The Monster Bows of Memorial Day

Fresh outta college and bumming around his homewaters, Woody stuck this behemoth Frying Pan River Rainbow on 5-27-10.

The Frying Pan River and it's world famous rainbow trout that grow to epically large proportions, are being seen and hooked in solid numbers. For the past three days now at least one massive rainbow has been landed daily along the upper river near the dam at Ruedi Reservoir. This includes two, 29" inch fish and one, 28" inch fish. Your shot at landing that "fish-of-a-lifetime" is now! This never lasts long and the timing and weather are perfect. Props to Jason, Kristen, and Woody for their stellar catches. Feels like the days-of-old on the Frying Pan anymore....we're lovin' it! For the past few years now, record setting snow packs have been making this holiday weekend more challenging for anglers as water flows of 250-500 plus cfs were common.

After a normal snow pack this past winter (09'-10'), water flows are expected to remain near 110 - 150cfs nearly through the month of June. These lower flows make fish wary, especially the big boys and girls. Sight fishing is critical to being successful up here; a keen eye will definitely give you significantly more shots at fish. Light fluorocarbon tippets of 6x and 7x are always recommended. Look for fish to key in on midges early in the day, while midday offers up the best baetis fishing. Attractor patterns like mysis shrimp and eggs are also fishing well.

Hot flies: TC Hippie Mysis 16-18, TC South-of-the-Border Mysis 16-18, BTS Mysis, TC Flashtail Mini Eggs 14-18, Pandemic Baetis 20-22, TC Black Poxyback Baetis 20-22, TC S.T.D. Baetis 18-20, Barr Emerger BWO 20-22, TC Boogers 18-20, Flag Dun Black/Olive 20-22, Roy-Boy's 18-20, HOH Spent Midge 22, TC Bills Midge 20-24, P-Tails 18-22, RS-2's 20-22.

-Poke your head in the shop and we'll get you dialed in on the best flies. Remember, TC Fly Shop has more custom/local flies for the Frying Pan and the Roaring Fork Valley than all other fly shops combined. Our staff of contract fly tiers have originated many of your favorite patterns and continue to push the envelope with new, trick flies yearly. Stop by the shop and find your new and old favorite fly patterns!


When you stick that pig, remember to fully revive the fish the fish prior to releasing it. That same fish has probably been caught by anglers before you and hopefully after you.

To our troops and vets, we thank you for your service. It's because of you that we can earn a living as fly-fishers. Kirk Webb and the crew at Taylor Creek.

"I Can't See Outta My Windshield!"

Top photo courtesy of Sean Hudson, others courtesy of Kirk Webb

The annual Mothers Day Caddis hatch is here! Currently, this massive wave of bugs are being seen from Rifle all the up to El Jebel. Water visibility is superb on the Roaring Fork (even below the Crystal River) with the Colorado River having about 18" inches to 30" inches of viz just depending on the day. Even if the rivers have 6" inches of visibility the fish won't have any trouble looking up to eat your dry simply due to the huge masses of insects hatching.

The Goods-

Look for the hatch to begin around 11:30 to noon and last till 3 or 4pm. After mating, egg laying caddis return to the river in the last hour of light which provides equally exciting dry fly fishing opportunities. The best hatches will take place on the hottest days. Timing these heat waves can be a bit tough. If it's too hot for a long string of days the river (especially below the confluence of the Crystal River) has the potential to blow out and become too muddy to be fishable. When this happens the river above the Crystal can have as much as two feet or more of water visibility than the lower river. The current weather forecast looks ideal for this next week...-fyi-....cool overnight temps and warm daily highs.

The Rigs-

Tandem dry fly rigs consisting of Stimi's and Pearl&Elk Caddis fished on 4x tippets. You'll catch fish dead drifting but you'll do more damage out there by skittering or skating your flies. I prefer to call our technique more of a "bumping" or "soft-skate" technique. Bring plenty of floatant....you'll need it. We're big on double dosing our flies and treating them with Silicone Mucilin followed by a dose of Dry Shake or Frogs Fanny.

When nymphing prior to the hatch or during late afternoons look to Cat Poops or other stonefly nymphs fished as your lead/point fly trailed by various #16-18 Caddis Pupa patterns like Yuba Pupas, Deep 6 Caddis or Z-Wings. Smaller attractor patterns such as Princes, 20Inchers, and San Juan Worms are fishing well also.

