The Colorado Angler

The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – May 17, 2012

andrew — Thu, 17 May 2012 05:48:40 +0000

Wednesday Night Update

The Salmonfly hatch has made it’s way upstream dramatically over the past couple of days all the way to Beyer’s Canyon, now covering an amazing 30 miles of water. With prime conditions for wading along the upper river, the arrival of the hatch has set the stage for a fly angler’s dream scenario.

If you are making plans to head out and catch this hatch somewhere along the Colorado, keep in mind that it can be extremely short lived. With that in mind as the days pass, the hatch will wane in the lower river and move higher up. If you can’t get out until the weekend, head to the Parshall area.

Monday Evening Update.

Warm and Sunny weather returned to the high country Monday and with it a renewed energy to the Salmonfly hatch. Water temperatures on the Colorado below Kremmling shot up to 60 degrees today and late this afternoon, Pteronarcys nymphs emerged from the river in mass for an evening hatch.

Action today was strong at times on nymphs and also produced good interest in adult imitations. With such a strong hatch today a couple of questions remain to be answered over the next couple of days with regards to this phenomenon. First, how well will the trout respond to angler offerings with such a large number of naturals present? And second, how quickly will the body of the hatch move upstream towards the classic wade fishing areas in the Parshall and Beyers Canyon areas?

Good questions both. We will continue to pass along the information as we see it on the water.

For those of you out there that have never experienced a full on Salmonfly hatch, you may want to consider dropping everything on your schedule and head to the Colorado in the next few days. This hatch is always tough to count on due to the time of year it arrives. More often than not, the water is high and dirty when the bugs emerge and therefore not productive. With these low and clear conditions, the opportunity looks prime. As for those anglers out there that have experienced this hatch, they probably didn’t read past the first paragraph of this update, as they are already racing to the river.

Detailed reports on the right side of this page will give more specific information on a particular stretch of river. Make sure to check those out for your river of interest, as they will be able to answer questions pertaining to hatches and flies.

Fishing at this time remains good to excellent, it just takes a little extra energy before you head out for the day, to make sure conditions haven’t changed adversely on your river of choice. Don’t hesitate to give us a call for the most up to date conditions, the last thing we want to hear is a fishing trip spoiled by bad conditions at a particular river, when there are better options out there that day.

Please feel free to call us at The Colorado Angler, at any time to discuss any questions and concerns you may have about the current conditions. There is a lot of information here on this page as well as on our main page at www.TheColoradoAngler.com but, space is limited and we may not have answered all of your questions. We want to make sure you get the information you are looking for. Toll Free 855-CO TROUT (268-7688) or stop by and see us in the Summit Place shopping center in Silverthorne, next to Blue Moon Bakery, Exit 205 on I-70, then south 1 block. Spring Hours: Monday – Saturday 8 am – 6 pm, Sunday 8 am – 5 pm

Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir
Flow: 53 cfs.
Conditions: Flows continue to remain low and steady. Good clarity coming from the Dam but, expect just a little bit of color as you move north and a little snow melt runs into the main river. We do expect these low flows to continue for some time as snow-pack is lower than average. Action through town has been fairly solid. There has been a good mix of resident fish being caught in amongst the new additions that Parks and Wildlife introduced to the river a few weeks back. Reports have also included fish taking dries at times in town, the result of a steady Midge hatch most afternoons. As far as flies, the fish have been focusing their attention on a variety of options, again this can partially be attributed to the mix of resident and introduced fish. So, definitely start with imitative patterns of the present food options of the Tailwater, ie. Midge and Mysis variations. And as a bonus, now you can go ahead and work in some general searching patterns, in sizes that may not require magnification to tie on. Such as Hare’s Ears and Tungteasers in #16-18 sizes. Crowds continue to be brisk, as is expected this time of year combined with the productive conditions. Town Flies: RS-2, Black or Chocolate UV Emerger, Kingery’s Cap’n Hook, Black Pheasant Tail, Flashback Pheasant, Black Beauty, Rojo Midge, Winter Baetis, Desert Storm, Rainbow Warrior, BTS Mysis, Stalcups Mysis, Candy Cane, Tungteaser, Hare’s Ear, Red or Copper Copper John, Flossy Worm
Blue River Below Green Mountain
Flow: 73 cfs.
Conditions: Access Restriction: Due to road work being done on the road across the Dam and it’s approach, the Dam itself is closed to all traffic. For access during construction, anglers will have to take the road around the west side of the reservoir, from the south, in order to get to the access below the Dam. Fishing access will remain open. Fishing Conditions: A slight bump up in flows (very slight) will add a little more room for the fish, but still water levels are very low. While the reservoir is coming up, it is doing so at a snails pace and we expect this to be the situation until at least mid to late May. The Silver lining to all of this is it does make for great access for wade fishermen, although the fish will be a little more sensitive with the reduction in cover. There is a good mix of patterns working right now from larger Stonefly patterns down to Midge and Baetis imitations. Best bet would be a double nymph rig anchored with a larger offering trailing something smaller, to get an idea on the flavor of the day. Definitely use caution on getting down to and back up from the river. The hill is steep and doesn’t provide a lot of footholds. Flies: Larger size Bead Head Nymphs: #10-12 Hare’s ear, Prince, Tungteaser, Tungsten Rubber Leg Yellow Sally, Stubby Stone, San Juan Flash Worm and Red Hot Worm, Big Bear Baetis, Juju Baetis – standard and purple, Barr’s Emerger, Split Case BWO, Jujubee, Poison Tung, UV Emerger. Floaters should note: The take out that has been used for years is no longer available, that property is now private. For boat take out you now need to continue on down the Blue to the access ramp for the Gore Canyon put-in. this is approximately another mile. Please respect private property rights along the river.
Colorado River Above Kremmling
Flow: 174 cfs.
Conditions: River levels remain low and clear, providing fantastic conditions for anglers during a time of year which usually finds us scrambling for access to good river fishing. Better still, the Salmon Flies are emerging in good numbers and action is great. Early morning to mid day, action is more consistent on nymph patterns, either under an indicator or as part of a dry dropper rig. Then as the day progresses, look for fish to begin to respond to dry fly patterns. Fishing this hatch can still be difficult at times and frustrating in the lack of response to Salmonfly imitations on a steady basis. Anglers should be prepared to also fish other common imitations to the area. There are still Baetis and some midges present as well as the possibility of Caddis. With the excitement that the Salmonflies bring, crowds are a real possibility, so keep your options open with the multiple locations to access the river from Hot Sulphur down to Kremmling. Flies: Kaufmans Stone Nymph, Rubber Legs, Designated Hitter Salmonfly, Clark’s Salmonfly, Improved Sofa Pillow, Loco Stone, San Juan Worm, Tungstone, Barr’s Emerger, Juju Baetis, RS-2, Pheasant Tail, Split Case BWO, Pure Midge Larve,Rojo Midge, Otter Milking Egg
Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero
Flow: 377 cfs.
Conditions: As noted on the left side of the page, the Salmonfly hatch has started. Action has still been most consistent on the nymph imitations, as that is where the greatest opportunity for bugs still is but, as the hatch intensifies over the next couple of days, there should be good surface action. Keep in mind that there is a bit of strategy to fishing this hatch. You will want to focus your attention on areas closer to the edge of the river versus in the center of the channel for two reasons. First, the nymphs actually migrate (crawl) to the banks to hatch on dry ground. Opportunistic trout position themselves closer to the banks and await the easy meal. Second, the adults hatch and spend a good deal of time clinging to bank-side willows. Being somewhat clumsy insects, they are prone to falling from the willows, particularly when the wind gets up, and often times they end up in the river adjacent to the bank. Also expect continued results on Blue Winged Olive patterns, as that has been the most consistent hatch lately, but as those water temps climb, we should transition into a bit of Caddis action as well. The BWOs have been hatching mid-day and we would expect that to happen a little earlier as the water temps rise with sunnier conditions. With this extremely low flow, the wade fishing is a very viable option and there have been quite a few wade anglers enjoying the action. Boaters should take note of the low flows and make an honest assessment of their ability and water craft before descending into Little Gore Canyon. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tails, Juju Baetis, Tungsten Split Case BWO, Barr’s Flashback BWO Emerger, RS-2, Tungsten Hares Ear, Two Bit Hooker, Stubby Stone, Twenty Incher, Kaufman Stone, Jimmy Legs, Psycho Prince, Loco Stone Salmon, Designated Hitter Salmon, Clark’s Stonefly Salmon
Colorado Below Glenwood Springs
Flow 3020 cfs.
Conditions: With our inconsistent spring weather conditions here are now day to day. Still seeing some very productive days when clarity allows, but with the warm temperatures all the way up the Colorado and Eagle, snow melt is bringing visibility down to near zero on others. That being said, action is starting to really pick up from Glenwood Canyon on down stream, when it is not too dirty for flies to be seen. Best results have been on medium to larger searching and Stonefly nymphs with a well presented mix of Midge patterns behind that. Hatches of Midges and Blue Winged Olives have given way to a thick Caddis hatch throughout the lower river, with adult bugs present all day and hatching mid-day to early evening depending on location. Dry flies are certainly a good option, with some stretches producing great action on emerging, crippled and adult Caddis. Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, Bead Prince, Twenty Incher, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Foam Caddis, Spotlight Caddis Emerger, Elk Hair Caddis, Stimulator, Nitro Caddis, Zebra Midge, Rojo Midge, Poison Tung, Juju Baetis, STD Baetis
Arkansas River Above Buena Vista
Flow: 230 cfs.
Conditions: Making good progress up here. River levels have risen below Twin Lakes, but the river still offers a good wade fishing option. The hatches at this level are not yet to the point of the river below Buena Vista, but then again neither are the crowds. Conditions along the upper river will continue to improve daily as water temperatures slowly rise and clarity remains very good. Still a little early for widespread success, particularly in the Hayden Meadows/Kobe area, but if these weather conditions persist, the fish counts will start to climb up there as well. Fishing has been solid as you fish your way down down below Balltown, Granite and beyond. Focus your efforts early on in the deeper, gentler runs and pools that will offer trout an energy conserving lie for this time of year and as the temperatures warm up later in the day, look for fish to venture into feeding lanes. Midges and Caddis Larve will be the primary available food sources, but there are still some fish that will take smaller searching nymphs. Later on in the day there have been good moments of dry fly fishing in scattered locations. Flow is at Granite. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tail, Hot Wire Prince, Rojo Midges, 5-0 Midge, UV Emerger, Poison Tung, Rainbow Warrior, Mercury Midge, Stimulator, Parachute Adams, Winger Parachute, Para Extended Body BWO
Arkansas River Below Buena Vista
Flow: 425 cfs.
Conditions: Solid fishing on a variety of Midge patterns early in the day. As the day, and water temps warm, Baetis nymphs have been solid through mid day from the Buena Vista area on down. With the warming temperatures, Caddis are now starting to make their way up the river. Currently, the heart of the hatch is has moved up above Salida and into Brown’s Canyon. With the additional water in the river and some cloud cover, water temps will stabilize and continue to offer multiple choices for food. Be flexible and not afraid to move or switch tactics if you are not having success. Don’t force the Caddis if it is not happening. Make sure to carry a good assortment of Blue Wing, and even some Midge, patterns on the river with you. Truth be told, the Baetis hatch is often far more consistent and productive than the more well attended Caddis. Some action can also be had on Stone fly nymphs as a lead fly in your nymph set up. Flow reading is at Nathrop. Flies: Bead Head Pheasant Tail # 14-16, Tungstone Golden #12-16, Chartreuse Copper John #12-16, Chartreuse Hot Wire Caddis, Hot Wire Prince, Spotlight Caddis, Foam Caddis, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute, Juju Baetis, Split Case BWO, Zebra Midge, Garcia’s Rojo Midge, RS-2, Caddis Candy and Poison Tung
Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs
Flow: 1070 cfs.
Conditions: At times the river has really seen the impact of the heat in the valley. With snow melt up the Crystal, the river has really taken a hit in the clarity department. This will ebb and flow over the course of any particular day and may offer some windows of opportunity, not just from one day versus the next, but also from morning to afternoon. Also beneficial will be the addition of more water from Ruedi into the Frying Pan, this extra 75 cfs is clean Tail water release. Going forward keep an eye on the flow and look for spikes (particularly from the Crystal) that would indicate a rise in snow melt and reduction in clarity. When the visibility does allow, get out there as action has been solid river wide. Fish have been active for some time now on Midge and Blue Winged Olive nymphs as well as a good compliment of searching nymphs such as the Prince or Tungteaser. In more recent days as water temperatures have risen, an emergence of Caddis has started on the lower river and is offering some great opportunities for rising fish as well. If you are in the area and it is dirty, simply move upstream above the cloudy water, hopefully just at Carbondale, or jump onto the Frying Pan at Basalt. Take advantage of these mild conditions and finish up the day with a soak in the hot springs. Flies: Elk Hair Caddis, Potter’s Pearl and Elk, Stimulators, RS-2, STD Baetis, Tungteaser, Twenty Incher, Bead Prince, Copper John#16-18, Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, San Juan Worm patterns, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute.
South Platte River, Middle Fork
Flow: 60+/- cfs.
Conditions: River is once again opening up with all the warm weather in the high country. Starting to pick up a bit of action as well. Reports coming in indicate decent success for anglers. Best approach would be with a mix of searching nymphs and egg patterns. Flies: Otter Egg, Red Copper John,Tungsten Pheasant Tail, IED, Hot Wire Prince, STD Baetis, Tungsten Psycho
South Platte, Dream Stream
Flow 155 cfs.
Conditions: Reports coming in from the Platte have been improving. The first signs of some larger fish moving in from Eleven-mile have been producing a few nice. There also seems to be a couple of pockets of “Stocker Madness”, with cookie cutter 10-12 inch fish all over a dead drift nymph rig. And being that it’s the Platte in Spring, there are a lot of anglers out there. So if a little solitude is what your after, you may want to think twice. The best approach right now is a double nymph rig pairing either a Baetis pattern or maybe an egg as your lead fly and trailing that with a Midge pattern. Flies: Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger BWO, Split Case BWO, RS-2, Otter Egg, San Juan Worm, Red Copper John, Jujubee, Barr’s Pure Midge Larva, UV Emerger, Desert Storm
Williams Fork River Below Dam
Flow 18 cfs.
Conditions: If the current flow is legit and we think it is, please think about looking else where. The stress of extreme low flows on trout is enough with out a bunch of us thrashing the water to a froth. When it does come back up to reasonable flows, we expect solid, low water temperatures. Flies: San Juan Worms, Flash Back Pheasant Tails, Miracle Nymph, Otters Egg, Garcia’s Rojo Midge. Baetis nymphs: Juju Baetis, Big Bear Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, Andrew’s 5-0 Midge, Split Case BWO, RS-2. Dries: Para Winger, CDC Baetis Dun, Lawson’s No Hackle, Gulpher Special, Brook’s Sprout Midge, Trailing Shuck Midge.
Antero Reservoir

Conditions: The lake is open as well as the rest of the South Park impoundments and providing fair action for the shore and tube angler. It will not open for trailer launched boats until May 3rd. Until then foot and hand launched only.
Spinney Mountain Reservoir

Conditions: Well the day has come and the park is open. Reports for the first couple of days have been overall pretty good, particularly near the boat ramp and Dam. Small streamers seemed to do the trick initially and fly casters along the Dam always start out the year with an assortment of egg patterns. Keep checking back as the days go on, we will try to keep the information as current as possible.
Delaney Buttes Lakes

Conditions: Reports have been pretty solid overall, with all three lakes offering opportunities. The North lake opened first, with some moderate to good results on streamers, Egg patterns and a mix of Midges. The South lake was right behind in thawing and wade anglers are doing well for those bank cruisers. Reports off the East lake have been off the charts for boaters. Flies: Egg Patterns, Bead Pheasant Tail, Bead Hare’s Ear, Copper John, Jumbo Juju, Zebra Midge

The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – May 14, 2012

andrew — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:08:36 +0000

Book Your Guide Trip Now

Monday Evening Update.

Good questions both. We will continue to pass along the information as we see it on the water.

Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir
Flow: 53 cfs.
Conditions: Flows continue to remain low and steady. Good clarity coming from the Dam but, expect just a little bit of color as you move north and a little snow melt runs into the main river. We do expect these low flows to continue for some time as snow-pack is lower than average. Action through town has been fairly solid. There has been a good mix of resident fish being caught in amongst the new additions that Parks and Wildlife introduced to the river a few weeks back. Reports have also included fish taking dries at times in town, the result of a steady Midge hatch most afternoons. As far as flies, the fish have been focusing their attention on a variety of options, again this can partially be attributed to the mix of resident and introduced fish. So, definitely start with imitative patterns of the present food options of the Tailwater, ie. Midge and Mysis variations. And as a bonus, now you can go ahead and work in some general searching patterns, in sizes that may not require magnification to tie on. Such as Hare’s Ears and Tungteasers in #16-18 sizes. Crowds continue to be brisk, as is expected this time of year combined with the productive conditions. Town Flies: RS-2, Black or Chocolate UV Emerger, Kingery’s Cap’n Hook, Black Pheasant Tail, Flashback Pheasant, Black Beauty, Rojo Midge, Winter Baetis, Desert Storm, Rainbow Warrior, BTS Mysis, Stalcups Mysis, Candy Cane, Tungteaser, Hare’s Ear, Red or Copper Copper John, Flossy Worm
Blue River Below Green Mountain
Flow: 73 cfs.
Conditions: Access Restriction: Due to road work being done on the road across the Dam and it’s approach, the Dam itself is closed to all traffic. For access during construction, anglers will have to take the road around the west side of the reservoir, from the south, in order to get to the access below the Dam. Fishing access will remain open. Fishing Conditions: A slight bump up in flows (very slight) will add a little more room for the fish, but still water levels are very low. While the reservoir is coming up, it is doing so at a snails pace and we expect this to be the situation until at least mid to late May. The Silver lining to all of this is it does make for great access for wade fishermen, although the fish will be a little more sensitive with the reduction in cover. There is a good mix of patterns working right now from larger Stonefly patterns down to Midge and Baetis imitations. Best bet would be a double nymph rig anchored with a larger offering trailing something smaller, to get an idea on the flavor of the day. Definitely use caution on getting down to and back up from the river. The hill is steep and doesn’t provide a lot of footholds. Flies: Larger size Bead Head Nymphs: #10-12 Hare’s ear, Prince, Tungteaser, Tungsten Rubber Leg Yellow Sally, Stubby Stone, San Juan Flash Worm and Red Hot Worm, Big Bear Baetis, Juju Baetis – standard and purple, Barr’s Emerger, Split Case BWO, Jujubee, Poison Tung, UV Emerger. Floaters should note: The take out that has been used for years is no longer available, that property is now private. For boat take out you now need to continue on down the Blue to the access ramp for the Gore Canyon put-in. this is approximately another mile. Please respect private property rights along the river.
Colorado River Above Kremmling
Flow: 160 cfs.
Conditions: Flows here are maintaining, relatively speaking, at a fairly consistent level. There have been and will continue to be, some ups and downs dependent on air temperatures, but nothing that has blown out the fishing. Still the same, this is one of the most consistent access points anywhere in the state. Tandem nymph rigs continue to offer the most consistent results. Either with a Baetis to Midge combo or a double offering of either. There are still plenty of Midges around and fish have been keying on those imitations, primarily below the surface with all of the sunshine we have been enjoying. But if the clouds roll in, you may experience a nice dry fly event. Blue Winged Olives are also very effective now, with good numbers of naturals both below the surface and emerging when conditions are right. The time is now right for the Salmonflies to hatch. The Nymphs are definitely on the migration towards the banks, and many are already in position, for their emergence. This hatch could come any day now. The stream flow gauge for this site is finally back up and working for the season as ice is but a distant memory. Flies: San Juan Worm, Biot Midge, Barr’s Emerger, Juju Baetis, RS-2, Pheasant Tail, Winter Baetis, WD-40 Andrew’s 5-0, Split Case BWO, Pure Midge Larve,Rojo Midge, Otter Milking Egg
Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero
Flow: 395 cfs.
Conditions: As noted on the left side of the page, the Salmonfly hatch has started. Action has still been most consistent on the nymph imitations, as that is where the greatest opportunity for bugs still is but, as the hatch intensifies over the next couple of days, there should be good surface action. Keep in mind that there is a bit of strategy to fishing this hatch. You will want to focus your attention on areas closer to the edge of the river versus in the center of the channel for two reasons. First, the nymphs actually migrate (crawl) to the banks to hatch on dry ground. Opportunistic trout position themselves closer to the banks and await the easy meal. Second, the adults hatch and spend a good deal of time clinging to bank-side willows. Being somewhat clumsy insects, they are prone to falling from the willows, particularly when the wind gets up, and often times they end up in the river adjacent to the bank. Also expect continued results on Blue Winged Olive patterns, as that has been the most consistent hatch lately, but as those water temps climb, we should transition into a bit of Caddis action as well. The BWOs have been hatching mid-day and we would expect that to happen a little earlier as the water temps rise with sunnier conditions. With this extremely low flow, the wade fishing is a very viable option and there have been quite a few wade anglers enjoying the action. Boaters should take note of the low flows and make an honest assessment of their ability and water craft before descending into Little Gore Canyon. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tails, Juju Baetis, Tungsten Split Case BWO, Barr’s Flashback BWO Emerger, RS-2, Tungsten Hares Ear, Two Bit Hooker, Stubby Stone, Twenty Incher, Kaufman Stone, Jimmy Legs, Psycho Prince, Loco Stone Salmon, Designated Hitter Salmon, Clark’s Stonefly Salmon
Colorado Below Glenwood Springs
Flow 3020 cfs.
Conditions: With our inconsistent spring weather conditions here are now day to day. Still seeing some very productive days when clarity allows, but with the warm temperatures all the way up the Colorado and Eagle, snow melt is bringing visibility down to near zero on others. That being said, action is starting to really pick up from Glenwood Canyon on down stream, when it is not too dirty for flies to be seen. Best results have been on medium to larger searching and Stonefly nymphs with a well presented mix of Midge patterns behind that. Hatches of Midges and Blue Winged Olives have given way to a thick Caddis hatch throughout the lower river, with adult bugs present all day and hatching mid-day to early evening depending on location. Dry flies are certainly a good option, with some stretches producing great action on emerging, crippled and adult Caddis. Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, Bead Prince, Twenty Incher, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Foam Caddis, Spotlight Caddis Emerger, Elk Hair Caddis, Stimulator, Nitro Caddis, Zebra Midge, Rojo Midge, Poison Tung, Juju Baetis, STD Baetis
Arkansas River Above Buena Vista
Flow: 230 cfs.
Conditions: Making good progress up here. River levels have risen below Twin Lakes, but the river still offers a good wade fishing option. The hatches at this level are not yet to the point of the river below Buena Vista, but then again neither are the crowds. Conditions along the upper river will continue to improve daily as water temperatures slowly rise and clarity remains very good. Still a little early for widespread success, particularly in the Hayden Meadows/Kobe area, but if these weather conditions persist, the fish counts will start to climb up there as well. Fishing has been solid as you fish your way down down below Balltown, Granite and beyond. Focus your efforts early on in the deeper, gentler runs and pools that will offer trout an energy conserving lie for this time of year and as the temperatures warm up later in the day, look for fish to venture into feeding lanes. Midges and Caddis Larve will be the primary available food sources, but there are still some fish that will take smaller searching nymphs. Later on in the day there have been good moments of dry fly fishing in scattered locations. Flow is at Granite. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tail, Hot Wire Prince, Rojo Midges, 5-0 Midge, UV Emerger, Poison Tung, Rainbow Warrior, Mercury Midge, Stimulator, Parachute Adams, Winger Parachute, Para Extended Body BWO
Arkansas River Below Buena Vista
Flow: 425 cfs.
Conditions: Solid fishing on a variety of Midge patterns early in the day. As the day, and water temps warm, Baetis nymphs have been solid through mid day from the Buena Vista area on down. With the warming temperatures, Caddis are now starting to make their way up the river. Currently, the heart of the hatch is has moved up above Salida and into Brown’s Canyon. With the additional water in the river and some cloud cover, water temps will stabilize and continue to offer multiple choices for food. Be flexible and not afraid to move or switch tactics if you are not having success. Don’t force the Caddis if it is not happening. Make sure to carry a good assortment of Blue Wing, and even some Midge, patterns on the river with you. Truth be told, the Baetis hatch is often far more consistent and productive than the more well attended Caddis. Some action can also be had on Stone fly nymphs as a lead fly in your nymph set up. Flow reading is at Nathrop. Flies: Bead Head Pheasant Tail # 14-16, Tungstone Golden #12-16, Chartreuse Copper John #12-16, Chartreuse Hot Wire Caddis, Hot Wire Prince, Spotlight Caddis, Foam Caddis, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute, Juju Baetis, Split Case BWO, Zebra Midge, Garcia’s Rojo Midge, RS-2, Caddis Candy and Poison Tung
Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs
Flow: 1070 cfs.
Conditions: At times the river has really seen the impact of the heat in the valley. With snow melt up the Crystal, the river has really taken a hit in the clarity department. This will ebb and flow over the course of any particular day and may offer some windows of opportunity, not just from one day versus the next, but also from morning to afternoon. Also beneficial will be the addition of more water from Ruedi into the Frying Pan, this extra 75 cfs is clean Tail water release. Going forward keep an eye on the flow and look for spikes (particularly from the Crystal) that would indicate a rise in snow melt and reduction in clarity. When the visibility does allow, get out there as action has been solid river wide. Fish have been active for some time now on Midge and Blue Winged Olive nymphs as well as a good compliment of searching nymphs such as the Prince or Tungteaser. In more recent days as water temperatures have risen, an emergence of Caddis has started on the lower river and is offering some great opportunities for rising fish as well. If you are in the area and it is dirty, simply move upstream above the cloudy water, hopefully just at Carbondale, or jump onto the Frying Pan at Basalt. Take advantage of these mild conditions and finish up the day with a soak in the hot springs. Flies: Elk Hair Caddis, Potter’s Pearl and Elk, Stimulators, RS-2, STD Baetis, Tungteaser, Twenty Incher, Bead Prince, Copper John#16-18, Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, San Juan Worm patterns, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute.
South Platte River, Middle Fork
Flow: 60+/- cfs.
Conditions: River is once again opening up with all the warm weather in the high country. Starting to pick up a bit of action as well. Reports coming in indicate decent success for anglers. Best approach would be with a mix of searching nymphs and egg patterns. Flies: Otter Egg, Red Copper John,Tungsten Pheasant Tail, IED, Hot Wire Prince, STD Baetis, Tungsten Psycho
South Platte, Dream Stream
Flow 155 cfs.
Conditions: Reports coming in from the Platte have been improving. The first signs of some larger fish moving in from Eleven-mile have been producing a few nice. There also seems to be a couple of pockets of “Stocker Madness”, with cookie cutter 10-12 inch fish all over a dead drift nymph rig. And being that it’s the Platte in Spring, there are a lot of anglers out there. So if a little solitude is what your after, you may want to think twice. The best approach right now is a double nymph rig pairing either a Baetis pattern or maybe an egg as your lead fly and trailing that with a Midge pattern. Flies: Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger BWO, Split Case BWO, RS-2, Otter Egg, San Juan Worm, Red Copper John, Jujubee, Barr’s Pure Midge Larva, UV Emerger, Desert Storm
Williams Fork River Below Dam
Flow 18 cfs.
Conditions: If the current flow is legit and we think it is, please think about looking else where. The stress of extreme low flows on trout is enough with out a bunch of us thrashing the water to a froth. When it does come back up to reasonable flows, we expect solid, low water temperatures. Flies: San Juan Worms, Flash Back Pheasant Tails, Miracle Nymph, Otters Egg, Garcia’s Rojo Midge. Baetis nymphs: Juju Baetis, Big Bear Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, Andrew’s 5-0 Midge, Split Case BWO, RS-2. Dries: Para Winger, CDC Baetis Dun, Lawson’s No Hackle, Gulpher Special, Brook’s Sprout Midge, Trailing Shuck Midge.
Antero Reservoir

Conditions: The lake is open as well as the rest of the South Park impoundments and providing fair action for the shore and tube angler. It will not open for trailer launched boats until May 3rd. Until then foot and hand launched only.
Spinney Mountain Reservoir

Conditions: Well the day has come and the park is open. Reports for the first couple of days have been overall pretty good, particularly near the boat ramp and Dam. Small streamers seemed to do the trick initially and fly casters along the Dam always start out the year with an assortment of egg patterns. Keep checking back as the days go on, we will try to keep the information as current as possible.
Delaney Buttes Lakes

Conditions: Reports have been pretty solid overall, with all three lakes offering opportunities. The North lake opened first, with some moderate to good results on streamers, Egg patterns and a mix of Midges. The South lake was right behind in thawing and wade anglers are doing well for those bank cruisers. Reports off the East lake have been off the charts for boaters. Flies: Egg Patterns, Bead Pheasant Tail, Bead Hare’s Ear, Copper John, Jumbo Juju, Zebra Midge

Fly Fishing The Colorado River Salmonfly Hatch, Monday Morning Update – May 14, 2012

andrew — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:37:20 +0000

This past weekend saw overcast skies and cooler temperatures overall, with that we saw a slowing of the Salmonfly hatch on the Upper Colorado. Water temperatures have dropped every day from their highs last Thursday, thus interrupting the emergence of additional adults. There are still plenty of adults around as well as nymphs that are still looking to hatch, they just haven’t been as active in weather that has been more conducive to Baetis activity.

River levels have remained low and steady at just about 400 cfs., with clarity varying from 15 to 36 inches depending on the day and location on the river. All of this makes for some fantastic wade fishing, as well as good float access although, that is a little low for most hard boats, rafts may be a safer bet.

The forecast for this week calls for a return to high sun and warm air temperatures bringing water temps back up to favorable levels for the hatch. The actual emergence generally happens at night, with the nymphs crawling out of the water to a high, dry perch to shed the exoskeleton. Morning will bring new adults to bank side willows and bushes, where they will be visible to wading anglers, hanging out and conducting their mating activities. As we mentioned on our fishing report, they are not the surest climbers or fleetest fliers and are prone to falling into the river when attempting either. When you notice adults taking to the air, that is the best time to work the dries although, large dry patterns can work along steep or willow lined banks throughout the day.

The hatch thus far has been below Kremmling, from Gore Canyon on down to State Bridge. Look for it to intensify there again over the next couple of days, especially up into Gore. With the below average water level, water temps are climbing quickly, some days there is a 10 degree swing from the over night low to late afternoon high. This should cause the hatch to be very intense in locations where it is happening but, also short lived, as the hatch will advance upstream as water temperatures climb through the column.

That being said, we have had good reports of a strong nymph population in the upper reaches of the river near Parshall and in Byers Canyon. Anticipation is strong that with the non-existent run off, anglers will be able to take advantage of the hatch along the upper river this year due to strong conditions for both bugs and wading. Look for that to happen at some point over the next week to two. We will have guides out on the water everyday this week and will continue to update the advancement of the hatch and any pertinent information.

The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – May 10, 2012

andrew — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:16:55 +0000

Book Your Guide Trip Now

Friday Morning Update.

As expected, Wednesday night saw the beginning of the Salmonfly emergence on the Upper Colorado, below Kremmling. Yesterday morning there were good numbers of adults on the banks, in the bushes and crawling on rocks, as the day went on small amounts started to take flight. Action was still best on nymphs, as there just were not enough in the air to actually fall or land on the water, but that should change and give way to periods of intense surface activity.

IS THIS IT?!?!!

A potential blockbuster development on Wednesday as we saw a handful of adult Salmonflies on the Colorado. Water temps have shot up over the last two days with the warm sunny weather, and the possibility of a large scale emergence tonight and into Thursday is legitimate. The tough part of this hatch is actually nailing down the start of it and then timing it right to be on the water early enough to get some dry fly action before the fish are gorged.

It may not be a sure thing Thursday, but it is certainly better odds than you’re gonna get in Vegas.

Of course just as conditions appear to be perfect, it looks as if cooler, wetter weather is once again moving in for the weekend. Don’t panic though, as that should continue to offer some of the great Baetis action that has been widespread throughout the high country. Not to mention that it will hold up any large surge of snow melt and keep our rivers in prime condition.

We have seen typical spring conditions on many of our high country rivers. What that can mean, is that the weather has a huge impact on daily conditions. We have seen rivers rise and fall over the past several weeks in the span of hours . When the sun is high and temperatures warm, water levels rise and may lose some clarity. Then a sudden front moves in with clouds and cooler temperatures and once again water levels drop.

