afternoon in gorgeous weather in late October.

Time: 11:30AM – 4:30PM

Location: After Tunnel 3 and before stream development area with signs about gold panning

Fish Landed: 13

Clear Creek 09/07/2014 Photo Album

After a spectacular day on Friday on the Arkansas River, I was seeking some easy nearby fishing. I had not fished in Clear Creek since a day very early in the season, and the flows had finally dropped to decent levels, so I decided to give the local stream a try. The DWR web site indicated that streamflows were at 100 CFS, and this level is in the ideal range. The weather was relatively nice with high temperatures forecast to reach the low 80’s with minimal chance of precipitation.

I took my time on Sunday morning as I knew I could make the drive to Clear Creek Canyon in less than an hour. Construction on the short tunnels at Idaho Springs made it difficult to fish in that stretch of water, so I began experimenting with fishing in Clear Creek Canyon west of Golden last year in the fall. I had one fairly productive day in the western end of the canyon near the point where the stream widens and stream improvements had taken place, so I targeted this as my destination. I was shocked to see most of the pullouts filled with cars as I drove along highway 6, but I did not observe many fishermen in the creek, so the owners of the vehicles must have been pursuing other recreational activities.

When I reached the stream improvement area, I did notice quite a few fishermen, so I executed a U-turn and drove east for a mile and parked along the shoulder above a steep bank. I prepared to fish and then hiked east along the shoulder of the busy highway for .3 miles to a point where the bank was not as intimidating. As I carefully negotiated the path to a break in the willows, I noticed some young kids ten yards below me in the shadow of some bushes next to the creek, so I angled to the west and found an opening. I decided to begin with a tan Charlie Boy hopper and beadhead hares ear and then added a copper john as the point fly. Unfortunately I discovered a difficult tangle in my line, and this stymied my enthusiasm for getting my flies on the water..

As I stewed over the tangle, I heard the sounds of clanking rocks, so I looked around the willows and noticed two young men dressed in waders. They didn’t have fishing rods, but they had a large five gallon plastic white bucket and appeared to be turning over rocks to collect bait or insects. Finally they moved upstream a bit and came into view, so I asked if they were fishing, and if I was in their path? They quickly responded that they were not fishing, and conversely they were panning for gold. I do not know much about this activity, but I never saw goldpanners turning over rocks, but I  suppose there are different techniques involved in this popular recreational activity.

At any rate, they indicated that they did not plan to move upstream farther, so I refocused on my tangle and finally had my flies configured in a desirable manner and began to fish. My goal was to have a fun afternoon of mindless fishing that entailed catching a bunch of small fish on dry flies. The gorgeous pool above my starting point amazingly did not produce a single fish, so I should have taken this as an ominous sign. I continued above the pool and covered quite a bit of attractive water before I finally landed a small brown that attacked the Charlie Boy hopper. Shortly after this a ten inch brown slammed the Charlie Boy, and I landed a second fish. Unfortunately it took an hour of focused fishing, a lot of casting, and difficult wading to produce two relatively small fish.

Best Fish from Clear Creek

I was convinced there were more fish than indicated by my fish totals, so I switched to a stimulator. This fly also produced two small browns, but the catch rate continued to be slow, and deep pools continued to be unproductive. In addition to the lack of rises or takes, I could see fish in several clear pockets that avoided my surface and subsurface flies.

At 1PM I adjourned for lunch and walked back to the car. I sat on the shoulder of the road and observed the stream below me. During this time I witnessed quite a few yellow sallies and a smattering of blue winged olives. I resolved to change my approach after lunch so when I returned to my exit point, I covered the lower end of a very attractive pool for a second time. This time, however, I returned to a dry/dropper approach with a Chernobyl ant, beadhead hares ear, and soft hackle emerger. Perhaps I should have started with my workhorse Chernobyl, and maybe the fish were looking for subsurface blue winged olive nymphs and emergers.

Once again my thought process was apparently flawed. I could not find the key to the supposedly naive Clear Creek brown trout. I landed one or two maverick fish that apparently did not get the message about my unappetizing flies, but much to my surprise, the soft hackle emerger wasn’t doing anything. I decided to remove it and replaced it with a salvation nymph. Finally I had a stretch where I landed three or four brown trout on the salvation particularly when I gave the flies a lift near the end of the drift. I thought I was on to something, but this short streak of action quickly ended, and I was back to covering large swaths of water for a few small fish.

