Category Archives: Fishing Reports

Fishing Reports

Clear Creek – 03/12/2025

Time: 1:00PM – 4:00PM

Location: Clear Creek Canyon

Clear Creek 03/12/2025 Photo Album

Wednesday’s forecast promised another mild late-winter day, with temperatures in Denver expected to climb into the upper sixties. The urge to hit a stream was strong, but first, I had to handle a commitment at home—the expected delivery and installation of our new dishwasher. Our fifteen-year-old unit had given up on properly cleansing the top shelf, forcing us into the less-than-enjoyable habit of handwashing. By 10:30 AM, the Home Depot crew had completed the installation, and I was free to chase some trout.

Given the late start, I opted for a short drive to Clear Creek Canyon west of Golden, CO. I arrived at my chosen pullout by 12:30 PM and immediately downed my standard lunch. The section of the creek, where I planned to start, was already covered in shadows, so I made a quick wardrobe adjustment—swapping my short-sleeve undershirt for an Under Armour long-sleeve thermal, layering on my North Face light down, and finishing with a rain shell as a windbreaker. The combination kept me comfortable for the entirety of my outing, even as the late afternoon sun shifted my fishing spots.

Plenty of Ice and Snow Remained Along the Creek

I assembled my old Sage four-weight and followed the south side of the creek for roughly 0.2 miles before scrambling down the steep bank to begin fishing. My starting rig consisted of a size 8 yellow Fat Albert, a 20 Incher, and a size 16 olive Perdigon—a trio that had served me well on the Arkansas River just two days earlier.

For the next hour, I worked my way upstream, managing to land two small brown trout, each around six inches. One fell for the Perdigon, and the other snatched the 20 Incher. It was a far cry from my successful outing on Monday, and despite casting to some very promising pools, my drifts remained largely unproductive. Hoping to change my luck, I swapped the 20 Incher for an Ultra Zug Bug, but that adjustment proved ineffective as well.

One of the Better Fish

By 2 PM, I reached a bridge and climbed up to the highway to cross to the other side. My plan was to continue upstream, but the narrow canyon kept much of the water in the shade, and the chill was beginning to set in. Rather than tough it out, I packed up and moved half a mile west to another wide pullout. Another angler had already claimed a spot directly across from the cars, so I opted to hike along the guardrail for some distance before descending a steep, boulder-strewn bank, carefully using hand grips to steady myself.

Prime Spot

With the change in location, I decided it was also time for a change in tactics. I swapped the Fat Albert for a Peacock Hippie Stomper, thinking that the relatively low flows—24 CFS—might make the large foam hopper too splashy. I kept the 20 Incher but replaced the Perdigon with an Emerald Caddis Pupa.

One of Two Rainbows

The adjustment paid off. My catch count climbed from two to seven, before I called it a day at 4:00 PM. A rainbow rose to the Hippie Stomper, while another trout nabbed the Emerald Caddis Pupa. A brown took the 20 Incher, and my final fish—a brown—fell for a size 14 Prince Nymph. There was no single pattern that dominated the action, but the change in flies certainly made a difference.

Last Fish of the Day

Clear Creek, with its narrow, shaded canyon, still had plenty of ice shelves and packed snow along its banks. The cold water likely kept the trout sluggish compared to other rivers flowing through open valleys. Of the seven fish landed, two were rainbows and the rest were browns, with the largest stretching to a modest nine inches.

While it wasn’t a banner day in terms of size or numbers, it was still a rewarding outing. The beauty of the setting and the simple pleasure of being outside were enough to make it worthwhile. With a trip to Phoenix on the horizon, I’ll have to put my fishing ambitions on hold for a bit, but I hope to get back on the water in the final two weeks of March. Stay tuned!

Fish Landed: 7

Arkansas River – 03/10/2025

Time: 11:00AM – 4:00PM

Location: Lower Bighorn Sheep Canyon

Arkansas River 03/10/2025 Photo Album

Forecast highs of 74 degrees in Denver, CO had me seeking fly fishing water on Monday, March 10, 2025. I checked temperatures in various potential destinations, but I could not overlook 72 degrees in Canon City. The wind speeds in the 10 – 15 MPH range gave me pause, but I decided to make the trip regardless. I experienced several productive days in lower Bighorn Sheep Canyon last spring, and this influenced my decision to visit the Arkansas River.

