Fall Run Winding Down, Fall Crowds Still Insane

As October comes closer and closer to being over, so does the annual fall spawning season.  There are fish still kicking around and fish are still on beds, but the main run is about over.  I have seen a few fish already starting to head back to the lake.  The fish that are still in the river are super spooked.  The amount of people that have been on the water is making fishing much more challenging.  On the same note, people continue to rip fish off of spawning beds. If you happen to see someone doing this, do us all a favor and educate them.  I am not saying go be a jerk and yell at them, but politely inform them what is taking place on that clear patch of gravel.  We will all appreciate that down the road.  Anyways, my trip yesterday was super affected by the crowds.  It was near impossible to find any water at all, and when we did, the fish had seen twenty anglers before us.  I was lucky enough to have clients that were good sports about the amount of walking that was required. When we found feeding fish we were able to get into them.  If not, we really had to beat the water and hope a fish would give.  That being said, we landed some really nice Browns, a great Rainbow, and a really nice Kokanee Salmon as well.  Below are some pictures. 

Be Nice to Big Girls

Over the past week I have had another great stretch of guide trips.  On Thursday I had a day off and my buddy Tanner and I headed up to the Dream to see if we could find some big fish.  Well we were there for about two hours and fished for about ten minutes before leaving.  The crowds on the river were amazing. Easily close to a hundred cars between the main three lots.  Regardless of the crowds, I had a trip back out there on Friday.  We battled the weather and ended getting into some awesome fish.  However, while walking up towards the tressle run, I ran into a guy who said, there are hens moving all over these redds, its been awesome.  First of all, respect the redds people! Especially if it is a big female sitting there getting ready to unload her eggs.  Anyways, away from the Dream Stream and its large brown trout, the South Platte in the mileage closer to Denver is also fishing very well.  Browns are spawning here as well, so again be aware of where you are walking.  Fish are very fat and colorful in this section and both nymphs and dries have been productive.  Below are some pictures of just a few of the great fish we got into this past week.

Big Crowds in South Park

This past week has without question seen the biggest start of what I call the crowded season out in South Park.  While fish are showing up, it is a walking man's game.  Covering water and dodging crowds is without a doubt the toughest thing to do right now.  Fish are starting to show up on redds as well.  Please be respectful of these fish.  If you see a pair or any hen sitting on their redds, leave them alone and keep walking.  Those big girls have the future of the fishery inside them.  This cold front will undoubtedly continue to move fish and keep the crowds heavy.   While the fishing is good and some big fish are being caught in South Park, our private water on the North Fork is fishing great as well.  I took out a buddy from college and his two brothers that were in for a wedding.  We were able to get into a ton of fish and some big guys as well.  Also, big browns are not exclusive to South Park as Nick was able to get a great male brownie on the North Fork.  Below are some pictures from this past week.

Fall Fishing on the South Platte

Well it is now October and with the cooler weather brings on the change of season, leaves begin to turn color, and some of the most exciting fishing of the year takes place.  Brown Trout will begin their spawn and the people will be out in large numbers to try and find a trophy.  I was hesitant to post any photos and have actually decided to keep some of them for my stash reserved for friends and family.  However, while many others having been struggling out in South Park, myself and a friend have been chasing and landing some very large fish. That being said, the flows have now been bumped and more and more people will be on the river as you can see in a picture below.  On that note, please refrain to fishing to fish on redds that are paired up and if you do foul hook the fish, break him off, give him twenty minutes and try again to fair hook him.  Other than the Dream Stream, the Deckers area has been fishing good as well. Both nymphs and dries are producing great numbers of fish.  Once again however, crowds have been very heavy. I have also been on our high mountain private lakes and fishing has been consistent.  We are hooking a lot of nice rainbows, along with a large number of Brook Trout.  This private water is an excellent place to take in great scenery while catching some fish on Dry/Dropper rigs.  Below are some pictures.  The top fish weighed just shy of 8lbs.  Some have been caught this month already, and others were caught in September when others were struggling in South Park.  When it comes to a guide on the Dream Stream, choose someone who spends there whole season there, not someone who just shows up when fish show up on redds.  This advantage will help you in the long run.  Regardless of if it is myself or another guide, that really should be a quality you look for when chasing these amazing lake run fish. 

 

Here is a picture of the crowd directly below the cliff hole.  No wonder the fish are hiding.