By same fly, I mean the same type of fly and the same physical fly. The low floating bug duped a pair of nice fish, but it also floated unmolested through some very attractive smooth pools. The flows, however, from the bottom of Gross Reservoir were cold and clear, and I was quite excited for another day on the small tailwater close to Denver. As my morning evolved, I spotted five yellow sallies, as they slowly glided skyward toward the streamside trees. This is a very popular area for birding, hiking, and mountain biking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. The air temperature was 66 degrees, when I departed, and according to Weather Underground the high never exceeded seventy degrees, although it felt warmer with bright sunshine and very few clouds for most of my time on the water. Today we had excellent offshore fishing for Yellowtail. Hopefully I can return to South Boulder Creek in the near future for a full day of fishing; while abundant quantities of mayflies, caddis and stoneflies feed the stream residents. I did, however, witness a pair of natural green drakes, so I knew they were still active, In fact I saw one flutter on the surface nearby, and then it was promptly slurped by an aggressive eater. He created DIY Fly Fishing to help you do the same. Stream flows below Gross Reservoir have been nice and high around 80 cfs allowing for good pools with lots of fish. Smaller midge and baetis imitations like a Tube Midge, Zebra Midge, Medallion Midge, Manhattan Midge, RS2, Darth Baetis or Stalcup's Baetis will make for great trailer flies. Gross Reservoir's South Boulder Creek Trail is mainly for fishing access. This fly generated a couple of takes, but it was refused five times for each time a fish consumed it. I was very anxious to pay a visit to the small tailwater northwest of Denver, but the water managers closed the taps to a trickle of 5 CFS for several weeks in October. The main attractions for fly fishing South Boulder Creek are brown trout, but there are plenty of rainbows and the occasional cutthroat and brook trout to be had here, too. The size of the trout that crushed the low floating parachute green drake was another fortuitous development, as brown trout and rainbow trout in the eleven to twelve inch range were fairly common. The gray stimulator and hippie stomper enabled me to increase the fish count by a few fish, but once again looks and refusals outnumbered takes. During those day I simply knotted a green drake pattern to my line and enjoyed the outstanding success. I had a blast tossing the large single dry fly with my new Sage rod to all the likely fish holding locations, and in many cases the trout responded by attacking the size 14 fly. I was a soggy piece of toast by the time I unlocked the tailgate. Three or four were rainbows, and the remainder were brown trout. Nevertheless I was pleased with a double digit day in November. Numerous long distance releases and refusals were part of the equation, and the landed fish were definitely on the small side with the largest possibly extending to eleven inches. Located in an area of year-round residences. On Wednesday, August 3, 2022 I found myself once again perched along South Boulder Creek, but in this case I was gripping a brand new Sage nine foot, four weight R8 rod. Thank you! Perhaps my parachute version was not presenting the fuzzy profile of fluttering wings? There is a very notable green drake and caddis emergence in late summer/early autumn. The wing portrayed more bulk, and the tail was apparently a significant keying characteristic, because the trout responded in a major way to the new parachute green drake. My license was in my backpack, and I had not yet pulled it on, so I removed it from the middle pocket and showed it to the Boulder County wildlife officer. I arrived at the kayak parking lot by 9:00AM, and a quick check revealed three additional vehicles in the lot. South Boulder Creek 08/03/2022 Photo Album. Hatch activity has been fairly consistent with midges making a regular appearance in the late morning and afternoon. In fact, I sensed that the perspiration had soaked through to my fishing shirt. I kept my word, but for some reason I abandoned the user friendly and tested a Harrop hair wing green drake size 14. During lower flows, the dry-dropper set up works the best. We were waiting for a visit from our new HVAC guy, and he suggested that he could stop by in the 8:00AM 10:30AM window on Friday. About South Boulder Creek Fly Fishing South Boulder Creek has to be one of the most scenic rivers within a half hour of downtown Boulder. The higher than ideal flows reduced the number of viable trout holding locations, and I was largely reduced to short drifts in bank side pockets, as I ignored the rapidly cascading flows in the middle of the creek. I was hot and weary and ready to call it a day. The 3,500 sq. But I am getting ahead of myself. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Boulder Creek Fishing Vest Mens 7XL Big Green Utility Multiple Pockets at the best online prices at eBay! Below Gross Reservoir, South Boulder Creek becomes a great tailwater flowing through the Walker Ranch open space. The South Boulder Creek headwaters and stretch of river above the Gross Reservoir has some solid fishing that may be a bit less pressured than other areas. What a day it was! I was concerned that the fish would gravitate to the large surface offerings and ignore the small ant, but this was not the case. My fingers are crossed. Could this be a hot menu item? There are a number of area fly shops and on-line retailers that publish South Boulder Creek fly fishing reports. Big Thompson. I discovered that early August, western green drakes, and South Boulder Creek do, in fact, go together like beer and pretzels. These two flies allowed the fish count to mushroom to double digits, but I was not convinced that I was optimizing my time on the usually productive creek. Favorable weather, manageable flows and lack of competition portended a fine day of fly fishing. Anglers should also be aware that walking along the train tracks is considered trespassing on Amtrak land, and passenger and freight trains pass by throughout the day. . The DWR graph eventually settled at 11.1 CFS and remained at that level Wednesday through Thursday. If you prefer to stay below the headwaters but above the reservoir for your excursion, get on Highway 72 West from 93 through Coal Creek Canyon until you get to Pinecliffe. Our recommendation is based on aspects about the weather conditions, moon phase & water conditions. Quite a few small caddis flitted about on branches along the bank, so I forsook my treasured ant and replaced it with a size 16 deer hair caddis on a one foot dropper off the hippie stomper. South Boulder Creek 08/18/2021 Photo Album. All the prime locations produced fish, and the browns and infrequent rainbows inhaled the impostor with confidence. The dry spell was temporarily broken, when a twelve inch rainbow snapped up the super nova, but this proved to be an aberration, and eventually I returned to a dry fly approach with a moodah poodah and a pheasant tail on a short eighteen inch dropper. I elected to use my Orvis Access four weight since the flows were lower, and the shorter lighter rod was less taxing on my casting arm. Its source is near Rogers Pass on the Continental Divide. All Rights Reserved. Of course, the largest fish on the day only extended the tape measure to twelve to thirteen inches, and I landed around eight in this dimension range. Jane and I had a dinner commitment at 6:30PM in south Denver, so that obligation also played into my decision to quit a bit earlier than usual. My hunch was correct, and one small brown trout launched toward the comparadun and met my net in a brief amount of time. The trout seemed to take a siesta, and this angler felt like doing the same. My streak of catching a fish in each month of the calendar year remained alive; however, December will certainly be a challenge for this fair weather angler. That's the closest . Were green drakes still hatching, and could the canyon tailwater deliver similar results on August 30, 2021? Game on. This period of inaction convinced me to convert to a dry/dropper approach, and I aligned my lineup with a tan pool toy hopper, pheasant tail nymph and hares ear nymph. Unfortunately the last fish before lunch severed the hackle on the user friendly, and I made a mental note to swap it for a fresh and undamaged fly after lunch. After lunch I shifted gears and removed the three fly set and opted for a peacock hippie stomper. Get directions to fishing access points and real-time stream flow data with theDIY Fly Fishing Map. South Boulder Creek has to be one of the most scenic rivers within a half hour of downtown Boulder. Or perhaps they were late, and I would not meet them on August 13. It possessed a white McFlylon wing and a clump of body-length moose mane tail fibers. Visit our DIY Guide to the Best Fly Fishing in Colorado. I now have two Sage rods out for repair, as I approach the meat of the summer and fall season. Read on. Well, the shift to nymphing paid modest dividends, as I landed three small brown trout on the salvation, before I paused for lunch at 11:45AM. Possession limits may apply. Once again moderate riffles and the tail of pockets and pools were the home to trout feeders. The Walker Ranch Loop is the best trail to access for lower half of the tailwater. The star of my fly fishing outing on September 10, 2021 on South Boulder Creek was the sunk ant. This one had maroon ribbing and tightly wound dubbing with a dense hackle and a tall wing post. Anyone interested in fishing Boulton Creek or waters within the wider area in Alberta, Canada should consult with local resources before heading out to fish. Eldorado Canyon (Eldo) V+: 27cfs-2cfs/hr : 01h01m : Boulder Creek [CO] 01. Between 11AM and noon I landed one spunky eleven inch rainbow trout that rose and smashed the hippie stomper in some riffles of moderate depth. It's only a 45-minute drive from Denver and is a dry fly fisher's paradise in the summer months. See More > Follow Us. The weather remained quite summerlike up until Wednesday, so it was worth a shot. In addition, I unfolded the earflaps on my hat, and these moves along with my lunch placed me in a tolerable level of comfort, while I continued my efforts to hook and land some South Boulder Creek trout. At 3PM I surrendered to the heat and completed the hike back to the parking lot including the steep ascent at the end. I fluttered casts to all the likely pools, pockets, riffles and runs; and more often than not the trout cooperated. Species you might catch. Elevation: 9,211 feet at East Portal TH; 11,300 feet at Heart Lake; 11,060 feet at Rogers Pass Lake; 11,900 feet at Rogers Pass As I reviewed flows on the DWR web site prior to my trips to Boulder Creek and the Cache la