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Saturday, November 26, 2011

Kleis's Top Ten Flies For Colorado

The subject of someone's personal favorite flies to have for a specific area or time of year always sparks coversation. There are a hundred different fly patterns to imitate one insect, or even one stage of an insect's life cycle. This can make things confusing for anyone just getting into the sport.

I've compiled a list of my top ten must have flies for Colorado that I both guide and fish with a ton of confidence.  This list is not color or size specific, but the photo's of the patterns shown are what I prefer when using these flies. We'll start with number ten and work our way up the list, examining why I prefer each pattern, and what times of the year they are most effective.

Number ten is the perfect example of why people shouldn't sleep on the classics. There's only one other dry fly pattern that I've landed more fish with, and that pattern graces number one on the list. The Elk Hair Caddis in sizes 14-18 is a must have dry fly for Colorado.  Anywhere there are caddis hatching in the spring and fall, it's a safe bet that you can catch fish with some flavor of the Elk Hair.


#10 Elk Hair Caddis


The best times of year to use this pattern are from the beginning of April through the end of June, and again starting around August through October. Size 18 in the color tan is what I prefer to use to imitate most adult caddis. It might surprise some anglers that caddis aren't limited to small streams and rivers, and that they live in lakes and reservoirs as well.  In fact, the Elk Hair is a go to fly pattern for many stillwater fly-fishers. Try one in a larger size when you see fish on the surface at your favorite lake.


The hollow elk hair used for the wing, and the hackle feather the fly is wrapped with, give it great air trapping qualities. The Elk Hair Caddis rides high on the water's surface and floats well without a lot of special treatments such as gink, or other silicone based floatants. It's hard to beat true originals so be sure to save an entire side of your dry fly box dedicated to the Elk Hair Caddis, and you'll be well on your way to consistently catching fish on top.




#9 The Parachute Hopper



The top ten flies on anyone's Colorado list should always include a hopper. Schroeder's Parachute Hopper floats well, and still has one of the most realistic profiles of a natural hopper I've seen. It does start to get soggy and sink a little after catching a few fish, but that problem is easily solved with some floatant.  Also, the wing on this hopper gets beat up pretty easy, which depending on who you talk to, is a good or bad thing. These are small prices to pay for a near perfect representation of a grasshopper.


The best time of year to fish hoppers is in late summer starting around the end of July, and lasting through the end of Sept. When real hoppers hit the water they sit low in the surface film because they are heavy and clumsy, which is why I prefer the parachute style.   Just like the Elk Hair Caddis, this is a great small stream fly. Throw delicate presentations out the window when fishing with hoppers. Deliberately cast this fly so that it hits the water hard, and makes a lot of noise. Fish tight up against the bank and close to cover.


Many anglers have replaced strike indicators when nymph fishing with hopper patterns by attaching a length of tippet to the bend of the hook of the hopper, and at the other end of the tippet, attaching a weighted nymph. This set up is called the hopper/dropper rig, and is extremely effective because you're covering more than one base with your flies (dry flies, and subsurface nymphs).




#8 The Copper John


The Copper John is the number one selling fly in America! It was created by Colorado tyer John Barr. Made with wire, and a brass or tungsten bead, this pattern is designed to get down to the fish quick.  The Copper John is what many might call a "generic" pattern. Being generic isn't a bad thing. All that means in the flyfishing and tying world is that you can imitate many different bugs with this one fly.


In fact, what I love most about the Copper John is that, depending on what color and size you tie it in, you could imitate a mayfly nymph, a stonefly nymph, a caddis larvae, or even a Caddis pupae (emerging caddis). Red Copper John's sizes 18-20 are one of my favorite attractor patterns in the spring and fall when trout spawn and are being aggressive. This nymph pattern can be fished in every form of water for every fish species that we have in our beautiful state, and is a great fly to hang under a hopper. If you have a good portion of your fly box dedicated to Copper Johns you're well on your way to consistently catching fish below the surface.




