09/28/12 Blue River in Silverthorne and Below Green Mountain

09/28/12
Blue River in Silverthorne
Flow 52
8:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Blue River below Green Mountain
Flows 250
12:00 - 4:00 PM

My buddy who always told me that he has a terrible time on the Blue was finally done with me hounding him about how great it is...

Unfortunately, with all my bragging about how good the fishing is, I managed to jinx myself and we didn't have a great morning...

We started in town at Cable hole and fished our way up to Rodeo hole and back.  We managed 5 fish between us, but nothing of size.  The biggest was a nice little 16 incher that took an epoxy back mysis.

None of the big boys were out and about, and it was pretty weird not seeing a lot of fish in the water unlike earlier in the summer.  There's still fish there, but they have become very weary of weights, lines and flies and will generally move out of the way of your perfect drift.

I'm hoping that the fishing will improve once winter hits.  The cold keeps people off the water and allows the fish a chance to move back into the feeding lanes and feed a little more instead of hiding.

Since I couldn't show my buddy a bad time, we decided to head up to fish below Green Mountain to see if we could get into some more and bigger fish.

We tied on some stonefly patterns and soft hackles and were rewarded with fish right away!

A good mix of browns and rainbows holding in the usual spots.  The flows were dropped about a week ago which made wading easy, but it wasn't high enough to float.  I think with flows right around 250, it was perfect for wading, plenty of moving water putting food in the water, but not so high that fish were hugging banks and undercuts avoiding the faster water.

I did manage my biggest fish in the private stretch which made it a stellar day for me!  My buddy was shocked to see that this piece of water held such big fish.  I'd heard reports of people catching some of these pigs, but I was glad to see that we did have some in this stretch.  I think the high flows allowed for some of the big guys to make it up which is great for wade fishing here until the snow makes the road hard to drive down.  A good incentive to make the drive up, especially since the fishing in town is getting tough.

This 25 incher took a 20 incher.  Stoneflies were the hot ticket as well as the soft hackles.  It was nice being able to fish bigger patterns!

Soft hackle pheasant tails, and hare's ears also caught a few fish.  We managed to land about 8 fish, with plenty of bigger fish getting off before making it to the net.  Overall a great day on the upper stretch.

Don't forget, even though we were fishing the private stretch, the same flies and tactics apply for fishing just below the dam.  Upsize and think stoneflies.  Browns and gold in sizes 12-16. 

08/03/12 Blue River in Silverthorne and Below Green Mountain

08/03/12
Blue River Silverthorne/Green Mountain
Flows 56 in town, 375 below GM
12:30 - 5:00 PM

Kirk from Arizona  http://www.emptyflybox.com/ got in contact with me from my blog and some posts on some forums and said he wanted to fish the Blue!  Even though I was out of town on business and I only had 1 afternoon to spare, I said what the heck and made the drive up the hill to meet him and fish the Blue.

My flight landed at 10:30 and I made the drive up the hill in record time!  We were going to meet for lunch at Smashburger so I decided to scout the water from Chipotle down to the pavilion.  I heard that there were some nice fish that aren't pressured like they are right below the dam.

With only about a half hour to spare, I quickly rigged up and made my way up and down looking for promising holes and dropping some flies to see if there were some hungry fish.

Unfortunately, the fish were few and far between.  I could see some fish, but the low water and people on the pedestrian bridges spooked them.  I was only able to hook up with 1 nice rainbow that took a blue poison tung.

So off I went to Smashburger and I met up with Kirk.  Kirk had gotten out on the water early and managed a few fish at cable hole and mentioned that it was super busy.  We wolfed down our burgers and over to the fly shop to pick up a few more flies before we hit the water.

We decided to fish cable hole a little before we headed up to fish below GM, and thankfully, there was only 1 guy there when we got there.  Everybody must have taken a lunch break!

Kirk hooks up a few times, but comes unbuttoned, and I managed 3 hook ups, but only 1 fish landed...man, these guys are getting smart!  This bow took a mysis.

So off we went to fish the private stretch below GM.  We saw two other fisherman who said that the fishing has been tough.  One of the guys who was nymphing caught nothing...this wasn't looking good...

But Kirk is no ordinary angler!  I set him up on a point and had him tie on a stonefly and copper john.  He set his casts and set it right at the head of the run.  Bam!  Fish on.  A nice rainbow that put up a nice fight.

A couple casts later, and he hooks another that manages to take his whole rig.

So while he's re-tying, I jump in the hole and manage to catch my own brownie!

We keep fishing and I manage another!

After fishing this run for a little, we decided to explore a little more.  We moved downstream to the end of the property line and fished some promising looking holes.  Just as Kirk hooks up with a rainbow, the clouds decide to open up so we decide to make our way back.  Too bad Kirk lost that rainbow too...it flashed on his flies and looked big!  The clouds were looking ominous and black with potential for lightning...so it wasn't worth sticking around!

