Fryingpan River Report 7-18-19

July 18, 2019

UPPER FRYINGPAN (Mile Marker 8 to Ruedi Reservoir)

FLOW: 340 CFS 

WATER CLARITY: Dropping and clearing up nicely!

OVERALL RATING: 6 out of 10

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Midges, BWOs, mysis shrimp, PMDs

THE LOW-DOWN : In general this will be a big water year in the Roaring Fork Valley. Flows have significantly dropped now and hatches are steadily improving every day! Flows should stay where they are (or less) at this point, and the plan is to run the Fryingpan between 250-350 CFS through the summer.

Hatches have been improving daily now, we look for major emergences in the coming days! PMDs and BWOs will be the main event, and be ready with a few midges and mysis as well. We're starting to see a good PMD spinner fall now in the upper reaches.

Mysis shrimp are always a factor when flows increase in the upper reaches, so be sure to have a few of our Tim Heng's and Will Sands' mysis patterns in your box.

Hunting around the upper river with a small streamer can be a lot of fun, you just might turn the biggest fish in the run with a well-presented streamer.  Try adjusting your retrieve until the fish give you some positive feedback, and seek out shady areas versus those with bright sun.

This is going to be a big water year around here, you couldn't have two more vastly different water years from last year to this one!

HATCHES:  Pale Morning Duns 16-18, Rusty Spinners (early and late in the day) 16-18, Blue Winged Olives 20-22, Midges 20-26, mysis shrimp 16-20

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS:  

DRIES:  CDC Rusty Spinner 16-18, Sunken Rusty Spinner 16-18, Melon Quill 16-18, Sparkledun PMD 14-18, Perfect Baetis 20-22, No Hackle BWO 20-22, Collett's Para BWO 20-22, Bill's Midge Emerger 20-22, Skittering Z-Lon Midge 20-22, Biot Wing Midge 20,22, HOH CDC Midge Adult 22-24, CDC Transitional Midge 22, HOH CDC Spent Midge 22-24, Hatching Midge 20-22, Morgan's Para Midge 20-22

NYMPHS:  Tungsten Split Case PMD 16-18, Pandemic PMD 16-18, San Juan Worm 10, Split Case BWO 20-22, Epoxyback Baetis 20-22, Tungsten Hoover Baetis 20-22, Maggot Midge 20-22, Rojo Midge 20-22, Neon Nightmare 20-22, Lil Foamy 18-20, Bling Midge 20-22, Flashdance Midge 20-22, TC Candy Cane Midge 18-22, Money Midge 20-22, T Midge 20-22, Medallion Midge 20-22, Tim's Mysis 16-18, Will's Epoxy Mysis 16-20

STREAMERS:  Slumpbuster 6-8, The One Sculpin 4-6, Tim's Autumn Splendor 4-6

HINTS: Hatches are thick in one spot and "not so much" in others, move around until you find 'em!

MIDDLE FRYINGPAN (Mile Markers 4 to 8)

WATER CONDITIONS: Vastly improved since last week

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Caddis, BWOs, Midges, PMDs, green drake nymphs, cranefly larvae, golden stoneflies

OVERALL RATING: 6 out of 10

THE LOW DOWN: The middle Pan is much improved since last week. The main event is a pretty decent PMD hatch, with a good rusty spinner fall early and late in the day. You'll have chances of seeing BWOs, small caddis, some craneflies and even a random golden stonefly here and there, too!

No need to rush to the upper, there is plenty of good fishing in this section..

HATCHES: Caddis 16-18, BWOs 18-22, Midges 20-26, PMDs 14-18, Golden Stones 6-10

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS: 

DRIES: Rogue Foam Golden Stone 8-10, Egg Layer Golden Stone 8, No Hackle PMD 16-18, Adams 14-18, Peacock Caddis 16-18, Ethawing Caddis 16-18, Parachute Adams 18-22, Hackle Dun Baetis 20-22, Skittering Zelon Midge 20-22, Bill’s Midge Emerger 20-22, Brooks Sprout Midge 20-22, HOH CDC Spent Midge 22-24, HOH CDC Midge Adult 24, Hatching Midge 20-22, Morgan's Para Midge 20-22

NYMPHS: Flashwing Black (or gray) RS2 20-22, Zebra Midge Red 18-20, Black Beauty 20-22, Maggot Midge 20-22, Kingrey's Cap'n Hook 20-22, Medallion Midge 20-22, Bead Wing Midge 20-22, Rojo Midge 20-22

STREAMERS:  Skully Bugger Rust/White 4, Bonefish Deep Minnow 6-8, Bread n Butter Bugger 6-8

HINTS: Fish a whole mile of river, you'll fish many different water types and get shots at a lot of fish!

LOWER  FRYINGPAN (Basalt to Mile Marker 4)

WATER CONDITIONS: The river is dropping and clearing!

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Caddis, PMDs, BWO adults and nymphs, golden stoneflies, craneflies, midges.

OVERALL RATING: 6 out of 10

THE LOWDOWN:  Vastly improved with the flow drop, but the river will eventually clear even more. The lower Pan has been yo-yo-ing with water clarity, in the lower stretches we are able to throw larger flies and heavier tippet. There are some PMDs, golden stones and caddis hatching this week down low on the Pan if you like throwing larger dry flies.

Stones, worms, and princes have been great lead flies while trailing small baetis patterns.

For hatches, we are seeing golden stones, PMDs, BWOs, caddis, and a few midges. 

HATCHES: PMDs 14-18, Golden Stoneflies 6-10, Caddis 16-18, BWOs 18-22, Midges 20-26

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS: 

DRIES:  Egg Laying Golden Stone 8, Rogue Foam Golden Stone 6-8, Pink Lady PMD 16-18, Yellow Sparkledun PMD 14-18, Pearl and Elk Caddis 16-18, Elk Hair Caddis 16-18, Perfect Baetis 20-22, Sparkledun Baetis 18-22, Morgans Midge 18-22, Perfect Baetis 20-22, Collett's BWO 20-22, Hatching Midge 20-22, Sprout Midge 22-24, HOH CDC Spent Midge 22-24, HOH CDC Midge Adult 24

NYMPHS:  Red or Lime Copper John 14-18, Jerome Baetis 20-22, RIP Midge 20-22, Medallion Midge 20-22, Ultra Bling RS2 Gray 18-20, Desert Storm Midge 20-22, San Juan Worm 10, Cat Poop Stone 6-10

STREAMERS:  Slumpbuster Black 6-8, Wooly Bugger Olive 4-8, Autumn Splendor 4-8

HINTS: This will be the first section to see some bigger bugs, try using stoneflies as an attractor.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/co/nwis/uv/?site_no=09080400

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