Time: 12:30PM –  3:00PM

Location: Near Carbondale

Roaring Fork River 04/11/2026 Photo Album

Jane and I spent the weekend with our daughter, Amy, in Carbondale, CO; and I was free for some fly fishing on Saturday. I checked the conditions on the Roaring Fork River and the Frying Pan River, and the flows on the Frying Pan were quite low at 47 CFS. The Roaring Fork flows were 275 CFS, and since we were staying in Carbondale, I was easily able to observe the excellent clarity of the river. Based on this evaluation and the close proximity of the Roaring Fork given my limited window of time, I chose to drive to the Roaring Fork River.

The temperature was in the low seventies, as I prepared to fish, but dark and threatening clouds appeared on the western horizon, so I pulled on my raincoat as a windbreaker and in case of rain. I assembled my Sage One five weight, and I immediately paid a visit to the large pool just down the river from the parking lot. I experienced quite a bit of success in this area on a previous visit during a blue wing olive hatch, and I was seeking a similar result on this Saturday visit.

Another angler occupied the very top of the huge pool, so I ambled to the tail and paused to observe. I saw no rises, but I decided to give a double dry fly configuration a try just in case. I tied on a peacock hippie stomper for visibility and added a mole fly on an eighteen inch dropper. I waded to the middle of the river, so I could make some long casts to the bottom corner of the pool. I paused again to observe, but no heads were showing, so I made some prospecting casts and hoped for some surprise takes. After twenty casts, I concluded that my approach was futile, and I decided to move up the river to some faster sections.

I hooked my fly in the guide and hiked along the path for .3 mile, whereupon I cut down a path to the river and resumed my attempt to land a Roaring Fork trout. The section I entered consisted of many long, deep troughs and pockets and runs. In short, this was the type of water that typically produces results with a dry/dropper approach. I removed the double dry flies and replaced them with an amber ice dub chubby Chernobyl, 20 incher and olive perdigon. I felt a renewed confidence in my chances for success.

I drifted the three fly offering through some very attractive spots, but the fish were not interested, and my recent optimism quickly faded. After covering quite a bit of prime water, I cast to a narrow seam that suggested it was probably too fast for a trout to hold, but much to my surprise I saw the chubby dive, and I quickly set the hook. Instantly a torpedo of a rainbow trout streaked down the river. I allowed the bullet to run, but then it leaped above the surface and tossed aside my fly. Based on my brief glimpse of the fish, I guessed that the rainbow was in the fifteen to eighteen inch range. I paused to allow my heart beat to return to normal, and then I resumed my upstream progression.

Only Fish of the Day from This Area

After a short interval I came upon a place where some riffles of moderate depth ran along the left bank. There were some tree branches protruding over the water by a foot or so, and I began to cast directly upstream with a concerted effort to avoid the tree branches. On the third drift I spotted a flash to my fly, and I set the hook. A brief struggle ensued, as a fifteen inch brown trout battled for its freedom. In this instance I was able to land the noble foe, and the skunk was off.

Nice Brown Trout

Once again I moved up the river, but the signs of trout disappeared. During this dry/dropper period I cycled through a classic RS2, an emerald caddis pupa, a hares ear nymph, and a salvation nymph, but none of these offerings were winners. I passed a section where whitewater entered a long section of pockets and runs, and then I circled around a wide shallow area. Eventually I reached another more attractive riffle and run stretch, but I encountered a no trespassing sign, and this forced me to retreat.

I ran out of public real estate, so I retreated back to the pool near the parking lot. By now four anglers had arrived, and they were spread out through the pool, although I could have occupied the lower fourth. I keenly observed for a bit for a hatch and rises, but seeing none, I decided to explore downstream. I hiked a well worn path, and in short order I faced a sign that said no hunting, trapping or horses; but it did not mention fishing. I continued on my walk, and after another fifty yards, I encountered another white and red sign that warned against trespassing. In this case it mentioned the same outdoor activities not allowed including fishing, but fishing was scratched out. Was this legitimate or an act of vandalism? I concluded the latter and turned around. Another clue was that the next section ran across a property, where the ground was cleared of the typical woodland debris in a quasi yard.

