| Angling Gold Medal Waters |
By: Warwick Mowbray
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The Frying Pan and Roaring Fork Valleys offer excellent opportunities for great trout fishing throughout the year. The Frying Pan itself is famous the world over for its magnificent dry fly fishing, as well as the prolific number of fish it can support. The Roaring Fork is not so well known, but offers equally excellent fishing, particularly while floating in a raft or a drift boat.
The Frying Pan below Ruedi Dam and the Roaring Fork River from Basalt to Glenwood are both designated Gold Medal trout waters. There are 14 miles of river in the Frying Pan between Basalt and Ruedi, and 40 miles of the Roaring Fork between Aspen and Glenwood. In addition, there is the Frying Pan above Ruedi, the fork above Aspen and the Crystal River, which also provides good fishing. And of course, all waters flow into the Colorado, where there is further good fishing depending on the water conditions.
Fishing is available in our area 365 days a year. The fly fishing on the Lower Frying Pan can be particularly good in the depths of winter. Reudi is a bottom-release dam, putting water into the Frying Pan that is warm relative to the rest of the waters on the coldest days of winter. Hence the availability of good fishing all year. Similarly, the cold-water releases at the height of summer keep water temperatures lower, extending the hatches of insects for longer periods. The large green drake mayfly is a favorite food of the trout. In addition, it is a favorite fly of fishermen because of its size. The drake hatches on the Roaring Fork until July, and on the Frying Pan from July through to September. In a freestone river like the Fork, as the water warms, the drakes will hatch quite quickly, higher and higher up the river. In the natural world, this hatch will only last a short time. However, with the colder temperatures of the Lower Frying Pan, this prolongs the drake hatch for several months so that even in September fishermen close to Ruedi Dam can enjoy the drama of trout rising to take a hatching drake.
Another feature of Ruedi Dam was the introduction of the mysis shrimp. The idea was that the mysis would support a population of coho salmon in the dam. The experiment failed but the mysis bred and flourished in the deep Ruedi waters. When water is released from the bottom of Ruedi, it puts the mysis into the Frying Pan for the benefit of the waiting fish population. This food source is one of the contributing factors to the exceptional growth of trout where the dam spills into the lower Frying Pan River.
The other great fishing in our area is the Roaring Fork River. Apart from walk wading, it offers the opportunity to take a float trip in either a raft or a drift boat. In addition to permitting the fisherman to access excellent fishing, the trip gives a unique perspective of the river. Fishing from a raft or a boat is a different experience from walk wading. It is faster, and the fisherman covers a much greater area with the opportunity to see a lot of big fish in areas inaccessible to waders.
In addition, it is a great opportunity to fish streamers which engenders a lot of excitement when a big trout charges out of a holding zone to chase away the interloper. If you enjoy your fly fishing but have never floated, it is an experience worth putting on your list of things to do.
In our area there are a number of full-service fly and guiding shops which provide all the services and facilities necessary to enable any fishermen from the novice to the expert to enjoy the full range of fishing. We at Frying Pan Anglers take pride in our knowledgeable and experienced staff and guides who are available to assist any visitors who would like to explore the opportunities for a great fishing holiday. |
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