Winter Park small creek fishing - July 29, 2022

I have fished this creek once before - but apparently didn't go far enough up.  This time I did - jumped up past the previous pool I had been to.  Great idea - as every pool was prettier than the previous - there was just enough water flowing to make the fishing perfect.

Every pool held a big fish - big for a creek this small - the largest was about 11 inches and really fat.  Every bend pool held a fat brookie willing to crush the huge hopper - often they'd miss it the first cast, but it you waiting 30 seconds they'd be ready to hit it again and usually got it or decided to hit the dropper instead.  Once you caught the fish out of the hole it would be blown up and you'd have to move up to the next hole.  Really pretty water - in a spot that I'm sure everyone drives by.

Not a lot of small fish in this creek - but each hole held a big one.  Very pretty water - but be cautious - this is MOOSE country!!

Z's bike is back in "working" condition - which I'm sure is just a temporary state.  

Winter Park - small river fishing - July 28, 2022

 Fished a creek in WP while Z mountain biked Trestle again.  Water was way down - but still a little high.  Fish were tough to catch - they weren't slamming the Amys Ant very consistently - so I traded it for a huge hopper.  Which provoked a few more hilarious strikes - but not many hook ups.  Did land a few - all were on the dropper.  Colored up male brookies were very cool.

Had a close call on the river.  A moose came running down the bank - with only some bushed between us.  He/she didn't see me (couldn't hear me over the rushing water either), but I know he could sense something was close by.  He was maybe 15 feet away.  I started yelling to him to chill out - and he turned around and saw me - stood there for about 15 seconds staring at me - then ran off the opposite way.  Shook me a little as I haven't been that close to one in an area I couldn't run off and hide or get behind something.

On the way back to WP I saw a momma and a baby on the road - got a good pic of them as well.

Pumphouse - Colorado River - July 27, 2022

 I don't think I'm hotspotting anything that is closed after 12pm - but I camped overnight and fished the Colorado River at Pumphouse today.  No one else was respecting the Voluntary Closure of the Colorado as the first 9 rafts off were guides after 9am - no way they were making it to Radium in three hours (or maybe they were).

Very tough fishing - nothing until 8:30am and it was a dink.  At around 9 I had to return to the truck and tear off my waders and wet waded the rest of the day (until noon).

I did manage one nive rainbow about 15 inches and a nice brown at about 15 inches, both on ....a small orange egg.  That was my last resort - they were not hitting anything else.

I'm glad I got out - even if the fishing was slow.  Off to Granby and Grand Lake for vacation with the family.  

WP Fishing - again

I had another opportunity to fish today while Z was at Trestle.  The water is down a little bit and the fish were looking up a lot more.  Caught a couple on the big orange and black hopper with crazy legs - funny to see tiny fish attack a fly that doesn't even fit in their mouths.  Switched to a smaller black foam caddis - and that did well too.

I didn't kill it by any means - maybe 10-12 small fish.  Beautiful surroundings - peaceful listening to the water gurgle by all day.

I hit the hotdog place in WP and had the best burger ever - worth the craziness of the WP crowd on a holiday weekend.