06/21/12 Blue River North of Silverthorne

06/21/12
Blue River North of Silverthorne
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Flows 53

I had work obligations in the mountains so of course I brought along my rod to fish the Blue in town.  A buddy called and asked what I was up to and I told him to meet me at cable hole and we could catch some fish and call it a day.

The fishing in town has been good, but not great.  Lots of pressure and lots of fisherman all over the river.  Fish are getting smart and are staying out of feeding lanes for most of the day avoiding any fly that drifts by...

It doesn't mean you won't catch any fish...it's just much more technical now...
Here's one from cable hole...

And the fly it took...an orange larvae in size 18

The fly actually looked more red at the shop, but in the sun it looked way more orange.

Shortly after catching this fish, my buddy showed up and hollered that we need to get out of town!  He had found a spot north of town where the fishing was insane...

I was skeptical, but I hustled up the hill and we drove a little ways north of town.

I switched up my flies to a 20 incher, a tung teaser, and a prince nymph since I heard reports that the stoneflies were starting to come up.

All 3 flies produced lots and lots of fish!!!  This spot was on fire and fish were even rising.

My buddy caught his personal best with a 24 in, taken on a dry.

Of course there were smaller fish...a few brownies even...

Here's a long skinny guy...

But the majority of fish were bruisers that were +20 in!

What an incredible day!  We had lots of fish to the net, and quite a few that were able to break us off.  This spot was definitely a wonderful place that not a lot of fisherman know about unless they're exploring the Blue north of town.  Today definitely taught me a lesson to sometimes take a risk and try to fish a new place instead of going to the old stand by.  Especially with how the fishing is declining in town, this spot was a great escape from the crowds and lock jawed fish!

05/06/12 Blue River in Silverthorne

05/06/12
Blue River in Silverthorne
3:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Flows 53
Temps in the low 40's with rain turning into snow

Work is really getting in the way of my fishing!

I can't really complain, my job is a good one with certain times of heavy travel that can be fun...but let's get to the fishing!

The Blue has been fishing very well since the DOW has stocked it, but the fishing is starting to get a little more technical.  Even from the last time I was up, I'm seeing more and more people not catching and I'm noticing that when I'm lazy with a cast, I'm not catching fish either.

These guys have definitely gotten smarter and without a good drift, you won't be catching fish.  A variety of flies will still work, but stick to 5x or 6x fluro tippet and size 16-22 flies.  Midges, mayflies, and mysis are the ticket here and even a mid day midge hatch happens when the sun is up.  Unfortunately, this wasn't the case for today.

I took the family up to the private stretch of the Blue below Green Mountain and we did some fishing and grilling.  This was the 1st time we took Kaycee out to the river and she had a ball.  She even fell asleep in her backpack while we fished for a little and wasn't fussy at all.  She really enjoys being out and taking everything in.  Temps in the morning were mid 60's and slightly overcast skies.  By the time we were done with lunch, the clouds were rolling in...

My wife dropped me off behind the outlets so that she could do a little shopping, and I could get more fishing in!

Lots of beautiful fish and even with the rain that was changing to snow, there were still at least 5 anglers that I could see working their way up and down the river.

Temps dropped fast and the rain continued...but the fishing was still go.  Zebra midges, UV emergers, Top Secret Midges were all readily taken, but only on a good drift.

Again, this river is just getting pounded by anglers so land your fish fast, snap that picture and get them back in the water.  Lots of fish that I caught also had additional "jewelery".  Please don't try to snag the fish...lots of fish with 3 fly rigs in their backs or on their bellies...These fish will eat...just don't try to use 3x tippet and huge flies.

Another great day on the river!  If you are headed to the Blue, the fishing is still good...don't get discouraged when the fishing slows...take time to consider what is going on and change up your flies, add or take away a little weight, and get a good drift and you'll start catching fish again!

Good luck out there!