Time: 10:30AM – 2:30PM

Location: Below Gross Reservoir

South Boulder Creek 08/12/2025 Photo Album

I recently spoke to my son and suggested that we should plan a day of fishing on South Boulder Creek, now that the flows were reduced to 104 CFS, and the trout were tuned into western green drakes. He checked his work schedule, and we agreed to follow through on a day of fly fishing on Tuesday, August 12, 2025. Dan lives in Louisville, CO and has two young boys, so the opportunity to fish with him is infrequent and highly valued by this dad.

Dramatic Colors

I met Dan at his home in Louisville, since it is on the route to the Walker Ranch Loop Trailhead. I switched my gear to his car, and he drove the winding and steep road through Flagstaff Mountain Park to the parking lot at the trailhead. The high temperature in Denver was forecast to hit the upper nineties, so we knew it was going to be a hot one, but I was reluctant to wet wade, as the cold flows from the bottom release dam make me feet cold, even when I wear thick socks and waders. We both wore our waders and suffered, especially on the one mile hike up the hill at the end of our day. I chose my Loomis two piece five weight, because it is less than nine feet and offers a slower action for casting dry flies.

Very Productive Pool

By 10:30PM we were perched next to the creek. Dan commanded the left side of the stream, and I advanced along the right bank. We both began with parachute green drakes, and we were not disappointed. We experienced some refusals, but for the most part the trout were where one would expect them to be, and they liked our green drake imitations.

Dan Focused

By noon we met on my side of the creek, and my fish count rested on ten, while Dan accumulated seven. After I devoured my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a few other snacks, we resumed our progression. As is usually the case with green drakes, the fish became more selective after lunch, and refusals and looks became problematic. Dan switched to a user friendly, after I gave him one at lunch time, and he began enjoying some success.

Pretty Brown Trout

I, on the other hand, did not fare as well with the user friendly, so I progressed to a size 14 green drake comparadun. This fly enabled me to boost the fish count by five, but the olive and brown low riding fly was very difficult to track, especially in shadows and glare. Dan persisted with the user friendly with decent success, so I reverted to that fly. I observed three natural green drakes during the 1:00PM to 2:00PM time frame.

Chunky

The final switch to the user friendly proved somewhat successful, and I moved the fish count to twenty-one by the time we quit at 2:30PM. The foam green drake imitation was not perfect, as I experienced quite a few looks and refusals. The easy pickings of my previous trip to South Boulder Creek were clearly a thing of the past. Dan, however, continued to progress upstream along the south bank with quite a bit of success, and he ended his day with a fish count in the same ballpark as my twenty-one. Forty plus fish in 3.5 hours of fishing was certainly a fine day.

Long Pocket

At 2:30PM we began our return hike, and I endured the one mile unending climb to the parking lot with at least five rest stops and water breaks along the way. What a fun day! We both commented on the feeling of remoteness, even though we were only a half hour away from Boulder, CO. When we first arrived, Dan pointed out an eagle, as it glided across the creek below us. On the drive back we encountered a wild turkey, as it shuffled across Flagstaff Road. Standing in the cold creek on a hot day was very pleasant, even though we wore waders. The trout were hungry for green drakes, and we eagerly met their needs. Hopefully I can record a few more green drake outings during 2025. Spending a day with my son was a rare opportunity and highly treasured. That companionship was more valued than any of the trout landed on Monday.

Fish Landed: 21