Waldo Canyon Fire

The Waldo Canyon Fire is continuing to grow to both the North East and Southwest.   Manitou Springs, Green Mountain Falls, and various areas on the west side of Colorado Springs have been evacuated. Flames are visible from Highway 24.  I was trying to get down the pass and was turned home to Woodland Park at the El Paso county line heading eastbound.  So highway 24 has been closed both east and westbound. Thoughts and prayers are targeted at everyone being effected by this fire.  A good friend of mine has evacuated his house on the West side of Colorado Springs and I wish him and his family all the best.  I also want to take time to thank the Fire Fighters and everyone else working on the fire and those working at the shelters.  Below are a few pictures of the fire from a Woodland Park vantage point.  If any thing else important pops up I will let you know.  Best of luck to all those dealing with this tragedy. 

South Platte River Update

This past week, I had the privilege of fishing with a great father and son duo for a few days.  We fished the Middle Fork, South Fork, and North Fork of the South Platte River and each one fished great.  We caught fish on both dries and nymphs.  Caddis, Tricos, Yellow Sallies and other nymphs are all producing fish.  Raymond and his 10 year old son Ryan were able to not only get into a lot of fish, but some real quality fish as well.  Below are some pictures from this past week.  On another note, I want to thank all the firefighters for working hard to contain the Springer Fire near Elevenmile Canyon and Lake George.  However, I must say that I am in complete disbelief with the explosion of the Waldo Canyon Fire closing in on the west side of Colorado Springs. I do not understand what people are thinking and how they start these things when they know the conditions.  Anyways, more thoughts and prayers will be directed towards those whose homes are in the track of this burn and for the firefighters battling this new blaze. Please people, I am begging that you be more cautious.  Our state is one of the most beautiful in the country and you are destroying it with carelessness. 

Hot Weather and Hot Fishing!!

This past week was another great week of guide trips.  Both the South Platte River in South Park and on our Private water are fishing great.  In South Park, crowds have been getting heavier and the fish are feeling the pressure.  Light tippet is becoming a key component of fooling these large fish. Fish are also eating dries, which makes for a more diverse fishing day.  The private water on the North Fork is also fishing great.  High flows make landing fish exciting and difficult.  However, the size of the fish is worth the battle.  These fish have been eating voraciously and some very big fish have been being caught.  Now is great time to book a trip whether you are a seasoned angler or a beginner.  Call Colorado Trout Hunters at 303-325-5515. We have a great guide staff to lead you to some great fishing.  On another note, there is a fire ban in effect for a reason.  Just this afternoon, a fire has crept to the rim of 11 Mile Canyon.  Firefighters across the state are doing their best to ensure the future of Colorado's forests.  Please respect the fire ban and be careful when doing anything outside.  Below are some pictures from this week's trips.

Great Week of Guide Trips

The past week I had the pleasure of fishing with some great people and was able to help them get into some great fish.  The trips this week took place largely on the South Platte River in South Park. We were able to get some great fish on each trip on both nymphs and dries as bug activity continues to grow.  I also had a trip on the one of the amazing private sections of the North Fork of the South Platte River.  As always, the fishing on this stretch was nothing less than stellar.  All over, fishing has been absolutely great on all of the waters we fish.  Fish are actively eating dries and nymphs as Caddis, PMDs, Yellow Sallies, and other Stoneflies are really starting to move around.  Below are some pictures from the past week's trips.

More Fun in South Park

Yesterday, I had Geoff and Patty out for a nice day in South Park.  Flows have been dropped and fishing has become a little more difficult.  That being said, we had a very good day finding and catching some great trout.  With lower flows, the fish will hold tighter to structure. Dry flies will also begin to come more and more into play.  On another note, apparently more people read the blog here than I had originally thought and because of this, I will be changing the format of river reports. I will be posting once a week with a report from the week's trips.  I feel this will allow for a more diverse and comprehensive report.  The only exceptions will be if I head up for a personal day with friends.  Anyways, below are some pictures from yesterday's trip.

Big Fish, Big Wind

Today I met Simon out at the Dream Stream for a full day trip.  From the start the wind was blowing and it would only get stronger as the day progressed.  However, that did not stop Simon from putting an absolute smack down on a ton of big fish.  While most fish were in the 18-22 inch class, we did land one Rainbow that measured out at 24.  The fish were extremely grabby as we sight fished to almost each and every trout.  The fish were chowing hard on leeches, worms, and caddis nymphs.  Even in all the wind, there were even some rises that had me considering tying a dry onto Simon's rod.  Below is a just a few pictures from our awesome, yet windy day in South Park. 

South Park Slayfest

The Dream Stream out in South Park is one of those places that can provide for banner days.  Today was one of those days for myself and my buddy Tanner Smith.  The first cast of the day yeilded an aggressive take from a 20 inch Snake River Cutthroat and the day just continued on from there.  Throughout the day big fish were aggressively eating big meaty morsels.  When those failed, caddis nymphs took the full force of big Rainbow, Cutbow, and Brown Trout.  Between the two of us we landed well over 40 fish, many of which were over 20 inches, and the largest being a thick 24 inch Rainbow.  If you would like to sight fish and hunt some of this big Dream Stream fish, the coming weeks will be a great time to book a trip and let me help get you on some of the biggest, hardest fighting fish around.  Below are a few pictures from today.