Clear Creek at 100 CFS

I was getting frustrated and it was late afternoon when I approached a spot where there was a wide reach of slack water along the bank on the south shore directly across form me. A strong white water current ripped down the center of the creek, but I decided to try drifting my three flies through the slow moving water by holding my rod very high and keeping much of the fly line off the water. This did not produce, but as I was doing this, I spotted a fish hanging a foot below the surface obviously looking for food in the slow moving surface film. In fact it rose subtly and sipped while I was watching. Next I noticed a second fish a bit upstream and closer to the far bank, and this fish was exhibiting similar behavior.

I clipped off the trio of flies and tied on a yellow sally, as I saw a few stoneflies fluttering above the stream. I executed a nice cast and a quick mend and placed the stonefly above the fish that was furthest downstream. I held my breath as the visible fish slowly swam to the surface and put its nose against my fly, but it refused to gobble my offering. I tried for the upper fish which required a longer cast, and received a similar rejection. Could these fish be taking blue winged olive adults? I clipped off the yellow sally and tied on a size 20 CDC olive and began to cast to the lower fish. On the third cast the fish rose and sipped in my fly, and I quickly skipped it over the fast center current and netted it. It was quite gratifying to finally dupe an eight inch brown trout.

I continued casting to the upper fish, but my initial casts were not long enough, and out of nowhere a second brown jumped on the small BWO imitation. This fish also found a home in my net, and then I resumed making long reach casts to the upper fish. Unfortunately I could never interest this fish in my fly perhaps because I was generating instant drag. I decided to end my day on the positive note of landing two fish on a tiny dry fly. Easy fish that enabled me to pad my fish count was my goal. It did not play out that way. Fly fishing can be a contrarian pastime. When one expects easy fishing, it doesn’t happen, and red hot fishing can take place when one least expects it. Go figure.

Time: 2:30PM – 4:30PM

Location: Clear Creek Canyon 2-3 miles upstream from CO route 93

Fish Landed: 3

Clear Creek 03/29/2014 Photo Album

A rare mild day on Saturday March 29 gave me the itch to get out my fly rod and test the waters. The high temperature was projected to reach the mid to upper 60’s, and the weather experts predicted the wind would be moderate compared to what I could expect to encounter Sunday and Monday. I wrapped up some garden chores and completed my long run in preparation for the Cherry Creek Sneak 10 miler and then downed a quick lunch, packed my gear and departed. Since I was off to a late start and didn’t want to drive very far, I decided to sample the closest water, Clear Creek in the canyon just west of Golden, CO.

I drove two or three miles into the canyon, and many pullouts were filled with vehicles, but eventually I spotted several nice wide shoulder areas without cars. The water appeared to have nice alternating pocket stretches and smoother pools, so I executed a U-turn and parked on the shoulder facing east. I put on my waders and boots and strung my rod and carefully scrambled down a steep bank. I began fishing with a Chernobyl ant trailing a beadhead hares ear, and within the first 15 minutes I experienced two refusals to the Chernobyl. This was good news as the fish were looking to the surface for their meal despite the icy water temperatures, but it was frustrating that they wouldn’t close the deal. The water was a tinge off-color, so that was another reason I was pleased to spot fish inspecting my fly.

I moved on and switched the hares ear for a salvation nymph, and in the next nice deep pool another fish appeared below the Chernobyl and then dropped back to the depths. What should I do? It was pretty clear the fish were not interested in my beadhead subsurface nymphs, so I decided to switch the dry fly offering and clipped off both flies and replaced with a size 16 deer hair caddis with an olive body. This didn’t even provoke any refusals, so I scaled up and tied on a size 14 stimulator with a gray body. This generated another refusal or two from some tiny trout. Not only were the fish in this stream small, they were playing hard to get. Clear Creek is renowned for dumb fish that rise readily to attractors, and these fish were certainly rising, but they weren’t slamming the fly like they were supposed to.

