Time: 1:00PM – 4:30PM

Location: Town of Lyons

St. Vrain Creek 04/07/2025 Photo Album

After a solid day on the Arkansas River on March 31, I found myself stuck inside for most of the following week. A brief but potent shot of winter weather rolled across Colorado and pushed me off the water and into the indoor pickleball courts. Not the worst trade, but I was itching to get back on a stream.

Monday, April 7, changed that. A warming trend rolled through Denver, and with the forecast topping out around 70 degrees, I couldn’t resist. I packed the car with gear for a proper spring doubleheader—pickleball and fly fishing—and headed out. I kicked off the morning at Prospect Park for a few hours of pickleball, while the air temps played catch-up from an overnight chill. By noon, I was driving north toward my ultimate destination: the Town of Lyons and the nearby stretches of the St. Vrain Creek.

Start Here

After pulling into a small parking lot, I quickly downed my lunch and suited up with my trusty Loomis two-piece five weight. The creek was trickling along at 18.8 CFS—very low and very clear. I expected a technical afternoon, and that’s exactly what I got. For my rig, I went with a classic: a peacock hippie stomper with a long (four-foot) dropper. Below that I trailed a beadhead hares ear and an ultra zug bug. This setup stayed on for most of the afternoon, although I swapped the zug bug for a supernova nymph during the final hour, after the first one unraveled.

Whopper

The fishing was tough. I covered water steadily for 3.5 hours and managed to net seven trout—six browns and a single rainbow. All were small, ranging from six to nine inches. Honestly, nine inches might be generous. The low water and gin-clear conditions demanded long, delicate casts and careful movement. Even then, I still sent plenty of fish darting for cover. Most of my success came from the rare runs, riffles, and pockets with a bit of depth and current—habitat that was surprisingly sparse in this stretch. Much of the creek was wide, shallow, and easily skipped.

Attractive Section

One small highlight was the one that got away. I came upon a series of short pockets, where the creek narrowed considerably. I considered skipping the area entirely, but in a fit of thoroughness, I executed a short cast to a narrow deep pocket  between a pair of exposed boulders in the middle of the stream. Suddenly a nose appeared by the hippie stomper, and I was instantly attached to a trout that was much larger than any others encountered on Monday. I played the hard fighting brown for fifteen seconds, and then it rolled on the line, and suddenly, it escaped. I am not certain whether I foul hooked it, when it refused the hippie stomper, or did I hook it in the mouth, and then it freed itself via the rolling action. Nevertheless, this was the thrill of the day.

Best Fish of the Day

One interesting observation: as I reached four fish, each of my four flies had accounted for one fish—the hippie stomper, hares ear, ultra zug bug, and supernova nymph. Clearly, the trout weren’t keyed in on anything specific. Later in the afternoon, I spotted two size 18 blue wing olives drifting by, but no risers materialized. Final tally: hares ear (3), supernova (2), hippie stomper (1), ultra zug bug (1).

A Bit of Depth Here

It wasn’t a banner day in terms of fish size or numbers, but the weather made up for it. By the time I headed out, Lyons was basking in 70-degree sunshine. I wore my Under Armour long sleeve and a fishing shirt, but even that combo left me a bit warm in the afternoon heat. Hard to complain about that in early April.

Despite the slow action, the day stirred up my fly fishing appetite. With good weather lined up for Wednesday and Friday, I’ve got my sights on another outing—or two. Hopefully, the next batch of trout will bring some heft and put a real bend in the rod. Stay tuned.

Fish Landed: 7