I was going through some old posts, trying to update tags, and somehow this must have only been a draft. So it was posted in 2013, two years after the fact.
I don't have time to do this up right, and I know these are just notes-to-self, but let me just lay them down anyway.
10/28/2011, 1000-1300: St. Vrain from the white gate.
Started lower than in 2009, while river still on the right. Water is low, shop guys said 3 weight and small bugs would be good. Suggested nymphing earlier in the day, maybe weighting down an ant underneath. Also underwater: Rainbow Warriors, a blue tungsten bug. Small, 22 ish. 6x line-leader-tippet.
Ca. 10 am - ca 1 pm, sunny, probably got into 50s in the sun in the canyon. Banks are still super-snowy. Water looks great.
I put a caddis fly up top as a strike indicator and started with the rainbow warrior down low for some flash (mostly shady on the water). Caught a couple of small browns. Switched to the blue tungsten underneath, caught a few more small browns.
Walked up to where the road runs to right of the river, a hundred yards maybe and fished up for awhile. Caught one decent-sized (by which I mean maybe 10") rainbow on the rainbow warrior.
Last time (only other time) I got skunked, so 5-6 fish in 3 hours isn't terrible. But it wasn't in any way obvious. There are some great pools and lots of nice channels, but I mostly caught stuff when I could swing my wet fly underneath an underwater rock shelf. They mostly came out of crevices, not much happening out in the open.
10/24/2011, 0900-1300: South Boulder Creek, El Dorado Canyon
Parked right down and off to the right inside the park and fished the lower section of the river. I almost never go here, just because the fish are so obvious (cf. the St. Vrain, 10/28/2011), so visible in the high-traffic areas of the park (the bridge, the little path along the water for a few hundred yards or whatever it is), so accessible that I figure they get hardware thrown at them constantly and are gonna be curmudgeonly. But with traffic to the park down from the summer season, and the water coming down, I have been eyeing it and decided to try it.
Good times. Not trivially easy to catch fish, and they're bigger down here than in the middle section I usually fish (from 60 yds down from the Rattlesnake Gulch trailhead, up to the big pool or the upper bridge). So I am so used to this water that I was pretty well able to find the fish and persaude them to say hello. I think it was BWOs that were killing, on a slightly overcast day. Dry only, 3-weight rod, 6x line/leader/tippet.
10/21/2011, 0700-1200, Big Thompson River, b/w mile markers 70 and 71 on Highway 34
Came out way too early, but I had insomnia so what better was I gonna do? It was chilly in the morning, boy, but it warmed up to 50s by early afternoon.
Already having a hard time remembering what I was doing this day ... 5 weight I think (first time with the new reel), 5x line/leader/tippet. I probably caught a half-dozen fish, mostly browns and one rainbow. I can't really remember. It was nice, but not ridiculously better than what I can get a lot closer to home. Not as good as when I want at this same time of year in 2009.
ca. mid-October 2011, South Boulder Creek (1) west of highway 36, and (2) between South Boulder Road and Highway 36.
I have commuted past South Boulder Creek on highway 36 hundreds of times, but I have only fished the water you can see from the road once, and to my recollection only very briefly. Having been riding my bike to work, I have been watching the progress and regress of the fly shops located in the Table Mesa Shopping Center. While Rocky Mountain Anglers continues to thrive (I hope) because of its amazing people, gear and knowledge, "the other shop" on Table Mesa has had a bunch of turnover. Anyway, this shop had a sign in the window saying that Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) was creating some habitat in this flat area of the creek, at least the bits on either side of Highway 36.
Showing posts with label fishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fishing. Show all posts
Monday, November 18, 2013
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Fishing Journal: 20110822 Cache la Poudre River
Had a great day fishing the Poudre on Monday. The water was nice, the holes were attractive, weather was spectacular, natch.
