Frying Pan Anglers - Colorado Fly Fishing at its Finest

For Fly Fishing on the Frying Pan River, the Roaring Fork River and the Colorado River for the week ended 5th October 2008

Generally the past week has seen some nice warm weather but today it turned a little colder as it rained over night. At the higher altitudes there was some residual snow from the over night precipitation and generally it was colder during the day. With the temperatures in the 50’s it was a reminder that we are on the tail end of the warmer weather and winter is not to far away.

The colors are exquisite and we have had the benefit of limited winds leaving the leaves on the trees for the moment. It will not be long before some gusts of winds shake the leaves onto the ground and into the rivers and summer will be gone. We will be left with reminiscences of the season that leaves a lot of questions concerning the impact of the high water flows and late start to the season.

The water conditions are still excellent and if you can see your way clear to get out onto the rivers the fishing will be great. The browns are now quite active as evidenced while floating this week. They are now aggressively attacking streamers thrown against the banks. It is truly a great time of the year to be on the river. There are few other fishermen out there and the conditions are perfect.

The weather over the next few days promises to be warm and sunny, but next weekend holds the possibility of some more cold weather if the predictions are accurate. We are in the process of beginning to prepare our fly orders for next year and are looking at the offerings of a number of companies. We will do our best to add significantly to our extensive inventories over winter and will let you know what we decide in due course. We remain committed to providing the most extensive selection of trout flies in North America and so far are on track to do so.

Sonia Nazario and Bill Regensburger on a recent trip with Ed

This week there was a beautiful photo in the Glenwood Post Independent of 3 mountain lions. It is a rare and beautiful sight in our valley.

Taken at 4 mile .

Here is the Link to the Post Independent. Click here

The lower flow has improved access to the river, but the colder weather has slowed down the hatches for the moment. The promise of warmer weather over the next few days should excite some excellent hatches into the evenings and should facilitate some good dry fly fishing. The fish remain in the quieter sections at the moment but there is plenty of action if one takes the time to move quietly along the edges and fishes into the structure. On Saturday the fishing was excellent despite the touch of cold, and the fish took the BWO dries including the Adams #24.

Recommended Flies: We are now into Autumn so as the season progresses and it cools down, the bugs will get smaller. So be prepared to try midges, BWO's, PMD's, and some October Caddis patterns.

The midges will come off during the day, particularly if it is sunny. So try WD-40's #20 , red and black chironocones #20, brassie's #18 - #22, midge larva patterns #18 - #22, copper johns #18 - #22, black polywings #18 - #22 and garcia's rojo midges # 18 - #22.

If the fish start moving higher in the water column or get active under the surface, try the gray loopwing emergers #20 - #22, the FPA special emergers, biot emergers both with and without the trailing shuck and gray RS2's #18 - #22.

When they are on the surface, try dry patterns such as the z-wing real midge, suspended midge and any similar dry black and gray patterns such as a parachute Adams in sizes from #20 through to #28.

For baetis, try some small nymph patterns such as pheasant tails and the FPA sparkle baetis #20 - #24 down deep. In addition try the emerger patterns like crystal hunchback, juju baetis, the mighty mite, icebreakers and the FPA sparkle baetis - #18 - #24 and rs2 #18 - #22 and soft hackle baetis #18 -#22.

If BWO’s start to come off try dry patterns like the adams and parachute adams #20-#24 and the matthews #18 - #24 with an emerger dropper. If the fish are under the surface try fishing 2 emergers with a very small weight to get the flies down a little. An rs2#20 behind an FPA emerger or sparkle baetis with a thorax bead will do the trick.

On the bright days the BWO's will tend to come off in the shade. But if it starts to rain, don't come in. Just stay out on the water as long as you can - unless its an electrical storm!

PMD’s are still coming off in the afternoons so try emergers and dries as the hatches start. Try barr’s emerger #16 - #18, the FPA special emerger #16 - #18, the red and ginger quills #16 - #18, rusty spinners #16 - #18 and Lawson’s No Hackle #16 - #18. In addition try soft hackle patterns.

