Rick
I was there a couple of weeks ago. Really didn't get a lot of fishing in - a hour or so a day. Wife was with me; she doesn't fish but she likes to hike. Soooo, OK - We're going to hike up to this lake and/or this stream. You bring a book for while I fish.
I think you've been there before so you know the story. Anywhere easily accessable gets hammered hard. In places like the Poudre and the Big Thompson, especialy the morainne thru the park, small drys and a whole lot of sneaky were what worked. Mostly browns, though a couple of brookies and rainbows on the poudre.
A little more work, but lots of fun was the Thompson alongside the Fern Lake Trail (I didn't have time/the wind to go all the way up to Fern Lake), or the St Vrain near Wild Basin. Work your way in to the stream and drop a big fluffy dry upstream into the pocket water. Lots of small brookies and browns.
A lot more work, but the biggest fish I found was dream lake, above bear lake. First cast was a 15 inch greenback cutthroat. Saw lots more but only hooked up with one more before the thunderheads chased us down from the mountain. Not spooky, but definately savvy. Tan EHC and adams worked. Try right where the inlet is. The outlet was packed with fish, but also a keep out sign. It was a steep climb, so be ready for it.
The point for my trip was to drop my son off at Colorado State in Ft Collins. So I guess I'll be up there a lot in the next few years. On our way out of town, we stopped at a fair, and bought a hiking guide for the Poudre Canyon. Too late for this trip, but I've since been through it and there are some interesting sounding hiking/fishing/overnight camping/big game sighting hikes up at the upper end of the Poudre. The tent goes with me next trip.
Oh, and it snowed twice while we were there.
Jack Austin
Richard Zieger wrote:
I am headed there this Friday.
Anyone have suggestions of flies working there right now?
Rick