I returned to the pool, and I once again I observed for rises, but none were forthcoming. The last of the four pool occupants had slid down the river a bit, so with no hatch in progress, I was not going to risk crowding him. I decided to move up the river to another public area.

I drove another four miles to a bumpy parking lot and retrieved my gear. The sky was still threatening, and I was pleased to be wearing my raincoat. I hiked down a path and found my way to the Roaring Fork River downstream from a section I fished on a prior visit. I was covering new ground, or should I say water, once again. I cherry picked some very attractive runs and seams, until I came back to close proximity of the trail; but, alas, this period of fly fishing in a new locale yielded no fish. By now my watch was showing 3:00PM, so I climbed the bank and returned to the parking lot.

2.5 hours of fishing yielded one landed fish, albeit a very respectable brown trout. I tangled briefly with a very nice rainbow trout, but I saw very little in the way of insect activity. I was perplexed by the lack of blue wing olives given the very overcast conditions. Baetis typically love cloudiness for their emergences. Not every outing can be a roaring success, and Saturday certainly was a bit disappointing.

Fish Landed: 1

Time: 10:00AM – 12:00PM

Location: Near Carbondale, CO

Roaring Fork River 03/21/2026 Photo Album

Jane and Amy reserved a time slot to hike to Hanging Lake at 2:00PM, so my fishing window was confined to the late morning on Saturday, March 21. I knew that prime hours for hatch activity were 1:00PM – 4:00PM, but I needed to optimize the window I was allocated. I chose to fish another section of the Roaring Fork relatively close to Carbondale.

I arrived at a parking area at 9:50AM, and I quickly prepared to fish. I rigged my Sage One five weight, and I pulled on my raincoat for some additional warmth, as the temperature was in the low fifties. I was not very familiar with the area, so I chose an upper trail out of the lot, and this necessitated a .3 mile hike, before I found a worn path to the river. A trail sign at the parking lot displayed “fisherman access”, and I now know this was probably the means to accessing the lower river next to the parking lot.

This Spot Teased Me

To begin I rigged a gray chubby Chernobyl, a 20 incher, and an olive perdigon. For the first hour the fish failed to cooperate. I fished some very attractive runs and holes with nary a fish sighting. During this time I cycled through the olive perdigon and an olive midge larva, before settling on a Frenchie.

Big Gap in My Grip

The dry/dropper finally clicked with the 20 incher and Frenchie, and I landed two superb trout in the eighteen inch range. One was a hook jawed brown, and the other was a rainbow. These fish emerged from a nice band of slower moving riffle water along the left bank over moderate depth. Apparently the warming temperatures woke up the fish from their cold night stupor. The brown chomped the 20 incher, and the rainbow snatched the Frenchie.

Rainbow of Similar Size

I continued moving up the river along the left bank and landed a twelve inch brown trout on the 20 incher to boost the fish count to three. A short lull ensued, as the clock ticked toward noon, my chosen departure time. By 11:45AM I approached a deep angled pool above a dense collection of driftwood that formed a makeshift dam. I climbed on top of the stick dam, and I began to fire casts to the deep hole.

Just before this approach I noticed a stray strand of something poking out from the 20 incher. I stripped in the fly to discover that the strand was a spike of tinsel rib that had apparently been cut by the teeth of a trout. I nipped off the rogue strand of wire to create a ribless 20 incher. Perhaps my lull was attributable to the damaged fly, because my third cast to the curled deep hole resulted in a take, and I battled an energetic fourteen inch rainbow into my net. I held my rod high and stripped quickly to prevent the bow from running beneath the stick dam, as that would have been game over.