Poudre River, I noted that the water managers reduced the releases from Gross Reservoir to the 168 CFS range. There is no public access to fishing on the south side of the reservoir. I lost my favorite net, but I have a viable backup for future outings this week. I managed to add two brown trout to the fish count, but then I switched once again. A snowstorm swept into Colorado and brought single digit temperatures on October 25 and 26. Last Conditions Report for Barker Reservoir: 09.25.22 Barker Reservoir on FishExplorer has 118 historic conditions reports, 23 historic water temperature updates, 64 historic status updates, 70 historic water level updates, available to subscribers. In this instance I returned the parachute green drake to my fly box and replaced it with a size 14 user friendly. Remarks: It's a beauty and a beast. MLS # I photographed and released number nine, since it was my best brown trout of the day, and during this process the two dry flies twisted around the tip of my Sage fly rod. Four additional trout rested in my net including a pair of twelve inch brown trout, and they all savored the green drake comparadun. The net frame was cracked, but the bag was in excellent shape, so I decided I could salvage that part for future use. Fish are stocked annually by CPW at Gross Reservoir. I decided to go deep again and replaced the hippie stomper with a Chernobyl ant trailing a super nova. Far and away the typical landed brown trout was in the nine to eleven inch range. On September 10 I was forced to work harder than my previous outings. In a testimony to how durable my fly was, I landed twenty-two trout, before I deemed it too ragged to continue presenting. I passed two anglers in the upper section and a pair of hikers walking a dog. After the plunge pools of Eldorado, the creek mellows out upon entering the flats of Boulder and eventually joins Boulder Creek. I was not surprised to find a size 20 blue winged olive with perky upright wings, and this explained the scene in front of me. 07-29-2022 South Fork Reservoir Fishing Report The southwest shore between Coyote Cove, Jet Ski Beach, and Fisherman's Point remains at about 12 - 14 of solid ice. This combination accounted for a fish; but the warm air, bright sun and fruitless casting caused my confidence to wane. SOUTH PLATTE BASIN Fishing Report View Report. Once my yogurt cup was empty, I knotted a tan size 8 pool toy hopper to my line and then added a beadhead hares ear nymph and salvation nymph. A few random rises appeared, and I interpreted these as a sign to tie on a PMD comparadun. One small hurdle remained; however, before I could finalize my trip plans. Flow 57 cfs; Wind 28 mph; Air Temp 26 F; Low/High 18/29; Rating 3/5. This site, formerly known as Jumbo Mountain Picnic Ground, has interpretive signs about local history and new picnic tables. I grabbed the rod and executed a series of hand over hand movements, so that I could hold the rod in the middle and unravel the uncooperative dry flies. As mentioned earlier, I began probing the depths of the stream with a peacock hippie stomper, but gorgeous deep pools, that I was certain harbored trout, failed to deliver, so I paused to reload with a Jakes gulp beetle. South Boulder Creek 11/02/2020 Photo Album. Concern crept into my outlook. I added a size 14 prince nymph and below it a size 16 beadhead hares ear nymph, and this combination yielded three brown trout. The aquatic insect activity in this part of the creek is incredible, it sees hatches of Caddis, BWOs, PMDs, Midges and great Terrestrial fishing. Between 12:15PM and 2:00PM I benefitted from my layer rearrangement, and I was at my peak level of comfort for the day, although I was not basking in a glow of satisfying warmth. I lobbed ten casts with my hippie stomper and Adams, but they were totally ignored by the ravenous feeders. Weeds are starting to emerge. Feb 28, 2023 Updated 1 hr ago. FlyCast Lite reports are intended to give anglers a high level overview on seasonal conditions and general fishing tactics. This creek starts up in the Indian Peaks near the Moffat Tunnel and gains momentum on its journey towards the cool deep waters of Gross Reservoir. That being said, much of the river freezes over in the winter leaving fewer fishable locations. I pulled out another brand new paradrake, and it generated a few fish, but the interval between landed fish extended. South Boulder Creek Report - A Fisherman's Life South Boulder Creek Report With the arrival of warmer weather, South Boulder Creek has been fishing very well the past couple weeks. I replaced the prince with a salvation nymph with the hope that a pale morning dun nymph imitation might kick start some action, and similar to the prince, it generated a few small fish, but it did not seem to be a prevalent food source. Fridays success required adjustments, as the day progressed. The morning fishing experience was a huge deviation from two earlier days on South Boulder Creek, when green drakes enticed a trout to eat on nearly every cast. If you read my previous post on Pine Creek, you know that my attempt to return to South Boulder Creek for a fourth time this summer was thwarted, when the Denver Water powers reduced the outflows from Gross Reservoir on Wednesday from 95 CFS to 15 CFS. Conditions Report Conditions reports for this lake are available when logged in. Each green drake produced a few trout, but the South Boulder Creek cold water trout were not