#7 The Pheasant Tail Nymph



The Pheasant Tail Nymph is another generic, and iconic pattern (noticing a trend?).  It was created by Frank Sawyer in the 1950's, and slays fish on a regular basis. This nymph imitates anything from small Midge larvae to Yellow Sallie Stonefly nymphs, and has spawned quite a few variations on a theme. It fishes great with different styles of beads; including the glass bead shown in the photograph. This version is called the Mercury Pheasant Tail, and is a modification made by Pat Dorsey designed to give it more flash, and also imitate a trapped air bubble similar to what you would see on an emerging insect.



This Pheasant Tail (P.T.) is another one that you can tie or purchase with a heavy tungsten bead, and fish beneath a hopper or Elk Hair Caddis as part of the "hopper/dropper" system. A size 18 Pheasant Tail is a near perfect representation of the Pale Morning Dun Mayfly nymph, which can be found in many of Colorado's rivers and small streams from July to the end of August. Carry them in a size 16-18 to imitate PMDs. My main reason for putting this fly above the Copper John on the list is simply because I've landed more fish with it. This entire list is biased, and based off of my personal experience!




#6 The Sculpzilla




My streamer of choice is the Sculpzilla. The sculpin is a small fish that has 11 different families, and can be found in many of our bodies of water. The sculpins that I've seen in Colorado, and the one's most imitated by fly tiers, are olive in color.  They have big heads similar to a catfish -without the whiskers- and large dorsal and pectoral fins. Though they're a forage fish for trout and many other sport fish found in Colorado, it's a rare occurrence to see a sculpin. I don't know if it's because they mostly stick to the bottom of lakes and rivers, or if they only exist in small numbers.



The fact that Sculpins can be found in Colorado is not why I love this pattern. The massive bead head gives this streamer enough weight to get down through the water column quickly without needing a sink tip line, or additional weight added to your leader. What makes it even more affective is the stinger hook in the back. Many streamers only have one hook, and 99 percent of the time that hook is located way up front on the fly. More often than not, when a fish strikes a streamer it is attacking the fly from behind, which means that you get a lot of short strikes. A short strike is when a fish is chasing your streamer, and hits the fly on the tail, often just short of making contact with the hook.



Tyers got smart and started tying articulated patterns with hooks in the tail. The realistic shape, weight, and the stinger hook, all culminate into what's by far my favorite streamer on the market. Olive (as pictured) is my favorite color to use, and has been a lip ripper for me since I started using them a few years ago.




#5 The Barr's Emerger


The Barr's emerger is another great John Barr pattern that I have a ton of confidence in. A mayfly spends most of it's life under water as a nymph. It's only when the temps and conditions are just right that these insects emerge off the bottom, and break free from their nymphal shuck. This process is similar to when a snake sheds it's skin. Under that nymph exoskeleton is the adult dun mayfly.



The emergence is when these insects are most vulnerable. This is because they're using trapped air bubbles to carry them off the bottom and up through the water column. Being pushed by the current, and completely exposed, this is when they are an easy meal for a hungry trout. There are 3 major mayfly hatches that John Barr ties his emergers for, and all three are important for Colorado. The Pale Morning Dun Emerger (as pictured), the Blue Wing Olive Emerger, and the Trico Emerger are all available in appropriate sizes. The Barr's Emerger is number 5 on my list, because during spring and fall, the Blue Winged Olive variation of this fly has fooled many of my largest trout.




#4 The Glow Bug Egg



It would be impossible to find a better attractor pattern that catches all species of trout and salmon than the Glow Bug Egg. The apricot/orange color with the flame red dot on the top is still the closest I've seen to imitating a brown trout egg. Tied with a little extra flash, the glow bug will immediately grab every trout's attention within a ten foot radius. From March through June and again from late August through October are my favorite times to fish eggs.



It's important to watch how the fish react to the egg during those moments of clarity when you can see it under the surface. Sometimes egg patterns can actually put fish down, even if you think the conditions, and time of year are right to use them. If you fish an egg in faster water that you know is holding fish, and you don't get a strike within the first ten drifts, switch flies because you could be attracting the wrong kind of attention.



