Wading the Roaring Fork
Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 8:30 pm
What an awesome day to be on the river. My buddy Bob and I took our rafts hoping to float, but it wasn’t to be. The lower river was chocolate milk, and the flows are not high enough to get the fish congregated. The upper river was clear enough, but the flows were not high enough to navigate the river with our rafts. So, we waded the upper river. We fished 5 locations between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM.
My arm hurts from catching fish. The down side about today was I could not get a large fish landed. I hooked quite a few in the 20 inch range, and a couple that would push 22, but I just could not get them landed. The largest fish brought to hand were quite a few 14 to 15 inch Bows and Browns. I would lose the larger trout anywhere from the hook set, to the last run they would make.
I fear the economy is having an effect on the tourism. Normally on a Saturday, with the temps hovering around 65 degrees F, the river would be not crowded, but not empty either. Today, for the most part it was empty.
The Peacock and Partridge size 12, and a size 14 Caddis Pupa were my big producers. My buddy, used the Peacock and Partridge with a Chartreuse rib and did very well with it. His other big producer was a size 18 Buckskin Nymph.
My Caddis Pupa is the same old technique of tie2fish’. I know I sound like a broken record, but dang that pattern works for me!
I don’t have any pics of it, but heres the recipe that worked today.
Hook- Dai-Riki 135 size 14
Thread – 8/0 Uni, Olive
Abdomen – Olive Midge Tubing with a Black Krystalflash core, wrapped over a base of Olive thread.
Thorax- Dark Brown Rabbit , or Black Rabbit fur
Collar – Dark Brown Hen Hackle
Heres a few pics of a few fish I caught, my buddy Bob, and one of the rivers I love here in Western Colorado.
Oh yeah. I did go 45 minutes without a strike. It was the longest stretch all day by double with NO action. It just so happens I had a Purple Soft Hackle on!
Stupid Purple Flies!
They should be outlawed!
My arm hurts from catching fish. The down side about today was I could not get a large fish landed. I hooked quite a few in the 20 inch range, and a couple that would push 22, but I just could not get them landed. The largest fish brought to hand were quite a few 14 to 15 inch Bows and Browns. I would lose the larger trout anywhere from the hook set, to the last run they would make.
I fear the economy is having an effect on the tourism. Normally on a Saturday, with the temps hovering around 65 degrees F, the river would be not crowded, but not empty either. Today, for the most part it was empty.
The Peacock and Partridge size 12, and a size 14 Caddis Pupa were my big producers. My buddy, used the Peacock and Partridge with a Chartreuse rib and did very well with it. His other big producer was a size 18 Buckskin Nymph.
My Caddis Pupa is the same old technique of tie2fish’. I know I sound like a broken record, but dang that pattern works for me!
I don’t have any pics of it, but heres the recipe that worked today.
Hook- Dai-Riki 135 size 14
Thread – 8/0 Uni, Olive
Abdomen – Olive Midge Tubing with a Black Krystalflash core, wrapped over a base of Olive thread.
Thorax- Dark Brown Rabbit , or Black Rabbit fur
Collar – Dark Brown Hen Hackle
Heres a few pics of a few fish I caught, my buddy Bob, and one of the rivers I love here in Western Colorado.
Oh yeah. I did go 45 minutes without a strike. It was the longest stretch all day by double with NO action. It just so happens I had a Purple Soft Hackle on!
Stupid Purple Flies!
They should be outlawed!
