Frying Pan River – 08/09/2024

Time: 10:30AM – 3:30PM

Location: Below Reudi Reservoir

Frying Pan River 08/09/2024 Photo Album

Jane and I visited our daughter, Amy, Thursday through Saturday, and a fishing day was in my plans for Friday, August 9, 2024. I checked the flows on the Frying Pan River tailwater on Thursday evening, and the chart depicted steady outflows from Reudi Reservoir of 256 CFS for the last week. I decided to commit to the tailwater. Next I visited the Taylor Creek Fly Shop web site, and here I learned that the green drakes were present on the bottom one-third from mile marker zero to four.

This bit of information convinced me to begin my day on the lower river. I pulled into a wide pullout between MM 3 and 4 and prepared to fish. I assembled my Sage R8 four weight, and I ambled back down the road for .2 mile to a spot where the river veered back along the road. As I approached, I noticed a guide with two clients, so I reversed and found a worn path through the dense brush that carried me to a large red rock that jutted into the river. I carefully waded downstream for twenty yards, so I could cast to a nice narrow pool that bordered the bank.

256 CFS

I rigged with a tan size 8 pool toy hopper, a prince nymph, and a salvation nymph. On an early cast a trout rose and snubbed the hopper. This was not the beginning I hoped for. I persisted with some casts to the top of the run, and much to my amazement I hooked up with two fish that felt substantial. In both cases the brief connection ended with escaped trout.

I shrugged off this bout of misfortune and waded upstream to the deep run just below the huge red rock. Even though I failed to land a fish in the first location, I was encouraged by the rapid fire action. Unfortunately the trend did not continue, and I made matters worse, when I attempted a roll cast and hooked a limb high above me and out of reach. My only option was to apply direct pressure, and three flies found a new home in a tree branch. I cursed briefly and mounted the rock and found a small ledge to sit on, while I replaced my lineup with the same trio of flies.

Evicted by the Swimmers

As I focused on my knots, I heard some car doors slam, and I gazed across the road, where I spotted a tall red transit van and a group of kids. I did not give it much thought, until a cluster of kids arrived wearing swimming suits on top of the rock I was sitting on. One of the young boys told the others that they needed to wait because the fisherman (me) was there first. I appreciated the etiquette, and I announced that I would vacate the rock in twenty minutes. I returned to replacing my tippet and flies, and I realized that I was using up my allotted time, so I told the group that I would move upstream. The day that I anxiously anticipated was morphing into a series of challenges; escaped fish, lost flies, and now an invasion of young swimmers.

I quickly returned to the car and retrieved pool toy hoppers, prince nymphs, and salvation nymphs to replace my lost flies. I spotted a path near the car and whacked my way back to the river forty yards above the summer camp swimmers. For the next hour I diligently worked my way upstream, and I thoroughly cast to the left bank, but I was not convinced that a single trout was present in this stretch of the river. I was very frustrated with my lack of action and at a loss for what to do to reverse my fortunes. I encountered a path back to the road, so I took advantage and returned to the car.

Perhaps a change of scenery would renew my confidence? I stowed my gear and drove upstream to a spot on the upper third of the river. My dreams of green drake fishing were dashed. I found a nice rock and ate my lunch by the river, as I gazed across a section of shallow pockets.

First Decent Fish

Once my lunch was completed, I resumed casting, and I quickly landed three small brown trout that snatched the salvation nymph from the drift. However, this small amount of action was accompanied by a flurry of refusals to the hopper. I decided to downsize, and I migrated to a peacock hippie stomper with a salvation nymph. A nice twelve inch brown trout found the hippie stomper to its liking, but then refusals once again dominated, and the salvation was totally ignored.

Nice Deep Run Along the Bank

My dropper was relatively short (perhaps an explanation for the lack of interest in the salvation nymph), so I snipped off the salvation and replaced it with a parachute green drake. The drake failed to induce takes, and the hippie stomper drew a few refusals. It was time for yet another change. The section I was now wading was characterized by a wide riverbed and an abundant quantity of pockets and runs over moderate depth. I pondered the situation and decided to return to a dry/dropper approach. For the top fly I chose an amber ice dub size 8 chubby Chernobyl, and beneath it I knotted a 20 incher and a salvation nymph, and in this instance I extended the chubby to 20 incher tippet to four feet in order to attain a greater depth on my drifts.

Love the Dark Ink Spots

Finally I found a combination that clicked. I moved up the river methodically and prospected all the runs and pockets for two hundred yards, and in the process I boosted the fish count from four to twenty-three. Among this haul were four very respectable browns in the twelve to thirteen inch range. The remainder were smaller brown trout ranging from six to eleven inches.

Slick in the MIddle of the River

By 3:15PM I reached a section of the river that required more commitment than I was willing to provide, and the sky darkened, as the temperature dropped, and the wind kicked up. I hooked my fly to the rod guide and waded back to the road and returned to the car. Steady rain commenced, just as I began removing my waders, so the timing was fortuitous.

Finish Line

Twenty-three was a decent fish count, although the average size was beneath my expectations. My best fish were the two that escaped early and a couple larger fish that flashed their sides, as they refused the chubby. 256 CFS is actually at the top end of what I deem acceptable. Of course, a strong hatch could overcome my reservations on flow rates, but none materialized, while I was fishing the Frying Pan River.

