Fishing Moraine Park amongst the elk

Went up to the Big Thompson at Moraine Park today with Mark to take advantage of a beautiful day.  We arrived around 10am and saw a big heard of elk around the river.  After getting geared up we head to the river and work our way upstream after getting past the elk.

I start the day with a royal wulff to see if the fish will take dries.  I cast through a couple of pools when I get a bite.  I set the hook and pull it completely out of the fish's mouth.  No fish, but am pretty pleased to see the fish rise.  I continue working my way upstream but am getting no action at all.  Meanwhile Mark has caught three on a Pink San Juan Worm.

I find out what he was using and decide to change up to a Red San Juan Worm and a copper john, because I didn't have a pink worm.  I try this for a while and still am getting no action at all.  I look over and Mark has caught another good size brown.  I walk over to mark so he can give me a pink worm instead of the red.  Second cast and I have my first fish of the day(a little brown trout).  I continue casting into the same area to see if I can catch the bigger fish I saw in the hole and within a couple minutes have landed a nice 10" brown on the PINK san juan worm.  I continue working my way upstream and start landed a fish every third hole or so.  I catch three more before heading back downstream.

I work my way back to the car fishing as I go.  I manage to catch another three before meeting up with Mark and heading back to the car.  No dry fly fishing to be had but the Pink San Juan Worm couldn't have worked better.

We try a couple spots outside the park in the canyon with no luck before calling it a day and heading home.
Pretty good day fishing amongst the elk to start and got to see some deer and a big horn sheep to finish the day.

Rod:  Iwana 12' 6/4
Line:  Traditional Tenkara Line 12'
Fly that worked: Pink San Juan Worm(PINK!)

Another try at the caddis hatch on the Arkansas

Mark, Derron and I tried the Arkansas River again to see if we could catch the caddis hatch.  We decided to try a little further upstream than we usually go and found a nice section of river to start.  The weather was perfect and almost no wind for most of the day.

I start the day throwing a caddis and after hitting a few pools with no luck I finally get a little brown on the near side seam.  I continue upstream casting through the runs and pools but am getting no action.  Meanwhile Mark is fishing a deep nymph rig and killing it.  He was fishing probably 10 feet down and the fish were hitting a hares ear nymph.  I cross the river and start working my way up the far side.  I finally get to a set of shallow riffles and manage to catch two more on the caddis.  Derron also having a slow day catching two to this point is ready for a change of venue as am I.

We head downstream and find another good section of river to finish off the day.  We still have not seen any good hatches of caddis but I am still throwing dries.  By this point I have a bwo and a caddis tied on and am working my way upstream to a island and a couple far side pools.  Over the next hour or so I catch eight fish, half on bwo, half on caddis.  It was also a 50/50 split between side pools and just off the island.

With Mark and Derron not having much luck we call it day around 5pm and head back home.  Although I had a slow start, the day ended up being pretty good on a all dry fly day.

Rod: Unagi 12' 7/3
Line:  Riggs Floating Line 12'
Flies that worked:  Caddis, BWO

Morning fishing on Bear Creek

Mark and I decided to head up to Bear Creek around 10am and try our luck again.  We had a very comfortable day with almost no wind.  I tie on a hopper to a bwo to start the day but don't get any action or even see fish feeding on the surface.  I switch up the rig to a hopper to a zug bug about 14" down.
 
First cast out and I land a little brown on the zug bug.  I release the fish and cast back out a couple more times and I have landed another little brown.  I move downstream through a few different holes and catch close to a dozen more fish before I head further downstream.

I walk downstream trying to find Mark but stopping just before the bridge to try a couple holes.  A drizzle starts but I am still catching fish every few casts so I fish through the temporary rain.  After catching a couple above the bridge and a couple below the bridge I take a little break and go find Mark.

Mark has caught a few fish but still pretty slow for him.  I tell him I have been killing it on a zug bug and give him one to use.  He tries it with no luck, which I can't believe.  We both head back upstream fishing apart from each other.

I am still using the hopper to zug bug set up and catch another dozen fish over the next hour all on the zug bug.  I find Mark again as he is catching a fish on a bwo and see if his day has picked up.  He has caught a few more and tried the zug bug a few more times with no success(still can't believe it).

We call it a day around 2pm with maybe my best day of fishing by numbers I have had at Bear Creek.  I wish they came on dries but 30 fish on the zug bug ain't bad.

