This is the time of year we all anticipate with baited breath, so to speak.
Maybe our breath is not baited: maybe it's flied. Whatever that means. This is
the time to get out soon and often for two or three day outings, or for morning
or afternoon two or three
hour jaunts. We are blessed to have some wonderful angling available very close
to Longmont and Estes Park, so there is no excuse to wait: let's go fishing - SOON!
Common questions include: Where should I go? What should I
use? How will I fish the flies I buy? What should I expect when I get to the
stream or lake?
Where to go has to do with how much time you plan to spend on
the water. We also have to decide if we're going warm or cold-water angling.
Both can be very good. Pick a spot, and go soon; then, go again.
As a rule-of-thumb, I figure that as long as I fish longer than it
took me to get there and back, it is good enough. If you agree, know the drive
time from your place to the fishing place and decide from there. Local waters,
such as the St. Vrain and Big Thompson, are close to Longmont and vicinity, and
fish very well during the summer. Warm-water ponds at Pella Crossing, Union
Reservoir, Golden Ponds and so on are also close.
From Longmont, I can be fishing on the St.
Vrain within twenty minutes; the Big T is more like forty. Either choice leaves
plenty of time to get on the water in the late afternoon when fishing is often
best. Add a few minutes to the drive and I can be on high mountain streams
within Rocky Mountain National Park, or in Indian Peaks Wilderness area. What a
blessing to live near such beautiful country with clean, clear, cold trout
streams!
Here are a few additional options with
driving times from Longmont.
Rocky Mountain National Park - the
front range area. Many streams and lakes with plenty of dry fly opportunities.
Look at a map and follow the blue lines (streams) to blue dots (lakes). Be sure
to check Park rules for open water and fishing regulations.
Indian Peaks Wilderness: small streams
and high lakes are within easy reach from Longmont.
Poudre River: it is about a one hour
drive to the mouth of the Poudre River. Fish the lower stretches with dries and
nymphs. Also, try chucking a few streamers here for big browns!
Boulder Creek: it runs through Boulder,
but fishes pretty well in the canyon. Caddis and attractor dries, as well as
golden stonefly imitations.
Fairgrounds Pond: for a few bass,
crappie and the occasional carp. A cool place to cool off for the evening.
Additional warm water
fisheries would include: Golden Ponds, Pella Crossing, Union Reservoir and
Macintosh Lake.
Poudre River: You can
get most of the way up the canyon in two hours. There are lots of spots to fish
on the river. Pull off, rig up and have at it!
Rocky Mountain National
Park - the western side. There are more lakes and streams over there. Expect a
lovely drive over Trail Ridge road, and delays during the summer as visitors
gawk at critters and the sites. Enjoy the process. Watch out for moose on the
other side! They are dangerous and undependable critters!
Clear Creek. Up by Idaho
Springs, there's actually some pretty good fishing. Try it.
Blue River. Near
Silverthorne, below the I-70 bridge and by the Outlet Stores, the Blue River can
fish very well. A good spot to go if someone else in the group wants to shop for
a few hours why you ply the waters. Picky fish will demand proper
presentation, so this is a good spot to try your skills.
Colorado near Parshall.
This is a fine freestone stream that holds plenty of healthy trout.
South Platte. Near
Deckers. At this time, we don't recommend going here as the water has been low
and the fish have been stressed from silt, low water and too much fishing
pressure. Let's leave it alone for the time being, but keep it in mind for the
2-hour drive spot. Near Bailey, there are a few open water spots that are
available, and can fish well.
Wyoming plains lakes.
Near Laramie, several of these lakes fish very well with damsel and callabeatis
imitations. Enjoy a day in your float tube, or wading the banks for great big
rainbows and browns.
South Park: the South
Platte runs through it, and you can get to the Dream Stream between Spinney and
11-mIle reservoir, Spinney Mountain Reservoir or 11-Mile Reservoir, or several
state leases. Also, the canyon below 11-Mile Reservoir fishes very well, and is
an excellent place to go to spot feeding trout.
Arkansas. You can fish
it from Canyon City to above Buena Vista. Lots of water; lots of wild trout.
Eagle. Beware: the Eagle
will turn to mud with a small rain shower, so knowing it will be fine is a good
idea before you go.
North Park. Delaney
Buttes Lakes, Lake John, Cowdry, the North Platte and lots of small streams
beckon you to come and go fly fishing. There's also Honholtz and other small
streams in that area. Go soon. Stay for the day.
Wyoming Rivers: the
North Platte is famous and has earned the honors. Saratoga, the Miracle Mile and
Grey Reef are all available within a reasonable drive, but I'd encourage you to
spend the night at one end or the other. Fish them for two days, and enjoy
putting on wet waders and boots - one of the finest pleasures available to
modern man.
Roaring Fork Valley.
