LOWER FRYINGPAN (Basalt upstream to Mile Marker 4)
WATER CONDITIONS: Clear
FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Caddis, Golden stonefly nymphs, Blue Winged Olives, Midges, Sculpins
OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10
THE LOWDOWN: We are starting to see our first Fryingpan mayflies of the year down here. Little BWOs have been coming off on warmer afternoons. We've had a few random caddis on the windows behind the shop as well. Most fish are still hanging out near the bottom, but that's bound to change any day, so get out there and look for some heads.
Spring has sprung, so be aware of spawning beds -- they look like patches of brighter, polished riverbed, usually in slower sections -- and please, do not fish them. Not only is it bad practice, but it impacts the viability of the species we all love.
HATCHES: Caddis 16-18, Blue Winged Olives 18-20, Midges 20-26
APPROPRIATE PATTERNS:
DRIES: Lawson's No Hackle Baetis 20-22, Harrop's CDC Biot Dun BWO 20-22, Roy Palm's Special Fryingpan Emerger 20-22, Traditional Adams 20-22, 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: Cat Poop Stone 10-12, 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.