Colorado Fly Fishing Blog - The Flyfisher

Featured Colorado Fly Fishing Preserve: Singing River Ranch

Singing River Ranch is located on Colorado’s Bear Creek and is a beautiful high mountain meadow stream.  This fly fishing only preserve on upper Bear Creek is truly one of the hidden gems of the Front Range, consistently producing wild trout.  Browns, rainbows, brook and the occasional cut throat trout can be found in great numbers on this section of the creek.  The Flyfisher Guide Service is the exclusive outfitter for Singing River Ranch.

Insect hatches are prolific on this small stream.  Guide favorites include spring and fall midges, micro stoneflies, summer caddis and a wide array of mayfly species.  The summer red quill hatch and
spinner fall offers some of Colorado’s best dry fly fishing.

Singing River Ranch is a classic small stream, best suited for dry fly anglers and slow action rods.  Bear Creek is a great location to fish with light one-three weight rods and is an even better spot to break out that bamboo fly rod.  Singing River is easy to wade and is an excellent spot to take children or newcomers.  The creek features some wide open riffles for easy casting but also is full of tight willow thickets and tricky spots requiring all but the most delicate of fly casts.  Coupled with trophy trout ponds, Singing River Ranch has an offering for anglers of all experience levels. 

Spots are filling up fast for the 2013 spring and summer.  Give us a call or send us an
email today to make a reservation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tight Lines,

The Flyfisher Guide Service

www.theflyfisher.com

Office: (800) 882-4313

tyler@theflyfisher.com

 

 

Colorado's Best Tail Waters: Blue River Fly Fishing!

For fly fisherman close to Denver, the Blue river offers the angler a quick escape from city life and a chance at trophy sized brown & rainbow trout.   Most anglers have a love hate relationship with the Blue, due to the technical skill needed to sight fish gin clear water.  But the rewards can be great!

Tight Lines,

The Flyfisher Group

www.theflyfisher.com

 

Down & Dirty for Denver Carp!

So after traveling to the Bahamas, all that we can think about is sight casting to tailing fish!

Back in Colorado, bonefish are not too prolific, but what we do have are an abundance of warm water ponds, lakes and rivers filled with carp or the rocky mountain bonefish. 

Hopefully you will enjoy this video shot by Joey Macomber of Lateral Line Media featuring one of our latest excursions on Denver’s dirty South Platte.

Tight Lines,

Tyler Bowman

www.theflyfishergroup.com

 

Big Fish of the Week!

Well our buddies in the OP (The Olympic Peninsula) have had a pretty decent winter steelhead season.  It really does sound nice to be standing in a big western river swinging a fly…

Flyfisher Pro-Staff Guide, Spencer Williams caught this pig of a fish in 2011.  The trip starts from Seattle where each angler hops on a short commuter flight to Port Angeles WA.  Once in Port Angeles we are
picked up by the guides at Brazda’s Fly Fishing.  After an hour long ride through lush green Olympic National Forests you arrive at the lodge, located on the banks of the Bogachiel River, just outside of Forks, WA.  For information on joining our group on the Olympic Peninsula in 2014
please call or email at your convenience. 

Tight Lines,

The Flyfisher Group

www.theflyfishergroup.com

Send us an email: tyler@theflyfisher.com

Bahamas Bonefish – “Ya Mon!”

The Flyfisher Group recently went on an expedition to the Bahamas, in search of sand flats and big bonefish.  As far as we’re concerned the Bahamas are the place to be…everyone calls you “Mon”, the Daiquiris flow like wine, and beaches and breathtaking are a nice perk as well…

I wish I could say that we hooked up with every big Bone we saw, but that just wouldn’t be true.  The
Bahamas are home to some of the largest bonefish in the world, with Bones routinely caught in excess of twelve pounds. 

Bone fishing is really what it’s all about.  Too many fly fishermen are just gear heads.  The flats of the salt water will most certainly teach you that nothing really matters except your ability to present
a fly in front of the fish, quietly and carefully I might add, it might also be a little windy…

The rod your throwing doesn’t matter and most of the time the Bones could care less about your fly. 
It’s all up to you.  And hence is my love for salt water fly fishing, it’s just you verse the fish.  And of course a good “Bonefish Mon” Bahamian guide with eyes like an eagle might help give you the edge…

Tight Lines,

Tyler Bowman

The Flyfisher Group

www.theflyfishergroup.com

 

 

Colorado Winter Cast and Blast!

Spring is not too far away but we still have a little ways to go as we anticipate warmer temperatures and flowing streams. 

Fortunately for the Colorado sportsman The Flyfisher Guide Service has some great winter options for both fly fishing and wing shooting. 

