Frying Pan Anglers – a full service fly fishing shop and outfitter based in Basalt Colorado which provides guided fly fishing trips on the frying pan river, roaring fork river, Colorado river and other rivers in the Basalt area. Frying Pan Anglers carries fly fishing equipment, with Hardy fly fishing equipment, and fly fishing supplies. It provides regular fishing reports and fly fishing reports for the frying pan river, the roaring fork river and Colorado river in our area. Frying Pan Anglers is the premier fly fishing and guided fly fishing outfitter for the best quality guides and fly fishing equipment. Frying Pan Anglers provides a range of fly fishing equipment including orvis, hardy, greys, lamson, ross, galvan, and bauer fly fishing reels. In addition it carries orvis helios fly rods, hardy, greys, GL Loomis, mystic echo and St Croix fly rods. It is your one stop fly fishing shop and fly fishing outfitter in the frying pan river area for guided float and wade fishing trips and tours. It hosts excellent fly fishing guides and fly fishing tours on the frying pan river and other local waters. The guides will provide excellent teaching and coaching for clients of Frying Pan Anglers.Frying Pan Anglers – a full service fly fishing shop and outfitter based in Basalt Colorado which provides guided fly fishing trips on the frying pan river, roaring fork river, Colorado river and other rivers in the Basalt area. Frying Pan Anglers carries fly fishing equipment, with Hardy fly fishing equipment, and fly fishing supplies. It provides regular fishing reports and fly fishing reports for the frying pan river, the roaring fork river and Colorado river in our area. Frying Pan Anglers is the premier fly fishing and guided fly fishing outfitter for the best quality guides and fly fishing equipment. Frying Pan Anglers provides a range of fly fishing equipment including orvis, hardy, greys, lamson, ross, galvan, and bauer fly fishing reels. In addition it carries orvis helios fly rods, hardy, greys, GL Loomis, mystic echo and St Croix fly rods. It is your one stop fly fishing shop and fly fishing outfitter in the frying pan river area for guided float and wade fishing trips and tours. It hosts excellent fly fishing guides and fly fishing tours on the frying pan river and other local waters. The guides will provide excellent teaching and coaching for clients of Frying Pan Anglers.


Aspen Fly fishing Guided Trips

cabins on the Frying Pan River

river flow report for the frying pan roaring fork and colorado rivers

Frying Pan River Roaring Fork River and Colorado River guided fishing trips

book a guided frying pan river guided fishing trip

frying pan river trout flies

photos of the frying pan river, roaring fork river and colorado rivers

topics and discussions of the frying pan roaring fork and colorado rivers

fishing equipment and supplies for colorado fishing

frying pan anglers


 
 
 
     


Fishing Report

For the Week ending 17th August 2008


Another week of excellent fishing. We also had some decent rains but not enough to put the rivers up much. The Fork continues to work its way down and is now in the 700’s near Basalt which is ideal for floating and wading.

The Pan flow was increased during the week so that it is now running at 320cfs.

The forecast is for mostly clear weather during the coming week. The temperatures are definitely coming down now with the highs predicted to be in the mid to high 70’s. With the rivers dropping, although the flows are still marginally higher than the usual at this time of year, a lot of the river structure is now apparent and the changes in the Fork are quite interesting. The flow has widened in a number of places and as a consequence floating will become harder higher up as the flow drops. A lot of material has been shifted about tending to cause the river to braid. It is the natural state for this to occur and it is only as a consequence of human intervention years ago that the river was narrowed sufficiently to concentrate the flow and make floating more accessible. So as the flow drops, it will be interesting to see how long floating will last higher up at these seemingly higher flows.

With some schools starting to return for the new year, the traffic will begin to abate now as we move into the late summer early autumn season – the favorite time for a lot of locals.

It has certainly been a curious season this year. With the bug cycles commencing later than normal and the higher flow levels, it has taken some time to detect any regular rhythm to the fishing.

This past week the full moon on the 16th made fishing tougher in the morning. However the overnight rain and cloud cover helps to cut down the moonlight later in the week.

Several other interesting phenomena this year. The geese have been moving through now for the past 2 weeks. This is definitely earlier than normal. And the deer are a lot lower now than usual for this time of year. Does this portend an early winter? We hope not, but some signs are there already. So there is no time like the present if you are of a mind to visit us and enjoy some excellent fishing.

Mike Link who fished with Cameron recently caught
this beautiful brown while floating on the Fork.


Frying Pan

Current Flow: below the Dam - 320cfs. (if you want more uptodate figures check out current readings on our "Links" page)

Despite the increased flows the fishing remains excellent. Drakes are still working well below the dam while the fishing is great the full length of the lower Pan. The increase in the flows put in a little more cold water which slowed down the hatches a little for a day and pushed the fish to the edges. However the dry fly activity remains excellent.

The higher flows will make access to the Pan a little difficult in some spots where the river narrows but it will be good for the fish and cause them to spread out a little more. Over the weekend there was excellent fishing on drakes, bwo’s and PMD near the dam. Lower down dries including bwo’s, pmd’s, caddis and terrestrials worked very well along the edges.

