River: Big Thompson River; begins in RMNP; flows through Estes Park;
is dammed at Lake Estes by Olympic Dam; runs through Big Thompson Canyon to
Loveland; joins the S. Platte in plains.
Water:
A small stream through RMNP; fishes well after ice out until ice on –
approximately March to November; we do not tell many people about this area of
the Park; once river is out of the park, much of it is private, but there is
some access through town, and fishes pretty well outside of run off time; most
popular area is below the dam; river follows SR 34 for about 25 miles; river has
plenty of access; is joined at Drake by North Fork of the Big Thompson (which
can also fish well; is a very good place for beginners to go); river has lots of
broken water through this stretch, but also areas that are relatively flat,
creating pools and flats. Lots of pocket water.
Access: Private water areas are pretty clearly marked through the canyon and
above the dam. Pullouts are frequent along SR 34.
Fish:
In the Park, you can find all four species of trout, depending on elevation.
Above the dam through town, there are primarily browns and rainbows, with a few
brookies. Below the dam there are browns and rainbows, and all are wild fish. No
stocking has been done on the Big T since about 1996, as the river was deemed
clean concerning whirling disease. Rainbows and Browns are beautiful and both
thrive in the river. There are some hybridized bows, as the DOW planted a few
cutthroat trout in early 1996 before ceasing the stocking program. The average
fish below the dam is probably 9-10 inches, but the fish are getting larger due
to catch and release practices. It is not unusual to catch 12-14 inch fish with
a few larger caught on occasion.
Bugs: The river below the dam has mayflies, caddis flies, stoneflies and
midges; all offer dependable hatches during their season and good dry fly
fishing can be found; typical summer bugs include PMD’s, green drakes; golden
stones; BWO’s and many others. Evening caddis hatches can be prolific.
Flies: For dries, standard attractor patterns work well; at times more
exact fakes are required; size becomes more critical during hatch situation as
the river gets more pressure; the fish will eat dries. A dry/dropper set up
works well, including a stimulator w/a bead head prince in higher, heavier
water; a parachute Adams with a pheasant tail dropper in more moderate
conditions or a smaller dry fly with a midge dropper during low water
conditions. Good searching nymphs include the bead head prince, brassie and
pheasant tail.
Techniques: depends on the water type; much of the river has good pocket
water, so short, accurate casts work well; good drifts are important with dry
flies; getting nymphs to the fish’s feeding level is also important.
Seasons: River usually freezes in canyon about late November and begins
to thaw in late February or early March, depending on weather, temperature and
water conditions.
Rating: The Big T is an excellent river for the beginner and offers
plenty of challenge for the more experienced angler. Easily accessible from
northern front range towns.
About the Big T: We
affectionately call the Big Thompson the "Big T"; it's easier that way,
isn't it? The stream was named for a member of Pike's surveying crew; apparently
Mr. Thompson discovered what became the Little Thompson first, then the Big. The
Little started as the Thompson, but became the Little when the Big was
discovered. In recent history, we are reminded of the horrible flood that
occurred in July of 1976 in the Big Thompson canyon. Many people were killed and
the lower part of the river was decimated.
The fishing is now very good
throughout the canyon, from below Lake Estes near Estes Park, all the way
through the town of Loveland. The river follows Highway 34 from the Lake to the
bottom of the canyon. Access is available in much of this stretch, although
there is some private water that is marked.
Above Lake Estes, there is fishing access through much of Estes Park
and westward towards Rocky Mountain National Park. The river in the Park is
small, and meanders through meadows and tumbles through the mountains. The upper
section is very difficult to access.
The Big T through the canyon section
is fishable for much of the year. From late November or early December, the
river usually freezes and stays that way until sometime in late February or
early March, depending on the severity of the winter months. Access to the river
in the Park is basically done sometime in October through April or so due to
weather conditions. There is a short section of river immediately below Olympus
Dam that is open year around.
In late Winter and Fall, there are
some wonderful midge hatches and great fishing that results from them. Find open
water and watch carefully; you will almost always find rising trout. Use midge
adults, including a Griffith's Gnat and Dale's Midge Adult, from size 18-24.
Midge Emergers, larva and pupa patterns will also work well. During late March
and April, and late September and October, there are good hatches of small
mayflies called BWO's (Blue Winged Olives). Pheasant Tail nymphs work well on
the bottom - you should include a few bead heads; Barr's Emerger or a CDC
Emerger will work in the film, and BWO dries, thorax patterns and so on will
work for feeders on top. There are also spinner falls.
During
summer months, there is a veritable cornucopia of bug activity, including
caddis, Green Drake and PMD mayflies and lots of golden stoneflies. Terrestrial
fishing is excellent.
Much of
the Big T in the canyon is pocket water mixed with riffles, runs and
pools. We love fishing this water with attractor patterns such as Stimulators
(10-16), Royal Wullf (12-18), Humpy (red or yellow, 12-16), Royal Coachman Trude
(12-16) and so on. Pick a fly that you can see and make short, accurate casts
that result in good drifts. Trout will rise, if you will present the fly to
them.
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