CO Trip

[jeffg]

Finally made it back to "the promised land" the past week. Was more of a family trip, but there was some fishing involved.
Started off hitting the Blue River in town for about 2 hours. The river was running at 820 CFS where as usually when we hit it, it maxes at 350. So needless the say, the Blue was more dangerous and harder to wade than typical. The fish were hugging the bank and you were casting up in the weeds for them. The worse part, I brought 3 boxes, but none of them were nymph boxes. So my bro and I stuck with the dries and found a few willing pods of fish that were interested in our parachute adams. Fun fishing, bit dangerous, but the Blue continues to be a destination river for me.

Next stream was Clear Creek running right beside I-70. This stream has been overlooked in the past by myself and others, but the last 2 trips have made me add this stream to a must hit. This year was a bit tougher with the run off still affecting the river. The fish were hugging the sides and as usual they tested ones instincts by taking your fly lightning fast. But we stuck with the dries, and a size 14 stimulator was the trick. I still think that some of the most beautiful browns I have caught in CO live in that creek.

Next off to Golden Gate State Park. Until this year, I have never even heard of this place, but now I have family that live within 15 min of the park, so it was a destination of choice for 2 hours in the evening of fishing. I will admit, I am not good at fishing ponds for rising trout, simply never really fished ponds for trout before in the past. ( last time was an embarassing few hours at Lilly Lake, but that is a story of the past). Anyways, these are stocked ponds with hold overs, and the fish took advantage of the perfect BWO weather to start rising to diminutive flies. Weapon of choice was the size 16 parachute and my bro landed 3 right off the bat. I struggled and missed a few on dries. I stole a micky finn and missed a couple, then finally felt weight on the end of the line. I then saw a flash, set the hook and my 4x parted... so my bro had a good night, and I was skunked.

Off to RMNP the next day for some touring and some fishing. When I fish CO , I am usually out in mid to end of July. So the snow pack was still in there and beautiful, but the streams were up. We hit my favorite river, the Fall, and immediatly were in to fish on hoppers and my bro throwing a stimulator. That is when the lightning rolled in with the thunder just rumbling and echoing off the peaks. So we rushed trying to fish what we could. For people familiar with the Alluvial Fan area, there used to be a "pond" there filled with Brookies and cutts. This year, that area is fenced off to keep elk and moose out and the pond is gone, and so are the fish. We hardly saw any fish up in the "pond" area, and ended up disappointed in the fishing. Fall has always been great to us, and running and gunning while keeping eyes on the skies was not as fun as we had hoped. I will be back on that river next year though for a re-match.

Final fishing was back at Golden Gate. This time by myself, and a few bait chuckers. The fish were rising again, this time I was successful in taking 3 , hooking 5 more and having a blast ( except for the bait fisherman casting at rising fish I was casting at.. oh well, what can ya do).
I also took some time to fish the stream that flows between the pond. It is about 2 feet wide at the widest, yet it holds 8-10inch browns and bows in it. Frustrating to fish due to the willows, but IF you can get a fly into the holes and not spook the fish, they were super agressive.
Cannot wait to go back and next time it is upper fraser, boulder creek, Fall river, Blue River, Clear Creek, CO if it is down and few CO and Greenback Cutt streams we have found in the past
Here are pictures of the peaks in RMNP,
http://s295.photobucket.com/albums/mm150/atlgillespie/CO%20trip%202008/?action=view&current=IMGP2803.jpg

Great wildflowers this time. http://s295.photobucket.com/albums/mm150/atlgillespie/CO%20trip%202008/?action=view&current=IMGP3038.jpg
http://s295.photobucket.com/albums/mm150/atlgillespie/CO%20trip%202008/?action=view&current=IMGP2757.jpg
http://s295.photobucket.com/albums/mm150/atlgillespie/CO%20trip%202008/?action=view&current=IMGP2935.jpg
http://s295.photobucket.com/albums/mm150/atlgillespie/CO%20trip%202008/?action=view&current=IMGP3141.jpg
http://s295.photobucket.com/albums/mm150/atlgillespie/CO%20trip%202008/?action=view&current=IMGP2936.jpg


Dr Strangetrout
http://s295.photobucket.com/albums/mm150/atlgillespie/CO%20trip%202008/?action=view&current=IMGP3200.jpg

[Musselwhite]

Thanks for the report from CO. I hope to make it out that way in the future. I have yet to target trout outside of the great state of GA - it's sad but true. Did you not take any pics of the streams or fish?

Musselwhite

[Windknot]

Thanks for sharing your trip, Jeff! The scenery is almost unbelieveable.

[Big JJ]

Man, I love RMNP. I can't believe the only time I was there I wasn't a fly fisherman yet.

Great report! Thanks for sharing.

[The Ole Man]

Thanks for the report and pics Jeff. I love that place. I've been to RMNP 5 times staying in Estes Park on the Fall River--but sadly, the last time was 1988.

[Ted]

Great report.

Clear Creek next to I-70 is an "unusual" option that can pay off. Out of trips made while living there and on visits to CO to fish, my wife still has fond memories of catching a pretty little brown right under the fill of the highway (with the wiz of traffic above us). Ten Mile is (was) another obvious but overlooked water to fish.

TH

[jeffg]

MW> Since it was family trip, while I was out fishing, my wife had the camera. And when I had the camera, I was up in the woods taking pictures of scenery or flowers, or elk etc.
I do wish I would have had a pic or 2 of the fish out of Clear Creek. Beautiful fish.. and the one greenback cutt I caught in the Fall had some very nice coloring.

Jack you need to get back out there.

I have to say one of the best parts of the trip was driving up the Fall River Road ( best touring road in any Natl Park that I have ever driven and a must do any time to RMNP) . Misty rain with half the sky black, the other half blue bird and clear... the smell of the freshly washed pine and the wet earth with the sun reflecting off the falling mist while looking across the canyon at a glacial water fall.... ah man.. simply beautiful. Can smell the pines still.......