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November 25, 2025
THE PIKES PEAK FLYFISHERS
http://www.pikespeakflyfishers.com
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President's Hatch
***********ALERT********ALERT************ Due to some unforeseen circumstances, our speaker for December had to cancel. We were not able to find a replacement before the newsletter needed to be published. Looking at the long-range forecast for the weather, the temperatures are reported to be in the low teens on Monday evening. Due to these two factors, we decided to cancel our December meeting on 12/1/2025. We will pick back up on January 5th with a spectacular speaker presentation. The PPF board would like to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year December 10, Lunch at Mollica's, 11 AM Our first winter time lunch at Mollica's will be on December 10 at 11 AM. Order your lunch at the service counter and join us at table set up for Pikes Peak Flyfishers. A great time for us to get together during the winter months to tell fishing lies and what's in the future for the club. Mollica's Italian Market and Deli, 985 Garden of the Gods Rd.Casting Into 2026: Reflections, Community & What’s Next
As this year draws to a close, our fly-fishing club has a lot to celebrate—and plenty to look forward to. The rivers we fished, the friendships we deepened, the lessons we learned—all of it adds up to more than just good days on the water. It’s a story of community, growth, and passion. Let me take you through where we’ve been, what’s coming, and how we’re preparing for an even stronger 2026.
A Year on the Water: Reflections from 2025
2025 was a banner year for our club. From tranquil mornings on the stream to exciting club trips, successful fundraising auction, a wonderful summer picnic, informative monthly meetings, we cast lines, shared stories, and built memories that will last well beyond the season.
Trips & Adventures. We ventured to some of our favorite rivers and explored new waters. Whether it was wading in cool mountain river or guided boats down new locations purchased at our auction, our outings offered something for every angler. We saw big hatches, tricky currents, and—and best of all—plenty of trout rising to our flies. These weren’t just fishing trips—they were moments of connection: with nature, with our fellow anglers, and with ourselves.
Member Achievements. Among our group were anglers who landed their personal bests, tied flies for the first time, or finally perfected a tricky cast. Watching newer members grow more confident—and veterans revisit old haunts with fresh excitement—reminded us that fly fishing is a journey, not a destination.
Community Spirit. Beyond the fish, what stood out most was our camaraderie. Being together on riverbanks and high alpine lakes, while volunteering with special needs children, teaching youth fly fishing with Colorado Youth Outdoors, and supporting our local TU chapter, we laughed, swapped advice, and supported one another. Our club isn’t just about casting lines—it’s about being part of something bigger. That sense of belonging is, in many ways, our greatest catch of all.
Challenges & Lessons. Not every trip went smoothly. Weather, water levels, and logistics tested us. But in those tougher moments, we learned resilience. We adapted. We made new plans. And we found that overcoming obstacles together only strengthened our bond.
As we reflect on 2025, it's clear that our success wasn’t just measured in trout counts, but in the strength of our community and the memories we created. These lessons set the stage perfectly for what’s next.
Save the Date: 2025 Annual Banquet reschedule for — Thursday February 12th, 2026.One of the biggest clubs highlights each year is our Annual Banquet—a chance to gather off the water, celebrate, reminisce, and dream about the coming season. It was disappointing to have to cancel the banquet in November, but we are excited to announce that the banquet has been rescheduled to February 12, 2026 at Biaggi’s in the Promenade Shops on Briargate. It will give us a chance to celebrate with our club members but also celebrate Valentines Day at the same time. For those who have paid but now have a conflict please contact Lou Lathon loulathon@comcast.net , at the information below, as soon as you can so we can refund your money and fill your spot. The attendance will still be 60 attendees.
At the banquet, we’ll share highlights from the past year, recognize standout members, Learn about fishing in Patagonia, and just fellowship.
Electing Our Leaders: 2026 Board Elections
A strong club needs strong leadership—and our 2026 board elections will be critical in shaping where we go next. We’re electing four core positions: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary.- President: The guiding force behind club strategy, vision, and direction.
- Vice President: Supports the President, steps in when needed, and helps coordinate events.
- Treasurer: Manages club finances, budgets for trips and events, and ensures transparency.
- Secretary: Keeps our records and documents our meetings.
Currently our nominations are below- President: Kevin Thomason
- Vice President: Dave Hoover
- Treasurer: Dennis Erenberger
- Secretary: Ed Buck
If you would like to be part of the board as an officer or an at large member and help with special projects, auction and other club events please contact me, Kevin Thomason. We are always looking for new board members to be the future of our club. We do have openings for a Membership director that would be responsible for helping is track and grow our membership.
Looking Toward 2026: Growth, Goals & New Waters
With 2025 behind us, our eyes are already set on what’s around the bend. Here’s a look at some of the club’s priorities and aspirations for the upcoming year.
1. Expanded Trip Calendar
We plan to increase the number and variety of club trips in 2026. Our goal is to fish new rivers or rivers that have not been on club trips in a long while. Increase our trips to high alpine lakes. We had very successful trip to South Slope but want to target other alpine lakes on the Grand Mesa and Collegiate peak areas. We had two successful overnight trips in 2025 and want to continue them in 2026. If you have suggestions If you like casting on a river, wading secluded small streams, or fishing Stillwater there will be something for you.