#3 Mercury Black Beauty



Number three on my list of killer trout flies for Colorado is the Mercury Black Beauty. It was created by Colorado tyer Pat Dorsey, and again, it has the omnipresent glass bead that Pat likes to put on many of his fly patterns. The Black Beauty isn't very impressive looking, but it's an extremely effective midge pattern, and is important to Colorado and many rivers throughout the country because there are so many different varieties of midges. Midges hatch year around, and because these insects are always available, there's never a bad time to fish a Black Beauty as a dropper.   In fact, if you fished it as a dropper behind a red Copper John for an entire season, I would bet all ten cents in my wallet that you would have an extremely productive year of fishing.




Photo of an adult Chironomid Midge



The Black Beauty is a great winter tailwater pattern. If you can't tell be looking at it, the Black Beauty doesn't weigh very much, so it would be best to trail it behind a heavier nymph, or put a little weight in front of it to help get down to fish when they are hugging the bottom. Sizes 20-26 are typically what I use which means that 5x and 6x leaders and tippet are a must just to be able to fit your line through the eye of most hooks. Starting from July through early October the Black Beauty also does a great job of imitating a spent trico.



#2 The RS-2




The RS-2 was created by Colorado tyer Rim Chung, and is another oldie but goodie that has spawned many variations on a theme. The name RS-2 stands for Rim Semblance number two. It is my understanding that he created it to imitate any kind of emerging insect, but it best imitates a blue winged olive mayfly emerger.



The above photo is of a variation of the RS-2 called a Sparkle Wing, named appropriately for the flashy material used for the wing, and is a redesign by another great Colorado tyer Charlie Craven. Of course, Pat Dorsey put his mark on this pattern by throwing a clear glass bead on it for good measure. The Mercury RS-2 is the perfect pattern to fish in faster pocket water during spring and late fall because of the extra flash given off by the bead. The Charlie Craven Sparkle Wing RS-2 is my favorite to fish in the surface film. I guide and fish with light dun colored RS-2's in sizes 22-24 during spring, and olive or black in the same sizes during fall.





#1 The Parachute Adams



It didn't seem right not to have the most productive and iconic dry fly on the list.  Out of all the dry flies I've fished, the Parachute Adams has landed more for me than all others. Beginning tyers, tying this pattern in smaller sizes will push you to become better. And the Adams will ultimately be one of your first goto flies when trout have their noses up.


The Parachute Adam's is consistent with the theme of generic patterns that never seem to stop catching fish; lasting through the ages. It's a very visible pattern with a parachute post made of white calf body hair. It floats great, and sits low in the film. Tied in larger sizes (sizes 14-18) this fly is fantastic for imitating adult Caddis, or Callibaetis in lakes and reservoirs. A size 22-26 Parachute Adams can be taken as an adult b.w.o. or a midge in rivers and small streams. During the colder months on any of the tailwaters we have here in Colorado, a size 26 Adams will consistently fool selective trout. If your target fish are being extra picky, an old guide trick that has worked wonders for me, is to clip off the tail. The clipped tail gives it a smaller profile that's closer to a midge, and it might surprise you how much of a difference little things like that can make.



Noticably missing from my list are the San Juan Worm, Prince Nymph, Pat's Rubber Leg, Stimilator, Wooly Bugger, and many other fly patterns that have become house hold names in the sport of flyfishing. Again, the flies on this list are just one experienced flyfishers take on what to carry in your box, forsaking all others, to give you the best chance to catch fish here in beautiful Colorado. All of the flies I just named that are not on my list are great flies, but I either haven't fished with them enough for lack of confidence, or caught enough fish with them to beat out what I chose.

Noticeably missing from my list are my own patterns. Even though I have an unlimited supply of confidence in my personal creations -many of which have landed more fish for me than the patterns on my top ten- it didn't feel right to put a bunch of patterns on the list that I haven't shared or submitted, and therefor, would be tough to find at a fly shop. At least for now...



