Frying Pan Anglers - Colorado Fly Fishing Report 18th June

Apart from a flurry of snow and mostly rain on Saturday we report excellent weather this week with a beautiful sunny day on Sunday. It certainly feels as though spring has arrived. The snow from last week has melted quickly off the ground and in fact as the warm days progress a little color is beginning to enter the flow as the run-off of the meltling snow reaches the rivers.

With daylight saving starting this week, the days are now longer for fishing. I don't think the bugs take to much notice of the change in the clocks but it certainly gets the fishermen more time on the water.

Apart from a low probablility of some precipitation on Wedensday this coming week promises warm bright sunny days. We are already having skiers come into the shop in anticipation of some good fishing because the skiing is beginning to lose its attraction for older legs. The speed with which the warm weather arrived this week took some by surprise given the weather last week. If it continues as predicted much of the snow in the direct sunlight will be gone on the rivers edge by next week end.

The fishing has been good on both the Pan and the Fork. Towards Glenwood the Fork is featuring great hatches of both midges and BWO's while midges predominate on the Pan with a few BWO hatches closer to the Dam. The water is in excellent condition all over marking the beginning of a great period of fishing before run-off starts to have any impact.

The water conditions are excellent and the level is providing great late winter/early spring cover for the fish. As the days get longer the fish are moving about a little. The fish are feeding well on midges and still are still taking a few eggs. During the week in the bright light it was generally necessary to fish deep unless one was in the shade. On Saturday in the rain and sleet there was a reasonable midge hatch which brought the fish to the surface during the afternoon, but emergers were the most effective rather than just dries. The fish took brassies and chironocones until about midday. After then the midges began to hatch and the fish began to take emergers well into the afternoon. If the fish could be spotted in the water, it was a matter of varying the weight to get the fly exactly to the level of the fish before it would take it.

With the warmer weather promised this week together with the bright skies, the fishing should be excellent although as they are not particularly active yet, make sure to take along your polaroids and hunt down the fish.

Recommended Flies: Wait for the sun to hit the water before venturing out. Then follow the sun . In the bright light the fish can easily be spotted in the deeper slower water. Fish midges deep and then if they start coming off fish closer to the surface with emergers if the fish start rising in the water column. Watch until the fish are poking their heads out of the water to take the midges off the surface before switching to dry patterns. When the fish are taking midges they won't move much to take them so fish as accurately as possible to ensure that the fly drifts down or up to the level of the feeding fish. It is imperative that one fishes right to the fish, so continually vary your weights. If you are careful you will get a lot of shots at a suspended fish as it won't move much to inspect a fly. Try WD-40's #20 , red and black chironocones #20, brassie's #18 - #22, midge larva patterns #18 - #22 and garcia's rojo midges # 18 - #22. It's only when you practically hit the fish on the head and he moves off that you will know for sure he won't take your midge pattern. When the fish are taking midges off the surface, try and identify the size of the midges floating by and match the size. Carry a range of emergers both black and gray, some with a trailing shuck. Also carry dry patterns such as the z-wing real midge, suspended midge and any similar dry black and gray patterns in sizes from #20 through to #26.

The baetis nymphs are beginning to move about in the water so it wouldn't hurt to try a nymph down deep with a midge for a variety if you wanted. Try a small sparkle baetis or a pheasant tail. Try sizes #18 - #22. In addition, there have been a few reports of Bwo's hatching towards the dam. So take along a few dry patterns as well just in case. We have just had some very small princes specially tied down to #24 in the shop so try some of those for variety as well.

Roaring Fork

Current Flow: near Emma - 230cfs (if you want more uptodate figures check out current readings on our "Links" page).

The flow has remained fairly consistent over the last week, and the lack of much precipitation afforded some great fishing. Most of the float traffic is towards Glenwood, while the wading fishing has been good up towards Woody Creek. With the coming warm week there might be a little runoff starting in places depositing a little color downstream. The fish are responding to midges, stone fly nymphs, worms and egg patterns. The baetis are active near Glenwood so try those as well.

Recommended Flies: Use the same flies as the Pan. (See our report for the Frying Pan). In addition use streamers, stone flies such as the 20 incher, san juan worms and egg patterns. Generally try midges. Try larva and pupa patterns until the fish are moving under the surface then try emergers.

The Colorado should remain clear over the coming week. Use similar patterns to the Fork only a little larger.

Recommended Flies: midges, larva, pupae, dries and emergers; bwo's both nymphs emergers and dries; 20 inchers size #10 - #14; streamers #6 and #8 and smaller and try egg patterns.