Roaring Fork

Current Flow: near Emma - 441cfs (if you want more uptodate figures check out current readings on our "Links" page).

The lower flow in the Fork continues to make it a little more difficult to float near Basalt confining most of the floating traffice below Carbondale. But the browns are now quite active along the banks and behind structure. Floating during the week saw some excellent fishing with streamers such as the zuddler #4. In addition the fish took PMD emergers in the riffles such as the Barr’s emerger and the red prince. Overall the fishing was excellent.

With the clarity of the water at the moment higher up on the Fork, it is probably wise to fish with a smaller tippet. In the lower water the fish are taking their time to inspect a little more where they can.

The lower water makes more of the Fork accessible to wading where some excellent fishing can be enjoyed the full length of the Fork.

Recommended Flies: Try baetis, midges and PMD nymphs in the morning. Look for where there are clouds of midges coming off and try black and gray midge emergers. Also try chironocones #18-#22.

Try small baetis nymph patterns such as pheasant tails #18 - #24. Baetis emergers try RS2, the crystal hunchback, juju baetis, the mighty mite, icebreakers and the FPA sparkle baetis - #18 - #24.

As the day progresses and the hatches evolve try caddis dries and emergers and dries with baetis and PMD emergers. Try Barrs emergers, the bubbleback, and the FPA PMD beadtail emergers.

Also try princes, brassies, and copper johns as well as stone fly nymphs.

If you are floating, try streamers and big stone fly nymphs. Also try large dry patterns such as stimulators well placed behind structure or in eddies or quieter sections as you float by. The fish will start to come up to them.

Colorado River

The Colorado continues to offer some excellent fishing, particularly below Two Rivers and even though the numbers of fish do not equate to the Fork they are big strong fish and will feed aggressively.

Recommended Flies: BWO nymphs, emergers and dries; midge emergers and dries during the hatches, larger PMD nymphs down to #14 as well as emergers and dries, 20 inchers size #10 - #14; streamers #2 - #8. Yellow sallies. Also try terrestrial patterns as well as caddis.

Have you tried a Winston fly rod? You owe it to yourself. We have Winston fly rods which you can test drive from the shop. Click here to have a look.

We have had such success with St Croix this year we have decided to offer you a deal which should be irresistible. Click here to have a look.

We are pleased to announce a general merchandise gift certificate program. Under this program you get a gift certificate with purchases of general merchandise.

If you would like to receive this report on a regular basis please email us at report@fryingpananglers.com and let us know.

Are you interested in a career as a fishing guide? We are always on the lookout for good guides who are interested in establishing themselves in our catchment area. Whether you want to be a wade guide or a float guide we have opportunities open. If you are interested give us a call at the shop (970 - 9273441) and speak to Art about the requirements and opportunities.

Frying Pan Anglers is a specialty fly fishing shop, and a licensed (#2389), insured outfitter in the State of Colorado.

We provide guiding services on the Frying Pan River, and float and guiding services on the Roaring Fork and the Colorado Rivers.

Whether you are a beginner or an accomplished angler, you can't go wrong by using one of our guides to help you learn our area's fine rivers. It is always a good idea to hire a guide at the onset of your vacation so you will learn the rivers and pick up on some of our productive fishing techniques.

In addition to walk/wade guided fishing trips we also offer float fishing trips in McKenzie style river boats. We supply the equipment and a hearty lunch on full-day trips.

Basalt is a short, thirty-minute drive from Aspen and is at the center of Colorado's Gold Medal fly fishing. The Frying Pan River joins the Roaring Fork just a few hundred yards from our front door.

We now have our own private access stretch of the Frying Pan River. It is available to those staying in Taylor Creek Cabins, guided trips and where there is availability, the public provided they sign in at the shop. This is the best Colorado Fly Fishing has to offer.