Obviously dry/dropper techniques will fish well too especially during the front end of the days hatch. Soft hackle patterns like a Soft Hackle PT or a Soft Hackle Peacock are often killer dropper flies.

The Current Caddis Hot Spots-

Glenwood Springs - There's more caddis here than anywhere. That can be good and can be bad. If there's too many caddis the fishing can be a bit tough...aka the fish are just downright full and there's too many bugs. Hit up Two Rivers Park, Big Johns and the New Castle Bridge on the Colorado. On the Fork be sure to try 7th St Bridge, Veltus Park, Sunlight Bridge and 3 Mile Creek.

Bonedale'- Hit the Bury Lease, Sutank, Bonedale Boat Ramp, and Catherine's Store. Lighter numbers of caddis are up here though that can work to your advantage as we've already discussed.

Recent Pictures

Next Gen G.Loomis Rods

I know I've been waiting a long, long time for this to happen. I can only imagine what is going to come from the best rod designer and champion fly caster in the industry. Will G.Loomis again dominate the sport like they did with their last graphite introduction, the GLX? To think that it's been 17 years since that's happened! GLX was literally light years ahead of its time and is still trying to be copied by all premium rod manufacturers. Can't wait to try one of these when they're finally unveiled..........

Stoneflies in the Mud

STONEFLIES CAN BE DEADLY DURING "MUD SEASON"

Though many waters in the Roaring Fork Valley remain clear during May, most other waters in the Rockies during May and June are high and muddy due to spring runoff. Most people turn to tailwater and stillwater fisheries during this time of year despite the fact that fish do feed in stained and discolored water situations. Many flies and techniques can be employed in muddy waters that help the fish find the fly. First and foremost, one must understand that the bulk of the fishing we do in high water situations is nymph and streamer fishing. Fish typically will be hunkered down on the stream bottom and up against the banks. Heavier rods in the 5-6 weight categories are required since we typically will be throwing big flies with ample weight that will drive the flies down to the bottom. Because of the stained water and larger flies, heavier leaders and tippets are also used. One can often get by fishing 2X, 3X and even heavier tippets.

Large stonefly nymphs are most active during runoff including the Pteronarcys or Salmonfly. This massive (2-3.5 inch) stonefly often becomes dislodged in the faster turbulent waters and become an easy, large meal for Mr. Trout. The peak hatch times for the Salmonfly also coincide with spring runoff. This is a hard hatch to time right (average durations last up to 2 weeks) though many an angler will tell you fond memories of the "Salmonfly hatch in 72" or what have you. An insect of this size makes even the stubborn large trout feed voraciously. Big nymph patterns in sizes 4-8 like Kaufmann's Stone, Wooly Buggers, Poxyback Stones, and Molting Stones will fish well. Fishing with two fly rigs and a healthy amount of split shot will be required. If adult Salmonflies are being seen big Orange Stimulators, Triple Deckers, and King Kongs should be used. Salmonflies are clumsy fliers, and often land on the water with a noticeable splash. When casting these big dry flies be sure to "slap" your flies on the waters surface. Fish take instant notice of all this commotion and typically react with an aggressive take. Several sub-species of stoneflies are common on most waters, from large Golden Stones to smaller Brown Stones. Due to the visibility of the water encountered the larger stoneflies prove to be better fish catches. The Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon and upriver below Gore Canyon provide good hatches of Salmonflies.


Other than the Salmonflies, big streamers also fish nicely. Look for patterns that have big profile heads made of spun hair or wool. These materials "push" and move large amounts of water when being stripped. Fish sense that moving water through their lateral line. A lateral line is the fishes super sensitive set of nerves that enables the fish to find your fly in muddy water and even at night. Another factor to keep in mind is fly color. Most people are under the impression that bright flies show up best in these conditions while just the opposite is true. Blacks, browns, purples, and dark olives are best. This dark color provides a better contrast against the stained color of the water.


One other option for you to try is finding clear flowing tributaries that are running into the main river being fished. Fish will often congregate in the seam of the clear and muddy waters. A perfect example of this is the Frying Pan flowing into the Roaring Fork, or the many tributaries that flow into the Colorado. The fish can obviously see and eat insects in the clear water while the muddy water provides the fish with protection from other predators. Try some of these flies and techniques next time you encounter muddy water, especially during the spring. The results will surprise you. Remember, the fish must continue to eat despite what the water clarity looks like.

