Killing it at Bear Creek

Everyone decided to go to Bear Creek for the day but I started a little early and Paul started late after a bike ride.  Derron and Mark started a couple hours after me and finished a couple hours later than me.  The day was perfect as far as the weather was concerned and although there were a lot of people around, the creek was not that crowded.

I started the day off fishing with a new Unagi Universal Tenkara Rod which is a more heavy duty rod than my other one.  I tied on a Parachute Adams and started casting to a tiny little pool in the first access spot on the creek.  After two casts I think about moving on but tell myself to cast a couple more times, when on the third cast of the day I land a 8" Brown.  Could not have asked for a better start to the day!

Moving on to the next spot up stream I can see a fish feeding next to a tree and start casting to it.  After half an hour with no luck I decide to move on to the next spot, which is where we had good luck last time.  I switch to a Pale Morning Dun and try an area where I can see fish feeding.  After fifteen minutes or so I finally land another 8" Brown just in time for the family walking up to the stream to see.  Mark and Derron show up a few minutes later and start fishing the hole while I move up stream.

Over the next couple of hours I try about eight different spots catching fish in five different spots.  I was still throwing a PMD and when I caught a fish I moved on to the next spot.  All five fish were between 7" and 10" and all were brown trout.  I walked as far as the first bridge and then then walked back to find Mark and Derron still fishing at the same hole I left them at.  In the same time I caught five they caught eleven between them with Derron catching a 13" Brown on a PMD I gave him.

We decide to try down stream where we find Paul who has caught a couple fish already and try out some new areas.  I try about four different spots with no luck before I call it a day and head home with seven for the day.  Derron and Mark walk past the second bridge and find a beaver pond where they can see fish feeding and the trees have cleared out to open up a little space for easy casting.  They finish off their day by catching a few more fish each and call it a day themselves.

One of my best days of fishing so far and one of my favorite!

Clear Creek once a week

So there is this spot on Clear Creek just outside Idaho Springs that seems to guarantee a few catches every time I go there.  I went the past two Friday's by myself and had what are to date, my best two days of fishing, as far as number of fish caught goes. 

The first Friday I get out about noon and head up to the spot.  As before I could see fish in the river and feeding on the surface, which is always a good sign.  I start out with a BWO and not ten casts in I get a bite, my first fish of the day.  It's just a little 7" Brown, but a fish is a fish, and I release it and get back to it.  By now the BWO I am using has no wings and is basically just a green body with an indicator, but that didn't matter because I ended up catching six more with it.  My biggest fish of the day was number three, a 12" Rainbow that was fat, with the other five ranging from 8" to 11" Brown's.  All seven fish were caught in about two and half hours and then couldn't get another fish the rest of the day.

Friday number two I get out about 9:00am and head up to the spot.  After two days of rain the sky has broken open to a glorious day with almost no wind.  Of coarse after two days of rain the water was high and the creek flowing much faster.  As I walked up I couldn't see any fish or any activity in the water, not a good sign for dry flies.  I start the day off with the same BWO as before, but this time with no luck.  After an hour or so and trying a few different spots with no luck I decided to try a diffeerent spot down stream in the canyon.

I try a spot by tunnel 6 where the creek goes away from the road.  By this time it's 10:00am and warming up but I still don't see any activity in the water.  There are a bunch of nice pools along this stretch that should be holding fish but I don't see anything feeding on the surface.  I spend about an hour along this stretch with no luck but am enjoying being in the mountains and fishing, I mean casting, and decided to head back to the spot.

Walking up I can see fish feeding and am ready to go.  By this time I am throwing a Pale Morning Dun and can see a few fish in the water to cast to.  Second cast in and I hook a fish, but as I am bringing it to the shallows it snaps the tippet and the fish is gone with my fly.  I tie on another PMD and same thing as before.  Third fish hooked and it doesn't break my tippet but does manage to wiggle off the hook right as I try to net it.

The fish are still feeding and I finally get my system for netting them down so I stop losing fish.  Over the next two hours I catch seven fish, with the biggest being a 11" Brown.  The bugs stop flying around and the activity on the surface stops and the fish are not taking the PMD anymore, so I try a few other flies.  With no luck to be had I decide to call it a day with seven in the book. Another fun day on Clear Creek!

I just got a new point and shoot camera that lets me take underwater video.  These are my first attempts:

My Best Day So Far

Went up to Clear Creek with Derron for a half day of fishing. We decided to go to the spot in Idaho Springs to start things off. As before you could see fish in the water as we walked up and knew once again we had chosen wisely.

I start fishing the good spot and Derron heads a little farther down. I begin fishing with a Light Cahill but end up getting it snagged and losing it. Pale Morning Dun size 16 and a Light Cahill size 20 are my next choices for flies(same setup I had the previous time). Not five casts into it I see the fish come up and grab the Pale Morning Dun. I set the hook and catch my first fish of the day, a little 7" brookie. With the fish released I start casting again and same thing, fish on. That made two fish in about a half hour of fishing.

I go see how Derron is doing downstream, only to find out he has had no luck. I take a little break and watch Derron fish, still no luck. Derron decides to move up to where I was, while I try a few spots down stream. I end up having no luck either and move back up stream to find out Derron has caught 2 fish, so the story goes?

I start fishing in the same area as before and not to long after, catch my third fish of the day. All have been Brook Trout and 8" or smaller, but still as many fish in one day as I have had. The Pale Morning Dun is killing it!

We decide to go to the first tunnel and give it a go for the last hour of the day. As we walk up we see a couple of fisherman who said the fish are active but not taking what they had. We fish the first calm section and work our way up. After about 20 minutes and a few misses I finally get a fish on. Once again its a small 8" Brook Trout, but it has officially made this my best day fishing so far! I move a little farther up stream and catch one more, you guessed it a 8" Brook Trout. Number five for the day and catching fish in three different spots, so pleased with myself.

I Fish for another 10 minutes with no luck and go see how Derron is doing. He has had no luck and we are both ready to call it quits for the day.

Did I mention, I CAUGHT FIVE FISH!!!!!