So there you have it. Out of all the fly patterns you could throw to a rising fish, this new school fisherman and tyer with a taste for the old school, is telling you to tie on a Parachute Adams before anything else. If you carry a small box full of Parachute Adams in varying sizes you're well on your way to being that guy who everyone stops to ask what he's using. Thanks to everyone who has shown support for Colorado Fly Fishing Magazine!  If you enjoy our site please subscribe to www.coloradoflyfisher.blogspot.com and like us on facebook!



For rates and availability for guided trips contact me at jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com


Tight lines!


















Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Fish Spotter Small Stream Brookie

This weeks fish spotter is a little tougher than previous ones.  This is a small stream very close to home that is loaded with brook trout.  Can you spot this very spookie and well camouflaged fish?  Remember you can click on the photo to enlarge it.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Old School Video Of People Fishing The Seven Falls In 1925

Check out this insanely cool video from 1925 of Cave Of The Winds and people fishing below Seven Falls.  The fishing part starts after Cave Of The Winds but the entire video is pretty classic.  Enjoy!




Sunday, November 13, 2011

Winter Patterns Fly Tying Class

Hey all I will be teaching a two hour tying class Dec. 7th at Anglers Covey fly shop where you will learn how to tie three of my favorite winter tailwater patterns. The class starts at 6 pm and the cost is only $25.  We will cover the different ways to use goose biot, explore some other alternatives to using hackle to keep our adult midge imitations floating, and go over colors and their significance to the midges life cycle.  If interested send me an email to jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com to RSVP or call Anglers Covey at 719-471-2984

Friday, November 11, 2011

Kleis's Top Ten Flies For Colorado # 1

#1 The Parachute Adams


 
It didn't seem right not to have what could be flyfishing's most productive and timeless dry fly as number one on my list, or anybody's list for that matter.  Out of all the dry flies I have fished with over the last 16 years the Parachute Adams has landed more fish for me on the surface than all others.  Beginning tyers this is the pattern that will push you to become better tyers and will ultimately be one of your biggest go-to flies when trout are on top.  This pattern is way too obvious as a number one contender for top fly in Colorado.  So much so that I had to lie to a fellow tyer the other day to keep him from guessing my top choice... 



The Parachute Adam's is consistent with my theme of generic patterns that never seem to stop catching fish and last through the ages.  It's a fairly visible pattern with a parachute post made of white calf body hair sitting on top.  It floats great and sits nice and low in the film. Tied in larger sizes (sizes 14-18) this fly is great for imitating adult Caddis or Callibaetis in lakes and reservoirs.  A size 22-26 Parachute Adams can be taken as an adult B.W.O. or a midge in rivers and small streams.  During the colder months on any of the tailwaters we have here in Colorado a size 26 Adams will consistently fool selective trout, and if they are being extra picky an old guide trick I learned last year that has worked wonders for me is to clip the tail off.  The clipped tail gives it a smaller profile that is closer to a midge or a cluster of midges and it will surprise many of you how much of a difference little things like that can make.


 
Noticably missing from my list are the San Juan Worm, Prince Nymph, Pat's Rubber Leg, Stimilator, Wooly Bugger, and many other fly patterns that have become house hold names in the sport of flyfishing.  Again the flies on my list are just one experienced flyfishers take on what I would carry in my box forsaking all others to give me the best chance to catch fish in Colorado.  All of the flies I just named that are not on my list are great flies, but I either haven't fished with them enough for lack of confidence in the fly, or caught enough fish with the San Juan's and Prince Nymphs to beat out what I chose.   Also noticeably missing from my list are my own patterns.  Even though I have an unlimited supply of confidence in my personal creations many of which have landed more fish for me than the patterns on my top ten.  It didn't feel right to put a bunch of patterns I haven't submitted and therefor would be impossible to buy at a fly shop short of Anglers Covey on the list. 



So there you have it.  Out of all the fly patterns you could fish to a rising fish just about any time of year in Colorado this new school fisherman and tyer with a taste for the old school is telling you to tie on a Parachute Adams before anything else.  If you carry a small fly box full of Parachute Adams in all sizes you are well on your way to being that guy who everyone stops to ask what he's using.  Thanks to everyone who has been super patient with me and followed this!  Seriously I really appreciate the support and positive feedback I get from writing blogs and sharing knowledge.  If you enjoy my site please subscribe to www.coloradoflyfisher.blogspot.com because there is plenty more to come.