This is lovely, and includes the "Fork", the Frying Pan, and the Crystal Rivers.
Lots of water, lots of fish, plenty of places to stay or camp. Go ahead, do it.
Also, consider fishing the lower Colorado both above and below Glenwood Springs.
Rio Grand. This is a
fine river that is within driving distance for a two-day trip. Camp, stay in a
motel, enjoy a float if you have a boat.
Steamboat Springs. The
Yampa, the Elk, Stagecoach Reservoir and so on offer good fishing in an exotic
Colorado town.
Those are a few ideas.
Hope they help. For more specifics on the water types and what to expect
seasonally, go to
Reports. If you need more details, please
contact us by calling 303-651-6061, or drop me a line at
angler@peakpeak.com. Thanks!
Early in the summer, we may see run off, so stay in touch for
the conditions. Check Stream Flows so you know
if the water is the correct level for your type of fishing. We'll try to keep
it up to date so you know what to expect.) As the water drops, we'll see
clearer, warmer water and hungry trout.
Fishing in High Water: when the water is up it is
important to be
careful around the rivers. Watch your wading! The fish
still eat, although the water is often cooler than it will be as it drops. I'm
of the opinion that feeding trout can be caught on a fly that is presented
properly. Presentation is everything here - get the fly to the fish. They hold in slower, shallower water.
A large, fluffy attractor dry should be cast to
edges and pockets, where the fish have a chance to see the fly. They will look
up during high water, as long as there is some clarity to the water. If you fish
with
nymphs, make sure you have enough weight to get the fly down. In slower water,
the fish may actually take the fly slowly and subtly; at other times, they may
slam the fly! Cast streamer imitations into pockets and allow the current to
pull them through the spot. Be sure to rig up with heavy enough tippet material,
as fish will pound fleeing meat.
Use patterns such as large Stimulator, Royal Wulff, Coachman Trude, 20" with or
without a bead, Halfback, Copper John, Prince and so on. Please do not be afraid
to use large flies. The fish have to see them before they will take them. If
you're worried about the size, try a smaller dropper - say the combination of a size
#8 BH 20" with
a size #14 BH Copper John as a dropper; or, a size #10 Yellow Stimulator with a size
#14
BH Prince dropper.
Dropping Water: as the water begins to taper off and get
lower, watch for specific hatches of
bugs. We expect to see caddis, PMD
(Pale Morning Duns), other small and medium mayflies of mixed descriptions, and
golden stones that will range in size from pretty big - would you believe #6-8? -
to pretty small - about #14-16. I usually start with a larger fly and work my way
to smaller flies if the fish won't take the big stuff. If the fishing is slow, I
usually move fast to try to find where trout are feeding.
A rule of thumb: if the fishing is
fast - which means lots of action, move slowly and try to hook fish that are eating.
If the fishing is slow - little action - move fast. Change flies, casting and
presentation tactics frequently. Move to new spots. Fish all the water types to
figure out what in the world is going on. Beware of flogging the water, which
will do little good and much harm, frightening fish.
Scared fish do not eat. Feeding trout can be fooled with flies.
It is a good idea
to stop once and a while and see what the fish are doing. See if you can find
flashes that indicate that trout are feeding on emergers or nymphs, or rise forms
that show where a fish is lying. Watch for bugs in the air, but don't be
confused: often what you see in the air is not what is on the water. Stop and
watch the water to see what is actually on the water.
Flies: when you determine what you think the fish are
feeding upon, try to match the size of the bug first. Often, for example, during
a PMD emergence - the bugs are a creamy, tannish yellow color - a parachute
Adams - which is grey - will work very well, as long as the size is close. If
the fish are color sensitive, which may happen, stay with the right size
and try
to get closer to the actual shade of the bug. One thing to remember when you are
fishing water that is popular is this: anglers who buy flies usually are going
to be using about the same stuff. If you are a fly tier, make up your own
concoctions that are slightly different in color, shape and so on. Often,
something that is different will bring a take. Think about that. Trout seem to
be curious, in addition to being shy, cagy and so on.
Casts and Presentation: get as close to the fish as
possible, so you can make the shortest - and most accurate - casts that are
possible. Making a good drift will usually be the difference between hooking
fish and practicing casting. Think through your strategy by asking questions
like: where are the fish feeding? Where should I put the fly to get it to
naturally drift to the feeding fish? What area am I fishing? During the course
of a drift, there is usually a short portion when the angler is actually
fishing, which means the drift area where the fish might actually take the fly.
When you see rising fish, remember that the actually spot where
you see them show themselves is probably a bit downstream from where they are
actually holding. Put the fly above that spot, depending on the depth and speed
of the water.
If you are fishing the water, blind casting to likely looking
spots, think through where you are going to cast and why. When you hook a fish,
remember what that spot looks like and find a similar looking spot to cast to.
