Jenn Fields and her first ever trout, a RMNP Greenback Cutthroat
A few weeks back I promised a friend, Jenn Fields, that I would teach her how to fly fish; on Monday it was time to do so. Unfortunately most of the streams and rivers are a beautiful chocolate brown as they overflow their banks with the spring runoff. This left just a few options, primarily being lakes. After some deep thought and consultations with the folks at Rocky Mountain Anglers, I settled on a trip up to Rocky Mountain National Park. Jenn and I checked out the headwaters of the Big Thompson and made the wise decision to hike up from the Bear Lake Trailhead to Dream lake. There was a bit of snow on the ground and the lake was still half frozen but we found a good spot to practice casting. After little more than an hour of learning (and fight big wind gusts) Jenn had progressed to a point where she could effectively cast 6 meters of line with a 3-wt Orvis Hydros; it was time to go fishing.
We ventured up to the inlet and promptly saw greenback cutthroat trout stacked up and actively feeding. I quickly realized all of the casting lessons would be for naught as this would require a downstream drift. In any case we tied on a size 18 PMD and within minutes Jenn experienced her first take. After some minor confusion as to what “set the hook” meant, Jenn fought the little beauty successfully to the bank. It was great to see how excited she was – I had almost forgotten the joy when someone catches their first trout. We caught a few more before hiking back out – with Jenn already asking when we could go again.
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Hi Dan! Cool post. I stumbled onto your site through a Google search.
I have 2 guests coming into town this week, my father in law and a buddy. Both love fly fishing and are counting on me to put them onto fish lol. With the rivers a mess, I am thinking of hiking to Dream, with a side bonus of a few casts at Sprague, and time permitting maybe a few at Lily. I was at Westlake up near Red Feather last week- caught a mess of Rbows but it’s a fairly tame spot for out of town guests compared to the Park. I caught a nice Brown in Sprague just this weekend. Unfortunately I will be heading up on a Saturday which is stale for crowds but can’t be avoided.
Do you think this is a decent idea? Looks like you were just there, and greenbacks were eating PMD’s, huh? I have been to Dream before but alas, was with non-fishing family and did not have gear.
Lastly, was the trail decent? We are all healthy/able hikers but wondered about snow cover.
Hi Joe,
Though Dream still had ice on about half of it there was plenty of open water to fish (particularly by the inlet – Greenbacks were stacked up along both sides of the log). I think the temperatures up there have been warm enough that no more ice should have formed in the last week. Everything higher was still frozen solid. Overall you should have a good time getting your family on the fish at Dream. As for the trail, it still had some snow left on it but was easy to hike (no post holes). That said with the rain in the past few days I am sure things have changed for both the snow and mud. Also depending on what the rain has done, you might also try fishing Glacie Creek on your way to the Bear Lake trailhead. There was a lot of water but it contained quite a few smooth sections with rising fish.
Have a great trip!
Right on! Thanks. Looking forward to it. The Glacier Creek idea is a good one.
I’m confident Joe can get me and his father in law on some fish this weekend! Thanks for the tips, we’re all looking forward to some good Colorado fishing!
Hey Dan, like I said, I’ve never fished Dream. Is it crazy or even necessary to wear waders in Dream? Or is it pretty much shore based? I can wear waders, trying to visualize the hike in waders…
Also, the only times I’ve ever fished Sprague I’ve shore casted. Is it legal to wade into Sprague or even Glacier Creek?
Might seem like dumb questions, but I know the Park has different reg’s. Don’t want to incite any wrath or get a fine or something!
Thanks
Hi Joe,
You do not need waders for Dream; you can access pretty much everything from shore. The only time waders are useful up there are when everything is melted and you are fishing the little creek. With the snow (that has probably melted drastically since I was there) still high, you shouldn’t need to worry about it. The one thing I would caution are the snow bridges over the creek (to get to the other side of the lake; these have probably weakened drastically and should be avoided.
To the best of my knowledge you are free to wear waders in the streams just about anywhere. I have done it plenty of times and seen park rangers wander past. You can always ask at the gate yo get into the park.
Cheers,
Dan
Hey Dan, last question I promise
Are there any fish in Nymph or Bear? I heard fishing is illegal in Bear?
We head up bright and early tomorrow.
Tight Lines,
Joe
No worries.
Bear is closed to fishing (there are fish) and I suspect that Nymph freezes but I am not positive. You should definitely ask a ranger about Nymph.
Good luck,
Dan