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What's the best fish you've ever taken out of Clear Creek?

1K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  cocarp 
#1 ·
Just curious. I have fished it only a couple of times and have only been able to catch some little guys up to stocker sized. I have fished a few deep pools and know that there has to be a few hogs still swimming around in there (or at least I can hope there is). Keep my hopes alive...what's your personal best from Clear Creek?

Tom
 
G
#3 ·
First thing - CC isnt a hog factory, 100yrs of mine pollution and leeching from the tunnel at Idaho Springs keep that from happening. Most fish max out around 16" due to heavy metals poisining.
HOWEVER, there have been some larger fish taken in the last 3-4 yrs, some due to brood fish that were planted by T.U. along with some i suspectwere put in by CDOW when the new Hophers were put in last year. I've seen and hooked barely a handful of browns to 20", but are exceedingly rare, you might see only one over a couple years of fishing it hard. Best place to find the bigger ones are above/below the RMA property below G'Town, some of their pellett stockers escape in high water.
Another great place to find the larger fish is NOT in deep pools as many think, but under overhangs, logs, boulders, etc adjacent to pools below heavy riffles.
My own personal best from CC are a 20" bow, several 17-19" bows and browns. 19" bow was caught last week, and is the same fish CoCarp caught in the same area a few weeks before that, he's got a great shot of it. ****er beat me to it :) Seen others who fish the creek regularly pull out some fish to 16-17" fairly regularly. Pretty good for a freestone spanning 40+ miles with no tailwater.

Old pic of 20" from 2007 :

 
#4 ·
I love reading SL's posts about that place. Talk about dialed in.

I've been on that creek about 25- 30 times in the last two years - almost always in the canyon between Golden and Idaho Springs. My best is about like yours- 13-14 inch bows- probably the Hofers SL mentioned. They've come in the fall when the water's been 100 cfs or lower. That seems to be the easiest time to move around and fish longer stretches of water, reach different types of habitat, etc. I don't have the seeds to fish the canyon when it's up around 200.

Most of the time, though, I'm catching browns, 10 inches and down.
 
#10 ·
So, Silent Light was nice enough to show me around on CC on Sunday. DAMN! Jim really knows that stretch of water!

We fished the river from Silver Plume down to Idaho Springs and had a great time. If you've never had the pleasure of meeting Jim...he is just a STAND UP GUY! I felt like I had my own personal tour guide of the river. It's amazing how well he knows every nook and cranny of that place. He really should write a book!

Anyway, I got the feeling that Jim was making it his mission to best my PB for CC. He did everything he could...including putting me on a beautiful 19" bow. But....my dumba** lost her...twice! But I did pull out a bunch of cutties and brookies out of the same hole. They were all over the place and lovin my chartruse dropper. What a great time! I didn't get any pix of them, but I know Jim has a few on his camera.

He showed me a few spots closer to town to get into a few brownies. Jim really knows the sweet spots on that river. Thanks buddy for showing me around and sharing your knowledge. Good times!

As someone still new to fly fishing (about a year and a half) and someone who mostly fishes the South Platte, it was awesome just hanging back and watching a real pro work that small freestone river. Learned a ton just from watching Jim cast and what spots he picked to fish and how he moved along the river. You can't get a lesson like that out of a book!

I gained a whole new appreciation for CC on Sunday. Got the bug to get me a little 3 wt now too. Can't wait to get back up there.

Thanks Jim!

Tom
 
G
#12 ·
COCarp said:
Nice Tom and hey quit picking on my little miss up dhere!
Carp - Since we both met her independantly, we know she's a sure thing >:D

She found herself a good spot to hold during ice so pretty confident she will be around come spring and become one to watch, not sure if i'll cast to her again though, want to see just how big she will get !
 
#13 ·
Silent_Light said:
COCarp said:
Nice Tom and hey quit picking on my little miss up dhere!
Carp - Since we both met her independantly, we know she's a sure thing >:D

She found herself a good spot to hold during ice so pretty confident she will be around come spring and become one to watch, not sure if i'll cast to her again though, want to see just how big she will get !
:D :D
 
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