On the way back, we put a couple more casts in some fast riffles and I manage another nice brownie.

The rain starting coming down harder as we got back to our cars.  I guess it was a sign that fishing time was over...the fishing was good, but not great.  I wish I got Kirk on a few more fish before we had to leave, but the fish just weren't cooperating.

We found what the fish were munching on.  Stoneflies were the ticket.  20 inchers, tung teasers, bigger copper johns and any thing buggy and stonefly like.  I tried some drake patterns, but didn't get any hits.  Weird since this is usually the start of the green drake season down here.  Hopefully the low water isn't putting them off.

Overall a good day!  Some nice fish, and it was awesome watching Kirk make some super long casts.  His technique was impeccable and he was able to throw out some serious line.  It was super easy to just point out a hole and he would put his flies there.

Kirk was sticking around to fish the Blue until Wednesday, I gave him some ideas on other places in the area to hit, so I can't wait to see what he comes back with!

06/28/12 Blue River in Silverthorne

06/28/12
Blue River in Silverthorne
8:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Another day with work in the mountains...I got up there early so I decided to get my fish on for a couple hours!

Even for a Thursday, the river was busy!  Lots of fisherman out, but at least they were moving up and down the river.  I suspect because the fishing has slowed somewhat and the spots like cable hole and rodeo hole have been pounded on for the last couple of months.

Still, with only 2 hours, I decided to start at cable hole and see how the fishing was.  I think the key here is to change up your offerings.  Most guys are fishing midges, but maybe changing to some small mayfly patterns and emergers might be the ticket.  I did see a couple fish slurping so I decided to try a foamback RS2.

At first, it was hard getting into the swing of things...I couldn't get my timing right and the fish weren't really actively feeding on the surface or subsurface.  But once I got a good drift in, I was able to hook up with some nice fish.

I managed another 2 on the foamback rs2 and even managed a few on a size 20 black mayfly and another on a mysis.

Overall, the fishing is good.  The fish are still there, but are very selective now.  Switch it up if you aren't having luck with the standard tailwater patterns.  Or fish early or later in the day. 

Is it still worth heading to the Blue in Silverthorne?  Not if you are making a special trip.  But if you are headed up there for work or are headed to another body of water, it's worth stopping to catch a few brooders.

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!

06/08/12 Blue River in Silverthorne

06/08/12
Blue River in Silverthorne
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Flows:  75

A quick trip up to the mountains for some work and play!  My 1st stop was the Blue in Silverthorne, and it was a zoo!

I had planned on getting up there much earlier, but ended up getting on the water at 10:00.  There were already 5 cars in the little pull out at cable hole and 3 guys were already fishing.  I walked to the tail end of the cable hole and promptly proceeded to pick up a few nice fish!

Same old brooders, but they are starting to wise up a little to flies and presentations.  A fly that usually does very well here netted zero (zebra midge) and most fish are taking smaller and more "natural" looking flies.  Basic black midge larvae, cream midges, and emergers were consistently taking fish.

I even had quite a few take a size 20 stalcup's mysis and a size 18 craven's mysis.

I always run a 3 fly rig through here with a mayfly pattern, a midge, and then a mysis.

As cable hole got more and more crowded, I decided to head down river and explore a bit. 

My next stop was I-70 hole and you could easily see a few brooders hanging out in the tail out.

I pulled 2 fish out of here and kept moving downstream...

The hole just below wildernest rd. also had a few stacked in it as well and even a few were feeding in the riffles.

After working the riffles and catching 3 dinks, I moved down to the foot bridge and the 7-11 hole.  There were 3 guys down by 7-11 hole and another 2 above so I settled in below the footbridge. 

With a large crowd of people watching, I managed to hook into a nice fish and was playing it well, until it took a turn a jumped the waterfall and then spit the hook...a collective "awwww" from the crowd was my consolation prize!

Another great day on the Blue...the fishing might seem like it has slowed down, but the fish are just getting a little smarter and the fishing pressure is up.  I didn't see another person between cable hole and the footbridge so walk a little and find some solitude.  The brooders are all over this stretch and you won't need to fish shoulder to shoulder with some.

Hot flies for the day were mysis and midges.  Dorsey's Top Secret in a size 20, and a black thread midge with midge tubing were two flies that I didn't change and were consistently catching fish.  Use a 5x leader, and drop 6x after your 1st fly.  I still run fluro, but I don't think it's necessary...but with the low flows and clear water, fluro might help you catch a few more fish.

05/23/12 Blue River in Silverthorne

05/23/12
Blue River in Silverthorne
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Flows 77

Last day in the mountains so it's a quick stop on the Blue in Silverthorne.  Flows are still low, but there's rumors of a bump soon.  That will help get the fish dispersed and more food being flushed out of the reservoir and more bugs in the riffles.

All the brooders are still hanging out in cable hole with a few in the runs all the way up to rodeo hole.  The colder weather did put the fish off a little, but there were still plenty there willing to eat.