Now is a great time of year to pull off a cast and blast and the warmer weather we have been experiencing is making for some very pleasant days on the water and in the field.  Fly fishing on Williams Ranch has been very productive the last few months and into the New Year.  Hatches of midges and micro blue winged olives keep the dry fly fishing alive and nymph and streamer fishing has been producing some trophy rainbows and browns.  

If wing shooting is more your style during the winter months let us create an Upland bird Hunting Package to suit your needs and experience level.  Hunting has been great this year and many of our favorite hunters have had some great days afield.  Recent snowfalls have made for some great hunting conditions so be sure and call to book the trip of a lifetime today.

 

 

Tight Lines and Good Shooting,

Tyler Bowman

The Flyfisher Group

tyler@theflyfisher.com

720.253.2494

Colorado's Best Winter Fly Fishing: The Roaring Fork and Frying Pan

Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley offers some of the best fly fishing waters in the state. 

The Roaring Fork starts as a small stream above Aspen and is a lot of fun hopping pockets for colorful rainbows and browns.  The lower sections of the Roaring Fork may be the best freestone stream in Colorado with dynamic water, prolific insect hatches and an abundance of wild trout.  Float or wade fishing on the Fork is always worth the trip and ample public access allows this river to be enjoyed by all anglers.  The Fork fishes well year round and is world famous for hatches of Green Drakes, Blue Winged Olives, Pale Morning Duns and Midges.  

Experienced anglers know that something is almost always hatching on the Frying Pan.  Few rivers
have as much diverse insect life as the Pan.  Below Ruedi Reservoir the trout grow large but expect extremely heavy angling pressure.  The lower sections of the Pan have lots of public access and are full of wild trout.  Most of the fish tend to be a little smaller but trophy fish can be found on all sections of this gold metal tail water.

Winter is a great time to visit the Roaring Fork Valley as the region usually stays warm and good fishing can be found on both the Pan and the Fork.

For the most up to date Colorado Fly Fishing Reports and conditions, stream flows and hatch charts check out the latest Frying Pan Fly Fishing Report.

Tight Lines,

Tyler Bowman

The Flyfisher Group

www.coloradotroutfisher.com

 

Louisiana Redfish Dreaming

It has been about a week since I chased redfish on the flats of New Orleans, Louisiana and I can’t stop thinking about the day!  Fly fishing for redfish is just pure fun and for a guy that likes to hunt and fish there is just no better combination than scanning salt water flats for your prey with a fly rod in hand.  

The season for big redfish in and NOW is the time to go!  Trust me if a trip for you is at all possible right now you want to get yourself down to the Bayou!  You won’t regret it! 

I cannot say enough about my guide, Rocky Thickstun he put me on lots of fish and has a ton of personality to boot. 

Don’t miss out this winter, why be bored when you can catch salt water fish in excess of 20 pounds?

Tight Lines,

Tyler Bowman

www.coloradotroutfisher.com

tyler@theflyfisher.com

Sight Fishing for Redfish in New Orleans

Louisiana is home to perhaps the best sight fishing for Redfish in the world. 

Recently, I was fortunate enough to take to the flats of New Orleans with Captain Rocky Thickstun.  The adventure began before dark when Rocky picked me up at our hotel on Bourbon Street.  After saying our hellos, I told Rocky that I was a trout guide back in Colorado…

“Are you a good angler?” 

Rocky inquired just hoping that he had a halfway decent stick in the skiff today.  It was a less than perfect day for fishing; intermittent cloud cover and high winds were set to plague the flats.

“I can see fish, I’m certainly no great fisherman, but I’m persistent.”  I replied hoping that I wouldn’t make too much of a fool of myself today.

“Don’t trout set these Redfish!” he said.  “I fish a lot of trout guides and most of them blow their day by doing a trout set and pulling the fly away from the Redfish.”

“I’ve salt water fly fished before.”  I quickly replied trying to convince Rocky that I wasn’t a complete hack at this game. 

“I’ve seen that trout set shit go on all day!”  Rocky snapped back at me.  “If you trout set you won’t just miss some of the fish, you will miss ALL of the fish!”

So off we went on a cruise through the flats, flying through the marshes of Southern Louisiana. 

The dolphins and waterfowl add to the mystique and beauty of this utterly unique environment.  I knew it was going to be a day to remember when we saw a Red Tail Hawk grab a duck from the water for a little morning snack.

“It’s a hunter’s day.”  Rocky whispered before he shut the motor off.

I climbed to the bow with a nine weight and fly in hand as Rocky polled the flats and we scanned the water for our prey.

