I did not have time to experiment with fly changes, but I was very curious regarding the source of the surface eating feast, so I stretched my quick seine mesh over the mouth of my net and seined the water for a minute or two. Friday afternoon represented the type of fishing I thoroughly enjoy. On September 10 I was forced to work harder than my previous outings. Our Boulder Creek fishing report will give you an idea of what flies to use and general conditions you can expect. Middle Boulder Creek rises as two forks from the Continental Divide: the North Fork rises in a cirque below Mount Neva and flows 7.5 miles (12.1 km) to the South Fork. All but five of the trout consumed a green drake, and two of the five non-drake eaters fell for a size 14 gray stimulator, which is a close relative to a green drake imitation. A reduction of flows to the low one hundred range would also be welcome news. Imagine my excitement, when I checked the DWR graphs and learned that South Boulder Creek below Gross Reservoir was percolating along at 102 CFS. In a pinch the Loomis 8.5 foot five weight could also suffice in close quarters. Flows on August 18 remained at 102 CFS, and I took advantage. Eventually I adopted a double dry presentation with an olive stimulator behind the stomper. The size 12 foam terrestrial attracted attention in the early going, and I landed three nice brown trout, before the trout seemed to scorn my offering more frequently than they ingested it. The 3,500 sq. Two gobbled the hopper, and the hares ear and salvation produced one each. I regard 80 CFS as perfect, but 105 CFS is quite favorable. He created DIY Fly Fishing to help you do the same. Apparently my imitation was close to what the resident trout were looking for, because the fish were sucking it in confidently. Copyright 2023 DIY Fly Fishing, all rights reserved. Click on the sunk ant link to read more about my history with sunken ants, and you will also find the source of the pattern I choose to deploy. Friday was another hot day in Colorado, and the air temperature in South Boulder Creek Canyon probably peaked around 80 degrees. This was enough to spur this fisherman to dust off the fly rod. I was concerned that the fish would gravitate to the large surface offerings and ignore the small ant, but this was not the case. A wildlife paradise with reports of Deer, Elk, Bear, and Moose. Six cars besides mine occupied space in the parking lot, so I was concerned about competition and pressure, as I began the descent of the steep trail to the creek. It's only a 45-minute drive from Denver and is a dry fly fisher's paradise in the summer months. I lobbed ten casts with my hippie stomper and Adams, but they were totally ignored by the ravenous feeders. I plan to sort through my inventory of parachute green drakes to preferentially stock the moose mane versions. On my return hike I paused at a spectacular pool, and as I gazed across the deep, smooth water, I noticed that it was boiling with rises. That said, you can still manage to catch fish during this time. Finally, at 9AM Jane called to inform me that she received a text message from John HVAC, and he was under the weather and unable to fulfill the promised appointment. Finally I connected with a pair of trout, but the catch rate lagged and refusals to the hopper became a commonplace occurrence. 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. During the winter I tied some parachute green drakes with moose mane tails and poly wings. I knotted a size 14 parachute green drake to my line, and the fun escalated. I filed this for future reference and hiked back to the car. Flood mitigation studies have looked at several locations along the creek and through extensive public feedback and analysis, found the best location for flood detention was near US-36 on property owned by the University of Colorado-Boulder. Fish With Us. I will reserve further judgement, until I attempt to land a sixteen inch bruiser on the four weight outfit. I hiked to my chosen starting point and knotted a size 14 poly wing parachute green drake to my line. Big Thompson. Concern crept into my outlook. Stonefly and mayfly nymphs are also common. I recognized that I was at a high risk of overheating on my inbound hike, but I did not have a proper place to stow my light down coat. South; Carol South; Carol Sullivan; carolina moreno; Carpet; carpet care; carpet cleaning; Carrie Waeldin; . There is no road following the creek so if you are looking for some solitude this is the spot. This fly generated a couple of takes, but it was refused five times for each time a fish consumed it. The next twenty minutes were the highlight of my day, as five brown trout aggressively smacked the size 12 attractor. 12.14 acres, in 2 parcels, with Boulder creek frontage and borders USFS. With very little pressure, these fish are hungry, healthy, and at certain times of the year, they are stacked in this one-mile stretch of water. Possession limits may apply. Since the fish seemed to be looking toward the surface for their meals, I decided to make a switch, and I converted to a double dry with a peacock hippie stomper followed by a yellow size 14 stimulator. Game on. The catch rate slowed somewhat over the last hour, but how could the torrid pace continue? 