Fryingpan River Report 8-1-19

August 1, 2019

UPPER FRYINGPAN (Mile Marker 8 to Ruedi Reservoir)

FLOW: 185 CFS 

WATER CLARITY: Low and clear.

OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Green Drakes, BWOs, mysis shrimp, PMDs, craneflies, midges

THE LOW-DOWN : The agonizing wait is over, folks. After a biblical snowpack we've finally seen flows drop to a very manageable 185 CFS. Guides didn't see a lot of bugs over the last month, but the hatches are kicking off now in a major way.

The main event is the PMD (pale morning dun) hatch on the upper Fryingpan, these bugs vary from gray to yellow to pink, and we generally see them in sizes 16 and 18. You might even see a few in the size 14 range. With plentiful PMD hatches come healthy PMD spinner falls, especially during the last hour of light.

Other hatches of note are midges, small caddis, blue winged olives, a few big and small craneflies, red quills and you just might see a few green drakes taking flight. We won't see significant drake hatches in the upper reaches until August, usually, but there's a few out there. We are seeing good numbers of drakes in the canyon down near Basalt.

Mysis shrimp are always a factor under the dam, 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.

HATCHES:  Green Drakes (Sporadic) 10-12, Pale Morning Duns 16-18, Rusty Spinners (early and late in the day) 16-18, Blue Winged Olives 20-22, Midges 20-26, craneflies 10-16, red quills 16-18, 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, low and clear.

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Green Drakes, Caddis, BWOs, Midges, PMDs, cranefly larvae, golden stoneflies

OVERALL RATING: 7 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, sporadic green drakes and 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, sporadic Green Drakes 10-12, Golden Stones 6-10

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS: 

DRIES: TC Sparkledun Green Drake 10-12, Stott's KGB Green Drake, 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: Twenty Incher 12-14, Tungsten Split Case PMD nymph 16-18, Red or Lime Copper John 14-18, 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 low and clear!

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

OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10

THE LOWDOWN:  Vastly improved with the flow drop. There are some green drakes, PMDs, golden stones and caddis hatching this week down low on the Pan if you like throwing larger dry flies. We've seen the first wave of green drakes down low this week!

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

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

HATCHES: Green Drakes 10-12, PMDs 14-18, Golden Stoneflies 6-10, Caddis 16-18, BWOs 18-22, Midges 20-26

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS: 

DRIES:  KGB Drake 12, Sparkledun Green Drake 10-12, Parachute Adams 10-14, 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:  Spanflex Stone 8-10, Cat Poop Stone 4-6, 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 green drakes and stoneflies as an attractor.

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

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