There is a reason they call this fish the Redfish, a big fish looks like a giant red log swimming across the flat.  My first cast was in the money…

“Strip, strip, strip, strip!”  Rocky yelled from his platform as I trout set the fish, pulling the fly from his mouth and watching the fish vanish forever.  Rocky then proceeded to curse me for not listening and reminding me that if I did not strip set these fish I would go home empty handed…

The next opportunity came and my cast was terrible, well behind the fish.  I made another cast and missed.  And then another, third times a charm and the Redfish inhaled the fly and the fight was on!

There might not be a better made fish for fly fishing than the Redfish. 

These salt water creatures were simply crafted for the sport, cruising in shallow water and eating flies with reckless abandonment.

And so we polled on, through the clouds and the winds making for one tough, challenging but rewarding day of flats fishing.  A hunter’s day indeed…

For more information on sight fishing for Redfish with Louisiana’s best, Captain Rocky Thickstun please call or email me.

Tight Lines,

Tyler Bowman

The Flyfisher Group

tyler@theflyfisher.com

720.253.2494

 

 

 

The Taylor River: Colorado's Trophy Fly Fishing Stream

No visit to Colorado would be complete without a trip to the Taylor. 

Below Taylor Reservoir might be some of the biggest trout in the state.  The Colorado Division of Wildlife introduced Mysis shrimp to Taylor Reservoir as a food source for Kokanee Salmon and inadvertently the shrimp washed down and have become a preferred food source of the Taylor river trout.  The Mysis are rich in protein content and trout grow big and large chowing down on the shrimp.  This section of water known as the “Catch and Release” area or “Hog Trough” is extremely slow and technical.  Sight fishing is the name of the game and anglers can expect to see some of the biggest trout of their lives.  Hooking them is another matter.  These fish require small 5x to 7x tippet and are famous for sipping tiny (#20-28) midge and mayfly patterns.  Below the famous “Hog Trough” the Taylor is a fast a furious river filled with pocket water and a good mix of brown and rainbow trout.  The lower Taylor is world famous for prolific summer hatches of Green Drakes. The Taylor is classic Western trout fishing at its very best.

Our Colorado Fly Fishing Reports are updated in real time by Colorado Trout Fisher, Denver and Boulders Premiere Fly Fishing Outfitter.  For the latest fly fishing conditions on the Taylor check out our lates Taylor River Fly Fishing Report.

Tight Lines,

Tyler Bowman

www.coloradotroutfisher.com

Colorado's Best Winter Tail Waters: The St. Vrain

OK, so the St. Vrain may not be as famous as Colorado’s South Platte but there must be good reason that noted fly fishing author chose to situate his home on the banks of the St. Vrain River near Lyons,
Colorado.  On one of our favorite Front Range tail waters, the St. Vrain below Button Rock Reservoir allows anglers to catch a mixed bag of brown and rainbow trout and the occasional brook trout and
cut throat, allowing the fly angler to catch a grand slam close to home.  The fish may not grow to epic proportions like some of Colorado’s tail waters but there are still plenty of trout and the
Vrain is a great place to learn how to fly fish.  All that one needs to be successful in the creek is a three weight fly rod, a box of dry flies and a variety of bead head nymphs.

The St. Vrain may be some of the best places to learn the art and science of fly fishing.  This
local creek is close to home (just a short drive from Denver or Boulder) and full of brown and rainbow trout that are opportunistic and willing to eat a wide variety of flies.  Dry dropper fishing with attractor dry flies like Stimulators and Elk Hair Caddis and bead head droppers like a bead head pheasant tail is effective almost year round.  In the spring and fall, the creek sees good hatches of blue winged olives and midges making for some fun and challenging dry fly fishing. 

Smaller weight fly rods are the most fun for these smaller sized creeks.  You can learn most anything about trout fishing from our Front Range streams and we are most fortunate to have such an incredible resource close to home.

Good public access can be found around Lyons.  The dirt pull offs on National Forest land are unmistakable and there is even some good fly fishing through town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For a recent Colorado Fly Fishing Report on our Williams Ranch, located on the St. Vrain just outside of Lyons, Colorado, please click here:  Williams Ranch - St.Vrain Fly Fishing Report.

Tight Lines,

Tyler Bowman

The Flyfisher Group

www.coloradotroutfisher.com

Colorado's Best Winter Tailwaters: The Yampa Tail Water

Below Stagecoach Reservoir, the Yampa may be the finest tail water in Colorado.  Fish populations are amazing and the average sized rainbow trout is between 14” and 20” as well as many larger fish.  The fish feed predominately on a variety of small midges and mayflies and conventional tail water nymph fishing tactics will hook the majority of fish.  Sight fishing is the key to success, crowds can be dense on the Stagecoach Tail water but there are more than enough fish to go around.

