Laughing Grizzly Guided Trips to Rocky Mountain National Park and other Western waters

Date/Reporter	Place	Comments
8/25/10 Dick Shinton	Yampa River	John Veno and I did the long drive over and back to Stagecoach on a spectacular day- not a cloud in a prototypical Colorado blue sky- so blue it just about breaks your heart to fish under it. I forgot my cap and paid for it with a bad facial sunburn and a very well-done scalp. But, on to the fishing: when we walked down the path to the river, we saw incredible numbers of rising BIG fish. We tried a variety of patterns, but a small Para Adams or PMD trailing a mercury bead head sparkle wing RS-2 (say that 10 times) did the trick. I hooked about eight fish during the hour and a half or so the fish were feeding on top. After that we nymphed our way up the river. John caught most of his fish on a Hare's Ear, while I stuck to the trusty Tabou Caddis and pink SJW, and we both had successful and satisfying days on the water. If you haven't fished this water, set aside a day (better yet, several days) and just do it.
8/23/10 Dick Shinton Mike Kruise	RMNP	Mike and I fished a secret stream off a little-used trail in a remote location. Let's just say it was only one notch below wonderful. We caught loads of brookies and various strains of cutts, some pushing 12", but most on the 6-8" range. Every fish took either a dry fly or the Tabou caddis emerger. Great sport, and nice to have some excellent dry fly fishing for a change.
8/18/10 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	Squaretop Lakes	We didn't get home from the Pan until after 9:00 pm the night before, so we delayed our departure 'til 6:00 am. After breakfast at the Cutthroat Cafe in Bailey, we arrived at the trailhead at the top of Guanella Pass at 11,669 ft at about 9:00 am. After a tough hike, we arrived at the upper lake at over 12,100 ft about 11:30. The weather was raw with gusts to about 40 mph, but at least there was no rain. The attraction at these lakes is 20"+ greenbacks. They are predictably hard to catch, but Joe landed a 14 incher and broke off another bigger fish. I only fished about an hour (I'm not much for lakes, even with big fish) and took lots of wildflower pictures. We were back at the car about 5:00 after the cruelest part of the hike- the last 1/4 mile is a steep uphill back to the parking lot. An interesting day...
8/17/10 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	Frying Pan	A cold, dreary day with lots of hard rain, very few of the advertised green drakes, and more than a little frustration. This was the toughest day either of us has experienced on the Pan. I caught 7, and Joe about 10, mostly on nymphs and SJWs, but a few on dries. At the end of the day on the flats below the dam, a few nice fish started rising, but they were put down by a rainstorm hard enough to make us seek refuge in the car with the heater on full blast. Worst part of the day was breaking my favorite rod on the first cast of the day.
8/9/10 Dick Shinton	RMNP	Fished an upper stretch of Glacier that I love because it doesn't get much pressure. I didn't get up there 'til about 3:00 and fished for about three hours, caught plenty of fish on dry flies only, and went home happy.
8/3/10 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	RMNP	We decided to fish a stretch of Glacier that is rarely fished- a stretch that takes about 15 minutes to hike down to. As we came close, my ears told me the river sounded awfully loud. My eyes confirmed what my ears were telling me- the river looked like a whitewater kayak course. We fooled around for a little while searching for little quiet patches, but finally gave it up and hiked out. We then went over to the Alluvial Fan to check it out- I'd heard that the high runoff this spring had changed the character of the stream (it did). We fished our way down to the confluence with Fall River. Then the rain started. The river rose about 10" and turned a lovely shade of tan in about 10 minutes. Sooo.... we decided to try the Moraine. On the way over we saw a badger, a first for both of us. We started catching some fish, including some pretty nice browns. Before long, down the river came an hour long shot of very brown water, followed by a half-hour of clear water, followed by another slug of nasty brown stuff... time to go home.
7/26/10 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	RMNP	We fished the upper Big T and Glacier with the usual great results. We both had the first grand slam of the season. We took friend Russell Leadingham to show him a little RMNP action- he usually fishes the Reef and the Mile in WY, so he had to learn how to make short little casts into litle bitty spots for smallish fish. Another great day in a local paradise.
7/19-20/10 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	Yampa/Stagecoach	Joe and I fished this beautiful stretch of river for two days. We caught many large fish, mostly rainbows, mostly 18-24". The best fly was the Tabou Caddis Emerger, but we also caught plenty of fish on the pink SJW, Hare's Ear, Barr Emerger, Zebra Midge and a few other patterns. We love going back to this wonderful water because it is not only physically beautiful, the fish are the brawniest, hardest fighting fish in Colorado.
7/15/10	RMNP	Ted Thompson and I were jonesing badly for some time on the upper Big T. We hiked a ways up from the trailhead, and soon were into some wild fish. We worked a stretch of nearly a mile, some of it more than once. It's still a little too high to just get in and wade up, so we had to go in and out on short stretches of trail to fish our favorite places. I was struck by how far down the river the greenbacks have moved in the past few years. I caught 5 or 6 of them on this stretch; in the past I would have been amazed to have caught even one. It's still dominated by browns and brookies, but adding greenbacks to the mix is a great sign that the cutts are healthy and competing well against their introduced (though wild) cousins. Fish took a wide mix of hoppers, beetles, ants, PMD and Red Quill patterns. Quite a few took the inevitable and ubiquitous pink SJW, as well as a few on the Tarheel. Mosquitos are out bigh time- be sure to apply some repellent (try the new sponge applicator Ultrathon- keeps the stuff off your fingers and, therefore, off your line).
7/13/10 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	Pella Crossing	As if we hadn't had enough on Glacier, we went to Pella late in the afternoon to try some warmwater fishing. I was mostly interested in catching panfish, and Mr. Johnson wanted to pursue big bass and catfish. We both got our wishes, though no cats joined the party. I caught a bunch of sassy, fat sunfish, and Joe caught bass up to 18".