2. Volunteer Opportunities
We will continue to support the Field Day for special needs children in D-49 school system. We will continue to support the Colorado Youth Outdoors fly-fishing classes. The local TU chapter has many volunteer opportunities we support such as willow planting on the dream stream, Macroinvertebrate insect counting on Bear Creek, and others. Landon Mayer’s Clean the Dream will be on our schedule. We would like to develop a team to participate in Creek Week and adopt a section of Fountain Creek as our focus. These are just a few items that our club can help promote fly fishing and gain new members.
3. Membership Engagement
We want to continue to grow our membership. 2025 was a year we made it to 100+ members. Let’s focus on inviting our friends, neighbors and anyone we meet on the street or riverbank to join our club. Lets try to make it to 125 members in 2026.
5. Fundraising & Sustainability
To support all of these ambitions—especially volunteering and increasing community service projects, we will need to ensure financial stability. Our community service projects in 2025 included the Boy Scouts, Special Needs children in D-49, Casting for Recovery, Project Healing Waters, Honor Flight support, member health donation and the club picnic, banquet, meetings etc. Our goal is to increase our support to the fly fishing community through our auction and yard sale fundraising.
Casting Forward: A Final Thought
As we turn the page to 2026, I find myself reflecting on the timeless wisdom of John Gierach, arguably one of the greatest voices in fly fishing literature. Though he passed away recently, his spirit continues to guide us. His writing wasn’t just about catching trout—it was about the rhythms of the river, the value of patience, and the joy of being together on the water.
“And I suppose in the end, it’s not the fish or the river that matter, but the casting — the act of offering something delicate and fragile into a place that demands respect.”
— John Gierach Wikipedia+2Kayak Angler+2
That sentiment captures what our club is all about: casting not just flies, but hope, friendship, and dedication into waters that flow far beyond our own stories.
Here’s to a 2026 filled with rising trout, strong leadership, deeper bonds, and a shared love for the rivers we call home. Tight lines—and see you at the banquet on February 12. Kevin Thomason
President |
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Programs
December 1: Meeting cancelled
January 5, 2026: Our own Justin, creator of the most realistic Crayfish fly anywhere, will demonstrate this tie and talk about some of his fishing adventures with it.
February 2, 2026: Ed LeViness, Ed’s Fly Shop, Montrose, Colorado will present fly fishing on the western slope waters.
February 12, 2026: Brad and Sherry Tomlinson of The Peak Fly Shop will present on fly fishing in Patagonia. This will show us some truly spectacular country, water, and trout.
March 2, 2026: Some winners of trips in the 2025 auction will present and talk about their experiences.
April 11, 2026: Auction Trip Reports
June 6, 2026: Picnic
July 6, 2026: Open
August 3, 2026: Erin Hale, Cord 3 Outfitters - Wyoming and Idaho
October 5, 2026: Open
November 5, 2026: Banquet
December 7, 2026: Open Charlie Huff
Program Director |
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Rod Building
Pikes Peak Flyfishers will again have a rodbuilding class starting in January (date TBA). The class will cover all aspects of building your very own custom rod, and will run from 8-10 weeks depending mostly on weather. The class Will be limited to 6 people.
Registration fee for the course will be $20.00, to help with the cost of club-supplied tools and consumable items. The cost of building your rod will be determined by the grade of components that you select. We will send out more information to any members who express interest.
If you are interested, please contact Dave Hoover, trouthunterdave@gmail.com or Charlie Huff, chuff59@earthlink.net |
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December Fly Tying Bench Recommendations
As most of us have begun to think about our next fishing trips or what flies to tie for the winter, we do not need to forget that winter can be a great time to get out on the river. A warm day can awaken a good BWO hatch or even a burst of snow can trigger a hatch. The fish do not move a lot to save energy, but they do still eat on the small midges and larvae that come floating by. Picking the right fly is critical. This month let's look at the recommendations from Charlie Craven for November and December and into the colder months. The list of flies are:- Charlies Mysis (for tailwaters that have mysis shrimp)
- Mirror Mysis (for tailwaters that have mysis shrimp)
- Top Secret Midge
- RS2
- Rainbow Warrior Perdigon
- Rainbow Warrior
- CDC Tungsten Rainbow Warrior
- No Mercy Parachute
- Hardbody Leech
Most of these are not difficult to tie and there are many YouTube videos on the techniques of tying these flies. Here is the link to Charlie Craven’s video describing each of these flies in detail https://youtu.be/kVGOpOCNs-U?si=uS6dKjMR_PA1Tol9.
We will be scheduling some fly-tying dates throughout the winter to share best practices and new patterns to learn. Stay tuned to dates in upcoming newsletters. |
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 | Ed Buck with a Rainbow Falls golden trout |
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 | Tom Burdette with a huge mule deer that he took with a bow. Tom also only catches big fish. |
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 | Landon Mayer and Dave Hoover on a trip to the Dream Stream. Landon says hello to everyone. |
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 | First fish of the day with Landon. 20" Rainbow. |
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 | Second fish from same hole. 18" Rainbow |
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 | Last fish of the day. 14" Rainbow. |
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Support our Sponsers!!Special Shout Out to our most excellent sponsor The Peak Fly Shop 5632 Academy Blvd Colorado Springs, CO 80918 (719) 260-1415 |
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