Fryingpan River Report July 21, 2025
UPPER FRYINGPAN (Mile Marker 8 upstream to Ruedi Reservoir)
FLOW: 240 CFS
WATER CLARITY: Clear
OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10 (9 out of 10 on a rainy/cloudy day)
FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Blue Winged Olives, Green Drake nymphs, Pale Morning Duns, Midges, Mysis Shrimp, Sculpins
THE LOW-DOWN: The water is up by about 40 CFS compared to last week, but still at a very manageable level. Fishing has been the best in the earlier hours of the day before the water is being beat by the high sun. While small midges (22-26) and BWOs (20-22) are still the predominant hatches on the upper stretch, we are starting to see the first waves of pale morning duns (PMDs) come through.
Nymphing the shadier sections tends to be most productive during these long, sunny days we've been seeing.
Streamer fishing can be productive early or late in the day, or any time the sky is clouded up or the wind is blowing.
Mysis shrimp are a year-round food factor.
HATCHES: Pale morning duns 16-18, Blue winged olives 20-24, Midges 18-26
APPROPRIATE PATTERNS:
DRIES: CDC Comparadun PMD Yellow 16-18, Hackle Dun PMD Cream 16-18, Last Chance PMD Cripple Pink 16-18, Mike Lawson's No Hackle BWO 20-22, Quasi-No Hackle BWO 20-22, Parachute and Traditional Adams 20-26, HOH Hanging Midge Grey/Black 20-22, Mole Midge 20-22, Roy Palm's Special Frying Pan Emerger 20-22, Bill's Midge Emerger 20-22, Hatching Midge 20-22, No Hackle BWO 20-22, Befus' Para Emerger BWO 20-22
NYMPHS: Tungsten Redemption 16-18, Stalcup's BTS Nymph Rust 16-18, Epoxyback PMD Emerger 16, Barr's Emerger and Barr's Black Back Emerger 20-22, Stott's Good Carl 20, Stott's Juggernaut 20, Dorsey's Mercury RS2 Gray 20-22, Skinny-tied Pheasant Tail 20-24, Killer Mayfly Olive/Brown 22, Jigged JJ Nymph BWO 18-20, TC Candy Cane Midge 18-22, Tim's Mysis 16-18, Will's Epoxy Mysis 18-20, Craven's Mysis 16-18
STREAMERS: Barr's Slumpbuster, Borski's Bonefish Slider, Tim Heng's Autumn Splendor, Tungsten Thin Mint, Craven's Swim Coach
HINTS: Be stealthy and present your offering with minimal line on the water whether dry fly or nymph fishing. Fryingpan fish will not tolerate hero casting or laying line and indicators over them; they'll shut down and stop feeding.
MIDDLE FRYINGPAN (Mile Marker 4 upstream to Mile Marker 8)
WATER CONDITIONS: Clear
FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Pale Morning Duns, Blue Winged Olives, Midges, Sculpins,
OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10
THE LOW DOWN: Early season bugs are moving out and summer bugs are moving in. Caddis and PMDs are starting to occupy the middle stretches of river with dry fly fishing and nymphing both being productive.
You can ditch all the tiny fly rigs in the middle and lower river, and consider adding in some caddis larvae, stonefly nymphs, and even small green drake nymphs in size 16 or so. As mentioned above, worms will be very productive during off-color periods.
HATCHES: Caddis 14-18, Pale Morning Duns 16-18, Blue winged olives 20-22, Midges 20-26,
APPROPRIATE PATTERNS:
DRIES: Missing Link Caddis 14-18, Lawson's EZ Caddis 16-18, Elk Hair Caddis 14-18, CDC Comparadun PMD Yellow 16-18, Hackle Dun PMD Cream 16-18, TC Custom Sparkledun PMD 16-18, Last Chance PMD Cripple Pink 16-18, CDC Biot BWO 20-22, Mole Fly Baetis 20-22, Harrop's CDC Biot Dun BWO 20-22, Harrop's CDC Thorax BWO 20-22, HOH Hanging Midge 20-22, Roy's Special Fryingpan Emerger 20-22, Massacre Midge 20-22,
NYMPHS: Jigged Traditional Hares Ear 14-16, Prince Nymph 14-18, Guide's choice Hares Ear 16-18, Tungsten Redemption 16-18, Stalcup's BTS Nymph Rust 16-18, Epoxyback PMD Emerger 16, Tungsten Frenchie 16, Murder, She Wrote 20-22, Mercury Pheasant Tail 16-20, Tim Heng's BLM 16-18, Flashwing Black (or Gray) RS2 20-22, Zebra Midge Red 18-20,
STREAMERS: Tungsten Double Thin Mint, Dali-Lama, Skully Bugger, Tim Heng's Autumn Splendor
HINTS: Keep moving if you're mid-river, there's going to be quiet zones and others with more activity the more you explore. The middle river can hold more fish than you'd think!
LOWER FRYINGPAN (Basalt upstream to Mile Marker 4)
WATER CONDITIONS: Clear
FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Caddis larvae/pupa/adults, Pale Morning Duns nymphs/emergers/adults, Blue Winged Olive nymphs/emergers/adults, Golden Stonefly nymphs, Midges, Sculpins
OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10
THE LOWDOWN: Color has washed in on occasion with the week's rain storms, but right now we're clear and fishing well.
The fish down lower see significantly less pressure and tend to be easier to fool. A dry-dropper setup is an ideal approach for the lower river as well as euro-nymphing the faster section.
HATCHES: Caddis 14-18, Pale morning Duns 16-18, Blue Winged Olives 18-20, Midges 20-26
APPROPRIATE PATTERNS:
DRIES: Elk Hair Caddis 14-18, Missing Link Caddis 16-18, TC Custom Collette's BWO Adult 18-20, Parachute Purple Haze Adams 16-20, CDC Comparadun PMD Yellow 16-18, Hackle Dun PMD Cream 16-18, TC Custom Sparkledun PMD 16-18, Last Chance PMD Cripple Pink 16-18, Traditional Adams 16-22, Morgans Midge 18-22, Hatching Midge 20-22, Sprout Midge 22-24, HOH CDC Spent Midge 22-24, Mole Fly Baetis 20-22, Harrop's CDC Biot Dun BWO 20-22, CDC Comparadun BWO 20-22
NYMPHS: Prince Nymph 16-18, Twenty Incher Nymph 16, Bucksin Caddis 16-18, Cat Poop Stonefly 6-10, Tungsten Redemption 16-18, Stalcup's BTS Nymph Rust 16-18, Epoxyback PMD Emerger 16, Tungsten Frenchie 16, Jerome Baetis 20-22, Ultra Bling RS2 Gray 18-20, Stott's Good Carl 20, Murder She Wrote Rust 20-22, Bling Midge 20-24
STREAMERS: Home Invader, Carlton Banks, Skully Bugger, Dali-Lama
HINTS: Fish in the lower river tend to ramble and migrate around, so keep searching if you're not feeling the love.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/co/nwis/uv/?site_no=09080400
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