07/22/12 Arkansas River Below Pueblo

07/22/12
Arkansas River Below Pueblo
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Flows 82

It's been a couple of weeks since I've had a chance to get out on the water!  And the warm weather isn't making it any easier on the fishing!  Usually I would make a trip up to the mountains, but since I had to meet the family down in the Springs for dinner, I figured a quick trip to Pueblo was in order.

Flows have been fluctuating from as low as 65 up to 450.  Recently, it's been very low and the high temps aren't making it easy on the fish.  Fish are holding in faster water and behind piles.  Some fish will move out into the slower water to feed but if you are nymphing, keep to the faster water and tailouts.

Besides the warmer temps and low flows...the fishing is insane!  Hatches were happening all day long with caddis, mayflies, and midges.

I started the day at the water treatment plant and got into lots of fish right away.  Hot flies for this stretch were a micro olive mayfly, brown z-wing caddis, and flashback pheasant tails.

Most were rainbows but I was pleasantly surprised to catch a few brownies as well!  Nothing huge, most around 12-16 in.

As the temps got higher, I decided to move closer to the dam in search of bigger fish and colder water!

I got to Valco and switched up my rig to all caddis flies.  An elk hair flash caddis up top, and a brown and green z-wing below. 

I was happy to get into some bigger fish!  But as you can see in the second picture, the tube hatch was in full effect...I had to wait a while for the water to rest before the fish starting rising again. 

After a couple kayakers came through I decided to move upstream and see if I could find some more fish...

I changed up my rig again; this time to a z-wing caddis, a cream midge, and a black tube midge.  I had TONS of midges and caddis all over my legs and shorts.  Definitely a hatch going on!  I even noticed a few trico spinners, but I didn't have any patterns that would match in my fly box.

I fished just past the gauging station into the faster water behind the rocks and managed quite a few more!  The most impressive of the day would have to be this brownie that I caught in front of the gauging station.  He took a size 20 black tube midge.

When 4:00 rolled around, I didn't want to leave!  The fishing had been hot all day long with fish taking dries and nymphs.

Hot flies were caddis dries, emergers, barr's emergers, z-wing caddis, micro mayflies, two bit hookers, pheasant tails, rs2's, and black or cream midges.

Fishing closer to the dam is definitely recommended, colder water and it seemed like the water temp was perfect for lots of bug activity. 

07/07/12 Blue River Below Green Mountain

07/07/12
Blue River below Green Mountain
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Flows 420

My last day in the mountains and I was stuck at the house waiting for the carpet and tile installers to come.  Our rental property has been trashed by the previous tenants so new carpet and an upgrade to the bathrooms was in order.

When they finally arrived, I figured I'd get a line wet down at the private stretch even if it was for an hour or two.

When I pulled up to the gate, I was dismayed to see 2 cars setting up with at least 4 fisherman rigging up...I guess even a private stretch will be busy for a holiday weekend! 

I made my way down to the far north of the private stretch and proceeded to try my luck where I've caught many fish before!  Today...nothing.  Not on a copper john, not on a prince, nothing...

The flows were fluctuating a bit before the holiday week, but it should have stabilized by the time I was fishing!  But still nothing...weird...

I made my way back up towards diversion and saw the 4 fisherman pounding the far bank.  Looked like they weren't getting into any fish either.

My luck did change while fishing the diversion.  I managed 3 small brownies.  They might have been small, but they sure beat the skunk!  All 3 took a rubber legged copper john.

I figured I'd better get a picture even though it was a small fish or I wouldn't have any pictures at all!

After picking up these 3, I needed to head back to the house to supervise the installs.  Plus, I would rather to end the day on some fish rather than being potentially frustrated for another couple hours!

07/06/12 Roaring Fork River Carbondale to West Bank

07/06/12
Roaring Fork River
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Flows 640

This was a "business" trip!  A client from Chicago called and asked if I wanted to fish with him and another vendor while he was in Aspen for the week!  Of course, I wasn't going to say no...but I upped the ante and said, "Why don't we float it?"  I had just floated the Colorado on Thursday, so floating was still on my mind when I met them at 10:30 at the Taylor Creek Fly Shop.  We loaded up on some flies, grabbed some sandwiches and drinks and proceeded to unload the boat and run shuttle. 

Before we even stepped foot in the boat, Shaun said that we couldn't leave the put in without catching at least one fish!  I managed to take the honor of the 1st fish, a nice 16 in brownie that took an iron sally.

After a quick bout of paper, rock, scissor, Shaun lost and had to man the oars first.  Karl, our client took the front of the boat while I took the rear.

Fishing initially was great!  Karl was taking brownies left and right on an iron sally and a golden stone.  Even though he managed to lose his set up 3 times, I luckily had a few different patterns of golden stones that all seemed to work.  Of course, nothing was "photo worthy", but Karl managed to catch quite a few in the 10-14 inch range for most of the upper stretch.

I on the other hand, managed to hook into lots of fish, but proceeded to lose them promptly...maybe it was fatigue, or the excitement, but I didn't land another fish for the rest of the day...lots of hook ups, just none to the net. 

About halfway through the float, we couldn't out run the rain clouds and we got a little damp...nothing too crazy, just a little rain and wind...this might have turned the fish off since we weren't getting as many bites as we were on the upper stretch.