7/13/10 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	RMNP	Joe and I went with Steve Schweitzer to get some pix for Steve's upcoming book. We were rewarded with some nice fish on various places on Glacier Creek, including rainbows, brookies and browns. The fish are fat, healthy and hungry. The flow is still kinda high, so be careful wading. Lots of fish took terrestrials, pink SJWs and mayfly and caddis dry patterns. Mosquitos and deer flies are horrible this year. Use repellent.
7/6/10	RMNP (mostly)	Wildflowers are out in profusion this year. I get almost as much pleasure from these little gems as I do the fish. Here's what I've seen so far this season: - Wild Iris - Wild Rose - Elephant Head - Pasque Flower - Columbine - Calypso Orchid (aka Fairyslipper) - Pink Pyrola - Pearly Everlasting - Pussytoes - Harebell - Chiming Bells - Shooting Star - Wallflower - Blue Violet - Blue Flax - Geyer Onion - Blue-Eyed Grass - False Asphodel - American Bistort - Sulphurflower - Yellow Stonecrop - Chickweed - Morning Glory - Marsh Marigold - Globeflower - Wild Strawberry - Shrubby Cinquefoil - Wild Geranium - Serviceberry - Sweet Vetch - Lupine - Tall One-sided Penstemon - Fireweed - Scarlet Gilia - Indian Paintbrush - Yellow Paintbrush - Gaillardia (Blanketflower) - Heartleaf Arnica - Monkshood Probably forgot some.
7/6/10	RMNP	I went to the Park specifically to check out the fishability of Glacier Creek. I fished five or six locations, and, while the water is still fairly high, it's very fishable. I purposely tried a variety of flies to see what was working. I caught fish on or had strikes on an LA Ant, Cupboard Ant, pink SJW, PMD, Elk Hair Caddis, a foam beetle and a few others i've forgotten. I also took a detour and fished Mills Creek in the Hallowell Park area- great fun fishing for little brookies (and a few browns) in tight quarters. I finished the day with a short stint on the Big T in Moraine Park. I saw few bugs- mostly PMDs and midges. I've heard reports of good caddis hatches and some Green Drakes here and there, but the major hatches are still to come.
7/6/10 Mike Kruise	My Thirty River Journey	I am half way there to My Thirty River/Lake Journey. I am hoping to get to the western slope a little more in the next few weeks. Rivers to come are the Roaring Fork, Crystal, and the Pan. Tight Lines, Mike
7/2-4/10 Mike Kruise Scott Bley Chad Goodson	San Juan River	We fished two days on the Juan. It proved to be stellar. We definitely got our big fish fix and the Chamois Leech was the king, as well as a WD40. The weather was great with the exception of a large thunder storm that dumped on us for an hour or so. We floated the first day and waded the second. If you are going to make the trip, I would recommend wading and possibly a half day guided trip. It will make the rest of your stay more enjoyable. Come by the shop and I will hook you up on what to use and where to go. Tight lines everyone, Mike
6/28/10 Mike Kruise Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	St Vrain River	Joe, Dick and I did the St Vrain today. We decided to make a day of this high country river. The first half of the day was on the upper north at Wild Basin. The three of us leap frogged each other up the river. I stepped off a couple of times to fish the beaver ponds- it gave me an opportunity to switch over to the rising fish. Rusty Spinner was all I needed on the still water, while Dick and Joe stuck some fish on the river. The second half of the day was on the Ceran St Vrain which also proved to be worthy. The magic for the day was, yes, you guessed it, the Pink San Juan Worm trailed behind a Stimi or a Gold Ribbed BH Hare's ear. I also caught several on a Rusty Spinner. The caddis, PMDs and mosquitos were out in force although not too many rising fish. As the dust settled the day was great, three friends enjoying the day. We saw some animals and caught some fish- it just doesn't get any better than this. Don't let the summer pass you by, get out and go. Tight Lines everyone Mike
6/25/10 Mike Kruise Scott Bley	Wild Basin	The flows are coing down; the water is gin clear and the fishing was on! This is the second time I have been up this week to the Basin. Please be careful wading- some places are swift but for the most part OK. we are guiding the Wild Basin as well, and now would be the perfect time to go. I was using Red Copper John, and a Victorias Secrect or Barney's Little Sister (pink San Juan)- sorry bad humor- also a Mosquito and a Rusty Spinner. The evening was excellent- fish are on the feed. If you need a doctor's note, or want us to call your spouse and tell them your stress is too high and you need a break, we would be happy to help out. Come by the shop and we will get you headed in the right direction. Tight Lines everyone, Mike
6/21/10 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	RMNP	Pretty much a ditto of the last Wednesday's trip. It was a beautiful day with plenty of fish and good companionship from my best buddy.
6/16/10 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	RMNP	We fished the Moraine Park area in the morning, and a section of Glacier Creek in the afternoon with great results. I caught a 16" brown in the Big T, while Joe pulled out about a 14" brown later in the day. Fishing is hot- we caught most of our fish on the pink SJW, but we also caught some on various attractor dries.
6/14/10 Dick Shinton	Beaver Run Trout Ranch	I did my annual volunteer counselor stint at the Colorado Trout Unlimited Youth Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp last week. We had seventeen Colorado kids and one from Maine this year. Sam Goldstein of Longmont attended; he was sponsored by the St Vrain Anglers chapter of Trout Unlimited. Campers had the opportunity to fish stocked ponds on the Beaver Run property and Cap K Ranch along the Frying Pan. Stream fishing was hard to come by, but we fished the inlet to Reudi Res and Reudi Creek, a small stream flowing into the east side of Reudi Res. The Camp is designed for kids 14-18, and in addition to fishing, provides campers with information on stream ecology, hydrology, entomology, fly tying and much more. If you know a child of this age, have them talk to me about attending next year- it's an activity they'll never forget.
