Fryingpan River

UPPER FRYINGPAN (Mile Marker 8 upstream to Ruedi Reservoir)
FLOW: 155 CFS
WATER CLARITY: Clean and cold
OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10 (a terrific flow for this time of year!)
FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Blue Winged Olives, Mysis shrimp, Midges, Sculpins

THE LOW-DOWN : Plentiful blue winged olive and midge hatches are happening midday, and have improved significantly this past week. Pay attention to the hatches, they tend to come off in waves and you need to roll with the changes.

Like always, the hatches can be thick in one spot and next to nothing in others, so sometimes you have to move around.

If you're struggling and seeing others whacking fish, keep your rigs short and sweet and try some "drab" nymphs like skinny plain pheasant tails and RS2s on flourocarbon 6x tippets. Keep your drifts short and sweet too, the fish will not tolerate seeing your fly line or butt section of your leader. Downstream dry fly presentations are practically a "rule" to stay effective. Be sure to ask about some of our custom Fryingpan patterns you can't get anywhere else.

Fishing on the Pan from 3 until dark can be quite productive, oftentimes we see another midge hatch near dusk under the dam.

Accessibility is easy, but use caution if the the pull outs are unplowed and you don't have four wheel drive. Getting stuck is not a fun way to start or end your day. The flows are still quite reasonable, and crowds will be less the further downstream you get from the dam.

Mysis shrimp are a year-round food factor, and don't forget your box full of streamers for low-light periods or any time it's breezy or snowy.
HATCHES: Blue Winged Olives 20-22, Midges 18-26, Winter Stoneflies 16-18
APPROPRIATE PATTERNS: DRIES: No Hackle BWO 20-22, Befus' Para Emerger BWO 20-22, Improved Sparkle Dun BWO 20-22, Putterbaugh Caddis Black 18, Perfect Baetis 20-22, No Hackle BWO 20-22, HOH Hanging Midge Grey/Black sz 20-22, Mole Midge 20-22, Roy Palm's Special Frying Pan Emerger 20-22, Bill's Midge Emerger 20-22, HOH CDC Midge Adult 22-24, HOH CDC Spent Midge 22-24, Hatching Midge 20-22, Morgan's Para Midge 20-22NYMPHS: CDC RS2 Grey/Black sz 20-22, BMW Foam Top RS2 Grey/ Black 20-22, Killer Mayfly Olive/ Brown 22, Jigged JJ Nymph BWO 18-20, Rojo Midge 20-22, Neon Nightmare 20-22, Bling Midge 20-22, Flashdance Midge 20-22, TC Candy Cane Midge 18-22, Money Midge 20-22, T Midge 20-22, Tim's Mysis 16-18, Will's Epoxy Mysis 16-20
STREAMERS: Cousin It Sculpin sz 6, Baby Gonga Tan/Yellow sz 8, Autumn Splendor sz 8, Carlton Banks White/Olive sz 4
HINTS: Hatches are thick in one spot and "not so much" in others, move around until you find 'em!

MIDDLE FRYINGPAN (Mile Marker 4 upstream to Mile Marker 8)WATER CONDITIONS: ClearFOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Blue Winged Olives, Midges, Winter Stoneflies, Sculpins
OVERALL RATING: 6 out of 10 THE LOW DOWN: For those who get bummed out seeing other anglers, here's a hint: the middle river has the same hatches without the crowds! Another benefit of fishing the middle river is the plethora of public access. What is private is clearly marked, and the rest is there for you to explore.
HATCHES: Blue Winged Olives 20-22, Midges 20-26, Winter Stoneflies 16-18
APPROPRIATE PATTERNS: DRIES: CDC Biot BWO 20-22, Uber-Realistic BWO 20-22, Mole Fly Baetis 20-22, Harrop's CDC Biot Dun BWO 20-22, Harrop's CDC Thorax BWO 20-22, Mole Fly Midge 20-22, HOH Hanging Midge 20-22, Roy's Special Fryingpan Emerger 20-22, Skittering Zelon Midge 20-22, Bills Midge Emerger 20-22, Brooks Sprout Midge 20-22, HOH CDC Spent Midge 22-24, HOH CDC Midge Adult 24, Hatching Midge 20-22, Morgan's Para Midge 20-22NYMPHS: Flashwing Black (or gray) RS2 20-22, Zebra Midge Red 18-20, Black Beauty 20-22, Maggot Midge 20-22, Kingrey's Cap'n Hook 20-22, Bead Wing Midge 20-22, Rojo Midge 20-22,
STREAMERS: Tungsten Double Mint sz 8, Beldar Lemon Drop sz 8, White Zuddler sz 8, Hansen's Meal Ticket sz 4
HINTS: Fish a whole mile of river, you'll fish many different water types and get shots at a lot of fish!