Click here to see No. 2
Click here to see No. 3
Click here to see No. 4
Click here to see No. 5
Click here to see No. 6
Click here to see No. 7
Click here to see No.8
Click here to see No. 9
Click here to see No. 10


For rates and to check on my availability for guided trips contact me at jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com


Thanks and tight lines!
    

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Kleis's Top Ten Flies For Colorado # 2

#2 The RS-2




The RS-2 was created by Colorado tyer Rim Chung and is another oldie but goodie that has spawned many variations on a theme.  The name RS-2 stands for Rim Semblance number two.  It is my understanding that he created it to imitate any kind of emerging insect but it best imitates a Blue Winged Olive mayfly emerger.   



The above photo is of a variation of the RS-2 called a Sparkle Wing named appropriately for the flashy material used for the wing, and was redesigned by another great Colorado tyer Charlie Craven.   Of course Pat Dorsey threw a clear glass bead on this one as well.  The Mercury RS-2 is a great pattern to fish in faster pocket water during spring and late fall because of the extra flash given off by the bead.  The Charlie Craven Sparkle Wing RS-2 is my favorite to fish in the film as the pattern was meant to be used.  I guide and fish with light dun colored RS-2's in sizes 22-24 during spring, and olive in the same sizes in the late fall. 



Click here to see No. 3
Click here to see No. 4
Click here to see No. 5
Click here to see No. 6
Click here to see No. 7
Click here to see No.8
Click here to see No. 9
Click here to see No. 10




For rates and to check on my availability for guided trips contact me at jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com




If you like my blog and want to see more please subscribe to www.coloradoflyfisher.blogspot.com by clicking the join this site button on the side of my page.




Thanks and tight lines!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Kleis's Top Ten Flies For Colorado # 3

#3 Mercury Black Beauty



Number three on my list of killer trout flies for Colorado is the Mercury Black Beauty.  It was created by Colorado tyer Pat Dorsey, and again it has the omni present glass bead the Pat likes to put on many of his patterns.  The Black Beauty isn't very impressive looking but is an extremely effective midge pattern and is important to Colorado and many rivers throughout the country because there are so many different varieties of midges.  Midges can be found hatching all year in Colorado.  Because these insects are always available to fish it would be a great idea to use one of these as a dropper year round.  In fact if you fished the Black Beauty as a dropper behind a Copper John all year I would bet all ten cents in my wallet that you would have an extremely productive fishing season.



Photo of an adult Chironomid Midge



The Black Beauty is a great winter tailwater pattern because midges are often the only food source for trout during the coldest months.  If you can't tell be looking at it the Black Beauty doesn't weigh a whole lot so it would be best to trail it behind a heavier nymph or put a little weight in front of it to help get down to fish when they are hugging the bottom.  Sizes 20-26 are typically what I use which means that 5x and 6x leaders and tippet are neccesary.  The late fall is when I pull this pattern out of my box on guided trips because there are two major hatches of small black bugs that the Black Beauty could imitate, the Trico mayfly and of course the midge.



Click here to see No. 4
Click here to see No. 5
Click here to see No. 6
Click here to see No. 7
Click here to see No.8
Click here to see No. 9
Click here to see No. 10



For rates and to check on my availability for guided trips contact me at jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com



If you like my blog and want to see more please subscribe to www.coloradoflyfisher.blogspot.com by clicking the join this site button on the side of my page.



Thanks and tight lines!
   

Monday, November 7, 2011

Kleis's Top Ten Flies For Colorado # 4

#4 The Glow Bug Egg




The Glow Bug Egg is my number four because in the spring and fall it would be impossible to find a better attractor pattern that catches all species of trout and salmon.  The apricot orange color with the flame red dot on the top is still one of the closest I have seen to the real thing.  Tied with a little extra flash when this fly hits the water you immediately grab every trouts attention within a fifteen foot radius on a bright day and in clear water.



