Time: 9:30AM – 5:30PM

Location: Between the dam and Baetis Bridge; .5 mile below Baetis Bridge and back to Bend Pool below the bridge; Taylor Creek Cabins private water

Frying Pan River 05/10/2018 Photo Album

After a tough but rewarding day on Wednesday, my feelings toward Thursday were divided, as we prepared to once again attack the Frying Pan River. Steve’s weather forecast projected highs in the eighties with minimal cloud cover, and this augured challenging conditions. I also dwelled on my lack of minuscule gray midge imitations, and nothing changed overnight to alter that situation. On the positive side I managed to land sixteen excellent trout including several above average in size on dry flies during a hatch. The latter accomplishment added a layer of positive anticipation for Thursday.

Were my reservations and optimism misplaced? Thursday proved to be a very challenging day on the Frying Pan River. In my opinion the tough conditions were attributable to pure blue skies and warm temperatures. Ed, Steve, and I parked near the Wednesday pullout, and I was prepared to fish by 9:30AM. I deployed my Sage four weight once again, and since I observed no evidence of surface feeding, I rigged a dry/dropper configuration and skirted the pool that occupied me for most of Wednesday.

I began prospecting with a yellow fat Albert, ultra zug bug, and a sparkle wing RS2; and I covered the faster water between Wednesday’s pool and an upstream weir that spanned the river. The dry/dropper did not produce in the early going, so I exchanged the ultra zug bug for a bright green caddis pupa. My efforts continued in a futile trend, until I neared the end of the fast water section, when I hooked and landed a small brown trout on the RS2.

At this point I circled back to a point just below the car, and as I observed from the high bank next to the road, several trout began to pluck invisible morsels from the surface. I scrambled down the rocky bank and spent the remainder of the morning in a state of frustration, as I churned through all manner of tiny gray flies contained in my twenty-five year old midge box. After a lengthy trial run in the first section I surrendered and moved to a gorgeous area between several large exposed boulders. Large fish were rising everywhere in the deeper channels between shallow flats.

Much of the Day Spent Here

I finally brought some stream analysis to the endeavor, and I seined the water, and within seconds the white mesh was clogged with a massive quantity of midge larva, emerging midges, and a few adults. The adults were size 24 or possibly smaller, and the larva were very slender and also a size 24. Fifty percent of the residue in the net was larva casings. I was astonished by the amount of protein collected in a brief dip of my net. The midges more than made up for their tiny size with an astounding quantity of insects in various stages of the life cycle.

70% Empty Larva Cases

Dense Midge Hatch Lingered for Four Hours

After I finished my stream life analysis, Steve joined me, and he assumed the downstream position, while I targeted the top of the runs. An abundant quantity of visible fish elevated my heart rate, as they finned just below the surface and slowly sipped tiny midges in a steady rhythmic cadence. Surely one would mistake my small gray offering for the real thing! Finally just before lunch I tied a size 24 black midge adult to my line, and the minuscule fly duped a twelve inch rainbow trout. Ed donated this fly to my cause on Wednesday during lunch.

Thursday morning featured 2.5 hours of frustration. Flies that worked albeit temporarily on Wednesday were totally ignored on Thursday. I was in a state of bewilderment and clueless regarding my afternoon approach to the dense hatch of diminutive midges.

Surprise Caddis Chomper

After lunch Steve and I once again manned our positions of the morning, and after additional futile casting I began to experiment with large visible lead flies trailing small midge larva imitations, that were impossible to track. Much to my surprise I hooked and landed a feisty thirteen inch brown trout that attacked the size sixteen olive brown deer caddis that served as my lead fly. In addition I experienced a temporary hook up with the caddis.

Another period with no action and decreased surface feeding provoked me to experiment with a size 12 Jake’s gulp beetle. The wind was gusting intermittently, and I postulated that terrestrials were in the mix. Once again I was pleasantly surprised, when the beetle produced a temporary connection, and then it fooled a much appreciated rainbow. The pink striped missile streaked up and down the pool, until I finally coaxed it into my net. I photographed and admired my best fish of the day.