Can't say the fishing was easy, however. Probably caught 5-6 fish, a couple of browns and a few wild rainbows. Morning found us down low, not far from the entrance to the canyon, nymphing. I have never really done this much. Three wet flies, basically getting smaller as you get to the end of the line, where there was a caddis nymph that was exactly like the nymphs clinging to the bottom of the rocks. Tense-line casting was new to me as a concept. I was casting OK. Caught one brown in this area while buddy caught three fish in a nice little channel opposite bank from the access. (The wading was do-able, but it wasn't trivial to get across.) My first guided trip. Guide said the fish were hammering these same flies the day before (don't they always go crazy the day before you're out there?) So patience was a virtue. I would have switched flies a lot more frequently, and I also would have tried some dries, but the guide had the flies and the putative knowledge and who am I to raise questions?
We drove up maybe 10-15 miles to a nice stretch by some picnic tables. We switched to hopper-dropper with some ugly-ass hopper up top and the same caddis nymph down low. I think I caught one or two up top and one or two below here. First one was a nice 10" brown, just beautiful.
Third spot was really, really promising water, but boy the fishing was a lot like work. This was maybe another 20 miles up the canyon, ca. 36-40 miles from Fort Collins. Caught a little 'bow on my first cast, the kiss of death for future catching. Went to a nice fat 90-degree bend in the river which should have bringing lots of food into some nice deep pools. I missed a strike on my dry fly, though it looked like fishy changed his/her mind at the last minute. That's consistent with the refusals that I proceeded to get. Fish in a nice deep pool, right in the edge where they should be, lazily inspecting my junk and deciding they didn't like what I was offering (less likely: how I was offering it). So we switched the bottom fly to a little PMD emerger, I think it was. Worked hard a hundred yards or so, tried to reach a nice looking pool opposite bank that I just couldn't hit. Working hard, working hard. Caught my last fish of the day, another brown, just before 3 pm, which was my pre-designated finishing time. As ever, I was tempted by another few casts on another few pools that were better than the 5,000 I had just fished, surely with hungrier and fatter fish just waiting for a nice bug to float by. Temptation. But I packed up and got on the road.
The entire ca. 40-mile stretch of the Poudre to where I got, probably around 9,000 foot elevation, looks like fisherman's paradise. It's a beautiful river and I hope to spend more time there, though I'd ask for just a bit more enthusiasm from my piscine friends!
Can't say the fishing was easy, however. Probably caught 5-6 fish, a couple of browns and a few wild rainbows. Morning found us down low, not far from the entrance to the canyon, nymphing. I have never really done this much. Three wet flies, basically getting smaller as you get to the end of the line, where there was a caddis nymph that was exactly like the nymphs clinging to the bottom of the rocks. Tense-line casting was new to me as a concept. I was casting OK. Caught one brown in this area while buddy caught three fish in a nice little channel opposite bank from the access. (The wading was do-able, but it wasn't trivial to get across.) My first guided trip. Guide said the fish were hammering these same flies the day before (don't they always go crazy the day before you're out there?) So patience was a virtue. I would have switched flies a lot more frequently, and I also would have tried some dries, but the guide had the flies and the putative knowledge and who am I to raise questions?
We drove up maybe 10-15 miles to a nice stretch by some picnic tables. We switched to hopper-dropper with some ugly-ass hopper up top and the same caddis nymph down low. I think I caught one or two up top and one or two below here. First one was a nice 10" brown, just beautiful.
Third spot was really, really promising water, but boy the fishing was a lot like work. This was maybe another 20 miles up the canyon, ca. 36-40 miles from Fort Collins. Caught a little 'bow on my first cast, the kiss of death for future catching. Went to a nice fat 90-degree bend in the river which should have bringing lots of food into some nice deep pools. I missed a strike on my dry fly, though it looked like fishy changed his/her mind at the last minute. That's consistent with the refusals that I proceeded to get. Fish in a nice deep pool, right in the edge where they should be, lazily inspecting my junk and deciding they didn't like what I was offering (less likely: how I was offering it). So we switched the bottom fly to a little PMD emerger, I think it was. Worked hard a hundred yards or so, tried to reach a nice looking pool opposite bank that I just couldn't hit. Working hard, working hard. Caught my last fish of the day, another brown, just before 3 pm, which was my pre-designated finishing time. As ever, I was tempted by another few casts on another few pools that were better than the 5,000 I had just fished, surely with hungrier and fatter fish just waiting for a nice bug to float by. Temptation. But I packed up and got on the road.