Scene of Bank Eaters

Upon releasing the rainbow, I flicked a cast to the slower shelf section of the pool, and a ten inch brown immediately crushed the ribless 20 incher. By now it was quitting time, but I executed the proverbial last cast, and the chubby dipped thus provoking a hook set. I was connected to a very energetic rainbow, and I once again raised my rod high to prevent branch entanglement; however, in this instance, the estimated thirteen inch rainbow popped free.

It was now minutes after noon, so I hooked the Frenchie to my rod guide and hustled back to the car to meet my Hanging Lake engagement. Saturday was another surprise success on another new stretch of the Roaring Fork River. The ratio of large to small fish during my two brief days was amazing. Amy can expect plenty of future visits from her dad to the Roaring Fork Valley.

Fish Landed: 5

Time: 3:00PM – 5:30PM

Location: Near Carbondale, CO

Roaring Fork River 03/20/2026 Photo Album

I love exploring new water, and Friday was one of those days. Jane and I drove from Louisville, CO to Carbondale, CO on Thursday evening and checked into a hotel room. We reserved Thursday through Saturday nights, while we visited with daughter, Amy, on the weekend. Originally Friday was planned as a ski day, but high temperatures in the 80’s scuttled that plan. Instead we completed a two mile hike on the Marian Gulch Trail among intermittent mud and ice sections. We had two dogs to keep us company. After the hike we walked to Plosky’s Deli for sandwiches, and then I departed for the Roaring Fork River.

I debated between the Frying Pan and Roaring Fork, but flows of 41 CFS out of Ruedi Reservoir persuaded me to pass on the low water that probably required technical fishing. In addition, my late start made the closer Roaring Fork a more convenient option.

I arrived at my chosen parking lot, and as I prepared to fish, another angler arrived. He advised me to go downstream from the bridge to a pool that he just vacated. He offered that a blue wing olive hatch was in progress, but he also mentioned that there was another fisherman in place. I rigged my Sage One five weight, and the warm temperatures allowed me to simply wear my fishing shirt with no additional layers.

Promising Ahead

When I hiked down the path to the river, I peered under the bridge, and sure enough an angler was waded into the middle of the pool. I decided to adhere to my original plan, and I hiked for .3 mile upstream. I bypassed a long section of wide, shallow water, before I cut to the bank, where I noticed more depth. To begin I knotted a gray body chubby Chernobyl to my leader, and then I added a 20 incher and olive perdigon. These have been hot flies in recent spring outings.

I prospected some decent pockets and runs, but the fish did not cooperate. The flies were hanging up fairly frequently, so I swapped the 20 incher for a RS2 and moved the perdigon to the upper position. After quite a bit of casting through relatively attractive structure, I managed to land a twelve inch brown that snatched the perdigon. I also experienced a temporary connection, but for the most part my flies were ignored. I cycled through the RS2, a sniper baetis, and a crystal stone nymph, but none of those flies created interest.

Nice Moderate Depth and Velocity

I returned to the 20 incher as the top fly and placed the perdigon on the bottom, and still the fish showed no interest. By this time it was 4:30PM, and I approached the fast water that fed a nice pool and pockets, so I decided to hike back toward the bridge to cherry pick prime lies.

Mole Fly Produced

As it turned out, most of the intervening section was the unattractive wide and shallow area, so I arrived at a moderately attractive run above the bridge. A man was just exiting the river in wet shorts after taking a dip on the first day of spring, but he told me his swim was limited to a small deep spot next to the beach. I cast up the river to the attractive seam along the faster current, but once again futility was the result.

I gazed under the bridge and noted an angler in the pool, but it was a long section of slower moving water, so I gambled that I could fish the tail below the other fisherman. I crossed the road and found the path, and just as I was about to pass the other angler, he shouted that he was leaving, and I was welcome to his spot. I accepted his invitation and moved toward the upper one-third of the long pool.

