On the Fly: Membership has its privileges 

Most of you understand how good you have it fishing here in the Roaring Fork Valley; for other transplants like myself, it is still sinking in. Simply not having to drive any real distance to fish is the main advantage. Many people spend hours or days getting here, whereas we can simply stick our heads out the window and decide if it’s a fishable day. We can spend 10 minutes fishing our spots or all day long if we so choose to do so. 

This is especially advantageous as we are still looking forward to the incredible dry fly fishing on the Fryingpan for the next month or so. When you’re local, you can be up there during the “sweet spot” midday hours versus starting too early and staying too late (and being tired from the drive all day). Noon until three or four o’clock has been dry fly nirvana, to put it simply.  

September hatches of pale morning duns and green drakes are still going strong up the Pan, and the annual fall blue winged olive abundance is just around the corner. That’s the thing that separates this valley from the others — we enjoy “summer” hatches well into fall. For the streamer tossers, big flies will be moving those suddenly-territorial fish all over the valley once we get some cold snaps.

This is a transitional time, and the fishing only improves for the next month or so before the weather starts getting squirrelly. Less-crowded rivers, spectacular colors, elk bugling in the distance, and unparalleled insect hatches are on our doorstep.

Get out there while you can, because nothing beats being able to quit early when the weather or fishing are not ideal — or staying all day when it’s awesome! Membership has its privileges.  

This report is provided every week by Taylor Creek Fly Shops in Aspen and Basalt. Taylor Creek can be reached at 970-927-4374 or TaylorCreek.com.