Fish Landed: 23

South Boulder Creek – 08/07/2024

Time: 10:30AM – 2:45PM

Location: Below Gross Reservoir

South Boulder Creek 08/07/2024 Photo Album

Finally on Wednesday all the factors necessary to fish South Boulder Creek aligned. The roads were open after the wildfire was controlled, there were no dam expansion impacts, the flows were an acceptable 146 CFS, and the weather was forecast to be decent with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms. I was quite anxious to return to South Boulder Creek, and Wednesday was the day. Would the green drakes be driving the fish to gluttonous feeding?

Near the Start

I arrived at the Walker Ranch Loop parking lot, and the air temperature was already 81 degrees. I quickly gathered my gear and put together my Loomis two piece five weight and hit the trail. I observed no other anglers or moose on my inbound hike, and I was stationed next the stream with a peacock hippie stomper and size 16 deer hair caddis ready to cast by 10:30.

Early Eater

Promising Run

Almost immediately three trout crushed the stomper and caddis, and I was off and running. All was not perfect, however, as the hippie stomper also attracted its share of refusals. From 10:30 until noon I steadily moved upstream and boosted the fish count to twenty, before I rested on a large flat rock for lunch. Landing fish was a matter of popping casts to likely fish holding spots, moving quickly and ignoring the many fish that refused one of the flies. Roughly 70% of the landed fish grabbed the caddis and 30% fell for the hippie stomper.

Decent Rainbow Joins the Parade

Sparse Spot Pattern

After lunch I continued the upstream migration, but after I spotted a solitary green drake, I exchanged the hippie stomper for a parachute green drake. I never saw another natural green drake, and my flies were moderately effective. I cycled through the parachute version, a comparadun imitation, and a user friendly green drake. A user friendly is essentially a hippie stomper with a green drake color scheme. I landed a few fish on each type of green drake imitation, but the most effective seemed to be the user friendly. Historically the parachute green drake has outperformed the other green drake versions, but that was not the case on Wednesday. The size 16 caddis remained in place throughout the afternoon, and it was responsible for the most fish, as the fish count soared from twenty to thirty-six.

Exquisite Colors

During the afternoon session, I had to work harder for my catches. Places that seemed like certain producers were not, and marginal pockets near the bank surprised with trout. Surprisingly the number of rainbow trout increased to a 60/40 split with 60% being browns and 40% the pink striped fighters. Size was a positive with quite a few browns and rainbows in the twelve to thirteen inch range.

Love This One

During this time I approached a challenging wading predicament. I was along the left bank having carefully crossed the creek. 146 CFS was lower than the 165 CFS of my previous visit, but it remained at a level that inhibited free movement back and forth. The creek rushed against a high rock wall, before it glanced off an angled exposed rock that jutted into the creek similar to a stream improvement deflector. In the past I placed my bottom on the jutting rock and swiveled my legs to the upside and then slowly slid down into the creek before quickly stepping along the rock wall. On Wednesday I attempted this same move, but my feet reached and reached, but never gained traction. I should have pulled back, but instead I persisted, until the strong current along the rock swept my feet downstream, and I became a soggy floating human bobber. After a six foot float I gained my balance, but the damage was done, and cold tailwater rushed down my waders and filled my stocking feet. My frontpack and fly boxes were soaked.

Midstream Pockets

A bit later I landed a decent brown trout that I decided to photograph. In order to remove the fly and get a grip, I kneeled, but when I did so, cold water rushed down along my thighs. Where was this coming from? I assumed that it originated from water collected inside my waders and pooled just above my cinched wader belt.

Highlight of the Day

By 2:30PM some dark clouds rolled in, and I heard distant thunder, so I went through the chore of removing my gear in order to pull on my raincoat. I continued fishing for another fifteen minutes, and a short period of rain ensued, but then I heard more thunder and decided to call it a day. I sloshed back to the car including the one mile climb from the creek to the trailhead. My wet state actually helped cool me on the uphill climb, and the clouds remained for much of my return hike, so that I was not as hot, as I expected.

Tough Cast Beneath the Branches

When I arrived at the car I removed everything, and pulled on a change of clothes. After I dumped the water from my waders, I inspected them, and I discovered a small tear in the seat area that was the length of the end of my little finger. This explained the sensation of rushing water on my thighs, when I was releasing the brown trout. It was my second day of using my new waders, and I already damaged them. I recalled stumbling backward early in the day and landing on a log with sharp branch stubs, so I suspect that incident precipitated the tear. When I returned home, I dried out the waders and patched them, so they should be ready for my next fly fishing adventure.

Thirty-six is a big number day, and the size of the fish was quite acceptable. Obviously my brief swim and tearing my waders put a bit of a damper on my enjoyment, but the biggest disappointment was the relative lack of success with green drake flies. Hopefully the water managers cooperate, and I am able to visit South Boulder Creek again soon. In fact, as long as I am submitting wishes, another drop in flows would be highly welcome.

