Time: 9:45AM – 2:30PM

Location: Between Buford and Trappers Lake

North Fork of the White River 09/18/2026 Photo Album

Friday was my getaway day, so I selected a stretch of the North Fork, where I remained closer to the road for an early departure. I completed all the required tasks for vacating the Pinon cabin at the Ute Lodge and drove to the pullout chosen for fly fishing access.

Lots of Fly Snaggers

The weather forecast predicted a chance of thunderstorms beginning at 1PM and continuing throughout the afternoon. The air temperature was 52 degrees, so I wore my raincoat for warmth and rain protection. Knowing that temperatures can drop precipitously with the onset of a storm caused me to tie a fleece hoodie around my waist and under my waders. As it turned out, a storm never developed, and the hoodie remained around my waist the entire day. For a fly rod I chose my Loomis two piece five weight.

Odd Spot Arrangement

Marvelous Pool

Friday turned out to be one of my best days of 2026, yet it was also weird. I began fishing at 9:45AM and took a lunch break at 11:45AM, and I landed five trout during the two hours in the morning. Throughout this time, I deployed a tan size 10 mini chubby supplemented with a size 14 prince nymph and a size 16 salvation nymph. When I sensed that I was covering prime spots with no success, I shifted to a tan size 8 pool toy hopper trailing a 20 incher. I felt the three fly dry/dropper was too long and snagging bottom too often, and the length was inhibiting the natural drift. In spite of these supposed shortcomings, the five landed fish were beautiful rainbows with thick bodies in the thirteen to fifteen inch range.

Cradled

After lunch I persisted with the hopper and 20 incher and slowly increased the count to eight. I was beginning to fear that Friday was a single digit day, and that is very unusual for the stretch of creek that I was fishing.

Big Tail

Another Shelf Pool

I decided to make a radical change. I migrated to a double dry featuring my ever reliable peacock hippie stomper and a size 16 deer hair caddis with a medium olive body. Initially these flies were ignored, but when I arrived at a wide riffle section, the results suddenly shifted. Suddenly the caddis could not be refused by the resident trout.

A Favorite Spot

Between 12:30PM and 2:30PM I progressed up the stream at a fairly brisk pace, and the dries were on fire. The fish count climbed from eight to thirty-eight in two hours of torrid fly fishing. Five eager eaters snatched the hippie stomper, and the remaining twenty-five grabbed the caddis. It seemed that every viable fish holding locale produced a fish. In fact, some extremely marginal spots also yielded trout.

Another Beast Brook Trout

One might guess that I was landing an abundant quantity of small fish, but that was far from being the case. Many of the netted trout were spectacular wild rainbows and cutbows in the thirteen to fifteen inch range. These fish were healthy as evidenced by their array of bright colors and their thick muscular bodies.

Prime Habitat

Why did I label Friday weird? I was convinced that it was going to be a slow single digit day up until 12:30PM, and then suddenly the action was on fire, and the fish emerged from everywhere. Looking back, I offer two factors of explanation. First, the morning section of the stream was characterized by a steep gradient and few viable fish holding locations. Second, the stream temperature moved into ideal feeding ranges, and the trout stopped hugging the bottom and aggressively sought food. Another oddity was the shift in ratio of brook trout compared to cutbows/rainbows. In past years I probably landed 60% brook trout and 40% bows. During Friday I estimate the ratio to have been 75% rainbows and cutbows vs. 25% brook trout. It was a weird day in many respects, but I will accept that weirdness any day, if it produces large quantities of quality fish. It was a blast and a great way to end my week.

Fish Landed: 38

Time: 2:30PM – 5:00PM

Location: National forest

Marvine Creek 09/17/2026 Photo Album

Well, Thursday did not develop as anticipated. Rain began falling Wednesday evening and continued through the night and into the morning. I repeatedly visited the porch to check the intensity of the rain while also viewing Weather Underground to study the radar map. Initially Weather Underground indicated that the rain would stop by noon, but eventually the rain cloud icon slid to 2:00PM. Several periods of heavy rain interrupted the steady soaking. I did my New York Times games and read my book and ate the lunch I packed , when I optimistically thought that I would be fishing.

One of the More Attractive Spots

Early Stunner

Finally by 1:30PM the rain subsided to a drizzle, so I made the short drive to the Marvine Creek trailhead. The entire parking lot was full except for one space on the north side, so I grabbed it. Archery and muzzleloader seasons were in full swing.

Trout Emerged Along the Log

I geared up and fit together my Sage R8 four weight for small stream action. By the time I was prepared, the rain stopped, and I departed on the trail. The trail was another story. The steady rain converted the sunken trail into a nearly continual muddy hog trough. I did my best to straddle the narrow mud pit or stay on the packed earth that bordered the path, but getting my wading boots muddy was inevitable. I was headed toward wading in a clear mountain stream, so I am not certain why avoidance of mud was a priority.