This little stretch is reminiscent of fly fishing in Alaska with ample populations of colorful and healthy rainbow trout and the occasional big brown trout.  The trout in this tail water tend to feed more readily than other pressured tail waters in Colorado.  The Yampa can be fished year round but the Colorado Division of Wildlife closes the road after the first of year, so the only access is by cross country skis, snowshoes or snowmobile.  But the trek is most definitely worth it…nothing beats a sunny day in February when you have one of Colorado’s most amazing fisheries all to yourself!

For the latest news on the Yampa and fly fishing in Colorado this winter stay tuned in to our updated dailey and real time Colorado Fly Fishing Reports.

Tight Lines,

Tyler Bowman

The Flyfisher Group

www.coloradotroutfisher.com

 

 

Colorado's Best Winter Tail Waters: The "Dream Stream"

As the name suggests, Colorado’s Dream Stream or Spinney Mountain Ranch just outside of Fairplay, Colorado gives Denver anglers the opportunity to hook and land true trophy trout.  Some of the biggest and most beautiful browns, rainbows and cuts show up in this famed stretch…my college GPA would have probably been a lot better during the spring and fall had this not been the case.  In the spring and fall, huge migrations of lake run rainbows, browns, and cut bows enter the stream to spawn and lay their eggs.  Sight fishing and quality polarized lenses are the name of the game for hooking these monstrous trout.  However, the legendary lake runs are no secret and crowds can be heavy if not shoulder to shoulder during the fish migration.  Nymph and streamer fishing is
a guide favorite for hooking the lake run fish.  However, the dream stream is certainly not for the faint of heart as cold temperatures and high winds are the standard on this section of gold metal
water.

In addition to large lake run fish, anglers can expect to find Kokanee Salmon entering the river during the fall months.  These fish range anywhere from one to five pounds and are a ton of fun on fly tackle!  The Dream Stream supports a healthy population of resident browns, rainbows and cut throats.  Long slick runs and riffles make for some challenging fly fishing. 

The Dream Stream sees prolific hatches of midges, tricos, pale morning duns, blue winged olives and a wide variety of caddis and smaller stoneflies.  Be ready to battle the wind and cold on this historically desolate area but the rewards are worth it!  

Winter has always been one of the best times to fish Spinney Mountain Ranch, the crowds decrease significantly and on warm and sunny days, fishing in the valley can be quite pleasant.  Lots of winter insect life in the form of small midges and mayflies, makes for one of our most productive and sought after winter tail water fisheries.

For current stream flows, fly fishing conditions, fly fishing tips and useful fly patterns on the Dream Stream check out our updated daily Colorado Fly Fishing Reports.

Tight Lines,

Tyler Bowman

The Flyfisher Group

www.coloradotroutfisher.com

 

 

Colorado's Best Winter Tail Waters: This week Cheesman Canyon

It is winter time in Colorado, but that is no excuse to put the fly rod and waders away! 

We are fortunate to have a wide array of tail water fisheries that remain open and productive throughout the winter months.  Over the course of this winter we at The Flyfisher plan to keep you up to date and informed on our favorite winter tail waters.  For daily updated fly fishing reports, water conditions, helpful tips and recommended fly patterns be sure and book mark Colorado Fly Fishing Reports.  Our reports come from our Flyfisher Pro Staff Guides (Colorado fishing bums) and are updated on a daily basis.  When planning your next trip be sure and stop by for the most up to date fly fishing conditions in Colorado.

This week we will start off featuring one of our favorite tail waters, Colorado’s famed Cheesman Canyon. Perhaps one of the most famous and iconic rivers of the west, Colorado’s South Platte will educate, challenge and humble both new and experienced anglers alike.  As the saying goes, “If you can catch trout in Colorado’s Cheesman Canyon, you can catch them anywhere in the world.”  Heavy fishing pressure, gin clear water and diverse bug life makes the South Platte one of the most technical fisheries in the world. 

Cheesman Canyon is the most sought after and routinely visited section of Colorado’s South Platte.

This is one of the most technical tail water fisheries in the state, demanding that anglers sight fish with small tail water flies and fine tippet.  The Canyon is accessed from the Gil Trail, requiring a short hike to get on the water. 

Fish are seldom seen rising in Cheesman but good dry fly fishing can
still be had, especially during hopper season where the canyon’s rainbows and browns just can’t resist a foam hopper bounced off a canyon wall. 

Plus hatches of small stoneflies and caddis make for some great summer surface action but as a general rule of thumb a good nymph fisherman will catch most of the fish.  Ideal flows for Cheesman are when the water is up, around 200-400 CFS.  When the flows are high the fish in Cheesman go crazy for worms and scuds and nymph fishing with a variety of San Juan Worms and scud patterns makes for some outstanding fly fishing.  Winter is one of our favorite times to hike into the canyon as the crowds are light and winter time hatches of midges and blue winged olives make for some exciting days on the water.  Catching a fish in Cheesman is always a reward no matter what your level of skill!