Fish Landed: 36

Curtain Ponds – 08/05/2024

Time: 11:00AM – 2:15PM

Location: Near Copper Mountain

Curtain Ponds 08/05/2024 Photo Album

Ben and I tossed our gear in the back of the Telluride and kept our waders on and our rods in ready mode and made the short drive west on Interstate 70 to the Curtain Ponds. Unfortunately I was now defaulting to what I felt was my backup plan.

We hiked to one of the ponds, and I allowed Ben to wade along the shoreline, while I fired some long casts from the bank east of his position. My chubby Chernobyl and prince nymph remained on my line, but it quickly became apparent that the dry/dropper was not the correct approach for the pond. I took the necessary time to remove the two flies that I deemed inappropriate, and I replace them with a peacock hippie stomper trailing a size 16 light gray deer hair caddis.

Initially Ben and I moved along the bank and fired long casts either toward the interior of the pond or parallel to the shoreline. The sun was high in the sky, the air temperature soared, and rises were nonexistent. We spotted schools of decent fish, but they seemed to be sulking in deep holes next to thick aquatic vegetation, where they streaked when my flies landed above them. I was not optimistic that the fallback would be any better than the exploratory first hour.

We slowly moved over to a sharp bend in the shoreline, and I cast to a corner nook, and finally a small six inch brook trout smashed the hippie stomper. Ben abandoned the pond closer to the highway and joined me, and we slowly shuffled our way along the bank, but the fish continued to flee at the first sight of our lines overhead. It was at this time, that I foolishly placed my backcast in the tip of a young evergreen tree. I attempted to bend the young conifer, but it was was too strong, and I snapped off both flies. I was quite peeved by my reckless casting ability.

Early Success Story

While I took the requisite time to redo my line with the same flies, Ben moved on, and he began to observe some very sporadic rises toward the center of the pond, and he reported several refusals to the hippie stomper. After I connected with and landed another countable brook trout on the deer hair caddis, I decided to offer him one as well. He eagerly accepted, and while using the stomper and caddis, he landed his first brook trout of the day.

Ben on the Board

I was moving along closer to the shallow shoreline with no success, so I decided to check out the next pond, which featured deeper water. I hypothesized that brookies in the deeper water would feel safer; and, therefore, more prone to visit the surface to pick off tidbits of food. My theory did not pan out, as I managed to land one two inch brook trout, before I returned to the main pond that now featured Ben along the bank opposite the highway. While I was chasing windmills, Ben landed enough brook trout to boost his fish count to five.

Focused

I joined him along the same shoreline, and we fanned casts toward the center of the pond in all directions. I finally managed to nail a couple brook trout to bring my total up to four, and at this point I found a seat on some thick railroad ties that formed a sort of dock, and I downed my lunch. Some dark clouds were building in the southwestern sky, and we welcomed the advancement of cloudiness.

After lunch, our wish was fulfilled, and the clouds blocked the sun for long periods. During these low light times, the amount of surface feeding increased, and this corresponded with an improvement in our fish catch rate. Ben and I matched each other with catches until his total stood at seven, and I boosted mine to six. I had written the day off as an exercise in futility, but we were now achieving a moderate amount of success and having fun.

The Fish Dove into the Aquatic Goop

Ben moved east toward the next corner of the pond, and I waded out on an underwater point that featured light colored rocks for a solid bottom. For some reason my success rate stalled, so I contemplated another fly change. Before embarking on the trip, I replaced a parachute hopper that I lost on the previous trip with another one, although it was a size 12 instead of a 10. These parachute hoppers were flies that I tied ten years ago, before I migrated to foam. For some reason I knotted it to my line behind the hippie stomper, and I began launching long casts toward the center of the pond. Initially I was frustrated by refusals and a couple very brief pricks, but I stuck with the hopper, and I landed three more brook trout to increase my fish count to nine. I also lost a couple fish that burrowed into the aquatic goop, before I learned that I needed to keep my rod tip very high in order to keep the fish near the surface. Catching fish on old flies that I resurrected from my fly storage boxes was very gratifying.

Fly Change Knot Tying

While this was transpiring, Ben, unfortunately was dealing with some tangles, but eventually he resumed his long distance casting and boosted his fish count to eight. The dark clouds rolled closer and the wind kicked up, and I could see waves of rain against the distant mountains. Some thunder rumbled down the valley, and this was the prompt that motivated us to call it quits. We hustled back to the car and threw our gear in the rear and sat in the driver and passenger seats and watched the rain flow down my new windshield (I replaced the old one that sported a long crack 80% of the way across). I could see a brighter sky to the southwest, so we decided to investigate another pond and an upper section of Ten Mile Creek.

Pretty One

We made the short drive to another parking lot, and we strolled down along the creek to near the first pond, but once again the sky darkened and in this instance we saw lightning and heard more thunder, so we adjourned our day of fishing, returned to the car and traveled back to Golden. We persevered and salvaged a decent day in early August.

Fish Landed: 9

Ten Mile Creek – 08/05/2024

Time: 9:30AM – 10:30AM

Location: Between Frisco and Copper Mountain

Ten Mile Creek 08/05/2024 Photo Album

Monday and Wednesday were open dates for fly fishing during the first full week of August, 2024. I desperately wanted to return to South Boulder Creek, but now that the Lake Shore wildfire was under control, the water managers raised the flows to 211 CFS. That is too high in my estimation for comfortable wading and fly fishing. How many hurdles can the fly fishing gods throw at me in order to thwart my ability to fly fish South Boulder Creek?