Beetle Visible in the Mouth

After the rainbow landing the midge food source dwindled, and the trout scaled back their feeding activity. Steve decided to investigate the bridge pool, and I accompanied him. When I stood on Baetis Bridge, I observed only placid water with no evidence of rising fish, and the high sun caused the air temperature to soar, so I decided to hike downstream via the road for .5 mile, until I found some faster water. I theorized that a dry/dropper approach in the faster currents improved my chances of success given the higher air temperatures and lack of cloud cover.

The Pool Above Baetis Bridge

My theory was in fact upheld, as I deployed a yellow fat Albert, emerald caddis pupa, and salvation nymph and guided six additional trout into my net. Two were rainbows in the thirteen inch range, and the others were smaller brown trout. One of the rainbows snatched the caddis pupa, and the salvation yielded the other landed fish.

Channel Between the Rocks Delivered

Healthy Wild Brown Trout from Thursday

When I reached the slow bend pool below Baetis Bridge, I climbed to the road and circled back to the bridge and then continued toward the car, where I found Ed and Steve next to the same spot that frustrated us earlier in the day. I once again waded in above Steve and converted to a black parachute ant, but it was soundly ignored by the occasional risers in front of me. I was about to switch back to Jake’s gulp beetle, but Ed and Steve were ready for happy hour, so we stowed our gear and returned to the cabin.

The Log Jam on Taylor Creek Cabins Private Water

Before removing my waders and breaking down my rod, I decided to sample the private water across from the cabin, and I moved upstream from the “log jam” to the bench at the end of the path across from the driveway to the cabin. During this brief foray in the middle section of the Frying Pan River I prospected with a yellow Letort hopper and a salvation nymph, and I landed two additional brown trout that attacked the salvation.

End of Day Brown Trout

Thursday was a tough day, but I managed to land twelve trout including a few in the 13 – 14 inch range. I also invested some time to research the prevalent food source, and I discovered that size 24 midge larva, emergers and adults were on the menu. Although it is unlikely that I will return to the Frying Pan River near term to leverage this knowledge, I plan to add some tiny imitations to my fly boxes in case I visit again in the spring of future seasons. A new design is already dominating my thought patterns.

Fish Landed: 12

Time: 9:30AM – 4:30PM

Location: Between Reudi Reservoir and Baetis Bridge

Frying Pan River 05/09/2018 Photo Album

While we visited the Taylor Creek Fly Shop on Tuesday, I mentioned to Ed and Steve that during past trips I capitalized on the misfortune of other anglers, when I scooped two plastic canisters containing purchased flies from the currents of the Frying Pan River. I estimated that the quantity of flies contained in these two cylinders was thirty-five, and at $2 per fly this equates to $70 worth of flies. Relating this story reminded me of the cylindrical containers, so I searched the zippered pocket of my wader bib and discovered that they were missing. I recalled removing them prior to my trip to New Zealand, so I searched the pockets in my fishing bag and recovered them and returned them to my wader pocket. This bit of foresight would prove to be critical to my fishing story of Wednesday, May 9.

After breakfast at the Taylor Creek Cabins on Wednesday morning, my friend Steve checked his weather app, and it forecast clouds and overcast skies for the entire day. We rejoiced at this bit of news, and in fact the prediction was mostly accurate. Whereas the high temperature in Denver reached eighty degrees, cloudy skies predominated along the Frying Pan River, and this translated to cooler temperatures in the low seventies at our fishing destination.

Ed, Steve and I once again teamed up; and Ed drove to the upper section of the river below Reudi Reservoir. We turned left before Baetis Bridge and parked along the road on the north side of the river. We immediately split up with Ed migrating upstream, while Steve and I walked along the road in a downstream direction. I chose the first left after passing some thick impenetrable brush, and then I waded along the edge of the river to a long pool with a relatively strong current closer to the opposite bank.