Big Boy

Brook Trout Haven Was Foam

By 2:30PM I arrived at a narrow canyon section tucked deep below the trail high above. I knew from previous visits that the canyon section lasted for .5 mile, before the bank tapered to allow an easier exit strategy. I gambled that I could cover the .5 mile in 2.5 hours. My theory was that most anglers would not undertake the challenge. Well, I suspect my theory was sound, but I discovered that the narrow streambed and steep gradient provided a limited number of quality holding spots for trout. In addition, being a contortionist would be a huge advantage, as I twisted and turned my seventy-five year old body in all manner of positions to climb over, under and through fallen logs.

A Rare Double of Two Species

Double Site

How was my day? I fished a tan mini chubby with a size 14 beadhead prince and salvation nymph during my time on the creek, and I landed seventeen trout. Unlike previous visits to Marvine, the ratio of rainbow/cutbow/cutthroats to brook trout was 70% to 30%. I have no explanation. As one might expect, quite a few fish were beneath twelve inches including some six inch brook trout. However, the highlight was a fifteen inch cutbow, and I also landed a splendid fat brook trout that extended to thirteen inches. That is large for any Colorado stream let alone small Marvine Creek. Early on I netted a fat thirteen inch cutthroat that tested my four weight.

Pumpkin Brook Trout

Fish producing locations exhibited depth and slowing current, and these spots were rare in the canyon section. Of my seventeen trout landed, nine accumulated in the canyon, and the last eight were found in the wide and open meadow area. If I fish Marvine again, I will skip the high gradient canyon. Nevertheless, I was quite pleased with a seventeen fish day in 2.5 hours of fishing, and I managed a few larger than expected fish from a small mountain stream. At one point I was skeptical that I would even fish on Thursday, September 17.

Fish Landed: 17

Cutthroat with No Slash?

Home of Fish of the Day

Time: 10:30AM – 4:30PM

Location: Between Buford and Trappers Lake

North Fork of the White River 09/16/2026 Photo Album

I decided to fish a different section of the North Fork of the White River on Wednesday. Jane and our friend, Amy, planned to complete a hike and then return to Denver, so I had the Pinon Cabin at Ute Lodge to myself.

Magnificent Colors

Perfect Pocket

The weather forecast was unfavorable with a strong chance of afternoon thunderstorms. It rained all night on Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning.

Nice Fish for Small Stream

Shelf Pool

I arrived at my planned pullout a bit before 10:00AM. The temperature was 60 degrees, so I wore my long sleeve thermal undershirt and my raincoat for warmth and in case of rain. The sky was populated by large puffy gray clouds. I chose my Loomis five weight, as it is shorter and more suited for tight quarters, yet as a five weight, it provides a decent backbone for fighting feisty fish.

Slipping Away

After a thirty minute hike, I arrived at my chosen starting point. I began with a tan size eight pool toy hopper trailing a 20 incher, and the two-fly dry/dropper produced five trout in the morning, before I paused for lunch. One fish crushed the hopper, and the others grabbed the 20 incher, but I felt as if I was bypassing some quality locations with no response to my offerings. All the morning fish were rainbow trout except for a long slender brook trout. The rainbows were quite nice, with most falling in the twelve to thirteen inch range albeit very chunky.

Small Side Pocket

After lunch I decided to change things up, so I switched to a double dry with a leading peacock hippie stomper and a trailing size 16 light olive deer hair caddis. The caddis fooled three fish to increase the fish count to eight, but then a lull ensued.

Prime Real Estate

At 12:45 the warning sounds of thunder transformed into rain. Since I was already wearing my raincoat, I persisted, but in a short amount of time the precipitation descended in sheets with tiny hail balls bouncing off my body. I sought the shelter of a deciduous bush and waited fifteen minutes, until the deluge waned.

Off the Point of the Large Rock

When I resumed fly fishing, the hippie stomper was serving as a distraction as evidenced by refusals, so I exchanged it for Jake’s gulp beetle. The beetle never produced a fish, but it served as an indicator, while the caddis fooled some nice fish. Eventually I encountered another dry spell, and the caddis was struggling to float, so I swapped it for a gray size 14 stimulator. The stimulator yielded a fish or two, until it mysteriously broke off, and I replaced it with another similar stimulator with a light olive body.

Speckled Lips

I slowly advanced the fish count to eighteen by 3:00PM, but it was slow and steady progress. I grew weary of constantly drying my flies, and tracking them in glare and choppy water was a chore, so I reverted to the dry/dropper approach. For the lead surface fly I opted for a size 10 tan mini chubby, and beneath it I hung a size 14 prince nymph and a salvation nymph. I chose the mini chubby, so I could support two beadheads, but I did not want the larger size that created too much of a crash landing when casting.