The entire ca. 40-mile stretch of the Poudre to where I got, probably around 9,000 foot elevation, looks like fisherman's paradise. It's a beautiful river and I hope to spend more time there, though I'd ask for just a bit more enthusiasm from my piscine friends!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Fishing Journal: 20110728: Arkansas River above Buena Vista
Man oh man, what a great day of fishing. I have never done well on the Arkansas. I had assumed that the flows would be too high to do well this time. Boy was I wrong.
The river was totally manageable. My sense, and this is as likely wrong as right, is that the river is maybe two weeks "behind" this year in terms of flow levels. So July 28th has flows more like a normal July 14th, or something like that.
Anyway, ArkAnglers in BV had said that yellow and green foam-body caddis were doing well. We went to the first decent-sized pullout north of town. Not sure how far. Anyway, the water right below the pullout is really attractive, but my sense is that those fish see a lot of odd patterns with clumsy presentations, because they don't play there. A few hundred yards upriver, though, is a really nice stretch. And I started doing really well (for me, on the Arkansas) with a yellow-bodied caddis (though not foam). Was able to wade into the middle of the river and get a beautiful brown off the edge of the main channel. Moving up and casting maybe 15 feet in from the banks, I started hitting a sweet spot where I caught another 8-9 fish, including on four casts in a row.
These were mostly really nice browns. I just took out the tape measure to check against my hands, and I agree with the claim that fisherman grossly overestimate the size of their fish. I know I have been doing so. The biggest fish I caught this day was a solid 13". That seemed really sizeable to me, and indeed may be the biggest one I have caught. I would have guessed 16" if you had asked me. Anyway, just a gorgeous, gorgeous bunch of fish on a gorgeous, gorgeous day on the Arkansas.
Next day I went up to Brown's Canyon for about two hours. For the first time, I went upstream from Hecla Junction.
There's lots of deep, slow, beautiful water right by the campground (and with corresponding pressure and wary fish), but 100 yards up from there things develop nicely. This is steep canyon wall, more so than downstream, and with reasonably high water there was a lot of ascending and descending of scrambly rocks to make way upstream. I only caught three smallish fish (two rainbows and a brown) in about 2 hours fishing. I also spent another 30 minutes hunkered down over the perfectly overhanging wall to keep me dry during a torrential thunderstorm. Not sure how the rafters are safe still being on the water, but this was one hell of a Rocky Mountain storm. I can't believe I had such a perfect spot, but I was able to eat, drink, relax, play with my line and my flies, wave to the rafters, and most importantly stay dry.
I want to keep going upstream. I wonder if the best way isn't to ascend right away and try to make river-distance by walking along the top ridge? It's terrifyingly steep in places and neither going down nor coming up is much fun. But there sure does look to be some pretty water up there. Chances are, next time I go there I'll go downstream and see if the new understanding between the Arkansas and me, whereby I do well, applies to that part of the river which has so thoroughly shut me down.
Anyway, the 28th north of BV was phenomenal. Thank you, fishing god.
The river was totally manageable. My sense, and this is as likely wrong as right, is that the river is maybe two weeks "behind" this year in terms of flow levels. So July 28th has flows more like a normal July 14th, or something like that.
Anyway, ArkAnglers in BV had said that yellow and green foam-body caddis were doing well. We went to the first decent-sized pullout north of town. Not sure how far. Anyway, the water right below the pullout is really attractive, but my sense is that those fish see a lot of odd patterns with clumsy presentations, because they don't play there. A few hundred yards upriver, though, is a really nice stretch. And I started doing really well (for me, on the Arkansas) with a yellow-bodied caddis (though not foam). Was able to wade into the middle of the river and get a beautiful brown off the edge of the main channel. Moving up and casting maybe 15 feet in from the banks, I started hitting a sweet spot where I caught another 8-9 fish, including on four casts in a row.
These were mostly really nice browns. I just took out the tape measure to check against my hands, and I agree with the claim that fisherman grossly overestimate the size of their fish. I know I have been doing so. The biggest fish I caught this day was a solid 13". That seemed really sizeable to me, and indeed may be the biggest one I have caught. I would have guessed 16" if you had asked me. Anyway, just a gorgeous, gorgeous bunch of fish on a gorgeous, gorgeous day on the Arkansas.
