The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – June 24, 2016
June 25th, 2016
The Colorado Angler Fly Fishing Report
Plan your next fishing trip knowing you’ll arrive without any surprises. Our professional fishing reports are updated weekly with stream and river flows, recommended flies, equipment, and special fishing tips for the most important fly-fishing destinations in Colorado. To see a detailed fishing report for a specific river, simply scroll below to read 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. Understanding how fisheries change during the year, as well as how to approach them is key to growing an angler’s skill set. We hope you use this invaluable information to your advantage. 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. 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. Call: Toll Free 855-CO TROUT (268-7688) Spring Hours: Monday – Saturday 7 am – 6 pm, Sunday 8 am – 5 pm
Recent Update: June 24, 2016
Big changes across the high country this week, as we see water levels headed in the opposite direction. For the most part our rivers are trening downward, with the exception being the Colorado. Upstream tailwater releases have pushed flows up on the entire river from Windy Gap on down. Float or Wade, you are going to find some additional water on the Colorado. Fortunately, being tailwater it is clean. It looks like it has stabilized here Friday afternoon and we should see fish readjust to new holding lies and resume what had been some strong feeding on early summer hatches. Here in town the Blue River is spilling over the top of Lake Dillon, as the reservoir has filled. This is great news for the Blue. Now that water temperatures have jumped our hope is to see an actual hatch of acquatic insects larger than an eyelash. As in PMDs and Caddis. It may be too much to ask for a return of Green Drakes but, we can dream. Aside from a heavy rain event mid-week momentarily pushing up some rivers, everywhere else is on the decline. We have had some good post-peak results already on the Eagle and Arkansas. By the end of the weekend we should see those opportunities expand. The first couple of weeks after peak can offer some of the most eager feeding of the season, as every fish in the river is on the hunt to replace calories spent fighting the spring’s run-off. Often the key will be simply identifying the water where fish are sheltering and getting a cast in it. Usually matching a hatch isn’t that important until summer hatches start to emerge in the next few weeks. Go stocked with a selection of your favorite searching patterns and throw in a few general imitations for Caddis, Stones, PMDs and Drakes just in case you see any of those popping early. Detailed reports below 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. |
Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir |
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| Flow: 1150 cfs. | |
| Conditions: Lake Dillon is now full and spilling over the top. There may still be a couple more days of instability as water managers regulate the release from the dam as they switch from a bottom release to an overflow. This takes a couple of days in order to assure a smooth transition on the dam. This is great news for the river, as water temperatures will jump up into the mid 50s to low 60s and hopefully spur some insect activity, most notably Caddis and PMDs. It might be another couple of days for that to happen based upon when they are done switching completely over to top spill. Although we are down from peak, the river is still very high and will continue the need to fish high water tactics. However, there will be a slight change to fly selection. Now that the water is spilling over the top, there won’t be any Mysis Shrimp being sucked from the bottom of the reservoir. That will take a few days to happen, as the water is adjusted to a total top feed but, look for interest in the shrimp to wane quickly. We are still seeing strong interest in Egg and San Juan Worm patterns, along with the usual tailwater midge stuff and random searching nymphs. In the coming days we should see PMD and Caddis imitations pick up as that water temp climbs. Keep in mind that this is still a big flow. However, it is not entirely un-fishable level. We continue to take trips on it almost daily and results have been strong. Read on for how we would approach the river at these spring levels.
The Spring flush continues and the release from Dillon is peaking. As the water is peaking you will need to make some adjustments in order to be successful. First, will be to your set-up. Bump up your weight considerably from what is normal when the river runs at winter flows around 100 cfs. Start with at least two BB to a single AAA size weights and add from there. Don’t be afraid to add too much and have to reduce it if you hang up too often. Generally speaking, weight is the single most common factor that separates the nymph caster from the successful nymph angler. As well, you should be able to up your tippet size to 3 and 4x, either in mono or fluoro. Next you need to adjust your approach to the river. As flows start getting this high, the main channel in some runs will be getting fairly heavy. Look for the soft water and focus your drifts there, working out into the current as fish response dictates. The majority of the fishing will be best covered with a tandem nymph rig with San Juan Worm, Egg and small Mayfly imitations. Now that water temperatures are rising we might see an influence from that as to best time of day to fish. Up until now that hasn’t had an impact but, generally speaking, earlier seems to be more productive until the wade traffic on the river starts to impact fish comfort. As well, later in the day as angler numbers dwindle the fish regain a little bit of stability and resume feeding. Including into the evening hours. The biggest issue for most anglers will be the potential for crowds. This should only increase as run-off ramps up in the next week or so and available options on freestone rivers dwindle. This is the point where we lobby for courtesy and etiquette to win out over self interest and ego. Be patient and show your fellow angler a little courtesy by not crowding into water that may not support more than one angler. Take a look up or downstream and come back to that spot later in the day.
