July, 2016

6/29-7/1:  OK.  Another nice couple of days on the Gunnison.  According to the locals out there, this section of the river just keeps getting better and better.  Apparently the shocking program indicates between 4800 and 10000 fish longer than six inches per mile of water.  We saw plenty of smallish browns as well and did our best to avoid hooking or playing them when we could do so.

Somewhat similar hatch conditions to the previous week's trip here.  Small hoppers are more in evidence, but the yellow sally hatch was a bit lighter.  Saw good numbers of caddis in the willows one night, but they didn't seem to be heading out over the water.  So, as the following video will indicate, a hopper imitation trailed by the other insect worked better than anything else.  Had no success nymphing and didn't try streamer fishing as the surface action was just fine.

The slightly off color nature of the river this time of year makes it possible to use 4X tippet instead of something lighter and that in turn, lets us play and release fish more quickly.  It's really fun fishing - almost makes me wish we lived closer to the river than the roughly three hours it takes to drive there.

Next week we'll probably try to do a previously planned trip to the headwaters of the Colorado and possibly some still waters in that part of the state too.

 7/7-8:  Our overnighter to the Upper Colorado areas was fun albeit more or less unproductive.  Caught and released plenty of hungry little brookies in Rocky Mountain Park, but our other stops on the river near Hot Sulfur Springs and at Williams Fork Reservoir were more or less complete busts.  The camping was nice however.  Next week we'll probably head up to the Green for a shot at the tailwater and possibly some bass fishing on Flaming Gorge.  Here's a short video of the two days. 

7/11-13:  Our first trip to the Green River this year - turned out to be fairly successful.  We'd planned to spend a couple half days fishing the tailwater followed by a similar period on the reservoir, but ended up passing on inflating the kayak this time around.  Our long hike up the river the second day was exhausting in the heat, and we decided to pass trolling the lake for smallmouths

.

Somewhat difficult hatches.  The first afternoon's sally imitations were really well received, but they drew mostly blank stares the second day.  No idea why.  River was quite low and very clear.  No cloud cover at all along with virtually no breeze either.  Made for very tough conditions.  Probably needed to go lighter with the tippet selection.

Sue did very well at the bottom of "B".  Small brown caddis did the trick.  May have to return here fairly soon and try the top of "C" too.  Here's a slightly overly long video of the the three day trip:

7/16:  Just an amazing day on the part of Gore Creek that I really prefer.  It took only one hour to release five different species that we call a Grand Slam Plus.  Had I any better skills at hooking risers, the count could have been far more.  Really a fun session.  Trout took either the surface gray WRS or the trailing bead head buckskin with equal abandon.  They'll wise up shortly.  Here are the different species - and we really love them all and hope for long lives for them:

..............and last but not least, the video of the day..............

7/18-20:  A three day, two night trip in the Element closed out our visits to the Green River this year.  That stream was rising at 50 cps a day before we arrived and was running much stronger than when we were here a week ago.  Tough fishing the first afternoon and ditto for the next morning.  But down the river a few miles at the bottom part of B, Sue had a great afternoon.  Tried upper C by myself for a couple of hours with basically no success. 

Drove back to Colorado and camped on the overlook of Lake Avery above the White River that next night.  Had a good night's sleep followed by some indifferent fishing in the still too fast moving river the following morning.  But a bit further downstream managed to hook and release a couple of the nicest trout of the whole trip.  Next week we'll try the "Mile" in Wyoming for the probably the first and last time this year.

Here's the video session:

Last logbook Entry  � for previous day

7/25-26:  A useless trip unlike any I think I've ever had before in my life.  We used to love the "MM" up on the Platte in Wyoming but gave up on it a few years back due to an unpleasant incident with our dog and a rattlesnake.  No the dog didn't get bitten, but we worried about where she had gone and ourselves as well when we shortly found her resting on top and licking the blood from a large recently killed diamondback in a fire pit.

So she (the dog) and I returned this day to the scene of the crime - - - only to find fishing that was worthless.  I have no explanation for our lack of success (but am sure some Wyoming guides will be happy to tell anyone who asks, that I obviously simply suck as a fisherman.)  So much for that.  The whole trip was ugly.............and I did record the disaster by video below.  Enjoy:

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