Kirk Webb
Taylor Creek Fly Shop

The Top 3 List

Why I love A River Runs Through It
1. The girls think I'm Brad Pitt
2. Lots of our customers got into the sport because of "the movie"
3. The girls think I'm Brad Pitt

Top Three Flies
1. Prince
2. Pheasant Tail
3. Bugger
4. Stimulator
(I know that was four not three, but felt obligated)


Top Three other Trout Rivers In Colorado
1. Colorado
2. Roaring Fork
3. Frying Pan
(We wouldn't be anywhere else!)

Top Three things not to say to your guide
1. I think that was just bottom?
2. How do we get back upstream to our cars? (float fishing)
3. I think that was just a big whitie?

Spring Fishing Conditions Abound

Sorry it's been such a long time. I've had a ton of vacation time to burn the past six weeks and as you can guess, have been fishing my face off. Went and fished the Floriday Keys with two of our other guides and have lately been reminded of why I live in the Roaring Fork Valley. The fishing in the valley has been incredible and the weather, perfect! Taylor Creek has been teaching a number of the kids from Aspen High School how to become hardcore fly anglers. This week long program has included classes on gear, knot tying, rigging, entomology, reading the water, casting and of course - actual time spent on the water fishing. The kids are kicking butt so far, and have been able to stick fussy Frying Pan fish on dries as well as catching some really, really nice fish on the Roaring Fork using big stoneflies. Special thanks go out to our guide and shop staff who've been gracious enough to donate their time, efforts and flies (Travis, Tyler, Brandon, Josh and Will) Now that I'm back in the shop full time again, look forward to more and more blogs on here. I've gathered so much content in the past six weeks that it's amazing....never have I seen so many big fish caught in a spring! Talk to you all real soon, thanks for following Taylor Creek Fly Shops Blog. - Kirk Webb -

Pike Fishing On Rifle Gap

Often overlooked in the Roaring Fork Valley, Northern Pike are highly sought after gamefish for fly rodders. Every March I look foward to wading the shallow flats of Rifle Gap and Harvey Gap Reservoirs in search of large pike. Taylor Creek guide, Travis Lyons, and I headed down to New Castle/Rifle on Monday to go put an eyeball on the ice and water conditions on the two reservoirs. Harvey Gap still was still locked up in ice from bank to bank. We headed up the road a few miles to Rifle Gap where I knew that at least the inlet would hold some open water and possibly even be fishable. One quick glance and a short drive around the lake and we saw approximately 1/3 of the lake open water. Out came the fly rods....quickly.

Gearing up, I had high hopes of seeing some monsters laid up in the shallow water reeds. Perch and Crayfish colored flies have always produced well for me on both of these lakes. The majority of my flies are about 3-5" inches. Not too big, not too small. I've never been a fan of fishing with wire tippets out here as these fish bite much better, and much more frequently when your flies are attached to fluorocarbon tippets. I prefer to fish a two foot, 03X (25.3lb)Seaguar FX tippet section that attaches directly to my fly. Though blind casting to pike can often be effective, I'm here at early ice out to stalk fish in less than two feet of water. Long story short, we found a few fish laid up. All in all, between the two of us in two hours of fishing we saw somewhere in the neighborhood of about 13-16 fish. Most of those were hammer handles about 20-24" inches in length. We did see a very few fish in the 26-30" inch range and two nice specimans that pushed 34-36" inch length. Trav and I probobly had half a dozen shots each, at some of the better fish we saw. Both of us hooked up once, lost both fish and left after two hours.

I got my first yearly injection of pike fishing out of the way only to turn me back into a frequent pike junkie. I'll be making weeking visits now and hopefully will post up some fish pics soon from me and some of the other boys! Keepin' it real in the Valley, I'm out. -Kirk Webb-

Spey Fishing In Colorado

Say what? Spey fishing in Colorado? Absolutely! You're missing the boat if you've yet to try spey fishing and casting. It'll open up all kinds of new trick casts, many of which can translate into single hand rods and casting. Trout sized spey rods or switch rods are ideal to fish with along the Lower Colorado as well as the Lower Roaring Fork River. Taylor Creek sells many of these short two handed rods and even the versatile switch rods, which are shorter yet (under 12 feet) and suitable for either single hand or two hand applications. Come in the shop and let us show you first hand what you're missing out on.