Rod:  Motsugo  9'
Line:  Hi-Vis Level Line 10' #3
Fly that worked:  Zug Bug

Windy day on the Arkansas River

Went down to the Arkansas River around Texas Creek with my brother and Mark to try and catch the caddis hatch.  We stopped by Royal Gorge Anglers and they thought the recent snow may have pushed back the hatch a week or so.  Not the news we were hoping for but we still had high hopes for the fishing.

We start fishing each at our own spots.  Derron starts above us and catches a couple of fish before I hear Mark has landed his first fish.  I,  still having no luck, try some nymphing and still nothing.  I decide to walk upstream and do some dry fly fishing near the edges. 

I find a nice slack water area on a bend and start casting.  Couple casts in I have landed a nice 12" brown trout to start me off.  I move a little farther upstream and find a nice section of water where I can see fish feeding on the surface.  I cast out the bwo and bam! I got another good size brown landed.  I catch two more before the guys get me and we drive downstream a little.

We try one of the state wildlife pullouts and try our luck on a section of water with almost no structure.  I move to just below a set of riffles with a couple of boulders that are creating some slack water.  I cast a few times through before I finally get a bite and have landed another 12" brown.  I move above the riffles and try another couple holes but can't get anything.  With Derron and Mark having no luck we decide to try another pullout upstream a little.

We find a nice section of water with a bend and some good structure.  I find a couple of runs to try and cast out a caddis.  A couple casts in I land another brown somewhere in the 12" range and then another to finish off the day.

The day ended up being pretty slow fishing and pretty windy all day making the dry fly casting a pain.  Always good to be out fishing with friends and family though.

Rod:  Unagi 12'
Line:  Riggs Floating Line 12'
Flies that worked:  BWO, Elk Hair Caddis

Tough day on Bear Creek

Headed up to Bear creek with Mark today to try our luck at some dry fly fishing.  We got up to the creek around 11am and started upstream of the parking lot.  We fished one of our old favorites to start but couldn't get anything.  It's snowed a few days earlier and seems to have slowed some of the hatches.  We try a couple spots each before moving downstream.

That was just the move we needed because we both got on some fish.  We both got them on BWO's  and worked our way downstream.  After Catching a couple fish below the bridge I move downstream to a little pool I know holds fish.  I cast to the far side of a log to the pool and hook a nice size rainbow.  As I try to get to the other side of the log the fish goes under the log and puts a good bend into the rod.  I pull the rod back to try to get the fish back on my side of the log when I hear a crack and the rod has snapped.  NO!!!  Oh well, not the first rod I have broke.  I head back to the car to get my other rod.

Got the Iwana rigged up and start fishing again.  I head up to the bridge again and put on a black beauty to trail the bwo.  I always have good luck with this setup in this pool and today was no different.  After catching a few little browns I move way downstream to try a few different spots.

I get to the corner hole and start casting to the far edge when I get snagged on a branch.  I walk over to get unsnagged when on my way back across the creek I slip and catch myself on a rock with my rod hand.  When I get back to the side of the creek I notice I have broke the handle section of the rod.  I can see three big cracks running down the side.  No!!!!  I can't believe I have broken TWO rods in one day!  I take this as a sign and call it a day.

Rods:  Motsugo 9', Iwana 12'
Line:  10' Hi-Vis Level Line #3, Riggs Floating Line 12'
Flies that worked:  BWO, Black Beauty  

Another great day on Calf Creek, Utah

I start the day the same as the last and try a couple pools just down from the campsite. On the second bigger pool where I could see fish my good luck continued and caught a number of little brown trout.  Because I stayed at the same pool for a while I changed up between A Royal Wulff and a Parachute Adams when the fish got a little picky.

I move downstream and fish a couple more pools where I can see multiple fish.  As before I continue to catch a number of fish in each pool.  By this time I am trying a number of different patterns just to see what they will eat.  At one point I tie on a Amano Kebari and try my luck at a more traditional style of fishing.  To no surprise I catch a few fish while pulsating the pattern and I get a couple as soon as it hit the water.  Felt good to catch some fish subsurface but I am still a dry fly first guy.

I decide to walk up to the falls to finish the day off and cant believe how many fish are in the creek everywhere.  Even at the pool at the falls I spooked a couple 12+ inch fish as I walked up.  Maybe the most beautiful place I have ever fished.

A fantastic day of fishing and hiking in one of my favorite places!