Swirling Trough

The combination clicked. Between 3:00PM and 4:30PM I advanced up the stream and exploded the fish count from eighteen to forty. The nymphs worked their magic. Initially the prince dominated, but later the salvation became a favored attraction as well. During this time period I encountered the nicest spot on the stream of the day. A long run entered a pool, and I landed eight trout while standing in the same spot. I continued making cast after cast expecting to come up empty after the commotion of earlier fighting fish, but it surprisingly kept producing. What a hot spot!

End of Day Scene

During the afternoon I weathered two additional showers, although they were a short nuisance compared to the 12:45 thunderstorm. From 3:30PM until 4:30PM a fairly heavy hatch of small mayflies commenced. I was tempted to swap the salvation for a RS2, but the salvation was producing, and it seemed like too much trouble to make a change. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush, as they say.

What a day! Forty fish is worth being thankful for. All but two were rainbows or cutbows, with the exceptions being brook trout. This ratio of brook trout seemed low compared to history for this stretch of the North Fork, but I was not complaining. The bows and cutbows were exceptional fish with many in the twelve to thirteen inch range, skewed to the upside. Could the low brook trout count be attributable to spawning activity? It seems early. I look forward to day three tomorrow. Weather is expected to once again be unsettled.

Fish Landed: 40

Time: 10:30AM – 4:00PM

Location: Between Trappers Lake and Buford

North Fork of the White River 09/15/2026 Photo Album

The week beginning with Monday, September 14 was my annual trip to the Ute Lodge in the Flattops area of Colorado. In 2026, however, I was joined by my wife, Jane, and our friend, Amy. Jane and Amy drove separately on Monday, while I navigated the two passes on the Flattops Scenic Byway in the Telluride. Jane and Amy were staying Monday through Wednesday to enjoy some hiking and scenery, while I planned to remain through Friday for a week of fly fishing, thus the two cars.

Super Start

Scene of Big Rainbow

Since Jane and Amy had each other for hiking companionship, I was free to fish as much as I desired, and Tuesday began my Flattops fly fishing blitz. I chose a favorite section of the North Fork of the White River, and by the time I geared up, assembled my Sage One five weight, and hiked down the road; I was ready to fish by 10:30AM. The air temperature was 61 degrees, as I departed from the Telluride, but the high was forecast to reach the low seventies. I packed my raincoat, but it was never removed from my pack.

My My, What a Fish

Deep Trough on the Left Produced

I was concerned about the stream level given the low snowpack and 2026 drought conditions, but I noticed only a small impact on the North Fork. I was able to wade to all parts of the river unlike some years, but the fish holding spots seemed very similar to higher volume years.

Love This Spot

I fished from 10:30AM until 11:45AM with an amber body chubby Chernobyl and prince nymph, and I logged seven spectacular rainbow trout. The second trout was a rainbow that crushed the chubby, and what a specimen it was! The fat slab was easily in the eighteen to twenty inch range. All of the morning catch were rainbows at least thirteen inches in length with several fifteen plus in addition to the beast.

Streamlined

After lunch I decided to go deeper, so I swapped the prince for a heavier 20 incher, and I added a second nymph in the form of a salvation. This combination yielded a pair of nice fish, but the pace of action slowed, and I experienced three very brief connections. I assumed the salvation was not quite what the fish desired, so I traded it for a supernova PMD. Voila! The chubby/20 incher/supernova combo clicked and remained on my line for the remainder of the afternoon. I moved the fish count from nine to twenty-two, and each fly was a contributor. Several respectable rainbows smashed the chubby, and the supernova and 20 incher split the remainder. A few of the additional thirteen trout landed in the afternoon were less than twelve inches, but otherwise the catch was once again hard fighting rainbows in the thirteen to sixteen inch range. All the White River trout fought extremely hard, and I was pleased to have my five weight in action.

Easily Over Twenty Inches

As is usually the case on this section of the White, I was very strategic with my casts. I skipped wide, shallow areas, and I minimized my coverage of marginal spots. Riffles over moderate depth and long slots and troughs were the most productive locations. Day one in the Flattops was a definite success, and stream flows seemed to be adequate.

Fish Landed: 22

Time: 10:15AM – 1:15PM

Location: Between Trappers Lake and Buford

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

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

Bankside Slot

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

Very Large for a Small Stream

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

Home of Brook Trout

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

Orange Dominates

Little Eddy

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

Amazing Deep Charcoal Color

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

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

Fish Landed: 26

Time: 10:15AM – 4:40PM

Location: Between Buford and Trappers Lake

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

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

What Colors!