I borrowed a 12' 5wt from Will Sands the other day to go fart around on the Colorado River. I'm definately a novice when it comes to Spey fishing, but what I do know is that they are a ton of fun to cast and punch as much line out as you want. When it comes down to fighting fish on these long rods, my enjoyment skyrocketed through the roof. Every move the fish makes transcends into the rod and your hand. It's almost like fishing a 2wt for 12" inch fish. What a riot. Perhaps what I like most about Spey fishing is that I get to learn how to fish all over again... -Out- Kirk Webb

It's Time To Get Off Your Butt And Fish....Hard

It's that special time of year again. Time to dust off your gear and get out on the river. Spent my day yesterday fishing with Tyler Sessions (our new shop guy...what a smart kid and talented angler/tier!) Matt O'Connor, sales rep for Patagonia, and a friend of his, Bobby, from Boulder. Started on the Pan near Old Faithful and caught fish after fish after fish. The fishing was simply on fire. Fish were focused on Micro Eggs in the shade and fast water and various midge pupa patterns fished well all day long. Though we didn't land any monsters, several above average fish were landed. The dry fly fishing is kicking into high gear and despite the bright sun, Matt even caught a few on Midge dries around Rosie's. If you can find some shade or overcast that's key. You'll see fish rising in the sun, but these fish are picky and don't feed as rhythmically as those fish found in the shade. It's no secret, the best dry fly is a Bills Midge Emerger. It's been a staple fly for us for years and years. Around noon-thirty, we took off to fish the Roaring Fork below Basalt. The Fork was a bit hit and miss as some runs fished really well yielding several fish, while on others we blanked. The quality and brilliance of the fish we stuck on the Fork was much more impressive than those caught on the Pan. What can I say? The fishing is really turning on in this warmer Spring weather. -I'm out- Kirk Webb

Recent Pics of the Pan and Fork

I had a bit of time on my heads so enjoy some pics from this past week of Pan and Fork fish. See you all soon. -Kirk Webb-

Roaring Fork Midge Mania

It's February finally! The days are getting longer and warmer and with that comes Midge Mania. This is easily one of my favorite months of the year for fishing. It's kind of like a bomb waiting to go off. Any day now the fishing is set to go off the charts and just explode. These longer, warmer days make the midge hatches really intensify. This is the month where the midges hatch in such numbers that fish begin rising and moving out of the traditional deep and slow pools transitioning into the riffles during the afternoons and evenings following the bugs. In my eye it's the first sign that spring is on the way...Thank God. I love winter fishing but there's just something special about the renewel of spring and spring fishing. A good customer was in the shop today and called February the fifth season. I like the sounds of that and it couldn't be anymore true. We're all fired up with the superb fishing taking place, knowing that somehow it only gets better and better each and every day. Needless to say, all of us have been getting our waders wet as much as possible lately. I've been fishing the Roaring Fork more and more lately with the abundance of ideal water and weather conditions Not only are these fish hot, but often the largest fish of the year are caught during the prespawn months of February and the first half of March. I've noticed in my own fishing lately that the big bows of the Fork have come out of hiding and are eating really well too. I'll try to post some more pics and info in the coming week. Until then, get out there. -Kirk Webb-

Demystifying Mysis Shrimp

The Frying Pan River is world renowned for producing some of the largest rainbow trout to be found on this planet. Plus, you don’t have to travel the globe for the opportunity to fish to these behemoths that can easily push the 5 pound, 10 pound, 15 pound and even 20 pound mark. Fish of these sizes are what most anglers’ dream of. It’s no secret that the bulk of these large fish are caught during certain times of year or when river flows are substantially raised or lowered. Some of these factors can be predicted and some cannot. Tying into these unproportioned fish will require skill as well as a little bit of luck.