6/2/10 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	Eleven Mile Canyon	Joe and I had only ever fished Eleven Mile Canyon in the winter, so we decided to run down and give it a try in what turned out to be shirtsleeve weather. We both caught some very nice fish in a lovely stretch of water a little below the dam. It was pretty windy, but we could tell BWOs were hatching as they showed up in Joe's seine, and the fish were occasionally sipping emergers just under the surface. The adults were probably being blown away as soon as they hatched, as we saw nary a one. Joe did entice one fish to take a small para Adams, but that was about it for dry fly action. Otherwise, we caught fish (mostly 'bows with a few cutts and browns in the mix) on PTs, Barr Emergers and olive or red midge patterns.
5/29-30/10 Mike Kruise Scott Bley	Yampa below Stagecoach	Mike and Scott returned to one of their favorite haunts with great success. Fishing success was found right off the bat with five or six fish caught in the first half hour on Chamois Leeches. There was excellent dry fly action (#22 Adams) during a BWO hatch in the afternoon. Fish were also caught on black midge larvae and the Frank's Flashy. It was a little crowded, but everybody had space to fish. DOW has blocked off a stretch of the river to protect spawning beds, so an already short river is even shorter. Plan on getting there early if you go.
5/24 Dick Shinton	RMNP	Another scouting trip for a guide party the next day. I started on the N St Vrain in the Wild Basin area. After fishing for about an hour, the wind came up and nearly knocked me over. I decided to go to Moraine Park, where I found total whiteout conditions with the wind blowing about 60 mph- snow going sideways. I drove down Hwy 34 to try the Big T. The wind had died somewhat, but fishing was still tough. I fished for a few hours and caught a few, but called it a day by 2:00 pm. I took my clients next day in lovely 60 degree weather back to Wild Basin and had a great day of fishing on a variety of nymphs trailing the inevitable pink SJW.
5/18/10 Dick Shinton	RMNP	This was a scouting trip for a guide trip the next day. I fished for a few minutes on Glacier Creek, but the water was high enought to make the fishing tough for a beginner, so I went back to Moraine Park. I fished the main stem of the Big T as well as the branch known as Cub Creek on the south side. Fishing was very good with the Flashy and the pink SJW. The day ended with a thunderstorm and just about the most intense hail storm I've ever been in. My client did well the next day.
5/3/10 Dick Shinton Mike Kruise Joe Johnson	Williams Fork	Mike, Joe and I decided to try the Williams Fork. It was the first time for Joe and me. Joe and Mike did pretty well with about a dozen fish each, predominantly rainbows. There was a little topwater action here and there during the day. I hooked and lost three or four fish, but took an 18" 'bow just up from the confluence of the WF with the Colorado. The water was a little low- I'd like to give this river a try at about 80 cfs or so instead of the 50 cfs we encountered.
4/29/10 Dick Shinton	St Vrain- Buttonrock	I took a friend from Chicago who only had a few hours to fish to our local St Vrain waters. We found a hole where we each each landed about 14-15 Hofer 'bows, missed a bunch of strikes and lost 6 or 8 more before landing them. Some of the Hofers are getting to be about 7-8" long already. They are strong fighters and very aggressive in taking a fly- dry or subsurface. The fishing up there has been good enough that we have taken three or four guide trips to the Vrain this spring. Judging by their success in the 'Pan, the St Vrain is going to be an awesome rainbow fishery in a year or so. There should be some 10-12" fish in the river by this fall. Thanks, DOW! BTW, Princes, Hotwire Princes and pink SJWs are a terrific combo right now.
4/26/10 Dick Shinton	Big T- Moraine Park	I fished the south side along the South Lateral Moraine, primarily a brookie stream, and caught plenty of them, as well as a number of browns. The ever-reliable pink SJW did the primary work, and a Frank's Flashy chimed in with a respectable number of fish as well. Saw the first Western Bluebirds of the season, a true sign of spring.
4/23-25/10 Mike Kruise Scott Bley	Bighorn	On Friday, fishing was good to great. The weather was rainy and windy, but it didn't seem to make a difference. On Saturday it was 70 degrees- a blue bird day, and the fishing was off the charts. The midge hatch had the fish boiling from 5:00pm til dark; the magic was a Skinny Nelson and a cream midge. The weekend was excellent.
4/19/10 Dick Shinton	Big T-Moraine Park	My first time in the Park this spring. Water level was great, about 20 cfs, and I caught a bunch of browns on my favorite springtime combo: a Frank's Flashy and a pink SJW. A couple of bows and a little brookie rounded out my catch.
4/13-14/10 Dick Shinton	Frying Pan	I can't stay away! Clif Carney and I went to the Pan. I had a guide trip on Tues morning, so I didn't arrive until 5:00pm Clif was nice enough to have a cup of chicken soup and a piece of fried chicken waiting for me, which I consumed on the drive up to mile 8 to start fishing. We fished about two hours and did well. Wednesday we fished the mile 12 area as well as the flats below the dam after lunch. The fishing wasn't as spectacular as my previous trip, but it was good by anybody's standards. We both caught several 'bows and browns in the 18" range on the flats on BWO emergers: the Yoosta-BE, my version of the Barr Emerger- it used be a Barr Emerger.
4/1/10 Dick Shinton	Frying Pan	Day 3: April Fool's Day brought serious snow- no foolin'. We got on the river about 9:00. At about 10:30, the snow had accumulated over an inch on the road, and visibility had dropped considerably. I could hardly see my indicator on the water from 20' away because it was snowing so hard. We decided to call it a day knowing that the trip home could be tricky. It was- by the time we got to Vail, the pass was closed, so we backtracked to Minturn and came home over Tennessee Pass through Leadville, which took about six hours. And the fishing? I landed an even dozen and lost another four or five in the hour and a half we fished. It would have been another good day, but leaving early was the prudent thing to do, even though we didn't really want to.