Next day I went up to Brown's Canyon for about two hours. For the first time, I went upstream from Hecla Junction.
There's lots of deep, slow, beautiful water right by the campground (and with corresponding pressure and wary fish), but 100 yards up from there things develop nicely. This is steep canyon wall, more so than downstream, and with reasonably high water there was a lot of ascending and descending of scrambly rocks to make way upstream. I only caught three smallish fish (two rainbows and a brown) in about 2 hours fishing. I also spent another 30 minutes hunkered down over the perfectly overhanging wall to keep me dry during a torrential thunderstorm. Not sure how the rafters are safe still being on the water, but this was one hell of a Rocky Mountain storm. I can't believe I had such a perfect spot, but I was able to eat, drink, relax, play with my line and my flies, wave to the rafters, and most importantly stay dry.
I want to keep going upstream. I wonder if the best way isn't to ascend right away and try to make river-distance by walking along the top ridge? It's terrifyingly steep in places and neither going down nor coming up is much fun. But there sure does look to be some pretty water up there. Chances are, next time I go there I'll go downstream and see if the new understanding between the Arkansas and me, whereby I do well, applies to that part of the river which has so thoroughly shut me down.
Anyway, the 28th north of BV was phenomenal. Thank you, fishing god.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
just a reflection
I love El Dorado Canyon. Driving there today, the Flatirons just seemed to be stretching and reaching for the sky under the brilliant autumn sun. Never particularly noticed how their angling back from town gives them that "reaching" feel.
Driving back, just basked in the golden glow. Man it's nice up there.
Driving back, just basked in the golden glow. Man it's nice up there.
Fishing Journal: 200911xx, Clear Creek
Pretty nice water. From Boulder, 93 to 6 to the second bridge. Caught some pretty good-sized (for me) rainbows. Used a little rainbow something-or-other nymph on top and did OK with big green beadheads on the bottom. Needed some split-shot but couldn't find it, so had to rely on the big fellas just sinking.
Was told that it would be good where the river curves around the mountain, since the road goes through a tunnel and few venture out that far. Good-looking water, but I didn't do great that far over. I was getting tired, could partly be it.
May try this again if weather is still good over the next month, because flows seemed ample enough to hold up for a bit yet.
Was told that it would be good where the river curves around the mountain, since the road goes through a tunnel and few venture out that far. Good-looking water, but I didn't do great that far over. I was getting tired, could partly be it.
May try this again if weather is still good over the next month, because flows seemed ample enough to hold up for a bit yet.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Fishing Journal: 20090807: Boulder Creek
In the Canyon, about 10.5 mi. from the Canyon/Broadway intersection. Maybe two hours. Elk Hair Caddis on top with various nymphs down below.
Started slow in some likely-looking water. Thought it was gonna be a dead day. Then started pulling out lots of fishing. Mostly tiny-to-small cutthroats, like this fella:
They fight pretty nicely. Deep salmon/red coloring inside the gills and along the bottom.
Anyway, probably ended up with ten fish in 2 hours, and had a pretty nice time. Still having a hard time finding water that rivals my home water. And still (and increasingly) pondering what skill differences drive catching the little ones vs. the big ones.
Started slow in some likely-looking water. Thought it was gonna be a dead day. Then started pulling out lots of fishing. Mostly tiny-to-small cutthroats, like this fella:
They fight pretty nicely. Deep salmon/red coloring inside the gills and along the bottom.
Anyway, probably ended up with ten fish in 2 hours, and had a pretty nice time. Still having a hard time finding water that rivals my home water. And still (and increasingly) pondering what skill differences drive catching the little ones vs. the big ones.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Fishing Journal: 20090716, Clark Fork Stanislaus River
So last year I did the South Fork of the Stanislaus from the bridge in Strawberry. This year I wanted to hit some more remote terrain and so was asking around about access points to the Middle Fork. There was a campground (can't remember name ... bad blogger!) about 8 mi. down from Pinecrest that was recommended, but I figured that being near a campground it'd get fair pressure. Unhelpful Old Forest Service Guy wasn't very helpful. Younger Forest Service Guy recommended Beardsley Reservoir. Fellow camper said he had gotten advice to try the Clark Fork, so that's where I went.
