made my way to it. The fishing has always sounded good but the crowds
made it sound not so good. This last week the weather looked horrible
so last minute I figured it would be a good time to check out the
fabled Pan. With snow falling Monday I half-*ss packed my truck with
food, clothes and already wet fire wood and went on my way. Grabbed
some 5X leader at Clear Creek Outdoors and hit the rainy/snowy highway
headed west.
I arrived a few hours later in a foreign place. Crap weather with
fishermen sitting in running vehicles keeping warm. I thought it was
great that their expensive waterproof gear was not working as I put on
my waders and 7 year-old snowboard coat and went on my way! I spent a
while walking and checking it all out and ended up at a deep run in
front of the parking lot. I was throwing a deep weighted setup of
various midges trailing a mysis shrimp and caught a few nice fish on
WD-40s … then I caught a big ole trout on the mysis. It took about 15
minutes, about 25 yards, a few missed nets as he got close in … and
then took off again! Finally success! On 6X tippet and I had a Frying
Pan Pig Cutthroat. I was in pure bliss. Over the course of the evening
I caught some more nice trout and broke off 2 more pigs but I was OK
with that.
Before dark I drove up the dirt road to find a place to camp for the
night and ended up at a cool sandstone wall with a fire pit, and spent
a while working with my wet wood to get it going. Enjoyed the night
thinking of that hoss of a trout with some beers and a warm fire.
Slept in the back of the Tacoma and awoke to sun and it starting to
warm some. Went back to the same run and I took some pics of the dam
on the way down. Fished same set up and hooked some fish of fair size.
Then trucks started piling in and I quickly realized why I have never
been here. Tuesday crowds? Jags that walk right up to the pod of fish
you are fishing upstream to and stand 5 ft in front of them? I took a
few pics of them jags in disbelief. Went back to my truck and went a
half mile down stream and had a blast catching 8 to 18 inch trout in
pocket water before I headed home.
I think I got lucky on this trip to have then place to myself for a
while but saw what it is normally like with guys who think its OK to
wish within casting range which is why I seldom fish these famous
spots. That Frying Pan Pig will hold me for quite awhile as I'm much
more attracted to the serenity that other Colorado waters have to
offer.
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