The resident fish were readily taking mysis while the brooders were keyed in on midges and nymphs.

I actually caught more resident fish than the brooders...a switch up from the norm, but I'd assume the colder temps turned them off while the resident fish are used to feeding year round and more keyed in on mysis.

Lots of fish to be had, but a tough day for some.  I saw quite a few people out not catching and even a guy bragging about all the 20 inchers he pulled out yesterday, only to catch the skunk today.  Again, the temps probably played heavily into it.  But if you drop down to 5x and 6x tippet and get a good drift, you'll get into some fish.  Also, consider using a heavier lead fly and running with no weight.  If you still aren't having much luck, take off the indicator and high stick nymph it.  Takes are super subtle and if you're running your indicator too long, you're going to miss takes all day long.

Hot flies were rainbow warriors, stalcup's mysis, craven's mysis, black midge larvae, miracle midges, tiny pheasant tails and rs2's.

Even with the crowds, fishing remains good.  Lots of fish, but they are getting weary of fisherman so change up your tactics and catch some 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!

05/03/12 Blue River in Silverthorne

05/03/12
Blue River in Silverthorne
Flows 70
9:30 AM - 2:00 PM

It's been almost 3 weeks since I've been out fishing...The itch was getting too strong and I had to go get it scratched!

After an early morning flight in from Chicago, I decided to head up to the Blue to see what was shaking.  It's been over a month since they stocked it with the brooders and I wanted to see if they were still there in good numbers.

I was pleasantly surprised...

Lots of fish and they were all still eating.  Although they aren't readily eating everything you throw at them, they have acclimated nicely to "wild" life and are learning what is food and what isn't.  You can't just toss in a size 14 prince nymph anymore and expect a fish on every cast, but the fishing is still consistent if you have the right flies and can get a good drift.

I worked my way up from cable hole and sight fished to lots of fish.  Again, getting a good drift and presenting the right flies were key.  You could easily see fish moving out of the way of your rig or a nice flash of white as they inhaled your flies.

I caught a good mix of brooders and "resident" fish.  (fish without their adipose fins clipped)

Another thing to consider when fishing the Blue is to keep moving.  The fish are on the move so if you are staying at one hole throwing the same rig, the fish will wise up.  If you really want to catch lots of fish, move up and down the river and have fun sight fishing to the big fish!  Find new runs and tailouts!

Or, if you prefer not to move, at least change up your rig.  What's that saying by Einstein?  The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.

Hot flies for the day were top secret midges, uv emergers, miracle midges and rojo midges.  A few also came on a black rs2 fished in the film to rising fish.

If you haven't fished the Blue this spring yet, get up there!  Now is the time for redemption from a winter of poor fishing on the Blue!!!

Here's a little vid before the go pro died...I didn't edit it on purpose to leave out what fly it took...it took a miracle midge.

04/15/12 Blue River in Silverthorne

04/15/12
Blue River in Silverthorne
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Flows 75

The fishing is on fire!  DOW stocked the river with brooders about 10 days ago.  Lots of "dumb" fish eating everything drifting in front of them and lots of residents still around post spawn looking great!  Although local shop reports are saying that the fishing has slowed...the fishing is still excellent and now is your chance to get into some big fish without having to use 7x fluro and a perfect cast and drift.

Here are some hatchery tagged fish.

Pretty cool to see the tags that the DOW uses to mark them.

In addition to the tags, they also cut off the adipose fins on these brooders.

Fish were taking just about anything you had on.  I started my set up with a two bit hooker to bring the flies down and dropped a rs2 and a WD40 behind and caught fish on all flies.  I did start with 6x tippet, but after losing 2 flies to fish breaking me off, I switched to 5x and I didn't have any problem horsing in the fish after that.  Bead eggs also produced and fish really liked the smaller pink sparkle bead.

After breaking a few fish off and losing my flies, I switched up the droppers to some random midges in various colors that I tied up to give them a shot.  These "experimental" flies are crazy color combinations and styles that I like to try out on winter tailwaters to try to "bust the hatch".  Even though they caught lots of fish today, it's not a true test as to their effectiveness since these brooders are willing to eat just about anything.

But, I did have a resident fish take one of my multi-color midges so I'll be sure to tie up more of them for the Blue this winter!

 A great day on the Blue!  I was pretty excited to see that the DOW put some brooders in there.  The fishing this winter has been average to poor which could have been for lots of reasons.  (high fishing pressure, lower flows, weather conditions) But the fish survey that was done last year has shown a significant decline in fish population and size.  Hopefully these fish will add to the numbers there and help increase the quantity of resident fish in the river when they spawn next spring.

I wish I didn't have to leave since the fishing was so good, but 3 hours of fishing and over 20 fish to the net equals a good day.  I didn't want to end the day stuck in skier traffic so I left with a sore arm and memories of big fish peeling line off!