We headed out to Colorado in August for one reason, high water and big fish in the Toilet Bowl. We were suprised to find our spot open when we arrived in the morning and tied on the mysis. The flows were up around 220 cfs, so we knew the fishing should be good. We hammered 18-22 inch browns pretty much all day. Jerry was deemed the new "Rainbow Master" as he caught four big rainbows all between 21-26 inches. I managed one lonely rainbow close to 21 inches and we both caught brookies close to 19 inches. I fouled one nice brown close to 27-28 inches in the bend pool, but broke it off. The big rainbows were not to be found on this trip. We fished the upper 1/4 mile the next day and got to fish the morning and afternoon hatches. We caught some nice browns in the morning on BWO's and some smaller Green Drakes. The Drakes were coming off, but not in big numbers. The afternoon brought on the PMD's and we caught fish after fish in the section above Baetis Bridge. In the evening we fished the scenic upper Pan and were rewarded with lots of rainbows and cutthroats. Jerry even hooked a hawg on the upper river, but had it break him off.

We tried our last day in the toilet bowl and again landed more browns then we could count. They brought the flows back down to 160-180 cfs, so the fish were a little more tippet sensitive and tougher to catch. Jerry again landed a monster rainbow close to 23 inches and a nice cutthroat close to 21 inches. The water temperature was a constant 42 degrees below the dam and the best flies were the standard mysis and candy canes in the toilet bowl; black beauties, miracles nymphs, and red midges below.