For the most recent information on fly fishing Cheesman Canyon, http://www.coloradoflyfishingreports.com/reports/?reportid=2356

Tight Lines,

Tyler Bowman

The Flyfisher Group

www.coloradotroutfisher.com

The Top Ten Colorado Fly Fishing Rivers!

I thought it would be fun to share my personal top 10 favorite rivers and creeks in Colorado. 
Of course this is my own opinion so I do not mean to offend you if I don’t mention your favorite fishing spot…

I have compiled what I believe to be the most dynamic and interesting streams, and of course there is a lot of stuff I have yet to fish and places I have yet to be, so if you think you might know of a better stream feel free to chime in…

The Yampa - The Yampa is undoubtedly and unquestionably my favorite river in the beautiful state of Colorado!  I know this because one afternoon I was fishing the Yampa through the town of Steamboat and the fishing was going quite slow…then out of nowhere it started to rain and a
blanket hatch of Green Drakes fluttered over the river and from the riffle infront of me multiple brown and rainbow trout over 20 inches began slurping the bugs from the water!  Enough Said.

The Boulder Creek Watershed – OK so this one may come to a shock to many but the entire
Boulder Creek watershed is one of my very favorite places to fish in Colorado and I’ll be happy to tell you why.  Middle Boulder Canyon is just plain fun to fish with aggressive little brown trout seemingly hiding behind every rock!  The North Fork of the Creek running through Dream Canyon makes me feel like I am in the Black Canyon, with colorful Brook trout rising to my hopper creations!  And South Boulder Creek fishes awesome for the occasional 16” plus brown in the meandering meadow sections around Boulder. Then the bug life on the creek both below and above Gross makes for some awesome dry fly fishing!

The Roaring Fork – I love float fishing the Roaring Fork.  This river is a streamer junkie’s best
friend.  I can’t think of a better way to spend the day than floating the Fork with good friends and a cooler full of ice cold drinks…

Black Canyon and Gunnison Gorge – Does it get any better than hiking down into the steepest, deepest and most narrow canyon in North America to find Salmon Flies crawling all over the river?  I don’t think so.

Taylor River – No I’m not talking about fishing the “Hog Trough” but I simply love the lower sections of the Taylor.  This river gets one hell of a Green Drake hatch in the summer and wade fishing the Taylor with its fast current and slippery rocks always makes for an
adventure.  Camping along this river and its main tributary Spring Creek is a great way to experience the wilds of Gunnison.

Tributaries of the North Platte in Walden – The various feeder streams of the North
Platte are some of my favorite excursions for Brown Trout.  Fish of all sizes live in these streams and the fishing can be challenging, technical and overall difficult but the rewards
can be amazing. 

Frying Pan – You can learn a lot about trout and fly fishing for them on this infamous stream.  Sight Fishing is almost always possible and a plethora of insect hatches will keep even the most
seasoned of anglers guessing.

Cheesman Canyon – Ok so Cheesman is definitely not my very favorite stream but anytime I land a trout in the Canyon I feel grateful…for it certainly never happens too often!  The canyon is a technical fishery and it simply takes hard work and persistence and thorough understanding
of Nymph fishing to fool these trout.

Eagle –I haven’t explored this river as much as I would like but my limited experience on the Eagle has been good.  Lots of fish, bugs and interesting water makes for a dynamic and year round fishery.

Rocky Mountain National Park – A lifetime of fishing is available within the lines of the park and most of it remains untouched.  Native Greenback Cutt Throat call these streams their home and they are easily fooled with small fly rods and dry flies.  Fishing in the park is just plain fun and after all isn’t that what it’s all about?

So there is my Top 10. 
What’s yours?

Tight Lines,

Tyler Bowman

www.coloradotroutfisher.com

Ranch & Resort TV Features Flyfisher Guide Service on May 18 and May 23

The Flyfisher Guide Service will be featured on national television on Tuesday, May 18 on ICTV at 5:30 p.m. MDST, and throughout Colorado on Comcast on Sunday, May 23 at 10 a.m., all times Mountain. Ranch & Resort TV host Milton Dailey along with special guest Jim Ferguson of Great American Outdoor Trails Radio Network were guests at Lincoln Hills Fly Fishing Club to tape the show.

 

 

 

 

The personalities were treated to a special day outside of Pinecliffe, Colo., where Ferguson was amazed at the total number of fish caught and the overall strength. Dailey is still trying to find ways to put all of the footage together for a half-day on the river.

 

“I’ve never had such high quality, non-stop fly fishing action before,” said Dailey. “This is the best fly fishing footage I have ever gotten.”