The Mysis Shrimp Factor

Why do fish in the Frying Pan grow to such large sizes when compared to other quality fisheries? The answer is very simple. Mysis Shrimp, aka mysis relicta. These freshwater crustaceans (shrimp) single handedly are the reason for our fish’s quick growth rates and large sizes. Mysis Shrimp were originally transplanted into Ruedi Reservoir in hopes of making for a good forage base for the reservoirs kokanee salmon. These shrimp never ended up benefiting the intended species and its respective fishery, but instead had a unique affect on the tailwaters of the Frying Pan. Mysis Shrimp prefer the deep depths of the reservoir and this keeps them out of reach from many potential predators. Although living at these depths helps them from being eaten within the reservoir, it does not prevent them from being sucked out into the river below where trout happily do.

Mysis Shrimp are transparent in color when living, and turn opaque-white when dead or dying. Due to this color variance we fish two different styles and colors of flies. When fish are focused on mysis shrimp we typically will tie on a double nymph rig consisting of two mysis shrimp patterns. One fly imitates a dead/white mysis, and one fly imitates a living/transparent mysis. Our two favorite mysis shrimp patterns are Tim Heng’s Mysis Shrimp which is opaque-white in color and Will Sands’ Epoxy Mysis Shrimp which is transparent-clear in color. We will fish these in tandem together until we find out which type of mysis (living or dead) that the fish are focused on, and then switch to tandem setups of the fly that the fish are specifically looking for. These flies typically will range in size from #16’s down to #20’s.

These protein packed morsels are available to the trout on any given day. They do seem to be most effective however, when river flows are high or have just been raised. The more water coming out of the dam equates to higher numbers of mysis shrimp spilling through and into the river. The higher the flows, the further downstream the mysis drift and the more effective these patterns become. Higher flows on the Frying Pan can typically be found in May and June (200 cfs on up). At certain times, flows on the Frying Pan are raised without notice. If the water is noticeably rising count on finding plenty of mysis shrimp and hungry trout available on the upper stretches of the Frying Pan. The fish follow the mysis just like guides would follow a free beer sign. Mysis Shrimp have neutral buoyancy which means you can effectively fish these critters from the top to the bottom of the water column. The key is to watch an individual fish’s feeding rhythm and at what level in the water column that specific fish is feeding at and then present your flies at that level.

Prespawn: The best time to Hog Hunt on the River

The prespawn period is bar-none the best time of year to find large rainbows scattered on the upper Frying Pan. At this time of year, when the fish are staging near their spawning grounds will provide anglers with sight fishing opportunities to these big fish in shallow water. This prespawn period is usually from mid February to early April. In addition to mysis shrimp we also will fish with midges and baetis (bwo) patterns at this time of year. The best area to sight fish to these fish are in the Flats. The Flats is the area directly below the first plunge pool below the dam (aka Toilet Bowl) prior to the first bend in the river appropriately named the Bend Pool. It is about ¼ of a mile long and has good river bottom substrate (pea sized gravel) that the fish find most suitable to do their annual spawning rituals. The key to fishing the Flats is being able to read the river bottom and to look for any slight deviation or hole that is deeper than the surrounding areas. Often times these divots might only be six inches to a foot deeper than the water surrounding them. Much of the Flats is only knee deep with very little structure and variations in the water. Sight fishing to these fish require a keen eye and good polarized sunglasses. If you do not have polarized glasses you are literally fishing blind. Other good areas to fish at this time of year include the Gauging Station, Two Rocks, Boulders, Bridge Pool, and C&R #1 (you can find these areas on the newly updated Frying Pan and Roaring Fork Access Map which sells for $9.95 and is available at Taylor Creek’s two store locations). Mid April through May are the peak spawning periods on the Frying Pan River. Large female rainbows can be seen on their spawning beds often paired with one or several smaller male rainbows. At this time of year we do NOT fish to these trout in order to let them spawn undisturbed to better improve the gene pool and population of fish in the river. Plenty of post spawn or non spawning fish can be found throughout the river anyway at these times. Spawning fish are immensely fun to watch doing their annual dance and can make for some fun viewing when eating lunch or passing time by.

