Fryingpan River Report April 6, 2025

WATER CLARITY: Clear

OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10 (9 out of 10 on a rainy/snowy/cloudy day)

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Midges, Blue Winged Olive nymphs, Mysis Shrimp, Sculpins

THE LOW-DOWN: The Fryingpan has seen relatively light pressure as of late, and the hatches have been a bit of a mixed bag. Snowy and windy days have yielded the best hatches over the last few weeks, versus the bright and calm days. The larger midges (sz 18) are starting to wane, and smaller midges (22-26) are becoming more prolific.

We have seen a random BWO or two, but we are still a few weeks away from real numbers of these small mayflies. The small winter stoneflies are becoming less common as well.

Warming trends are headed our way, so we'll probably see some color in the river here and there from the smaller feeder creeks. San Juan Worm time, when you see some discoloration!

Streamer fishing can be productive early or late in the day, or any time the sky is clouded up or the wind is blowing. 

Mysis shrimp are a year-round food factor.

HATCHES: Midges 18-26 (you might see an oddball BWO or two out there also)

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS:  

DRIES: HOH Hanging Midge Grey/Black 20-22, Mole Midge 20-22, Roy Palm's Special Frying Pan Emerger 20-22, Bill's Midge Emerger 20-22, Hatching Midge 20-22, No Hackle BWO 20-22, Befus' Para Emerger BWO 20-22

NYMPHS: Barr's Emerger and Barr's Black Back Emerger 20-22, Stott's Good Carl 20, Stott's Juggernaut 20, Dorsey's Mercury RS2 Gray 20-22, Skinny-tied Pheasant Tail 20-24, Killer Mayfly Olive/Brown 22, Jigged JJ Nymph BWO 18-20, TC Candy Cane Midge 18-22, Tim's Mysis 16-18, Will's Epoxy Mysis 18-20, Craven's Mysis 16-18, Egg 16-18

STREAMERS: Barr's Slumpbuster, Borski's Bonefish Slider, Tim Heng's Autumn Splendor, Tungsten Thin Mint, Craven's Swim Coach

HINTS: Be stealthy and present your offering with minimal line on the water whether dry fly or nymph fishing. Fryingpan fish will not tolerate hero casting or laying line and indicators over them; they'll shut down and stop feeding.

MIDDLE FRYINGPAN (Mile Marker 4 upstream to Mile Marker 8)

WATER CONDITIONS: Improved with the warm-ups

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Blue Winged Olive nymphs, Midges, Sculpins

OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10

THE LOW DOWN: The middle section has remained relatively clear, but like the upper river report states, we're warming up and will inevitably see some off-color water here and there. We should see a decent BWO hatch in this section any day now, and most likely some caddis as well.

You can ditch all the tiny fly rigs in the middle and lower river, and consider adding in some caddis larvae, stonefly nymphs, and even small green drake nymphs in size 16 or so. As mentioned above, worms will be very productive as the river gets off-color here and there.

HATCHES: Midges 20-26, (you might see an oddball BWO or two out there also)

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS: 

DRIES: CDC Biot BWO 20-22, Mole Fly Baetis 20-22, Harrop's CDC Biot Dun BWO 20-22, Harrop's CDC Thorax BWO 20-22, HOH Hanging Midge 20-22, Roy's Special Fryingpan Emerger 20-22, Massacre Midge 20-22

NYMPHS: Murder, She Wrote 20-22, Mercury Pheasant Tail 16-20, Tim Heng's BLM 16-18, Flashwing Black (or Gray) RS2 20-22, Zebra Midge Red 18-20, Tungsten Frenchie 16, Egg 16-18

STREAMERS:  Tungsten Double Thin Mint, Dali-Lama, Skully Bugger, Tim Heng's Autumn Splendor

HINTS: Keep moving if you're mid-river, there's going to be quiet zones and others with more activity the more you explore. The middle river can hold more fish than you'd think!

LOWER FRYINGPAN (Basalt upstream to Mile Marker 4) 

WATER CONDITIONS: Much improved with the recent warm-ups.

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Caddis larvae, pupa and adults, Blue Winged Olive nymphs, emergers and adults, golden stonefly nymphs, midges, sculpins

OVERALL RATING: 6 out of 10 

THE LOWDOWN: We say it all the time -- hatches start earlier in the season at the lower elevations near town. We've got caddis and BWOs crawling around the back porch here at the shop, but it will be weeks before we see them up near the dam.

The fish down lower see significantly less pressure and tend to be easier to fool. Another week or two and you can even consider small hopper-dropper rigs and Euro setups.

HATCHES: Caddis 14-18, Blue Winged Olives 18-20, Midges 20-26

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS: 

DRIES: Elk Hair Caddis 14-18, Missing Link Caddis 16-18, TC Custom Collette's BWO Adult 18-20, Parachute Purple Haze Adams 16-20, Traditional Adams 16-22, Morgans Midge 18-22, Hatching Midge 20-22, Sprout Midge 22-24, HOH CDC Spent Midge 22-24, Mole Fly Baetis 20-22, Harrop's CDC Biot Dun BWO 20-22, CDC Comparadun BWO 20-22 

NYMPHS: Prince Nymph 16-18, Twenty Incher Nymph 16, Bucksin Caddis 16-18, Cat Poop Stonefly 6-10, Jerome Baetis 20-22, Ultra Bling RS2 Gray 18-20, Stott's Good Carl 20, Murder She Wrote Rust 20-22, Bling Midge 20-24

STREAMERS:  Home Invader, Carlton Banks, Skully Bugger, Dali-Lama

HINTS: Fish in the lower river tend to ramble and migrate around, so keep searching if you're not feeling the love.

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

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