Along with the changing clarity and volume also comes the potential for water temperature fluctuations. This can have an equally noticeable impact on the fishing, stalling some hatches and spurring others. That is why it is important to expect the unexpected and carry with you a variety of imitations in multiple insects. Too many times anglers get caught up in the anticipation of one particular happening and end up ill prepared for any variance from that idea. With a diverse and properly stocked fly box, you can avoid the stench of the skunk.

Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir
Flow: 53 cfs.
Conditions: Flows continue to remain low and steady. Good clarity coming from the Dam but, expect just a little bit of color as you move north and a little snow melt runs into the main river. We do expect these low flows to continue for some time as snow-pack is lower than average. Action through town has been fairly solid. There has been a good mix of resident fish being caught in amongst the new additions that Parks and Wildlife introduced to the river a few weeks back. Reports have included fish taking dries at times in town, not just the typical nymphing that is generally most productive. As far as flies, the fish have been focusing their attention on a variety of options, again this can partially be attributed to the mix of resident and introduced fish. So, definitely start with imitative patterns of the present food options of the Tailwater, ie. Midge and Mysis variations. And as a bonus, now you can go ahead and work in some general searching patterns, in sizes that may not require magnification to tie on. Such as Hare’s Ears and Tungteasers in #16-18 sizes. Crowds continue to be brisk, as is expected this time of year combined with the productive conditions. Town Flies: RS-2, Black or Chocolate UV Emerger, Kingery’s Cap’n Hook, Black Pheasant Tail, Flashback Pheasant, Black Beauty, Rojo Midge, Winter Baetis, Desert Storm, Rainbow Warrior, BTS Mysis, Stalcups Mysis, Candy Cane, Tungteaser, Hare’s Ear, Red or Copper Copper John, Flossy Worm
Blue River Below Green Mountain
Flow: 73 cfs.
Conditions: Access Restriction: Due to road work being done on the road across the Dam and it’s approach, the Dam itself is closed to all traffic. For access during construction, anglers will have to take the road around the west side of the reservoir, from the south, in order to get to the access below the Dam. Fishing access will remain open. Fishing Conditions: A slight bump up in flows (very slight) will add a little more room for the fish, but still water levels are very low. While the reservoir is coming up, it is doing so at a snails pace and we expect this to be the situation until at least mid to late May. The Silver lining to all of this is it does make for great access for wade fishermen, although the fish will be a little more sensitive with the reduction in cover. There is a good mix of patterns working right now from larger Stonefly patterns down to Midge and Baetis imitations. Best bet would be a double nymph rig anchored with a larger offering trailing something smaller, to get an idea on the flavor of the day. Definitely use caution on getting down to and back up from the river. The hill is steep and doesn’t provide a lot of footholds. Flies: Larger size Bead Head Nymphs: #10-12 Hare’s ear, Prince, Tungteaser, Tungsten Rubber Leg Yellow Sally, Stubby Stone, San Juan Flash Worm and Red Hot Worm, Big Bear Baetis, Juju Baetis – standard and purple, Barr’s Emerger, Split Case BWO, Jujubee, Poison Tung, UV Emerger. Floaters should note: The take out that has been used for years is no longer available, that property is now private. For boat take out you now need to continue on down the Blue to the access ramp for the Gore Canyon put-in. this is approximately another mile. Please respect private property rights along the river.
Colorado River Above Kremmling
Flow: 160 cfs.
Conditions: Flows here are maintaining, relatively speaking, at a fairly consistent level. There have been and will continue to be, some ups and downs dependent on air temperatures, but nothing that has blown out the fishing. Still the same, this is one of the most consistent access points anywhere in the state. Tandem nymph rigs continue to offer the most consistent results. Either with a Baetis to Midge combo or a double offering of either. There are still plenty of Midges around and fish have been keying on those imitations, primarily below the surface with all of the sunshine we have been enjoying. But if the clouds roll in, you may experience a nice dry fly event. Blue Winged Olives are also very effective now, with good numbers of naturals both below the surface and emerging when conditions are right. The time is now right for the Salmonflies to hatch. The Nymphs are definitely on the migration towards the banks, and many are already in position, for their emergence. This hatch could come any day now. The stream flow gauge for this site is finally back up and working for the season as ice is but a distant memory. Flies: San Juan Worm, Biot Midge, Barr’s Emerger, Juju Baetis, RS-2, Pheasant Tail, Winter Baetis, WD-40 Andrew’s 5-0, Split Case BWO, Pure Midge Larve,Rojo Midge, Otter Milking Egg
Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero
Flow: 395 cfs.
Conditions: Flows have steadily dropped the last three days and we have once again seen the temperatures slowly climb. Clarity has also started to work back to a good level for feeding. As noted on the left side of the page, the Salmonfly hatch has started. Action has still been most consistent on the nymph imitations, as that is where the greatest opportunity for bugs still is but, as the hatch intensifies over the next couple of days, there should be good surface action. Keep in mind that there is a bit of strategy to fishing this hatch. You will want to focus your attention on areas closer to the edge of the river versus in the center of the channel for two reasons. First, the nymphs actually migrate (crawl) to the banks to hatch on dry ground. Opportunistic trout position themselves closer to the banks and await the easy meal. Second, the adults hatch and spend a good deal of time clinging to bank-side willows. Being somewhat clumsy insects, they are prone to falling from the willows, particularly when the wind gets up, and often times they end up in the river adjacent to the bank. Also expect continued results on Blue Winged Olive patterns, as that has been the most consistent hatch lately, but as those water temps climb, we should transition into a bit of Caddis action as well. The BWOs have been hatching mid-day and we would expect that to happen a little earlier as the water temps rise with sunnier conditions. With this extremely low flow, the wade fishing is a very viable option and there have been quite a few wade anglers enjoying the action. Boaters should take note of the low flows and make an honest assessment of their ability and water craft before descending into Little Gore Canyon. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tails, Juju Baetis, Tungsten Split Case BWO, Barr’s Flashback BWO Emerger, RS-2, Tungsten Hares Ear, Two Bit Hooker, Stubby Stone, Twenty Incher, Kaufman Stone, Jimmy Legs, Psycho Prince, Loco Stone Salmon, Designated Hitter Salmon, Clark’s Stonefly Salmon
Colorado Below Glenwood Springs
Flow 3020 cfs.
Conditions: With our inconsistent spring weather conditions here are now day to day. Still seeing some very productive days when clarity allows, but with the warm temperatures all the way up the Colorado and Eagle, snow melt is bringing visibility down to near zero on others. That being said, action is starting to really pick up from Glenwood Canyon on down stream, when it is not too dirty for flies to be seen. Best results have been on medium to larger searching and Stonefly nymphs with a well presented mix of Midge patterns behind that. Hatches of Midges and Blue Winged Olives have given way to a thick Caddis hatch throughout the lower river, with adult bugs present all day and hatching mid-day to early evening depending on location. Dry flies are certainly a good option, with some stretches producing great action on emerging, crippled and adult Caddis. Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, Bead Prince, Twenty Incher, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Foam Caddis, Spotlight Caddis Emerger, Elk Hair Caddis, Stimulator, Nitro Caddis, Zebra Midge, Rojo Midge, Poison Tung, Juju Baetis, STD Baetis
Arkansas River Above Buena Vista
Flow: 230 cfs.
Conditions: Making good progress up here. River levels have risen below Twin Lakes, but the river still offers a good wade fishing option. The hatches at this level are not yet to the point of the river below Buena Vista, but then again neither are the crowds. Conditions along the upper river will continue to improve daily as water temperatures slowly rise and clarity remains very good. Still a little early for widespread success, particularly in the Hayden Meadows/Kobe area, but if these weather conditions persist, the fish counts will start to climb up there as well. Fishing has been solid as you fish your way down down below Balltown, Granite and beyond. Focus your efforts early on in the deeper, gentler runs and pools that will offer trout an energy conserving lie for this time of year and as the temperatures warm up later in the day, look for fish to venture into feeding lanes. Midges and Caddis Larve will be the primary available food sources, but there are still some fish that will take smaller searching nymphs. Later on in the day there have been good moments of dry fly fishing in scattered locations. Flow is at Granite. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tail, Hot Wire Prince, Rojo Midges, 5-0 Midge, UV Emerger, Poison Tung, Rainbow Warrior, Mercury Midge, Stimulator, Parachute Adams, Winger Parachute, Para Extended Body BWO
Arkansas River Below Buena Vista
Flow: 425 cfs.
Conditions: Solid fishing on a variety of Midge patterns early in the day. As the day, and water temps warm, Baetis nymphs have been solid through mid day from the Buena Vista area on down. With the warming temperatures, Caddis are now starting to make their way up the river. Currently, the heart of the hatch is has moved up above Salida and into Brown’s Canyon. With the additional water in the river and some cloud cover, water temps will stabilize and continue to offer multiple choices for food. Be flexible and not afraid to move or switch tactics if you are not having success. Don’t force the Caddis if it is not happening. Make sure to carry a good assortment of Blue Wing, and even some Midge, patterns on the river with you. Truth be told, the Baetis hatch is often far more consistent and productive than the more well attended Caddis. Some action can also be had on Stone fly nymphs as a lead fly in your nymph set up. Flow reading is at Nathrop. Flies: Bead Head Pheasant Tail # 14-16, Tungstone Golden #12-16, Chartreuse Copper John #12-16, Chartreuse Hot Wire Caddis, Hot Wire Prince, Spotlight Caddis, Foam Caddis, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute, Juju Baetis, Split Case BWO, Zebra Midge, Garcia’s Rojo Midge, RS-2, Caddis Candy and Poison Tung
Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs
Flow: 1070 cfs.
Conditions: At times the river has really seen the impact of the heat in the valley. With snow melt up the Crystal, the river has really taken a hit in the clarity department. This will ebb and flow over the course of any particular day and may offer some windows of opportunity, not just from one day versus the next, but also from morning to afternoon. Also beneficial will be the addition of more water from Ruedi into the Frying Pan, this extra 75 cfs is clean Tail water release. Going forward keep an eye on the flow and look for spikes (particularly from the Crystal) that would indicate a rise in snow melt and reduction in clarity. When the visibility does allow, get out there as action has been solid river wide. Fish have been active for some time now on Midge and Blue Winged Olive nymphs as well as a good compliment of searching nymphs such as the Prince or Tungteaser. In more recent days as water temperatures have risen, an emergence of Caddis has started on the lower river and is offering some great opportunities for rising fish as well. If you are in the area and it is dirty, simply move upstream above the cloudy water, hopefully just at Carbondale, or jump onto the Frying Pan at Basalt. Take advantage of these mild conditions and finish up the day with a soak in the hot springs. Flies: Elk Hair Caddis, Potter’s Pearl and Elk, Stimulators, RS-2, STD Baetis, Tungteaser, Twenty Incher, Bead Prince, Copper John#16-18, Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, San Juan Worm patterns, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute.
South Platte River, Middle Fork
Flow: 60+/- cfs.
Conditions: River is once again opening up with all the warm weather in the high country. Starting to pick up a bit of action as well. Reports coming in indicate decent success for anglers. Best approach would be with a mix of searching nymphs and egg patterns. Flies: Otter Egg, Red Copper John,Tungsten Pheasant Tail, IED, Hot Wire Prince, STD Baetis, Tungsten Psycho
South Platte, Dream Stream
Flow 155 cfs.
Conditions: Reports coming in from the Platte have been improving. The first signs of some larger fish moving in from Eleven-mile have been producing a few nice. There also seems to be a couple of pockets of “Stocker Madness”, with cookie cutter 10-12 inch fish all over a dead drift nymph rig. And being that it’s the Platte in Spring, there are a lot of anglers out there. So if a little solitude is what your after, you may want to think twice. The best approach right now is a double nymph rig pairing either a Baetis pattern or maybe an egg as your lead fly and trailing that with a Midge pattern. Flies: Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger BWO, Split Case BWO, RS-2, Otter Egg, San Juan Worm, Red Copper John, Jujubee, Barr’s Pure Midge Larva, UV Emerger, Desert Storm
Williams Fork River Below Dam
Flow 18 cfs.
Conditions: If the current flow is legit and we think it is, please think about looking else where. The stress of extreme low flows on trout is enough with out a bunch of us thrashing the water to a froth. When it does come back up to reasonable flows, we expect solid, low water temperatures. Flies: San Juan Worms, Flash Back Pheasant Tails, Miracle Nymph, Otters Egg, Garcia’s Rojo Midge. Baetis nymphs: Juju Baetis, Big Bear Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, Andrew’s 5-0 Midge, Split Case BWO, RS-2. Dries: Para Winger, CDC Baetis Dun, Lawson’s No Hackle, Gulpher Special, Brook’s Sprout Midge, Trailing Shuck Midge.
Antero Reservoir

Conditions: The lake is open as well as the rest of the South Park impoundments and providing fair action for the shore and tube angler. It will not open for trailer launched boats until May 3rd. Until then foot and hand launched only.
Spinney Mountain Reservoir

Conditions: Well the day has come and the park is open. Reports for the first couple of days have been overall pretty good, particularly near the boat ramp and Dam. Small streamers seemed to do the trick initially and fly casters along the Dam always start out the year with an assortment of egg patterns. Keep checking back as the days go on, we will try to keep the information as current as possible.
Delaney Buttes Lakes

Conditions: Reports have been pretty solid overall, with all three lakes offering opportunities. The North lake opened first, with some moderate to good results on streamers, Egg patterns and a mix of Midges. The South lake was right behind in thawing and wade anglers are doing well for those bank cruisers. Reports off the East lake have been off the charts for boaters. Flies: Egg Patterns, Bead Pheasant Tail, Bead Hare’s Ear, Copper John, Jumbo Juju, Zebra Midge

The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – May 9, 2012

andrew — Thu, 10 May 2012 05:00:01 +0000

Book Your Guide Trip Now

IS THIS IT?!?!!

A potential blockbuster development on Wednesday as we saw a handful of adult Salmonflies on the Colorado. Water temps have shot up over the last two days, with the warm sunny weather, and the possibility of a large scale emergence tonight and into Thursday is legitimate, The tough part of this hatch is actually nailing down the start of it and then timing it right to be on the water early on enough to get some dry fly action before the fish are gorged.

It may not be a sure thing Thursday, but it is certainly better odds than you’re gonna get in Vegas.

Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir
Flow: 53 cfs.
Conditions: Flows continue to remain low and steady. Good clarity coming from the Dam but, expect just a little bit of color as you move north and a little snow melt runs into the main river. We do expect these low flows to continue for some time as snow-pack is lower than average. Action through town has been fairly solid. There has been a good mix of resident fish being caught in amongst the new additions that Parks and Wildlife introduced to the river a few weeks back. Reports have included fish taking dries at times in town, not just the typical nymphing that is generally most productive. As far as flies, the fish have been focusing their attention on a variety of options, again this can partially be attributed to the mix of resident and introduced fish. So, definitely start with imitative patterns of the present food options of the Tailwater, ie. Midge and Mysis variations. And as a bonus, now you can go ahead and work in some general searching patterns, in sizes that may not require magnification to tie on. Such as Hare’s Ears and Tungteasers in #16-18 sizes. Crowds continue to be brisk, as is expected this time of year combined with the productive conditions. Town Flies: RS-2, Black or Chocolate UV Emerger, Kingery’s Cap’n Hook, Black Pheasant Tail, Flashback Pheasant, Black Beauty, Rojo Midge, Winter Baetis, Desert Storm, Rainbow Warrior, BTS Mysis, Stalcups Mysis, Candy Cane, Tungteaser, Hare’s Ear, Red or Copper Copper John, Flossy Worm
Blue River Below Green Mountain
Flow: 73 cfs.
Conditions: Access Restriction: Due to road work being done on the road across the Dam and it’s approach, the Dam itself is closed to all traffic. For access during construction, anglers will have to take the road around the west side of the reservoir, from the south, in order to get to the access below the Dam. Fishing access will remain open. Fishing Conditions: A slight bump up in flows (very slight) will add a little more room for the fish, but still water levels are very low. While the reservoir is coming up, it is doing so at a snails pace and we expect this to be the situation until at least mid to late May. The Silver lining to all of this is it does make for great access for wade fishermen, although the fish will be a little more sensitive with the reduction in cover. There is a good mix of patterns working right now from larger Stonefly patterns down to Midge and Baetis imitations. Best bet would be a double nymph rig anchored with a larger offering trailing something smaller, to get an idea on the flavor of the day. Definitely use caution on getting down to and back up from the river. The hill is steep and doesn’t provide a lot of footholds. Flies: Larger size Bead Head Nymphs: #10-12 Hare’s ear, Prince, Tungteaser, Tungsten Rubber Leg Yellow Sally, Stubby Stone, San Juan Flash Worm and Red Hot Worm, Big Bear Baetis, Juju Baetis – standard and purple, Barr’s Emerger, Split Case BWO, Jujubee, Poison Tung, UV Emerger. Floaters should note: The take out that has been used for years is no longer available, that property is now private. For boat take out you now need to continue on down the Blue to the access ramp for the Gore Canyon put-in. this is approximately another mile. Please respect private property rights along the river.
Colorado River Above Kremmling
Flow: 160 cfs.
Conditions: Flows here are maintaining, relatively speaking, at a fairly consistent level. There have been and will continue to be, some ups and downs dependent on air temperatures, but nothing that has blown out the fishing. Still the same, this is one of the most consistent access points anywhere in the state. Tandem nymph rigs continue to offer the most consistent results. Either with a Baetis to Midge combo or a double offering of either. There are still plenty of Midges around and fish have been keying on those imitations, primarily below the surface with all of the sunshine we have been enjoying. But if the clouds roll in, you may experience a nice dry fly event. Blue Winged Olives are also very effective now, with good numbers of naturals both below the surface and emerging when conditions are right. The time is now right for the Salmonflies to hatch. The Nymphs are definitely on the migration towards the banks, and many are already in position, for their emergence. This hatch could come any day now. The stream flow gauge for this site is finally back up and working for the season as ice is but a distant memory. Flies: San Juan Worm, Biot Midge, Barr’s Emerger, Juju Baetis, RS-2, Pheasant Tail, Winter Baetis, WD-40 Andrew’s 5-0, Split Case BWO, Pure Midge Larve,Rojo Midge, Otter Milking Egg
Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero
Flow: 427 cfs.
Conditions: Flows have stabilized the last few days and we have once again seen the temperatures slowly climb. Clarity has also started to work back to a good level for feeding. Expect continued results on Blue Winged Olive patterns, as that has been the most consistent hatch lately, but as those water temps climb, we should transition into a bit a Caddis action as well. The BWOs have been hatching mid-day and we would expect that to happen a little earlier as the water temps rise with sunnier conditions. Midges still remain a part of the current diet but, in lesser numbers and most productively, early in the day. Kick seine samples are showing good development in Salmonfly nymphs and we are expecting them to be a solid hatch this year, particularly with these lower flows. As we now move into the end of the first full week of May, we are in that window of opportunity for the Salmonfly hatch to start. Generally speaking, Memorial Day is a good reference point, however, with the conditions we have, we are expecting them to go earlier than a typical year. With that in mind, it is always a good idea to work some larger searching patterns or Stonefly nymphs into the mix and we would not recommend a trip up to the Colorado now with out having some adult Salmonfly patterns in the box. With this extremely low flow, the wade fishing is a very viable option and there have been quite of few wade anglers enjoying the action. Boaters should take note of the low flows and make an honest assessment of their ability and water craft before descending into Little Gore Canyon. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tails, Juju Baetis, Tungsten Split Case BWO, Barr’s Flashback BWO Emerger, RS-2, Tungsten Hares Ear, Two Bit Hooker, Stubby Stone, Twenty Incher, Kaufman Stone, Jimmy Legs, Psycho Prince, Loco Stone Salmon, Designated Hitter Salmon, Clark’s Stonefly Salmon
Colorado Below Glenwood Springs
Flow 2740 cfs.
Conditions: With our inconsistent spring weather conditions here are now day to day. Still seeing some very productive days when clarity allows, but with the warm temperatures all the way up the Colorado and Eagle, snow melt is bringing visibility down to near zero on others. That being said, action is starting to really pick up from Glenwood Canyon on down stream, when it is not too dirty for flies to be seen. Best results have been on medium to larger searching and Stonefly nymphs with a well presented mix of Midge patterns behind that. Hatches of Midges and Blue Winged Olives have given way to a thick Caddis hatch throughout the lower river, with adult bugs present all day and hatching mid-day to early evening depending on location. Dry flies are certainly a good option, with some stretches producing great action on emerging, crippled and adult Caddis. Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, Bead Prince, Twenty Incher, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Foam Caddis, Spotlight Caddis Emerger, Elk Hair Caddis, Stimulator, Nitro Caddis, Zebra Midge, Rojo Midge, Poison Tung, Juju Baetis, STD Baetis
Arkansas River Above Buena Vista
Flow: 290 cfs.
Conditions: Making good progress up here. River levels have risen below Twin Lakes, but the river still offers a good wade fishing option. The hatches at this level are not yet to the point of the river below Buena Vista, but then again neither are the crowds. Conditions along the upper river will continue to improve daily as water temperatures slowly rise and clarity remains very good. Still a little early for widespread success, particularly in the Hayden Meadows/Kobe area, but if these weather conditions persist, the fish counts will start to climb up there as well. Fishing has been solid as you fish your way down down below Balltown, Granite and beyond. Focus your efforts early on in the deeper, gentler runs and pools that will offer trout an energy conserving lie for this time of year and as the temperatures warm up later in the day, look for fish to venture into feeding lanes. Midges and Caddis Larve will be the primary available food sources, but there are still some fish that will take smaller searching nymphs. Later on in the day there have been good moments of dry fly fishing in scattered locations. Flow is at Granite. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tail, Hot Wire Prince, Rojo Midges, 5-0 Midge, UV Emerger, Poison Tung, Rainbow Warrior, Mercury Midge, Stimulator, Parachute Adams, Winger Parachute, Para Extended Body BWO
Arkansas River Below Buena Vista
Flow: 446 cfs.
Conditions: Solid fishing on a variety of Midge patterns early in the day. As the day, and water temps warm, Baetis nymphs have been solid through mid day from the Buena Vista area on down. With the warming temperatures, Caddis are now starting to make their way up the river. Currently, the heart of the hatch is has moved up above Salida and into Brown’s Canyon. With the additional water in the river and some cloud cover, water temps will stabilize and continue to offer multiple choices for food. Be flexible and not afraid to move or switch tactics if you are not having success. Don’t force the Caddis if it is not happening. Make sure to carry a good assortment of Blue Wing, and even some Midge, patterns on the river with you. Truth be told, the Baetis hatch is often far more consistent and productive than the more well attended Caddis. Some action can also be had on Stone fly nymphs as a lead fly in your nymph set up. Flow reading is at Nathrop. Flies: Bead Head Pheasant Tail # 14-16, Tungstone Golden #12-16, Chartreuse Copper John #12-16, Chartreuse Hot Wire Caddis, Hot Wire Prince, Spotlight Caddis, Foam Caddis, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute, Juju Baetis, Split Case BWO, Zebra Midge, Garcia’s Rojo Midge, RS-2, Caddis Candy and Poison Tung
Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs
Flow: 1020 cfs.
Conditions: At times the river has really seen the impact of the heat in the valley. With snow melt up the Crystal, the river has really taken a hit in the clarity department. This will ebb and flow over the course of any particular day and may offer some windows of opportunity, not just from one day versus the next, but also from morning to afternoon. Also beneficial will be the addition of more water from Ruedi into the Frying Pan, this extra 75 cfs is clean Tail water release. Going forward keep an eye on the flow and look for spikes (particularly from the Crystal) that would indicate a rise in snow melt and reduction in clarity. When the visibility does allow, get out there as action has been solid river wide. Fish have been active for some time now on Midge and Blue Winged Olive nymphs as well as a good compliment of searching nymphs such as the Prince or Tungteaser. In more recent days as water temperatures have risen, an emergence of Caddis has started on the lower river and is offering some great opportunities for rising fish as well. If you are in the area and it is dirty, simply move upstream above the cloudy water, hopefully just at Carbondale, or jump onto the Frying Pan at Basalt. Take advantage of these mild conditions and finish up the day with a soak in the hot springs. Flies: Elk Hair Caddis, Potter’s Pearl and Elk, Stimulators, RS-2, STD Baetis, Tungteaser, Twenty Incher, Bead Prince, Copper John#16-18, Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, San Juan Worm patterns, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute.
South Platte River, Middle Fork
Flow: 55+/- cfs.
Conditions: River is once again opening up with all the warm weather in the high country. Starting to pick up a bit of action as well. Reports coming in indicate decent success for anglers. Best approach would be with a mix of searching nymphs and egg patterns. Flies: Otter Egg, Red Copper John,Tungsten Pheasant Tail, IED, Hot Wire Prince, STD Baetis, Tungsten Psycho
South Platte, Dream Stream
Flow 155 cfs.
Conditions: Reports coming in from the Platte have been improving. The first signs of some larger fish moving in from Eleven-mile have been producing a few nice. There also seems to be a couple of pockets of “Stocker Madness”, with cookie cutter 10-12 inch fish all over a dead drift nymph rig. And being that it’s the Platte in Spring, there are a lot of anglers out there. So if a little solitude is what your after, you may want to think twice. The best approach right now is a double nymph rig pairing either a Baetis pattern or maybe an egg as your lead fly and trailing that with a Midge pattern. Flies: Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger BWO, Split Case BWO, RS-2, Otter Egg, San Juan Worm, Red Copper John, Jujubee, Barr’s Pure Midge Larva, UV Emerger, Desert Storm
Williams Fork River Below Dam
Flow 18 cfs.
Conditions: If the current flow is legit and we think it is, please think about looking else where. The stress of extreme low flows on trout is enough with out a bunch of us thrashing the water to a froth. When it does come back up to reasonable flows, we expect solid, low water temperatures. Flies: San Juan Worms, Flash Back Pheasant Tails, Miracle Nymph, Otters Egg, Garcia’s Rojo Midge. Baetis nymphs: Juju Baetis, Big Bear Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, Andrew’s 5-0 Midge, Split Case BWO, RS-2. Dries: Para Winger, CDC Baetis Dun, Lawson’s No Hackle, Gulpher Special, Brook’s Sprout Midge, Trailing Shuck Midge.
Antero Reservoir

Conditions: The lake is open as well as the rest of the South Park impoundments and providing fair action for the shore and tube angler. It will not open for trailer launched boats until May 3rd. Until then foot and hand launched only.
Spinney Mountain Reservoir

Conditions: Well the day has come and the park is open. Reports for the first couple of days have been overall pretty good, particularly near the boat ramp and Dam. Small streamers seemed to do the trick initially and fly casters along the Dam always start out the year with an assortment of egg patterns. Keep checking back as the days go on, we will try to keep the information as current as possible.
Delaney Buttes Lakes

Conditions: Reports have been pretty solid overall, with all three lakes offering opportunities. The North lake opened first, with some moderate to good results on streamers, Egg patterns and a mix of Midges. The South lake was right behind in thawing and wade anglers are doing well for those bank cruisers. Reports off the East lake have been off the charts for boaters. Flies: Egg Patterns, Bead Pheasant Tail, Bead Hare’s Ear, Copper John, Jumbo Juju, Zebra Midge

The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – May 5, 2012

andrew — Sat, 05 May 2012 20:58:28 +0000

Book Your Guide Trip Now

With perfect weather the last several days the Caddis hatch has made dramatic strides in moving up the Arkansas River, with the leading edge of the emergence now pushing above Brown’s Canyon. Saturday’s forecast is hot and sunny, as well, and that should spur the hatch some more. However, moving in Sunday, and forecast to stick around for a few days, is another cool spell potentially with some precipitation. This could once again cause a slow down in Caddis advancement and even put more emphasis on Blue Winged Olives in some areas.

Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir
Flow: 53 cfs.
Conditions: Flows continue to remain low and steady. Good clarity coming from the Dam but, expect just a little bit of color as you move north and a little snow melt runs into the main river. We do expect these low flows to continue for some time as snow-pack is lower than average. Action through town has been fairly solid. There has been a good mix of resident fish being caught in amongst the new additions that Parks and Wildlife introduced to the river a few weeks back. Reports have included fish taking dries at times in town, not just the typical nymphing that is generally most productive. As far as flies, the fish have been focusing their attention on a variety of options, again this can partially be attributed to the mix of resident and introduced fish. So, definitely start with imitative patterns of the present food options of the Tailwater, ie. Midge and Mysis variations. And as a bonus, now you can go ahead and work in some general searching patterns, in sizes that may not require magnification to tie on. Such as Hare’s Ears and Tungteasers in #16-18 sizes. Crowds continue to be brisk, as is expected this time of year combined with the productive conditions. Town Flies: RS-2, Black or Chocolate UV Emerger, Kingery’s Cap’n Hook, Black Pheasant Tail, Flashback Pheasant, Black Beauty, Rojo Midge, Winter Baetis, Desert Storm, Rainbow Warrior, BTS Mysis, Stalcups Mysis, Candy Cane, Tungteaser, Hare’s Ear, Red or Copper Copper John, Flossy Worm
Blue River Below Green Mountain
Flow: 73 cfs.
Conditions: Access Restriction: Due to road work being done on the road across the Dam and it’s approach, the Dam itself is closed to all traffic. For access during construction, anglers will have to take the road around the west side of the reservoir, from the south, in order to get to the access below the Dam. Fishing access will remain open. Fishing Conditions: A slight bump up in flows (very slight) will add a little more room for the fish, but still water levels are very low. While the reservoir is coming up, it is doing so at a snails pace and we expect this to be the situation until at least mid to late May. The Silver lining to all of this is it does make for great access for wade fishermen, although the fish will be a little more sensitive with the reduction in cover. There is a good mix of patterns working right now from larger Stonefly patterns down to Midge and Baetis imitations. Best bet would be a double nymph rig anchored with a larger offering trailing something smaller, to get an idea on the flavor of the day. Definitely use caution on getting down to and back up from the river. The hill is steep and doesn’t provide a lot of footholds. Flies: Larger size Bead Head Nymphs: #10-12 Hare’s ear, Prince, Tungteaser, Tungsten Rubber Leg Yellow Sally, Stubby Stone, San Juan Flash Worm and Red Hot Worm, Big Bear Baetis, Juju Baetis – standard and purple, Barr’s Emerger, Split Case BWO, Jujubee, Poison Tung, UV Emerger. Floaters should note: The take out that has been used for years is no longer available, that property is now private. For boat take out you now need to continue on down the Blue to the access ramp for the Gore Canyon put-in. this is approximately another mile. Please respect private property rights along the river.
Colorado River Above Kremmling
Flow: 225+/- cfs.
Conditions: Flows here are maintaining, relatively speaking, at a fairly consistent level. There have been and will continue to be, some ups and downs dependent on air temperatures, but nothing that has blown out the fishing. Still the same, this is one of the most consistent access points anywhere in the state. Action has been fairly solid and mid day temps relatively mild. Tandem nymph rigs continue to offer the most consistent results. Either with a Baetis to Midge combo or a double offering of either. There are still plenty of Midges around and fish have been keying on those imitations, primarily below the surface with all of the sunshine we have been enjoying. But if the clouds roll in, you may experience a nice dry fly event. Blue Winged Olives are also starting to become a viable option as well and will intensify towards the end of April and into May. As runoff along the upper river increases and clarity stains a little, San Juan Worm patterns are also a solid anchor to well presented nymph rig. The stream flow gauge for this site is finally back up and working for the season as ice is but a distant memory. Flies: San Juan Worm, Biot Midge, Barr’s Emerger, Juju Baetis, RS-2, Pheasant Tail, Winter Baetis, WD-40 Andrew’s 5-0, Split Case BWO, Pure Midge Larve,Rojo Midge, Otter Milking Egg
Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero
Flow: 450 cfs.
Conditions: Flows have stabilized the last few days and we have once again seen the temperatures slowly climb. Clarity has also started to work back to a good level for feeding. Expect continued results on Blue Winged Olive patterns, as that has been the most consistent hatch lately, but as those water temps climb, we should transition into a bit a Caddis action as well. The BWOs have been hatching mid-day and we would expect that to happen a little earlier as the water temps rise with sunnier conditions. Midges still remain a part of the current diet but, in lesser numbers and most productively, early in the day. Kick seine samples are showing good development in Salmonfly nymphs and we are expecting them to be a solid hatch this year, particularly with these lower flows. As we now move into the end of the first week of May, we are in that window of opportunity for the Salmonfly hatch to start. Generally speaking, Memorial Day is a good reference point, however, with the conditions we have, we are expecting them to go earlier than a typical year. With that in mind, it is always a good idea to work some larger searching patterns or Stonefly nymphs into the mix and we would not recommend a trip up to the Colorado now with out having some adult Salmonfly patterns in the box. With this extremely low flow, the wade fishing is a very viable option and there have been quite of few wade anglers enjoying the action. Boaters should take note of the low flows and make an honest assessment of their ability and water craft before descending into Little Gore Canyon. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tails, Juju Baetis, Tungsten Split Case BWO, Barr’s Flashback BWO Emerger, RS-2, Tungsten Hares Ear, Two Bit Hooker, Stubby Stone, Twenty Incher, Kaufman Stone, Jimmy Legs, Psycho Prince, Loco Stone Salmon, Designated Hitter Salmon, Clark’s Stonefly Salmon
Colorado Below Glenwood Springs
Flow 3020 cfs.
Conditions: With our inconsistent spring weather conditions here are now day to day. Still seeing some very productive days when clarity allows, but with the warm temperatures all the way up the Colorado and Eagle, snow melt is bringing visibility down to near zero on others. That being said, action is starting to really pick up from Glenwood Canyon on down stream, when it is not too dirty for flies to be seen. Best results have been on medium to larger searching and Stonefly nymphs with a well presented mix of Midge patterns behind that. Hatches of Midges and Blue Winged Olives have given way to a thick Caddis hatch throughout the lower river, with adult bugs present all day and hatching mid-day to early evening depending on location. Dry flies are certainly a good option, with some stretches producing great action on emerging, crippled and adult Caddis. Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, Bead Prince, Twenty Incher, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Foam Caddis, Spotlight Caddis Emerger, Elk Hair Caddis, Stimulator, Nitro Caddis, Zebra Midge, Rojo Midge, Poison Tung, Juju Baetis, STD Baetis
Arkansas River Above Buena Vista
Flow: 322 cfs.
Conditions: Making good progress up here. River levels have risen below Twin Lakes, but the river still offers a good wade fishing option. The hatches at this level are not yet to the point of the river below Buena Vista, but then again neither are the crowds. Conditions along the upper river will continue to improve daily as water temperatures slowly rise and clarity remains very good. Still a little early for widespread success, particularly in the Hayden Meadows/Kobe area, but if these weather conditions persist, the fish counts will start to climb up there as well. Fishing has been solid as you fish your way down down below Balltown, Granite and beyond. Focus your efforts early on in the deeper, gentler runs and pools that will offer trout an energy conserving lie for this time of year and as the temperatures warm up later in the day, look for fish to venture into feeding lanes. Midges and Caddis Larve will be the primary available food sources, but there are still some fish that will take smaller searching nymphs. Later on in the day there have been good moments of dry fly fishing in scattered locations. Flow is at Granite. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tail, Hot Wire Prince, Rojo Midges, 5-0 Midge, UV Emerger, Poison Tung, Rainbow Warrior, Mercury Midge, Stimulator, Parachute Adams, Winger Parachute, Para Extended Body BWO
Arkansas River Below Buena Vista
Flow: 581 cfs.
Conditions: Solid fishing on a variety of Midge patterns early in the day. As the day, and water temps warm, Baetis nymphs have been solid through mid day from the Buena Vista area on down. With the warming temperatures, Caddis are now starting to make their way up the river. Currently, the heart of the hatch is has moved up above Salida and into Brown’s Canyon. With the additional water in the river and some cloud cover, water temps will stabilize and continue to offer multiple choices for food. Be flexible and not afraid to move or switch tactics if you are not having success. Don’t force the Caddis if it is not happening. Make sure to carry a good assortment of Blue Wing, and even some Midge, patterns on the river with you. Truth be told, the Baetis hatch is often far more consistent and productive than the more well attended Caddis. Some action can also be had on Stone fly nymphs as a lead fly in your nymph set up. Flow reading is at Nathrop. Flies: Bead Head Pheasant Tail # 14-16, Tungstone Golden #12-16, Chartreuse Copper John #12-16, Chartreuse Hot Wire Caddis, Hot Wire Prince, Spotlight Caddis, Foam Caddis, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute, Juju Baetis, Split Case BWO, Zebra Midge, Garcia’s Rojo Midge, RS-2, Caddis Candy and Poison Tung
Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs
Flow: 1020 cfs.
Conditions: At times the river has really seen the impact of the heat in the valley. With snow melt up the Crystal, the river has really taken a hit in the clarity department. This will ebb and flow over the course of any particular day and may offer some windows of opportunity, not just from one day versus the next, but also from morning to afternoon. Also beneficial will be the addition of more water from Ruedi into the Frying Pan, this extra 75 cfs is clean Tail water release. Going forward keep an eye on the flow and look for spikes (particularly from the Crystal) that would indicate a rise in snow melt and reduction in clarity. When the visibility does allow, get out there as action has been solid river wide. Fish have been active for some time now on Midge and Blue Winged Olive nymphs as well as a good compliment of searching nymphs such as the Prince or Tungteaser. In more recent days as water temperatures have risen, an emergence of Caddis has started on the lower river and is offering some great opportunities for rising fish as well. If you are in the area and it is dirty, simply move upstream above the cloudy water, hopefully just at Carbondale, or jump onto the Frying Pan at Basalt. Take advantage of these mild conditions and finish up the day with a soak in the hot springs. Flies: Elk Hair Caddis, Potter’s Pearl and Elk, Stimulators, RS-2, STD Baetis, Tungteaser, Twenty Incher, Bead Prince, Copper John#16-18, Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, San Juan Worm patterns, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute.
South Platte River, Middle Fork
Flow: 55+/- cfs.
Conditions: River is once again opening up with all the warm weather in the high country. Starting to pick up a bit of action as well. Reports coming in indicate decent success for anglers. Best approach would be with a mix of searching nymphs and egg patterns. Flies: Otter Egg, Red Copper John,Tungsten Pheasant Tail, IED, Hot Wire Prince, STD Baetis, Tungsten Psycho
South Platte, Dream Stream
Flow 155 cfs.
Conditions: Reports coming in from the Platte have been improving. The first signs of some larger fish moving in from Eleven-mile have been producing a few nice. There also seems to be a couple of pockets of “Stocker Madness”, with cookie cutter 10-12 inch fish all over a dead drift nymph rig. And being that it’s the Platte in Spring, there are a lot of anglers out there. So if a little solitude is what your after, you may want to think twice. The best approach right now is a double nymph rig pairing either a Baetis pattern or maybe an egg as your lead fly and trailing that with a Midge pattern. Flies: Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger BWO, Split Case BWO, RS-2, Otter Egg, San Juan Worm, Red Copper John, Jujubee, Barr’s Pure Midge Larva, UV Emerger, Desert Storm
Williams Fork River Below Dam
Flow 18 cfs.
Conditions: If the current flow is legit and we think it is, please think about looking else where. The stress of extreme low flows on trout is enough with out a bunch of us thrashing the water to a froth. When it does come back up to reasonable flows, we expect solid, low water temperatures. Flies: San Juan Worms, Flash Back Pheasant Tails, Miracle Nymph, Otters Egg, Garcia’s Rojo Midge. Baetis nymphs: Juju Baetis, Big Bear Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, Andrew’s 5-0 Midge, Split Case BWO, RS-2. Dries: Para Winger, CDC Baetis Dun, Lawson’s No Hackle, Gulpher Special, Brook’s Sprout Midge, Trailing Shuck Midge.
Antero Reservoir

Conditions: The lake is open as well as the rest of the South Park impoundments and providing fair action for the shore and tube angler. It will not open for trailer launched boats until May 3rd. Until then foot and hand launched only.
Spinney Mountain Reservoir

Conditions: Well the day has come and the park is open. Reports for the first couple of days have been overall pretty good, particularly near the boat ramp and Dam. Small streamers seemed to do the trick initially and fly casters along the Dam always start out the year with an assortment of egg patterns. Keep checking back as the days go on, we will try to keep the information as current as possible.
Delaney Buttes Lakes

Conditions: Reports have been pretty solid overall, with all three lakes offering opportunities. The North lake opened first, with some moderate to good results on streamers, Egg patterns and a mix of Midges. The South lake was right behind in thawing and wade anglers are doing well for those bank cruisers. Reports off the East lake have been off the charts for boaters. Flies: Egg Patterns, Bead Pheasant Tail, Bead Hare’s Ear, Copper John, Jumbo Juju, Zebra Midge

The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – May 3, 2012

andrew — Thu, 03 May 2012 20:55:16 +0000

Book Your Guide Trip Now

Conditions overall continue to shine, with good reports coming in from many of our high country locations. If looks as if all of the rivers that rose late last week, have pulled back slightly and continue to offer great options for anglers. Temperatures across the central mountains have remained slightly lower as a trend the last few days and that is having a great effect on water quality. Forecasts for the coming weekend call for sun with rising temperatures so, be sure to keep an eye on river levels before venturing out on the water.

Tuesday gave us an opportunity to put a couple of boats on different stretches of the Arkansas with great results. Conditions continue to remain fantastic for both wade and float anglers and there are a variety of patterns working now. We saw good action on searching nymphs trailing Blue Wing imitations through early afternoon, then switched up for some great dry fly action on Caddis and Baetis patterns.

It should be noted that with the warm weather, we are seeing the impact on stream conditions both in clarity and a slight bump in volume. This is not to be confused with “Runoff”. Generally any coloration is short lived (a day or two) and localized in nature, or may come later in the day and clear off overnight. You should be able to work around it and find some water with enough clarity.

Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir
Flow: 53 cfs.
Conditions: Flows continue to remain low and steady. Good clarity coming from the Dam but, expect just a little bit of color as you move north and a little snow melt runs into the main river. We do expect these low flows to continue for some time as snow-pack is lower than average. Action through town has been fairly solid. There has been a good mix of resident fish being caught in amongst the new additions that Parks and Wildlife introduced to the river a few weeks back. Reports have included fish taking dries at times in town, not just the typical nymphing that is generally most productive. As far as flies, the fish have been focusing their attention on a variety of options, again this can partially be attributed to the mix of resident and introduced fish. So, definitely start with imitative patterns of the present food options of the Tailwater, ie. Midge and Mysis variations. And as a bonus, now you can go ahead and work in some general searching patterns, in sizes that may not require magnification to tie on. Such as Hare’s Ears and Tungteasers in #16-18 sizes. Crowds continue to be brisk, as is expected this time of year combined with the productive conditions. Town Flies: RS-2, Black or Chocolate UV Emerger, Kingery’s Cap’n Hook, Black Pheasant Tail, Flashback Pheasant, Black Beauty, Rojo Midge, Winter Baetis, Desert Storm, Rainbow Warrior, BTS Mysis, Stalcups Mysis, Candy Cane, Tungteaser, Hare’s Ear, Red or Copper Copper John, Flossy Worm
Blue River Below Green Mountain
Flow: 73 cfs.
Conditions: Access Restriction: Due to road work being done on the road across the Dam and it’s approach, the Dam itself is closed to all traffic. For access during construction, anglers will have to take the road around the west side of the reservoir, from the south, in order to get to the access below the Dam. Fishing access will remain open. Fishing Conditions: A slight bump up in flows (very slight) will add a little more room for the fish, but still water levels are very low. While the reservoir is coming up, it is doing so at a snails pace and we expect this to be the situation until at least mid to late May. The Silver lining to all of this is it does make for great access for wade fishermen, although the fish will be a little more sensitive with the reduction in cover. There is a good mix of patterns working right now from larger Stonefly patterns down to Midge and Baetis imitations. Best bet would be a double nymph rig anchored with a larger offering trailing something smaller, to get an idea on the flavor of the day. Definitely use caution on getting down to and back up from the river. The hill is steep and doesn’t provide a lot of footholds. Flies: Larger size Bead Head Nymphs: #10-12 Hare’s ear, Prince, Tungteaser, Tungsten Rubber Leg Yellow Sally, Stubby Stone, San Juan Flash Worm and Red Hot Worm, Big Bear Baetis, Juju Baetis – standard and purple, Barr’s Emerger, Split Case BWO, Jujubee, Poison Tung, UV Emerger. Floaters should note: The take out that has been used for years is no longer available, that property is now private. For boat take out you now need to continue on down the Blue to the access ramp for the Gore Canyon put-in. this is approximately another mile. Please respect private property rights along the river.
Colorado River Above Kremmling
Flow: 225+/- cfs.
Conditions: Flows here are maintaining, relatively speaking, at a fairly consistent level. There have been and will continue to be, some ups and downs dependent on air temperatures, but nothing that has blown out the fishing. Still the same, this is one of the most consistent access points anywhere in the state. Action has been fairly solid and mid day temps relatively mild. Tandem nymph rigs continue to offer the most consistent results. Either with a Baetis to Midge combo or a double offering of either. There are still plenty of Midges around and fish have been keying on those imitations, primarily below the surface with all of the sunshine we have been enjoying. But if the clouds roll in, you may experience a nice dry fly event. Blue Winged Olives are also starting to become a viable option as well and will intensify towards the end of April and into May. As runoff along the upper river increases and clarity stains a little, San Juan Worm patterns are also a solid anchor to well presented nymph rig. The stream flow gauge for this site is finally back up and working for the season as ice is but a distant memory. Flies: San Juan Worm, Biot Midge, Barr’s Emerger, Juju Baetis, RS-2, Pheasant Tail, Winter Baetis, WD-40 Andrew’s 5-0, Split Case BWO, Pure Midge Larve,Rojo Midge, Otter Milking Egg
Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero
Flow: 450 cfs.
Conditions: Seeing a slight drop in water levels again, as Muddy Creek begins to drop following it’s peak last week. Clarity has taken a slight hit up here with the added volume, but that should start to improve again. What may have had a larger impact on the fishing here over last weekend, is water temps. As the flow rose and air temperatures cooled, water temperatures dropped a dramatic 6 degrees from what they were previous. We are now seeing those numbers climb again to almost a full recovery and expect this to show in improved feeding. Expect continued results on Blue Winged Olive patterns, as that has been the most consistent hatch lately, but as those water temps climb, we should transition into a bit a Caddis action as well. After that, the Grand Daddy of them all: Salmonflies. The BWOs have been hatching mid-day and we would expect that to happen a little earlier as the water temps rise with sunnier conditions. Midges still remain a part of the current diet but, in lesser numbers and most productively, early in the day. Kick seine samples are showing good development in Salmonfly nymphs and we are expecting them to be a solid hatch this year, particularly with these lower flows. With that in mind, it is always a good idea to work some larger searching patterns or Stonefly nymphs into the mix. With this extremely low flow, the wade fishing is a very viable option and there have been quite of few wade anglers enjoying the action. Boaters should take note of the very low flows and make an honest assessment of their ability and water craft before descending into Little Gore Canyon. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tails, Juju Baetis, Tungsten Split Case BWO, Barr’s Flashback BWO Emerger, RS-2, Tungsten Hares Ear, Two Bit Hooker, Stubby Stone, Twenty Incher, Kaufman Stone, Jimmy Legs, Psycho Prince,
Colorado Below Glenwood Springs
Flow 2380 cfs.
Conditions: With our inconsistent spring weather conditions here are now day to day. Still seeing some very productive days when clarity allows, but with the warm temperatures all the way up the Colorado and Eagle, snow melt is bringing visibility down to near zero on others. That being said, action is starting to really pick up from Glenwood Canyon on down stream, when it is not too dirty for flies to be seen. Best results have been on medium to larger searching and Stonefly nymphs with a well presented mix of Midge patterns behind that. Hatches of Midges and Blue Winged Olives have given way to a thick Caddis hatch throughout the lower river, with adult bugs present all day and hatching mid-day to early evening depending on location. Dry flies are certainly a good option, with some stretches producing great action on emerging, crippled and adult Caddis. Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, Bead Prince, Twenty Incher, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Foam Caddis, Spotlight Caddis Emerger, Elk Hair Caddis, Stimulator, Nitro Caddis, Zebra Midge, Rojo Midge, Poison Tung, Juju Baetis, STD Baetis
Arkansas River Above Buena Vista
Flow: 182 cfs.
Conditions: River levels have risen below Twin Lakes, but the river still offers a good wade fishing option. The hatches at this level are not yet to the point of the river below Buena Vista, but then again neither are the crowds. Conditions along the upper river will continue to improve daily as water temperatures slowly rise and clarity remains very good. Still a little early for widespread success, particularly in the Hayden Meadows/Kobe area, but if these weather conditions persist, the fish counts will start to climb up there as well. Things will be a little more active as you work down below Balltown, Granite and beyond. Focus your efforts early on in the deeper, gentler runs and pools that will offer trout an energy conserving lie for this time of year and as the temperatures warm up later in the day, look for fish to venture into feeding lanes. Midges and Caddis Larve will be the primary available food sources, but there are still some fish that will take smaller searching nymphs. Flow is at Granite. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tail, Hot Wire Prince, Rojo Midges, 5-0 Midge, UV Emerger, Poison Tung, Rainbow Warrior, Mercury Midge
Arkansas River Below Buena Vista
Flow: 405 cfs.
Conditions: Solid fishing on a variety of Midge patterns early in the day. As the day, and water temps warm, Baetis nymphs have been solid through mid day from the Brown’s Canyon area on down. With the warming temperatures, Caddis are now starting to make their way up the river. Currently, the heart of the hatch is just below Salida in Big Horn Sheep Canyon, but that will continue to move up through and above Salida as water temps rise. We have seen adults in limited numbers up past Stone Bridge. With the additional water in the river and some cloud cover, water temps will stabilize and continue to offer multiple choices for food. Be flexible and not afraid to move or switch tactics if you are not having success. Don’t force the Caddis if it is not happening. Make sure to carry a good assortment of Blue Wing, and even some Midge, patterns on the river with you. Truth be told, the Baetis hatch is often far more consistent and productive than the more well attended Caddis. Some action can also be had on Stone fly nymphs as a lead fly in your nymph set up. Flow reading is at Nathrop. Flies: Bead Head Pheasant Tail # 14-16, Tungstone Golden #12-16, Chartreuse Copper John #12-16, Chartreuse Hot Wire Caddis, Hot Wire Prince, Spotlight Caddis, Foam Caddis, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute, Juju Baetis, Split Case BWO, Zebra Midge, Garcia’s Rojo Midge, RS-2, Caddis Candy and Poison Tung
Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs
Flow: 707 cfs.
Conditions: At times the river has really seen the impact of the heat in the valley. With snow melt up the Crystal, the river has really taken a hit in the clarity department. This will ebb and flow over the course of any particular day and may offer some windows of opportunity, not just from one day versus the next, but also from morning to afternoon. Also beneficial will be the addition of more water from Ruedi into the Frying Pan, this extra 75 cfs is clean Tail water release. Going forward keep an eye on the flow and look for spikes (particularly from the Crystal) that would indicate a rise in snow melt and reduction in clarity. When the visibility does allow, get out there as action has been solid river wide. Fish have been active for some time now on Midge and Blue Winged Olive nymphs as well as a good compliment of searching nymphs such as the Prince or Tungteaser. In more recent days as water temperatures have risen, an emergence of Caddis has started on the lower river and is offering some great opportunities for rising fish as well. If you are in the area and it is dirty, simply move upstream above the cloudy water, hopefully just at Carbondale, or jump onto the Frying Pan at Basalt. Take advantage of these mild conditions and finish up the day with a soak in the hot springs. Flies: Elk Hair Caddis, Potter’s Pearl and Elk, Stimulators, RS-2, STD Baetis, Tungteaser, Twenty Incher, Bead Prince, Copper John#16-18, Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, San Juan Worm patterns, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute.
South Platte River, Middle Fork
Flow: 22+/- cfs.
Conditions: River is once again opening up with all the warm weather in the high country. Starting to pick up a bit of action as well. Reports coming in indicate decent success for anglers. Best approach would be with a mix of searching nymphs and egg patterns. Flies: Otter Egg, Red Copper John,Tungsten Pheasant Tail, IED, Hot Wire Prince, STD Baetis, Tungsten Psycho
South Platte, Dream Stream
Flow 104 cfs.
Conditions: Reports coming in from the Platte have been improving. The first signs of some larger fish moving in from Eleven-mile have been producing a few nice. There also seems to be a couple of pockets of “Stocker Madness”, with cookie cutter 10-12 inch fish all over a dead drift nymph rig. And being that it’s the Platte in Spring, there are a lot of anglers out there. So if a little solitude is what your after, you may want to think twice. The best approach right now is a double nymph rig pairing either a Baetis pattern or maybe an egg as your lead fly and trailing that with a Midge pattern. Flies: Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger BWO, Split Case BWO, RS-2, Otter Egg, San Juan Worm, Red Copper John, Jujubee, Barr’s Pure Midge Larva, UV Emerger, Desert Storm
Williams Fork River Below Dam
Flow 18 cfs.
Conditions: If the current flow is legit and we think it is, please think about looking else where. The stress of extreme low flows on trout is enough with out a bunch of us thrashing the water to a froth. When it does come back up to reasonable flows, we expect solid, low water temperatures. Flies: San Juan Worms, Flash Back Pheasant Tails, Miracle Nymph, Otters Egg, Garcia’s Rojo Midge. Baetis nymphs: Juju Baetis, Big Bear Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, Andrew’s 5-0 Midge, Split Case BWO, RS-2. Dries: Para Winger, CDC Baetis Dun, Lawson’s No Hackle, Gulpher Special, Brook’s Sprout Midge, Trailing Shuck Midge.
Antero Reservoir

