More Frying Pan River Fishing reports

Nice, after work I went out to Fly Fish the Frying Pan river. I fished pt’s and a red emerger midge dropper to no avail, with the ensuing darkness switched to the ubiquitous pink worm. Four casts later…… boom the hit. Thinking I must have butt hooked a decent fish as he is taking me upriver at a swift pace straining the tenuous 6x. hmm really far upstream into the rapids powerful sloping back coming out in the shallow spots, then the brief look……. yee haw big powerful bow. This one is worth bringing in. So imagine me in Dockers sweater and dress shoes slogging upstream through rapids trying for the better part of 15 minutes to land this beautiful specimen. Finally he tires and I manage to get him in, from the tip of my finger to my elbow in length and nice girth with beautiful coloration, and most importantly POW right in the kisser! One of the best non Taylor fish I have ever caught. Can’t wait for office run at lunch tomorrow.

Lunch the next day was fairly productive with about a 16" bow on copper midge emerger. But still somehow shockingly hungry!!! Imagine that.

Later an overcast blustery spring evening, the water is up and a little darker. Office run has its usual tree menace, as well as more than its share of rig problems. The trout however are rapacious devouring C.E.’s with a vengeance, two on in an hour, but one takes the opportunity to run me downstream into some sticks escaping unscathed by spitting the barbless hook after couple of good runs. The other, a bruiser of formidable size reminds me to check my knots before every session and escapes with $2.75 worth of facial piercings much to my (not to mention his) chagrin. Heading back to check the fax machine for Donnie deadbeat’s credit report I revel in the blessings of life!

Welcome to Colorado, frigid micro blizzard conditions gives way to sun and cold. Erie yellow spooky death light. Fishing is spotty with a definite increase in flows, and the water very cold. Fish spotted but the dreaded skunk on the day. I might have to go back out in these suckey conditions, I don’t know what hurts more me hands or I pride! The neighbor’s kids eye me suspiciously as I jump up and down from the cold, they don’t particularly care for my love of my new found hole. East coast bastard cold, god dammit!


One must take a day off here and there or even the funest activities can seem like work.
My fly and rig habit Is becoming large enough to fund food and medicine for the whole 1st grade at an elementary school in the third world. Good luck today however as the skunk snap is broken 2 good bows on a 14 gold ribbed hare’s ear fished wet and one on a cue. Did a little surgery on the last nice 18 in bow that fell for the ear, the jewelry seemed fairly fresh and was barbless with about 12in of 5x tailing. Does not make me feel so good about the few long distance releases of late. Hmm wedding crafts or fishing? What would any sane angler do with 1 hr left of daylight! Nice day little windy though.

After fishing the pan for the last week or so I moved downstream catching a couple through motel flats. Damn you forget how powerful the big water is. Working down to the main bridge a hook something… you forget the large effect that the heavy current has even on smaller fish. Spring is here and there is storm clouds of Baetis, not pesky or murderous like the bugs in Alaska but like soft malleable clouds of flying trout food. The other telltale sign of spring is the heavy bodied rocky mountain white fish that festoons my line somewhat like a grocery bag half full of water. Not fighting like a trout, but a load to bring in anyhow.

Success with something new prince nymph in size 14, also secret weapons the new highly touted super nymph seemed magic today. One fish jumped three feet in the air. More smaller browns today with one good rainbow. Tired and going home but one day closer to the 100 water days

Fished four rivers Friday, including Pan, Fork Crystal, and The Gunnison. Gunnison early sat. Was productive with streamers... North Platte specials (cone heads) big buggers copper and black. Hares ears and micro black midges were the order at the east portal below the roller dam. Cross below roller dam and hang on to your ass. Went for a nice refreshing Giardia chocked swim later in the day. Dude on the bank says “I’ve seen some other people swim there but you’re the only one I've seen made it!” I reply I was all state in high school, choking and spitting water. Partner JW falls over laughing. Sunday morning tied into monster bow fishing with Size 4 Space Invader on a sink tip on a downstream he spat me with two super spectacular upstream jumps. Jw is impressed and highly motivated. Hiking and wading is murderous, with dislocated knees and ankles a distinct possibility. Keep moving downstream on the far side to the up and over we go ‘up’ but not over as time and water are both tight and my knee is throbbing like mad. Good camping right before it gets ugly boating wise, before the up and over. If one had a jet boat or raft with motor it would go. Tried to go fish the north fork and the smith fork on the way home but neither had any water in them. North fork was silty tepid cesspool; smith fork had promise at Crawford but no water.

If you need lodging for fishing the Frying Pan River check with Kim at Frying Pan River Rentals 970-379-4559 or aspenbroker at gmail dot com she has a great place for rent or check it out at http://fryingpanriverrentals.info