Gorgeous

I noticed a few straggling mayflies, as they flitted about, and some sporadic rises resulted. I paused briefly to observe, and then I decided to migrate to a double dry approach. I removed the three fly dry/dropper and added a peacock hippie stomper trailing a size 20 mole fly on an eighteen inch dropper of 5X tippet. I tied a small batch of mole flies several weeks ago, since they were highly recommended by Charlie Craven, so I was anxious to give them a try.

Between 4:30PM and 5:30PM I cast this combination, and the results were gratifying. Initially I focused on sporadic rises near the midsection, but this was futile, and the downstream area was in a glare, so I waded to the tail for better visibility. Sure enough, when I stared across the pool, I could see more regular rises near the far bank. The river was shallow enough that I could wade beyond the middle of the pool and cast to the bottom corner. Much to my delight a pair of eighteen inch fish grabbed the mole fly. These were stunning wild and large fish, and I was transported into a state of euphoria. My confidence in the mole fly soared.

Fought Hard

The rises in the “corner” area slowed, so I turned my attention upstream. A splashy rise upstream and left of center caught my attention, so I fired a series of casts to the area, and on the third drift, a fourteen inch rainbow smacked the hippie stomper. I was incredulous.

The number of rises now slowed, so I decided to begin my exit. I crossed to the east bank, and as I began wading the shallows, I noticed three successive rises within a small area. I decided to make another attempt. On the fifth cast to the area of the rises, a bulge appeared near the hippie stomper, and I reacted with a swift hookset. Voila! I was connected, and a brief battle ensued, before I slid my net beneath a marvelous brown that approximated twenty inches. What a fish! It had the mole fly in its mouth. Perhaps Charlie is not exaggerating the effectiveness of his simple mole fly.

Fish of the Week

It was now 5:30 PM, so I called it a day, but some fairly regular feeding continued under the bridge near the far bank. I left these for another day. A day that began as a dud, evolved into a very rewarding outing, as I landed five trout and four sipped dry flies in the last hour of fishing. I missed the main hatch, but enough straggling baetis initiated sporadic feeding that allowed me to spot fish. The four trout landed on dries were all very fine wild specimen in the fourteen to twenty inch range. The last brown trout was quite the beast. I definitely found a new section of the river to explore more extensively.

Fish Landed: 5

Time: 11:00AM – 3:15PM

Location: Upstream from first footbridge

Hunter Creek 07/23/2024 Photo Album

Hunter Creek was another small stream on my list to explore. After a day on this mountain stream, I am able to check it off. Similar to Cross Creek, I landed 100% brook trout. I counted 41 that met my minimum length standard of six inches, but I probably had an additional twenty that did not make the cut. The brook trout that made my fish count ranged between six and nine inches, but the numbers were heavily weighted on the six inch side.

Indian Paintbrush in Abundance

Lots of Pocket Water in This Creek

Early in my day I fished a fat Albert with a beadhead hares ear nymph, and I managed to land five on the nymph, but I quickly learned that the dry/dropper approach was too cumbersome for the tight quarters of Hunter Creek. The dropper was constantly grabbing branches, and the small trout created some nasty snarls. I decided to try a Chernobyl ant solo. The all foam fly required no backcast to dry, and the yellow indicator foam was relatively visible. Most importantly the trout liked it, and I moved the fish count from five to thirty. The Chernobyl was not perfect, as the many hookups were accompanied by refusals and premature releases.

Orange and Yellow Dominate

One of the better Pools

After I notched number thirty, I decided to experiment with a size 12 yellow stimulator. This fly was also effective, as the fish count climbed to forty-one by the time I quit at 3:15PM. Just before I quit, one of my wading boots slid on a slimy underwater branch, and this sent me into a pirouette that ended with my wader bib dipping beneath the surface of the creek. It actually felt refreshing on a warm July day, and the water never trickled to my lower legs and feet.