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

Small Stream Beast

Long Pocket

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

Best Brook Trout of the Trip

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

Another Colorful Masterpiece

Small Productive Pool

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

Splendid

Sweet Spot

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

Fish Landed: 43

Another Pallet of Colors

Rare Open Area to Cast

Time: 11:15AM – 4:20PM

Location: Upstream from South Fork Campground

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

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

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

Definition of Plump

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

Cannot Wait to Cast

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

Better View

Rather Nondescript Lie

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

Another Fine Catch

Depth and Moderate Current

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

Fish Landed: 10

Time: 12:30PM – 4:45PM

Location: Between Buford and Trappers Lake

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

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

Re-entry

Another Likely Spot

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

Amber Hued

So Many Spots

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

Chunky One

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

Money in the Bank

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

Vibrant Colors

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

Fish Landed: 34

Time: 3:30PM – 5:30PM

Location: Between Buford and Trappers Lake

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

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

Chara Coated in Mud

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

First and Best

Source of First and Best

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

A Second Nice Rainbow

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

Heavy Whitefish

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

Fish Landed: 3

Time: 9:30AM – 2:15PM

Location: Between Buford and Trappers Lake

North Fork of the White River 069/12/2024 Photo Album

Thursday was my last day in the Flattops and my get away day. I gathered all my belongings from the Aspen cabin at the Ute Lodge, and I was on my way for one last day of fly fishing. I planned to get an early start and leave early in order to allow for a reasonable arrival time at my my home in Denver, CO. Little did I know that two significant traffic snarls awaited me, adding thirty minutes to my already lengthy drive. One was on the west side of Vail Pass, and the other was the approach to the Eisenhower Tunnel.

Early Gem

Getting Bigger

In previous years I experienced great success on a section of the North Fork, and I reserved it for Thursday. The temperature, when I arrived, was 54 degrees, so I bypassed added layers, but I did pull on my raincoat. I planned to wear it for the first hour or so, but it remained in place during my entire time on the river. The reason for this was the fly angler’s four letter word, wind. The wind gusted for significant amounts of time, and I was forced to halt my casting, turn my back and hold my hat in place numerous times. Fortunately I was on a small stream with fast water that enabled me to approach relatively close, thus, facilitating short casts.

Brighter Colors Too

Brook Trout Joins the Parade

Perfect Holding Spot on High Gradient Stream

I chose this stretch of the North Fork, since it produced abundant quantities of fish in prior years, and I was concerned that I would not have as much time on the water due to my planned early departure. As it turned out, my plan was on the mark, although I still logged 4.5 hours of fly fishing. During this time I landed forty-six trout. Yes, aside from the constant battle with the wind, it was a magnificent day.

Another Respite from the Churn

Pumpkin or Fish?

After I intersected with the stream, I continued to hike without fishing for a decent distance. I wanted to make sure I reached my planned exit point by early afternoon, and the early section was characterized by high gradient and limited fish holding locations. When I finally began casting, I armed my Loomis two piece five weight with a size 14 olive ice dub hippie stomper and a salvation nymph. These same patterns remained on my line throughout my tenure on the North Fork. During the first hour I landed eight, after two hours the fish count rested on seventeen. In the morning session one-third of the landed trout crushed the hippie stomper, but this ratio shifted dramatically in the afternoon.

Long One

Look at This Flipper of a Tail

After my noontime snack, I continued, and the pace of catching fish accelerated from an already impressive morning rate. The fish counter moved from seventeen to forty-six, before I called it quits at 2:15PM in order to prepare for an early start. During this time period the salvation was king. I could rely on every prime spot to produce one if not two trout, as they aggressively grabbed the shiny nymph, as it tumbled by. My dropper was only 2.5 feet long, so the trout were elevated in the water column and looking for any sort of food to eat.

Home to a Big One

What sort of trout was I catching? Twenty-five percent of the finned creatures that occupied my net were brook trout, and the remainder were rainbow trout and cutbows. A couple of the brook trout approached a foot long, but the real prizes were the cutbows and rainbows. I landed many dazzling, chunky thirteen and twelve inch battlers with a couple fine fish pushing the fourteen inch line. All were healthy and hefty for their length, and they delivered heroic fights in their effort to get free.

Vivid Black Spots on This Cutbow

What type of water did they inhabit? The two main requirements were depth and slow current velocity. I skipped many high gradient stretches with minimal marginal pockets in order to efficiently utilize my limited time, and the strategy was successful.

Narrow and Fast Was Typical

Thursday was an amazing day and perhaps the best of 2024. The angling adventure was a success from both a quality and quantity standpoint. I moved quickly, popped casts, landed fish and snapped photos of the most memorable. The wind was indeed, a nuisance, but it just added to the gratification, when I achieved a high level of success. It was a splendid way to top off a fun week in the Flattops with stunning scenery, mostly beautiful weather, and productive fishing.

Fish Landed: 46