The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – June 9, 2017
June 09th, 2017
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 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) Winter Hours: Monday – Friday 8 am – 6 pm Saturday 7:30 am – 6 pm Sunday 7:30 am – 5 pm
Recent Update: Friday June 9, 2017
Big changes continue to happen across the high country as we approach peak run-off. This is all part of the usual cycle. However, it is a little behind schedule due to the mild weather that we had through the end of May. Which has given some people a premature sense of run-off being less intense than expected, so this may come as a shock. It may be a little restrictive for the next couple of weeks but, good things are sure to come. We’ll try to keep you in the loop as it goes. The following is just what has happened as of today, Friday June 9. Flows will change! Yesterday afternoon Denver Water bumped the release from Dillon Reservoir up to 1200 cfs, then again this afternoon to 1400. This will also influence the release from Green Mountain downstream, already pushing over 1400 cfs, which in turn has pushed the Colorado up downstream of Kremmling. Further upstream on the Colorado drainage, the Williams Fork has dropped back 450 after a couple of day at 6 00 cfs. We are not sure where this is going to level off at but, we will keep an eye on it. Obviously this will have an impact initially on water quality, as these are new highs for the year on all of these locations. As that happens the rising water scours the previously dry river bed and newly submerged banks and picks up debris and sediment, severely diminishing clarity. However, as those increasing stream flows level off and stabilize, clarity will do the same and improve as that debris is carried down stream. Once clarity starts to increase to a foot and more, action should resume and fishing could be quite good. As of Friday afternoon clarity has already returned to almost 2 feet at Pumphouse, while further downstream below Radium it is about 18 inches and drops a little bit each mile further. Run-off is a fact of life in Colorado but, it doesn’t have to be the end of your fishing on streams and rivers. Be prepared for it and adjust your rigs and tactics accordingly. First, bump up your weight, significantly. Typically this is already the most overlooked part of most nymph anglers set-ups. Keep in mind that many of the places you are going to find fish are going to be tight spots and you want your flies to get down as quickly as possible. Second, increase your tippet size substantially. With the heavy flows and low visibility, you should be able to get away with 2 and 3x in most freestone situations. Even in the relative clarity of a tailwater, high water will help you mask your tippet a little better. In most cases 3 and 4x should be camouflaged enough to fool trout. As for your approach to the river. Look for the softer edge water along the banks and below structure. Many of these spots may only be the size of a small sofa or desk. Get it down quick. Keep in mind that as the water comes up, it will cover up obstacles and hazards. In some places where the river may be out of its banks by several feet and totally cover stream side willows. If you are familiar with an area, try to picture the river at lower flows so that you make your drifts in unobstructed lanes. And be prepared to lose some flies. No matter where you go for the next couple of weeks, be careful wading, these flows are pretty unforgiving. And definitely put on a life jacket if you are floating. There have already been fatalities on the Colorado and Arkansas this season. Detail 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.
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Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir |
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| Flow: 1400 cfs. and rising fast. | |
| Conditions: Big water and going to climb a little higher. This will be tough for most anglers to handle. However, there are some hard core town anglers that love to come out and target fish holding in the available edge water. Bump up your weight, at minimum a couple of BB or AAA to start and adjust from there depending on results. Tippet should be no less than 4x but, we recommend as high a 2x fluorocarbon if you need extra security. Sight nymphing should be possible even at these high flows. That will help with success, as you want to make sure you are actually fishing to sheltering fish and not wasting your time on vacant water. Tandem nymph rigs with a mix of egg patterns, San Juan Worms, searching nymphs, tailwater midges and dead drifted streamers are all good patterns to start with. And with the increase in flows, there should be a good influx of Mysis Shrimp from the lake into the river. But don’t throw the tiny sizes that work in the winter, bump it up to #16 and #14. Some days the most productive set up is a double shrimp rig. Our trips in town this week have continued to hook fish but, it is a technical endeavor to say the least.