3/31/10 Dick Shinton	Fryingpan	Day 2: The weather was unsettled with showers in the forecast. They came, but only for a short while around lunchtime- otherwise it was dry, if a bit chilly and breezy. We did see some sun about 3:00 that restored some warmth to our old guy bones. I saved the best part for last. I had an honest Abe 60+ fish day. Ted had an outstanding day as well. The Pan is on fire. I fished a three-fly rig of a pink SJW, Frank's Flashy and red Takahashi midge nearly all day, with time out for an hour or so for some dry fly action- this time with an appropriately sized midge emerger trailing a mercury bead RS-2. All of the aforementioned sub-surface patterns caught fish in about equal quantities. I wonder what tomorrow will bring...
3/30/10 Dick Shinton	Frying Pan	Day 1: Ted Thompson and I fished the Pan with limited success. Each of us caught about a dozen fish, mostly on nymphs. There was a big time midge hatch midday, with fish rising everywhere. Ted capitalized pretty well, while I struggled- I concluded that I was using too small a fly- size 28. I had lots of takes but hooking them was a problem. As usual, the pink SJW, Frank's Flashy and various midges in red, black or cream were the most reliable producers.
3/24/10 Dick Shinton	Big T	Fished the canyon in the upper stretches and caught fish on a Prince, a golden stone nymph and the pink SJW. An absolutely beautiful day with the new-fallen snow framing the view up the river. No visible bugs, and no rising fish, so nymphing was the order of the day.
3/23/10 Dick Shinton	St Vrain	I fished the stretch below Buttonrock Dam, starting right by the parking area, where I caught four fish in quick succession, one of which was a hefty 12" sucker. The sucker fought at least as well as the trout. I'll agree they're ugly critters, but I remind myself that they are one of our native species, and they demand respect if for that fact alone. Put 'em back. I continued fishing my way up and caught some nice browns in the 10-12" range, and a little Hofer-cross cutbow. I took a nasty fall and got pretty wet- with the beginnings of the big Tuesday evening snow dump already under way, I decided to call it a day. BTW, most of the fish took that little pink thingy.
3/15/10 Dick Shinton Mike Kruise	Big T	Mike and I fished open water patches in the upper part of the canyon, and did well on orange eggs, pink SJWs, and small midge and BWO dries during a midday hatch. Nice to get out after this looooooooong winter.
2/15/10 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	11 Mile Canyon	Good Grief, it was cold! Joe and I ventured down to 11 Mile to see if we could bend the nice rainbows and cutts in this stretch of the South Platte to our will. We were pretty successful. I (Dick) sight nymphed most of the day and caught some very nice fish, including a 16-17" 'bow. A nice midge hatch commenced about 1:00; I tried my hand at dry fly fishing but to no avail: my eyes just can't pick up those fish, and their rises were just little surface dimples. Joe, on the other hand, with his younger eyes and reflexes, had no trouble seeing the fish and their evanescent riseforms, and he cleaned up to the tune of at least a dozen dry fly-caught fish. The cutts seemed to be the predominant risers, and Joe caught quite a few. This was a particularly good day for me as I haven't had much success at 11 Mile.
2/15/10 Mike Kruise Bryan Powell	Gray Reef	Even though the Reef is partially closed at the favorite Out House hole, it didn't seem to matter. The day started slow with a fish here and there, but right after lunch the light switch was flipped and several times Bryan and I had doubles on; the fish are big and strong. It was a good day on the water. The magic was a scud. I was using orange, Bryan was using a new version, the AP Scud, built by his son, Alex, and it worked very well. Bryan wouldn't share, but I did get a picture of it. Those of us not privy to Alex's work will just have to use an orange scud until we can masterfully duplicate Alex's Fly. Thanks, Alex. Those were a couple of big fish your Dad caught on your fly.... we'll take 10 dozen- can you have them by the weekend? TIGHT LINES EVERYONE now go fish!
1/18/10 Dick Shinton	Blue River	Redemption! No more blues on the Blue. We went to the Blue a few weeks ago, and I had broken my fishing glasses. I couldn't see fish, and it was only with Joe as my spotter that I was able to hook a couple. On top of that, back spasms led me to spend the afternoon sleeping in the car instead of fishing. Monday was a different story. Joe, Josh Rickard and Freddy and Alan Sease and I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and give this Gold Medal water another shot. The water is skinny, and the fish are spooky. You need to wade stealthily and make precise casts to individual fish. Indicators are of little use- you've got to watch for the fish to move for your fly and open its mouth and turn before setting the hook. Long story short- we all caught fish and had a great day of cameraderie. Alan Sease is a nice 12-year old that we met in the Park last summer with his non-fishing dad, Freddy. Alan is becoming a pretty good fisherman. While he didn't land a fish on Monday, he hooked one, and that's a big deal.
12/21/09 Mike Kruise	Gray Reef	Mike went with Bryan Powell and Bryan's father-in-law Terry Miller to the Reef. Haven't heard all the details other than Bryan caught a rainbow in the 10 lb class, and lots of other fish were caught as well.
12/21/09 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	Blue River	Joe, Ted Thompson, Mark Rayman and I fished the Blue on a near-perfect winter day- temps in the 40s and no wind. I caught a 4" rainbow, hooked and lost a couple others (some days there is no explanation other than that you suck), but everybody else had a heyday, especially Mark and Joe. They both had great dry fly results during the afternoon, in addition to lots of fish on nymphs.
12/1/09	Wolford Reservoir	John Veno and I went to Wolford Reservoir (6 mi west of Kremmling) for a day of Kokanee Salmon fishing. We fished the gravelly shore of the lake itself, not the stream above the lake where you would expect. The fish seemed more interested in each other (go figure!) than in our flies, but we both caught some nice males and females in their vivid orangey-red colors. We used small jig head flies dropped about 5 feet under a Thingamabobber. These fish were in an active spawning mode, chasing each other around, but it didn't appear that they had completed, or even started, their egg laying and fertilization ritual. It was a perfect Colorado day- about 45 degrees, blue skies and not a breath of wind.
