Fishing Report For the Week ending 6th January 2008 Happy new year, and the snow continues to fall. We have had 35inches over the last 7 days with a promise of more this week. After a record December, January is already shaping up to have good snow as well. The weather was cold for a day or so but with the new snow and cloud cover it as quite warm relatively speaking. During the week we had a massive ice dam break on the Fork above the lower Woody Creek bridge. I was driving down valley at the time so we pulled up at the lower Woody Creek bridge to watch it pass. My daughter got some photos which I am hoping to get downloaded so I can post them on the website. The headwater was at least 5 feet high as it came under the bridge and riding the flow were 4 beavers who obviously didn’t know what had hit them. There were a lot of trees, some up to 30feet in length and a ton of material. It would be impossible to survive such an onslaught if one was on the river and it underlined the importance of taking care for breaking ice dams when fishing at this time of the year. Nowhere would be safe. Where the river narrowed the level of the water built up quickly, but where the river widened out in just a few seconds the water spread out across the entire river bottom carrying chunks of ice, logs and trees. The debris carried down would have been deposited where the Fork begins to braid below Basalt, so it will be interesting to see how much the river will change with the new debris in some places forcing the river to change direction. With the holiday crowds dissipating, we will be getting quiet over the next few weeks prior to spring break. So there will be some good opportunities to get out onto the river uninterrupted. Dress in fully fledged sub-zero clothing now and don’t take any chances on the cold. So take care and enjoy some excellent winter fishing. Frying Pan Current Flow: below the Dam - 97cfs. (if you want more uptodate figures check out current readings on our "Links" page) With the snow continuing to fall there is now a healthy buildup of ice and snow on the edges of the river. However the temperatures have not caused the formation of much anchor ice which is good for the fish. Access to the roads near the dam depend on the Forest Service clearing the road. We have had a few visitors in town but as the holidays pass, the numbers will drop off affording some nice quiet time on the river. 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 this month 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. Now the only spawning fish are near the dam as the rest of the river is too cold. Roaring Fork Current Flow: near Emma - 252cfs (if you want more uptodate figures check out current readings on our "Links" page). The snow over the past week continues to build up the snow and ice on the edges of the Fork particularly higher up above Basalt. The breaking of the ice dam during the week will have a lasting effect on the Fork to the extent that a lot of the material carried down will have been dropped in the flow as the river widened out. So it will be interesting to note the extent to which the flow has changed. It will now be a matter of that material being cleared out in the run-off. However that should not be a problem given the amount of snow we have been having. Provided the snowfall continues from here at even an average rate, the prospects for a strong run-off grow with each storm. The snow and ice will continue to build up with the forecast for more snow and temperatures remaining below freezing for the next week. The principal hatch at the moment is midges which are coming off in the mornings as the day warms up and some sun can get onto the water. The fish will take small nymphs and midge emergers when nymphing during the day. The big fish are now in 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: 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. Try midges, 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. [Archive Index]
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