Starting Point

The drive was inconsequential, even though Jane warned that the number of accidents spike after daylight savings time. I arrived at my chosen spot by 10:45AM, and this enabled me to be on the water ready to cast by 11:00AM. I stopped for gasoline in Florence, CO, and the wind was whipping by me at a ridiculous rate; however, the wind, although present, was more moderate at my chosen fly fishing spot.

Number One Was This Rainbow That Grabbed the Olive Perdigon

I rigged my Sage One five weight and wore my light down North Face coat, which proved to be a bit of a mistake, as I was overly warm during the afternoon time frame. To begin my search for trout, I configured my line with a New Zealand strike indicator, a yellow/green Pat’s rubberlegs and a zebra midge. The yellow/green rubberlegs was chosen with the molting golden stoneflies in mind, as both ArkAnglers and Royal Gorge Anglers fly shops reported their presence.

Olive Perdigon Saved the Day

I prospected up along the left bank of the river for fifteen minutes with no response, so I swapped the zebra midge for one of my crystal stones, size 18. Once again my flies were ignored, as I spent 1.5 hours in the late morning exercising my arm. I did connect with a small trout briefly, but it escaped after throbbing my rod for a few seconds.

Nice Catch

Between noon and 12:30PM, I moved to a separate braid of the river, and I switched the crystal stone for a beadhead hairs ear nymph. I encountered another angler, the only one I saw on the river, so I steered clear of him and migrated up the braid for at least fifty yards to allow him space. When I jumped in, I made some drifts through some marginal runs along the far bank, but once again I was met with futility.

Another Fine Wild Brown Trout

At 12:30PM I found a nice rock to serve as my seat, and I downed my three course lunch. After lunch I used my pause to revise my rig. I removed the New Zealand strike indicator and shifted to a dry/dropper system with a size 8 fat Albert as the top fly. Beneath the fat Albert I knotted a size 12 20 incher, and below that I added an olive perdigon. I tied five perdigons within the last week, so I was anxious to baptize them. I also wanted to make sure I was drifting deep with the dry/dropper, and the four foot dropper along with the tungsten bead were geared toward that objective.

Left Bank Produced

I am not sure whether it was the time of day, deeper drifts, flies chosen or the new section of the river; but some combination of factors caused my angling futility to change into hot fishing. One o’clock was the new noon after turning the clocks forward, so that may have been part of the change in fortunes, but I was also certain that utilizing the tungsten bead perdigon was a turning point. Between 1:00PM and 3:00PM I landed ten trout, and all but one were in the twelve to fourteen inch slot. Four were rainbows and the other six were brown trout. At least three of the landed trout were healthy fourteen inch fighters, and I was quite pleased with my successes.

Headed Back

The olive perdigon accounted for six of the trout, the fat Albert duped one aggressive rainbow, and the 20 incher made its presence worthwhile by fooling three fish. The wind was a constant nuisance, but I was able to avoid severe headwinds, although my casting arm was quite fatigued by the end of the day. The action slowed significantly by 3:00PM, and, in fact, I did not land additional fish between 3:00PM and 4:00PM. For the last hour I probed the largest braid of the main river, and this may have also inhibited my ability to catch fish.

Chunky Bow

I was quite pleased with my day of fly fishing on the Arkansas River on Monday, March 10, 2025. The wind was tolerable, and the air temperature was pleasant. I landed ten trout in the twelve to fourteen inch range, and the dry/dropper approach proved to be effective. I also tested my olive perdigon and discovered it to be a solid fish producer. Monday sparked my interest in fly fishing, and I hope more nice weather will encourage another trip in the near future.

Fish Landed: 10

Slower Velocity to the Right

Love the Distinct Spots on This Prize Brown Trout

Eagle River – 03/09/2025

Time: 11:30AM – 5:00PM

Location: Between Avon and Wolcott

Eagle River 03/09/2025 Photo Album

I considered options for fly fishing on Wednesday, March 9, and eventually settled on the Eagle River. The main factor that swayed my decision was a weather forecast of a high of 59 degrees with partial cloudiness most of the afternoon. I was seeking blue wing olive action. Did my decision to fish the Eagle to hit a baetis hatch pan out? Read on.

On Tuesday evening, as Jane and I were returning from dinner with friends in southeast Denver, we hit a curb with the left front tire. The blowout was nearly instantaneous, but the stretch of highway offered no place to pull over for a tire change, so we limped across a bridge and settled in a parking space on a side street. Of course, by now it was dark, and that only added to the challenge ahead of us. I got out of the car and examined the left front tire, and I discovered a four inch gash on the sidewall. The tire was toast.