I decided to check in with my fly fishing student, Ben, to see if he was available to tag along for a day. I contacted his mother, and she informed me that Ben might be open Monday, but there was a chance he could work, and she would get back to me on Sunday. True to her word, she texted me on Sunday that Ben would not work, and he was free to join me.

Since Ben is a relative newcomer to the sport, I wanted to choose a place that was not too challenging for backcasts. I fished the North Fork of Ten Mile Creek a short while ago with my young friend, Nate, and I wondered if the main stem of Ten Mile Creek might produce similar results. When I first moved to Colorado, I avoided Ten Mile Creek, because it supposedly contained heavy metals from mining that stunted the growth of the fish population and reduced the insect supply. Perhaps, however, over the intervening period of thirty-four years, the aquatic environment improved. I decided it was worth a try, and the Curtain Ponds were available as a fallback.

Wide and Shallow Near the Start

I picked up Ben at 8AM, and we made the drive to the parking lot at the Frisco Main Street exit off of Interstate 70. I chose my Orvis Access four weight, and Ben armed himself with one of his 8.5 foot six weights, and we hiked down the trail for .1 mile and then cut to the creek. I was wearing my new waders after determining that the three year old Redingtons were worn beyond repair. The air temperature was in the low seventies, and the sky was deep blue. I explained to Ben the rules of alternating fishing on streams that were too narrow to allow anglers to fish in parallel, but Ten Mile Creek was wider than I expected, and we decided to move side by side. Ben took the left bank, and I occupied the right bank.

Ben began his quest for trout with a hippie stomper that he bought with a lime green body. I, meanwhile, opted for an amber ice dub body chubby Chernobyl with a beadhead hares ear nymph on an eighteen inch dropper. For the next hour we attacked the small rushing creek next to Interstate 70 with extreme vigor, but the results were quite disappointing. Neither of us landed a single fish. Furthermore, we never witnessed a look or a refusal or even a fish darting for cover as a result of clumsy wading. In the early going I blamed the quality of the holding water, and hoped that some attractive pools might change our luck. At one point I lengthened my leader to achieve deeper drifts and swapped the hares ear for a prince nymph. Just before 10:30AM we approached a gorgeous deep run and pool below some fallen logs, but even this juicy spot failed to yield a trout. This was the last straw, so we clipped our flies to our guides and found the trail and returned to the parking lot.

As they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Unfortunately we were victims of the nothing gained part of the sage saying. The creek was cold and clear and surrounded by scenic mountains, but based on our experience, it contained a sparse population of trout. Were we too early? Did we need to allow the water to warm to generate more movement from the fish and a greater appetite? Did we choose the wrong flies? The observation that led to our departure was the total lack of fish sighting. This is highly unusual for a productive Rocky Mountain stream based on my years of experience.

Fish Landed: 0

Willow Creek – 08/02/2024

Tiime: 9:45AM – 2:30PM

Location: National Forest Land

Willow Creek 08/02/2024 Photo Album

Note: In order to protect small high country streams, I have chosen to change the name for a few. This particular creek happens to be one of them. Excessive exposure could lead to crowding and lower fish densities.

Friday was another hot day in Denver with temperatures approaching 100 degrees. I sought a high country stream or a tailwater to cool myself off and to escape the sauna that is called Denver. I experienced a superb day on South Boulder Creek on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, so my inclination was to return. Recall that I experienced issues with my wading boots and my waders, so I was anxious for redemption using my repaired fly fishing uniform. I replaced the Boa cables on my left and right wading boots, and I concluded that my Redington Sonic Pro waders were irreparable, and I ushered my backups into service. I checked the flows on South Boulder Creek, and they remained higher than I prefer, but only a notch below Tuesday’s levels at 162 CFS. I prepared my lunch and loaded the car with fishing gear and staged all my other fishing needs, so that I was prepared for an early start. In short, I was excited for another day on South Boulder Creek ( SBC).

All this took place before Jane stumbled across an online map that showed the areas affected by the four Front Range wildfires. When I viewed the map surrounding the Lake Shore Fire, I discovered that the blaze was near Gross Reservoir, and the impacted area extended over the Walker Ranch Loop Trailhead; the very trailhead that I use to access the creek since Gross Dam Road has been mostly closed since construction work on the dam began. I dug further, and I found out that Flagstaff Road was closed between a fire rescue station and Gross Dam Road, and the closure was before the turnoff to the Walker Ranch Loop Trailhead. A quick change in plans was in order. I did uncover a bit of good news surrounding the Lake Shore fire, as the web site informed me that the fire was quickly contained and confined to a relatively small area, so barring another fire or a sudden change in status, I suspect that SBC will once again be accessible shortly.

