FLYMPH FORUM

A few weeks ago I did fare dredging the bottom of the Gunnison River with a fly called a "Hot Butt PT". Then I had a blast the last 30 minutes of the trip swinging an Orange Muskrat. Tomorrow I plan on fishing a little lower (500 foot drop in elevation). A place called, Pleasure Park. Willowhead and Misa fished this stretch when they came through Western Colorado a while back. Pleasure Park is where the N. Fork of the Gunnison converges with the Gunnison as it exits the Black Canyon

Winter picture. The N. Fork is in the forground, and the Gunnison is coming in from the top of the pic.


You can hike up river on either side for about 4 miles. Most of the river looks like this. No trees and desert landscapes, with red canyon walls closing in on you the further you go up river. About 3 miles in the rock turns black, hence the name, "Black Canyon". This is a quarter mile into the canyon looking back at Pleasure Park.


I may have mentioned it before, but this is the stretch of river I cut my teeth on Soft Hackles. I wont bore you with the details of how I learned, but I will say that a Sylvester Nemes book (cant remember the name) explained to me why I had such good results, and allowed me to hone my skills with the Soft Hackles, and Flymphs.

Anyway,,,,, The success I had with the Hot Butt prompted me to tie a few more. I whipped out another half dozen and they were secure in my flybox when I remembered I hadnt shared the pattern with this forum. I'd say pardon the picture as the fly is for fishing, but,,,, I like everyone here, but I would rather impress my neighborhood fish.
Hot Butt PT
Hook - Mustad 9671 size 14
Thread - UTC70 Fl. Orange
Tail - 4 Pheasant Tail barbules
Butt- UTC70 Fl. Orange
Rib _ Copper Wire Xsmall
Abdomen - Pheasant tail
Thorax - Hares Ear slightly teased out
Collar - Dark Hen Furnace Hackle


Tomorrow I will fish upstream using this pattern, The Blue Dun Flymphs of Dougsdons, and the Beastie, also by Dougsdon. I will start at sunup and fish till about noon. The caddis are still making an appearance as the temps have been mild and getting up into the high 60's. This is a stretch of river that can produce alot of fish, and I am sure what I have to offer will tempt quite a few.
Warning: If you are a Flymph purist, read no further.



On the way back to my truck (down stream), I am going to strip size 4 Black Woolly Buggers!

That's a beautiful part of the world... A question for you: how challenging is the wading in the Black Canyon? I might still have enough in the tank to do some hike-in fishing in a couple of years, but my days of aggressive wading are already behind me.

Wayne - Handsome fly. I can't wait to hear the results of your field testing. One of these days I gotta send you some Fuzzle Buggers for just such an occasion. Looks like a beautiful section of water.

CreationBear wrote:That's a beautiful part of the world... A question for you: how challenging is the wading in the Black Canyon? I might still have enough in the tank to do some hike-in fishing in a couple of years, but my days of aggressive wading are already behind me.

CB, this is the last stretch of the Black Canyon. It is VERY easy to wade. Summer flows range between 2,000 cfs, and 500cfs after runoff. Most people think of the Gunnison in the Black Canyon as a Freestone, and it fishes like one, but it really is a tailwater. Being a tailwater the flows are dictated by Hydro electric, and irrigation demands. I forgot to mention you have 4 miles to fish, and this section has the highest fish population of the river.

The East Portal is a section in the middle of the Black Canyon. You can drive into it (paved road), but you only have a mile to fish and wading is out of the question unless the flows are at 300 cfs. The rest of the canyon, you have to float or be a billy goat to hike into. In my younger years I did hike in and out. BRUTAL!

A couple better pics,





and a better tyed fly.

Oh Creationbear??? You type like a much younger man!

(sarcastic humor)

You type like a much younger man!

Ha...what's the line from the Indiana Jones movie? It's not the years, it's the mileage.

At any rate, thanks for elaborating--the Black Canyon is just one of those semi-mythical places you daydream about...definitely on the "bucket list."

letumgo wrote:Wayne - Handsome fly. I can't wait to hear the results of your field testing. One of these days I gotta send you some Fuzzle Buggers for just such an occasion. Looks like a beautiful section of water.

Well, yeah! I know that being as handome as I really am, most wouldnt think of me as a "BUGGER" man.

DUBBN wrote:

letumgo wrote:Wayne - Handsome fly. I can't wait to hear the results of your field testing. One of these days I gotta send you some Fuzzle Buggers for just such an occasion. Looks like a beautiful section of water.

Well, yeah! I know that being as handome as I really am, most wouldnt think of me as a "BUGGER" man.

but I am

I looks at the last fly and my jaw dropped open ( ). In a word...PERFECTION! Wonderful proportions, and the head is perfect. Wow...