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. I assembled my Sage four weight and made the steep descent to the creek which enabled me to begin casting by 10:30AM. Between 1:30PM and 3:00PM I was supremely confident in the green drake imitation. It flows east along the railroad tracks which run through the Moffat Tunnel (under A dirt road also follows most of the creek. Nestled amidst the foothills of the Colorado Front Range, South Boulder Creek offers some fantastic fishing for anglers who dont mind doing a little driving from point to point or doing a little hiking.The headwaters of South Boulder Creek form up west of Rollinsville, CO and from there follow the railroad tracks east all the way through Moffat Tunnel to the Gross Reservoir. Number seven was an eight inch rainbow, and hook removal required the use of my hemostats, and I severely damaged the fly during the process. Why does the parachute style work early and the comparadun late? I decided it was time to convert to a green drake. The blemishes to the parachute green drake did not bother the trout in the least, and I proceeded to land another fourteen, before the hook point finally broke off ending a string of thirty-six fish landed on one fly. The wet long underwear and socks actually felt fairly comfortable given the warm air temperatures. Beer is taboo while driving. In the early going I witnessed refusals to the hopper, but then my flies began to click, and I landed four trout within the first thirty minutes. 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. In this instance I returned the parachute green drake to my fly box and replaced it with a size 14 user friendly. Fishing is prohibited from sunset to sunrise. My new fly rod performed admirably, and I particularly liked the way it cast and the flex that allowed me to confidently control the larger fish. Below Gross Reservoir, South Boulder Creek becomes a great tailwater flowing through the Walker Ranch open space. Our recommendation is based on aspects about the weather conditions, moon phase & water conditions. Carol J. South Boulder Creek 08/13/2021 Photo Album. I was not pleased and uttered a few choice words about my bout of bad luck, and then I replaced the green drake with another similar version with a poly wing and long moose mane tail. Free up-to-date fly fishing reports for Colorado public waters. While you might not see much action on your stimulator dry fly, the entire set up will be more stealthy and spook fewer trout. I quickly assembled my Sage four weight and scrambled into my gear and made the hike to the tailwater creek. 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. I added a salvation nymph below the prince to gain depth, and the pale morning dun nymph began to click, as I raised the fish count to seven by the time I sat on a rock to consume my standard lunch. Hopefully the flows will remain near the current level or slightly lower, and I plan to take advantage with another trip or two next week. Far and away the typical landed brown trout was in the nine to eleven inch range. In general, a dry dropper or hopper dropper is our go to mode of fishing, regardless of the time of year. The dashboard registered sixty degrees, as I prepared to fish, so I wore my Under Armour long sleeve insulated shirt and a fleece hoodie, This created comfort during the morning and early afternoon, but eventually I concluded, that I was overdressed. 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. The aquatic insect activity in this part of the creek is incredible, it sees hatches of Caddis, BWOs, PMDs, Midges and great Terrestrial fishing. If you need a fishing licence you can purchase one directly from Boulder Creek Fishing License 24/7. During higher water, heavier nymph rigs or the tight-line approach will help get your bugs down. There is a designated fishing area that stretches for about a mile along the bottom of the canyon. This spooked me, because at the time of my decision on a fishing destination, the downward spiral on the graph was at 65 CFS, and I was uncertain how low it would go. Captain Ryan Bostian called in with an audio update from the San Diego out of Seaforth Sportfishing in Mission Bay, CA. Follow Gross Dam Road down towards the reservoir, when you see the park sign and map, turn right and head uphill, on your way up the South Boulder Trailhead will be on your right. Even though it was cooler than Denver, it was clearly going to be a warm day even in the shaded canyon tailwater. I kept my word, but for some reason I abandoned the user friendly and tested a Harrop hair wing green drake size 14. South Boulder Creek Trail (#900) Length: East Portal Trailhead (TH) to: Heart Lake - 4.2 miles; Rogers Pass - 4.6 miles. Perhaps my parachute version was not presenting the fuzzy profile of fluttering wings? South Boulder Creek We are proud to offer guided fly-fishing trips on South Boulder Creek. This is a very popular area for birding, hiking, and mountain biking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. What to know: The Kadets enter the Great 8 riding a 19-game winning streak, with all 19 of those victories coming by double digits, including a 61-48 win over Pueblo South. 