Finning in the Net

Now I needed to choose a new destination. Most of the Front Range options were impacted by wildfires including the Big Thompson and the St. Vrain. I was not impressed with my last visit to Bear Creek, and Clear Creek was not attractive to me, as it does not fish well in the heat. I investigated Eleven Mile Canyon, and the flows were in the 175 CFS range, but the fly shop report cited crowding even during weekdays. The report actually suggested showing good angling etiquette twice, and I took that as a bad sign. Finally I decided to revisit a stream that I fished twice this summer already. As mentioned earlier, I was prepared, so I got off to a nice early start, and that enabled me to park near the creek by 9:15AM.’

Good Start

Prime Pool

I pulled on my backup waders and cinched my replacement Boa cables on my wading boots, before I broke out my Orvis Access four weight, and I was ready to fish. I arrived at a spot on the stream that was different from my first two visits, and I began my effort with a solo peacock hippie stomper. I was shocked when the hippie stomper failed to interest any fish in the first fifteen minutes, and I approached a place with some faster entering current, so I added a beadhead hares ear nymph on a 2.5 foot dropper. The action improved, and I built the fish count to twenty by the time I paused for lunch at 11:50AM. That may seem like a torrid catch rate, but I also experienced my share of refusals and temporary hookups. Nearly all the trout in the morning session were brook trout, but I also landed one small brown and another juvenile brown trout beneath the six inch minimum.

Handle with Care

The section of the creek that I fished on Friday contained many more slow moving pools, and the level of the stream was quite a bit lower than my last trip with Ben. This translated to long casts and gentle presentations. I will be the first to admit that I did not execute this finesse on a consistent basis; and, therefore, I witnessed many mass evacuations from some prime pools. Nevertheless, twenty fish in a little over two hours of fishing was quite acceptable, and I was very focused on my approaches and casting technique. Quite a few beaver dams existed along my upstream migration, but in each case they were breached. It made me wonder if a human being was responsible to keep the water flowing.

A Rare Double

After lunch I resumed prospecting with the dry/dropper, but it seemed as though the catch rate waned a bit. The hippie stomper and beadhead hares ear continued to deliver positive results, and the fish count blossomed to thirty. At this point the hackle on the hippie stomper unraveled, so I decided to introduce some new surface flies, and while I was at it, I exchanged the dropper nymph as well. For the top fly I cycled through a parachute hopper, a Jake’s gulp beetle, and a size 10 Chernobyl ant. For the nymph component I tried a salvation nymph, and it nabbed a few fish, but the hares ear seemed far more effective, so I returned to the dependable hares ear after a reasonable salvation trial.

A Very Decent Brown

I managed to boost the fish count from thirty to forty-one with this mix of flies, but none of them compared favorably to the high standards of the hippie stomper. During the afternoon the brown trout portion of my catch improved somewhat, as I landed four countable browns, and this included a pair of very respectable thirteen inchers. A couple brook trout in the ten inch range also visited my net, and they represented the largest brook trout on the day.

Bank Dwellers?

The last twenty minutes were quite challenging, as it seemed that I spooked large schools of decent sized fish. I even observed one fish that must have measured in excess of fifteen inches, but it was fleeing its position and darting to an undercut bank from the impact of my flies. In retrospect, I wish I would have tried a double dry rig. Even though I landed forty-one fish and quite a few on the nymphs, I suspect that I would have startled fewer fish with the softer landing of two small dry flies.

Best Brown Trout on the Day

One factor I left out of this piece was the wind. It was atrocious, as it gusted quite regularly. As the creek meandered a bit, I faced cross winds and head winds, but never a tail wind. The cross winds were the worst, especially when I attempted to place the flies close to the right bank. Compensating for a variable wind is a casting skill that is at the expert level. I managed to do it a few times, but I also hooked some bushes and slapped down some heavy landings. Wind induced tangles were also a repeating problem, although I felt like I minimized untangling time quite well under the conditions.

Another Smooth Pool

Friday was a very enjoyable fly fishing day, and I am quite infatuated with the stream that I named Willow Creek. My three visits met or exceeded my expectations. The heat wave is projected to continue for the foreseeable future, so I will likely be seeking tailwaters and mountain creeks in August. Hopefully, South Boulder Creek, returns as an option shortly.

Fish Landed: 41

Redington Sonic Pro Waders – 08/01/2024

Redington Sonic Pro Waders 08/01/2024 Photo Album

I normally do not write equipment reviews, but I thought my experience with this brand of waders merited a report. In December of 2021 my wife gave me new waders as a Christmas gift. I researched waders and picked out the Redington Sonic Pros as a wader brand that was middle of the road price wise, yet it appeared to be more durable than some of the waders in the lower price bracket.

When the waders arrived, and I inspected them, after Christmas of course, I noticed that the edges of the seam tape were curled up and not properly adhered on both the right and left neoprene boots. I thought perhaps this was an issue, but I concluded that the main portion of the tape remained adhered, and it covered up the seam. In my haste to accept the new waders and avoid the hassle of returning them, I ignored this warning sign.

Wader Top and Stocking Feet Seams

I used the waders for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and they never leaked. However, on Wednesday, July 30, when I returned to my car after a day of fishing, I removed my waders and discovered that my sock was soaked. I was able to wring water out of the sock, so it was not the typical small pinhole leak.

