Frying Pan Anglers - Colorado Fly Fishing Report 18th June

The last week in August is traditionally quiet as we head into a busy September. The labor day weekend features a new group of visitors to town in part by reason of the Janus Jazz festival as well as the end of the traditional holiday season. The weather has been predominantly dry but there was a little rain during the week but to little effect on the river.

The lower Pan continues to clear as well as the Fork from Basalt down. The Bureau did not increase the flow in the Pan this week, but the suggestions are that it will happen shortly. Instead the flow was dropped to 250cfs on Wednesday. Assisted by the current level of the Pan, the Fork is still floatable in a raft from Basalt. But most of the traffic is putting in now from Carbondale down.

As we move into September the number of hot days will be diminishing. There is just the faintest tinge of a color change in the foliage. The evenings are just that little cooler as the fading light brings on hatches in proliferation. We are entering into some of the best fishing times of the year, with the fish strong and healthy after a good summer. As the crowds depart there will be more times on the river when the fishing will be less congested. By now the fish on the Pan will have seen every fly known to man so from here on presentation will remain key as the flies get smaller through the autumn.

We have three great photos this week. Roger and Patti Patton came and stayed with us again in the cabins and acquitted themselves excellently near the Dam.

Steve Mogul also stayed with us recently at the cabins and was well rewarded with this excellent trophy.

For those who might be interested in booking the Taylor Creek Cabins we advise that September is full and October is filling as well.

Above the 4 mile mark the Pan has been fishing exceptionally well this week with reports of dry fly activity all the way down. The flow dropped to 250cfs during the week making the river just a little more wader friendly at the narrower places. With predictions of hot bright days until mid-week any cloud cover will be welcome. It will be a matter of fishing either deep or in the shade when the bright light puts the fish down. The moon is now waning which will assist the fishing in the mornings

Sunday the day started out with a little cloud which built as the day progressed. By early afternoon there was a sprinkling of rain as the clouds darkened. The cloud and rain enticed hatches of BWO's and a few PMDs early in the afternoon. The fish fed aggressively taking PMD emergers such as the FPA special emerger#18, the cream rs2 #20 and the beadtail BWO emerger#18. The conditions were ideal for some excellent dry fly fishing.

Now we are in full swing on the Pan with some drakes still near the dam. In addition we have two hatches of PMD's a day. Midges are coming off morning afternoon and evenings while BWO's will come off if there is any cloud cover, or on the bright days, in the shade. They will also come off in the evenings. There are caddis as well particularly in the evenings but they are not as dominant on the Pan as the Fork.

So with a full range of hatches throughout the day and into the evening, just be well stocked with flies and be prepared for the range of possible weather you might encounter.

Recommended Flies:

The drakes are nearing the end of their cycle but a few stragglers will still be in evidence at the Dam. Try the dries, cripples emergers and the nymphs. The fish have seen so many drakes by now that they are very selective. The solution will be a combination of good presentation and perhaps a pattern with a touch variation from the norm.

With PMD's coming off try emergers and dries. A barr's emerger or the FPA PMD emerger #18 work well. Also try the hunch back #18, the bubbleback #16 and #18 and the #18 special emerger. Try fishing them behind orange stimulators. If the activity is a little slow during the day, try some nymphs down deeper.

For baetis try a small FPA sparkle baetis, a thorax sparkle baetis, the 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. It doesn't hurt to try the emergers behind the nymphs if the fish are staying down in the higher water. For dries, use parachute Adams, Matthews sparkle baetis, biot BWO, the extended body BWO and the grizzly Adams. Take sizes from #18 - #24.

Midges come off during the day and in the evenings so 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. Try the gray loopwing emergers #20 - #22, the special emergers both with and without the trailing shuck 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.

There are some caddis coming off on the Pan so try emergers and dries towards evening. In the evenings or in the shade, the caddis will be coming down to the surface. Try the crawling caddis as well. During the heat of the day, try terrestrials such as hoppers close to the banks where they are undercut.

Roaring Fork

Current Flow: near Emma - 424cfs (if you want more uptodate figures check out current readings on our "Links" page).

The Fork continues to clear from Basalt down with reports of good fishing along the full length of the river and into the Colorado below Glenwood. The fishing above Basalt has been good with reports of good dry fly activity with PMD and BWO patterns as well as streamers and hoppers in the evening. The water flow though is too low for all except the hardiest souls to try and float.

There is excellent walk wading access available along the Fork above Basalt and at this time of year it is ideal for those who are willing to put in a little effort to get away from the close in combat fishing on the Pan and find untrafficked areas on the Fork. It really is worth one's while to get a map and some directions if one is unsure. Come by the shop and we will gladly point you in any number of directions.

With the Pan running at 250cfs, there is still enough water to be able to float from Basalt in a raft if one has a mind to do so and you don't mind getting out every now and then to drag the craft over the shallower parts of the river. Most of the traffic now commences at Carbondale, so at times there is a veritable procession down river. Ideally therefore one should be a little judicious in choosing a time to start a float with the amount of traffic on the river.

The wade fishing below Basalt continues to improve despite the continual stream of cloudy water entering from the Pan. However, by the time one approaches Carbondale the additional water from other sources has dissipated the water improving the conditions markedly.

Recommended Flies:

Overall the best results on the Fork are from nymphing although streamers have been doing quite well over the past week.

During the day use PMD and BWO nymphs and emergers behind hopper or stimulator patterns. If you are nymphing deep down, use plenty of weight in the fast running water and pick where the fish are a little protected behind structure or deeper down in the slower water.

In addition use caddis emergers as well. For variety put on a stone fly or a drake nymph during the day fished deep if things slow down.

In the afternoons and evenings there is a myriad of bugs coming off or in the air, yet the fish are still keeping low most of the time. So continue to use PMD and BWO nymphs and emergers. Use caddis pupa and emerger patterns as well as the caddis are prolific in the shade and towards evenings.

If you are willing to fish into the dark, the spinner fall will be worth the wait. So try rusty spinner patterns.

Colorado River

With the relatively fine weather the Colorado below Glenwood has benefited from the cooler clearer water coming in from the Fork. Above Glenwood though the water is too warm for good fishing at the moment. Provided the weather stays clear and the Fork cooperates there should continue to be be good floating and fishing on the Colorado in the coming week.

Recommended Flies: caddis dries and emergers, PMDs - nymphs emergers and dries; bwo's - nymphs emergers and dries; yellow sallies #16 - #18; 20 inchers size #10 - #14; streamers #6 and #8.