Fly Fishing Cimarron River - Tolby

Overview

The Cimarron around Tolby is a small tailwater below Eagle Nest Dam, with brushy banks, gravel riffles, beaver ponds and boulder pockets between the Highway 64 bridges. Brown trout inhabit the stream alongside stocked rainbow trout. Short drifts and a quiet approach suit the small pools, while roll casts and compact presentations help keep a fly clear of bankside willows.

River Character and Fishing

The dam shapes the river’s character, but conditions vary with releases. In shallow, clear runs, keep the first casts short and approach quietly. In deeper pools or discolored current, adjust nymph depth and try a small streamer along reachable cover. Brush along the banks favors roll casts, bow-and-arrow casts and short flips with the rod tip held high to keep line off the water.

Brown trout are the story. They inhabit the pockets, undercut banks and deeper pools below the campground. Rainbow trout are stocked around the campground and show up regularly in the upper part of the reach, typically a size class smaller than the browns. Both species see heavy traffic from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and they respond the way pressured tailwater trout do everywhere: they refuse dragged drifts, they spook from a shadow, and they key on the small stuff. Fly fishing Cimarron River at Tolby rewards anglers who slow down, fish the near water first and treat every beaver pond like a spring creek.

Reading the water here is a matter of recognizing three different rivers in one. The upper mile below the public boundary is beaver country: a braid of dammed flats, side channels and slow pools where the current barely moves and the trout cruise like lake fish. Fish these from the bank or from the tail of the pond, cast well ahead of a rise and let a small dry or an unweighted nymph sit motionless, keeping drag to a minimum. Below the ponds the gradient picks up and the Cimarron becomes a riffle-and-pool stream, with fish holding in the heads of the pools, along the seams and under the cutbanks; a dry-dropper fished upstream on a short line is the default and a high-floating dry can reach fish in shallow riffles. In the last mile above the boundary bridge the valley walls close in, boulders replace gravel and the water turns to short plunge pools and pockets that fish best with a tight-line nymph rig and a heavier point fly. Each type of water has its own fish and its own rhythm, and the anglers who do best keep moving through all three rather than camping on one pool.

The Cimarron's hatches are remarkably varied for a stream this small. Midges are the year-round staple and carry the thin flows at the start and end of the season, with cluster patterns and tiny pupae working in the beaver ponds. Spring brings blue-winged olives on cloudy afternoons, followed by pale morning duns and the golden stonefly emergence that makes early summer the most exciting time on the river. Little yellow stones and a succession of caddis species fill the summer evenings, and by late summer trico spinner falls bring pods of fish to the surface in the flat water each morning. Terrestrials matter here more than on most tailwaters because the banks are so brushy: hoppers, ants and beetles dropped tight to the willows draw confident takes all afternoon. Fall belongs to the olives again, and streamers stripped through the deeper bends move the largest browns in the cooler season.

Tackle should be small and simple. A 7- to 8-foot rod in a 2-, 3- or 4-weight is ideal, and many locals fish glass or a short fiberglass rod for the delicate presentations. A dry-dropper rig with a size 14 Elk Hair Caddis or a parachute pattern trailing a small Pheasant Tail or RS2 covers the riffles, while an unweighted nymph or midge pupa under a tiny indicator is the way to fish the beaver ponds without spooking everything in them. Bring 5X and 6X, a good supply of size 18 to 22 olive and midge patterns, a few golden stone nymphs and Stimulators for early summer, and foam hoppers and ants for late summer. Choose your fishing position after inspecting the footing, depth and current; a wading staff can help with uneven ground. Polarized glasses are essential on water this clear, and a long-handled net saves scrambling down brushy banks. Leave the 9-foot 5-weight in the truck; it will only fight the willows.

Dam releases influence timing on the Cimarron. When the river is low and clear, fish the near water carefully with small dries or lightly weighted nymphs. In stronger current, focus on reachable seams and deeper holding water with controlled drifts. Watch for midges and olives in cooler conditions, caddis in the evenings and terrestrials along the brush during warmer weather. Check current water and park-access information before travelling; an irrigation-season pattern does not guarantee the conditions for your visit.

Access

Tolby’s designated angler parking is near the campground entrance on Highway 64, beside the upper reach. The State Parks map distinguishes angler parking from other park facilities.