# 1st timer Breckenridge Area



## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

Need some advice from the folks on the Fly fishing forum. I have long wanted to dive off into fly fishing. We have been to Colorado several times but have not fished. While hiking in Estes Park area last year I could see trout in little stream. So this trip I am going fishing.

I will be going to Colorado the week July 7-11. We will be staying in a house on the Middle Fork of the South Platte close to Alma about 15 miles out of Breckenridge. The house is a few mile downstream from Montgomery Reservoir. It is advertised as having fishing in the River in front of the house.

I have never fly fished so please excuse the perhaps goofy questions and all help is appreciated.


1. Any tips on hiking trials that have fishing? Wife likes to hike I like to fish and hike. Win if I can find trails that have good fishing too. Last time in the Estes Park Are some of the trails followed streams and I could spot trout in them.

2. Any tips on good public access in the area?

3. What types of flies should I purchase? Dry, wet, nymph, streamer, emergent etc....

4. I bought a 8'6" 5wt. I bought 5 wt fluorocarbon tapered leaders. What tippet and what size flies?

5. The fly line I have is floating. Should I also have sinking?

6. What about using a sinking tippet? Or use of split shot?

7. Do I need waders? How cold should I expect the water to be?


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## jcsimmons (Feb 15, 2017)

A really easy river to fish and catch tons of fish is in glen wood sprigs. Not too far away. Tons of paved and unpacked walking trails. I use a small nymph about 12-18â€ below a bigger dry fly and Iâ€™ll use an indicator occasionally. Caught tons of browns in the 2-4# range last summer there. Lots of rainbows but they were smaller.

Fished outside of Vail which will be closer but fishing wasnâ€™t as good without a guide.

Caught about 20 of these a day









Caught probably 10-15 of these a day









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

Pretty Cool fish!!!! Thanks for the reply!!!!


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## rvd2 (Dec 3, 2016)

I suggest you call Breckenridge outfitters (Orvis store) and The Mountain Angler, both are outfitters on Main Street in breck and have very knowledgable and helpful staff.


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

I have been looking at Mountain Angler website and will be going to the store. I want to get some tackle and hopefully a little bit of information. Also been looking at other sites, just trying to learn what I can.


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## rvd2 (Dec 3, 2016)

SeaOx 230C said:


> I have been looking at Mountain Angler website and will be going to the store. I want to get some tackle and hopefully a little bit of information. Also been looking at other sites, just trying to learn what I can.


Cool. My standard MO is to get a guide for a day or two and they'll usually give up a couple local spots for you to try on your own later. The plus to Breckenridge Outfitters is that all their guides are orvis endorsed, which means they can give as much casting instruction as you want and put you on fish. Think they have some really reasonable packages (around $200). You're going a long way, $200 is a small price for the knowledge and experience IMO.

Good luck!


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## brian02 (May 24, 2006)

We took a guide out of mountain anglers a couple years ago and he knew his stuff but he was not very patient in teaching it. We had never been fly fishing and we wanted to give it a try. he was very short and essentially just told us the basics, placed us in the water and didn't say a whole lot more. the guide also took a couple of pics of my son with a fish and I never could get him to send them to us even after multiple text and phone calls asking for them.

We had actually reserved another guy there that had been recommended by several others on 2cool but at the last minute they bumped us to this other guy. 

not saying I wouldn't recommend them just that you need to be careful and upfront with what you want.


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

brian02 said:


> We took a guide out of mountain anglers a couple years ago and he knew his stuff but *he was not very patient in teaching it.* *We had never been fly fishing and we wanted to give it a try. he was very short and essentially just told us the basics, placed us in the water and didn't say a whole lot more. the guide also took a couple of pics of my son with a fish and I never could get him to send them to us even after multiple text and phone calls asking for them.*
> 
> We had actually reserved another guy there that had been recommended by several others on 2cool but at the last minute they bumped us to this other guy.
> 
> not saying I wouldn't recommend them just that you need to be careful and upfront with what you want.


Thank you for the honest reply.

This is exactly why I am trying to learn all I can and get all the tips I can from the 2cool family and other sources. I don't have time or money to rely totally on a guide. I want to know as much of the what when and where as I can before I ever get there.


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## Permit Rat (May 13, 2014)

SeaOx 230C said:


> Need some advice from the folks on the Fly fishing forum. I have long wanted to dive off into fly fishing. We have been to Colorado several times but have not fished. While hiking in Estes Park area last year I could see trout in little stream. So this trip I am going fishing.
> 
> I will be going to Colorado the week July 7-11. We will be staying in a house on the Middle Fork of the South Platte close to Alma about 15 miles out of Breckenridge. The house is a few mile downstream from Montgomery Reservoir. It is advertised as having fishing in the River in front of the house.
> 
> ...


Best advice anyone can give you on flies, would be to ask at a local fly shop. The "best" fly varies with the time of year and a whole host of other factors as well.

Suggest mono leaders, if you're dry fly fishing. Fluoro leader will sink and might drag a small dry fly under. Best overall daytime fishing tippet I have found, is 7X (about 2 lb. test) But others may have different opinions on that.