If you want to be meticulous about your casting, section off the portion of
water you are fishing into shoe-box sized spots and make the fly drift through
the shoebox several times without drag. Keep working across the stream, then
upstream in the same manners. If the water is shallow and fast, you don't have
to cast too far above or let the fly drift too far below the shoebox. If the
fish are in there and they are feeding, they'll see the fly and come up to eat
it. If the water is slower and deeper, make slightly longer casts and drifts.
That should help. Remember: short, accurate casts that result in
good drifts. Get into a spot on the stream where you can see your fly as it
drifts. Select a fly that you have confidence in, and that is about the size of
the prevailing insects on the water. (If there aren't any bugs that are
apparent, use a caddis, Royal Wulff, Coachman Trude or other attractor fly that
you can see to hunt out hungry trout.) Find where feeding fish are lying - then
tell your own lies after you hook them.
Maybe our breath is not baited: maybe it's flied. Whatever that means. This is
the time to get out soon and often for two or three day outings, or for morning
or afternoon two or three
hour jaunts. We are blessed to have some wonderful angling available very close
to Longmont and Estes Park, so there is no excuse to wait: let's go fishing - SOON!
time from your place to the fishing place and decide from there. Local waters,
such as the St. Vrain and Big Thompson, are close to Longmont and vicinity, and
fish very well during the summer. Warm-water ponds at Pella Crossing, Union
Reservoir, Golden Ponds and so on are also close.
more lakes and streams over there. Expect a
lovely drive over Trail Ridge road, and delays during the summer as visitors
gawk at critters and the sites. Enjoy the process. Watch out for moose on the
other side! They are dangerous and undependable critters!
going here as the water has been low
and the fish have been stressed from silt, low water and too much fishing
pressure. Let's leave it alone for the time being, but keep it in mind for the
2-hour drive spot. Near Bailey, there are a few open water spots that are
available, and can fish well.
Frying Pan, and the Crystal Rivers.
Lots of water, lots of fish, plenty of places to stay or camp. Go ahead, do it.
Also, consider fishing the lower Colorado both above and below Glenwood Springs.
careful around the rivers. Watch your wading! The fish
still eat, although the water is often cooler than it will be as it drops. I'm
of the opinion that feeding trout can be caught on a fly that is presented
properly. Presentation is everything here - get the fly to the fish. They hold in slower, shallower water.
A large, fluffy attractor dry should be cast to
edges and pockets, where the fish have a chance to see the fly. They will look
up during high water, as long as there is some clarity to the water. If you fish
with
nymphs, make sure you have enough weight to get the fly down. In slower water,
the fish may actually take the fly slowly and subtly; at other times, they may
slam the fly! Cast streamer imitations into pockets and allow the current to
pull them through the spot. Be sure to rig up with heavy enough tippet material,
as fish will pound fleeing meat.
Please do not be afraid
to use large flies. The fish have to see them before they will take them. If
you're worried about the size, try a smaller dropper - say the combination of a size
#8 BH 20" with
a size #14 BH Copper John as a dropper; or, a size #10 Yellow Stimulator with a size
#14
BH Prince dropper.
bugs. We expect to see caddis, PMD
(Pale Morning Duns), other small and medium mayflies of mixed descriptions, and
golden stones that will range in size from pretty big - would you believe #6-8? -
to pretty small - about #14-16. I usually start with a larger fly and work my way
to smaller flies if the fish won't take the big stuff. If the fishing is slow, I
usually move fast to try to find where trout are feeding.
in the world is going on. Beware of flogging the water, which
will do little good and much harm, frightening fish.
and try
to get closer to the actual shade of the bug. One thing to remember when you are
fishing water that is popular is this: anglers who buy flies usually are going
to be using about the same stuff. If you are a fly tier, make up your own
concoctions that are slightly different in color, shape and so on. Often,
something that is different will bring a take. Think about that. Trout seem to
be curious, in addition to being shy, cagy and so on.
Making a good drift will usually be the difference between hooking
fish and practicing casting. Think through your strategy by asking questions
like: where are the fish feeding? Where should I put the fly to get it to
naturally drift to the feeding fish? What area am I fishing? During the course
of a drift, there is usually a short portion when the angler is actually
fishing, which means the drift area where the fish might actually take the fly.
remember what that spot looks like and find a similar looking spot to cast to.
If you want to be meticulous about your casting, section off the portion of
water you are fishing into shoe-box sized spots and make the fly drift through
the shoebox several times without drag. Keep working across the stream, then
upstream in the same manners. If the water is shallow and fast, you don't have
to cast too far above or let the fly drift too far below the shoebox. If the
fish are in there and they are feeding, they'll see the fly and come up to eat
it. If the water is slower and deeper, make slightly longer casts and drifts.