Fly Fishing Colorado

As we headed up 285 by Morrison, the clouds hung on the foothills and mountains like a child holding its mother’s hand. Great I thought fishing in the rain most of the day. But by the time we had reached the Tomahawk Wildlife Area, sunscreened, insect repelled and geared up, the day had turned partly cloudy. The air temperture was in the mid sixties and pleasant. These are the general conditions that lasted all day.

The flow was 56 CFS, the water gin clear and the bugs were cooperating. A large part of the South Platte thru Tomahawk is excellent caddis water. Tan and Black caddis both hatch but spotten Tan is predominant. John Barr’s graphic caddis emerger tied Charlie Craven style or John’s orginal style both work well trailed behind a larger fly. A dropper graphic caddis under an Elk Hair Caddis dry fly can also work well.

My friend Michael set up with a #16 Elk Hair Brownish Caddis dry and a #16 Graphic Caddis emerger. I used my hand tied fluorocarbon nymph leader down to 3X with a #10 Pat’s Rubber Legs then dropped to 24 in of 5X with a #16 Graphic Caddis. These are the setups we used most of the day.

We started fishing the large pool south of the last bridge after the green gate. Michael was at the tail of the pool. He made two casts and had a fish on the dry fly. I moved to the head of the pool to drop casts in the fast run feeding the pool. After figuring out how to get mends that would feed the rig past the back swirl area, I got several dead drifts along the bank. The third drift hooked up with a nice 12 fiesty rainbow on the swing out. I got him into the net. This fish had been tagged. It was the first time I have ever caught a tagged fish.

We fished this pool for about an hour hooking up with about 20 fish between us. Then we moved to the area just downstream of the fence below the bridge. I cast into the run feeding this pool and immediately had a fish on but lost him. This run yielded 5 rainbows for me and some 4 for Michael. Then we moved upstream above the bridge. Michael fished a large run / pool just upstream from the bridge. I moved to a rock with a pool behind it. This pool gave up 5 fish and Michael hooked up with some 8 or 9 fish on the swing downstream from me.

Just before breaking for lunch, I downstream drifted my rig three or four times under the bridge. On the last drift a nice 15 in brown hit one of the flies hard and exploded up into the air. At the top of the jump, he rolled off but it was a nice fish. After lunch, we worked upstream for about a half mile from the bridge hooking fish about every where we tried.

By this time it was about 4 oclock and Michael wanted to go but I talked him into 30 more minutes for me on the west side of highway 9. In those 30 minutes, I hooked and landed 12 fish. Nine bows and 3 browns. After changing to a #18 Barr’s graphic caddis, the action was even better than on the #16. If you are heading to Tomahawk in the next couple of weeks, try a #18 or #20 graphic caddis and a #18 caddis dry fly.

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
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On July 3rd, L.J. from Artesia, NM ordered a Fishcreek Brightwater 7ft 6in 4wt fly rod from our site. Here is what L.J. has to say about the rod.

July 7th — I received the bright water rod this morning. Its a great looking & feeling rod. I ca’t wait to use it this weekend.

Here are some of the results from L.J’s favorite small stream near Artesia.

The new brightwater 4 wt. rod performed really well.  I didn’t catch any giants, but none-the-less a lot of solid fish!  Here are a few pictures. 

 The Brightwater series is on sale as long as we have inventory. I only have one 764 left and 2-954 rods left. Two each 4wt and 5 wt reels left.

Fish Creek is a T.L. Johnson company owned by Terry L. Johnson.

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
Everything you need for fly fishing
www.110flyfishingtips.com
www.troutadventures.com
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At the Denver Fly Fishing Show 2007, I purchased a Fish Creek Brightwater 7ft 6in 4pc Fly Rod from T.L. Johnson. This rod was specifically for fishing Bear Creek or other small streams. This season will be my third year with one of the finest small stream rods I have ever used.

This little 4wt has plenty of power to throw a heavy weighted 3 nymph rig. (At least two size 10 weighted flies and one non weighted fly plus a line weight if needed). Roll casts out to 25 to 30 feet are achievable. The same is true on river tension casts. I have gotten closer to 40 feet with some practice on a heavy nymph rig. Generally I fish unweighted nymphs with weight on the line but have been trying the weighted close line nymphing again this year.

