SILVERTHORNE — A time of transition has arrived along the Blue River.
No longer summer yet not true fall, signs of both are evident to fishermen pulling on waders and rigging up fly rods in the several public-access pull-offs along Colorado 9 above Green Mountain Reservoir.
The sun is bright, the day already hot. Aspen on the mountainsides are beginning to turn, and streamside brush shows subtle signs that its season of growth is on the downside. The river sparkles in the sunlight. Wading offers cool refreshment from the sunlight, and in a shaded slick along the far bank, a trout rises to some unseen insect, perhaps to a late-summer grasshopper that has ventured too close to the water.
“We’re coming out of the summer, and the fall fishing is just starting,” Sean Dailey of the local Cutthroat Anglers shop reported. “We’re starting to see some Baetis, and fishing with dry flies and emergers has been pretty good. It’s best early in the morning and again late in the afternoon.”
When the mayflies are hatching, most of the standard Baetis imitators, among them the venerable Adams pattern in an appropriate size, can be effective. Effective emerger patterns, in sizes 18-24, include the Barr’s Emerger, olive RS-2 and Big Bear Emerger. Small Pheasant Tails and bead-head Pheasant Tails are good choices for imitating the mayflies in their nymph stage.
Dry fly or emerger, proper presentation on the popular river is essential.
“These fish have seen a lot of flies,” said Brandon Omahen, who guides for the shop and spends winters on the ski patrol at Winter Park. “The drift is very important. It has to be natural. If it’s a little off, they’re not interested. When you get just the right drift, they’ll usually come up for your fly.”
Baetis activity will vary daily but will continue well into October. Though they might offer the most consistent dry-fly fishing, fishermen can also find other possibilities.
At least through the seasonal transition, terrestrial insects remain of interest to the trout. A hopper pattern or attractor dry fly, often fished with a nymph or emerger as a trailing fly, can be productive near the banks.
Caddis, though winding down, still are evident, especially in the late afternoon into evening. Even on a bright afternoon, drifting or even skittering a tan Elk-Hair Caddis through pocket water can raise fish.
As a rule, however, during the bright time of day, drifting a nymph through deeper water remains the most productive approach. A bead-head nymph, trailed by an RS-2, Rojo Midge or Zebra Midge, is a standard rig.
Above Green Mountain Reservoir, the river has rainbow and cuttbow trout, as well as browns, which will become more aggressive as their spawning season nears. Though it’s not as famous for monstrous fish as the section directly below Dillon Dam, some are quite large. At least one angler tells of “Fishzilla” — a 24-incher caught and released multiple times from the same holding water — and others also have their favorite big-fish stories.
The trout soon will have some company. The reservoir has kokanee salmon, which periodically enter the river at spawning time and provide another dimension for fishermen. Schools of salmon often are visible in deeper, relatively quiet water.
Though not actively feeding, the salmon will take numerous flashy fly patterns, perhaps out of agitation. Egg patterns, chartreuse Copper Johns, Flashback Pheasant Tails, bead-head Prince Nymphs and streamer flies made with Krystal Flash or bright- pink materials all can take salmon, which will provide a wild ride through fast water on a 5-weight line.
For the moment, no salmon are visible in the mile or two above the reservoir where they will make their fateful run. But as the sun begins its descent, mayflies and a handful of caddis appear. In the evening cool, trout begin to rise.
Soon enough, fall officially will arrive. It will bring its own attractions to the Blue River. But however fleeting, the time of transition also offers plenty.