Town Flies: Shrimp, Shrimp, Shrimp. Egg patterns, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Hares Ear, Pheasant Tail, Flossy Worm, Gummy Worm, Sparkle Worm, Red Neck Midge, Glassy Brassie, Mirage Zebra Midge, Desert Storm, Rainbow Warrior, Black Beauty, Brassie, UV Emerger, Biot Midge, Lil Spanker, Tungsten Psycho May-Black, 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. 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: 1420 +/- cfs and holding. | |
| Conditions: A big jump in flows here to make room for run-off in the reservoir. This will certainly limit the amount of wade fishing water for the next several weeks. Look for any available edge water and soft spots that you can reach from the near bank. Go big with your weight and tippet size in order to get down to and hang on to any fish that you may hook. Look for nymphing to continue to be the most consistent approach throughout the day, and there should be a little action on streamers in those spots where you can swing them. Large beaded searching patterns, Stoneflies, as well as Green Drake, Caddis and PMD imitation will be the best place to start. While this will limit the wading, there is now more than enough water for float anglers to run this popular stretch. As always, be careful. Not just for safety but, also for trespass issues with downstream land owners. Know where the boundaries are and avoid any conflicts.
Flies: Big bead heads: Deep Dish Green Drake, Hare’s Ear, Tungteaser, Pheasant Tail, Stubby Stone, Twenty Incher, Rubberlegs, Psycho Prince, Green Drake Nymph, Duracell Jig, Flossy Worm. The Smaller Stuff: Aero Baetis, RS-2, Tung Psycho May, Split Case BWO, Barr’s BWO, Lil Spanker, Big Spanker, Juju Baetis, Red Neck Midge, Tube Midge, Biot Pupa, Mirage Zebra,Otter Egg. Sculpzilla, Sex Dungeon, Cheech Leech, Sparkle Minnow etc
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, 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: 2158 cfs and stabilizing. | |
| Conditions: Flows are on the rise and quick. At this level the river will be full bank-to-bank and even out of the banks in places. Clarity will suffer here initially but, that should rebound slowly over the next week or so. All of this will make for tough wading but, there should be some softer edge water where you can find sheltering fish once the clarity returns. This may not be the best destination for the first couple of days but, if you are in the area check it out. The positive to all of this is that it will tend to push fish to the edges where they will be easy to target without having to wade in these high flows. Tandem nymph rigs with Pats Rubber Legs, mid-sized searching patterns and San Juan Worms would be the best place to start and adjust from there based on action. Boost your weight up substantially and don’t use any tippet lighter than 3x.
Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Hurless Stone Nymph, Flossy Worm, CDC Pheasant Tail, Bead Prince, Psycho Prince, Hammerhead Nymph, Lil Spanker, Tungsten Hackled, Buckskin #16-20, Pheasant Tail #14-22, Black Copper John #20-22, Small Prince Nymphs, Black Pheasant Tail, Tung Psycho May, Split Case BWO, Tungsten Micro Mayfly Brown, Tungsten Juju Baetis, Aero Baetis, Root Beer Float, Zebra Midge, Red Neck Midge, Biot Midge, 5-0 Midge, WD40, Pure Midge Larva |
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Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero |
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| Flow: 4230 cfs. @ Pumphouse and stabilizing. | |
| Conditions: The river here has moved into a full on run-off state, with diminished clarity and increased volume. However, that is not to say that the river is unfish-able. Rather, it is day-to-day. We actually like this type of condition for a couple of reasons. One, it doesn’t look good to the uninitiated: it’s big, it’s dirty and a little bit intimidating. Two, it’s not a gimme: you have to work at it a little harder. But that’s what fishing is all about, the uncertainty of it all. Clarity at the moment has been fluctuating from 8 inches to about 25 inches, with the norm settling in at about a foot-and-a-half lately. It might not be ideal but, there are plenty of good sheltering lies where that is more than enough for trout to see your offering. Even with the Salmonfly hatch finished, continue to anchor your nymph rigs with large Stonefly patterns, as they work almost all year. Follow that up with a mix of beaded searching patterns, Caddis and PMD imitations, along with San Juan Worms. Go big on the weight and don’t throw any tippet smaller than 3x. The streamer fishing has been hit or miss, there are days with fantastic results followed up the very next with barely a fish or two moved. It’s always worth giving it a try but, unless you are just a died in the wool junkie, be prepared to switch back to fishing bugs if the interest isn’t there in the meat.