Going Bowling

Easily, the bulk of the large fish hooked in the Frying Pan every year come out of the Toilet Bowl. The Toilet Bowl is the first pool below the dam where the discharge comes out of the reservoir. The Toilet Bowl is a true phenomenon among Mysis tailwaters. On other mysis tailwaters the discharge below the dam is off limits to fishing, hiding many of the large fish from anglers. Not the case on the Frying Pan! So let’s talk technique here.
For fish that are holding in the depths of the Toilet Bowl which is an estimated 20 feet deep or so we employ some unconventional setups. I want to get my fly to the fish’s level as soon as possible. Throw away your conventional leaders and pull out your tippet material. A 10’ foot piece of tippet in size 0X (16lb) will be attached directly to our butt section. This smaller diameter “leader” penetrates and sinks in the water quickly, in addition to providing a miniscule amount of drag or resistance in the water. To finish our leader we will then add 2’ feet of 2X tippet, followed by an additional 2’ feet of 4x tippet to round out the overall leader length. Split shot is added above the knot junction of the 2X and 4X tippets. Our first fly (Tims Mysis Shrimp) will be attached to the end of the 4x tippet. We will then add an additional 18” inches of 4X or 5X tippet to the bend of the first fly and then complete our setup by attaching another different mysis pattern (Will’s Epoxy Mysis) to the end of our remaining piece of tippet. We recommend using fluorocarbon tippets when constructing this leader for its ability to sink faster than that of the equivalent monofilament, having a higher pound test strength, and for it being more abrasion resistant.

No strike indicator is employed in fishing this setup. Instead we are tight-line fishing. We’re basically making our cast, letting our flies sink, and keeping the line taunt as it dead drifts in the water. You will feel the strike when tight-line fishing. More often than not the fish hook themselves when fishing in this manner. This technique single handedly accounts for most of the large fish hooked in the Bowl.

Excerpted from a 2006 article by Kirk Webb published in our annual newsletter, The Fly On The Wall. We strongly encourage you to sign up for our newsletter: http://taylorcreek.com/newsletter3.htm

Prespawn: The best time to Hog Hunt on the River

The prespawn period is bar-none the best time of year to find large rainbows scattered on the upper Frying Pan. At this time of year, when the fish are staging near their spawning grounds will provide anglers with sight fishing opportunities to these big fish in shallow water. This prespawn period is usually from mid February to early April. In addition to mysis shrimp we also will fish with midges and baetis (bwo) patterns at this time of year. The best area to sight fish to these fish are in the Flats. The Flats is the area directly below the first plunge pool below the dam (aka Toilet Bowl) prior to the first bend in the river appropriately named the Bend Pool. It is about ¼ of a mile long and has good river bottom substrate (pea sized gravel) that the fish find most suitable to do their annual spawning rituals. The key to fishing the Flats is being able to read the river bottom and to look for any slight deviation or hole that is deeper than the surrounding areas. Often times these divots might only be six inches to a foot deeper than the water surrounding them. Much of the Flats is only knee deep with very little structure and variations in the water. Sight fishing to these fish require a keen eye and good polarized sunglasses. If you do not have polarized glasses you are literally fishing blind. Other good areas to fish at this time of year include the Gauging Station, Two Rocks, Boulders, Bridge Pool, and C&R #1 (you can find these areas on the newly updated Frying Pan and Roaring Fork Access Map which sells for $9.95 and is available at Taylor Creek’s two store locations). Mid April through May are the peak spawning periods on the Frying Pan River. Large female rainbows can be seen on their spawning beds often paired with one or several smaller male rainbows. At this time of year we do NOT fish to these trout in order to let them spawn undisturbed to better improve the gene pool and population of fish in the river. Plenty of post spawn or non spawning fish can be found throughout the river anyway at these times. Spawning fish are immensely fun to watch doing their annual dance and can make for some fun viewing when eating lunch or passing time by.

Going Bowling

Easily, the bulk of the large fish hooked in the Frying Pan every year come out of the Toilet Bowl. The Toilet Bowl is the first pool below the dam where the discharge comes out of the reservoir. The Toilet Bowl is a true phenomenon among Mysis tailwaters. On other mysis tailwaters the discharge below the dam is off limits to fishing, hiding many of the large fish from anglers. Not the case on the Frying Pan! So let’s talk technique here.
For fish that are holding in the depths of the Toilet Bowl which is an estimated 20 feet deep or so we employ some unconventional setups. I want to get my fly to the fish’s level as soon as possible. Throw away your conventional leaders and pull out your tippet material. A 10’ foot piece of tippet in size 0X (16lb) will be attached directly to our butt section. This smaller diameter “leader” penetrates and sinks in the water quickly, in addition to providing a miniscule amount of drag or resistance in the water. To finish our leader we will then add 2’ feet of 2X tippet, followed by an additional 2’ feet of 4x tippet to round out the overall leader length. Split shot is added above the knot junction of the 2X and 4X tippets. Our first fly (Tims Mysis Shrimp) will be attached to the end of the 4x tippet. We will then add an additional 18” inches of 4X or 5X tippet to the bend of the first fly and then complete our setup by attaching another different mysis pattern (Will’s Epoxy Mysis) to the end of our remaining piece of tippet. We recommend using fluorocarbon tippets when constructing this leader for its ability to sink faster than that of the equivalent monofilament, having a higher pound test strength, and for it being more abrasion resistant.