Large Seam Split on This Foot

The Other Foot

On Wednesday afternoon I leak checked both legs and feet, and I discovered a seam leak on the right boot foot. The seam separation was over an inch in length, and this was the point of entry of the water. I was going to coat it with a sealer, but before I did so, I turned the waders right side out, and this is when I discovered that there was a severe separation of the seam on both boot feet where the tape had previously covered and protected the seam. By now the tape peeled off and was no longer protecting the seam from wear and tear. I concluded that coating the split on the inside of the neoprene boot foot was a waste of time, because the seam would surely continue to separate.

This Clearly Shows How the Tape Peeled Away Only In the One Section Where It Was Not Properly Adhered

The Other Foot

I emailed Redington and admitted that the waders were beyond the warranty period, but I felt that faulty workmanship reduced the life of the waders, and I asked for some consideration. A prompt reply was returned, and Redington simply cited the one year warranty policy. I am posting this report to warn potential buyers of the tape problem with Redington Sonic Pro waders. Please inspect your purchase and return it, if there is even the slightest imperfection.

South Boulder Creek – 07/30/2024

Time: 10:00AM – 3:00PM

Location: Below Gross Reservoir

South Boulder Creek 07/30/2024 Photo Album

Today can be described as a day with a close encounter, equipment failure, and a fantastic day of fly fishing. Let me explain.

I fished four out of five weekdays during the previous week, but three days of grandson and grand puppy sitting had me craving another day for fly fishiing. Wednesday and Thursday were already booked with non-fishing commitments, so Tuesday was a day available to fish. I cashed it in. The flows of South Boulder Creek below Gross Reservoir were listed at 165 CFS, and that level was maintained for three days. I have had success in the past at flows as high as 180 CFS, so I decided to give it a try. I was also curious to discover whether green drakes announced their presence on the small Front Range tailwater.

Because of the work expanding Gross Reservoir, I was forced to drive through Boulder and then over Flagstaff Mountain to the Walker Loop Trailhead. Traffic was heavy on the Boulder Turnpike, but I used my Express Pass to avoid the worst tie ups. Tuesday became a more expensive fishing day with express toll usage required on both my outbound and inbound drives.

Four or five cars preceded me to the parking lot, but as best as I could tell, none seemed to be fishermen. The sun was pounding down on the car, as I prepared to fish, and the dashboard informed me that it was 81 degrees at 9AM. I debated whether to hike in to the creek in my waders, or whether to wear my wet wading pants and boots and carry my waders in my large backpack. I chose hiking in the waders, since it seemed far less hassle. For my casting tool I chose my Loomis two piece five weight.

Roughly half way down my descent of the Walker Loop Trail, my left foot seemed to be looser than normal. I stopped to examine the cause and discovered that the Boa cable on my Korkers had broken. Needless to say, I was not happy about this development. I was too far along to return to the car, and was unsure if I had a means to repair it in any case. I plunged ahead and racked my brain for some sort of temporary fix. The best I could concoct was to find a vine and wrap it around the wader boot and secure with a knot. It never happened, and I hiked in and out and fished for five hours with a very loose left wading boot. I made sure the wader cuff remained in place, and I was able to manage through the Boa failure. When I returned to the car, I noticed that the cable on the right boot was also frayed, so I scheduled time to replace both Boa cables. I have done it before, and I have several backup cables in my fly tying desk.

Prime Rainbow Spot

As I strolled along contemplating a boot fix, I heard a loud clop clop sound, and I instantly froze. I spotted a glimpse of movement in the trees ahead of me, and then I heard a splash, and a huge antlered moose stood in the middle of South Boulder Creek and stared back at me. I concluded the clop clop sound was the hooves of the moose striking rocks. I backtracked a short distance to an opening next to the creek, and I frantically pulled out my camera and snapped a photo. Next I hit the video button, and the moose decided I was not a threat, as it waded downstream and then crossed the other half of the creek to the opposite shore. I kept my camera out and proceeded down the trail a short distance to another opening, and I recorded another clip of the moose, as it meandered out of sight into a grove of evergreen trees. My heartrate was quite elevated after this encounter.

Moose Crossing

In spite of the loose boot, I arrived at my chosen starting point along the stream and began fly fishing by 10:00AM. I began with an amber ice dub body size 8 chubby chernobyl trailing a size 14 prince nymph and a size 14 iron sally. During the morning session between 10:00AM and noon I landed twenty trout. One grabbed the iron sally, four attacked the chubby, and one snatched the salvation nymph, after I swapped it for the iron sally. The remaining fourteen gobbled the prince nymph. All my action came from slower moving pockets, riffles and runs near the right bank. A few trout under six inches were also part of the morning, and refusals to the chubby were a frustration. I must admit, however, it is hard to be frustrated with twenty fish in two hours, although the size of the fish was somewhat lacking. I did manage one thirteen inch brown with dark spots, but most of the catch fell within the six to nine inch range.

Morning Brown Trout

Nice Spot

During lunch I observed quite a few yellow sallies floating skyward, so I decided to switch tactics, and I converted to a size 14 yellow stimulator and a size 14 peacock hippie stomper in a double dry fly configuration. The combination met with decent success, and I boosted the fish count from twenty to thirty. The trout ate either the stimulator or hippie stomper in roughly equal proportions, but the trailing stomper seemed to generate a larger number of refusals.