Town Flies: Flossy Worn, Bacon and Eggs, Gummy Worms, Sparkle Worms, Split Case PMD, Poxybiot Nymph, Desert Storm, Rainbow Warrior, Black Beauty, Brassie, UV Emerger, Biot Midge, Lil Spanker, Tungsten Psycho May-Black, Kingery’s Cap’n Hook, Rojo Midge, Tube Midge – Black or Red, RS-2 – Black or Dun, WD40 – Black or Chocolate, Two Bit Hooker, Zebra Midge, Otter Soft Milking Egg, Bead Eggs, Wooly Bugger Black or Olive, Pat’s Rubber Legs, . And work in a streamer every once in a while, as well. Often over looked but, randomly deadly. |
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Blue River Below Green Mountain |
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| Flow: 1050 cfs. | |
| Conditions: Flows are back up over a thousand again, this time it looks like this will be run-off related as flows above the lake have gone up with Dillon Reservoir reaching capacity. Not entirely deal breaking but, this will once again make for some tough wading and swift floating. At these levels, wading will be far more restricted, as it is still not possible to wade across the river. Focus you efforts on the available soft water that you can reach. Most of this will be along the bank adjacent to riffles and eddies, as well as some pocket water around larger rocks. Nymphing will offer the most productive method for the time being, until temperatures warm up and ignite early season hatches. Tandem rigs with a large Stonefly or beaded searching pattern followed with a mix of mid-sized Mayfly, Stone, Caddis of egg pattern should do the trick. As with all big water options, make sure to bump your weight up enough to counter the increase in flow. Some of the quiet water lies available now aren’t very large so, it will be important to get your flies down immediately. There won’t be the long consistent drift of a late summer run, where you have time for your flies to descend over a 40 foot distance. In a word you need to cannonball it. Bump tippet size up to 3 and 4x, as clarity will now allow for that and you’ll need the extra strength to hold onto anything that you hook. These levels are once again high enough to float and we expect that to pick up in popularity over the next couple of weeks, although clearance under the bridges may be limited. If you go, know where you’re at and stay legal. The reservoir is filling and could hit overflow in the next 7 – 10 days if inflows continue at this level. If that happens we’ll keep you posted.
Flies: Big bead heads: Tungsten Split Case Green Drake, Hare’s Ear, Tungteaser, Pheasant Tail, Stubby Stone, Twenty Incher, Rubberlegs, Psycho Prince, Mr Peacock Ice, Flossy Worm. The Smaller Stuff: RS-2, Tung Psycho May, Split Case BWO, Barr’s BWO, Juju Baetis, Zebra Midge, Poison Tung, Winter Baetis, Black Beauty, Rojo Midge, Rainbow Warrior, Big Spanker, Otter Egg. Floaters should note: The river volume on this stretch of water can change on an infrequent schedule and often. It is important to know the flow before you launch and make an honest assessment of your ability and watercraft capability. Please respect private property rights along the river. At 1,500 cfs the bridges are impassable. Under 500 become questionable for clearance of certain boats. |
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Colorado River Above Kremmling (Parshall)
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| Flow: 3257 cfs. | |
| Conditions: A big jump in flows over the past couple of days, as upstream reservoirs are releasing additional water. This is now a second peak. The first coming last week. This will have an impact on accessibility to the river for sure, as it will limit wading. But, it should be clean, which will make the possibility of hooking fish from the available quiet water a good possibility. At this flow the river will be full bank-to-bank, even spilling out into the willows in some spots. However, clarity is much improved with around 2 – 3 feet visibility, resulting in better success now that trout can actually see what you are throwing. Continue to focus on the sheltered lies and quiet water adjacent to seams, banks and structure. Even with the improved clarity you can still run 3 and 4x tippet due to the volume of water in the river. For most anglers, nymph rigs will be your best option. However, there are some people that favor a dry dropper in a nymph situation and that has been working, as long as you have a beefy enough dry to hold up the weight of these larger nymphs. Anchor either of those different approaches with a larger Stonefly, San Juan Worm or beaded searching pattern, followed up with a medium sized Mayfly, Stonefly or Midge imitation with a little flash to it. Don’t forget about the water above Parshal either. It will still be high but, it is above the confluence with the Willie’s and should be about 900 cfs lower flow.
Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Kaufman Stone, Hurless Stone Nymph,Flossy Worm,Gummy Worm, Bacon and Eggs, Bead Prince, Psycho Prince, Hammerhead Nymph, Barr’s Emerger, Magic Fly, Lil Spanker, Tungsten Hackled, RS-2, WD40, Tube Midge, Zebra Midge, Noon Midge, Pure Midge Larva-Pale Olive, Brassie, Buckskin #18-20, Pheasant Tail #18-22, Black Copper John #20-22, Small Prince Nymphs, Black Pheasant Tail, Tung Psycho May, Split Case BWO, Tungsten Micro Mayfly, Winger Parachute BWO, CDC Dun BWO, No Hackle Baetis, Parachute Adams, CDC Comparadun Baetis |
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Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero |
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| Flow: 4520 cfs. @ Pumphouse | |
| Conditions: A big jump in flows over the past two days, all of which is coming from upstream tailwater releases. 1200 cfs additional water to be exact. Although this will have an impact on accessibility, clarity remains very good for this volume of water. Wade fishing will be more greatly impacted, as there are fewer soft water lies at this level and a lot more submerged dangers for flies to hang up on. However, there are additional concerns for float fishing, as well. Float anglers in drift boats should take notice, as at these levels the lateral waves in Eye of The Needle and Yarmony rapids become an issue for swamping non-self bailing boats. Either boat type, be aware of your ability and the limits of yourself and watercraft. All boaters will have to deal with fish being pushed out of what may have been sheltered lies prior to this increase, now having to find new places to post up out of the shifting current. That should be stabilizing as well, as the flow has leveled off today. Now that that can happen, we expect fish to be back on to the good hatches of Caddis, PMDs and Yellow Sallies that are emerging from the river. The big water can prevent blanket rises to emerging duns across the river but, there are fish still feeding on the surface in back eddies and the quiet water along the edges. More consitently, we are finding nymph imitations for those three hatches doing the work. Some prefer to fish those as a straight nymph rig but, dry dropper rigs have been working and even producing a few hits to the large foam Stones and Hoppers holding up the nymphs. Salmonflies are done for the year but, their nymph imitations continue to work well. And if you like to fish the meat, streamer action has been anywhere from fair to excellent depending on the day and cloud cover. An additional though on floating at these flows. Too often, we as fishermen don’t plan for the unthinkable of a boating mishap. A little extra planning can go a long way to making that little more than just a damp inconvenience. As they say “Rig to flip”. We encourage you to secure all your loose equipment as well as possible. Hopefully this will prevent you from having to check every eddy downstream for the next 5 miles for your fly boxes. Lighten your load as much as possible before you launch in order to make your boat more maneuverable. Pay attention to shifting currents and eddies. And for God’s Sake, wear your life jacket. We don’t care how uncomfortable and hot they may be, there’s nothing macho about drowning. TIPS FOR FISHING THROUGH RUN-OFF: Although conditions may look bleak from day-to-day, overall fishing is not done here for run-off. Rather, it will continue to offer some potential throughout the spring. You just need to know what to expect and how to approach a day on the water until things begin to subside. First, be flexible. Don’t hit the river with any one idea on what you will find or what flies you will fish. If it is full of floating debris, that is a sign of a recent jump in flows and may be too unstable for finding feeding fish. However, once a rise in flows levels off for a day or two, visibility should improve to some degree and may offer a decent chance. It is not how big the flow is but, rather how recently it got there. Second, be aware of the changing nature of the river as it climbs. Where is the structure, the quiet water, the sheltering lies. Look for where fish will be able to find a place to post up, out of the current and conserve energy in between feeding. Read the water and adjust your target areas accordingly. The fish are not going to be hanging in the same spots that are favorable at mid-summer flows of 1,800 cfs. As well, as the water climbs up into the 4,000 to 5,000 cfs levels it will cover a lot of things that are normally visible. Willows, rocks, stumps, the trail. Be prepared to lose some flies. A lot of flies. The flip side to this is that big flows allow for big tippet, which should help save some flies. 2 to 3x for lead flies with maybe 4x for the dropper.
Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Mr Rubberlegs Brown, Hurless Nymph, BH Hares Ear, BH Prince, BH Prince, BH Pheasant Tail, Tung Psycho Baetis, Lil Spanker, Big Spanker, Duracell Jig, Hammerhead Jig, Psycho Prince, Eggs, G6 Caddis, Stimulator, Hippie Stomper, Elk Hair Caddis, Twisted X, Chubby Chernobyl etc |
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Colorado Below Glenwood Springs |
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| Flow: 13200 cfs. | |
| Conditions: As of this morning it is still pretty dirty. We’ll keep you posted on when it clears. If that happen, then the information below applies.
Flexibility is the name of the game when looking to fish this stretch of the river in spring. Clarity can be hit or miss due to the fact that so many feeder streams drain into it up river. As well, with being this far down the drainage and collecting so many tributaries, there is always a little more color to the river down this way. With that in mind there is a simple rule of thumb to follow when assessing if the clarity is adequate for a day on the water: Green is good, Brown is down. Generally speaking, that will be the key. At this time of the year it will be very day-to-day based on how much upstream run-off has made it’s way down and how long it takes to pass through. If you head this way to fish be prepared for either scenario when you get there and always have a back up plan. Fortunately, with the Roaring Fork and Frying Pan right up stream, there should be an option if you show up on one of those “Brown” days. It is big water and wading can be a tough endeavor the first time or two but, once you get dialed in on where to access and where the fish are holding, results can be solid. This stretch consistently produces some of the nicest Rainbows on the Colorado River. Tandem nymph rigs with a mix of Stonefly, Caddis and Green Drake imitations trailed behind mid-sized beaded searching patterns – like Tungteasers, Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears etc- can be productive. (Along with a standard Spaghetti and Meatball rig.) Good numbers of Caddis have started to get active and drive feeding patterns. And the earliest Geen Drake hatch around should be about ready to pop. With the color of the water here being generally less clear than upstream, tippet size jumps up to 3 and 4x. Focus on the slower water just off of the deeper seams early, then move to the seams adjacent the current and deep pockets as the day warms up. As with all spring nymphing, make sure to have enough weight on to get you down to where the fish are sheltering. If you don’t tap the bottom every 4 to 6 drifts, make an adjustment to either your weight, depth or both. Not only is this a good wade fishing destination, there is plenty of open water for float fishing, as well.
Flies: Mr Peacock Ice, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, Bead Prince, Hot Wire Prince, Twenty Incher, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Bead Hares Ear, Sp;it Case Green Drake, San Juan Worm patterns, Zebra Midge, Lil Spanker, Tung Psycho May, Big Spanker, Rainbow Warrior, Magic Fly, RS-2, Bead Eggs, Otter Egg, Flossy Worm
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Arkansas River Above Buena Vista |
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| Flow: 1410 cfs. @ Granite. 710 Hayden Meadows | |
| Conditions:Starting to see some improvements on the upper basin, particularly above the confluence with Lake Creek. Flows are still elevated but, much improved from peak over a week ago. Clarity is surprisingly solid at over two and a half feet. Strong hatches of Caddis and Stones are driving solid feeding by trout hungry to replenish calories spent battling high water. Focus your efforts on any available quiet water that you can find. Look for any side channels and other areas where flows are diminished or buffered, such as the inside of any bends in the river or back eddies. Caddis and Stonefly imitations, both dry and nymph, have been very productive, with hopper and large attractors anchoring your dry dropper rig. Beaded searching nymphs and streamers have been very effective at covering the water as well. We are post peakand flows should start to taper off and offer better access quickly.
Flies: Lil Spanker, Big Spanker, Beaded Hares Ear, Hot Wire Prince, Beaded Pheasant Tail, Copper John, CDC Hares Ear, Twenty Incher, Mr Peacock, Holy Grail, Pat’s RL, Psycho Prince, Iron Sally, Tungsten Yellow Sally, Hammerhead Jig, Duracell Jig, Flossy Worm, Silver Bullet, Slumpbuster, Sparkle Minnow. |
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Arkansas River Salida Area
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| Flow: 2160 cfs. @ Salida | |
| Conditions: Flows are still very high but, peak has passed and clarity is much improved. If you familiar with high water fishing and looking for an option it might be worth a try. A Focus on the edge water, back eddies and quiet lies that will shelter trout from the heavy flows of the main channel. Stonefly and beaded searching nymphs, along with streamers will be your best bet. Make sure to bump up your weight if you are running a traight nymph rig in order to get down fast. However, there may be a decent opportunity to find som erising fish in those quiet spots along the bank in the evening.