No strike indicator is employed in fishing this setup. Instead we are tight-line fishing. We’re basically making our cast, letting our flies sink, and keeping the line taunt as it dead drifts in the water. You will feel the strike when tight-line fishing. More often than not the fish hook themselves when fishing in this manner. This technique single handedly accounts for most of the large fish hooked in the Bowl.

Frying Pan Piggies

Taylor Creek Fly Shop manager, Will Sands, fished the Frying Pan on Tuesday with Nick Williams from http://www.flycurrents.com/ and http://www.flycurrents.blogspot.com/. They set out with one goal in mind. Head-hunting some big fish. Head-hunting generally involves sight fishing the river and only casting to big fish. You generally don't catch many fish, but the rewards are often worth it as you can see by the picture. There's no doubt that the Frying Pan River holds some of the largest trout in the Rockies and are infamous for being highly educated and picky. Hiring a knowledgable local guide makes a world of a difference when it comes to technical fisheries like the Pan. They take you to the best water, with the right flies, and educate you on all aspects of fly fishing and often become lifelong friends on and off the water. Winter is the ideal time of year to head hunt these large fish as they feed more freely and openly due in large part to having such less in the way of fishing pressure. Basically more fish per angler. Some key flies you'll want to have in your fly box include: Flashtail Mini Eggs, Epoxy Mysis, Capt. Hooks, Medallion Midges, Jujubees, TC Red Midge, PT's and RS2's. Don't forget a pair of good polarized sunglasses, layering your clothing to regulate body temperature and it never hurts to fish with a partner to help you spot and locate some piggies! We hope you are able to make it out this winter. Poke your head in the shop and we'll be happy to dial you in or set you up with one our talented guides. -Kirk Webb-

photo courtesy of Nick Williams

Winter Float Trips? Really?

It's true! People are often astonished that we offer winter float trips. There's no doubt that you definately have to time the weather right and hit those days when we have high overnight low temperatures, but winter floats are certainly doable. There are many benefits to floating in the winter time. For starters, it's much warmer than wade fishing. All of our float fishing is done inside of the boat. There's no need to get out and wade into the cold water. Propane heaters are stored in the boat and give you some serious warmth to warm your hands when needed. A thermos or two of warm coffee, (mine usually has a spike or two of Kaluha) tea and soup will help keep your soul warm as well. Floating offers you the opportunity to fish miles of river and focus on the better deep pools and runs where the fish congregate. Some of the largest fish of the year are hooked and landed at this time of year too. The most popular section of river for floating is from Carbondale to Westbank along the Lower Roaring Fork River. This large expanse of water receives more sunlight than other sections of river and provides more comfort for both fish and angler. Oh, and did I mention how spectacular the scenery is? Not to mention all the wildlife that lives along the valley floor. What else could you ask for? -Kirk-