locked into green drakes with the same fervor that they displayed on my three prior trips. FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $50, SHOP Hours: Mon Fri 9 AM 6 PM | Sat 9 AM 5 PM | Sun 10 AM-4 PM. Check out our DIY Guide to the Best Fly Fishing Gear for recommendations. Most of the forty-two landed trout were in the seven to eleven inch range, but I also netted a thirteen inch rainbow and a few twelve inch brown trout. I was hopeful that this would seal in my body warmth and block the wind and cold and eventually rain. While flows in the spring, late summer and fall are fairly stable, this stretch is particularly prone to run-off from feeder creeks. Monday, August 30 developed into another solid day on South Boulder Creek. Get the latest up to the minute fishing weather for Boulder Creek to help you find your next big catch. On public land above the Gross Reservoir and for most of the tailwater, anglers need only follow standard Colorado Division of Wildlife fishing regulations. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. A tapered 9-foot leader, with tippet size 3X to 5X to match the flies you are throwing, is pretty standard. Captain Ryan Bostian called in with an audio update from the San Diego out of Seaforth Sportfishing in Mission Bay, CA. When I arrived at the Kayak Parking Lot only one vehicle was present, and while I prepared to fish another car arrived. Recall that my Wolf Moon landing net floated away from me on a recent visit to Clear Creek, so the fishing gods provided me with compensation. policies. Flows on August 18 remained at 102 CFS, and I took advantage. The air temperature was warmer on Wednesday compared to the previous Friday, and I was curious how that might affect the timing of the green drake hatch. Gun Shy to Jasper Creek (The . I began with terrestrials and then shifted to yellow sallies and eventually settled on green drakes and sunken ants. 0. This was a great thought, but the trout showed no interest in the hair wing. It originates in the Indian Peaks Wilderness and makes its way down to the Gross Reservoir. Flows are at a healthy level and trout are feeding opportunistically during peak heat hours. The pace of action improved, but I never regained the magic of the first twenty minutes. Weather, however, was the one negative, as high temperatures for Pinecliffe were projected to be 55 degrees, and rain was an increasing likelihood from 2:00PM on. Public Water Trips. Fishing pressure decreases as you travel further downstream. Wind from the South blows bait in their mouth.". I replaced the caddis with a size 18 light gray comparadun, and my fortunes suddenly looked promising. Large hatches of Baetis are common during this time of year on the middle section between the headwaters and the reservoir. South Platte: Waterton Canyon (Lite Report), Yampa River - Stagecoach Tailwater (Lite Report). So if you enjoy some peace and quiet as well as a short hike, South Boulder Creek is for you. There was only one way to find out. My fishing session ended after one hour and fifteen minutes and nine fish, and I felt I was on the verge of some outstanding action. South Boulder Creek is a tributary of Boulder Creek in central Colorado in the United States. Thursday was another adventure on heretofore never fished water in Colorado. A couple of the browns measured eleven inches and proved to be some of the best fish of the day. By 4:00PM I ran up against a natural breaking point, so I stripped in my flies and hooked them to the last rod guide above the grip. Apparently my imitation was close to what the resident trout were looking for, because the fish were sucking it in confidently. Detail reports are provided for all Stations. South Boulder Creek 08/12/2022 Photo Album. Website Design & Development by unleaded.digital, Weather @SOUTH PLATTE BASIN - Updated March 01, 2023 - 9:37pm by OpenWeather. I rigged my line with a buoyant tan pool toy hopper and added a prince nymph on a four foot dropper. I estimate that at least fifty fish were in a feeding frenzy. Subscribe to fly fishing's most informative email list and receive news, events and special offers! I suspect this may have been some sort of record for this long time angler. In the middle section of the creek I encountered three senior fishermen with backpacks, as they congregated along the path, and that was the extent of human presence on my inbound hike. I managed to release the trout without the benefit of a net, and then I tried to recollect, where I left the crucial fly fishing instrument. South Boulder Creek Fishing Report - Minturn Anglers Minturn: (970) 827-9500 Denver: (720) 851-4665 Home Guide Trips Vail Valley Trips Wade Trips Float Trips Overnight Float Cast & Taste Horseback Fly Fishing Corporate Trips Kid's Camp Winter Wade Trips Winter Float Trips Menu Wade Trips Float Trips Overnight Float Cast & Taste The wet long underwear and socks actually felt fairly comfortable given the warm air temperatures. South Boulder Creek is considered one of the most consistent fly-fishing opportunities in the Boulder-Denver area. What a move this turned out to be! Along the way, you will see some of the most beautiful mountain meadow and high altitude pasture land in all of the United States. I added a hippie stomper as my front fly and followed it with the parachute green drake, but once again I was greeted with no response from the fish.

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