11/23-24/09 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	Frying Pan	What a great trip! Monday was cold, windy and... did I say cold? We fished the middle part of the river for the most part, moving up higher later in the day. I had an all-thumbs period in the middle of the day, but I redeemed myself after I recovered my dexterity (I have an excuse: my left glove actually froze to my ring and little fingers- that's cold). Tuesday was even better. We each caught 40+ fish, including a 22" brown for Joe at the Bend Pool and a modest cutt for Dick on a dry fly at the gauging station. It wasn't the number of fish that made it such a special trip, though. It's the companionship and the beautiful surroundings and those lovely fish that live there. It's catching a fish on a fly you tied yourself and knowing that releasing it allows it to live on to be caught again, and to make more little fish along the way. Are we lucky or what?
11/2/09 Dick Shinton	Big T	Fished only a few hours and caught some very typical Big T rainbows and browns up to about 14". I used a Frank's Flashy as my point fly and a variety of midges or a SJW trailed behind it.
10/27/09 Dick Shinton	Big T	I fished several spots in the catch and release water in the upper end of the canyon. My day couldn't have been different than Mike's noted below. Despite a day-long overcast, I saw about five BWOs, though midges were hatching all day. I saw not a single rising fish, so I stuck to nymphing. I used various combinations of bead head attractors such as Princes, Pheasant Tails and Frank's Flashies, with other stuff trailing behind, including a Rainbow Warrior and a pink SJW. I think I caught at least one fish on every pattern I fished. While I didn't catch a lot of fish (15-16 in ~five hrs, and every one a rainbow), several of them were in the 13-14" range, very colorful, sleek and fat. The T grows very many, very healthy fish.
10/25/09 Mike Kruise	Big T	I went to the Olympus Dam; the day was cold and snowing off and on all morning. I started out nymphing, Pink San Juan and a Zebra Midge. I did really well on both flies. I hooked up a few. After lunch the river began to boil. The hatch was a midge- very small. I used a Colorado RS2; it was like magic. It was the fly. The fish boiled the surface for 2 + hours. I caught several more fish. Any time you can catch them looking up, take advantage of it. So go to the Big T and bring two rods if you can for that quick switch over. Tight Lines Mike Oh yeah- Stanley's Ice Off is a must.....
10/19-21/09 Dick Shinton	Frying Pan	Ted Thompson and I had three glorious days on the FP this week. The weather held, including mostly overcast days, so the BWO/PMD hatches were prolific. We got in 2-3 hours of dry fly action each day, catching fish to 18" on size 22 dries and emergers. The remainder of the days were spent nymphing- mostly trailing a small midge larva behind an attractor nymph. Best combo was a Frank's Flashy (#14-16) trailing a red or Black Mercury Zebra Midge, or a Rainbow Warrior. San Juan Worms were effective, though we did not fish them much other than a few slow periods. Best dries were #20-22 Parachute BWO, #22-24 BWO Sparkle Dun, and some nondescript BWO emerger (we didn't get the name, but we will- it was killer and we need to learn to tie it). This was probably the best fishing I've ever experienced on the Pan.
10/5/09 Dick Shinton	St Vrain-Button Rock	I fished from Longmont Res up the river. The day started with a 14" brown in the Res on a size 22 Griffith's Gnat- it's a pretty sure pattern when the fish are rising to bugs you can't actually see. The morning was slow, but BWOs started hatching around noon, and I caught a bunch of fish on a BWO/RS-II combo- both patterns were effective. Like I said below, it's nice having a quality fishery close to home.
10/3/09 Joe Johnson 9/26/09 Dick Shinton/Mike Kruise	St Vrain-Button Rock	Joe fished this stretch yesterday for a few hours and did well, including catching a few Hofer stockers. Last Sunday afternoon, Mike and Dick fished the same stretch with good results. Mike concentrated on Longmont Res and caught some nice browns, while Dick fished the river above the Res and caught Hofers, browns and brookies. The St Vrain is a nice fishery conveniently close to home.
9/21/09 Dick Shinton	RMNP	SNOW! Clif Carney and I braved the snow and fished the upper Big T. There were no hatches in view, but Clif fished a dry/dropper rig with a variety of patterns and caught fish on an Elk Hair Caddis and a hopper, but mostly on a Pheasant Tail. I nymphed most of the day and caught fish on a Tarheel Caddis and San Juan Worm. I did fish a dry/dropper combo for a short while but had no strikes on the Flying Flip Flop Ant. We didn't catch many fish- probably about a dozen apiece- but it was a beautiful day. The abrupt change in the weather with the cold front coming through probably had more to do with the slow fishing than the snow and lower temperature. Elk bugling within a few hundred feet, even up along the river, was a bonus that added to the day's magic.
9/18/09 Dick Shinton	RMNP	Another great day of mostly dry fly fishing leading to a Grand Slam. During the course of the day I used a Para Adams, Griffiths Gnat, Stuck in the Shuck Midge, PMD, LA Ant, Flying Flip Flop Ant, Tabou Caddis Emerger and the pink SJW. There was a prolific PMD hatch around 3:00pm, but the fish preferred the Flying Flip Flop to anything else. On top of my fishing success, it was one of those beautiful Colorado fall days that we all love so much.
9/15/09 Dick Shinton	RMNP	I took a friend from Chicago, John Crosson, up to the Park late in the afternoon. John had done a guide trip with me earlier this year that we had to end a little early because of darkness. I promised I'd take him out next time he was in town to make up for the short trip. When we got to the river about 4:00, it was very discolored-zero visibility into the water, and it was about 6-8" higher than the day before. There apperaed to have been a massive downpour in the headwaters. I took one look at the water and said to myself "No fish today, Myrtle." I had never seen the water in the Big T look so nasty. But, I put on my optimistic guide face and a hopper/dropper rig with a pink San Juan Worm on John's line, and he caught a nice brown in the first hole we fished. As the water cleared and started to drop, the fishing became terrific. We each caught a couple of dozen fish, including some very nice browns up to about 13." John also landed a very pretty 9-10" greenback, and the brookies cooperated, too. We fished until there was just enough light to find our way back on the trail to the car. Great fishing.