The rod blanks are a visually appealing plum color and are constructed of proven IM6 technology.The action is a crisp medium-fast. As with all of T.L. Johnson’s rods I have cast, Terry builds in plenty of back bone into the rods. On grass cast tests, I got 62 feet consistently with this 4wt rod. With some practice, I think I could get 70 ft with it. The rod load started with about 20 feet of line out instead of the usual 30 feet most rods need. This quick loading is again a characteristic of T.L. Johnson designed rods.

The stripper guide is a 316 stainless hialoy ring with 7-316 stainless single foot guides plus the tip top. The brown rod windings are tight and the winding epoxy is cleanly applied with no footballing. The uplocking reel seat is aluminum with Cocobolo insert. The reel slide ring is generous enough to comfortably hold most reels. The single locking ring easily locks your reel securely in place. The cork grip is high quality cork in a western style with a cutout for the top reel foot. This is a rod that will offer years of service. The complete outfit is one of our best selling back packing outfits

Fish Creek Rods are guaranteed for the life of the original owner with a $40 return and handling fee. They come in an attractive green cordura rod tube with padded top. Rod and tube ship in a sealed plastic bag to keep your rod tube clean until you receive it.

Best of all, MSRP is only $149.00. Fish Creek Rods and Reels are on Sale until gone at 10% off. Order a fly rod and reel fly fishing outfit and receive a free premium fly line with 50 yards of 20# dacron backing and a free premium leader. (Only 2 – 9 ft 5wt 4pc rods left)

Shipping: Via USPS Domestic or International Priority Mail and Insured on all orders over $75. Signature confirmation on Domestic Orders.  Usually ships within 3 business days.  (FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING )

Remember this sale is only good thru 5/31/2010 

The Fish Creek Rod, Reel and Outfit on Sale is also available in a 9ft 5wt 4 pc rod with a 5wt reel and free premium line if you order the outfit.

DOMESTIC ORDERS ONLY - Free Shipping Fish Creek brightwater fly rods + Fish Creek Reels + Complete Outfits – - Outfits free line, backing and leader 7ft 6in 4wt 4pc – 764-4 $134.00 8ft 6in 5wt 4pc – 8654-4 $134.00 9ft 5wt 4pc – 905-4 $134.00 9ft 6wt 4pc – 906-4 $134.00 9ft 8wt 4pc – 908-4 $152.00 Fish Creek 3400 3/4 Reel $161.00 Fish Creek 5600 5/6 Reel $170.00 7ft 6in 764-4 complete outfit $295.00 9ft 5wt 905-4 Complete Outfit $304.00

INTERNATIONAL ORDERS ONLY – $45 Shipping and Handling added to order at checkout.  Fish Creek brightwater fly rods + Fish Creek Reels + Complete Outfits – Outfits free line, backing and leader 7ft 6in 4wt 4pc – 764-4 $134.00 8ft 6in 5wt 4pc – 8654-4 $134.00 9ft 5wt 4pc – 905-4 $134.00 9ft 6wt 4pc – 906-4 $134.00 9ft 8wt 4pc – 908-4 $152.00 Fish Creek 3400 3/4 Reel $161.00 Fish Creek 5600 5/6 Reel $170.00 7ft 6in 764-4 complete outfit $295.00 9ft 5wt 905-4 Complete Outfit $304.00

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
Everything you need for fly fishing
www.110flyfishingtips.com
www.troutadventures.com
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For the last nine years, the High Plains Drifters Fly Fishing Club has sponsored an annual Kid’s Day Fly Fishing event. During this event, kids from 6 thru 14 learn about fly fishing. The event begins at the Department of Wildlife Kassler Classroom in the old town of Waterton at the mouth of Waterton Canyon. Go south on Wadsworth or get off C470 at the Wadsworth exit to go south on Wadsworth. Continue to where the road splits and take the left turn just before the Lockheed-Martin entrance. Continue to where you can see the Green Top buildings. Park in the lot on the North side of the road. There will be signs and people to direct you. The Kassler Classroom is on the South side of the road.

For 2010 The Event will be June 19th and includes:

• Class is limited to 50 students age 6 thru 14. All students must be accompanied by a Parent or Guardian.
• Special Presentation by Guide Landon Mayer
• Fish Identification
• Stream Entomology display by the Butterfly Pavalion
• Learning How to Roll Cast
• Fly Tying Demonstration
• Fly Fishing Knots
• Fly Fishing Gear that is typically used
• Practice Roll Casting Session Outdoors
• Fishing in a nearby Private Lake.
• Free Lunch (The Important part for a kid)
• Cost is $15 per Participant and must be received at the address in the Kids Day 2010 PDF by May 16, 2010
• Download the 2010 Kids Day PDF (Right Click and Save Target As – Save to your Desktop)
• See the High Plains Drifters Website www.hpd-fff.org
• Enroll your child now and avoid the rush.
• Spend some quality time with your kids at the HPD Kids Day Fly Fishing Event 2010