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. Fish are stocked annually by CPW at Gross Reservoir. On warmer days, this tailwater can get crowded. Conditions Report Conditions reports for this lake are available when logged in. I am also leery of visiting a stream after a dramatic change in flows, as it takes some time for the stream residents to adjust to their modified environment. Handling and releasing trout without a net becomes proportionately more difficult, and I was not interested in harming South Boulder Creek trout. The turkey flat version duped one trout, and then a wave of refusals ensued. This is a must see! I considered other offerings in the early going, but I looked forward to fishing green drakes, so why not test the waters at the start? This was a great thought, but the trout showed no interest in the hair wing. The initial fly endured for ten trout, and then the hackle was severed by hungry teeth, and I switched to a size 14 green drake user friendly. I was dissatisfied with the dry/dropper results, so I decided to revert to a dry fly approach. Suddenly ice cold water ran down my legs and created a soggy foot bed for my woolen socks. If you live in Black Canyon City you're less than 10 miles from Boulder Creek. I made the trip to the Kayak Parking Lot below Gross Reservoir on Monday morning. I put together my Orvis Access four weight and began my descent of the steep trail to the South Boulder Creek canyon. It possessed a white McFlylon wing and a clump of body-length moose mane tail fibers. South Boulder Creek - 09/21/2022 Time: 10:00AM - 2:30PM Location: Below Gross Reservoir South Boulder Creek 09/21/2022 Photo Album Having finally recovered from an intense but enjoyable four days in the Flattops area, I once again set my sights on a day of fly fishing along the Front Range. The estimated cost is $3.26 million against the maximum grant level of $3 million with a 25% match, or $750,000 as well as $260,000 needed to complete the project. Looking for more places to fish? My confidence was low, and I was frustrated by my inability to generate interest in spite of casting to quality water with careful presentations. My fish count was already locked on thirty-four, and the most recent fish came from deep slots that bordered oxygenated water next to structure such as large boulders. For more information, see Colorado Fishing guide. 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. Explore full map. Three or four were rainbows, and the remainder were brown trout. Below the reservoir is the tailwater, which flows through the Walker Ranch Open Space. The hair wing paid immediate dividends on a nice bankside pocket, but then it faltered and did no justify the extra effort required to track it in the swirling currents. Could this be a hot menu item? This, in combination with warm weather most of this week, encouraged trout to spread out from their winter lies and into more opportunistic water. Read on. However, it is most known for its brown and rainbow trout. The stream itself contains massive eponymous boulders from which the creek derives its name, and each forms a deep pool around itself where crafty trout like to hide. I pulled out another brand new paradrake, and it generated a few fish, but the interval between landed fish extended. But I am getting ahead of myself. I rolled up the short sleeved undershirt and fishing shirt and stuffed them in the backpack in place of the raincoat and Under Armour. Thirteen fish was acceptable, but size was lacking, and the early afternoon was challenging. The net frame was cracked, but the bag was in excellent shape, so I decided I could salvage that part for future use. We take a number of different data points to make our fishing recommendation. 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. South Boulder Creek has to be one of the most scenic rivers within a half hour of downtown Boulder. Beware of the posted notices marking private property lines on South Boulder Creek, as the public access state land is directly adjacent to many ranches and other private properties. Access River Report Snowpack Depths South Platte Nearby Ski Areas Echo Mountain Park Never miss a powder day on the slopes . 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. Explore this 2.5-mile out-and-back trail near Boulder, Colorado. I caught myself with both hands, before I fell in, but a bit of water trickled over the lip of my wader bib. Flows are at a healthy level and trout are feeding opportunistically during peak heat hours. I landed a deeply colored brown trout at 3PM, and as I reached for my net, I realized that it was absent. I sensed I was on the verge of a stellar outing, as a few mayflies made an appearance above the creek, and a couple were likely green drakes. MLS # 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. 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. 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