Great Feathers is a Baltimore and Gunpowder River area brick and mortar fly shop staffed by fly fishermen and fly tiers with a passion for the sport. Our blog posts provide you with the latest stream reports on the Gunpowder and interesting posts on fly fishing anf fly tying information.
Custom Greeting Card for that Gift
We're pleased to announce a new vendor to our shop -
Stamp and Create with Suzanne.
Over the years people have come into the shop on holidays and wanted to purchase gifts. We've been asked if we carry greeting cards and always referred the client elsewhere but now we can offer custom cards from
Stamp and Create with Suzanne.
Each card in the store is custom built from scratch with a 'fishing motif'. Cards are rotated throughout the year to be in season/time with the most current holidays.
Here’s
another episode of a fly fishing trip in Colorado with my favorite fly fishing guide;
David!
Minturn
Anglers offers a variety of Vail fly fishing trips in the surrounding waters
about the Vail Valley. It’s time for me to explore another of Colorado’s famed
trout streams. This time I’m eyeing the Roaring Fork River. I am told that this
is indeed a “roaring” river, as it descends from its headwaters at 12,000 feet
just below Independence Pass to join up with the Colorado River some 790 miles
away at Glenwood Springs. In fact, the original Ute name for this mountain flow
is Thunder River.
The river
passes through canyons most of its route. Flows are swift, deep and powerful,
and the water is clear. A mean annual flow of about 1,200 cubic feet per second
creates for challenging river fly fishing. Swift flows means that resident
trout are strong and healthy, and even the small fry provide a strong pull. Cutthroat,
Brown, Rainbow and Brook trout are on the menu. These fish have a reputation!
The stretch from Aspen to Basalt is designated as Wild Trout Water, and the 28
mile stretch from Basalt is designated Gold Medal Trout Water. I can’t wait to
try my hand.
A few
minutes on the computer shows that Highway 82 parallels the entire river and
offers easy access in many places. However, much of river frontage property is
privately owned, and anglers are cautioned to avoid trespassing. Apparently
popular wade access points are located on the stretch near the Aspen airport,
and in Glenwood Springs at the Sunset Bridge.
The
beginning of July is always a popular time on the Roaring Fork, as this is the
beginning of the famous Green Drake hatch. Caddis and streamers are almost
always present, and I’m planning on being prepared for Blue Winged Olives, Red
Quills and Golden Stoneflies.
Because the
Roaring Fork River is so long, it presents many different water types. You can
choose to work pocket waters in canyon portions of the river, or try float
fishing in parts of the lower river. However, finding a productive location can
be a challenge, especially when private property is involved. I intend to drop
into my favorite fly fishing shop, Minturn Anglers in Vail, and spend a few
minutes talking to their friendly staff and any available fly fishing guides to
get their advice. I will also follow their recommendations and pick up a few
new flies to match current hatch conditions.
Looking
forward to new challenges and exciting experiences fly fishing the Roaring Fork
River!
Not all fishing in in the Gunpowder.! Here's our fishing adventure in Denver, Colorado.
Fly fishing
the South Platte River in downtown Denver should be on your bucket list! More
and more residents and visitors to Denver are realizing that there is exciting
fishing only minutes away from their backdoor or hotel. The South Platte River
flows from the Chatfield Reservoir right through downtown Denver.
The South
Platte has a reputation as a challenging river for massive carp. There is even
an annual pro-am Carp Slam tournament. Besides carp, these urban Denver waters
are also home to rainbows and browns, bass, perch and walleye. Stable water
flows and the warmer summer months are best for fishing these waters.
The last
time I was in the Minturn Anglers fly shop in Denver, I spent some talking to
another customer who says that he typically fishes the South Platte 3 or 4
times a week. He enjoys the serenity of the water as counterpoint to the
overhead bridge traffic at Florida Avenue. The surprisingly clear and clean river
flows quietly, unaffected by the surge of cars on South Santa Fe Drive.
One of the
friendly fishing guides at Minturn Anglers overheard our conversation, and
suggested a few other spots (they have a few Denver fly fishing trips). There is an eddy at the railroad trestle on the
northwest side that offers interesting challenges. Access is easy, walking past
the 6th Avenue Bridge to Phil Milstein Park’s southern end. Another location to
try is at the southern end of South Platte Park. He suggested using weighted
flies cast into the whitewaters and deep holes in the area. Another option is to
find your own new fishing spot by trekking the 30 miles of the South Platte
Greenway Trail which follows the river through the city.
The
possibility of catching a 5 to 40 pound carp is something I want to try, so I
stocked up on some flies recommended by very knowledgeable Minturn Angler
staff. I chose a Crazy Dad 8, a Swimming Carp Nymph and Morlock’s Carp
Breakfast to start. I am looking forward to this new fly fishing adventure!