Good Stuff On The Roaring Fork

The Roaring Fork River fished quite well yesterday. Crowds are nonexistant with seemingly all anglers heading up to go fish the Frying Pan. Fine by me. The great thing about the Fork is that the water is very easy to read. Where you think a trout should be holding, it is. I love picking apart structure and holding water and the Fork has a wealth of it. I also get to use and fish "real" flies. By real, I mean Princes, 20Inchers and the like, instead of the ultra-techie midge and mysis shrimp patterns that you commonly fish on the Frying Pan. Normal flies, normal water, abnormal fish. That's what the Fork is all about. Quality. As much fun as it is to go poke a 5-8 pound fish out of the Pan, an 18" inch fish out of the Fork fights much harder and has those wild "freestone" genes that just make them incredibly strong fish. Spent most of the day fishing right through town with Monday Morning crew member and guide, Travis Lyons. Trav and I fish a lot together so we thought we'd fish "out of the box" and hit some overlooked water that neither of fish too often. Driving down on Two Rivers Road in Basalt, Travis suggested hitting the Lower Bypass Bridge. By the time I was done rigging my rod up Travis already had six good fish in the net within fifteen minutes. Once rigged, I quickly landed a 13" inch brown. Once on the ice bank, the fish coughed up a still living 5" inch sculpin. Way cool! This has happened to me before but never has the sculpin still been alive. I was fired up after that. We stuck a few more fish and decided to head up river to go poke around the Lower Woody Creek Bridge. We fished the downstream side of the bridge in a long run where both of us landed more than our fair share of fish. My largest was a solid 16" inch rainbow. I do want to make mention of the fact that many fish are keying in on stoneflies. A #12 20Incher was my best fly, though we did stick fish on princes, eggs, and midge patterns as well. All in all, a great day. Out. -Kirk-

Colorado River Still Picking Up

Fished the Colorado River with fellow guide, Travis Lyons and Fly Raft Works owner, Josh Lively (http://www.flyraftworks.com/) on Sunday. We started at Two Rivers Park in Glenwood Springs after hitting up the 19th Street Diner for breakfast where the weather was warm and in the 30's, even at eleven o'clock in the morning. We began on river right where I quickly hooked a decent rainbow on a #18 Buckskin. After another half hour of not catching anything Travis and I followed Josh to river left where we watched him yard about 4-5 trout on his "top-secret" egg pattern. His largest fish, a solid 16" inch bow, put a large smile on his face. Not long thereafter we hopped back in the car and took off to go fish the Sewage Treatment Plant in West Glenwood. We lasted there for another 20-30 minutes and didn't so much as even touch a fish. Back in the car, after a quick pitstop at Dairy Queen as we pressed further down-valley to the Canyon Creek exit. We stayed for 15minutes as the river simply didn't fish in those few bread-and-butter spots. We eventually stopped and slid down the hill to fish the upstream side of the New Castle Bridge. After switching up flies to a tiny #20 Freestone Emerger I finally hooked two or three rainbows. The last area we hit up was near the town of Silt. After a long walk to go fish "our" prime run we noticed another angler already fishing there. That caught the three of us off guard as we hadn't seen another angler on the water all day long. Oh well. We blanked in that spot too, though I feel confident that we would've wrecked a few fish in that area had no one been there. We caught fish on the Colorado but it definately paled in comparison to the Roaring Fork and the Frying Pan. It won't be long until blanketing hatches of midges put those big, strong Collie fish back on the feed. As many of you know, this is my favorite hatch on the Colorado and I'll definately be keeping you up to speed on how it transpires. Stay tuned. -Kirk-

More Of The Same

The weather is supposed to continue to be warm. We consider the term "warm" at this time of year to mean anything above 32'f. The best fishing days most often are those that have had the highest overnight temperatures. These overnight highs will determine how early or late in the day the fishing will turn on. Warm overnights will equate to better fishing earlier in the day, while lower overnight temps will mean the better fishing will take place later in the day. Ideally for this time of year, look for overnight temps in the 20's with highs in the 30's and even into the forties. Out. -Kirk-

Warm Winter Weather Heats Up The Fishing

There's no doubt that Winter fishing in the Roaring Fork Valley is some of the best in the Rockies. Warm weather in the upper 30's and 40's is expected for the next week or so. The fishing on the Frying Pan has been incredible above Mile Marker 8. The Flats are still yielding high numbers of fish though crowds often plague this section of the river. I think people have that typical tailwater mentality that "all the fish live right below the dam", when in fact any decent holding water above Mile 8 has been exceptional. I've been doing most of my recent fishing along the Roaring Fork River. The fish are unpressured and feeding aggressively on winter stones, midges, caddis larva and baetis nymphs. Some great pieces of water to try include: Two Stumps, Buddah, Red Car, Catherines Store, Pink Bridge, 7th Street Bridge and Three Mile. If you aren't familiar with these areas just poke your head into the shop and Will or I will get you dialed in. Don't get me wrong, the fishing on the Pan has been stupid-good, though we often prefer to fish the Fork when the weather is this nice. Hope you get out there.....I'm out. -Kirk-