9/14/09 Dick Shinton	RMNP	Ted Thompson and I fished the Big T with great dry fly action. PMDs, BWOs and Caddis were hatching off and on all day. My best producer was a size 18 biot body PMD that I've been tying and using this summer. Most fish caught were brookies (mostly males in their showy spawning colors), some browns and a few greenbacks. Great fishing with a great friend.
9/12/09 Joe Johnson	East River	The East River joins the Taylor River near Almont to form the Gunnison. Joe convinced his mother to drive him over there Friday night for a Saturday of fishing capped by the long drive back on Saturday evening. It apparently was worth it as he landed approximately 50 kokanee salmon, and hooked and lost about 50 more. I (Dick) got a call at 9:30 Saturday night from Joe explaining that he wouldn't be in to work on Sunday because "those fish kicked my butt." Poor kid. We all feel sorry for him, don't we?
9/8-9/11/09 Dick Shinton	RMNP	I had three guide trips this week, and I took all my clients to the upper Big T as described below. Everybody, from total beginners to more experienced anglers, caught plenty of fish on a variety of patterns- primarily dry flies. As a guide, I love to see that spark of excitement in new anglers when they catch that first fish. It makes the work that goes into preparing for a guide trip worth it.
9/7/09 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	RMNP	Joe and I fished with Dan Kloster on the upper Big T. Lots of great dry fly action for brookies, greenbacks and a couple of rainbows. The weather was spectacular and the fish very cooperative. Dan used a CDC wing RS-II most of the day, while Dick fished a dry/dropper combination most of the day; Joe mixed it up as is his style, and we all caught lots of beatiful fish. The male brookies are in full spawing regalia and are little jewels.
9/5/09 Mike Kruise Mike DeMott	BIG T	We went to the Big Thompson. The fishing was good; we caught several 10-13 inchers. As soon as the weather started to move in the hatches came out. I was using a drowned Trico spinner and a Cupboard Ant, a test pattern in the store. It proved to fish very well. As I was fishing my Trico with my little 3wt I hooked into the biggest rainbow ever on the Thompson for me- at least 3 pounds, around 20". And me without my net. I managed to get the fish to my side but could not close the deal- a little disapointed at my "almost" fish. I went back to catching my 10 to 13 inchers, but my very next cast, wham, another big fish, again 18 to 20 inches on a Drowned Trico Spinner and WITHOUT MY NET. I actually touched this one before he got away! The evening was great- we caught several fish 8 to 13 inches and almost a twenty inch fat football. The moral of my story: you never know what you will catch- don't leave your net behind. I will be going back to the Thompson SOON- I want redemption! Tight Lines Every one, Mike
9/1-4/09	Snowmass Lake	This was primarily a backpacking trip with a non-fishing friend, but I did have an opportunity to fish a little each day. Caught one 14" cutt and several brookies up to about 12". We kept and ate several fish for dinner one evening- first time I've done that in many years. Have to admit they were tasty cooked over the open coals of a campfire on a chilly evening!
8/22/09 Joe Johnson	Loch Vale	Joe fished the Loch with great results between Noon and about 3:30. Best flies were terrestrial patterns like beetles for cutthroats up to 14" or so. The Loch is a great fishery and only about an hour and a half hike from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead.
8/19/09 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	S Fork of the Poudre	Today was Joe's last day of summer vacation, and we wanted to try something new. We consulted Todd Hosman's Fly Fishing Colorado's Front Range and chose the S Fork of the Cache la Poudre. Our choice was bolstered by a glowing recommendation from our mutual friend Howard just the week before at Mark and Barbara's wedding reception. We figured if it was important enough to talk about at a wedding, and if Todd H put it in his book, it must be good. We weren't disappointed. Fishing was great for browns up to 12-13" on, GET THIS, an Elk Hair Caddis trailing a Tabou Caddis Emerger. DRY FLY FISHING- amazing! Great day of fishing with my favorite fishing companion and all-around great kid.
8/18/09 Dick Shinton	Wild Basin	I'd been fishing a lot the past few weeks with friends (which I enjoy), and have had several guide trips, but I've been Jonesin' for some solo time. I had never fished the lower part of the Vrain through the willows in this area, so I set aside this day to go it alone. Six hours and who knows how much stream mileage later, I emerged from the willows a satisfied angler. The first few hundred yards of the river didn't produce much, but the further I went the better it got. During one hour somewhere in the middle of my day, I probably caught two dozen fish- the proverbial one-on-every-other-cast kind of fishing we all love. The end of the day provided the icing on the cake. I emerged from the river ready to hike back to my car, but something made me go for one more hole. Glad I did because that last hole yielded the only greenback of the day and made my grand slam. Way cool.
8/17/09 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	RMNP	Our friend Josh Rickard wanted to fish high on Glacier and do some seining for bugs, so we gladly escorted him. We caught an insane amount of fish- brookies, browns and 'bows. There was a little dry fly action, but that little pink thing did most of the work. I'm getting resigned to somewhat slower dry fly fishing this year. I'm just goin' with the flow and usin' what works.
8/16/09 Mike Kruise	Wild Basin	I went to Wild Basin today. It was a good day. Fish were caught and fun was had by all. The fish were taking the PINK LADY San Juan Worm. The flows are great and the fish are eager so get out and go.
8/13/09 Dick Shinton	RMNP/Big T	It's been a week of fishing with friends, and I capped it off with an afternoon and evening with Jim Anderson. Jim did a Saturday clinic for us last year on soft hackle and other Catskill-style flies. I got an education today on fishing wets that I'm eager to try. The fishing was good on mayfly patterns early, then caddis patterns down in the canyon as the evening progressed.