Neat Spot Pattern on This Brown Trout

I considered defaulting to a tyical dry/dropper approach, but I paused to observe and noticed several rising fish. A source of food was not readily evident, but quite a few tan colored midges buzzed about above the river. My fly box did not contain a matching adult midge fly, so I plucked a griffiths gnat from a foam slot and knotted it to my line. I learned from past experience that a griffiths gnat is a solid all purpose adult midge imitation.

Spent Nearly All Day in This Spot

As this thought process and fly selection played out, more and more fish began to rise, and most ignored my gnat, but through persistent casting I landed two nice brown trout. The second one was a fine muscular specimen that measured in the fifteen inch range, and I savored my early dry fly success. This scenario continued throughout the remainder of the day. Fish rose throughout the pool in waves, and I repeatedly advanced and retreated along the twenty yard length. Unfortunately I could never identify a consistent fly. My best producer was a size 24 parachute Adams that I discovered in…one of the windfall canisters that I returned to my wader bib pocket before departing for the river! This fly accounted for six brown trout, before I returned to Ed’s car for my lunch break. By this time the hackles unraveled, and the hook was bent from repeated removal from the tough bony mouths of the fish. Before I returned to the river after lunch, I once again searched in my fishing bag and removed a small plastic fly box that was broken at the hinge. This relic of early 1990’s fly tying efforts harbored a decent supply of tiny midge larva and emergers, so I stuffed it in my front pack for the afternoon.

Lovely Colors

S Curve

The micro Adams was unfortunately one of a kind in my fly supply. In the afternoon I rolled through RS2’s, WD40’s, and an emerger style RS2 with a stubby white tuft of poly for an emerging wing. All these flies were fished like a dry fly, as I applied floatant to the bodies of the tiny nymphs, and they produced eight additional trout. I found and tried nearly every fly in my possession that had a gray body and was small. Eight trout may sound impressive, but each fly generated a couple random takes, before they were ignored like inert flotsam. I executed a prodigious number of casts and utilized dead drifts, twitches, and skating techniques. Between 12:30 and 3:30 the entire pool was alive with an impressive quantity of feeding fish, yet my fly was ignored a high percentage of the time. I could not comprehend why a few fish munched my flies, while the bulk of the fish selectively fed on the naturals.

Outstanding

By 3:30 I departed the pool that I occupied since 9:30 and shifted to the gorgeous run and pool just above Baetis Bridge, where I joined Steve. My last two trout came from this area, with one attacking the parachute RS2 and the other chomping a classic RS2.

Beauty with Fins

Sixteen trout was a very rewarding day on the Frying Pan River, and at least three measured in the 15 – 16 inch range. The downside to Wednesday was the unbelievable number of casts and fly changes required to achieve fishing success. By the end of the day I was exceedingly weary of attempting to follow tiny flies that enabled me to catch one fish among fifty casts. A significant hatch was preferable to none at all, but matching barely visible midge emergers carried a heavy dose of frustration. What would Thursday deliver?

Fish Landed: 16

Steve Creates a Loop

Time: 4:00PM – 6:30PM

Location: Folkstead Spring upstream to MM 11

Frying Pan River 05/08/2018 Photo Album

My fishing friend, Steve, invited me to join a group that was renting one of the Taylor Creek Cabins along the Frying Pan River from May 8 through May 10. Renting a cabin entitles the temporary residents to fish the Frying Pan Anglers’ private water across from the cluster of rustic log buildings. I readily accepted Steve’s invitation, especially when I heard that my share of the lodging cost for three nights was $140. The per night lodging cast barely exceeded the cost for a night’s stay in a national forest campground.

