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The week started out cold and wet and the quality of the water improved accordingly. The flow in the Fork dropped to the mid 500s during the middle of the week affording beautiful quality water and great fishing. By the weeks end, the temperature had risen and the flow had increased accordingly. But the water quality was still fine higher up the Fork. By Sunday it was back to the warm to hot weather with a thunderstorm in the evening. The Fork is currently running at just under 1000 cfs at Basalt. The Pan is its usual excellent self with the flow currently at 116cfs. With the colder weather earlier in the week the hatches quietened down a little and came on later in the day. By Sunday with the barometer moving around as the storm approached, the fish kept lower and on the edges of the river. The weather forecast for the coming week is for warmer temperatures and the chance of thunderstorms and some rain. The changeable weather will be excellent for BWO's coming off however the heat will make it necessary to come further up the Fork past Basalt for good water. Give us a call at the shop for an up-to-date report on the fishing conditions if you are contemplating coming up. It is reasonably quiet during the week and there have been some good reports on both the Pan and the Fork. Before long it will be elbow to elbow along the Pan when the height of the summer traffic arrives and these current perfect days along the river will be just a memory.
Mal, one of our guides with a 24" rainbow from a recent trip he took
Frying Pan Current Flow: below the Dam - 116cfs. (if you want more uptodate figures check out current readings on our "Links" page)
The river has been relatively consistent all week with the flow dropping a little earlier in the week when the cold weather dropped the flow in the tributaries along the Pan. The cold also kept the hatches at bay until later in the day. However by the weekend it was back to business. The approaching storm on Sunday put the fish a little lower during the day but they did continue to take midges and baetis nymphs. The best flies were gray RS2's behind a new thorax bead sparkle baetis pattern we have just received in the shop. Recommended Flies: The fish can easily be spotted in the deeper slower water or on the edges in the shade. Look in the seams as the fish are preferring the slower water at the moment but they are moving up into the faster water to take the mayfly nymphs. With the additional flow the fish have spread out a little more. They are also in the slower pools taking adult midges off the surface. Fish midges deep and then if they start coming off fish closer to the surface with emergers when the fish start rising in the water column. Watch until they are poking their heads out of the water to take the midges off the surface before switching to dry patterns. Try WD-40's #20 , red and black chironocones #20, brassie's #18 - #22, midge larva patterns #18 - #22, black polywings #18 - #22 and garcia's rojo midges # 18 - #22. 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. Try the gray loopwing emergers #20 - #22, the special emerger and gray RS2's #18 - #22. 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 are now coming off well particularly in the wet cloudy weather. Try a small FPA sparkle baetis, icebreaker or a pheasant tail before they start to rise. Try sizes #18 - #22. In addition, when the BWO's start coming off try RS2's and other emerger patterns behind a dry. So take along a few dry patterns such as a parachute Adams , Matthews sparkly baetis, the extended body BWO and the grizzly Adams. Take sizes from #18 - #24. Roaring Fork Except very high up the Fork this week with the Flow again approaching 1000cfs Basalt it will be tough fishing except on the edges. Earlier in the week the the cold weather slowed the flow back to the mid 500's cfs there were some excellent days fishing on the Fork with caddis, stonefly nymphs and san juan worms. Mal reported some excellent floating. The caddis are hatching prolifically on the Fork at the moment from Glenwood up. The midges are working well as are sanjuan worms, streamers and baetis patterns. At the moment the better fishing remains higher up. The best thing is to ring the shop and check the conditions. Just because the river looks dark at Glenwood doesn't mean that we haven't got excellent fishing higher up. Recommended Flies: Use the same flies as the Pan. (See our report for the Frying Pan). In addition use bwo's, streamers, stone flies such as the 20 incher and golden stones, san juan worms and egg patterns. Use caddis in the shade in the afternoons when the caddis start flying around. Try dries as well as emergers. Generally try midges. Try larva and pupa patterns until the fish are moving under the surface then try emergers. Colorado River The Colorado is now dirty. With the warmer weather back and the promise of more together with thunderstorms, it won't be clear for a little while. So if you are in the area, make the journey up valley to at least Basalt to the Frying Pan to experience the difference in water color. Recommended Flies: caddis dries and emergers, midges, larva, pupae, dries and emergers; bwo's - nymphs emergers and dries; 20 inchers size #10 - #14; streamers #6 and #8 and smaller and try egg patterns. |
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