August Setup of the Month

Cool temperatures, pristine air, incredible views, and some of the most gorgeous fish we have around are what the alpine fishing scene is all about. I prematurely wrote an article last week about alpine lake fishing, but can you blame me? This is my favorite kind of fishing.

So, rather than breaking down every single point of alpine lake fishing like I previously did, here’s a synopsis of the best rod, reel, and flies for the month of August.

Rod: Sage R8 Core 9’ 4wt: The staple of the Sage lineup is where it is for a reason. This is an amazing stick that is built for performance. It almost seems like this rod was specifically designed for the alpine lake scene. From its ability to delicately place a midge dry to a rising trout, to bombing out a small streamer to the middle of the lake, and even light indicator work, this rod handled it all. This rod can cover all of the alpine lake fishing scenarios, and fishing this rod made me completely forget about my technique specific 3wt and 5wt. 

Reel: Sage Spectrum LT 4 / 5: One of, if not, the best lightweight trout reel on the market. This reel is an incredible choice for backpacking into the alpine because it quickly reduces weight within your backpack in comparison to other reels. Lightweight gear typically means a lower quality material to shed weight, but this is not the case with Spectrum LT. Sage has found a way to reduce the weight in this reel, while keeping the durability and drag system in top notch condition. 

Line: Rio Elite Gold WF4F: The Rio Gold is the highest selling line in history for a reason. It’s an amazing all purpose taper that can delicately place #22 dry flies, while being able to handle streamers and nymph rigs with ease. This is the only line you’ll need to have with you for the alpine.

Flies:

Hippie Stomper Yellow #16: Honestly, this is probably the shop’s favorite fly for the alpine. It’s the attractor of all attractors, splitting the hairs between just about every bug. It’s a beetle, grasshopper, stonefly, mayfly, you name it. The fish don’t care what it is or what it’s supposed to look like, they just flat out eat it!

Griffith’s Gnat, Standard or Hi-Vis #18: One of the simplest dry flies ever created, the Griffith’s Gnat is generally presented as a midge adult or cluster. The beauty of its simplicity is that it also can be presented as a few other offerings, such as flying ants, mosquitoes, beetles, etc. When the fish aren’t liking the larger presentations, sizing down to the natural Griffith’s Gnat will convert those eats.

Mayer’s Jigged Mini Leech #14: What do you know, the mini leech has made it back into the setup of the month. Rightfully so, it’s arguably one of the best flies for Colorado, regardless of where you’re fishing. This fly has been talked about by us enough, but fish it however you want and fish whatever color you want, it all works!

If you want a further breakdown on alpine lake fishing with tips and tricks, follow this link to last week's article: https://www.goldenflyshop.com/blogs/golden-fly-blog/alpine-lake-fishing/. Thank you!