It's important to watch how the fish are reacting to the egg during those moments of clarity when you can see it.  Sometimes egg patterns can actually put down fish even if you think the conditions and time of year are right to use them.  If you fish an egg in faster water that you know is holding fish and you don't get a strike within the first ten drifts then you need to switch flies because you could be attracting the wrong kind of attention and spooking fish.  On the days when trout are eating eggs the fishing can be absolutely epic.  To me the perfect day of fall fishing is nymphing with an egg and something smaller like a Barr's Emerger trailing it and having a 30 fish day where half the fish were taken with the egg.




Click here to see No. 5
Click here to see No. 6
Click here to see No. 7
Click here to see No.8
Click here to see No. 9
Click here to see No. 10





For rates and to check on my availability for guided trips contact me at jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com




If you like my blog and want to see more please subscribe to www.coloradoflyfisher.blogspot.com by clicking the join this site button on the side of my page.




Thanks and tight lines!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Kleis's Top Ten Flies For Colorado # 5

#5 The Barr's Emerger





The Barr's emerger is another great John Barr pattern that I have a ton of confidence in.  A mayfly spends most of it's life under water as a nymph.  It's only when the temps and conditions are just right when these insects emerge off the bottom and break free from its nymphal shuck similar to when a snake sheds its skin only it has gone through an incredible transformation.  Under that shuck is an adult mayfly. 



During the emergence is when these insects are the most vulnerable because they are using trapped air bubbles to carry them off the bottom and up through the water column.  Being pushed by currents and completely exposed this is when they are an easy meal for fish.  There are 3 major mayfly hatches that John Barr ties his Emergers for and all three are important for Colorado.  The Pale Morning Dun Emerger (as pictured), the Blue Wing Olive Emerger, and the Trico Emerger are all significant insects to cover, especially in tailwater fisheries like the Arkansas river below Pueblo Reservoir and 11mile canyon.  The Barr's Emerger is number 5 on my list because in the spring and fall the Blue Winged Olive variation of this fly has hammered many big fish for me. 




Click here to see No. 6
Click here to see No. 7
Click here to see No.8
Click here to see No. 9
Click here to see No. 10





For rates and to check on my availability for guided trips contact me at jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com






If you like my blog and want to see more please subscribe to www.coloradoflyfisher.blogspot.com by clicking the join this site button on the side of my page.





Thanks and tight lines!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Controlled Burns 11-5-11





They are still doing controlled burns near Elevenmile Res.  It would probably be a good idea to avoid calling 911 until after investigating if you are concerned that the smoke you're seeing isn't part of a controlled environment.

Kleis's Top Ten Flies For Colorado # 6

#6 The Sculpzilla




My streamer of choice is the Sculpzilla.  The Sculpin is a small fish that has 11 different families and can be found in many of our bodies of water.  The Sculpins that I've seen in Colorado and the one's most imitated by fly tyers are dark olive in color, have big heads similar to a catfish without the whiskers, and large dorsal and pectoral fins. Though they are a forage fish for trout and larger predatory fish like bass and pike it is a rare occurrence to see one of these baitfish.  I don't know if it's because Sculpins mostly stick to the bottom of lakes and rivers or if they only exist in small numbers.




The fact that Sculpins can be found in Colorado is not why I love this pattern.  The massive bead with eyes at the front give this streamer enough weight to get down through the water column without having to add any additional weight to your rig.  What makes this pattern even more affective is the stinger hook in the back. 




Many streamers tied with a lot of fur and marabou only have one hook and 99 percent of the time that hook is located way up front on the fly.   More often than not when a fish strikes a streamer it is attacking the fly from behind which means that you get a lot of short strikes.  A short strike is when a fish is chasing your streamer and hits the fly on the tail often just short of making contact with the hook.




Fortunately for the rest of us tyers got smart and started tying articulated patterns with hooks in the tail.  The realistic shape, weight, and of course the stinger hook have culminated into what is by far my favorite streamer on the market.  It could be tied in any color you can imagine, and we sell them at Anglers Covey in two different sizes in olive and black.  Olive (as pictured) is my favorite color to fish and has been a fish slayer for me since I started fishing them last year.