We opened the hatch and emptied the rear of the car of its contents, which happened to be quite a bit, and then we lifted the floor covering and found the jack. I used my phone to search for how to release the jack, and that met with success; however, we were unable to find the toolkit that included the lug tool. We bought the Tucson three years ago used, and apparently the previous owner kept the tire changing tool kit!

We locked the car and walked back to our house, which was about .5 mile, and we climbed into my Kia Telluride equipped with a screwdriver and flashlights. Fortunately we discovered that the Telluride tool kit was present, and the lug wrench fit the nuts on the Tucson. We quickly installed the temporary spare, and returned to the house.

I planned to leave the house for fishing by 8:00AM on Wednesday morning, but I was not comfortable leaving Jane with a car in need of a new tire and possible alignment, so I delayed my departure. We made the short drive to Les Schwab Tires, and we were near the front of the line. The sales counter person assessed our tire needs, and set everything up for tire replacement and alignment test during the day on Wednesday. I drove Jane home, and I now felt comfortable continuing with my fly fishing plans.

I departed Denver by 8:40AM, and I arrived at my favorite pullout along the Eagle River a bit before 11AM. The sky was very overcast, and the wind was bustling, so I bundled up with my Columbia long sleeved undershirt, my light down coat and my rain shell. I was comfortable for most of the time except after long periods standing in waist deep water. I selected my Sage One five weight to counter the wind, and in case I tangled with tough fish.

Not a Bad Start

Once I was prepared, I hiked a short distance to the river. Another angler occupied the spot that I intended to fish, so I cut downstream a bit to give him space and fished some water that I never sampled previously. I began my day with a size 8 gray-body chubby Chernobyl, a 20 incher and a size 16 olive perdigon. I fished for the next hour through some moderate riffle sections and then the tail of the long pool that was occupied by the other angler. I landed one twelve inch brown trout on the perdigon, and I connected with two additional fish briefly.

Rainbows Became Prevalent

By 12:30PM my feet were crying for relief, and my stomach was growling, so I retreated to the bank and downed my small lunch. After lunch I carefully waded across the tail of the pool, and quite a few rises materialized, so I changed tactics. I swapped the chubby for a peacock hippie stomper, and then I added an eighteen inch dropper and knotted on a CDC BWO. I began casting to rises, and eventually I landed a small brown trout on a downstream drift. I had swapped the CDC BWO for a soft hackle emerger fished on the surface, and it was this fly that duped the small brown. I thought I solved the riddle, but I soon discovered that I was sorely mistaken.

Sweet Spot Yielded Quite a Few Nice Fish

Between 12:30 and 1:30PM I did what Deming warned against. I continued doing the same thing expecting different results. The fish rose in waves, and I repeatedly plopped casts with my CDC BWO or soft hackle emerger above the sighted fish, but my flies were totally ignored. I began to despair that I was going to fish through an intense baetis hatch with only two small fish as my reward.

Jen and Dave Focused

Over the last several years I became acquainted with a friend on Instagram, @jenmenke. She is a fly fishing woman, fly tier, and gardner, and we occasionally exchanged comments. I knew that she and her husband lived in the Eagle, CO area, so I mentioned that I was making the trip on Wednesday, and she replied that she would like to meet up, so I told her where I planned to fish. This all coalesced, when Dave and Jen arrived at my fishing hole by 1:30PM. I quickly waded to shore to greet them, and we chatted for a bit, and then we each waded into the pool. I returned to the tail, while Dave took the midsection, and Jen angled toward the top area.

Stunning

My frustration continued, as I continued to deploy the double dries. The wind gusted and clouds scudded across the sky, and for brief periods fish rose to voraciously feed on what I believed were blue wing olive mayflies. Dave was in shouting distance above me, and he managed to land a trout on a dry that was sort of a classic Adams. I felt a tickle on my ear, and I reached to scratch it, and suddenly I discovered a small size 18 black stonefly in my hand. Could this be what the fish were eating and not blue wing olives? I was skeptical that stoneflies would hatch in dense numbers to create intense feeding, but maybe it was worth a try. I tied on one of my small stonefly imitations, and I gave it a ten minute test. Nothing. I was in a state of frustration, so I waded to shore and decided to circle around Jen and Dave and move into new water above the pool.

