Frying Pan Anglers - Colorado Fly Fishing Report 18th June

Another excellent week of essentially perfect weather. Generally the clear skies overnight pushed the temperature below freezing. But by mid morning the warming sun peeled off the layers of clothing for the remainder of the day until late afternoon. The change in daylight saving has chopped an hours fishing off the end of the day as from today. However one can get out on to the river a little earlier in the morning.

According to the weatherman conditions should persist through to the end of the week with the chance of rain and snow by weekend. The perfect weather might therefore be all over in a week. With the sun sinking lower daily, the next storm will be the one which leaves the first consistent layer of snow on the north side of the lower slopes for the season. Higher peaks are covered in snow and the ski areas currently boast a base of up to 18” which is a great start for the year.

There were quite a few fishermen about this weekend as the locals tried to catch one of the last days of the season before the colder weather arrives. There were a few rafts and boats on the river and a good number of wade fishermen for this time of year.

With the Fork at 350cfs at Basalt, the rafting above Carbondale is a bit of a challenge but still possible if one is prepared to push over the shallowest water. The fish are certainly feisty with good reports generally over the weekend, mostly on streamers. At 87cfs the winter flows on the Pan have concentrated the fish in the deeper parts of the river but the fishing has still been good.

All in all the past week has offered some great autumn fishing and if you are of a mind to try and get in one last trip before the weather turns, we would love to see you in the area.

The past week has been lovely on the Pan with the temperatures in the 60’s during the days. With the flow at winter levels of 87cfs most of the Pan is exceedingly accessible and pushing the fish back into the deeper holes. In the bright light the fish sought as much protection as they could. With the prediction of cloudy cold and wet weather towards the end of the week there should be some good BWO fishing – near the last of the season before it is decidedly back to midges, eggs and attractors.

The warmth of the past few days has kept the midges coming off almost till dark affording some nice dry fly fishing later in the afternoons. The fish have been taking both BWO emerger patterns as well as gray and black midge patterns. Some of the midges are tiny – a portent of things to come.

Recommended Flies:

As we head into the final stretch before the cold and snow of winter descends, the principal hatches will be midges and a few BWO’s.

Prior to the BWO’s coming off, t ry a small FPA sparkle baetis, a thorax sparkle baetis, the icebreaker or a pheasant tail before they start to rise. Also try the mighty mite, the juju baetis and the mighty may sloans. Try sizes #20 - #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 water. For dries, use parachute Adams, Matthews sparkle baetis, biot BWO, the extended body BWO and the grizzly Adams. Try sizes from #18 - #24.

Midges come off during the day, particularly if it is sunny 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 FPA special emergers, biot 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.

As the fish start spawning, try egg patterns down stream but keep off the redds, as that is next years sport.

Roaring Fork

Current Flow: near Emma - 350cfs (if you want more uptodate figures check out current readings on our "Links" page).

The principal hatch at the moment is midges which are coming off in the mornings as the weather warms up. In addition they come off into the evenings. In the hour before sundown there is nice fishing with midges along the edges in the clear slower water.

The fish will take small nymphs and midge emergers when nymphing during the day. With the browns staging for the spawning season, they are responding aggressively to streamers, both white and black thrown against the edges.

If you can get a chance to get out on the water in these last few days before the colder weather sets in, the fishing will be memorable if it is anything like today.

Recommended Flies:

Overall the best results on the Fork are from nymphing and streamers while floating.

During the day use midge emergers and BWO nymphs and emergers. See some of the patterns we have mentioned for the Pan. If you are nymphing deep down, use plenty of weight in the fast running water and pick where the fish are protected behind structure or deeper down in the slower water.

If floating try streamers. The browns are aggressive and will chase and sometimes take any well presented streamer.

In the afternoons and evenings the hatches are predominantly midges. The fish are still keeping low most of the time.

Colorado River

The water in the Colorado has cleared quite nicely. There are still a few BWO’s coming off as well as midges but generally try streamers if floating.

Recommended Flies: BWO both nymphs emergers and dries; midges, eggs and princes, 20 inchers size #10 - #14; streamers #2 - #8.