Click here to see No. 7
Click here to see No.8
Click here to see No. 9
Click here to see No. 10




For rates and to check on my availability for guided trips contact me at jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com




If you like my blog and want to see more please subscribe to www.coloradoflyfisher.blogspot.com by clicking the join this site button on the side of my page.




Thanks and tight lines!

Friday, November 4, 2011

Biography

My name is Jon Kleis and I'm a Colorado Springs native and an Orvis endorsed fly-fishing guide in beautiful Colorado. My blog is aimed at progression in all aspects of the sport of flyfishing. Including fishing, tying, photography, cinematography, and writing. It is also my goal to provide the best up to date information on fishing in my home state including maps, river conditions, and what patterns to use. To schedule a guided trip or check my availability email me at jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com 

The current rates to schedule me for a trip through Anglers Covey are:

HALF DAYFULL DAY
          (4 Hours on Water)          (6 Hours on Water, includes Lunch)
One Angler: $250One Angler: $350
Two Anglers: $290Two Anglers: $350
Three Anglers: $345Three Anglers: $420


All gear is provided including: waders, rods, flies, bottled water...

Professional photographs are taken each trip by me and are currently included for free!



Thursday, November 3, 2011

Kleis's Top Ten Flies For Colorado # 7

#7 The Pheasant Tail  Nymph



The Pheasant Tail Nymph is another generic and yet iconic pattern (noticing a trend?) created by Frank Sawyer in the 1950's that slays fish on a regular basis.  This nymph imitates anything from small Midge larvae to Yellow Sallie Stonefly nymphs and has spawned quite a few variations on a theme.  It fishes great with several different styles of bead including the glass bead in the photograph.  The clear glass bead head Pheasant Tail is called the Mercury Pheasant Tail and was a modification made by Pat Dorsey designed to give this pattern more flash and also imitate a trapped air bubble similar to what you would see on an emerging insect. 



You can also tie or purchase these with a heavy tungsten bead and fish this pattern beneath a hopper or Elk Hair Caddis as part of a "hopper/dropper" system.  The Pheasant Tail is a great representation of the Pale Morning Dun Mayfly nymph which is found in many of Colorado's rivers and small streams.  If you are using this fly to match the P.M.D. hatch use sizes 18-20.  Here is another look at a video I shot in 11mile canyon of a P.M.D. nymph to show you truly how close the Pheasant Tail comes to imitating this important food source for trout.  My main reason for putting this fly above the Copper John on my list is simply because I have landed more fish with it.







Click to read No. 8
Click to read No. 9
Click to read No. 10 


For rates and to check on my availability for guided trips contact me at jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com


If you like my blog and want to see more please subscribe to www.coloradoflyfisher.blogspot.com by clicking the join this site button on the side of my page.

Thanks and tight lines!

Kleis's Top Ten Flies For Colorado #8

#8 The Copper John


The copper John is and has been for a while the number one selling fly in America.  It was created by legendary Colorado tyer John Barr.  It is a heavy subsurface nymph tied with wire, and a brass or tungsten bead.  The Copper John is what I call a generic pattern.  Being generic isn't a bad thing because all that means in the flyfishing and tying world is that you can imitate many different bugs with this one pattern.


In fact what I love most about the Copper John is that depending on what color and size you tie it in you could imitate a mayfly nymph, a Stonefly nymph, or a Caddis larvae, or even a Caddis pupa (emerging caddis) depending on what depth you're fishing it in.  Red Copper John's sizes 18-20 are one of my favorite attractor patterns in the spring and fall when trout spawn and are aggressive.  This nymph pattern is versatile and can be fished in every form of water for every fish species that we have in our beautiful state.  It is many anglers wish to have an entire box of different color Copper Johns in every size because they are so versatile.   If you have a good section of your fly box dedicated to Copper Johns you are well on your way to consistently catching fish below the surface.