Flies: Beadhead Pheasant Tail, Beadhead Prince, Beadhead Hare’s Ear, Red or Chartreuse Copper John, Hot Wire Prince, Tungteaser, Tungstone, Biot Epoxyback Stone, Iron Sally, Psycho Prince, Hammerhead, Duracell Jig, Zebra Midge, Poison Tung, Rainbow Warrior, Brassie, Lil Spanker, Big Spanker, Silver Bullet, Sculpzilla, Slumpbuster, Olive/Black Wooly Bugger, Kreelox |
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Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs |
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| Flow: 4090 cfs. | |
| Conditions: Run-off is in full swing in the Roaring Fork Valley. But clarity is much improved, particularly above Carbondale and should be in shape just in time for the big summer hatches of Caddis, PMDs, Sallies, Drakes and Golden Stones. Probably best to avoid this one for another week or two.
Flies: Twenty Incher #12-14, Tungteaser #12-14, Beaded Pheasant Tail #12-14, Pat’s Rubber Legs #8-10, Beaded Hares Ear #12-14, CDC Prince #12-16, Hot Wire Prince #12-16, Standard Pheasant Tail #18-20, Tung Psycho May, Rainbow Warrior Black or Red, Juju Baetis, Lil Spanker, Big Spanker, Duracell Jig, Root Beer Float, Biot Midge, Zebra Midge, RS2, Tung Psycho May |
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South Platte River, Middle Fork |
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| Flow: 245 +/- cfs. | |
| Conditions: Flows are on the way down but, that could take another couple of days for this to become a worthwhile option. Not totally out of the question but, it will be a fairly advanced situation. If you do give it a try, Beaded nymphs and streamers in the edge water and quiet lies and eddies.
Flies: Chubby Chernobyl, Twisted X, Amy’s Ant, Mini Foamulator, Stimulator, Hippie Stomper, Parawulff, Parachute Adams, Royal Teaser, Beaded Prince, Duracell Jig, Hammerhead Jig, Red Collar PT, Beaded Pheasant Tail, Iron Sally, Tungsten Yellow Sally, Big Spanker, silver Bullet, Slumpbuster, Sparkle Minnow |
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South Platte, Dream Stream |
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| Flow: 78 cfs. | |
| Conditions: Some good reports coming in from the “Dream” at the moment. Yes, those 11 mile spawn-run fish have started to move up the river and as a result, crowds are thick. Flows remain on the low side although, not unmanageable. Combine that with the clarity and you have some spooky fish. We recommend 6-7x tippet and a light footed approach. Try not to wade if you can avoid it, as the less time in the water the less likely you are to alert the fish to something that is suspect in their environment. This time of year can see a wide range of productive patterns, as there is decent aquatic insect activity with Midges and Baetis, along with an increase in interest to spawn imitations.
Flies: Loop Wing Emerger, Pure Midge Larva Black or Pale Olive, Black, Red, Chartreuse Copper John, Juju Baetis, Buckskin, Caddis Larva, Hunchback Scud, Poxybiot Nymph, Desert Storm Chartreuse, Tube Midge, Poison Tung, Zebra Midge Black/Silver, Barr’s Emerger BWO, RS2, Poxybiot Nymph, Egg Patterns, Cap’n Hook, Disco Midge, San Juan Work variations |
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Williams Fork River Below Dam |
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| Flow: 910 cfs |
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| Conditions: Releases from the Dam are dropping, just not quite enough to make a difference yet. Although, it does look as if the lake is full and spilling over the top. The good news is that should bring the water temp up, thus driving insect activity soon. The bad news is the robust amount of water still in the river. This will make for some very sporty wading but, once the debris from what was dry river bed is flushed through in a couple of hours should be good clarity. Look for nymphing to be the best approach. Tandem rigs with a mix of Baetis, Caddis and small Stonefly patterns along with San Juan Worm and Egg patterns. Bump up tippet to 3 and 4x along with a good amount of weight. This will be a swift flow for the size of river that this is. If you are familiar with fishing this river at it’s mid-summer and fall/winter flows, the amount of weight needed will be substantial compared to that. Experiment with that weight until you are coming in contact with the bottom every few casts and adjust your depth to keep your flies fight down close to the bottom where fish may be sheltering.