View Clark Fork Stanislaus River in a larger map
Feh. Nice scenerey, water was quite low and pleasant. Caught about 10 "fish" in 2.5 hours, but they were absolutely tiny. Not so much joy in it when they're so little. Not to mention I had the stomach bug that ravaged our tent circle and just wasn't feeling enthused.
Next year I am either trying Beardsley or maybe some of the obscure forest service roads revealed by the map.
View Clark Fork Stanislaus River in a larger map
Feh. Nice scenerey, water was quite low and pleasant. Caught about 10 "fish" in 2.5 hours, but they were absolutely tiny. Not so much joy in it when they're so little. Not to mention I had the stomach bug that ravaged our tent circle and just wasn't feeling enthused.
Next year I am either trying Beardsley or maybe some of the obscure forest service roads revealed by the map.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Fishing Journal: 20090621 Blue River @ Heeney Road
Had a great Father's Day outing here. Flyshop in Silverthorne, Cutthroat Anglers, made it seem like it'd be a tough day. Probably was, but I had some decent action and caught two fish. Was using a 14 or 16 golden stonefly nymph (caught one on that) with a big (probably 10) hot pink San Juan worm about 10" below. Used 5x leader and tippet.
View 20090621-Blue River in a larger map
View 20090621-Blue River in a larger map
Friday, June 05, 2009
Friday, August 08, 2008
Fishing Journal: fishies @ SBC/Eldo
So I am told that I have been catching browns. They do look a lot like the guy above, most distinctively with the row of pink spots that can appear along the midline.
Caught a bunch yesterday. I really need to spend more time between the big rock (my name for it) and the vehicle bridge. Was in a huge rush yesterday on the last stretch of water and was getting all kinds of action there right around 12 noon.
Family came up and we picnicked at the Visitors' Center. On a lark just fooled around in the very shallow water near all of the picnic tables and must have hauled in five teeny-tiny fish in 15 minutes, mostly on a Copper John that they could barely fit in their mouths. Silly fishies.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Fishing Journal: reference
I am considering South Boulder Creek in El Dorado Canyon State Park to be my local water for the summer.
View Larger Map
Been out there a half-dozen times in the last couple of weeks. and am having a blast with it. Yesterday morning (Monday, 8/4, 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.) I caught ten fish over pretty much the whole main stretch in the park, i.e., the lower pedestrian bridge near the lower parking to the upper vehicle bridge before you get to the visitor center. Morning was cool enough that I put on waders and a light windebreaker. But as soon as the sun came into the canyon, maybe around 6:30 or so, things warmed up nicely. It was a beautiful day, a little overcast, warm but not scorching.
Was catching on nymphs until about 9. After then the fish seemed to start looking up and I started catching on a ca. 18# caddis up top. Overall, 4 were really small (i.e., 6" or so) and 6 were just small (maybe 8-10").
I have been looking at some maps and need to drive back up through the canyon ... some maps seem to suggest that you can drive all the way to Gross Reservoir, which I'd really love to do. But not sure if the Family Truckster is up to the task. We'll see.
View Larger Map
Been out there a half-dozen times in the last couple of weeks. and am having a blast with it. Yesterday morning (Monday, 8/4, 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.) I caught ten fish over pretty much the whole main stretch in the park, i.e., the lower pedestrian bridge near the lower parking to the upper vehicle bridge before you get to the visitor center. Morning was cool enough that I put on waders and a light windebreaker. But as soon as the sun came into the canyon, maybe around 6:30 or so, things warmed up nicely. It was a beautiful day, a little overcast, warm but not scorching.
Was catching on nymphs until about 9. After then the fish seemed to start looking up and I started catching on a ca. 18# caddis up top. Overall, 4 were really small (i.e., 6" or so) and 6 were just small (maybe 8-10").
