Banner Fly Fishing Day for 11 Year Old in Eleven Mile Canyon

It is one thing to be an experienced adult fly fisher and catch fish like this Snake River Cutthroat and quite another thing to only be 11 years old!  This young man is well on his way to becoming a master fly fisher!
Great cast! Great Drift. Perfect hook set. Perfect battle. This fish was  netted and released to live another day.

Eleven Mile Canyon Fly Fishing Report: Banner Days and Some Not So Banner Days

Inconsistent might be the word for 11 mile Canyon right now. If your in the right place on the right day it can be great fishing. And great dry fly fishing. But on the wrong day such as when a cold breeze is whipping down the canyon it can be a whole different game. I think the heavy flows are also impacting the dry fly fishing. Why rise to tiny tricos in heavy water when the fish can just lay low and feed on nymphs and larvae and worms. In some sections we are also seeing great PMD hatches but once again it depends on the day as to how well the fish will rise to them.

If you find rising fish to tricos in the morning try your usual dry fly trico imitations. But experiment. I often throw a small parachute adams and that often does the trick. A small black and white winged parachute trico seems to work well. And a  small yellowish olive bodied comparadun (size 18)  has been working for the PMD's

As far as nymphing goes the old brown San Juan worm and small sparkle wing RS2 (try gray and black) has been producing as good as anything. Same old rig for 30 years now!   :)

Co-Ed Spirituality and Fly-Fishing Retreat 8/20-21

Spirituality and Fly-Fishing Retreat

for

Wednesday-Thursday, August 20-21,  2014

Join us.  For more information email Anthony Surage at suragea1@aol.com 

In depth discussions on faith and fly fishing. Guided fly fishing on private ponds and the South Platte River. $135.00/person. Includes 3 meals, lodging, and fly fishing equipment (except waders).  

Trout Rising to Trico's On The South Platte

In spite of the high flows trout are rising to Trico and PMD mayflies  in Eleven Mile Canyon's South Platte River.This type of dry fly fishing can be maddening and exhilarating at the same time.  

But it is a memorable experience to catch one's first trout on a dry fly as Rochelle did this morning.The Trico hatch is particularly challenging due to the small size of the insects (size 24),  the fine leaders, and the perfect presentation needed to entice the trout to take the fly off the surface. Expect many fish to snub you as they stick their nose up only to turn away at the last second. The trick is to "spoon feed" them with a "fly first" drag free presentation.

"Look at this Wonderful Place for a Father and Daughter to Fly Fish", South Platte River

Eleven Mile Canyon is a wonderful place to fly fish. For anyone. But,  it seems especially wonderful for a father and daughter. Yesterday I helped out Ken and his daughter Bonny.

Not that they needed my help. They were hooking fish up and down the river on San Juan worms, RS2's and black midges. I helped do some netting and releasing but Dad had already taught his daughter how to net and release fish.

Dad was fishing well. Really well; but Bonny was out fishing him (funny how that often happens with Father's and daughters). The fishing was so good and they were doing so well that I wondered  why I was even there. Was I really needed? They did not need much guiding.

Yet, right from the start they had my attention because whenever I see a Dad and daughter spending special time on a river it tugs on my heart.  I have two daughters of my own and we have spent special time on rivers together. So, while they had my attention I started to wonder if I was here to learn something from them or maybe even the rocks themselves.  It felt like I was in a "thin place" and I was about to become aware of something.

As we fished,  Ken and I talked. I told him I had just  retired  from education and I was mainly now only  guiding on this river.We both spoke of how we did not like how certain aspects of  "religion". can be ugly and yet agreed there was a creator to the beauty we were looking at. Ken got quiet for a moment and gazed at the sunlight on the granite canyon walls and then said. "Anthony, look around you. Take it all in. You are living my dream. I would love to retire and move here and be able to fish this river all the time"

He repeated the phrase, . "Look around you. Take it all  in".

"Anthony, Look around you. Take it all in". .

"Anthony, Look around you. Take it all in."

"Look around you and take it all in." 

But can I learn what it is that 'he' was wanting me to see?



 .

Fly Fishing On The Rise in Eleven Mile Canyon

Fish are rising in 11 mile canyon to caddis, Pale Morning Duns, midges and some Tricos. Water flows are dropping, fish are rising.