Love the Pattern on This Rainbow

Excellent Brown Trout

The thirtieth fish was a stunning thirteen inch brown trout, but then I once again experienced refusals, and I began to wonder, if the trout were seeking green drakes and perhaps the hippie stomper was a close but not close enough approximation? I replaced the hippie stomper with a parachute green drake, and I managed a few small brown trout, but the paradrake was an overwhelmingly excellent refusal generator. I returned to the hippie stomper, and eventually I raised the fish count to forty-one. Number thirty-nine was a gorgeous rainbow trout of thirteen inches and perhaps the best fish of the day.

Deep Body Color on This Rainbow

Top Notch Brown

The most productive areas were riffles of moderate depth and medium current velocity. Trout seemed to appear out of nowhere in these spots, and this was especially true, while I had the prince nymph on my line. Short deep pools and shelf pools were consistently unproductive, and I am unable to explain that circumstance.

Shelf Along the Far Bank Yielded Two Nice Rainbows

At forty-one I was satisfied with my day, and my watch indicated that it was 3PM, so I hit the trail with my loose left boot. I was concerned about hiking out with the loose fit in the afternoon heat, as the return hike involved a one mile climb up a steep hill. I took my time and drank an abundant quantity of water and reached the parking lot by 4:00PM. I passed three other anglers in the creek on the way back, and two fishermen arrived and were preparing to fish, as I removed my gear. When I removed my right wader leg, I discovered that my hiking sock was saturated with water to the point, where I could wring it out. I added wader repair to boot repair on my list of Wednesday afternoon activities.

Pretty in Pink

Wide Pool

Tuesday proved to be an eventful day on South Boulder Creek. Landing forty plus fish is always rewarding, but seeing a wild moose within casting distance was easily the highlight of the day. My ability to enjoy a successful outing while dealing with a broken boot was also a noteworthy accomplishment. I spotted one solitary green drake, so they are imminent, but the fish are not yet tuned into the large western mayflies.

Fish Landed: 41

 

North Fork of Ten Mile Creek – 07/26/2024

Time: 10:30AM – 3:00PM

Location: National Forest land

North Fork of Ten Mile Creek 07/26/2024 Photo Album

My fly fishing friend, Nate, was in scooter/bicycle accident that resulted in a broken ring finger on his left hand. He is right handed, and like many of us, is a fly fishing fanatic. Unfortunately, his recent visit to the doctor resulted in a large cast on his left arm that stabilized his wrist and entire hand except for his index finger and thumb. His devotion to fly fishing was so intense that he attempted to fish a couple times, and he managed most of the necessary actions. The one activity that was difficult to perform with one hand was netting a fish, removing the fly and releasing the fish.

I fished for three consecutive days at the beginning of the week, but I was not satiated, so I offered to accompany Nate on a fishing trip. I suggested that we could fish together and alternate pools, so that I would be nearby to assist should he hook and land fish. Initially Nate rejected my offer, as he felt that fishing was too big a risk for his recovery, but eventually his strong desire to fish during one of the prime seasons of the year trumped other concerns, and we planned a day on his off day of Friday.

Charcoal Body on This Brook Trout

For a destination I suggested that we visit the North Fork of Ten Mile Creek. I fished there nine days ago with great success, and it met the criteria of a small stream with lots of fish that required anglers to alternate pools. Nate and I met at the Woolly Mammoth parking lot at 8AM, and we arrived at the North Fork parking lot by 9:00AM. After a rest stop break and assembling our gear, we hiked along the trail and approached a nice section of the creek for dry fly fishing. I chose my Orvis Access four weight and stuffed my raincoat and lunch in my backpack, The temperature at the start was a cool 61 degrees, even though the high in Denver was projected to hit 91 degrees.Corner Pocket

I began my day with a peacock hippie stomper, and Nate and I began alternating, as we progressed methodically up the creek. We failed to generate interest in the first four glassy smooth pools, but eventually we began to meet with success, I added a  hares ear nymph on a dropper, and this move resulted in two landed brook trout. By lunch time Nate recorded seven landed brook trout, and I notched five. We only counted fish over six inches, but very few sub-six inch fish visited our nets during the fly fishing prior to lunch. Nate was remarkably self sufficient in one-handed mode, but I did assist with a few hook removals and releases.

Pastel Hues

By lunch time some dark clouds obscured the sun, and the wind kicked up even more than what we had already experienced, so I dug out my raincoat for warmth and as a windbreaker. I was pleased with this move, as the rain shell remained in place for the remainder of our time on the water.

Nate Threaded the Needle Here

For some reason the fishing slowed considerably after lunch. We agreed that some of this was attributable to the quality of the water. Most of our action originated in deeper water next to faster currents, and the early afternoon featured numerous glassy smooth pools and shallow riffles. We approached these locales with stealth, but the number of darting fish was significant. Even relatively long casts with soft landings sent the wild trout scurrying for cover.