Conditions: The lake is open as well as the rest of the South Park impoundments and providing fair action for the shore and tube angler. It will not open for trailer launched boats until May 3rd. Until then foot and hand launched only.
Spinney Mountain Reservoir

Conditions: Well the day has come and the park is open. Reports for the first couple of days have been overall pretty good, particularly near the boat ramp and Dam. Small streamers seemed to do the trick initially and fly casters along the Dam always start out the year with an assortment of egg patterns. Keep checking back as the days go on, we will try to keep the information as current as possible.
Delaney Buttes Lakes

Conditions: Reports have been pretty solid overall, with all three lakes offering opportunities. The North lake opened first, with some moderate to good results on streamers, Egg patterns and a mix of Midges. The South lake was right behind in thawing and wade anglers are doing well for those bank cruisers. Reports off the East lake have been off the charts for boaters. Flies: Egg Patterns, Bead Pheasant Tail, Bead Hare’s Ear, Copper John, Jumbo Juju, Zebra Midge

The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – May 2, 2012

andrew — Wed, 02 May 2012 23:55:49 +0000

Book Your Guide Trip Now

Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir
Flow: 53 cfs.
Conditions: Flows continue to remain low and steady. Good clarity coming from the Dam but, expect just a little bit of color as you move north and a little snow melt runs into the main river. We do expect these low flows to continue for some time as snow-pack is lower than average. Action through town has been fairly solid. There has been a good mix of resident fish being caught in amongst the new additions that Parks and Wildlife introduced to the river a few weeks back. Reports have included fish taking dries at times in town, not just the typical nymphing that is generally most productive. As far as flies, the fish have been focusing their attention on a variety of options, again this can partially be attributed to the mix of resident and introduced fish. So, definitely start with imitative patterns of the present food options of the Tailwater, ie. Midge and Mysis variations and as a bonus, now you can go ahead and work in some general searching patterns, in sizes that may not require magnification to tie on. Crowds continue to be brisk, as is expected this time of year combined with the productive conditions. Town Flies: RS-2, Black or Chocolate UV Emerger, Kingery’s Cap’n Hook, Black Pheasant Tail, Flashback Pheasant, Black Beauty, Rojo Midge, Winter Baetis, Desert Storm, Rainbow Warrior, BTS Mysis, Stalcups Mysis, Candy Cane, Tungteaser, Hare’s Ear, Red or Copper Copper John, Flossy Worm
Blue River Below Green Mountain
Flow: 73 cfs.
Conditions: Access Restriction: Due to road work being done on the road across the Dam and it’s approach, the Dam itself is closed to all traffic. For access during construction, anglers will have to take the road around the west side of the reservoir, from the south, in order to get to the access below the Dam. Fishing access will remain open. Fishing Conditions: A slight bump up in flows (very slight) will add a little more room for the fish, but still water levels are very low. While the reservoir is coming up, it is doing so at a snails pace and we expect this to be the situation until at least mid to late May. The Silver lining to all of this is it does make for great access for wade fishermen, although the fish will be a little more sensitive with the reduction in cover. There is a good mix of patterns working right now from larger Stonefly patterns down to Midge and Baetis imitations. Best bet would be a double nymph rig anchored with a larger offering trailing something smaller, to get an idea on the flavor of the day. Definitely use caution on getting down to and back up from the river. The hill is steep and doesn’t provide a lot of footholds. Flies: Larger size Bead Head Nymphs: #10-12 Hare’s ear, Prince, Tungteaser, Tungsten Rubber Leg Yellow Sally, Stubby Stone, San Juan Flash Worm and Red Hot Worm, Big Bear Baetis, Juju Baetis – standard and purple, Barr’s Emerger, Split Case BWO, Jujubee, Poison Tung, UV Emerger. Floaters should note: The take out that has been used for years is no longer available, that property is now private. For boat take out you now need to continue on down the Blue to the access ramp for the Gore Canyon put-in. this is approximately another mile. Please respect private property rights along the river.
Colorado River Above Kremmling
Flow: 225+/- cfs.
Conditions: Flows here are maintaining, relatively speaking, at a fairly consistent level. There have been and will continue to be, some ups and downs dependent on air temperatures, but nothing that has blown out the fishing. Still the same, this is one of the most consistent access points anywhere in the state. Action has been fairly solid and mid day temps relatively mild. Tandem nymph rigs continue to offer the most consistent results. Either with a Baetis to Midge combo or a double offering of either. There are still plenty of Midges around and fish have been keying on those imitations, primarily below the surface with all of the sunshine we have been enjoying. But if the clouds roll in, you may experience a nice dry fly event. Blue Winged Olives are also starting to become a viable option as well and will intensify towards the end of April and into May. As runoff along the upper river increases and clarity stains a little, San Juan Worm patterns are also a solid anchor to well presented nymph rig. The stream flow gauge for this site is finally back up and working for the season as ice is but a distant memory. Flies: San Juan Worm, Biot Midge, Barr’s Emerger, Juju Baetis, RS-2, Pheasant Tail, Winter Baetis, WD-40 Andrew’s 5-0, Split Case BWO, Pure Midge Larve,Rojo Midge, Otter Milking Egg
Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero
Flow: 465 cfs.
Conditions: Seeing a slight drop in water levels again, as Muddy Creek begins to drop following it’s peak last week. Clarity has taken a slight hit up here with the added volume, but that should start to improve again. What may have had a larger impact on the fishing here over last weekend, is water temps. As the flow rose and air temperatures cooled, water temperatures dropped a dramatic 6 degrees from what they were previous. We are now seeing those numbers climb again to almost a full recovery and expect this to show in improved feeding. Expect continued results on Blue Winged Olive patterns, as that has been the most consistent hatch lately, but as those water temps climb, we should transition into a bit a Caddis action as well. After that, the Grand Daddy of them all: Salmonflies. The BWOs have been hatching mid-day and we would expect that to happen a little earlier as the water temps rise with sunnier conditions. Midges still remain a part of the current diet but, in lesser numbers and most productively, early in the day. Kick seine samples are showing good development in Salmonfly nymphs and we are expecting them to be a solid hatch this year, particularly with these lower flows. With that in mind, it is always a good idea to work some larger searching patterns or Stonefly nymphs into the mix. With this extremely low flow, the wade fishing is a very viable option and there have been quite of few wade anglers enjoying the action. Boaters should take note of the very low flows and make an honest assessment of their ability and water craft before descending into Little Gore Canyon. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tails, Juju Baetis, Tungsten Split Case BWO, Barr’s Flashback BWO Emerger, RS-2, Tungsten Hares Ear, Two Bit Hooker, Stubby Stone, Twenty Incher, Kaufman Stone, Jimmy Legs, Psycho Prince,
Colorado Below Glenwood Springs
Flow 2310 cfs.
Conditions: With our inconsistent spring weather conditions here are now day to day. Still seeing some very productive days when clarity allows, but with the warm temperatures all the way up the Colorado and Eagle, snow melt is bringing visibility down to near zero on others. That being said, action is starting to really pick up from Glenwood Canyon on down stream, when it is not too dirty for flies to be seen. Best results have been on medium to larger searching and Stonefly nymphs with a well presented mix of Midge patterns behind that. Hatches of Midges and Blue Winged Olives have given way to a thick Caddis hatch throughout the lower river, with adult bugs present all day and hatching mid-day to early evening depending on location. Dry flies are certainly a good option, with some stretches producing great action on emerging, crippled and adult Caddis. Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, Bead Prince, Twenty Incher, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Foam Caddis, Spotlight Caddis Emerger, Elk Hair Caddis, Stimulator, Nitro Caddis, Zebra Midge, Rojo Midge, Poison Tung, Juju Baetis, STD Baetis
Arkansas River Above Buena Vista
Flow: 270 cfs.
Conditions: River levels have risen below Twin Lakes, but the river still offers a good wade fishing option. The hatches at this level are not yet to the point of the river below Buena Vista, but then again neither are the crowds. Conditions along the upper river will continue to improve daily as water temperatures slowly rise and clarity remains very good. Still a little early for widespread success, particularly in the Hayden Meadows/Kobe area, but if these weather conditions persist, the fish counts will start to climb up there as well. Things will be a little more active as you work down below Balltown, Granite and beyond. Focus your efforts on the deeper, gentler runs and pools that will offer trout an energy conserving lie for this time of year and as the temperatures warm up later in the day, look for fish to venture into feeding lanes. Midges and Caddis Larve will be the primary available food sources, but there are still some fish that will take smaller searching nymphs. Flow is at Granite. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tail, Hot Wire Prince, Rojo Midges, 5-0 Midge, UV Emerger, Poison Tung, Rainbow Warrior, Mercury Midge
Arkansas River Below Buena Vista
Flow: 432 cfs.
Conditions: Solid fishing on a variety of Midge patterns early in the day. As the day, and water temps warm, Baetis nymphs have been solid through mid day from the Brown’s Canyon area on down. With the warming temperatures, Caddis are now starting to make their way up the river. Currently, the heart of the hatch is just below Salida in Big Horn Sheep Canyon, but that will continue to move up through and above Salida as water temps rise. We have seen adults in limited numbers up past Stone Bridge. With the additional water in the river and some cloud cover, water temps will stabilize and continue to offer multiple choices for food. Be flexible and not afraid to move or switch tactics if you are not having success. Don’t force the Caddis if it is not happening. Make sure to carry a good assortment of Blue Wing, and even some Midge, patterns on the river with you. Truth be told, the Baetis hatch is often far more consistent and productive than the more well attended Caddis. Some action can also be had on Stone fly nymphs as a lead fly in your nymph set up. Flow reading is at Salida. Flies: Bead Head Pheasant Tail # 14-16, Tungstone Golden #12-16, Chartreuse Copper John #12-16, Chartreuse Hot Wire Caddis, Hot Wire Prince, Spotlight Caddis, Foam Caddis, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute, Juju Baetis, Split Case BWO, Zebra Midge, Garcia’s Rojo Midge, RS-2, Caddis Candy and Poison Tung
Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs
Flow: 688 cfs.
Conditions: At times the river has really seen the impact of the heat in the valley. With snow melt up the Crystal, the river has really taken a hit in the clarity department. This will ebb and flow over the course of any particular day and may offer some windows of opportunity, not just from one day versus the next, but also from morning to afternoon. Also beneficial will be the addition of more water from Ruedi into the Frying Pan, this extra 75 cfs is clean Tail water release. Going forward keep an eye on the flow and look for spikes (particularly from the Crystal) that would indicate a rise in snow melt and reduction in clarity. When the visibility does allow, get out there as action has been solid river wide. Fish have been active for some time now on Midge and Blue Winged Olive nymphs as well as a good compliment of searching nymphs such as the Prince or Tungteaser. In more recent days as water temperatures have risen, an emergence of Caddis has started on the lower river and is offering some great opportunities for rising fish as well. If you are in the area and it is dirty, simply move upstream above the cloudy water, hopefully just at Carbondale, or jump onto the Frying Pan at Basalt. Take advantage of these mild conditions and finish up the day with a soak in the hot springs. Flies: Elk Hair Caddis, Potter’s Pearl and Elk, Stimulators, RS-2, STD Baetis, Tungteaser, Twenty Incher, Bead Prince, Copper John#16-18, Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, San Juan Worm patterns, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute.
South Platte River, Middle Fork
Flow: 22+/- cfs.
Conditions: River is once again opening up with all the warm weather in the high country. Starting to pick up a bit of action as well. Reports coming in indicate decent success for anglers. Best approach would be with a mix of searching nymphs and egg patterns. Flies: Otter Egg, Red Copper John,Tungsten Pheasant Tail, IED, Hot Wire Prince, STD Baetis, Tungsten Psycho
South Platte, Dream Stream
Flow 104 cfs.
Conditions: Reports coming in from the Platte have been improving. The first signs of some larger fish moving in from Eleven-mile have been producing a few nice. There also seems to be a couple of pockets of “Stocker Madness”, with cookie cutter 10-12 inch fish all over a dead drift nymph rig. And being that it’s the Platte in Spring, there are a lot of anglers out there. So if a little solitude is what your after, you may want to think twice. The best approach right now is a double nymph rig pairing either a Baetis pattern or maybe an egg as your lead fly and trailing that with a Midge pattern. Flies: Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger BWO, Split Case BWO, RS-2, Otter Egg, San Juan Worm, Red Copper John, Jujubee, Barr’s Pure Midge Larva, UV Emerger, Desert Storm
Williams Fork River Below Dam
Flow 18 cfs.
Conditions: If the current flow is legit and we think it is, please think about looking else where. The stress of extreme low flows on trout is enough with out a bunch of us thrashing the water to a froth. When it does come back up to reasonable flows, we expect solid, low water temperatures. Flies: San Juan Worms, Flash Back Pheasant Tails, Miracle Nymph, Otters Egg, Garcia’s Rojo Midge. Baetis nymphs: Juju Baetis, Big Bear Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, Andrew’s 5-0 Midge, Split Case BWO, RS-2. Dries: Para Winger, CDC Baetis Dun, Lawson’s No Hackle, Gulpher Special, Brook’s Sprout Midge, Trailing Shuck Midge.
Antero Reservoir