I have been looking at some maps and need to drive back up through the canyon ... some maps seem to suggest that you can drive all the way to Gross Reservoir, which I'd really love to do. But not sure if the Family Truckster is up to the task. We'll see.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Fishing Journal: 20080728, Colorado River (up from Lake Granby)
Colleague invites me up to his place, from which we can fish. Beautiful drive to his place, beautiful water to fish, but not as much time on the water as I would have liked. First day fishing on the new line (Gold something or other, 5 weight) and the casting is good. I identify a likely pool on the broad and shallow Colorado and get going. First pool, maybe 2nd or 3rd cast, get a nice strike on the nymph and have a real fighter online for about 45-60 seconds. I am feeling really confident. Then my knot comes undone and fishy (fat-looking underwater from a few feet) earns his freedom and a nice $2 lip piercing. D'oh! When tying the knot I knew it probably wasn't good enough, but I got impatient. Never. Get. Impatient. When. Flyfishing. I guess this was something other than what I am used to (not a brookie, I guess) because the fish was really fighting. Oh well.
Had another good size fish almost in-hand, when it flopped off the hook at the last minute. Keep the tip up, man!
Caught a smallish one (8-10"). Succesfully spliced two pieces of line after a good, patient 20 minutes or so. Around 3:45 the fish start rising, around 3:50 it starts to rain, and just as I am tying on a dry fly to see how hungrily they're rising Colleague and wife and young adult son catch up with me and signal that they're done. Sigh. So not enough time on the water, and I really wanted to try up top for a bit.
Apparently a moose was spotted in the area, and Colleague says they saw an eagle up-close. All-in-all, a nice day and a spot worth revisiting.
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Had another good size fish almost in-hand, when it flopped off the hook at the last minute. Keep the tip up, man!
Caught a smallish one (8-10"). Succesfully spliced two pieces of line after a good, patient 20 minutes or so. Around 3:45 the fish start rising, around 3:50 it starts to rain, and just as I am tying on a dry fly to see how hungrily they're rising Colleague and wife and young adult son catch up with me and signal that they're done. Sigh. So not enough time on the water, and I really wanted to try up top for a bit.
Apparently a moose was spotted in the area, and Colleague says they saw an eagle up-close. All-in-all, a nice day and a spot worth revisiting.
View Larger Map
Fishing Journal: 200806xx
So, Old Colleague asks if I want to fish. Is the Pope Catholic?
Ends up being 2.5 hour drive to small, blown out creek on private water (paying $60 for the privilege). I catch the same fish twice, I think, in the very first pool, though I made two passes on the mile or so heading upstream (south on the map).
Generalization: fly-fisherman tend to overcomplicate things. Just fish!
View Larger Map
Ends up being 2.5 hour drive to small, blown out creek on private water (paying $60 for the privilege). I catch the same fish twice, I think, in the very first pool, though I made two passes on the mile or so heading upstream (south on the map).
Generalization: fly-fisherman tend to overcomplicate things. Just fish!
View Larger Map
Fishing Journal: Introduction
I am going to try to post some recollections of my too-infrequent fly-fishing excursions. I am rapidly becoming obsessed with this incredible pastime and want to remember where I fish and how it goes.
I am a novice fly-fisherman and frankly don't have 5% of the knowledge I'd really need to do things right. Hell, I can't even identify what kind of trout I catch, less still what kind of fly I use to do so. But the bottom line is that I have been out and at it, loving it, and want to remember as I can.
I do know that I am using an ancient 5-weight Orvis rod and an Orvis reel on-loan from a colleague. I am mostly grabbing flies and such catch-as-catch-can, though trying as often as possible to shop at Rocky Mountain Anglers in Boulder.
I want to remind myself to check flow reports from DWR.
More to add.
I am a novice fly-fisherman and frankly don't have 5% of the knowledge I'd really need to do things right. Hell, I can't even identify what kind of trout I catch, less still what kind of fly I use to do so. But the bottom line is that I have been out and at it, loving it, and want to remember as I can.
I do know that I am using an ancient 5-weight Orvis rod and an Orvis reel on-loan from a colleague. I am mostly grabbing flies and such catch-as-catch-can, though trying as often as possible to shop at Rocky Mountain Anglers in Boulder.
I want to remind myself to check flow reports from DWR.
More to add.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Kid Fishing
With friends from Germany, at Brainard Lake near Ward. Great place to take kids fishing because the brookies are hungry! This was in July 2007.
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