  
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Thanks and tight lines!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Fly Fishing the Midfjardará Teaser

Kleis's Top Ten Flies For Colorado #9

#9 The Parachute Hopper



The top ten flies on anyone's list should always include a hopper.  The Parachute Hopper floats great, and to this day still has one of the more realistic profiles of a natural hopper when looking at it from underneath like a hungry panfish would.  It does start to carry water and sink a little after catching a few fish but that problem is easily solved with floatant.  The wing on this hopper also gets beat up pretty easy as well but again that's a small price to pay for a near perfect representation of a grasshopper.


The best time of the year to fish hoppers is in the late summer starting around the end of July and lasting through the middle of October on some years.  When real hoppers hit the water they sit low in the surface film because they are heavy and clumsy, and that is why I like the parachute style because this hopper sits low.  Just like the Elk Hair Caddis this is a great small stream fly.  When fishing hoppers throw delicate presentations out the door.  Deliberately cast this fly so it hits the water hard and makes a lot of noise. Fish it tight up against the bank and close to cover.


Many anglers have replaced strike indicators when nymph fishing with hopper patterns by attaching a section of tippet (leader material) to the bend of the hook on the hopper, and at the other end of the tippet attaching a heavy nymph.  This set up is called the hopper/dropper system and is extremely effective because you are covering more than one base with your flies (dry flies, and subsurface nymphs).


Check out number ten on the list here...

For rates and to check on my availability for guided trips contact me at jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com

If you like my blog and want to see more please subscribe by clicking the join this site button on the side of my page.

Thanks and tight lines! 

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

And The Winner Is...

The winner of my quarterly drawing for free flies tied by me here in Colorado just for subscribing to www.coloradoflyfisher.blogspot.com is Bruce Dellinger!  Bruce if you see this and you want to collect your prize I need an address sent to jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com  Congrats man and thanks for putting yourself through the agony of reading my written word.  Tight Lines!  Next Drawing will be held March 15th so if you enjoy my site please subscribe by clicking the "join this site" button next to my list of readers. 













Kleis's Top Ten Flies For Colorado #10

The subject of someone's personal favorite flies to have for a specific area or time of year always sparks coversation.  There are a hundred different patterns to imitate one insect or even one stage of an insect's life cycle which can make things confusing especially for someone just getting into the sport.  I have compiled a list of my top ten must have flies for the state of Colorado that I guide and fish with extreme confidence on a regular basis.  This list is not color or size specific, but the photo's of the patterns are what I prefer when fishing these flies. 

We will start with number ten and work our way up the list each day for the next ten days examining why I prefer each pattern and what times of the year they are most effective.  Number ten is a great example of why people shouldn't sleep on the classics.  There is only one other fly that I have landed more fish with on the surface and I can't tell you what it is yet because it's number two on my list.  The Elk Hair Caddis in sizes 14-18 is a must have dry fly in Colorado.  One of the funnest hatches to fish is the Mothers Day Caddis Hatch on the legendary Arkansas River, but anywhere there are hatching caddis in the spring and fall it is a safe bet that you can catch fish on the Elk Hair.


#10 Elk Hair Caddis


The best times of the year to use this pattern are starting around late March through the middle of July, and again starting around September through the beginning of November.  Size 16 in the color tan is what I prefer to use to imitate the adult caddis.  It might surprise you that caddis aren't limited to small streams and rivers and that they live in lakes and reservoirs as well.  And the Elk Hair is my go to fly in stillwater. 


The hollow Elk hair and the hackle feather it's wrapped with give this fly great air trapping qualities which means it rides high on the water's surface and floats well without a lot of special treatments such as gink or any other silicone based floatants.  It's hard to beat true originals and the same holds true for flyfishing.  Even though this is number ten on the list save an entire side of your dry fly box for the Elk Hair Caddis and you're well on your way to consistently catching fish on the surface.


For more information on flies including some of my original creations subscribe to my blog at www.coloradoflyfisher.blogspot.com

For questions concerning my posts, or to find out my rates and availability for guided flyfishing trips send me an email at jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com

Tight Lines and Screaming Reels!

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