Moving Up the River

As I stopped to talk to Jen and Dave, Jen announced that she had several hits on a black RS2, and she landed a couple nice rainbows. This information prompted my to switch back to my dependable dry/dropper method. Once again I tied on a gray chubby Chernobyl, and then I brought back the olive perdigon, and I added a size 20 classic RS2 with a silver bead. I waded in to the very top of the run that entered the vast pool, and I began working the deep runs and pockets in that area. Voila! Even though I spotted many rising fish around me, the fish were also tuned into drifting nymphs. Between 2:30PM and 3:15PM, when Jen and Dave departed, I landed four trout, and they were very nice chunky rainbows in the thirteen to fourteen inch range. I was more than ecstatic with this positive turn of events. I was making ten to fifteen drifts for every successful hit, so it was not easy by any means, but persistence paid off. I also imparted movement in the form of lifts and swings, and several of the trout responded to these tactics.

Decent

I waded to shore and said my goodbyes to the fly fishing couple, and then I resumed my fly fishing progression. As planned, I moved up the river and flicked casts to likely spots where there was moderate depth and holding lies. In each case I spotted rising fish, but with persistence I was able to hook and land quality fish. By the time I reached fourteen trout, I was fifty yards above my starting point, so I exited the river and ambled back along the concrete path.

More Pockets

When I arrived back at the pool, I decided to cut back to the section at the top. When I arrived, fish continued to rise, and I could not ignore the pull of the hatch. I decided to take one last shot at dry flies, as many fish continued to feed on the surface. I tried the CDC BWO and the soft hackle emerger, and I managed to land one trout on each by casting across and allowing a downstream drift to the point were the fish were rising. The sky was dark and the wind continued to gust, but the fish seemed to revel in the adverse conditions for human beings.

Splendid Colors

What a day! The Tucson was ready for pickup by early afternoon. I met two new friends that share common interests, and hopefully there will be many more meetings in the future. And through the experience of Jen, I utilized an RS2, and it led to solid success over the course of Wednesday afternoon. Was I able to cast dry flies and fool fussy trout? No, but with the help of Jen, I resorted to a baetis nymph, and I enjoyed an amazing 2.5 hours late in the afternoon. This was perhaps my best day of 2025 so far, and I look forward to more such days before run off kicks in during May.

Fish Landed: 16

Love the Body Color on This Rainbow

St. Vrain Creek – 02/28/2025

Time: 2:15PM – 4:15PM

Location: Near Lyons, CO

St. Vrain Creek 02/28/2025 Photo Album

The last day of February was projected to spike at a high in the upper sixties in Denver, CO, so I researched temperatures in nearby potential fishing destinations. My first outing of 2025 was Boulder Creek, so I decided to journey a bit farther north to St. Vrain Creek. Temperatures in the vicinity of my planned fly fishing venture were predicted to be in the low sixties. That was acceptable to this fair weather angler.

Cutbow Surprised Me

Jane and I took advantage of the gorgeous late winter day to play pickleball, and when I returned home, I downed my lunch and packed the car and departed for my planned fly fishing destination. Once I arrived at my pullout, I wore my Brooks long sleeve thermal undershirt, and I chose not to add any additional layers. I selected my Orvis Access four weight and clamped my Battenkill reel to the butt section, and this line featured the loop, that I repaired using the Restorline kit that I bought at The Fly Fishing Show. It worked quite well.

Cutbow Home

I cut to the stream, when I was prepared, and I knotted a peacock hippie stomper to my line and then added a beadhead hares ear nymph as a dropper. I extended the dropper tippet so that I had approximately three feet of leader below the stomper. The creek was relatively low, and I fishing marginal slots and riffles in the first fifteen minutes. I experienced one refusal to the hippie stomper in a nice deep run, and I landed a sub six inch brown trout on the hares ear.

Decent Brown Took Hippie Stomper

The next phase of my outing, however, took a positive turn. In a long relatively deep pool I flicked a cast toward the right bank. and suddenly the hippie stomper exploded, as a trout consumed the fake attractor. I immediately recognized a nice trout was on my line, and I was proven correct, when I slipped my net beneath a fifteen inch cutbow. What a surprise! The trout had a bronze background color on the body and a thin stripe of scarlet along its sides.

Hippie Stomper Brown Was Right Below the Large Exposed Boulder

Shortly after this reward for my efforts in February, a brown trout rose to slurp the stomper. Two trout on dry flies was more than I could have hoped for. I continued up the stream, as I looked for spots with depth, and I soon discovered that my beadhead hares ear broke off. It was not delivering much interest, so I replaced it with a size 14 ultra zug bug.