Floating Tip: As river levels come up, please proceed with caution. Lateral waves, standing waves and wave trains all become more prevalent in the canyon stretches and swamping of drift boats or flipping rafts becomes a possibility. At these flows, Two Bridges can become impassable, float with caution. If you are unfamiliar with the river at higher levels ask someone that is familiar with it about what to expect. And by all means, wear your PFD. Cold water and swift currents can neutralize your amazing swimming ability. There’s nothing cool about drowning.
Flies: Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute, Twinkling Gulpher, GT Adult BWO,Lil Spanker, Juju Baetis, Split Case BWO, Mayfly Micro, Root-beer Float, Two Bit Hooker, Zebra Midge, Glassy Brassie, Black Mirage, RS2, Redneck Midge, Blood Midge, Black Copper John, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Bead Head Pheasant Tail, Duracell, San Juan Worm, Huevos |
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Colorado Below Glenwood Springs |
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| Flow: 16,000 cfs. | |
| Conditions: Pretty mauch a low percentage option now that run-off is beginning to impact most of the tributaries up basin. Not only the main line of the Colorado but, add in the Eagle and Roaring Fork and clarity becomes limiting. If you are in the neighborhood and you happen to find clarity agreeable that day, then give it a go but, we wouldn’t recommend a trip to the lower river specifically to fish it alone. If you are not used to fishing water that carries a certain amount of color to it, here is a good general rule for the lower river: Green is good, brown is down. Whether it’s a foot, or four of visibility, as long as it has a greenish tint to it, you should be able to find feeding fish. With that being the case, take advantage of the situation to bump up your tippet size to 3 or 4x to give you a little edge in landing what you are able to hook. This stretch consistently produces some of the nicest Rainbows on the Colorado River and late winter to late spring is a great time to get out and explore this overlooked location.
Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, Bead Prince, Twenty Incher, Iron sally, Tungstone, Delektable Bug-Golden or Brown, Duracell Jig, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Bead Hares Ear, San Juan Worm patterns, 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: 1150 cfs. @ Granite 950 @Hayden Meadows | |
| Conditions: River is up and rising fast. If that wasn’t enough of an issue, it is very dirty. Going to be a low percentage destination for the near future, at least until it levels off and clarity rebounds. If you must, tandem nymph rigs with larger Stonefly imitations, beaded searching patterns and San Juan Worms. We say give it a rest for a bit and find a tailwater with a little more stability.
Flies: Aero Baetis, Tung Psycho May, Juju Baetis, Poison Tung, Pure Midge Larva, Red Neck Midge, Biot Pupa, Mirage Zebra Midge, Duracell, Copper John, BH Pheasant Tail, BH Hare’s Ear, Lil Spanker, Hot Wire Prince, Psycho Prince, Yeager’s Soft Hackle J, Iron Sally, Hammerhead Jig, Flossy Worm, Silver Bullet, Sparkle Minnow. |
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Arkansas River Salida Area
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| Flow: 2400+/- cfs. @ Salida | |
| Conditions: High and dirty. Give it a rest for a while and at least let the flow level off and the dust settle.
Flies: Beadhead Pheasant Tail, Beadhead Prince, Beadhead Hare’s Ear, Red or Chartreuse Copper John, Hot Wire Prince, Iron Sallie, Psycho Prince, Hammerhead, Duracell Jig, Barr’s Emerger, Juju Baetis, Tungsten Psycho May BWO, G6 Caddis, Yeager’s Soft Hackle, OCD Caddis, Para Winger BWO, Extended Body Para BWO, Caddis Dries, Hippie Stomper, Zebra Midge, Poison Tung, Rainbow Warrior, Poison Tung, Brassie, Lil Spanker, Big Spanker, Mirage Midge, Red Neck Midge, Biot Pupa Midge |
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Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs |
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| Flow: 5,000- 6,000 cfs. | |
| Conditions: Big and dirty. We recommend heading up valley with the masses and hitting the relative stability of the Frying Pan.
