Now booking Guided Fly Fishing trips & Episode 2 of Streamside Flies featuring the Sparkle Minnow!

If you're booking an experiential gift for someone else or simply looking to get better at fly fishing, guided trips are a great way to get a hands on experience and learn along the way. At Golden Fly Shop we strive to execute every guided trip at the highest level. From first contact with the shop, to the last fish at the end of the day we offer a premium service at a fair price. Our guides are passionate anglers, excellent service providers and our trips are competitively priced to offer everyone a great day on the water!

Find a fishing buddy to join in and take advantage of a 2 angler trip for only $400! 

Our guide service has access to water all over the state. From secluded freestone rivers, stillwater lakes to nearby tailwater beats our guide staff can help you locate and land fish 365 days a year.

As we progress further into early Spring the fishing is heating up. Earlier this week we were able to catch up with Golden Fly Shop guide, Tryston Bewley to dig into the finer details:

"Yesterday morning we started fishing around 8am on the South Platte River. The fish were happily feeding due to the warmer weather, feeding heavily on midges & san juan worms. The leader and tippet were rigged with a 3 fly setup with a size 18 purple worm leading the charge followed by a size 22 red juju baetis and a size 22 foam back chocolate emerger trailing behind. Despite the warmer weather the bugs didn't make a prominent appearance until noon. As the temps warmed up select fish were rising to a few adult BWO's (blue winged olives) and Trico's. The river flows on the S. Platte were sitting around 50 CFS and when was all said and done we had landed numerous brown trout from the 16'' -- 20'' range with several Rainbow's hitting the net as well!"

- GFS Guide, Tryston Bewley

As a size-able snowstorm moves into the Front Range this weekend we expect midges to continue as the primary food source. However, once the snow starts to melt trout will have a bevy of options from worms, stoneflies and baetis to feed on. If you're looking for a good day on the water get your dates locked in now. Warmer weather is right around the corner!

If you're a still-water angler or curious to learn about our local system of lakes (full of trophy sized fish) we have you covered.

At Golden Fly Shop we are fortunate to have some of the most talented anglers on our guide staff that live and breathe fly fishing. Ice off in Colorado is entirely dependent on weather and temperature but if you would like to reserve a slot with one of our world class guides we expect to start taking clients to our favorite local spots sometime in early to mid April. 

Golden Fly Shop Guide, Scott Kennedy hoists a solid fish that was fooled by a well placed dry by one of our happy customers.

Fishing stillwater is a challenging but very rewarding game. It's an early morning process that requires anglers to hone those casting skills that are under utilized when fishing smaller water. If you're getting serious about stillwater fly fishing we recommend setting up a 9.5' or 10' rod with a spare spool. Depending on the fishing conditions we find ourselves switching between floating and intermediate sinking lines.

One way to find out if this is the type of angling challenge for you is to book a guided trip. There's no better way to steepen the learning curve than to learn from a qualified guide.

Don't wait until the last minute! 

Call the shop at 303-330-1292 to book a guided experience!

Coffey's Sparkle Minnow is a killer streamer. We will elaborate more for those persistent readers out there but really, it is that simple. 

The Sparkle Minnow is a fly that just keeps winning us over. It's flashy appearance is sure to oust the location of your local resident apex predator fish. The pattern is available in a long list of colors, sizes, and profiles which is extremely helpful when picking a fly to meet the needs of your local watershed. One of our favorite color combo's is the Pearl & Gold cone-head so we sat down on the banks of the Roaring Fork to knock a few out for the upcoming bump in spring river flows. Fish it from the boat... swing it, strip it, heck, you can even fish it from a ladder. One thing is for sure, if you tie one on be sure to have a good grip on the rod! 

SUGGESTED MATERIAL LIST:

• Hook: TMC 5263 (#4 shown)
• Cone: Large or XL
• Weight: Lead Free Wire
• Thread: UTC 140
• Tail: 2 tone Marabou (White & Tan)
• Flash: Krystal Flash (root beer or other color)
• Body: Frenzy Fly Fire (pearl/gold)

• Suggested Tools: vise, scissors, bobbin, bodkin, brush, dubbing spinner, hackle pliers, whip finish

Remember that a material list is a good starting point but feel free to adapt the fly design for your needs!