Fishing Update - 7/26

Well, after a long period of waiting, the Eagle river is ON!  I have been running trips along the eagle for the last week with great results.  The flows have been dropping daily, and the clarity has remained nice.  The ticket at the moment is a dry-dropper rig.  On the upper stretches, a caddis dry with a small beadhead dropper is the ticket, while lower on the river a caddis or stimmy dry with a yellow sally nymph has been great.  Here are some pictures from trips along the Eagle lately showing it is in great shape!

Here are some pictures from other trips at some of our private property venues:

Pat's Rubber Legs

AKA Crane Fly Larva, Cat Poop, Girdle Bug, The Pickle and what I have personally nicknamed called the Fish Catching Machine.  

This fly has been quickly emerging as my favorite fly to fish on any river over the last couple of years.  The color variations, sizes, weight, and methods of fishing match up well with the myriad of nicknames this fly has. 

How to Fish It:  I normally fish this as a lead fly in a double nymph rig and will try different techniques which all have lead to strikes.  After a nice long drift, I let the flies swing behind me and make note when fish strike on the swing.  If the hookups are consistent enough on the swing, I change the method a bit by removing my strike indicator and keeping a tight line with the fly through the drift, pulling it slightly faster than the current.  I have also used Pat’s as a trailer fly for double streamer rigs with some good success.  

Favorite Colors/Sizes:  My favorite colors are the very basic black with gold or orange legs, the brown version with gold legs and both the tan/brown variegated and black/brown variegated versions.  These seem to match up well for many different stoneflies throughout their different stages and color schemes. 

 

For sizes, I typically have a good assortment ranging from size 6-12, with some smaller versions as well. 

Materials to Tie: This fly is incredibly easy to tie and should become one you are able to whip out quickly.  This way you can toy with color combos, amount of weight and sizes.  Try changing the color of the chenille, legs, and the size/weight and keep track of what is effective on your local rivers. Here is a link to a great tying tutorial as well as the list of materials:

 Pat's Rubber Leg Recipe

·     Tiemco Hooks 5262

·     Lead Wire

·     Black or Brown 8/0 thread

·     Super Floss or Flexi Floss – Legs/Antennae

·     Medium Chenille – Color of choice

The Running of the Eagle

So the year of insane runoff continues...

We continue to monitor the current CFS readings and watch for indicators that the water may be coming down, only to wake up the following morning to realize it is yet another day of high water.  Thankfully our shop has ample access to some private ranches with some spring ponds which are loaded with fish to keep our clients happy.  It is not the most glamorous fishing, but while others are sitting on the shore scratching their heads as they look into the frothy chocolate milk that is the Eagle, Roaring Fork, Colorado or Gore, we are thankful.  I have also been taking some of our members to the tailwater section we have below Lake Catamount in Steamboat.  Here, the Yampa is still big, but at least it is running clear.  The bug diversity here is always outstanding, and the fish are still very ready to take our flies. 

If you are not able to head out on a guided trip at this time to some private water, there are still plenty of fishing opportunities including tailwaters like the Yampa below Stagecoach, Fryingpan below Reudi, the Taylor, as well as high alpine lakes and streams.  I made it up last weekend to the Eagle Lake, above Sylvan Lake and found many nice wild brookies to entertain.  I encourage you to strap on the hiking boots and find a nice high alpine lake while we all wait for the water to come down. 

Here are a few pictures of some of the areas mentioned above:

Eagle River - Rodeo Rapid 

Eagle River - Trestle Bridge

Bow on the Frying Pan

Steve with a nice Yampa River Bow

Luke with the Lunker of the trip!