Flies: Midge Emergers, UV Emerger, Tungteaser, Beaded Pheasant Tail, Pat’s Rubber Legs #8-10, Psycho Prince, Tungsten Yellow Sally, Tungstone, CDC Prince, Hot Wire Prince, Standard Pheasant Tail, Tung Psycho May, Split Case BWO, RS2, Frenchie, Lil Spanker, Big Spanker, Duracell Jig, Root Beer Float, Foam Wing RS2, G6 Caddis, Yeager’s Soft Hackle, Winger Para BWO, Christian’s GT BWO, Brooks Sprout BWO, Sparkle Bug, Elk Hair Caddis |
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South Platte River, Middle Fork |
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| Flow: 355 +/- cfs. | |
| Conditions: Big and pretty dirty. Tough flow for success at this small tributary stream.
Flies: Beaded Prince, Duracell Jig, Hammerhead Jig, Red Collar PT, Beaded Pheasant Tail, Big Spanker, Zebra Midge, Mirage Midge, Red Neck Midge |
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South Platte, Dream Stream |
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| Flow: 141 cfs. | |
| Conditions: The Dream Stream bumped its flows tremendously in the past couple of days. The first day the water level rose, the fishing went to a screeching halt. Fish have become more familiar with the increase and it should produce for you. Great time of year to find Caddis emerging from the river, soon to be followed by PMDs. Take lots of bug spray, the mosquitoes are getting thick down there.
Flies: Loop Wing Emerger, Pure Midge Larva Black or Pale Olive, Black, Red, Chartreuse Copper John, Juju Baetis, Buckskin, Caddis Larva, 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, Dave’s Hopper, Parachute Adams, Hippie Stomper |
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Williams Fork River Below Dam |
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| Flow: 450 cfs and dropping on Friday |
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| Conditions: . This will be a tougher approach than usual but, once the clarity settles down, it will offer some opportunity. Lots of weight and a keen eye to help find sheltering fish could produce some success.
Flies: Split Case BWO, Poxy-Biot Nymph, Buckskin, Flossy Worm, Little Brown Bug, Two Bit Hooker, Flash Back Pheasant Tail, Tungsten Micro Mayfly, 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: 2150 @ Edwards 3250 cfs at Gypsum | |
| Conditions: Big and Dirty. There will be some small pockets for Eagle river regulars to find some fish, particularly above Red Canyon. However, the river is still on the rise and clarity on the drop. Once it settles in at peak and starts to clear, this will be a better option.
Flies: Iron Sally, Duracell Jig, 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, Biot Midge, Red Neck Midge, Mirage Zebra Midge, Standard Pheasant Tail 18-22, G6 Caddis, Lite Bright Caddis, Tube Midge, Desert Storm, Barr’s Emerger, Juju stuff, Spaghetti and Meatballs. |
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Spinney Mountain Reservoir |
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| Conditions: The Park is open for the season. Results are hit or miss. Antero is now open for the season as well. Mind the crowds.
Flies: Chirono Cones, Yankee Buzzers, Skinny Nelsons, Glass Chironomids, Wooftas, Peaches & Creams, Eggs, Squirrel Leech, Hale Bopp Leech |
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Delaney Buttes Lakes |
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| Conditions: A good high-water-time-of-year option. Action has been decent to good on a mix of Chironomids, Callibaetis, Damsel and leech patterns. Flies: Eggs, Hale Bopp Leech, Squirrel Leech, Egg Sucking Leech, Crank Shaft, Buzzers, Zebra, CDC Pheasant Tail, Hare’s Ear, Duracell Jig, Hammerhead Jig etc |
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