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
Everything you need for fly fishing
The Stores at Fly Fishing Colorado
www.110flyfishingtips.com
www.troutadventures.com
Alaska Trout Fishing Information

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5/3/10 Monday

Conditions were about perfect for Colorado Fly Fishing today. The sky at 8:45 am was that Colorado Blue with a few high clouds. Temperature was 50 degrees with a forecast into the high 60s and not much wind at Evergreen, CO until 4 pm.

Water Flow on Bear Creek was 65 to 70 CFS which should mean the water was clearing from the 90+ CFS flows of last week. On the way up C-76 Canyon to Kitteridge, the Creek was looking pretty good. 

After reaching my parking lot, I geared up with my 9 ft 5 wt Orvis Clearwater II rod. There was an old leader on the reel and I was too lazy to change it out. My three nymph rig was a #14 beadhead prince top, a small Walt Mueller orange soft milking vinyl egg middle and a #18 black pheasant tail nymph bottom. The leader was 4X, 5X and 6X respectively for a total leader length of about 10 feet.

I fished the runs feeding into the Head Pool and the Head Pool for about 40 minutes without a strike. Then headed downstream to the Bar Pool where I saw my friend Tim. He and I shared the pool for an hour with Tim hooking one 12 inch fat little rainbow and missing several more fish. He was using a stimulator and a small barrs emerger on the dropper. Tim had taken 8 fish from a pool farther downstream. After Tim left, I fished the pool for another 30 minutes before heading to the Episcopal Church in Evergreen.

After lunch, I built a new leader based on what I had seen in a Czech Nymphing DVD but modified for small streams. One 5ft piece of 1X flurocarbon, a 3ft piece of 2X flurocarbon+a fly, an 18 inch piece of 4X flurocarbon off the hook bend + a fly and a 15 to 18 inch piece of flurocarbon + the tail fly. Flies used were a #14 Beadhead Prince, a small orange soft milking egg middle and an 18 black pheasant tail as a tail fly.

The advantages to this rig are it sinks fast because the flurocarbon is denser than water plus the beadhead and the egg on top of the rig. But is is like trying to cast a piece of cooked spaghetti. The river cast works ok with this setup or a lob cast. You are not going to go for distance but for accuracy. And in short line nymphing, most of the leader is off the water anyway.

I was working my way downstream from the Church parking lot east. In a small pool behind a rock, I started working the far seam. First cast with this rig, I hookedup with a small 8 inch rainbow but lost him. This rig definitely got to the bottom fast. Continuing on downstream, I hookedup with a few more small fish about 6 to 8 inches. But the fishing conditions were challanging with fast water seams only 10 to 18 inches deep in many places.

At the east end of the Church property, I started fishing a deep run and hooked several 8 and 10 inch browns on the bh prince nymph. (interesting they would eat a nymph on 2X tippet with flies tied to the hook bend and in pretty clear water). Working my way back toward the parking lot, I continued to hook up with an occasional fish. On the way, I lost my tail fly and replaced it with a #16 gray RS2 with a long white antron wing. (wing about abdomen length). I also picked up a couple of fish on this fly and on the egg along the way toward the parking lot.

Around the bend west of the Church are two bridges over the creek. Between the bridges are a deep pool with a nice tailout. I picked up a couple of small 6 inch browns out of the tailout on the prince. In the pool below the town bridge, I picked up several more 10 inch browns. Farther upstream, I hooked a scrappy 10 or 11 inch brown. Then hung my rig on a stick and I had to break off the bottom two flies. The wind had started to come up and temperature was dropping. Time to go home.

Summary:
Water Clarity clearing but slightly murky. Visibility to about 18 inches to 2 feet.

Almost all the bigger fish (those in the 10 inch class took the top fly in the 3 nymph rig. A #14 beadhead prince tied to 2X material. This was even with a piece of tippet and two more flies tied to the hook bend.)

My tests of the new nymphing leader set up were conclusive for me. For Czech or short line nymphing it should work well.

A total of 16 fish which made the day fun.

Excellent weather with lots of sun and only a few high clouds.

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
Everything you need for fly fishing
The Stores at Fly Fishing Colorado
www.110flyfishingtips.com
www.troutadventures.com
Alaska Trout Fishing Information

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