Pastel Colors

Another Prime Pool

Brook Trout Perfection Here

Once again I experienced a fun and active day catching an abundant quantity of small brook trout. Similar to Cross Creek, I am not sure the small trout justify the hike and difficult wading. In fairness to Hunter Creek, the wading was far less challenging. The main obstacle to movement was the thick trees and bushes that reached over the water and prevented upstream movement on land. I was forced to execute some extreme body contortions to climb over large rocks and fallen logs, and this is always a challenge for a 73 year old angler. I now know what Hunter Creek has to offer, although I may never fish it again.

Fish Landed: 41

Time: 9:30AM – 3:30PM

Location: Between Aspen Highlands and Maroon Lake

Maroon Creek 08/30/2023 Photo Album

Wow. I explored another high elevation mountain stream in Colorado. How was it? Read on.

In August of 2022 my wife, Jane, and daughter, Amy, accompanied me on an e-bike excursion from Aspen Highlands to Maroon Lake and back. Along the way I was in awe of Maroon Creek, as it tumbled along the valley floor toward its junction with the Roaring Fork River near Aspen, CO. I knew that one needed to take a shuttle from May through October to reach Maroon Lake and the fabled photography site for the Maroon Bells. Would the shuttle drop off fishermen at points in between? Fishing before and after the shuttle period was another option, but November and April would be quite chilly at that elevation. My daughter pointed out that autos were allowed to drive before 8:00AM or after 5:00PM. Given all the logistical issues with accessing Maroon Creek, I was convinced that the fishery was lightly pressured and worth the effort to explore.

On Wednesday, August 30, fly fishing on Maroon Creek became a reality. As I prepared for the Maroon Creek adventure, I called the White River National Forest ranger district office in Carbondale. The folks there were extremely helpful, and I found myself at the East Maroon Portal on Wednesday morning at 8:30AM. The air temperature was fifty degrees, so I procrastinated my preparation for thirty minutes, while I waited for the sun to rise and warm the high elevation valley. Eventually I assembled my Orvis Access four weight and pulled on my fleece and rain shell, and I crossed the pedestrian bridge to access the Maroon Creek Trail on the east side of the creek. The temperature eventually rose into the seventies, and I shed my rain shell, but I removed and added back the fleece several times during the day in accordance with the fluctuating cloud cover.

Massive Pool

The man that I spoke to at the ranger district office mentioned a huge and very popular pool downstream from the bridge crossing, and the young lady at the welcome station echoed his recommendation, so I veered to the left and wandered downstream along the trail for forty yards. Sure enough, a huge horseshoe shaped pool appeared where the creek made a sharp, greater than ninety degree bend. Wide shelf pools existed on both sides of the main current which deflected off the eastern bank and turned back toward the northwest. I found a gap in the bushes to allow unobstructed backcasts on the eastern bank, and I rigged with a tan size 8 pool toy hopper and a salvation nymph. I was new to the pool and somewhat intimidated by the size, but I began lobbing casts to the main current. The entire area was shrouded in shade, but a glare made following my fly difficult, as it bounced along the entering center current. Much to my surprise, as I was prospecting left, right and straight ahead; several rises appeared. I attempted to spot some casts in the vicinity of the surface feeders, but I managed only a refusal for my efforts. At least five rises were visible, so I decided to abandon the dry/dropper and switched to a single olive-brown size 14 deer hair caddis. A caddis is always my go to default, when I am uncertain about the source of trout feeding, but in this case the ploy failed, and after fifteen minutes of futile casting, I surrendered to the pool and resumed my original plan.

I walked back to the bridge and picked up the Maroon Creek Trail which paralleled the creek southward to the junction of East and West Maroon Creeks. A crude estimate on the parking lot map suggested that the creek ran a mile from the East Maroon Creek Portal to the confluence, so I hiked for .3 mile to get away from the parking lot but also to allow sufficient stream distance to cover over the course of the day. The trail began to angle uphill and away from the creek, so I cut through the woods and quickly found a space between the trees to access the creek.

