FLYMPH FORUM

The Interstate-70 corridor has been shut down off and on for the past 36 hours due to smoke. The little fire that started Wed. and was first reported at a little over 100 acres is now close to 10,000 acres. It won’t get the publicity like the fires near Colorado Springs, Boulder, or even the fires near Durango. Those fires have been deadly, taking life and property. Over 500 homes have been lost to those blazes. The fire in my neck of the woods threatened a small town (Debeque, Colorado), but a back burn was started last night and saved the town.

The fire is smack dab in the middle of the rout that I drive to work every day to Rifle Colorado. I left earlier than usual to get to work, as I had to take a 60 mile detour around the fire. I worked till noon, drove to Glenwood Springs and fished the Colorado for a few hours, before returning home. Lucky for me the Interstate was reopened and I didn’t have to take the detour home.

I managed a few fish in the short time I was on the river. Sorry, left the camera at work. Like the Gunnison last weekend, the fish were chasing caddis emergers. Aggressive splashes, with the occasional trout coming all the way out of the water. Casting down and across with a very large upstream mend has been producing very well for me. Last week a little yellow abdomen Soft Hackle worked on the Gunnison. Today, it was a Brown abdomen SH. Virtually the same pattern only different color threads for the body. The fly today had a tail. Last week the fly didn’t.
Size16


A picture of the sunrise this morning. Lots of smoke.

Nice fly! Lately for caddis flymph emergers I have been going to a shuck of rusty or amber sparkle yarn instead of a traditional tail.

Beautiful little pattern.

We have some close friends that are evacuated, their neighborhood is burnt to the ground but they believe that their home was spared do to a rimrock behind their house that split the fire and it didn't merge again until it burned past their home. However, after they see the smoke damage they'll probably wish it went as well.

Our family lost a home in Tahoe a couple years ago. The rebuilding was just finished a few months ago.

Prayers go out to all in the middle of these events.

This is great. Killer fly and a nice report. You've got a healthy respect for the fires, and perspective enough to keep your eyes on the rises. Glad you got out today. Stay safe.

DUBBIN, Howdy;

Good to know you are staying 'aware', Funny how the fires near the folks with
deep pockets get all of the press. I'm not saying those aren't tragities, they all are
and those near Colorad Springs are huge.
The East slope has the bad luck of having those 'downsloping' winds that feed oxygen
into the fire... Keep your 72 hr. grab bag handy...

hank

Thank you, Wayne, for your account of how tragedies like these fires affect many folks in many ways. And that's a dandy little fly you've posted too; I can just imagine a fish coming down on that from above.

Beautiful pattern, love it. Sorry about those fires. That is awful. I hope that y'all get a lot of rain to knock them out.

Wayne - Can you provide the recipe for the fly posted above. Once again, I am wanting to copy your patterns...

letumgo wrote:Wayne - Can you provide the recipe for the fly posted above. Once again, I am wanting to copy your patterns...

This may be tough as the dubbing is home made.

Hook - Mustad 3906B size 16
working thread - UTC 70- Brown
Tail - Dun Hen hackle
Abdomen - C&C thread-Brown
Thorax - I started off with a 50/50 blend of SLF Squirrel dubbing and natural Hares Ear. For me the blend was too dark, so I added some Cream Hareline dubbing given to me by JohnP. I kept mixing it until I was satisfied with the color. If I had to guess I would say the proportions ended up being close to 1/3, 1/3, 1/3. Next I wanted some color like the fly my buddy had. It had Red, Orange, Yellow, and Purple as very subtle enhancers. I had Antron in Red. Hares Web Dubbing in Orange that was also provided by JohnP. Yellow was a problem. What to do, what to do? The only Yellow material I had that would work was strung hackle that I use for streamers and Woolly Buggers. I clipped the barbules off one side of one feather and threw it in the plastic bag, with a little of the Orange and a little of the Red. I hit it hard with canned air and thats the dubbing I used. Purple is the devil and has no place in the fishing world, so it was omitted . Even if everybody that I fish with likes purple, it's still bad juju.
I swear Ray, it was easyer mixing this dubbing than explaining it.

Collar- Dun Hen Hackle

Thanks Wayne. Great "spectrumized" dubbing blend. You've given me another reason to play.

How did you form the thorax?