SUBSCRIBE AND FOLLOW MY FISHING ADVENTURES! Welcome in, ALL! I'm so glad you've stopped by my channel. Ryan (@BigRyTheFlyGuy) is my name, and Dances With Trout is my game.. Join me while I journey to my home waters in Colorado (and beyond) and pursue my passion for fly fishing, and dabble in a little adventure and exploring along the way. I add channel content regularly, so feel free to SUBSCRIBE to my channel so you catch all the updates! Thanks everyone, and keep your eyes on the water for those B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L trout!
Hey maybe I'll see you out there sometime! I love fishing this area as well, although I don't get there too often. Glad to see the fish are thriving, that's a healthy fishery! Oh Tenkara would really shine here I imagine, my boy is looking into a setup for similar-sized waters. Thanks for the kind feedback and watching, glad you enjoyed!
Think the key is a little bit of runoff still happening, had one of my best days fishing ever on the section right below the ranch and caught all 4 species. Came back another year in mid august and the water was warm and low
@jacobbroduer6361 Agreed! I have heard the bottom section fishes much better for a better variety of trout. When I come back to this location I am going to try below the lake. Still the upper section was so beautiful, you can't really go wrong!
@@BigRyTheFlyGuy oh for sure, we probably would have tried it out had it not been for the restricted access. Curious about the much lower sections though, would expect most of the cutts to be higher but the flow is also way better so who knows
@jacobbroduer6361 I'm not clear on the restricted access part. I was fishing in the valley just above the lake, and there's no public fishing restrictions in that area. Does it get restricted further up? As far as the fish...I'm a bit reluctant to throw an opinion out there, considering this was my first fishing trip to this body of water...but I was a bit disappointed at seeing only brook trout in the section I fished. They have a nasty and invasive habit (it's in their nature) of decimating rival trout populations, including (sadly) the native cutthroats. My hope is those trout are further up, away from the brook trout, or as you said, further below. That lower section is on my radar for next time, though!
@wetsockoutdoors8538 Oh, no way? Did you happen to have better luck than I did? How far back did you end up going? I'd be curious to hear your results!
@wetsockoutdoors8538 Actually that's awesome to hear! I'm just glad there's life in there, after all. And a cutthroat! I always expect Brook in these tiny, hard living streams. To me a cutthroat is a GREAT sign (awesome catch, too!), I'll definitely have to keep this on my radar for maybe a 2nd chance trip. You may have just prompted a new segment on this channel, dedicated to second chance attempts for anywhere I get skunked. Could be lots of fun! (or more of the first video😉). Can't agree more about the fishing, even my 7.5 ft, 3 wt felt too big for that jungle. I legitimately would get a 1wt just for this type of stream. It's on my radar😉. Tenkara would be very hard to beat here, good strategy, my friend.
@@BigRyTheFlyGuy what happened was a long time ago when they thought they found a green back population, they stocked them in that creek. Later, they realized that they were not actually greenbacks.
Thanks for sharing,. The stream looked nice but sometimes that’s the way it goes. But, i’m glad to see you chose to share a fishless day with us so the rest of us don’t feel bad when we get skunked.
And thank you for watching! There may be fish in there...somewhere. After 2 hours of searching for life and finding none to speak of, I am not sure the creek has much of a pulse. Lots of our streams and rivers were impacted HEAVILY by early mining activity, unfortunately. And many of those just never fully recovered (thankfully some great waters have been revived/restored since). But I am always glad to share my trips, whether I catch fish or not. Hoping these help others decide on whether the trip out and back is worth the trouble. Take care, my friend!
I don’t think tension snapped it. I believe the friction heat from the gloves and pulling it thru that gloved finger created a super heated spot that causes the line to snap. If you made that same move without the glove I guarantee you would not have broken that line.
@ericmoser5568 I bet there are days like that. In all fairness, most spots are packed in the summer. For this reason I choose to fish (mostly) on weekdays and also early mornings or late afternoons, to avoid the masses. I appreciate the comment about the lake - I did not fish there, but could see it getting busy. There are a couple miles at least of fishable water above and below that lake that do not seem to get the same pressure as the lake, from what I can tell.
Here’s a tip from a local. When u cross the first bridge over lower piney river, there’s a parking lot on the left. Walk that trail down staying left for about 1.5-2 miles, I never checked the distance, there’s a valley that opens up where the river curves around in a horseshoe pattern. You will know when u see it. It’s a good walk but totally worth it. Thats one of the best back country fishing spots in the area. Cutthroat, browns, rainbows they are all right there, it can be buggy in the summer but just cover up good. Typically they will eat any dry fly you throw at them and zebra midge never lets me down as a dropper. Stealth is key, stay off the banks or they will spook and it takes awhile for them to relax and eat again. I never give up spots but I was disappointed you didn’t get the trifecta because it can easily be done down river, the fish can be quite a bit bigger than above the lake too, good luck, enjoy if you ever make it back 😎
Thank you for the tips, my friend! I'll definitely check out the lower part of the river next time I go. This trip was a shot in the dark, and gave me several ideas to try next time I'm up there. Beautiful area, you are very lucky to be local to it!