This Small Pocket Produced Quite a Few Trout

Big Mouth

Between 10:00AM and 3:30PM I battled my way southward, and I landed thirty-six trout. This sounds like a resounding success, but this fish count was achieved with a large amount of adversity. The gradient for the .7 mile of creek coverage was rather severe, and this limited the fish holding lies quite a bit. At least four times I was forced to bash through thick bank vegetation in order to advance due to very swift current across the entire creek bed accompanied by thick brush and bushes tight to the water. The other downside was the size of the fish. Of the thirty-six fish that rested in my net, thirty-four were brook trout, and the largest of these catches stretched the measuring tape to ten inches. The predominant length was six inches, but these char made up for lack of size with their brilliant display of colors. Orange bellies, white-edged fins and elaborate patterns of aqua, green, yellow and purple vermiculation on the backs of these fish dazzled my eyes. Two of the landed trout were cutthroats, and these were eleven and twelve inch fish that offered significant pound for pound resistance.

So Pretty

Lots of Orange

I cycled through a range of flies during my day on the rapidly tumbling mountain stream, but the top producers were the size 8 tan pool toy hopper and a size 14 peacock hippie stomper. During the early morning session I utilized a deer hair caddis, the pool toy with a salvation nymph and then a prince nymph. By lunchtime at 11:45 these flies produced sixteen trout, but in truth all but one smacked the pool toy hopper. Ten of the sixteen trout came from two honey holes that featured slow current and at least four feet of depth. If I could find productive water, the fish were there.

Rare Trout Holding Spot

After lunch I switched to a single classic Chernobyl ant for the exceptional floatation qualities, but it only induced one take. Next I tried a yellow size 8 fat Albert with a salvation nymph dropper, and this combination delivered another hungry brook trout, but clearly I was bypassing some attractive spots with no success. I paused and analyzed the situation, and I converted to a single dry fly in the form of a tan-bodied size 14 chubby Chernobyl. I was optimistic about this fly, but it attracted one fish and then failed to produce thus provoking another change.

Under Control

For the remainder of the afternoon I cast a double dry offering, and the one constant was the hippie stomper. I boosted the fish count from eighteen to thirty-six, and the stomper was complemented with a purple haze and parachute green drake; and toward the end, the hippie stomper was fished solo. The purple haze and green drake accounted for a combined total of five fish, so the hippie stomper was the overwhelming star of the afternoon and only trailed the pool toy on the day.

Prime Pool

Pool Resident

Upper End of Pool Produced As Well

Toward the end of my adventure on Maroon Creek I encountered some massive deep pools upstream from some huge log jams. The water was over six feet deep with a significant amount of dead logs, and these locales harbored quite a few colorful brook trout. As I moved upstream, I monitored the surrounding terrain, and for awhile both sides of the creek featured steep banks, and I grew concerned about my ability to find an exit point. Beyond the last deep pool, the left ridge moderated, and when I approached a spot that was clear of trees and bushes, I decided to take advantage. At 3:30 I tucked my fly in the rod guide and mounted the bank, and then I ambled perpendicular to the stream through some tall grass and thistles, until I intersected with the trail. One mile later I was back at the parking lot and climbing out of my waders.

Cutthroat Number Two

Home of Cutthroat

Maroon Creek certainly ranks among my favorite outings of 2023, but unlike others that featured large fish or quantities of fish, the appeal of Wednesday was the feeling of remoteness and venturing, where others may not have attempted. I also felt a sense of accomplishment from being able to endure fast water and difficult wading conditions during my senior citizen status. I was extremely cautious, and in many circumstances I was very measured with each step or in planning my moves over logs, rocks and between nettlesome bushes and branches. Of course, the spectacular surroundings were another plus, and simply developing a successful plan that afforded access to Maroon Creek provided a deep sense of accomplishment. Would I return? Possibly. A lot of unexplored creek remains, and I suspect that some lower gradient sections might offer superior fly fishing. Getting familiar with a creek is another challenge that I enjoy. Wednesday was a lot of effort for small fish, but that is certainly part of the fly fishing equation.