Clear Creek Where I Began Fishing on Saturday Afternoon

I sat down on a rock and decided to make a radical change to my approach. I added a strike indicator and a weighted 20 incher and returned to a beadhead hares ear. This proved to be futile, and eventually I snagged a rock in a spot where the water was deep and fast causing me to snap off both flies. Perhaps the discolored water meant that worms and eggs were present in the subsurface drift? These flies worked on the North Platte so why not try them here? I extended my leader and crimped on a split shot, apricot egg and chocolate San Juan worm and began to cover the attractive water. These flies did not attract one iota of interest; however, in one deep run a small brown trout rose and inspected my neon red strike indicator!

How should I interpret this action? In the past when this occurred, I tied on a dry fly that displayed some red coloration; and I had some success with this strategy, so I elected to try it again. I found a size 14 royal wulff in my fly box, removed all the nymphing gear, and tied on the red and peacock dry fly. I began prospecting this gaudy fly that doesn’t really imitate any natural insect and guess what happened? I landed three small trout barely over six inches and in addition had several refusals, a foul hooked fish, and a momentary hook up on a fish that escaped. That represents a lot of action over a hour of fishing, but as 4:30 approached I decided to call it quits and head home.

The fish were tiny and infuriating in their selectivity toward attractor flies, but I partially solved the riddle and managed to land a few fish. Solving the problem is what attracts me to this sport and keeps me coming back.

Time: 12:30PM – 2:30PM

Location: Large turnout after third tunnel heading west

Fish Landed: 2

Clear Creek 11/16/2013 Photo Album

I am admittedly a chronic numbers guy. The weather forecast for Saturday called for highs in Denver of 60 degrees so I decided to make a quick trip to Clear Creek Canyon in an attempt to build my fish count number late in the season. Jane was scheduled to spend the afternoon in the office working, so I had some unexpected time to myself.

I prepared a lunch and headed out the door by 11:30 and arrived at a pullout toward the western end of the canyon by noon. The temperature in the canyon was 53 degrees, but I was concerned by the strong wind I was observing while I munched my lunch in the shelter of my car. Once I pulled on my waders and rigged my rod I decided to wear my ski hat instead of my wide brimmed hat for warmth, and I concluded that I’d be fishing in the shadow of the southern canyon wall most of the time thus not requiring a hat brim.

I walked down the highway a bit and then angled down the steep bank to the water just above a spot where the creek narrowed and churned through a chute. I tied on a Chernobyl ant and a beadhead hares ear and began prospecting the water along the right bank, but didn’t meet with any success until twenty minutes or so elapsed. At this point the Chernobyl dipped and I hooked and landed a small seven inch brown.

I continued moving along the bank next to the road, but I wasn’t seeing any more fish or attention to my flies. What I was seeing was ridiculously strong gusts of wind that prevented me from casting or even facing upstream. I turned my back to the wind and waited for extended periods for the wind to subside before resuming my ineffective casting. My wet hands became extremely chilled by the evaporation and in truth I began to think more about the warmth of my home than the prospect of continuing to fish in these adverse conditions. After another 45 minutes fighting the wind and intermittent fruitless casting, I flicked a short backhad cast to a pocket behind an exposed boulder and once again detected a pause in the Chernobyl and set the hook and landed a nine inch brown trout.

9″ Brown Was Best Catch of the Day

It was somewhat gratifying to catch another fish after battling the elements, but I now decided I wasn’t really having fun, and wasn’t the goal of fishing to have fun? I resumed my progress upstream for another half hour or so, but the gusts of wind became more frequent and lasted longer so I reeled up my flies and hooked them in the rod guide and returned to the car. I opened the side door of the Santa Fe to rest my jeans and shoes and socks on the seat while I removed my waders. Several times I had to chase down my socks and even my waders as the wind picked them up and moved them away from the car.

When I finally returned to the tailgate I removed my glasses from their case and placed the case on the floor of the car while I switched my fishing sunglasses for my regular wire rims. Just as I did this, a monster gust came along, and when I reopened my eyes, I discovered that the case was no longer in front of me. I searched every corner of the car and can only assume that the wind swept the case through the car and out the side door and deposited it somewhere in Kansas. Later I realized that my Texas Rangers ball cap was also missing, so it must have met the same fate as the sunglass case.

Needless to say it was a frustrating fishing outing and certainly discouraged me from making future fishing outings in Colorado in 2013. The weather will need to be considerably nicer before I venture to another stream, and the numbers can remain where they are.