Time: 11:00AM – 3:45PM

Location: Below Gross Reservoir

South Boulder Creek 10/22/2024 Photo Album

After a tough weekend battling a cold relapse, I found some solace in the fact that the weather wasn’t all that inviting for fishing either—cold and wet. But by the time Monday rolled around, unseasonably warm weather made its way into Colorado, presenting an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. With the sun shining again, I set out for a much-needed day on the water.

Typical Pocket in the Morning

Another Great Spot in the Morning

The first stream that I reviewed was South Boulder Creek below Gross Reservoir, and I was relieved to see flows at 82 CFS—a much-needed improvement after weeks of meager trickles around 6.7 CFS. However, a scare came early Tuesday morning, when I noticed a spike to 97 CFS. Thankfully, by the time I checked again, flows had returned to 82 CFS, holding steady as I prepared to head out. Oddly enough, when I returned home later that day, I found the flows had dropped to 65 CFS, while I was on the creek, which is nearly perfect for me. It turned out to be an ideal day to hit the water.

Right Area Next to the Bank Was Typical of Very Productive Water

Stunning Colors

I arrived at the trailhead around 10:00 AM, greeted by a brisk 56-degree temperature and a stiff breeze. For the hike in, I wore my usual fishing shirt layered over a short-sleeve undershirt, but packed an extra long-sleeve Under Armour layer just in case. The air was cool, but comfortable enough that I never felt the need for a clothing change. By 11:00 AM, I reached my starting point along the creek and rigged up with my favorite fall setup: a peacock Hippie Stomper trailing an ultra zug bug and salvation nymph.

Wide Productive Section

Feisty Rainbow

The morning session proved to be steady, although the wind and the shade made things feel colder than expected. The combination of light sweat and the breeze led me to put on my raincoat for some added warmth. Despite the chilly start, I landed four fish by the time I broke for lunch at noon—three small browns and one small rainbow trout. Although none of the fish were large, they were a good start to what would become a fruitful day.

After lunch, the fishing picked up. I continued upstream, sticking with the dry/dropper setup that had brought success earlier. By mid-afternoon, the fish count rose to sixteen. The catch was evenly distributed: eight fish smashed the Hippie Stomper, while the ultra zug bug and salvation nymph each accounted for four fish. Interestingly, the ultra zug bug started strong but seemed to lose effectiveness as the day wore on, with the salvation nymph picking up the slack.

Long by Tuesday Standards

Center Slick Looks Prime

Upon reaching sixteen, I decided to change tactics and switched to a double dry fly setup. I kept the Hippie Stomper as the lead, but added a size 14 light gray deer hair caddis on a twelve-inch dropper. The move paid off. The afternoon saw another seven fish come to hand, with half falling for the Stomper and the others grabbing the caddis. Toward the end of the day, I swapped out the size 14 caddis for a size 18, which proved just as effective.

Another Nice Spot Along the Bank

Throughout the day, I noticed an abundance of refusals on the Hippie Stomper—enough to prompt the shift to a double dry setup. Despite the occasional refusals, the overall catch rate using double dries remained steady, and I was pleased with the action.

Near the End of the Day Jewel

Most of the trout landed were on the smaller side, with the largest coming in around eleven inches. Brown trout outnumbered rainbow trout by a two-to-one margin, and the most productive water tended to be the tails of long pockets, riffles, and slower-moving pools near the bank. I was surprised several times by fish emerging from shallow lies, where I wouldn’t have expected to find them.

Probed Both Sides of the Pyramid Rock on Right

All told, I landed twenty-three trout—admittedly small, but each a vibrant testament to the beauty of fall fishing in the foothills of the Rockies. More than half of the trout came to the surface on dry flies, and dry fly action in late October is always a welcome treat. The relatively smaller size of the browns might be a result of their spawning activity, although I didn’t observe any active spawners. With cooler weather on the horizon, future outings will depend on Mother Nature, but I’ll be keeping my gear ready for the next window of opportunity.

Stay tuned for more fishing adventures as 2024 unfolds!

Fish Landed: 23