But not to worry, Shaun knew of a great little stretch where a deep run is feed by a confluence of water just behind an island.  The shallow bank allowed great wading access so we ran our rigs through this deep stretch many times.  Shaun managed to land 3, I managed to hook up with 3 and loose them all after a great fight.  This was the only stretch that we managed to catch any rainbows.

About the time we got back in the boat, the skies opened up again.  Nothing major, just some slight sprinkles again.  We decided to hoof it to the take out since the clouds behind us looked like they help more rain.

Just as we got to the takeout, the skies opened up.  It was a monsoon!  2 other boats made it to the takeout just after us so we all hurried to get our boats on our trailers and out of the rain.

Fishing was just ok on the Fork today...maybe it was the fishing pressure since we counted over 20 cars at the takeout, our maybe the weather turned the fish off.  Either way, it was still a fun float, but it would have been better if we caught some of the legendary big fish said to inhabit this piece of water!

Hot flies for this trip were all varieties of golden stones.  Size 12-18.  We tried some dries and saw a few rises, but didn't manage any on dries or other patterns.  An especially effective pattern was a wire wrapped stone.

I was pretty surprised to see it so busy for a Friday, but again, it was a holiday week so lots of people probably took Thursday/Friday off.  This was my 1st float on the Fork and I had a wonderful time!  Lots of easy water to row and besides the skinny water, it was a good float.  I think if we hit it when the water is a bit higher, the fishing could be epic.  If the water is at 800 or above, I'm sure the fish will have more cover and will be more willing to feed!

07/05/12 Colorado River Pumphouse to Radium

07/05/12
Colorado River
7:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Flows 890

A reader of my blog brought up a good question...Have I fished the Colorado yet this year?  And the answer was no!  So a decision was made to head up to the high country for July 4th holiday week!  I also figured this would be a good time to spend some quality time with the wife and take here on a float trip!

We got to Pumphouse around 7:00 AM and unloaded the boat.  Then a quick shuttle to Radium and we were on the water around 7:30.

I rigged up the wife's fly rod with pat's rubber legs, a copper john, and a prince nymph.  I had her hit the fast riffles, the bubble lines, and the seams and she got numerous hits, but was unable to land any fish.  Most either gave a good shake or took a run and got off.

But this didn't put a damper on Brenda's spirits!  She was determined to land some fish!  Our float through the canyon and up to the Needle's Eye was pretty uneventful, it wasn't until the stretch before the hot springs that she finally got into some fish!

She managed a few more of this size, but we were looking for the bigger guys!  The hot fly for this stretch was a red two bit hooker.

With the fish rising, we decided to switch to a dry/dropper rig for the last little bit before the take out.  A rubber legged stimulator and a beadhead BWO nymph was the rig for the last stretch.

With Brenda being relatively new to fishing dries, she missed quite a few hits, but managed to take her biggest brown of the day on the dropper!

It was pretty exciting since she caught it and landed it in front of a bunch of boats!  Everybody was hollering to see what it was.

I didn't get a chance to really get my line wet, but it still was a great day.  I put the wife on some fish and she really had a good time.  It was a scenic float and the fishing just added to it!

The fishing wasn't really good by any means...the fish are keyed in on smaller flies.  No need for a size 6 or 8 pat's rubber legs, but dries and size 16/18 nymphs will bring fish to the boat.  We only caught browns, no rainbows, but at least we didn't get a skunk!

The best part of the trip was when we were driving back to pick up the car at Pumphouse and she asked when we could do this again!  Better yet, when can we float the Blue!

07/01/12 Blue River Below Green Mountain

07/01/12
Blue River Below Green Mountain
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Flows 498

The old tenants at our rental property moved out, so I had to head up and take pictures of the condition of the house.  Of course I was going to go do some fishing as well!

The private access on the Blue was busy with campers for the weekend.  All 3 camping areas were taken by familes but none of them were fishing.

I headed out and headed north to fish the far reach of the private stretch and managed to hook into a few fish, but lose them in the faster water.  I ended up catching a nice bow right at the end of the private stretch that took me for a run downstream.

Not huge, but it certainly was a fun fight.

This guy took a copper john.

As I made my way back upstream, I continued to fish and kept getting bites, but either the fish would spit the hook, or I was too slow on my hookset.  I guess it's just one of those days...

At the bend, I managed to hook up with another fish that hook a rubber legged copper john/prince that took me into my backing!  Now that was a fun fight.  After 2 runs, I was finally able to wrangle him into the shallow riffles and netted him.

It's good to see that there's still lots of big healthy fish in this stretch.  They certainly are more spaced out at these higher flows, but this stretch is still easily fishable and wadeable at 500.

Back at the car, I decided to get 1 more drift at the cut bank and was rewarded with a nice brownie.  He took a copper john as well.

A fat little guy that obviously has been eating well.

Fishing has been fair down here.  For those of you who might be trying to fish below the dam, stick to stonefly patterns.  What works here, will work down there as well. 

The green drakes haven't really started coming up yet.  But try a green drake nymph.  And if you are floating the canyon, a green drake nymph would always be on the end of my line.  It's getting close...any day now and we should see a hatch.

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.