DM Ranch Near Fairplay
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08/19/10
Good Conditions at the DM
2010 FISHING REPORTS:
08/18/10 - Fifteen browns, one of which was 19 inches.
07/30/10 - After checking in with Yer Flies Open and hearing that the water was a “little off color” we made the short drive to the DM Ranch. A little off color was an understatement. The water was chocolate milk due to recent heavy rainfall. We assessed the available waters upstream as well as downstream hoping that the water was a little more clear upstream. Unfortunately, it all looked bad. Really bad. Visibility was less than 5”. Nonetheless, we fished for a couple hours and didn’t manage to hook a fish and we were off property before lunchtime. We tried San Juan worms, as well as an assortment of nymphs, dries and streamers...nothing. Maybe next time the weather will cooperate.
07/25/10 - All I can say is WOW! Your program is excellent. Everything was top notch. The check-in process in Fairplay was super easy. Directions to the leases were straightforward and the leases themselves were outstanding. I had a great day of fishing on the DM Ranch. I fished dries only and had a blast and caught plenty of fish. I never saw another angler and felt like I had my own little slice of fly fishing heaven.
07/17/10 - Non stop action for four hours on a royal Wulff. We probably released 70 fish and missed as many as we hooked. A few fish were 15-16" browns and we saw larger ones. Lots of hatches all morning, then nothing after 2:00 PM (too warm).
07/09/10 - The DM was a puzzle today. Fish were caught on many different patterns but not consitently. At times they were feeding like crazy but were very selective. At one point there were eight hatches on the water, including three different mayflies, two caddis species, yellow sallys, bicolored midges and damsels. This is why we keep coming back!
07/05/10 - Fishing was slow in the morning due to cold weather. Hatches began before noon and things picked up for about two hours. Trouble was there were so many hatches at once and the fish were very selective. Still a good day but not like other days at the DM.
07/03/10 Beautiful property. Caddis & BHFBPT all day. Too many fish to count. Average 10" -12"; some 14". Great day!!
6/27/10 - The water is still a little high and off color but conditions are much improved at the DM Ranch.
5/22/10 - We were at the DM Ranch yesterday and the water was chocolate milk. looks like it could be a excellent place to fish. Unfortunately we did not catch anything.
5/02/10 - Absolutely great property! Looks like it would be good dry fly water later in the season. Just wish you could guarantee no wind. Good action all morning on stonefly nymphs. Caught a lot of 12" browns until 2:00 PM, then went down to Spinney Reservoir and got skunked.
4/29/10 - Even though the wind was fierce yesterday, the fishing was good. We caught about 30 browns up to 14" and one 18" brown on #8 golden stone flies. The fish hit so softly, we missed many more than we caught.
4/24/10 - Cold morning...no action until 1:00 PM. Fish became more active in the afternoon. Released 24 browns in three hours on golden stonefly and copper john nymphs. Water is very nice but needs to warm up before fish start feeding. Lots of golden stonfly nymphs under the rocks.
2009 FISHING REPORTS:
9/22/09 - Stream flows have come back up at the DM Ranch. The most recent fishing report (9/13) indicates that fishing is slow but conditions are good.
8/12/09 - Best dry action was on beetles and smaller lime trudes. Water is getting bony and warm. 58 degrees before lunch. Small prince droppers brought the most activity including a 17" brown at two pools above the bridge. The rest were 9-10" and several 12"s.
8/09/09 - The stream seemed low and it took a while for the hatches to get started. There was an abundant brown mayfly hatch about 1:00 PM and a few caddis and gray drakes were also on the water. We had the most action using a hares ear and prince nymph combo, mostly in the deep pools. Otherwise, we got an occassional fish to come up for an adams. Nothing big but several browns were about 12 inches.
7/11/09 - Flows were good. Water was a bit off color rom the recent rains. The downstream part of the property and the pools in the upper middle part were best. The very uppermost portion seems a bit too brushy to fish without combat gear. Caught around 30 browns 6-16 inches and 1 cutt which was around 16". Dry fly success with size 16 March brown; Adams size 18; caddis size 16-18. Skittering caddis in faster water was good. Nymphing with olive size 20-22 RS2 was successful. Another great South Park Flyfisher property!
07/05/09 - The river is still a little high and off color but orange stimulators worked well all day along the edges. Two of us released about 50 fish up to 16 inches.
07/02/09 - There are now multiple hatches throughout the day. Optimal fishing conditions should occur within the next two weeks.
5/17/09 - Arrived in the afternoon and tried several flies before putting on a large stonefly pattern, after which we had non-stop action for two hours (30 fish total). Fish are holding along the edges to escape the fast current. Visibility is poor due to runoff so you have to place the fly close to the fish.
5/13/09 - Water was high and muddy. Caught about 20 browns and lost many others on large streamers. Several of the fish we lost were huge. There are a lot of deep holes and people should be careful wading if they can't see the bottom.
5/03/09 - 35 nice browns during the afternoon of May 3, 2009, two of which were around 20 inches. Anglers should start at the lower property boundary and work upstream to the bridge (livestock barns).
Additional data available from the Colorado Division of Water Resources.