Fishing Report

For the Week ending 11th September 2016

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Another great week of good weather with generally blue skies and no rain. With some days in the 80's it was quite hot. The forecast is for a modest abatement in temperatures next week and the possibility of a little cloud cover mid-week with it clearing again towards the weekend.

The conditions are idyllic for this time of year. The last few days of summer are beginning to give way to the hint of autumn with very cold mornings and the evenings coming in just a little quicker each week. The cooler evenings are putting the hatches down more quickly concentrating the dry fly activity to a smaller window from mid-morning to later afternoon rather than into evening.

The question now is whether the Bureau will be able to drop the flows a little to make the Pan more wadable in the narrower sections. The hatches have been good closer to the dam but the higher flows have meant that the better sections for dry fly fishing are the wider parts of the river where the water can spread out and the fish feed closer to the surface.

The Fork and the Colorado are in great condition now with some excellent reports from float trips. Overall we are now entering our favorite time of the year for fishing and the conditions are looking ideal.

Frying Pan

Current Flow: below the Dam 300cfs.(if you want more uptodate figures check out current readings on our "Links" page)

It was a brighter week which forced the fish a little lower until the hatches commenced. There was great dry fly fishing closer to the Dam with the lower sections generally offering better results from nymphing. The higher flows continue to make wading a little tricky but it is possible that the flows could come down in the next few weeks if we get some more rain.

The fishing is excellent in the wider sections closer to the dam where the fishing are not competing with the higher flows which have made access a little tricky in the narrower sections. So take care where you try to access tht water.

Recommended Flies:Use midges, bwos, pmd's and drakes, both nymphs and dries.

For mysis at the dam use Mike's Mysis. epoxy mysis, and BDV mysis.

The midges will come off during the day, particularly if it is sunny. So try Wilson's Reverse Candy Cane #20, red and black chironocones #20, nick's larva in miracle pink, olive, and purple back, brassies #18 - #22, midge larva patterns #18 - #22, copper johns #18 - #22, rainbow warriors, black polywings #18 - #22 and bling midges # 18 - #22.

As they come off 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, Johnny Flash in Olive, Grey, and Black, Olive and Red Jujubee, trailing shuck midge black and cream.

In addition try dry patterns such as the z-wing real midge, black cdc midge and any similar dry black and gray patterns in sizes from #20 through to #26.

The fish are taking generic nymphs such as pheasant tails and caddis larva patterns. The BWO's are coming off as well. Try emerger patterns such as rs2's and WD-50's.

For BWO naturals use standard BWO's, parachute BWO's, parachute Adams, and Thorax patterns.

For PMD's use emergers and dries. For emergers, use the RS2, the emerger, or the FPA shuck trailer PMD. For dries use the No-hackle, the Comparadun or the parachute.

For drake nymphs try the Flavilinea, the FPA Nymph and the Muskrat. As soon as the fish start taking dries start with the emerger and then try W's Drake, the Wulff, the cripple, and the Comparadun.

There will also be caddis and crane flies in the evening.

Roaring Fork

Current Flow: near Emma - 521cfs (if you want more uptodate figures check out current readings on our "Links" page).

The dry week has brought down the flows in the Fork by 80cfs at Basalt. The fishing conditions are ideal with rafting access from Basalt still possible but getting skinnier by the day. The conditions are also good lower down towards Glenwood with the lighter pressure and marginally cooler temperatures. The cold overnight temperatures are really helping the conditions.

The best results are from nymphing and the best nymph patterns are getting smaller. Concentrate on small flies.

Try small baetis such as the FPA Sparkle Baetis, the FPA Thorax Emerger, and black pheasant tails have also worked well. For emergers, the rs2 in black or gray. Also the sparkle wing rs2.

For small flies, copper johns, pc phlash, mercury rs2's, pheasant tails, bubble back bwos.

For the stone fly nymphs good patterns continue to include the BB FB Epoxy 20 Incher, the BTB Hot Spot 20 Incher and the CTB RL Epoxy 20 Incher. Also try drake nymphs such as the FPA Nymph, or the poxyback. For variety try the muskrat as well.

Try streamers.

Colorado

The Colorado is generally in good condition and affords some great floating. The effective flies are getting smaller, but streamers are still yielding good results.

Recommended Flies:

Generally the way to go is nymphing with small baetis, the FPA sparkle baetis, sparkle rs2's and biot emergers.

For stonefly nymphs use the BTB Hot Spot 20 Incher, rubberleg patterns such as Mike's BTB Coffee/Black and the Halloween Speckled Girdle Bug, with midges, worms and small baetis patterns behind the lead fly.

Try streamers as well.

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