 

The 10-minute feature will focus on the many great trout located in South Boulder Creek. Fans can catch 2009 Guide of the Year Anthony Bartkowski working with Ferguson throughout the day, while Flyfisher Guide Service Owner Matthew Burkett works with a never-ever angler to great success. Additionally, Cody DeGuelle, Lincoln Hills Fisheries Biologist and Guide, will be highlighted about the various streamside improvements that were conducted in making this section of Lincoln Hills one of Colorado’s best private fly fishing clubs.

  

Ferguson hosts a weekly radio show that can be heard on more than 400 radio stations throughout the world. He has hosted Bartkowski several times in the past, and you can listen to the duo talking about Ferguson’s trip to Lincoln Hills.

 

To see Ranch and Resort TV check below:

 

Tuesday, May 18 at 5:30 p.m. MDST

DirectTV – ICTV channel 344

Dish Network – ICTV channel 230

 

Sunday, May 23 at 10 a.m. MDST

Colorado Comcast channel 3

 

Fly Fishing Out Of My Element

My goal.  Try to catch a fish in Florida on a fly rod.

Looking at the Gulf of Mexico as a possible fly fishing opportunity is quite overwhelming through the eyes of a Colorado trout fisherman. Originally, I concentrated on freshwater opportunities and then realized how close I was to saltwater species.  I was even willing to resort to conventional tackle if necessary.

After visiting a fly shop and two bait-and-tackle shops, I felt a little less overwhelmed by the prospect of fishing in the Gulf.  The people at the fly shop were extremely helpful, turning me onto flies and techniques for both freshwater and saltwater. The freshwater in the area was very limited and with no one to tell or show me where I could go, I decided to tackle the Gulf’s saltwater fishes. Also, I needed a separate fishing license to fish salt and freshwater. The bait-and-tackle shop owners looked at me a little weird when I told them I wanted to fly fish in the Gulf, with only one of them showing optimism towards any possible success.  

Day One.  Wind was down, a bit cloudy, seemed like a good day for fly fishing.  After having smaller bait fish chase my fly for an hour or so, it began to feel overwhelming again.  By this time the sand fleas were out in force and it was time to call it.  No success.

Day Two.  Upon arriving at the beach, the wind was stiff and straight out of the west and not so good for fly fishing.  So I pulled out the conventional gear.  Big weight, big hook and frozen sand fleas were my go-to supplies. The sand fleas were not the kind that were biting me the day before, but a type of bait used in Florida.  Two hours passed to no avail.  My seven-month old son, who had been watching the escapade, was tired, hungry, and unimpressed. We needed to call it a day.

Day Three.  Perfect conditions, glassy water, and  an incoming tide.  Today would be the day, I kept telling myself.  I stepped down to the surf, put a thirty foot cast straight out, and after two trips I had a fish on!  I’m not sure what kind of fish it was (see picture), but I was excited none the less.  Something was right because I caught several more within 20 minutes.  Now I’m feeling pretty good about myself.  Confidence breeds success, or at least provides better opportunities.  That’s when I started seeing bigger fish.   I had a large, what I believe was a ladyfish, crush my clouser minnow, I was severely caught off guard and was not able to set the hook.  It was a missed opportunity but very exciting.  After that it died, something to do with the tide I’m sure, the tides are everything when saltwater fishing from the beach.

There was no Day Four.  My three-day fishing license had timed out; just when I started to figure it out.

I feel successful.  I did my research, I put in my time on the water and I did it all on my own – under the watchful eye of my son, who will be another future Gulf Coast fly fisher.)

I’ll look forward to getting down to the Gulf again with the knowledge I learned.

Dustin Mastro

Pro Staff Guide

Prospecting New Water

It's always fun prospecting waters that you haven’t seen before; you never know what's around the next bend.
You imagine the ideal hole with the riffled water fading into a large deep glassy pool with snouts and fins breaking the surface...
So you press on, no matter how tough the terrain...
 

and then you suddenly realize that the sun is getting low... you haven't eaten since 6am........
and it's going to be a long walk back to the truck...
If I can find it?

When I'm going to a place that I'm not familiar with, I like to stick to the basic flies, pheasant tails, copper johns, a prince, at first.  This time of year I'm rigged up with an egg pattern, FB Pheasant tail, and a midge pattern of some form.  As your exploring the river, stop and turn over a stone or two, see what's flying around. That bug that's annoying you, buzzing in your face may be a clue to the type of fly you should put on your line.  Your fly selection should follow the "Three S's", as stated in the Angling University Freshwater Fly Fishing 102 Handbook. Try to find a fly in your box that most resembles the bug in the water by matching the Size, Shape and Shade(color) of the bugs your finding.   

