3 Flies for the Week: October 30

We’re trying something different here on the Golden Fly Shop blog. In the past, we’ve done “Fly of the Week”, but we know one fly isn’t going to cut it when you're out on the water. Instead, we’re going to be choosing our top three flies for each week depending on water conditions and our staff’s liking. So without any further introduction, Golden Fly Shop’s 3 Flies for the Week:

#1: Otter’s Soft Milking Egg - Kiwi sz12 

It’s that time of the year where brown and brook trout are spawning. Although the majority of eggs make it into the spawning beds, called redds, there’s still a good percentage of eggs that get kicked out and available for the taking of hungry fish. This happens so often that non-spawning browns/brooks, as well as rainbow trout will stack up in riffles and runs right below major spawning areas to take advantage of an easy, high-calorie meal. Eating an egg or two is a lot more beneficial for the fish than eating 100 blue-winged olives or midges. Color is something that is often overlooked, most people throw on an orange egg and call it good. For freestones, this is the best way to go because orange (apricot) best imitates a freshly laid egg. But, orange is not the way to go for our tailwater fish. Like I mentioned before, the majority of people fish an orange egg and because of this, the fish no longer feel comfortable eating them in the tailwaters. After so many orange eggs stinging you in the mouth, you tend to back off. That’s why when we fish eggs on tailwaters, we tend to throw a kiwi (chartreuse) colored egg. This color perfectly imitates a dead or unfertilized egg and for some reason, brown trout love the kiwi color regardless of what waterway you’re fishing. 

*Keep in mind, do not fish eggs on top of redds, or any fly for that matter. Colorado’s fisheries are primarily based on wild stock, and interfering with this process can diminish the quality of the fishery. You wouldn’t want to get poked while doing the deed, would you? There’s plenty of non-spawning fish to keep you occupied, so leave these fish alone. The more we take care of the fisheries, the more they’ll take care of us. 

#2: Juan’s Flashy Money Midge - Red sz20

The cold, snowy weather this past weekend put a big damper on the blue-winged olive hatches. Even though they’re still hatching, their frequency is a lot lower and because of this the trout will momentarily switch their focus to midges. Midges flat out catch fish regardless of what time of the year it is, but this week their importance is going to be much higher. This sudden switch might have trout a little suspect to eat something different so soon, so midge pupa and emerger patterns might not be the move right away. Instead, their larva form is going to be their main focus. Midge larva come in a variety of colors, including red, olive, tan, black, and even chartreuse. All of these will catch fish, but the most prevalent color across the board is red. The Flashy Money Midge does an incredible job of resembling tiny midge larva, but it can also indirectly resemble annelids. Annelids are small, aquatic worms and are prevalent in all waterways. They typically aren’t the size of our standard San Juan Worms, so the tiny midge larva patterns double up for them well. The flash aspect on the Flashy Money Midge isn’t overbearing like some midges out there. The design of this fly allows for enough flash to just catch the fish’s eye, without being overbearing.

#3: Chocolate Thunder - sz22

If you fish Colorado, you don’t need any introduction to this fly. The Chocolate Thunder is arguably the best emerger pattern, whether you’re fishing tailwaters of freestones. Tying the chocolate thunder on as your third fly on a nymph rig is going to produce fish, regardless of what’s hatching. Like I mentioned before, blue-winged olive hatches aren’t going to be incredibly thick this week. Don’t be afraid to fish them still as the fish have become accustomed to seeing them and will still have them in mind. Even if they aren’t hatching, the chocolate thunder does a great job of resembling emerging midges. So fish the thunder hard!

Enjoy your week of fishing and don’t let a little snow on the bank stop you from going. The fish are still biting! All of our flies for Golden Fly Shop’s 3 Flies for the Week will be available on our website and in-store. If you have any questions regarding the 3 Flies of the Week, feel free to email Xavier at xavier@goldenflyshop.com, or call the shop at 303-330-1292.