@paulfinger6975 Hey, thanks for tagging along, and very glad you enjoyed the video! I'm having a blast exploring and sharing the content and glad others like yourself appreciate as well.
@daveclark1904 Absolutely, I am sure you're also feeling the pain (and joy) of technical waters all throughout the land right now. Always a surprise when you stumble on something as unique as an impromptu beaver dam. Some puzzle solving needed to find where the fish are poking out of but the enjoyment factor is up there! Take care, Dave!
I saw many fly fishing vids, but no one has managed to capture such a view of mountain with such a lovely little stream. I also like that u are usiung Redington Classic Trout cause I also have the 590 with 6 segment which is not longer available.
Thanks for the really kind words, friend! The hobby does take us to some real beautiful places, doesn't it? I do really like the Redington Classic Trout as well - solid performer for me, no issues at all! I don't think anyone could go wrong with these rods, whichever length/weight they desire.
Nice. I bought these when they first came out. Despite all the fanfare I was a little disappointed for the exact reasons you show. I contemplated trying to regrind/sharpen the block pieces so they have a cutting edge at a 45d angle. I think that would be better than the V shaped blades. But I never got around to it. I'll try this first.
Great comment! Would be really nice for Dr. Slick to just incorporate a slight redesign in their next version so there is no need for a workaround. The nippers themselves are great quality and have a great feel - for me they fall somewhere between your everyday-run-of-the-mill nippers and the more expensive nippers (like Abel, which is just so pricey and I can't justify the cost personally). I have been using my Cyclones for several months as my primary nipper with the method seen in the video and they continue to work nicely for my small fly/tippet/line needs. I sincerely hope Dr. Slick continues to improve upon this product; there is room for growth here for an already great nipper.
@@BigRyTheFlyGuy yea. These fine leaders are not surprisingly fragile. I have some sympathy for Adams as they seem to be coping a lot of flack. “I’ve never broke my 20lb maxima but this 5x Adams stuff is no good”! Your vid was an honest take. The semi-auto reels are great. Make line management really efficient once you get used to them. But I think your points about taking care are more important.
@@anthonyclark6118 Adams/micro leaders definitely took some getting used to, for me at least. I would just say, there is so much less tolerance for yanking/hard stripping than bigger lines, no surprise there. Today I exercise extra caution if I'm handling a micro line, like Adams. No sense in blaming the product when user-error is clearly the issue. Figured I'd put my experiences out there in the wild, so others new to these small leaders know they are not alone, and to not get discouraged. The benefits of a micro-leader are just too great to pass up - with some fairly easy fine-tuning, I believe this setup could work for anyone. Love the idea about the semi-auto reels - have never tried one but would love to test on the water eventually. I appreciate your comments, as I am sure others will agree!
@@BigRyTheFlyGuy my experience. The micro leader and very fine tippets are very much worth getting on top of. It’s not without frustration though! You go through a phase where that is all you want to fish. But it ‘settles out’ and you start going back to tried and true techniques or learning new ones. For me much of the last season or so has been about when, and when not to euro and within that micro. I think line management is the biggest challenge with micro…so double cudos to you!
Just a note, the Canyon is not a state park. So your state park pass will not work. You need to buy either a day or season pass. The season pass does work in some of the other fee areas in the national forest. Just don't want anyone getting in trouble.
Hello! You bring up a good point about the pass, a bit of research prior to going will benefit anyone looking to go. You are correct, State passes will not work at Eleven Mile, however, Eleven Mile does remain a State park. Individual parks can (and do) elect to charge beyond the scope of a park pass, it's a park by park basis. From the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website: "Please note that passes purchased at the U.S.F.S. Eleven Mile Canyon are NOT valid at Eleven Mile State Park. Visit the Eleven Mile fees page for daily and annual parks pass information."
Hello Dave! Technically speaking I think you are able to camp there. Right now that parcel of land is owned by BLM, and is not private property, so technically I think disbursed camping would be allowed. There is a gate off the highway, though, which I'm not too sure if it gets locked at night? There were no hours posted on it when I entered, which makes me think it's open all the time, but I would say it'd be something to look into further if you did want to camp there ;)
Couldn't agree more! Glad you enjoyed that one, with the nicer weather I will be venturing to some new/unexplored locations in the next few months. Stay tuned for more, and thanks for watching!
Really great PSA! Thank you for sharing. I've only used heavier "mono-rigs" myself, but I'll be testing micro leaders shortly. I will definitely be paying attention to this now. cheers.
Glad to share! It was certainly odd trying the micro-leader concept for at least a few outings, but I eventually warmed to it and enjoy using it when the opportunity presents itself. I have to say, since this video, I have incorporated a thicker euro fly line before my leader. This is 100% for feel - I was not a fan of gripping the Adams 4x mono line (seen in this video) with my bare hands, and was almost impossible to handle when using nitrile gloves (which I do often). With the thicker fly line always within the rod guides, I have something thicker to hold onto, and the pitfall of snapping is essentially eliminated with the thicker line. We've had so much wind here in CO recently, I haven't put my micro-leader on in too long - hopefully I will get an opportunity here soon and make another video! Thanks for the comment!