If you want to take a look inside  my  fly box and the boxes of all our guides?  Stay tuned for my report that will show you  the flies that our guides recommend  as the seasons change.  Coming soon................Fish on! <;)))><

Dave Verser    / Instructor and Pro Staff Guide   

Mastering Moffitt on Wyoming's North Platte River

    Toward the end of October Angling University and The Flyfisher Guide Service ventured north to Wyoming in search of hungry fish. Our purpose was simple; catch fish on different waters using the Moffitt Angling System. Destination #1: a private stretch of the North Platte river near Casper, Wyoming on the Red Butte Ranch.
     Having driven through hours of a blizzard that swallowed the highway periodically, we were happy to arrive at Red Butte, our home away from home for the next few days. Our cottage sat right on the river and after a good nights sleep and a pot of coffee we geared up to hit the water. Greg Mueller, a 14 year veteran and senior guide for Grey Reef Outfitters/Platte River Fly Shop was to be our guide for the North Platte trip and it was clearly a good decision to fish with him. There is a lot to be said for a guide who knows the river like he does and an outfitter with such a reputable understanding of the river and its fish. That morning was cold, and ice was building on the rod and eyelets if you let it, but despite the chilly temps we hit a couple of fish right off the bat on the Moffitt System. Not long after though, we decided to retreat to indoors to see if the temps would go up a bit. While inside we talked about going to destination #2 - a different stretch of the Platte below Pathfinder Reservoir just west of Casper as heavily pressured tailwater in Fremont Canyon, and that is exactly what we did.

    After a 30 minute drive we were back on the water and immediately found hungry fish, willing to eat nymphs at the end of our Moffitt Contact Leaders. Each bend we came to was full of tail-water trout, and despite the rivers deep pools we were able to get our flies down to the fish by using minimal split shot at the end of the Contact Leader. The rig proved to be deadly due to its quick sink rate, high tensile strength, and ability to avoid snags on the bottom of the river. Couple that with the ability to fish hookless flies and a  fish friendly circle hook at the end of the leader and you have a great nymphing rig. We had clearly dialed the fishing in as the light of the day began to fade, hooking fish after fish, most of which were well over 20 inches. The day ended with a bang when we doubled up, and I ended up chasing a big rainbow down the 

river. After a few stumbles along the snowy banks the 24 inch, 6 1/2 pound cut-bow was in for a quick photo shoot. All in all it proved to be a great day of fishing with the Moffitt Angling System despite the chilly temps. 

    What we know for sure is that the Moffitt System catches fish. The ease of releasing a fish is amazing and the landing percentage once a fish is hooked seems to be better than with our traditional rigs.  Very deep nymph rigs are the rule of thumb on Gray Reef and on such a long rig setting the hook has always been a challenge. The hook set improves your ability to strike when nymphing deep a real bonus for the Reef. Next we are off to New York for some steelheading and another lesson with the inventor himself. Stay tuned...

Colorado: The New Montana

    For decades, Montana has been referred to as the Mecca of fly fishing for US anglers, but the more that people learn about what Colorado has to offer, the more it steals the spotlight away from Montana.
    Lets first look at what has made Montana the legendary fishing location that it is. There are the number of rivers that it has to offer. Rivers like the Missouri, Yellowstone, Bighorn, Beaverhead, Clark Fork, Gallatin, and Madison add to the depth of fishing that Montana has to offer, especially when you take into account the dry fly fishing that so many love to do on these rivers. The other aspect of these rivers that draw so many anglers each year is that many can be floated and offer guided trip opportunities. Now let's look at the Colorado side of the coin in comparison: Colorado holds rivers like the South Platte, the North Platte, South Boulder Creek, the Arkansas, the upper and lower Blue, Colorado, Roaring Fork, White, Gunnison, Taylor, Frying Pan, Yampa, Eagle and many more. And although there are fewer float-able rivers, dry fly fishing easily rivals that of Montana in more ways than one, and practically every river in the state has numerous guided trip opportunities. Even Steven right? Wrong!
    The part of this comparison that gives Colorado the edge is the quality of fish that it has to offer. Yes, both locales have good fish; wild populations of browns and rainbows and even some cutthroats, but it is VERY hard to beat the size of fish that are caught regularly in Colorado. Each year there are too many trout to count that go over 30" long that are caught from Colorado water by fly anglers. Also, if you compare state records you will notice that many of the Montana records are from decades ago, whereas Colorado boasts records as recent as 2008. You will also notice that Colorado has gone pro catch and release by adding additional record categories for each species of fish. Anglers around the world are going to have to search long and hard to beat the current Colorado state record for rainbow trout of 40 and 1/4 inches.
    Not only this, but on average Colorado rivers are much easier to access. Even the prime hog waters like the Taylor, Frying Pan, Blue, Yampa, South Boulder, and White are easily accessed by paved roads, not to mention that Denver hosts an international airport that can be reached from practically anywhere in the world and puts you a mere 45 minutes from prime trout fishing. Not to mention that fishing is a year round sport in Colorado. There are no seasons to contend with, leaving Colorado with more days of fishing access as well. But don't the rivers freeze? Some do, but because of our many tail-waters, rivers remain open and fishing remains good year round.
    Night life? Forget about it. Cities like Denver, Boulder, and Vail offer more nighttime adventures than you can handle after a day of fighting juicy rainbows and browns in clear Colorado water. And let's not even try to count the number of true 5 star restaurants and hotels available for anglers when they come off the water in Colorado...that wouldn't be fair.
    All in all, it is easy to see why Colorado is becoming such a hot spot for destination angling in the US. The only thing that surprises me is that it has taken so long for the rest of the country to figure it out.

