Time: 5:45PM – 7:00PM

Location: .2 miles below the footbridge

Fish Landed: Dave -0; Dan – 2

South Boulder Creek 09/26/2012 Photo Album

I picked Dan up at his apartment at 4PM as he just arrived home from work. Dan quickly changed into his fishing clothes and grabbed all his necessary equipment including the new fishing bag he received from Jane and I on his birthday. We made the relatively quick drive out route 6 to Golden and then up Coal Creek Canyon to the turn off for Gross Reservoir and South Boulder Creek. In spite of the rain earlier in the day, Wednesday evening developed into very pleasant although cool conditions.

When we exited the Santa Fe and I went to the tailgate I realized that I removed my waders and wading boots to dry and hadn’t returned them to the car! I took my rod and reel, but told Dan I would pretty much be his guide as I realized it would be difficult to get in good position to cast in the reduced flows. My rock hopping skills would be frequently tested and I would be lucky not to return with cold wet feet.

We hiked down the steep path and then followed the trail along the stream to the footbridge and then continued another .2 mile or so below that before cutting down to the stream. I added a new section of tippet to Dan’s line as he was reduced to cutting back the tapered leader, and then I tied on a size 16 light gray deer hair caddis. He moved to a good position at the tail of a long smooth pool and began casting initially to the tail and then working his way to the top with 20-25 foot long casts. The water was extremely smooth and Dan’s fly was dragging rather quickly so I explained to him how to check his cast high and allow it to flutter down with slack.

When Dan was standing at the tail of the pool he shot a cast to the small riffle at the head and executed a nice pile cast. In an instant he tightened the line and I saw a huge boil as a lunker rainbow by South Boulder Creek standards thrashed and dove and tried to get free from Dan’s fly. Eventually Dan subdued the fifteen inch bow and slid his net beneath. I tried to take a movie but only captured the final netting. I snapped a still photo as well and Dan dried his fly and moved upstream.

Dan Lands Beautiful Rainbow on South Boulder Creek

Shortly after the initial excitement Dan landed a small brown and then hooked what appeared to be a 12 inch or greater brown, but this fish managed to free itself before Dan could get it in his net. Unfortunately after this flurry of action in the first half hour or so, things slowed down and neither he nor I could entice any additional rises to our caddis imitations. Dusk began descending early in the canyon, and Dan didn’t have a headlamp to change flies, so we stuck with what was no longer working. From my position balanced on slick slimy rocks on the right side I was able to make a few inconsequential casts, and actually induced a pair of refusals.

Largest Rainbow I’ve Seen Out of S. Boulder Creek

At seven o’clock there was minimal light remaining so we quickly began hiking out of the canyon by the light of my headlamp. Fortunately I replaced the batteries recently, as we needed all the light we could muster to get two of us back up the rocky trail and then up the steep section to the parking lot.