8/11/09 Dick Shinton	RMNP	Fished a different section of Glacier this evening with my friend Bob Bowman and did well on dries, especially a size 16 Red Quill. There was a tremendous hatch of these bugs just before dark starting about 7:30. I finally had to quit fishing when I lost my fly and couldn't see to tie another one on.
8/10/09 Dick Shinton	RMNP	I fished a section of Glacier with Joe and Ted Thompson. Lots of nice fish, primarily on dries. Lots of scrambling over rocks and trees and making casts to small quiet spots with eager brookies and rainbows.
8/06/09 Dick Shinton	Big T	I had a guide trip in the morning and decided to drive home on hwy 34 because of the paving delays on 36. Glad I did. I fished a couple of spots in the C+R section and landed about ten 12-14" rainbows and browns in not much more than an hour of fishing. Just like the day before, I couldn't get a strike on a dry, but the pink worm dredged them up from their bottom hangouts.
8/05/09 Dick Shinton	RMNP	Fished the Big T above the Cub Lake TH for about two hours. Couldn't get the darn fish to even look at a dry fly, so I put a pink SJW below an LA Ant and did pretty well.
8/4/09 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	Yampa and Rock Creek	We fished the Yampa in Steamboat right in front of the fly shop (Steamboat Anglers- great folks) for about two hours. Joe did well; Dick got skunked. Wish I had an excuse, but I don't. On the way home we fished Rock Creek on the Gore Pass highway for about four hours. Lots of fun catching lots of little brookies and a few nice browns. What a great day.
8/3/09 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	Yampa/ Stagecoach	Fishing was tougher than usual- fewer and smaller fish than on past trips. Nonetheless, it was a great day. We caught some very nice hard-fighting fish and were well rewarded for our efforts. In the evening it was back to a friend's house near Steamboat Lake for a cold one, burgers and a sunset hot tub.
7/30/09 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	Boulder Creek in Boulder	Downright cold day, but the fish didn't know the difference. We only fished for about 1-1/2 hours, but caught 8 or 9 nice little browns. Boulder Creek is an often overlooked close-to-home resource. We fished through Eben G. Fine Park, but the full length of the creek through town fishes quite well.
7/28/09 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	Wild Basin-RMNP	Despite the somewhat high water (still!), we managed to catch quite a few fish on various combinations of LA Ants, pink SJWs, Tabous, and Flip Flop Ants. The weather threatened all morning, so we left for home by 2:00 to try the South St Vrain on the way. We caught some pretty little browns there, too, before being caught in the inevitable downpour. We kept hoping the storm wouldn't last, but it just got worse so we reluctantly drove home.
7/23/09 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	RMNP	We fished the section of Glacier Creek above Alberta Falls this beautiful day. The lower part of this stretch is on a steep gradient, so you have to pick your spots and make accurate casts to small soft water areas. Higher up, the gradient eases, but then you have to fight the willows. Nonetheless, the fishing is a little easier up there: much of the stream can be waded between the banks. We caught lots of brookies and rainbows to 12" or so, plus a few greenbacks. Just another day in Paradise, as they say.
7/20/09 Dick Shinton	Derby Creek	Derby Creek is about 20 miles west of the crossroads of Burns off the Colorado River. Dan Kloster and I first heard of this creek at a TU meeting this spring and it piqued our interest. So, knowing very little about it, and not being sure about how to get there, we talked John Majerus and Erin and Kayla (Dan's kids) and Austin (John's boy) into an exploratory trip. Six hours and many miles of really terrible 4-wheel drive road (with two stream crossings) later, we arrived. The fish were beautiful- interestingly spotted silvery rainbows and colorful brookies inhabit this little stream. Most of the fish took an Elk Hair Caddis, Stimulator, LA Ant or Tabou Caddis Emerger. There are lots of beaver ponds on this 6-8' wide stream, and lots of willows to bushwhack through. And more mosquitos and deerflies than I have ever experienced in my entire life (try the Ultrathon repellent we sell- it really works). We left at 4:00 pm facing the same 6-hour drive home. The verdict- it's worth the trip if you are prepared to camp for a night or two to have the time to really explore this beautiful area.
7/15/09 Dick Shinton	RMNP	Fished the upper Big T today above the Fern Lake Trailhead. Flow is still pretty high, but, as usual, you'll find fish in all the slower spots. I started with a Para Adams and caught one small brookie on it, then switched to an LA Ant, but nothing on it. I trailed a Tabou Caddis Emerger behind both patterns, and that's what I caught all the rest of the fish on. Later in the day I decided to move to another location, and ran into a group of friends as I was walking back to my car. I joined them for a few hours in Moraine Park. For some reason, fishing there was very slow- no topwater action, and the only thing that seemed to work was the pink SJW, just barely- caught about 3 fish in two hours. It was extremely windy (gusting to about 40 mph), so it made fishing a little more difficult. Combined with the high temp, it just sucked the moisture out of us. Luckily, they had a cooler full of beer.
7/13/09 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	RMNP	Hiked up to the Roaring River for some greenback action and we were not disappointed. The males are still in their spawning colors and are quite a sight- just one more reason that Colorado is a beautiful place to live and fish. Best flies were an LA or Flip Flop Ant, which the fish took with abandon. After getting caught in a soak-you-to-the-skin storm on the way down, we decided to check out the Sprague Lake inlet ponds and had fun fooling the resident brookies on a variety of tiny (22-24) flies. Joe also managed to land a brown and a very rare (for these ponds) rainbow for his grand slam.