Clear and Smooth

In response to the slow action I added a size 16 light gray comparadun on a twelve inch dropper, and the comparadun accounted for a pair of trout. As more time elapsed, however, the hippie stomper once again began to dominate the appetites of the trout, and the trailing comparadun was a nuisance, so I removed it and fished the stomper solo.

Nature’s Palette

By 2:15PM the sky darkened, and a light rain descended. Nate was very concerned about getting his cast wet, so he retreated among a dense stand of tall evergreens for cover. As I mentioned, I was already cloaked in my raincoat, so I persisted through the rain and ramped up my fish count to eleven. After fifteen minutes the rain stopped, and the sun reappeared, and Nate resumed his fly fishing adventure. I relinquished my casting turns, and Nate upped his fish count to ten, so we called it a day and hiked back to the car.

Handful

Short Pool

Nate and I agreed that the biggest difference between my visit of 07/16/2024 and Friday, 07/26/2024 was the decrease in flows. Clearly the lower volume of water along with extreme clarity made the fly fishing significantly more demanding. The conditions dictated long casts and light deliveries. The difficulty was enhanced by the strong wind that made delivering a fly to a tight spot an extreme challenge. Placing casts in narrow slots beneath bushes and along the banks was frequently a risk of a snag or errant cast. In spite of these drawbacks we persisted and logged a fun day. Above all it was a pleasure to fish along side Nate. His fly fishing abilities have progressed significantly since we last met on a stream. Hopefully his recovery is rapid, and he is able to participate in some outstanding fly fishing over the remainder of the summer and fall.

Fish Landed: 11

 

Beaver Creek – 07/24/2024

Time: 10:30AM – 3:00PM

Location: National Forest

Beaver Creek 07/24/2024 Photo Album

Note: In order to protect small high country streams, I have chosen to change the name for a few. This particular creek happens to be one of them. Excessive exposure could lead to crowding and lower fish densities.

Great Place to Start

After two days of non-stop action with small brook trout, I was anxious for something different, and Wednesday proved to be the answer. I fished Beaver Creek previously, so I knew it was primarily a brown trout fishery.

Off and Running

I arrived at the small parking lot at the trailhead by 10:00AM, and the dashboard thermometer registered 71 degrees. The sky was devoid of clouds, and I was certain that Wednesday would be a hot one. I grabbed my Sage R8 four weight and prepared it for a day of fly fishing. I replaced some missing salvation nymphs and beadhead hares ear nymphs in my fleece wallet, and I departed for the creek.

Wide Section

As I surmised, my hike generated quite a bit of perspiration, but the cold water was very welcome. I began my day with a size 8 tan pool toy hopper, a beadhead hares ear nymph and a salvation nymph. In the early going I landed two brown trout in the twelve to thirteen inch range and another smaller brown. The largest of the trio crushed the hopper, while the others snatched the hares ear.

Pleased with This One

Another Brown Trout Prize

After my initial run of success, things slowed down, so when I reached five trout landed, I switched to a dry fly approach. Initially I utilized a size 12 yellow stimulator, and it delivered some smaller brown trout, but I prospected some very attractive pools with no results, and i lost confidence in the stimulator. I decided to continue with a dry, so I added a twelve inch dropper and attached a purple haze. The haze nabbed another small brown, but then both flies went unmolested in several nice pools, so I replaced the purple haze with a size 14 parachute green drake. Once again I was disappointed with the results, so I paused for lunch on a nice wide log next to the creek.

Quite a Pool

While eating lunch I pondered my next move. Clearly the fish were looking toward the surface for their source of nutrition, so I swapped the double dry for a peacock hippie stomper. The stomper is always reliable, so why not on this creek? I did not persist with the nymph earlier, so I decided to give it a second chance. I added a 2.5 foot 5X dropper and knotted a beadhead hares ear to my line.

Deep Frothy Hole

Tough Wading Ahead

The stomper/hares ear combination stayed on my line for the remainder of my time on the stream, and it produced outstanding results. The fish count ascended from seven to twenty-eight, and quite a few of the afternoon trout stretched the tape to twelve and thirteen inches. Of course, some small brown trout also found my net, but the average size of the trout was clearly superior to the morning session. Both flies yielded positive results, but I estimate the the hippie stomper accounted for roughly 70% of the fish; whereas, the hares ear was nabbed 30% of the time. One ten inch rainbow mysteriously landed in my net, and all the other fish were brown trout. As always, refusals and temporary hook ups were part of the equation, but I simply shrugged them off and moved on at a steady pace knowing that some of the trout would recognize my offerings as food.

Best on the Day

Nondescript Home of Best Fish of the Day

I clocked my return hike on my activity tracker, and I covered .5 mile while fly fishing. Wednesday was an enjoyable day in an utterly spectacular setting. The creek was clear and cold, and enough fish favored my offering to produce quantities of trout. My final fish was a fourteen inch brown trout that crushed the hippie stomper from what appeared to be a marginal location. I also tallied a thirteen inch brown in the early going, and quite a few spunky twelve inch fish were in the mix. Catching brown trout in small mountain creek was a nice break from the repetitiveness of catching small brook trout. Of course, I will never turn down brook trout, however, adding different species is always fun.

Fish Landed: 28

 

Hunter Creek – 07/23/2024

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