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