7/8-9/10/09 Dick Shinton	Yampa below Stagecoach Res	My friend Ted Thompson had never fished the Yampa and wanted a taste of it after hearing our recent stories. Read any of the reports about this river below and it holds true for this trip as well. Wednesday was great- we both caught lots of big fish and landed almost every one of them. Thursday was a different story- not nearly as many fish, and a lot more breakoffs. The breakoffs I can understand as probably being caused by a sore wrist and fatigue (ya gotta have some plausible excuse), but the fact that we hooked up so much less is a mystery to me. Nonetheless, and all in all, and for better or worse (let's see, what other cliches can I work in here?), it was a great trip.
7/2/09 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	RMNP	We started out fishing Glacier Creek. The stream was flowing like a white water kayak course, but we pulled fish out of every nook and cranny of quiet water on attractor dries and the pink SJW. Later in the day we went to the Horseshoe Park area to fish Fall River and the Roaring River in the Alluvial Fan- good luck for both of us as we both ended up with a grand slam for the day.
6/28/09 Dick Shinton Mike Kruise Scott Bley Michael DeMott John Majerus	Yampa River below Stagecoach Res	Our motley crew sucked it up for the long drive over and back to fish the Yampa. What an amazing fishery. These are the hardest fighting broad shouldered fish (mostly 'bows) that I (Dick) have ever caught, and the Yampa has quickly, after only two trips, become one of my favorite rivers in Colorado. We caught plenty of fish on a wide variety of fly patterns including the Chamois Leech, RK Emerger, various midge larva, PMD dries and emergers, RS-IIs and our shop favorite, the pink SJW. Wow!
6/24/09 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	RMNP	Joe and I fished the Big T in Moraine Park for the challenge of fishing it when it's out of its banks. We concentrated on the insides of bends, quiet water right along the banks, shelving riffles, back eddies and any other soft water we could find. The results were great; we caught plenty of fish throughout the day. Probably don't need to tell you what we used if you are a regular FishLog reader.
6/23/09 Dick Shinton	RMNP	For those of you who like wildflowers, now is the time to visit the park. In the past two weeks I have observed: - Heartleaf Arnica - Blue-eyed Grass - Wild Strawberry - Wild Clematis - Rocky Mountain Iris - Shooting Star - Red Elephanthead - Indian Paintbrush - Wallflower - Several varieties of Penstemon (blue and pink) - Blue Flax - Scarlet Gilia - Red Columbine - Pink Primrose - Wild Rose - Mountain Bluebell (aka Chiming Bells) - Pasque Flower - Monk's Hood - Wild Geranium - Yellow Parsley - Butter and Eggs - Golden Banner - Locoweed - Shrubby Cinquefoil - Yellow Stonecrop - Pussytoes - Pearly Everlasting, and I probably forgot some.
6/22/09 Dick Shinton Mike Kruise John Majerus	RMNP	Mike and I initiated John into the Brotherhood of the Pink Worm in Moraine Park yesterday. He resisted a little, but he stopped complaining once he started catching fish. All in all it was a beautiful day, and we caught lots of willing browns and brookies.
6/21/09 Joe Johnson	Taylor River	Joe fished the Taylor for a few hours on Sunday. This is what he caught- that's 31" of brown trout, folks.
6/16/08 Dick Shinton Joe Johnson	RMNP	Joe and I had fished together only once or twice this spring, so we wanted a day together before he went off for a family vacation on the Gunnison (poor kid!). Joe fished a Stimulator/San Juan Worm setup, and I stuck to my usual Frank's Flashy/San Juan Worm combo. Joe received not a single strike on the Stimmy, and there were no apparent hatches that I observed, and not a single rising fish. I would love to be dry fly fishing right now- I'm tired of nymphing- but ya gotta go with what works if ya wanna catch fish. End result was 40+ fish each in about 5 hours of fishing. Allow me a brief editorial foray. After being asked by other fly fishers what's working, and replying that the SJW was doing the job, I've been told "I can't go there.", "That's just like bait fishing." (actual quotes from Tuesday.) I am disappointed but not surprised at this attitude. My personal surveys show that our streams have an abundance of worms, both nematodes and annelids, as well as small leeches. A San Juan Worm is an excellent imitation of these natural trout foods, just like an Elk Hair Caddis is an excellent caddis adult imitation. Fish what you want, but I'm stickin" with the SJW until the caddis and PMDs start poppin'.
6/15/09 MikeKruise Dick Shinton Chad Goodson	Upper Big T	What was that Big Brown Thing over there? We will get to that in a minute. With a late start to the day we didn't leave the shop until 11:00; by 12:15 we were fishing. I started the day with a Griffiths Gnat, size 20. It was a little slow, water was high but clear. I hooked up after about twenty min, and Chad wasn't far behind; he found a nice little hole and pulled out three. There was a nice PMD hatch so pale yellow was a good color. I switched over to a size twenty PMD and hooked up three more. Dick was doing his usual San Juan Worm and Flashy and doing well. But the best part of the day was when I leap frogged around Dick to get onto the next stretch. I was walking down the trail and to my surprise I stumbled onto a black bear cub. It was a yearling cub, and he started screaming for Mom immediately and she answered even faster.The cub ran to Mom, and I pondered my situation. "Yeah, I'm in deep *%!@." With my heart racing a million miles an hour all I could do was look at how big she was and think to myself "I wonder how fast she can run." As it was, all she wanted was for me to leave; she had her cub by her side and I was no threat. She stood up to wave good bye. I took in a Kodak Moment and got the Hell Outa There. Moral of this story: walk loudly through the trees to let them know you are coming! All in all a fantastic day on the water, just a great day! Tight Lines Everyone, Mike
6/12/09 Dick Shinton	Basalt Area	I just returned from a week as a counsellor at the Colorado TU Youth Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp. Twenty participating teens learned about the importance of trout habitat preservation and restoration through a variety of activities including a hatchery tour, a visit to Reudi Dam, entomology and hydrology classes, snorkeling, electro-shocking and, of course, some fly tying and lots of fishing. CTU holds a competition for attendance at the camp each year- watch for announcement on the website and in our newsletter.