Absolutely get that, it's one you set aside for when you want a little more of a hike in with all the reward once you find your own water without too many anglers bumping elbows. As with all popular fishing spots, working it on a weekday is always beneficial if you want to see fewer people. I think for the 4 hours I was able to fish I only saw two anglers pass me on upstream, nice conversation with one of them, but never once feeling pressured or rushed. Most everyone just trying to push ahead and find a hole of their own, good manners and all. Never had a bad idea experience myself, but you hear (read stories, some have been real let down by an obnoxious angler that may have forgotten or not known certain water etiquettes, things like that). Nothing though but great experiences there, myself. I imagine if everyone just is out to have fun and respect others privacy and personal space, it stays that way for 99.9% of the folk who are just trying to get their fish on. Haha, enjoy it if you get out there, I have a feeling you'll crack it's code and keep wanting to go back. It's a real special place, time almost rewinds when you're out there, nice and rustic feel to it, worth the sometimes deep hike in. Maybe you'll get to the dam...I still haven't been right up to it, but only about 1/4 mile from it I think. I believe that water is pretty roily toily from what I hear, but bet those fish are fun! Good luck on your quest!😊
Dude! While everyone else is fishing the tail water with midges and emergers, my guy is up on the head water smashing them on the dry fly... I almost went up that way this morning too! I fished just below the dam. Caught a couple, but not on the dry fly!
Wow, Dave! Honestly I'm humbled by that - I had just zero luck with my nymphing setup - odd because that's usually where I get the most love. Those canyon winds were miserable, the fish just weren't having it. I was desperate for something...ANYTHING...to work. I hear that dam area gets hot...I will try and get that way soon and give it a shot! Glad you had success out that way!
Any thoughts on that first fish? What do you all think happened to it's head? I slowed the video down a bit during that section of the video as I was fighting the fish, to show the wounds a bit more clearly. Predator? Angler mishandling? Disease? They were relatively fresh wounds from my observation. If I didn't know any better, I'd think an eagle or other taloned bird tried to claw that fish and it got away. Whatever the cause, that's one resilient fish.
Probably attacked by heron or maybe eagle? I've also caught trout at 11 mile canyon with chunks missing. Aside - what is that tool you're using to remove the hook?
@@rtistmedia5636 Hey thanks for weighing in! I was leaning that way too, tons of eagles in the area, and the missing chunks certainly look like a claw impression. I think this is the most logical answer as well. As for the hook remover, the product is called a Ketchum Release. I believe they currently come in 3 sizes, depending on hook size. Hope this helps, and thanks for watching!😀
Thank you! This is my closest local water, so it's my go-to based on proximity to home. There are amazing sections to this river - a few other of my videos at Eleven Mile State Park, The Dream Stream, Cheesman Canyon...all part of the same river system. It's also the same system that eventually runs right through Denver too. It certainly ranks very high on my favorite CO waters, but even still I'm not sure it would be my favorite. Too many great choices and plenty good ones I have yet to explore still (coming in Spring/Summer 2024😉). And you're right, I'm usually huffing air if I'm at elevation, and especially if I come across trout (like the last one seen in this video) that puts up a great fight. The ones that leave me breathless are, admittedly, some of the most memorable 😊
Thanks for the video. I have two questions, if you don't mind. 1. I think your explanation of why the Adams line snapped is accurate. However, I regularly fish with other 4x lines as leaders and that doesn't happen to me. Could the Adams line be more susceptible to breakage than other lines of equivalent diameter? 2. Does the line itself function as a sighter or did you add a sighter (or use paint markers)? If so, could you describe your sighter setup? Again, thanks.
Those are good questions. I do not think it is the Adams line as much as my inexperience with the micro stuff. Because I'm used to thicker line, I've never had to discipline my stripping of the line. I haven't used 4x as line until now, it is a much smaller element that needs a lighter touch. I really think my added, "pinch," of the line was the main factor here; I now leave my line hand alone when I get a strike, and just let the rod hand and fingers do all the work. I try and get the fish on the reel too, less chance to snap/stretch the line. Seems to be working much better for me now, hopefully can help anyone else with the same issue. As far as my sighter, with the Adams white line seen in this video, I add sighter wax to the line. Quick and easy. Skafars seems to be the best for me, and is the brightest of the ones I own. Most of the time, I just choose one color to alternate with the white color of the line, and usually that's enough. I love that you can just wax up the leader to match whatever condition you're up against. And it wipes right off with a cloth, so can go back to just white if you like. Great questions. Hope this helps answer your questions, and thanks again for watching!
Maybe my easiest decent down to a river ;) Left a hole in my waders, they didn't appreciate that one bit. Glad you enjoyed the video, yes it truly is beautiful out there.
