January 2019 Beaver Creek Outing Report

When: January 5, 2019

Participants:  Ken Bowyer, Lou Reichel, Randy Dwyer, Bob O’Donnell, Michael Stockelman, Joe Taylor, Motti Tadmor, Peter Banwell, Steven and Carson Warga, Gary Slyman, Art Friedlander

We had a large number of attendees for the first outing of the year.  I am glad we had at least 4 new members and a father and young son team.  Carson is 9 (I hope I am correct) and has started to tie flies.  His fly box looked better than mine.  He also went through the TIC (Trout in the Classroom) program in school.  I did not get to fish with all the new members, but I hope they continue to join the outings.

The day was overcast.  We did have some sprinkles of rain, and a nice downpour around lunch time.  After 2pm the sun came out and saw clouds of BWOs.

Beaver Creek was high, but fishable.  The Beaver Creek Fly Shop suggested streamers.  Since it is a spring creek, this is a good stream to fish during the cold days of winter and the hot summer days.  Many people fished behind the fly shop, from the I70 overpass to The Cow Pasture downstream.  The new lower parking section was closed due to too much mud.  However, I and Joe tried to walk down to the lower section near the old spring house.  I’m getting too old and due to high water was unable to reach the spring house.  We did fish the Cow Pasture section.  Joe has been interested in tying classic streamers and he tried his Ken Lockwood streamer.  I showed him where to cast and he was on a nice brown trout.  The streamer was at the end of the swing very near the bank when the trout hit.  I am teaching him to shout or scream when he catches a trout to let everybody know.  Both Steven and Carson showed up and also casted into the area.

By 1:00 we had lunch of grilled brats, under a large overhang next to the fly shop.  Just at that time we had a good rain shower lasting about 30 min.  After which the sun came out with a good hatch of BWOs.  Many people started to go home. A few attempted to fish again.  I had no luck with streamers, wooly buggers, cress bugs and BWO nymphs and left around 3:30.

We did have a father and son team from PPTU (Mike and John Dugan) who were also fishing Beaver Creek.  They were able to catch a 20-24 inch brown.  I included pictures of their brown trout. I hope this will tempt people to keep fishing Beaver Creek.

Thanks to all that attended.

Next outing in February will be at Big Hunting Creek, hoping to be there during the small black winter stonefly hatch.

Outing Coordinator,

Louis Reichel