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The fishing remains excellent. Great reports are coming in from both the Fork and the Pan. Earlier in the week there were few fishermen in evidence but by Wednesday the numbers began picking up and by Saturday some of the more popular spots began seeing the typical high summer traffic. Now is a perfect time to take a float. The water is a great color up high and everything is working on the Fork. We have not seen many drakes on the Pan but everything else is working. One guest in our cabins, Fred Aycock caught a 26 inch brown at the base of the dam on a mysis shrimp. He estimated the fish at 8 pounds. He promised to send a photo which we will share with you when it arrives. It has been particularly hot and bright this last week, so I have preferred to go out in the evenings. The fishing has been excellent. The larger fish remain displaced a little and as the release from Reudi was increased on Friday evening it is to be hoped that the bigger fish will remain spread out a little longer. Now is a perfect time to get onto the water in the evenings. The fish have not been too disturbed yet although that will come soon as the number of fishermen build. I suspect that at the time of next writing, the drakes will be well in evidence on the Pan.
Frying Pan Current Flow: below the Dam 172cfs. (if you want more uptodate figures check out current readings on our "Links" page)
The flow was kicked up a little on Friday and now the Pan is perfect. Just enough flow to keep the bigger fish still spread out although they are moving back to their deeper haunts during the day. Great reports are coming in all day although the consensus is that the best dry fly fishing is in the evening. On Tuesday there was a fantastic PMD hatch with the spinner fall going into dark. The PMD's are starting late afternoon and going into the evenings. Last night I fished until 7pm and had great success on a new PMD cripple pattern we got into the shop. It worked far better than anything else although admittedly I did not stay out as long as I would have liked. There was also a strong midge hatch in the evening. Midges continue to hatch both mornings and evenings. Recommended Flies:The river has picked up a little as an additional release occurred on Friday evening. The fishing is excellent. The water is very clear and the days are bright so make sure you are using light tippet – 7x. There is good midge activity in the morning. So look to see if any midges are hatching. Some of the midges mid-river are a little larger so we suggest trying #18 and smaller. Try parachute midges or adults. Put an emerger dropper behind the parachute; also try small emergers; olive biot emergers, size #18 - #22 and black special emergers #18 - #22. Also try #20 and #22 RS2's both gray and sparkle patterns. If nothing much is going on at the surface, it is also worth trying a sparkle baetis and midge larva together weighted down. If the fish are moving without breaking the surface, they will be taking emergers. As the day progresses and the BWO's are in evidence, try the sparkle baetis and or the pheasant tails. When the flies are in evidence a single dry fly will work fine. The BWO's will start up higher to hatch mid-afternoon and continue through so be prepared to stay out for a while waiting for the hatch. If there is no surface activity try dark olive and black pheasant tails size #20 and #22; midges, size #20 and smaller both red and black lava and pupa patterns - disco midges red and black sizes #20 - #24. Keep an eye out for caddis. The caddis are coming off in the evenings so fish the pupa patterns earlier and the emergers later. Try any of the caddis dry patterns as well as the stimulators. The best results on caddis have been the pupa and emergers. Try pupa and emerger patterns – Sparkle pupa #15, peeking caddis #16, emergent sparkle caddis #16. The PMD's are coming off so try both emergers and dries – Barrs emerger #16 - #18, Pink Cahills #16 - #18, Melon Quills #16 - #18 and the PMD Comparaduns #16 - #18. Also try cripple patterns. If the fish are feeding but are rejecting your fly, change to a different size. Try to match the size as best you can. The fish will key in on a particular size and nothing else with interest them. For the spinner fall try parachute patterns and spinners. Try stimulators close to town in the pocket water and drop a drake nymph off. Roaring Fork Current Flow: near Emma - at Basalt 1,170 cfs. (if you want more uptodate figures check out current readings on our "Links" page). The Fork continues to fall and clear. The fishing is exceptionally good at the moment - particularly if you float. Ed, Travis and Chris have all been floating mostly higher up where the water is clearer and the fishing has been excellent all day. Everything is working including green drakes. The caddis in the afternoon have been particularly prolific. Be prepared to fish with both nymph and dry flies. Recommended Flies: In the clearer areas use the same flies as the Pan (See our report above for the Frying Pan). There are however better caddis hatches on the Fork than the Pan. Use orange stimulators sizes #10 to #16. In the faster water, use nymphs with flash or attractors like the prince – size #12 - #16, 20 inchers, drake nymphs and Caddis emergers. Caddis pupa patterns in the morning. Green Drake patterns are also working well. Colorado River Ed has just floated the Colorada and reports that the visibility is at least 6 feet and the fishing is great. Yellow sallies were in abundance and worked well. He also indicated that the carp fishing is very good. Recommended Flies: Yellow sallies. Midges, both dries and emergers; Bead head pheasant tails #16, 18; Blue Wing Olives #18,20; Caddis, nymphs and emergers; stimulators, 20 inchers #12; streamers #6 and #8 and smaller.
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