Fish Landed: 36

Time: 9:30AM – 4:30PM

Location: Carbondale to Glenwood Springs

Roaring Fork River 07/21/2023 Photo Album

Friday, July, 21, 2023 was my second scheduled guided float trip of 2023. I completed my first float on the Eagle River on 07/07/2023. As I mentioned in the 07/07/2023 post, my friend, Dave G., booked around ten trips per year, and I signed up to share two dates with him. Jane and I drove to the home of Dave G. and his wife, Beth, on Thursday evening, and I was situated perfectly for an early start on Friday morning. Dave G. transported us from his home in Eagle, CO to our meeting location with Reed of Cutthroat Anglers. Reed has been our guide for nearly all of our guided float trips, and he does a tremendous job of choosing the right rivers, flies and trout lies that lead to consistent success. For Friday, Reed selected the Roaring Fork River as our destination. Flows between Carbondale and Glenwood Springs remained on the high side and ranged between 1,000 and 2,000 CFS, but the river was crystal clear, as we unloaded the drift boat just below the CO 133 bridge in Carbondale.

Ready to Start

I assembled a Scott five weight owned by Dave G., as Reed felt that its flex was more appropriate for dry fly casting than the Sage One five weight that I waved on my previous float trip. The launch site was quite crowded with anglers, but we were able to depart on our float trip by 9:30AM. Reed rigged a dry/dropper rod and a dry fly rod for each of us, and I began the day in the rear of the drift boat. The air temperature was already in the seventies, and it peaked around ninety degrees on the warm summer day.

Reed Creation

Rear Fly

Except for a short period of dry/dropper fishing in the mid-morning time frame, Dave G. and I tossed double dry fly offerings for most of the day. We cycled through quite a few flies, but the most effective were a size twelve parachute mayfly imitation with an iridescent purple body and a trailing shuck for a tail. Another favorite was a size 16 parachute with a bright yellow wing and a brown body. The latter seemed to work well during the early afternoon, when a sparse pale morning dun hatch was visible. Other flies included a parachute hares ear, a tan foam hopper, an extended body green drake and purple hazes of varying sizes.

Lunch View

My casting was vastly improved compared to 07/07/2023, and I was able to consistently place my casts within a foot of the bank, when the conditions dictated. Dave G. and I switched places twice, and my stint in the bow was in the late morning and early afternoon. During this time I enjoyed decent success; however, my performance in the rear did not lag significantly. We spent nearly the entire day banging the banks, as Reed rowed us back and forth from left to right depending on how promising each side of the river projected. Casting accuracy, and the ability to mend and reach cast to achieve long drag free drifts were the keys to success. As I observed the fishermen in the other rafts and boats, I noted that most were sporting nymph rigs with large Thingamabobbers hugging their lines. Our approach enabled us to fish areas of the river that were avoided by the deep nymphing crowd.

Representative

Did the results justify the approach? I am pleased to report that I landed fourteen trout over the course of six hours of casting. Four were brown trout, with the first fish of the day being a sturdy fifteen inch brown that grabbed a pheasant tail tied on a jig style hook. Reed called this fly a Frenchie. The other three browns were “small” fish in the twelve inch range. The other ten landed trout were rainbows and cutbows, and two were twelve inchers, while the remainder measured between fourteen and eighteen inches. The cutbows were particularly noteworthy with red cheeks, orange slashes and a background of speckles behind a pink stripe along the side. Several of the cutbows exhibited a relaxed approach to eating, as they circled around their targeted prey, before they chomped down on my fly.

Nose Up Location

In one memorable instance, Reed pulled the boat along the shoreline to work on Dave G.’s line. I decided to cast upstream from the stern to a slow moving shelf pool, and as the flies sat stationary, a large mouth materialized to chomp on the PMD parachute. It was quite a thrill to catch a very respectable cutbow without the guidance of Reed, although I do not mean to imply that I do not value his expert advice and direction. In another case shortly thereafter, Dave G. hooked a very fine fish near a foam patch. As he was battling his fish, I decided to toss a cast to the left of the boat and near the same foam area. Dave G.’s trout would periodically swirl near the surface, as it resisted attempts to be landed. I spotted one of these swirls near my flies, so I lifted to remove them and to avoid a tangle. Much to my surprise, the swirl was to my flies, and I found myself attached to an angry cutbow. Dave G. and I did our best to maintain a safe distance between the fish, and eventually we landed them both to record a cutbow double. Excitement ruled the boat for a good fifteen minutes.

