Name: Brent B.
Date Submitted: 1/17/2012
Dates Fished: 1-15-12
Comments on A-9 Fourmile Creek near Cripple Creek
Made my first trip to A-9 with my son- got on the water about 11:00. Warm day- hit 48. The stream was running very low and the fish were very skittish. This stream is chock full of fish- we must have spooked 100. We landed about a dozen browns up to 14 inches on both dry and dropper. Royal Wulff with #18 red copper john was a good combo- hooked a lot of fish on the dropper but they released themselves. There are a pile of fish between 12 and 15 inches here. My son was bringing them up on a #24 parachute adams. This was very technical fishing because of the low flows- there were risers on the flats, but it was near impossible to get a cast without spooking them. Beautiful remote location- great day for mid winter. I'll be back when the waters a little higher. If you're jonesing to cast a dry fly in the winter A-9 is the spot.
Name: Ed
Date Submitted: 1/15/2012
Dates Fished: Jan. 14, 2012
Comments on A-9 Fourmile Creek near Cripple Creek
I fished roughly 1 to 1.5 miles south of the Parking area. The banks had ice on them and there was 4 to 6 inches of hard packed snow above the water in many places around the creek. I began around 9:30am and the sun had not yet come over the hills. The fish really didn't start feeding until about 11:00am when the sun lit up the creek. I caught 5 browns in the 12 inch (+/-) range over the next 3 hours. I used zebra midge and green copper john.
Name: Steve R
Date Submitted: 11/7/2011
Dates Fished: Oct. 3, 2011
Comments on C-50 Yampa River
Probably the most important thing about fishing this property is to double check your equipment to make sure it can handle big fish. On this pleasant Monday afternoon in early October the flows on the Yampa were good (perhaps 200 cfs) and the fish were hungrey. Went with my son-in-law who is an experienced fly fisherman and has guided on the Frying Pan and Roaring Fork. We used primarily a rig having a size 14-16 beadhead pheasant tail with a size 20 baetis nymph trailer. In the first main upstream riffle we caught several good-sized rainbows (18-20"). Then in this riffle my companion hooked a huge rainbow that took him down stream into the slacker water. He fought this fish for perhaps 15 minutes before it tired enough to bring close to the net. But before he could get it into his net--mine wasn't large enough but I could scare the fish upstream closer to his net--the line snapped!
This was a great loss for this rainbow was about 26" and 10 lbs and would have been the largest trout my son-in-law ever caught. Afterwards he chalked the loss up to an old and weak 4X tippet explaining that he had not used the 4X in the last 2-3 years and it must have degraded with time. He left for the Green River the next day with new 4X tippet in hand, but greatly disappointed from lossing that trophy bow. Other riffles held fish but none could compare to the one that got away.
Name: Tom Farrell
Date Submitted: 10/30/2011
Dates Fished: Oct 29, 2011
Comments on A-16 North Fork of Big Thompson
Fished A-16 today from 1000-1330 hours. Weather was brisk with partly sunny skies, wind NNW at 15-25 mph, air temp was 45 degrees. I noticed driving through Big Thompson canynon, that the water level of the Big Thompson was notably higher due to recent snowfall. Angler's contemplating fishing A-19 should take note. I stoped by the creek initially, CFS was 33, water clear. I didn't fish the creek but concentrated my efforts on the pond. No risers noted in the "chop". The water level was good, water temp was 47 degrees. I tried a few different patterns but settled on a #18 Blood Worm pupa. Landed 3 rainbows and 2 brown trout for the period. Had a few more strikes, but the wind at times was problematic. I again used a light split shot between the 2 flies. I have throughly enjoyed fishing this "new" property this season. I will return early next year!
Name: Tom Farrell
Date Submitted: 10/23/2011
Dates Fished: Oct 22, 2011
Comments on A-16 North Fork of Big Thompson
Fished A-16 today from 0945-1400 hours.Weather was again superb, with partly sunny skies, light winds, air temp at 68 degrees. As in the recent past, I dedicated my efforts to the pond with a short trip to the creek. A few scattered rises were noted during the late morning, mostly midge activity. For the most part, I found that Wet Black Ants #16 and #16 Beetles were the most productive. I did land two fish on a #12 "Drowned Hopper". Landed 22 rainbows and 2 brown trout during the three hours on the pond. I fished the creek for about an hour, concentrating my efforts on the lower upper stretch, near the parking area. Landed two small browns and lost a couple of more on the #16 Steeves Firefly. CFS was at 13, clear water. Since the water is now seasonably low, the fish are particularly "spooky". I spooked several fish in the shallows. Another excellent day!