Tight Lines,

Ethan Emery
Director, Angling University

Trappers Lake Trip

 
 Trappers Lake Trip 8-14-16, 2009
A trip to Trappers Lake is a must for any fly fishing enthusiast. Trappers Lake is located about 50 miles East of Meeker bordering the Flat Tops Wilderness Area in the White River National Forest. Trappers Lake  is about a five hour drive from Denver. The area suffered a devastating fire in 2002. The Big Fish Fire burned over 17,000 acres. The landscape is recovering; however, it will be a number of years before the recovery will be complete. Lost in the fire was the historic Trappers Lake Lodge. A new lodge has been rebuilt since the fire. The lodge is kid and pet friendly. The lodge offers a number of “rustic” cabins for rent. Shower facilities, laundry facilities, horse rental, boat rental, a full service dining room and a full service bar are all amenities offered by the Lodge.

Why go? Native Colorado River Cutthroat Trout.
The Lake: Trappers Lake is Colorado’s second largest natural lake. Trappers Lake can be fished from shore, in a float tube or in a non-motorized boat. Rowboats and canoes can be rented from Trappers Lake Lodge. The rowboat for the two days that I fished the lake ran $45/day.  Motors are prohibited on the lake and there is some work in involved to get to the lake. You will hike in with any gear you may need for your day on the water, including oars and life jackets. Find the right balance between having just the right amount of gear, and dragging in too much. 

Getting there:
From Trappers Lake Lodge a short drive to the trailhead gets you a little closer to the lake. From the trailhead a short uphill walk of about 10 minutes will put you at the far North end of the lake. The lake sits nestled in a beautiful valley. The valley still shows the scars of the Big Fish Fire from 2002. A few trees survived the fire but most of the trees that are still standing are dead. The dead trees look like toothpicks waiting to be toppled by a strong wind. Signs of recovery are definitely evident though, as wild flowers and ground vegetation now color the valley.  I found that the lake fishing was best early in the morning and in the evening. The wind can be quite powerful. I was blown off the lake by mid morning on both of the days I fished the lake from the rowboat. The fishing in the evenings proved to be best once the wind had calmed down. I landed numerous Colorado River Cutts up to 16”. The fish in the lake ate a variety of bugs ranging from Gold Ribbed Hares Ears to Wooly Buggers to small midges.
During the middle of the day, I spent my time on the creek that runs right along the Trappers Lake Lodge property. The small creek has brook trout ranging from 4”-11”. The big surprise was the Colorado River Cutts in the creek. I landed Cutts from 5” to 16”. All of the fish came up to a variety of dry flies. A size 18 parachute Adams out fished all other dry flies combined.

When I wasn’t fishing I spent time back in and around the cabin. Relaxing and hanging out with my family. It was great to have the family along on this trip. My kids had a blast playing around the property. There were a number of families with children.  Aside from catching a 15” Cutthroat, the highlight of the trip for my son was getting to ride Molly the Mule.  My daughter Jessica on the other hand, would have nothing to do with Molly. Maybe next year she will warm up to Molly.

Looking back on my first trip to Trappers Lake, the fishing was excellent, the food in the lodge was good and the cabin was…. well, it was really rustic. All in all a trip to Trappers Lake is well worth the 5 hour drive from the Front Range. Next time back I will plan my time on the water to better deal with the wind.

Scott McCaslin

Pro Staff Guide & Instructor- Angling University

Fly Fishing Colodrao TV

The Flyfisher Guide Service has launched a YouTube Channel call Fly Fishing Colorado. This video product compliments our popular Fly Fishing Colorado Newsletter. You will see videos from our fly fishing adventures, clips from guide trips, instructional segments on techniques, gear reviews, info about the most productive new patterns and trailers about our private fly fishing preserves and clubs.

Please check out our new YouTube channel and contact us to let us know what you would like to see. www.youtube.com/flyfisherguides

mattieb