Frying Pan River
253cfs/below Ruedi Reservoir
Just as the major hatches fade on the freestones, the Frying Pan is just now kickin’ it into high gear. Fishing has been pretty amazing lately from a dry fly junkie standpoint. The hatches have dramatically picked up and numbers of rising fish can be found midday and in the evening hours. A mixed bag of BWOs, PMDs and caddis are the primary insects being found in fishable numbers. Green drakes are now fairly prolific along the middle and lower river with their numbers increasing weekly below the dam. We’re back to using light tippets of 5/6X for nymphing and 6/7X for dries. Evenings can often yield much less crowds, rusty spinner falls and plenty of sipping fish. Don’t be afraid to fish the pocket water at this time of year as the fish are less paranoid and more willing to feed.
The Frying Pan is world renowned for it hatches but it does have its issues. Colorado Parks & Wildlife has recently acknowledged what long time guides and anglers of the river have long known; there’s simply an overabundance of small brown trout in the river. We need your help. How? Anglers are very strongly encouraged to keep their daily limit of two brown trout under 14″ inches. In the near future, regulations are hopefully going to be updated with a significantly increased daily limit. In this day and age, where we taught generations the virtues of catch and release angling, is it possible to teach them the virtues of responsible harvest? I hope so.
From the Colorado Parks & Wildlife:
An extremely abundant fish in the Fryingpan and most often caught by anglers. Due to high densities in most the
river, harvest is encouraged for Browns ≤14” to relieve competition for resources and increase growth for other
trout. Harvest of Brown Trout under 14 inches is encouraged, because in many locations, like “Old Faithful”, where Brown Trout average less than 10 inches and 94% of the fish are under 14 inches.
Flies-
Dries: Hen Wing Drake, Drake Comparadun, Para. Drake, Flag Dun Pink, Sparkledun Pink, Melon Quill, CDC Rusty Spinner, Comparadun Adams, CDC Biot Comparadun, Mole Fly, Roy’s Special Emerger, Almost Dun, Wild Turkey Emerger, Para Quill BWO, Hackle Dun BWO, Foam Elk Hair Caddis (tan/brown), Egg Laying Caddis, Rubberleg Stimi (yellow)
Nymphs: Winged Drake Emerger, Poxyback Drake, Split Case PMD, Poxyback PMD, Halfback Emerger PMD, Barr Emerger PMD, Swiss Straw Everger, 2Bit Hooker, PTs Olive, Split Back BWO, Epoxyback Baetis, BTS Baetis, CDC RS2s, Mayhems, Foam Wing RS2, Foam Back Chocolate, Polywings, Medallion Midge, Bling Midge, Miracle Midge, Jiggy Mysis, Epoxy Mysis, BTS Mysis
Streamers: Bubble Guppy, Thin Mints, Sculpzillas, PSLs