Recommended Flies: We are now well into the summer season so the full array of food is available to the trout which have benefitted from the high water and little interference from fishermen. So be prepared to try midges, BWO's, PMD's, drakes, caddis and terrestrials.

The midges 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.

If the fish start moving higher in the water column or get active under the surface, 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.

When they are on the surface, try dry patterns such as the z-wing real midge, suspended midge and any similar dry black and gray patterns such as a parachute Adams in sizes from #20 through to #28.

For baetis, try some small nymph patterns such as pheasant tails and the FPA sparkle baetis #20 - #24 down deep. In addition try the emerger patterns like crystal hunchback, juju baetis, the mighty mite, icebreakers and the FPA sparkle baetis - #18 - #24 and rs2 #18 - #22 and soft hackle baetis #18 -#22.

If BWO’s start to come off try dry patterns like the adams and parachute adams #20-#24 and the matthews #18 - #24 with an emerger dropper. If the fish are under the surface try fishing 2 emergers with a very small weight to get the flies down a little. An rs2#20 behind an FPA emerger or sparkle baetis with a thorax bead will do the trick.

On the bright days the BWO's will tend to come off in the shade. But if it starts to rain, don't come in. Just stay out on the water as long as you can - unless its an electrical storm!

PMD’s are now coming off both in the mornings and the afternoons so try emergers and dries as the hatches start. Try barr’s emerger #16 - #18, the FPA special emerger #16 - #18, the red and ginger quills #16 - #18, rusty spinners #16 - #18 and Lawson’s No Hackle #16 - #18. In addition try soft hackle patterns.

The drakes are now coming off so carry drake nymphs, emergers and dries with you. As the pressure of fishing increases, don’t use the standard dry patterns. Come by the shop and see our range of different drakes. We have 2 drawers full of different patterns down to #14. Every year we try and get in new patterns for a difference. In addition try old favorites which have been forgotten like Adams patterns #10 - #12. They are great mayfly patterns and few fishermen use them today. In addition try cripples. The trout will soon have seen most patterns known to man, so the trick it to try and get something just a little different, present it as well as you can and use your imagination.

Also try stimulators, caddis and larger nymphs particularly mid and lower down the Pan. Try crane flies for something a little different.

 

Miguel Colocho caught this beautiful rainbow on the Frying Pan at Taylor Creek cabins recently.


Roaring Fork

Current Flow: near Emma - 755cfs (if you want more uptodate figures check out current readings on our "Links" page).

The fishing on the upper and mid-Fork has been excellent over the past 7 days. Earlier in the week the lower Fork was colored by the Crystal and the rains over the past few days have kept it a little colored compared to the upper stretches.

The flows are perfect now and as summer passes we are looking to the cooler days of later summer with a higher water flow than normal, marginally colder water and strong aggressive fish.

As the days cool the fish are tending to be away from the bank a little in the more aerated water. They are feeding well now and the hatches on the Fork are prolific. On Sunday for example, floating higher up, there were midges, bwo’s, caddis, a few drakes and PMD’s coming off later in the day. But the fish were not rising so it was a matter of fishing down to them with emergers and, later in the day, streamers.

The wading is also excellent now as the falling flow has revealed more of the structure in the river and has enabled one to move into the flow a little more.

Recommended Flies: Try baetis and PMD nymphs in the morning. In addition in quieter areas where there are a lot of midges coming off, try black and gray midge emergers. Try small baetis nymph patterns such as pheasant tails #18 - #24. Baetis emergers try RS2, the crystal hunchback, juju baetis, the mighty mite, icebreakers and the FPA sparkle baetis - #18 - #24. In addition try the rusty spinners.

As the day progresses and the hatches evolve try caddis dries and emergers and dries with baetis and PMD emergers. Try Barrs emergers, the bubbleback, and the FPA PMD beadtail emergers.

The drakes are also coming off higher up although they are intermittent now. So try nymphs such as the muskrat, and when you see some coming off try emergers and dries. See our comments on drakes on the Frying Pan.

Also try princes, brassies, and copper johns as well as stone fly nymphs.

If you are floating, try streamers and big stone fly nymphs. Also try large dry patterns such as stimulators well placed behind structure or in eddies or quieter sections as you float by. The fish will start to come up to them.

Also try terrestrial patterns.

 

Colorado River

The Colorado continues to be affected by the rain so it is a matter of luck as to when it is clear enough for great fishing. Frankly you are probably better off taking Highway 82 up to the middle valley unless the Colorado looks good when you arrive. Feel free to call the shop and we will give you a report, particularly if there has been recent rain as there was last week.

Recommended Flies: BWO nymphs, emergers and dries; midge emergers and dries during the hatches, larger PMD nymphs down to #14 as well as emergers and dries, 20 inchers size #10 - #14; streamers #2 - #8. Drake nymphs emergers and dries. Yellow sallies. Also try terrestrial patterns as well as caddis.

 
 

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