Cutbow Double

Nine very robust trout in the fourteen to eighteen inch range represents a very successful day in my book. These fish were energized and unwilling to bow easily to the pressure of our rods. My casting and line management was vastly improved compared to my previous trip, and I was very satisfied with my fourteen fish day on the Roaring Fork River. I look forward to my next fly fishing adventure of 2023.

Fish Landed: 14

Time: 11:00AM – 6:30PM

Location: Carbondale to Glenwood Springs

Roaring Fork River 06/29/2022 Photo Album

My friend, Dave Gaboury, typically books ten guided float trips throughout the fly fishing season, and he invites me to join him on as many, as I choose to. For 2022 I selected two dates, and the first one arrived on Wednesday, June, 29, 2022. As you will note on my previous post, Dave G. invited me to meet him on Tuesday to fish the club water on the Eagle River. I stayed at Dave’s house in Eagle, CO on Tuesday night, and on Wednesday morning we met our guide, Reed, with Cutthroat Anglers at the Eagle rest area. We stowed our gear in Reed’s SUV, and he drove us to the boat launch just below the CO 133 bridge in Carbondale, where we launched the drift boat for a day of fly fishing.

Our Driftboat Ready to Launch

The temperature was in the seventies and very comfortable, as we began at 11:00AM. Two afternoon thunderstorms caused us to pull on our raincoats, and the sky was cloudy off and on for much of the afternoon. The flows on the Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs were 1700 CFS. The river was high but very clear and almost ideal for float fishing.

Wet Edna Joins Dave G.

We began our trip with Dave G. in the bow, while I manned the rear. We switched positions after a late lunch at 1:30PM. Our mode of operation for the day was pretty consistent. Reed set us up with relatively large dry flies, and we cast double dries to the banks. When we encountered a very attractive long pool and eddy, Reed rowed us into a nose up or rear forward position, so that one of us could shoot long casts upstream. This technique produced positive results quite often.

A Cripple Was on the Morning Menu

Parachute Hares Ear

We cycled through quite a few different flies, but the most productive was easily a size 14 or 12 purple haze. Other flies that delivered results during different time frames throughout the day were a parachute hares ear, rusty haze, parachute pale morning dun, and an extended body green drake.

A Respectable Brown Trout

A Quick Shot of a Rainbow

I landed ten fish from the rear position in the morning and early afternoon, and then I more than doubled the fish count to twenty-two by the end of the day from the forward spot. I estimate the mix of fish to have been five cutbows, five brown trout; and the remainder were rainbows. Roaring Fork River trout were a blast to catch, as most fell within the fourteen to eighteen inch range. The fish in this river were not weak, washed out stockers, but thick, wild fighters that featured streaking runs. My arm and back muscles were severely tested by all the fish on my line, and I was pleased to be using 3X tippet to prevent breakoffs.

The Roaring Fork and Mt. Sopris

Solid casting skills were definitely an advantage during this type of fast-paced bank fishing. The ability to cast forty feet to locations within a foot of the bank was quite valuable. In addition, reach casts and mending capability enhanced the probability of connecting with trout. My shoulder, neck and arm were very fatigued by the end of our Wednesday adventure.

A Convoy

My favorite moments were a pair of slow motion eats in relatively shallow and rocky lies near the bank. Seeing a large fish slowly close on a naturally drifting dry fly after executing an accurate cast is hard to beat. I have one more guided trip scheduled for July, and I am eagerly looking forward to it.

Fish Landed: 22