Pretty Brown Released

I now moved at a faster pace, as I knew that lingering on marginal water was a waste of time. I sought slower moving locations with a fair amount of depth, and this strategy paid off, as I landed another five over the remainder of my outing to boost the final total to seven. I was quite pleased with seven trout in two hours of fishing including the fifteen inch cutbow.

Love the Scarlet Stripe Visible

Two of the additional landed trout were small rainbows, and the remaining three were brown trout in the nine to eleven inch range. The ultra zug bug accounted for the last five landed fish, as the hippie stomper assumed the role of indicator. I did witness another refusal to the hippie stomper.

Rainbow Came from This Nice Deep Run

By 4:15PM the shadows spanned the entire creek, and my hands were quite chilled, thus forcing me to abandon my sungloves. I covered several very attractive deep pools created by stream improvements, but the fish did not seem to be present in these prime lies. At 4:15PM I stripped in my flies and hooked them to my rod guide and hoofed back to my car.

Friday was a successful day on the last date in February. The one negative to the day was a wet right foot, as I squeezed quite a bit of water from my Smart Wool sock. The wetness began around my ankle, so I will attempt to remedy this situation on Saturday afternoon, if the weather cooperates.

Fish Landed: 7

Boulder Creek – 02/07/2025

Time: 1:40PM – 3:30PM

Location: City of Boulder, CO

Boulder Creek 02/07/2025 Photo Album

As I looked ahead at the weather, I noticed the high temperature in Denver, CO on Friday, February 7, 2025 was predicted to be 65 degrees. Could this be my first day of fly fishing in 2025?

I reviewed my Weather Underground app for potential fly fishing destinations, but I quickly learned that high winds were the prevailing weather for Friday. South Boulder Creek was windy and cold, and Clear Creek’s display showed a similar circumstance. I shifted my attention to the South Platte River, and Cheesman Canyon, Deckers and Eleven Mile Canyon were  facing high wind velocities. The only locales that seemed to dodge the gusting wind forecast were Boulder Creek and Bear Creek, and I quickly settled on Boulder Creek due to its proximity.

Low and Clear at the Start

The air temperatures were not expected to reach the fifties until noon, so I decided to play pickleball in the morning and then make the short drive to Boulder. I prepared my lunch on Thursday evening and gathered up some of my essential fly fishing gear, but I was not fully committed in case the wind became a factor in Boulder as well. By the time Jane and I returned from pickleball, it was 12:15PM, so I quickly packed the remainder of my necessary gear, and I consumed my standard lunch. One of the items that I retrieved for my initial fishing outing of 2025 was my new pair of Simms wading boots.

Site of the First Fish of 2025

I arrived at my chosen parking lot in Boulder by 1:25PM, and this enabled me to perch my new boots along the edge of the creek by 1:40PM. I wore my Under Armour long sleeve insulated shirt, my fishing shirt and a fleece layer, and I was actually dressed too warm, as the thermometer peaked at 65 degrees. Boulder citizens and students were out in mass enjoying the unseasonably warm winter day.About to Release Number One

I chose my Orvis Access four weight and marched to the edge of the river near a bridge and began my upstream migration. The water was quite low and clear, although I was unable to check the flows due to ice and snow on the gauge. I tied a peacock hippie stomper to my line, and when I attempted to extend leader from the bend of the stomper to add a nymph, I discovered that my 5X spool only held four inches. This forced me to remove my frontpack and backpack, as I searched the backpack pocket for a new spool. It was there, and I swapped it with the empty spool on my tippet minder, and I added a beadhead hares ear nymph on a two foot leader.

Run Next to Overhanging Bank Produced

For the next two hours I proceeded upstream through some very shallow stretches and along a few ice shelves, as I prospected the two fly dry/dropper. The two hours actually exceeded my expectations, as I landed two brown trout that gobbled the hares ear. The first trout was a respectable twelve inch fish, and number two was eight or nine inches. Nevertheless, I was quite pleased to begin 2025 with a two fish day in February.

Little Number Two

I skipped the shallow sections and searched for faster moving riffles and runs at the entry point to deep pools. I was forced to stay back and execute long casts in order to avoid spooking any fish in the thin water. Both my catches came from the type of water I just described.

Friday was a spectacular day in February, and I managed to land a pair of fish to begin the new year. Hopefully I will not have to wait too long for another mild day, but I am certainly prepared to do so.

Fish Landed: 2

South Platte River – 11/15/2024

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