On Tuesday morning I drove to the Wooly Mammoth parking lot along Interstate 70 near Golden, CO, and there I met Steve and his friend Ed. Ed volunteered to drive, so I transferred my bags and gear to his Volvo station wagon. After navigating through some construction in Glenwood Canyon, we arrived in Basalt by 12:30, and here we met the other three members of our crew at the Stone Pony. We ordered our lunches, and I was introduced to the other members of the team; John, Steve and Bob. All were anxious to get a jump on three days of fishing, but after lunch we stopped at the Taylor Creek Fly Shop to obtain information and purchase a few flies. I bought four mysis shrimp, as these are prevalent on the Frying Pan River below Reudi Reservoir, and I do not tie the popular tailwater crustacean.

After we exhausted our questions and made last minute fly purchases, we continued along the Frying Pan River Road and checked into our Taylor Creek Cabin. Initially we were disappointed to learn that the temporary quarters contained only two bedrooms with two single beds in one, a double bed in the other, and a futon in the kitchen. Some quick math yielded the conclusion that two of us would need to sleep together in the double bed, but before total panic prevailed, Bob discovered a separate building that used to be a garage that was converted into another bedroom and bathroom combination. We were relieved by this discovery and stashed our belongings, and then Ed, Steve and I departed to fish.

Ed and Steve Ready to Go After Trout

The shop suggested that the river from MM 10 to 12 contained the best opportunity to encounter blue winged olives, so we chose that section as our destination. I was the most knowledgeable person regarding the stretches of the Frying Pan River, so I guided Ed to the parking lot next to Folkstead Spring, but once we exited the car and surveyed the river, I sensed that the water was too fast for their tastes. We piled back into the Volvo and continued for another .5 mile, where we parked near the upstream border with private water. This section offered quite a few nice pools, and this appealed to the other guys more than the water near the spring.

114 CFS on Tuesday Afternoon

Steve and Ed fished a nice pool just below the private boundary, and I hiked down the road to Folkstead Spring. I crossed the river at the spring, and this was unusually easy, as a result of the relatively low flows of 114 CFS. Tuesday was a warm day with the temperature along the Frying Pan approaching the low eighties. The sky was perfectly blue without the hint of a cloud. These weather conditions are generally indicative of challenging fishing, and I was skeptical that the anticipated blue winged olive hatch would materialize.

Once I crossed the unusually gentle Frying Pan, I began working upstream for the next two hours. Given the low clear conditions I began with a size 16 light gray deer hair caddis, but after testing it in some very attractive runs with no positive results, I shifted to the dry/dropper approach. I opted for a yellow fat Albert, hares ear nymph, and RS2. I continued prospecting with these flies, but once again I suffered through a dry spell. I paused to observe, and I noticed occasional caddis touching the water, so I exchanged the RS2 for an emerald caddis pupa.

Promising Stretch

Bronze Brown

This three fly combination remained in place for the remainder of my time on the water. Before I quit at 6:30PM, I landed seven trout; three rainbows and four browns. Three of these trout favored the hares ear nymph, and the other four snatched the emerald caddis pupa. This suggested that the fish were opportunistic in the faster water and not selective to any single food source. All three of the rainbows were larger than the brown trout. The last fish of the day was quite obviously also the best, as it was a rainbow trout that measured sixteen inches. I landed this beauty, after I returned to rendezvous with Steve and Ed, and I fished a moderate run below their pool. Another ‘bow was thirteen inches, and the third was in the twelve inch range. Two brown trout measured out at twelve inches, and the remaining two were smaller cousins in the seven inch range.

Showing Off Crimson

The fishing on Tuesday was quite slow, and I was very pleased to land seven fish. Many spots that seemed to be sure things failed to deliver. Success required frequent movement and repeated casts, and I never identified the water type that was most consistently productive. It was a decent start to our three day visit to the Frying Pan River. Early May represented the earliest in the season that I ever fished the popular tailwater, so I was uncertain regarding what to expect.

Fish Landed: 7