Conditions: The lake is open as well as the rest of the South Park impoundments and providing fair action for the shore and tube angler. It will not open for trailer launched boats until May 3rd. Until then foot and hand launched only.
Spinney Mountain Reservoir

Conditions: Well the day has come and the park is open. Reports for the first couple of days have been overall pretty good, particularly near the boat ramp and Dam. Small streamers seemed to do the trick initially and fly casters along the Dam always start out the year with an assortment of egg patterns. Keep checking back as the days go on, we will try to keep the information as current as possible.
Delaney Buttes Lakes

Conditions: Reports have been pretty solid overall, with all three lakes offering opportunities. The North lake opened first, with some moderate to good results on streamers, Egg patterns and a mix of Midges. The South lake was right behind in thawing and wade anglers are doing well for those bank cruisers. Reports off the East lake have been off the charts for boaters. Flies: Egg Patterns, Bead Pheasant Tail, Bead Hare’s Ear, Copper John, Jumbo Juju, Zebra Midge

The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – April 26, 2012

andrew — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:25:14 +0000

Book Your Guide Trip Now

Starting to see a few changes of note here in the high country. Two in particular involving water levels.

First, on the Upper Colorado. Wolford Mountain Reservoir has actually filled and begun spilling over the top into Muddy Creek at Kremmling. This will have a direct impact on the Colorado immediately downstream. Overall this is great news, as prior to this event the flow was continuing to drop and water temperatures were climbing fast. As the flow is coming up, we are seeing some discoloration, of varying degree depending on the day, as some debris and silt is cleaned from the channel. This will be short lived and has not totally shut the fishing down. Once the flow stabilizes at it’s new level, clarity should improve again. As for the water temperatures, they have fallen slightly, but not enough to shut down the bugs or fish. This should mean a continued bonanza of food.

Second, over on the Arkansas, the river has now been returned to “native flows”. Meaning that what is generally flowing into some of the higher drainage reservoirs is being allowed to flow out of them and into the river. We’re not sure how long this will last, but ultimately it is good for the fishing. With this bump in flows the river is still at a great level for wading and allows for more comfortable floating. Again water temps will drop initially, but longterm that should only slow the advancement of the hatches, not shut them down.

Definitely check out the reports for the Arkansas, Colorado and Roaring Fork, as all are seeing some fantastic action. That’s not to say you should ignore the Blue either, particularly in town, where recent successes have been very solid.Fishing at this time remains good to excellent, it just takes a little extra energy before you head out for the day, to make sure conditions haven’t changed adversely on your river of choice. Don’t hesitate to give us a call for the most up to date conditions, the last thing we want to hear is a fishing trip spoiled by bad conditions at a particular river, when there are better options out there that day.

Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir
Flow: 53 cfs.
Conditions: Flows continue to remain low and steady. Good clarity coming from the Dam but, expect just a little bit of color as you move north and a little snow melt runs into the main river. We do expect these low flows to continue for some time as snow-pack is lower than average. Action through town has been fairly solid. Although, you need to be flexible in your approach to the river. Not only in what patterns you fish, but also in when and where. Some days the high sun has had a more detrimental effect on success than others. Other days not so much. With that in mind, it doesn’t hurt to come early or stay late, if you are not finding active fish. As far as flies, the fish have been focusing their attention on a combination of Midge patterns along with Mysis imitations, it just varies from day to day as to the amount of concentration. Some days it may be 50-50, Shrimp to Midges, and the next it may only be 20-80. The other variable in the equation is color. We have seen good results on Black, Red, Gray, Olive and Chocolate, you just have to experiment with which color the fish are focused on for a given day. Crowds have been concentrated somewhat between the Hwy and the Dam, as there have been some larger fish holding in that stretch. Some of those are resident Bows, while others appear to be new arrivals. Town Flies: RS-2, Black or Chocolate UV Emerger, Kingery’s Cap’n Hook, Black Pheasant Tail, Flashback Pheasant, Black Beauty, Rojo Midge, Winter Baetis, Desert Storm, Rainbow Warrior, BTS Mysis, Stalcups Mysis, Candy Cane, Tungteaser, Hare’s Ear
Blue River Below Green Mountain
Flow:58cfs.
Conditions: Access Restriction: Due to road work being done on the road across the Dam and it’s approach, the Dam itself is closed to all traffic. For access during construction, anglers will have to take the road around the west side of the reservoir, from the south, in order to get to the access below the Dam. Fishing access will remain open. Fishing Conditions: Another drop in flows has the lower Blue down to bare minimums as filling of the Reservoir has become top priority. We expect this to be the situation until at least mid to late May. Whatever the reason, it does make for great access for wade fishermen, although the fish will be a little more sensitive with the reduction in cover. There is a good mix of patterns working right now from larger Stonefly patterns down to Midge and Baetis imitations. Best bet would be a double nymph rig anchored with a larger offering trailing something smaller, to get an idea on the flavor of the day. Definitely use caution on getting down to and back up from the river. The hill is steep and doesn’t provide a lot of footholds. Flies: Larger size Bead Head Nymphs: #10-12 Hare’s ear, Prince, Tungteaser, Tungsten Rubber Leg Yellow Sally, Stubby Stone, San Juan Flash Worm and Red Hot Worm, Big Bear Baetis, Juju Baetis – standard and purple, Barr’s Emerger, Split Case BWO, Jujubee, Poison Tung, UV Emerger. Floaters should note: The take out that has been used for years is no longer available, that property is now private. For boat take out you now need to continue on down the Blue to the access ramp for the Gore Canyon put-in. this is approximately another mile. Please respect private property rights along the river.
Colorado River Above Kremmling
Flow: 238+/- cfs.
Conditions: Flows here are maintaining, even rising slightly over the past week. This is a result of snow melt along the upper river, as the Williams Fork continues to contribute very little to the overall volume. Still the same, this is one of the most consistent access points anywhere in the state. Action has been fairly solid and mid day temps relatively mild. Tandem nymph rigs continue to offer the most consistent results. Either with a Baetis to Midge combo or a double offering of either. There are still plenty of Midges around and fish have been keying on those imitations, primarily below the surface with all of the sunshine we have been enjoying. But if the clouds roll in, you may experience a nice dry fly event. Blue Winged Olives are also starting to become a viable option as well and will intensify towards the end of April and into May. As runoff along the upper river increases and clarity stains a little, San Juan Worm patterns are also a solid anchor to well presented nymph rig. The stream flow gauge for this site is finally back up and working for the season as ice is but a distant memory. Flies: San Juan Worm, Biot Midge, Barr’s Emerger, Juju Baetis, RS-2, Pheasant Tail, Winter Baetis, WD-40 Andrew’s 5-0, Split Case BWO, Pure Midge Larve,Rojo Midge, Otter Milking Egg
Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero
Flow: 468 cfs.
Conditions: A bit of a turn around here in the last few days in regards to river flows. After seeing levels drop under 300 cfs, volume is once again on the rise as Wolford Mountain on Muddy Creek has filled and spilled, definitely the exception so far this year. Initially expect some color in the water as the rising water will carry with it some sediment and debris but, once the flow stabilizes, we expect the clarity to improve as well. The fishing has been solid overall with a good showing of Blue Wings and even a few Caddis. Last weeks mostly overcast pattern established the Blue Winged Olives as the hatch of the moment, as action was steady on both Nymph and Dry patterns. The BWOs have been hatching mid-day and we would expect that to happen a little earlier as the water temps rise with sunnier conditions. Midges remain a part of the current diet but, in lesser numbers and most productively, early in the day. Kick seine samples are showing good development in Salmonfly nymphs and we are expecting them to be a solid hatch this year, particularly with these lower flows. With that in mind, it is always a good idea to work some larger searching patterns or Stonefly nymphs into the mix. With this extremely low flow, the wade fishing is a very viable option and there have been quite of few wade anglers enjoying the action. Boaters should take note of the very low flows and make an honest assessment of their ability and water craft before descending into Little Gore Canyon. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tails, Jujubaetis, Tungsten Split Case BWO, Barr’s Flashback BWO Emerger, RS-2, Tungsten Hares Ear, Two Bit Hooker, Stubby Stone, Twenty Incher, Kaufman Stone, Jimmy Legs, Psycho Prince,
Colorado Below Glenwood Springs
Flow 2780 cfs.
Conditions: River flow has once again started to rise. With the prolonged warm spell, conditions here are now day to day. Still seeing some very productive days when clarity allows, but with the warm temperatures all the way up the Colorado and Eagle, snow melt is bringing visibility down to near zero on others. That being said, action is starting to really pick up from Glenwood Canyon on down stream, when it is not too dirty for flies to be seen. Best results have been on medium to larger searching and Stonefly nymphs with a well presented mix of Midge patterns behind that. Hatches of Midges and Blue Winged Olives have given way to a thick Caddis hatch throughout the lower river, with adult bugs present all day and hatching mid-day to early evening depending on location. Dry flies are certainly a good option, with some stretches producing great action on emerging, crippled and adult Caddis. Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, Bead Prince, Twenty Incher, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Foam Caddis, Spotlight Caddis Emerger, Elk Hair Caddis, Stimulator, Nitro Caddis, Zebra Midge, Rojo Midge, Poison Tung, Jujubaetis, STD Baetis
Arkansas River Above Buena Vista
Flow: 298 cfs.
Conditions: River levels have jumped below Twin Lakes, but the river still offers a good wade fishing option. The hatches at this level are not yet to the point of the river below Buena Vista, but then again neither are the crowds.Conditions along the upper river will continue to improve daily as water temperatures slowly rise and clarity remains very good. Still a little early for widespread success, particularly in the Hayden Meadows/Kobe area, but if these weather conditions persist, the fish counts will start to climb up there as well. Things will be a little more active as you work down below Balltown, Granite and beyond. Focus your efforts on the deeper, gentler runs and pools that will offer trout an energy conserving lie for this time of year and as the temperatures warm up later in the day, look for fish to venture into feeding lanes. Midges and Caddis Larve will be the primary available food sources, but there are still some fish that will take smaller searching nymphs. Flow is at Granite. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tail, Hot Wire Prince, Rojo Midges, 5-0 Midge, UV Emerger, Poison Tung, Rainbow Warrior, Mercury Midge
Arkansas River Below Buena Vista
Flow: 432 cfs.
Conditions: Solid fishing on a variety of Midge patterns early in the day. As the day, and water temps warm, Baetis nymphs have been solid through mid day from the Brown’s Canyon area on down. With the warming temperatures, Caddis are now starting to make their way up the river. Currently, that is still down below Salida in Big Horn Sheep Canyon, but there will be opportunities up to Salida as at times. With the additional water in the river and some cloud cover, water temps will stabilize and continue to offer multiple choices for food. Be flexible and not afraid to move or switch tactics if you are not having success. Don’t force the Caddis if it is not happening. Make sure to carry a good assortment of Blue Wing, and even some Midge, patterns on the river with you. Truth be told, the Baetis hatch is often far more consistent and productive than the more well attended Caddis. Some action can also be had on Stone fly nymphs as a lead fly in your nymph set up. Flow reading is at Salida. Flies: Bead Head Pheasant Tail # 14-16, Tungstone Golden #12-16, Chartreuse Copper John #12-16, Chartreuse Hot Wire Caddis, Hot Wire Prince, Spotlight Caddis, Foam Caddis, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute, Juju Baetis, Split Case BWO, Zebra Midge, Garcia’s Rojo Midge, RS-2, Caddis Candy and Poison Tung
Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs
Flow: 928 cfs.
Conditions: The river has really seen the impact of the heat in the valley. With snow melt up the Crystal, the river has really taken a hit in the clarity department. This will ebb and flow over the course of the day and may offer some windows of opportunity, but conditions have deteriorated for the most part. With the forecast calling for a couple days of clouds and unsettled weather, the chance is there for it to improve for some good action. Keep an eye on the flow and look for it to have leveled off and made a noticeable drop. When that does, fish have been active for some time now on Midge and Blue Winged Olive nymphs as well as a good compliment of searching nymphs such as the Prince or Tungteaser. In more recent days as water temperatures have risen, an emergence of Caddis has started on the lower river and is offering some great opportunities for rising fish as well. If you are in the area and it is dirty, simply move upstream above the cloudy water, hopefully just at Carbondale, or jump onto the Frying Pan at Basalt. Take advantage of these mild conditions and finish up the day with a soak in the hot springs. Flies: Elk Hair Caddis, Potter’s Pearl and Elk, Stimulators, RS-2, STD Baetis, Tungteaser, Twenty Incher, Bead Prince, Copper John#16-18, Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, San Juan Worm patterns, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute.
South Platte River, Middle Fork
Flow: 22+/- cfs.
Conditions: River is once again opening up with all the warm weather in the high country. Starting to pick up a bit of action as well. Reports coming in indicate decent success for anglers. Best approach would be with a mix of searching nymphs and egg patterns. Flies: Otter Egg, Red Copper John,Tungsten Pheasant Tail, IED, Hot Wire Prince, STD Baetis, Tungsten Psycho
South Platte, Dream Stream
Flow 104 cfs.
Conditions: Reports coming in from the Platte have been improving. The first signs of some larger fish moving in from Eleven-mile have been producing a few nice. There also seems to be a couple of pockets of “Stocker Madness”, with cookie cutter 10-12 inch fish all over a dead drift nymph rig. And being that it’s the Platte in Spring, there are a lot of anglers out there. So if a little solitude is what your after, you may want to think twice. The best approach right now is a double nymph rig pairing either a Baetis pattern or maybe an egg as your lead fly and trailing that with a Midge pattern. Flies: Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger BWO, Split Case BWO, RS-2, Otter Egg, San Juan Worm, Red Copper John, Jujubee, Barr’s Pure Midge Larva, UV Emerger, Desert Storm
Williams Fork River Below Dam
Flow 16 cfs.
Conditions: If the current flow is legit and we think it is, please think about looking else where. The stress of extreme low flows on trout is enough with out a bunch of us thrashing the water to a froth. When it does come back up to reasonable flows, we expect solid, low water temperatures. Flies: San Juan Worms, Flash Back Pheasant Tails, Miracle Nymph, Otters Egg, Garcia’s Rojo Midge. Baetis nymphs: Jujubaetis, Big Bear Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, Andrew’s 5-0 Midge, Split Case BWO, RS-2. Dries: Para Winger, CDC Baetis Dun, Lawson’s No Hackle, Gulpher Special, Brook’s Sprout Midge, Trailing Shuck Midge.
Antero Reservoir

Conditions: The lake is open as well as the rest of the South Park impoundments and providing fair action for the shore and tube angler. It will not open for trailer launched boats until May 3rd. Until then foot and hand launched only.
Spinney Mountain Reservoir

Conditions: Well the day has come and the park is open. Reports for the first couple of days have been overall pretty good, particularly near the boat ramp and Dam. Small streamers seemed to do the trick initially and fly casters along the Dam always start out the year with an assortment of egg patterns. Keep checking back as the days go on, we will try to keep the information as current as possible.
Delaney Buttes Lakes

Conditions: Open for several weeks now, reports have been pretty solid overall. The North lake opened first, with some moderate to good results on streamers, Egg patterns and a mix of Midges. The South lake was right behind in thawing and wade anglers are doing well for those bank cruisers

The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – April 25,2012

andrew — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:33:39 +0000

Book Your Guide Trip Now
After a week of unsettled weather, and fantastic dry fly fishing, it looks as if the sun will return with the arrival of a high pressure system for the next several days. With temperatures forecast for the 50s to mid 60s, depending on river valley, conditions for anglers look strong.Also of note, is that water levels continue to hold at or drop to even lower levels than previous weeks. As has been well reported, we are seeing snow-pack levels at below average amounts and water managers are taking all available methods to hold and store as much flow as possible. So on any of our high country rivers below a storage facility, we are experiencing flows below their seasonal averages.With these low and clear flows, we anticipate a rapid warming of water temps. That translates into individual insect hatches beginning their annual emergence slightly earlier than normal on some rivers. Where we have already been seeing great Midge activity, expect Blue Wings to come into play. And where the Blue Wings have been strong we are starting to see Caddis emerge.In the detailed reports on the right side of this page, there is a much more specific information as it relates to a particular river. Definitely check out the reports for the Arkansas, Colorado and Roaring Fork, as all are seeing some fantastic action. That’s not to say you should ignore the Blue either, particularly in town, where recent successes have been very solid.Fishing at this time remains good to excellent, it just takes a little extra energy before you head out for the day, to make sure conditions haven’t changed adversely on your river of choice. Don’t hesitate to give us a call for the most up to date conditions, the last thing we want to hear is a fishing trip spoiled by bad conditions at a particular river, when there are better options out there that day.

Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir
Flow: 53 cfs.
Conditions: Flows continue to remain low and steady. Good clarity coming from the Dam but, expect just a little bit of color as you move north and a little snow melt runs into the main river. We do expect these low flows to continue for some time as snow-pack is lower than average. Action through town has been fairly solid. Although, you need to be flexible in your approach to the river. Not only in what patterns you fish, but also in when and where. Some days the high sun has had a more detrimental effect on success than others. Other days not so much. With that in mind, it doesn’t hurt to come early or stay late, if you are not finding active fish. As far as flies, the fish have been focusing their attention on a combination of Midge patterns along with Mysis imitations, it just varies from day to day as to the amount of concentration. Some days it may be 50-50, Shrimp to Midges, and the next it may only be 20-80. The other variable in the equation is color. We have seen good results on Black, Red, Gray, Olive and Chocolate, you just have to experiment with which color the fish are focused on for a given day. Crowds have been concentrated somewhat between the Hwy and the Dam, as there have been some larger fish holding in that stretch. Some of those are resident Bows, while others appear to be new arrivals. Town Flies: RS-2, Black or Chocolate UV Emerger, Kingery’s Cap’n Hook, Black Pheasant Tail, Flashback Pheasant, Black Beauty, Rojo Midge, Winter Baetis, Desert Storm, Rainbow Warrior, BTS Mysis, Stalcups Mysis, Candy Cane, Tungteaser, Hare’s Ear
Blue River Below Green Mountain
Flow:58cfs.
Conditions: Access Restriction: Due to road work being done on the road across the Dam and it’s approach, the Dam itself is closed to all traffic. For access during construction, anglers will have to take the road around the west side of the reservoir, from the south, in order to get to the access below the Dam. Fishing access will remain open. Fishing Conditions: Another drop in flows has the lower Blue down to bare minimums as filling of the Reservoir has become top priority. We expect this to be the situation until at least mid to late May. Whatever the reason, it does make for great access for wade fishermen, although the fish will be a little more sensitive with the reduction in cover. There is a good mix of patterns working right now from larger Stonefly patterns down to Midge and Baetis imitations. Best bet would be a double nymph rig anchored with a larger offering trailing something smaller, to get an idea on the flavor of the day. Definitely use caution on getting down to and back up from the river. The hill is steep and doesn’t provide a lot of footholds. Flies: Larger size Bead Head Nymphs: #10-12 Hare’s ear, Prince, Tungteaser, Tungsten Rubber Leg Yellow Sally, Stubby Stone, San Juan Flash Worm and Red Hot Worm, Big Bear Baetis, Juju Baetis – standard and purple, Barr’s Emerger, Split Case BWO, Jujubee, Poison Tung, UV Emerger. Floaters should note: The take out that has been used for years is no longer available, that property is now private. For boat take out you now need to continue on down the Blue to the access ramp for the Gore Canyon put-in. this is approximately another mile. Please respect private property rights along the river.
Colorado River Above Kremmling
Flow: 238+/- cfs.
Conditions: Flows here are maintaining, even rising slightly over the past week. This is a result of snow melt along the upper river, as the Williams Fork continues to contribute very little to the overall volume. Still the same, this is one of the most consistent access points anywhere in the state. Action has been fairly solid and mid day temps relatively mild. Tandem nymph rigs continue to offer the most consistent results. Either with a Baetis to Midge combo or a double offering of either. There are still plenty of Midges around and fish have been keying on those imitations, primarily below the surface with all of the sunshine we have been enjoying. But if the clouds roll in, you may experience a nice dry fly event. Blue Winged Olives are also starting to become a viable option as well and will intensify towards the end of April and into May. As runoff along the upper river increases and clarity stains a little, San Juan Worm patterns are also a solid anchor to well presented nymph rig. The stream flow gauge for this site is finally back up and working for the season as ice is but a distant memory. Flies: San Juan Worm, Biot Midge, Barr’s Emerger, Juju Baetis, RS-2, Pheasant Tail, Winter Baetis, WD-40 Andrew’s 5-0, Split Case BWO, Pure Midge Larve,Rojo Midge, Otter Milking Egg
Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero
Flow: 413 cfs.
Conditions: A bit of a turn around here in the last few days in regards to river flows. After seeing levels drop under 300 cfs, volume is once again on the rise as Wolford Mountain on Muddy Creek has filled and spilled, definitely the exception so far this year. Initially expect some color in the water as the rising water will carry with it some sediment and debris but, once the flow stabilizes, we expect the clarity to improve as well. The fishing has been solid overall with a good showing of Blue Wings and even a few Caddis. Last weeks mostly overcast pattern established the Blue Winged Olives as the hatch of the moment, as action was steady on both Nymph and Dry patterns. We do anticipate the coming days to fish more consistent on the nymph with the high sun in the forecast. The BWOs have been hatching mid-day and we would expect that to happen a little earlier as the water temps rise with sunnier conditions. Midges remain a part of the current diet but, in lesser numbers and most productively, early in the day. However, it is always a good idea to work some larger searching patterns or Stonefly nymphs into the mix. With this extremely low flow, the wade fishing is a very viable option and there have been quite of few wade anglers enjoying the action. Boaters should take note of the very low flows and make an honest assessment of their ability and water craft before descending into Little Gore Canyon. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tails, Jujubaetis, Tungsten Split Case BWO, Barr’s Flashback BWO Emerger, RS-2, Tungsten Hares Ear, Two Bit Hooker, Stubby Stone, Twenty Incher, Kaufman Stone, Jimmy Legs, Psycho Prince,
Colorado Below Glenwood Springs
Flow 1580 cfs.
Conditions: With the prolonged warm spell, conditions here are now day to day. Still seeing some very productive days when clarity allows, but with the warm temperatures all the way up the Colorado and Eagle, snow melt is bringing visibility down to near zero on others. That being said, action is starting to really pick up from Glenwood Canyon on down stream, when it is not too dirty for flies to be seen. Best results have been on medium to larger searching and Stonefly nymphs with a well presented mix of Midge patterns behind that. Hatches of Midges and Blue Winged Olives have been solid and providing a good source of food for winter weary trout. Cloudy days have been seeing pockets of rising fish in scattered locations, as well as a few shady spots on those bright sunny days. Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, Bead Prince, Twenty Incher, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Zebra Midge, Rojo Midge, RS-2 #20-22, Poison Tung, Parachute Adams #20-24, Trailing Shuck Midge, Morgans Para Midge, Stalcups Winger Parachute
Arkansas River Above Buena Vista
Flow: 142 cfs.
Conditions: Conditions along the upper river continue to improve daily as water temperatures slowly rise and clarity remains very good. Still a little early for widespread success, particularly in the Hayden Meadows/Kobe area, but if these weather conditions persist, the fish counts will start to climb up there as well. Things will be a little more active as you work down below Balltown, Granite and beyond. Focus your efforts on the deeper, gentler runs and pools that will offer trout an energy conserving lie for this time of year and as the temperatures warm up later in the day, look for fish to venture into feeding lanes. Midges and Caddis Larve will be the primary available food sources, but there are still some fish that will take smaller searching nymphs. Flow is at Granite. Flies: Bead Pheasant Tail, Hot Wire Prince, Rojo Midges, 5-0 Midge, UV Emerger, Poison Tung, Rainbow Warrior, Mercury Midge
Arkansas River Below Buena Vista
Flow: 172 cfs.
Conditions: Solid fishing on a variety of Midge patterns early in the day. As the day, and water temps warm, Baetis nymphs have been solid through mid day. With the warming temperatures, Caddis are now starting to make their way up the river. Currently, that is still down below Howard, but that should continue to move with the sun and warmer temps this week. Best bet would be to focus your attention from Stone Bridge down through Salida and into Big Horn Sheep Canyon. Although with the prolonged warm weather and low flows, the conditions improve daily further upriver. Crowds have also come early to the river below Salida, so for the angler longing for solitude, it may be worth a trip into the depths of Brown’s Canyon. With such great weather, it shouldn’t be long before the Blue Wings start to emerge in that stretch as well. Truth be told, this hatch is often far more consistent and productive than the more well attended Caddis. Some action can also be had on Stone fly nymphs as a lead fly in your nymph set up. Flow reading is at Salida. Flies: Bead Head Pheasant Tail # 14-16, Tungstone Golden #12-16, Chartreuse Copper John #12-16, Chartreuse Hot Wire Caddis, Hot Wire Prince, Zebra Midge, Jujubee, Garcia’s Rojo Midge, RS-2 in #22-24, Caddis Candy and Poison Tung
Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs
Flow: 497 cfs.
Conditions: Another good spring option for anglers looking to take advantage of the great conditions. Fish have been active for some time now on Midge and Blue Winged Olive nymphs as well as a good compliment of searching nymphs such as the Prince or Tungteaser. In more recent days as water temperatures have risen, an emergence of Caddis has started on the lower river and is offering some great opportunities for rising fish as well. Mild conditions have expanded the normal spring range from the lower river through Glenwood all the way up to and above Basalt. There have been some days with poor conditions, as the Crystal River in Carbondale has been off color on occasion. If that is the case, simply move upstream above the cloudy water, or jump onto the Frying Pan at Basalt. Take advantage of these mild conditions and finish up the day with a soak in the hot springs. Flies: Otter Egg, Flash Tail Mini Egg, RS-2, STD Baetis, Tungteaser, Twenty Incher, Bead Prince, Copper John#16-18, Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, San Juan Worm patterns, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute.
South Platte River, Middle Fork
Flow: 22+/- cfs.
Conditions: River is once again opening up with all the warm weather in the high country. Starting to pick up a bit of action as well. Reports coming in indicate decent success for anglers. Best approach would be with a mix of searching nymphs and egg patterns. Flies: Otter Egg, Red Copper John,Tungsten Pheasant Tail, IED, Hot Wire Prince, STD Baetis, Tungsten Psycho
South Platte, Dream Stream
Flow 104 cfs.
Conditions: Reports coming in from the Platte have been improving. The first signs of some larger fish moving in from Eleven-mile have been producing a few nice. There also seems to be a couple of pockets of “Stocker Madness”, with cookie cutter 10-12 inch fish all over a dead drift nymph rig. And being that it’s the Platte in Spring, there are a lot of anglers out there. So if a little solitude is what your after, you may want to think twice. The best approach right now is a double nymph rig pairing either a Baetis pattern or maybe an egg as your lead fly and trailing that with a Midge pattern. Flies: Juju Baetis, Barr’s Emerger BWO, Split Case BWO, RS-2, Otter Egg, San Juan Worm, Red Copper John, Jujubee, Barr’s Pure Midge Larva, UV Emerger, Desert Storm
Williams Fork River Below Dam
Flow 16 cfs.
Conditions: If the current flow is legit and we think it is, please think about looking else where. The stress of extreme low flows on trout is enough with out a bunch of us thrashing the water to a froth. When it does come back up to reasonable flows, we expect solid, low water temperatures. Flies: San Juan Worms, Flash Back Pheasant Tails, Miracle Nymph, Otters Egg, Garcia’s Rojo Midge. Baetis nymphs: Jujubaetis, Big Bear Baetis, Barr’s Emerger, Andrew’s 5-0 Midge, Split Case BWO, RS-2. Dries: Para Winger, CDC Baetis Dun, Lawson’s No Hackle, Gulpher Special, Brook’s Sprout Midge, Trailing Shuck Midge.
Antero Reservoir

Conditions: The lake is open as well as the rest of the South Park impoundments and providing fair action for the shore and tube angler. It will not open for trailer launched boats until May 3rd. Until then foot and hand launched only.
Spinney Mountain Reservoir

Conditions: Well the day has come and the park is open. Reports for the first couple of days have been overall pretty good, particularly near the boat ramp and Dam. Small streamers seemed to do the trick initially and fly casters along the Dam always start out the year with an assortment of egg patterns. Keep checking back as the days go on, we will try to keep the information as current as possible.
Delaney Buttes Lakes

Conditions: Open for several weeks now, reports have been pretty solid overall. The North lake opened first, with some moderate to good results on streamers, Egg patterns and a mix of Midges. The South lake was right behind in thawing and wade anglers are doing well for those bank cruisers

The Colorado Angler

The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – May 17, 2012

Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir

Blue River Below Green Mountain

Colorado River Above Kremmling

Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero

Colorado Below Glenwood Springs

Arkansas River Above Buena Vista

Arkansas River Below Buena Vista

Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs

South Platte River, Middle Fork

South Platte, Dream Stream

Williams Fork River Below Dam

Antero Reservoir

Spinney Mountain Reservoir

Delaney Buttes Lakes

The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – May 14, 2012

Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir

Blue River Below Green Mountain

Colorado River Above Kremmling

Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero

Colorado Below Glenwood Springs

Arkansas River Above Buena Vista

Arkansas River Below Buena Vista

Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs

South Platte River, Middle Fork

South Platte, Dream Stream

Williams Fork River Below Dam

Antero Reservoir

Spinney Mountain Reservoir

Delaney Buttes Lakes

Fly Fishing The Colorado River Salmonfly Hatch, Monday Morning Update – May 14, 2012

The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – May 10, 2012

Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir

Blue River Below Green Mountain

Colorado River Above Kremmling

Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero

Colorado Below Glenwood Springs

Arkansas River Above Buena Vista

Arkansas River Below Buena Vista

Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs

South Platte River, Middle Fork

South Platte, Dream Stream

Williams Fork River Below Dam

Antero Reservoir

Spinney Mountain Reservoir

Delaney Buttes Lakes

The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – May 9, 2012

Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir

Blue River Below Green Mountain

Colorado River Above Kremmling

Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero

Colorado Below Glenwood Springs

Arkansas River Above Buena Vista

Arkansas River Below Buena Vista

Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs

South Platte River, Middle Fork

South Platte, Dream Stream

Williams Fork River Below Dam

Antero Reservoir

Spinney Mountain Reservoir

Delaney Buttes Lakes

The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – May 5, 2012

Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir

Blue River Below Green Mountain

Colorado River Above Kremmling

Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero

Colorado Below Glenwood Springs

Arkansas River Above Buena Vista

Arkansas River Below Buena Vista

Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs

South Platte River, Middle Fork

South Platte, Dream Stream

Williams Fork River Below Dam

Antero Reservoir

Spinney Mountain Reservoir

Delaney Buttes Lakes

The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – May 3, 2012

Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir

Blue River Below Green Mountain