Rod:  Iwana 12'
Line:  Riggs floating line 12'
Flies that worked:  Royal Wulff, Parachute adams, Amano Kebari,

A few Hours on Calf Creek, Utah

I drive down to Calf Creek and set up at the lower falls campground.  After getting settled I get the rod out and head to the creek.  I tie on a Royal Wulff size 18 and start casting to a little pool just down from the campsite.  I get a surface strike but it doesn't take it and then gets spooked out of the hole. I cast into the pool just upstream and have hooked my first brown of the day. 

I decide to walk downstream a little and find a nice big pool that I can see is loaded with fish.  Second cast out and I have landed another brown trout.  I fish this same pool and pull out another half dozen fish before moving on.

I work another couple pools pulling out another dozen brown trout before I decide to call it a day and head back to camp.  A fantastic few hours of fishing at the end of the day.

Rod:  Iwana 12'
Line:  Riggs Floating Line 12'
Fly that worked:  Royal Wulff

A day on the Fremont River, Utah

I got out early to try UM Creek first before I fished the Fremont to see if I could catch a Tiger Trout.  I try just below Forsyth Res. on a really nice section of water which I am sure holds fish.  I tie on a nymph rig with a zug bug on the bottom and start casting.  I hit a few spots with no luck when I finally get a bite but it comes off as quick as it bit it.  I fish for another hour or so with no action before I decide to quit and drive to the Fremont River.

I try the Fremont above Mill Valley Res. in a fairly flat and open area.  Still nymphing I start casting and moving upstream.  Having no luck I continue to switch up what I'm throwing when I finally hit the winner with a Copper John.  First cast and I have a nice size brown landed.  A couple more casts and I have my second fish of the day.  This continues until I loose the fly in a tree and find out I don't have another one.  I try the zug bug again and manage to pull out a couple more fish.  With more than a dozen fish caught I decide to call it a day after loosing half a dozen flies to the trees.

No Tiger Trout to be had for the day but still great to fish the Fremont River and UM Creek which I had to myself.

Rod:  Iwana 12'
Line:  12' Hi-Vis  Level Line # 3
Flies that worked:  Copper John(worked great) and Zug Bug

Left Hand Creek for the first time

Went up to Left Hand Creek today to try out some new water.  I started at Buckingham Park and worked my way upstream.  The day was mostly sunny but the wind was a little more than expected. I came across a  fellow tenkara angler who said he had no luck along with another angler who said the same.  I tie on a crippled adams and hit the creek.



I fish a few holes with no luck before I finally get a little brown to take the fly and land my first fish.  I continue upstream fishing a number of holes but only manage to spook a couple out of their hole.  As it gets steeper I decide to walk back downstream and fish just below the parking lot.  After a couple holes with no luck I finally hit a pool and get bite.  Another little brown hit it after a little twitch at just the right spot.  Next I see a little slack water with a undercut just above me and give a few casts along the edge.  I can't get close enough to the edge to get any action on the first few casts but finally get a drift right down the edge and under the undercut.  As soon as it goes by the undercut a little brown comes up and crushes the fly and I have landed my third fish of the day.

The wind picked up and I decided to call it a day after a few hours of fishing.  The creek was small with lots of overhang but still had a nice day in the foothills.

Rod:  Motsugo 9'
Line:  Hi-Vis Level Line 10' #3
Fly that worked:  Crippled Adams

Mid April on Bear Creek

Had  the afternoon off and headed up to Bear Creek around 1pm. It had snowed a couple days ago and finally started warming up.  Had an overcast and windy day, which worked out because I wanted to try out the new line I got from Riggs, the floating line made for the windy days.

I start at the normal spot and can't see any fish rising but try a olive midge pattern in the hopes a making one rise.  With no action on this pattern I try a few others with the same luck before I tie on a black beauty nymph below the Parachute Adams and second cast through I have a nice brown landed to start the day off right.  I move to the next hole up but see I spooked the fish and decide to move on.

Two more spots with no luck before number three proves to be the charm and I land another good size brown.  I keep moving upstream trying a couple more spots with no luck before moving back down below the bridge.

There always seems to be at least half a dozen fish are feeding below the bridge at any given time and this time was no exception.  I see a couple fish rising to the surface to feed and cast over them with hits on the nymph surprisingly. I manage to catch a tiny brown and a decent size brown before I decide to move downstream again.

I finish where I started but unfortunately with no fish to be had the second time around.  I call it a day after about 3 1/2 hours of fishing and a herd of deer siting.

Rod:  Iwana 12'
Line:  Riggs floating line 12'
Fly that worked:  Black Beauty Nymph