Flies: Poxy Biot Nymph, Buckskin, Flossy Worm, Little Brown Bug, Two Bit Hooker, Flash Back Pheasant Tail, Split Case BWO, Big Bear Baetis, Tungsten Psycho May BWO, Pure Midge Larva, Rainbow Warrior, Rojo Midge, Biot mayfly Emerger, #20-22 Green Copper John, Zebra Midge, RS2’s, 5-0 Midge, UV Emerger |
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Eagle River |
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| Flow: 1750 cfs below Edwards | |
| Conditions: Run-off has peaked and is starting to recede along the Eagle. Things are still big and may be just a little longer before it’s all set and done. Probably not the best option right now but…. if you go keep in mind the following. Clarity below Milk Creek downstream from Wolcott will be less stable than the upper river. But, they have improved dramatically and we are finding fish in the typical high water spots. High flows will continue to limit access. If you can find one of those narrow windows to fish, nymphing has been the most productive method, with a good mix of Stonefly, Baetis, searching nymphs and Egg patters, as well as a few Midge and Caddis imitations at times. Clarity has been a little unstable as we mentioned but, the positive of that is the lack of needing to drop too light for tippet. 3 and 4x has covered any situation we have encountered over the past several weeks. Focus your efforts on the slower deeper runs early in the day, then as the temperature warms over the day look for fish to move up towards the bottom of riffles and edges of the fast water to feed on drifting nymphs. Although it may still be very high, there will be some good action to be had for advanced anglers that are familiar with high water techniques. Keep an eye on this report and we’ll let you know when that happens. Once this drops just a little more it will be some of the best float fishing in the state but, that will be short lived as flows will continue to fall until it’s too low by early to mid-August.
Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, Bead Head Hare’s Ear, Psycho Prince, Bead Head Pheasant Tail, Buckskin Caddis, Lil Spanker, Big Spanker, Root Beer Float, Tung Psycho May, RS-2, Zebra Midge, Standard Pheasant Tail 18-22, G6 Caddis, Lite Bright Caddis, Tube Midge, Desert Storm, Barr’s Emerger, Juju stuff. |
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Spinney Mountain Reservoir |
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| Conditions: Ice is gone and the lake is open. Action has been fair to good depending on the day and weather. We like to fish the main body of the lake adjacent to the weed beds with either a static nymph rig or a slow retrieve streamer/damsel set up. For the nymph rigs a 2 or even 3 fly set up works with a mix of Chironomid, Calibaetis and Midge imitations, as well as some beaded searching patterns such as mid-sized Copper Johns, Hares Ears and Pheasant Tails. By running a multi-fly set up you can cover a good range of depths (for example top nymph at 4 feet, middle fly at 5 and 1/2 and bottom at 7) and see if there is a pattern to what depth is working, as well as which particular fly. This will change over the course of the day so, don’t get stuck at one depth for the entire day. As action slows make sure to continue to experiment with that depth of your indicator. The other tactic that can work early in the season right after the lake opens is to fish along the Dam with egg patterns for fish that are cruising in a spawn type behavior.
Flies: Chartreuse Copper John, Bead Pheasant Tail, Bead Hares Ear, Flash Back Hares Ear, Jumbo Juju, Rojo Grande, Yankee Buzzer, Zebra Midge, Skinny Nelson, Gaviglio’s Calibaetis Nymph, Eggs, Rapunzel, Hale Bopp Leech, Mohair Leech
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Delaney Buttes Lakes |
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| Conditions: Ice is off and it is starting to pick up along the shore and fish are cruising feeding on Eggs, and Midge/Chironomid type patterns. Should start to pick up along the weed beds now that the sun has started to warm water temps up a little. Look for Midges to be active over the next several weeks and then Calibaetis just about the time that rivers are hitting peak run-off and you need a alternative to moving water. Flies: Eggs, Rojo Grande, Jumbo Juju, Zebra, Skinny Nelson, CDC Pheasant Tail, Hare’s Ear, Gaviglio’s Calibaetis, Duracell Jig, Hammerhead Jig etc |
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