Frying Pan Anglers - Colorado Fly Fishing Report 18th June

Another 13 inches of snow for the past week some good fishing and the prospect of a few clear days and then some more snow later in the week. It is good for the fishing and it is great for skiing. Its hard to know what to do some days. Choices, choices, choices.

The reports from the Pan have been great fishing and practically no fishermen. TJ is out practically every day and reports that the fishing has been excellent. Great midge hatches and in fact in this past week he saw some red quills coming off. We have not a prolonged period of cold weather yet, so the hatches has been excellent for this time of year.

The other good news is that on the 10th December, the Bureau pushed up the Pan so that it is now flowing at 97cfs. This is excellent. Given that we have not had grindingly cold weather todate, the extra flow will accommodate the fish well when the colder weather does arrive. With a little luck the Bureau will hold the flow at 97cfs for the rest of the winter, and in fact if we are really lucky, we might even get a little more.

This morning is was quite cold with a clear night, so with the prospect of a few clear days, perhaps the cold will finally hit. Although the forecast for cloudy and snowy weather later in the week is also accompanied by temperatures just above freezing during the day. So it will remain very pleasant out on the river, at least by winter standards. The moderately warm weather despite the snow has meant that the snow has tended to settle and has not built up anywhere to any great degree.

We are heading into the holidays now, so with a few of the schools beginning to break, we are expecting a few more visitors in town for the skiing and probably for the fishing. So if you are coming up, it might be an excellent time to get in even half a days fishing as well as some great skiing. We would love to see you at the shop.

TJ reported some excellent dry fly fishing all week higher up the Pan. In fact on Wednesday he say some red quills coming off, which was exceedingly surprising for this time of year. The fish have been taking dry and emerger midge patterns well into the afternoons up near the dam. Elsewhere the fish are now down deep or in the slower parts of the river below areas of aeration.

The fish will continue on the redds closer to the dam well into January so take care of those areas.

Recommended Flies: With the cold of winter having arrived, the principal hatch is now midges. They will come off during the day, particularly if it is sunny. So try WD-40's #20 , red and black chironocones #20, brassie's #18 - #22, midge larva patterns #18 - #22, copper johns #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 #28. As the cold weather intensifies the midges will tend to get smaller, so be prepared to fish very light leader and very small flies. In addition try egg patterns down stream but keep off the redds. Shortly the only spawning fish will be near the dam as the rest of the river gets too cold.

Roaring Fork

Current Flow: near Emma - 319cfs (if you want more uptodate figures check out current readings on our "Links" page).

With just a little less snow than last week the flow in the Fork has dropped a little but remains above 300cfs. With the expectation of more snow the flow might get a little higher if the temperatures hover around freezing during the days. The principal hatch at the moment is midges which are coming off in the mornings as the day warms up.

The fish will take small nymphs and midge emergers when nymphing during the day. The big fish are now moving to the deeper slower parts of the river. So concentrate on nymphs such as princes and copper johns, various midge patterns and egg patterns.

Recommended Flies: Overall the best results on the Fork are from nymphing now that the cold weather has arrived.

Use midge emergers and tiny nymph attracters. See some of the patterns we have mentioned for the Pan. If you are nymphing deep down, use plenty of weight and pick where the fish are protected behind structure or deeper down in the slower water. Also try princes, brassies, copper johns and eggs deep down.

Colorado River

The water in the Colorado remains clear at the moment. It is not as cold as the Fork yet so try midges but generally try streamers if floating or alternatively nymphs and eggs deep down.

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