Floating fly line will serve all your needs in a stream, unless it is really big water with some big deep pools in it. At that, I would be fishing those pools at night with a mouse or a big black wooly booger (#2) (Still want a floater for the mouse) If there are browns in the stream, the biggest ones feed at night, generally speaking. Leaders at night can be 4X, or about 4-5 lb. test.

I would bring waders. I don't know about Colorado, but some states won't let you wade in a stream without them. Disease, I guess. Besides, if you get nut-high in a Colo. trout stream, you'll be glad you have them. If not, others will think you're auditioning for the Vienna Boy's Choir.

Have fun! I need to get up there some day.


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

Thank you for the info PR that is exactly the kind of stuff I am looking for.

I definitely will visit the local fly shop for up to date current info. 

I had not considered fishing at night until I found a video of a guy at night fishing one of the more popular spots. He had a well known Gold Metal spot all to himself.

I think from what I read I will mostly stick to nymph fishing so tips on the line and such are appreciated.

Gonna pack the waders along too. Thinking about being nut deep in that cold water convinced me.


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## Permit Rat (May 13, 2014)

A go-to western nymph is the pheasant tail. My personal favorite is the gold ribbed hare's ear, but that imitates a mayfly and the West is rife with caddis and stone flies, with mayflies mixed in. Trout tend to key in on numbers, so a mayfly imitation may go untouched. 

Any way, another favorite is the wooly bugger in black (or dark purple), olive and white. I fish an olive 8-10 in the daytime, going up to a black 2-4 at night.

I know you intend to fish sub-surface and that's good on western streams. But it's Summer now and you should probably pack at least a few terrestrials, like hoppers and crickets. Another fly that hatches in abundance, at least in Missouri, is the black caddis. Size will depend on the size of the water you're fishing, but I think most popular is 16. The stream where they hatch in Mo. is small, so my back-up size is an 18. Chances are your water will be bigger, so my back-up there would be a 14. But again, ask at the local fly shop.The imitation for a black caddis may also get you a take if crickets are being blown onto the stream.

All said so far is very basic.....should get you started.


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## nsea (Feb 25, 2013)

One thing - if you plan to catch and release make sure to wet your hands before handling the fish (to protect the mucus layer) and get them back into the water asap. They are slippier than snot so a net is recommended for good handling practices. Trout are of a softer constitution than bass. They do not do well being manhandled and lipped and tossed around like a football. 

If you plan to keep them then that's fine too but it's a shame to release a fish that will die because of poor handling.


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

Permit Rat said:


> A go-to western nymph is the pheasant tail. My personal favorite is the gold ribbed hare's ear, but that imitates a mayfly and the West is rife with caddis and stone flies, with mayflies mixed in. Trout tend to key in on numbers, so a mayfly imitation may go untouched.
> 
> Any way, another favorite is the wooly bugger in black (or dark purple), olive and white. I fish an olive 8-10 in the daytime, going up to a black 2-4 at night.
> 
> ...


Good stuff right there Permit. Thanks , I can't wait to get there.


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

nsea said:


> One thing - if you plan to catch and release make sure to wet your hands before handling the fish (to protect the mucus layer) and get them back into the water asap. They are slippier than snot so a net is recommended for good handling practices. Trout are of a softer constitution than bass. They do not do well being manhandled and lipped and tossed around like a football.
> 
> If you plan to keep them then that's fine too but it's a shame to release a fish that will die because of poor handling.


Thanks for the reply.

I do intend to keep a few to cook fresh during our stay I looked at the regulation so I know that's fine too :cheers:.

Depending on how well I do most will be released. I release most of the fish I catch these days. No worries about man handling or tossing fish around like a football here.


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## Permit Rat (May 13, 2014)

SeaOx 230C said:


> Thanks for the reply.
> 
> *I do intend to keep a few to cook fresh during our stay I looked at the regulation so I know that's fine too* :cheers:.
> 
> Depending on how well I do most will be released. I release most of the fish I catch these days. No worries about man handling or tossing fish around like a football here.


Kudos on that. In most states with stocking programs, the Fish and Wildlife Depts. really want people to keep more trout. Personally, outside of juvenile brook trout, I don't like trout all that much, so most all are released. But when I lived in Missouri, every year, Fish and Game would send out several public pleas for people to keep more trout. Oddly enough, I found the best eating trout, were the ones fresh from the hatchery. (wild and/or survival fish were much stronger tasting). Must have to do with what they feed them.


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

Permit Rat said:


> Kudos on that. In most states with stocking programs, the Fish and Wildlife Depts. really want people to keep more trout. Personally, outside of juvenile brook trout, I don't like trout all that much, so most all are released. But when I lived in Missouri, every year, Fish and Game would send out several public pleas for people to keep more trout. Oddly enough, I found the best eating trout, were the ones fresh from the hatchery. (wild and/or survival fish were much stronger tasting). Must have to do with what they feed them.


I have had farm raised rainbows at restaurants, but never had opportunity to sample fresh trout much less fresh wild caught. Might not be the "In thing" but I am looking forward to trying it.


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