The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – Friday May 18, 2018
May 19th, 2018
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 stretch of river, simply scroll below to read more information. 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 – Saturday 7:30 am – 6:00 pm Sunday 7:30 am – 5 pm
Recent Update: May 18, 2018
“Run-off”, in some form or another, continues across the high country. The reason we say that is due to the inconsistency of what “run-off” looks like this year depending on which river you are talking about. The Arkansas has been the only river that looks like it understands what “run-off” is supposed to look like, as we have seen a continued, steady increase in water volume since it all started a little over a week and a half ago. (Although, it was just about a week and a half earlier than typical that “run-off” started everywhere this year.) To the contrary, things on the Colorado River have been all over the place, with flows over the past month ebbing and flowing from 600 to 1,400 and back down, never settling in at any level or any trend (up or down) for very long. Meanwhile, things on the Eagle and Roaring Fork have been more indicative of recent weather trends over the past couple of weeks, as they make steady daily increases during warm weather and then slide back down slightly during those cool weather patterns. Generally, neither of these rivers fall back very far but, there have been some pockets when flows recede enough and we see a small enough improvement to clarity to allow for some success. All of that being said, this weekend’s forecast is looking like it should give us a temporary interruption to whatever “run-off” conditions your river of choice has been experiencing, as clouds and cooler temperatures are in store for the next couple of days. Keep in mind that it may take a day or two to manifest itself in the form of better conditions, as there is a lag time for flows to drop and visibility to improve. Saturday should be decent, with Sunday and Monday potentially getting better each day. That is unless we get enough moisture to dirty up the freestone rivers. Obviously, there are always tailwater options here in Colorado that are fish-able every day of the year. Sure this isn’t an original idea and there will be more than a few anglers joining you on the river but, it is a sure fire way to find moving water that is conducive to success. This morning brought a noticeable change to the Blue here in town, as Denver Water is actually having to release some water from the reservoir to make room for snow melt over the next month. If you go that route, please consider your fellow anglers and the need for a little personal space. Tailwater etiquette is already a bit lacking at times, let’s try not to make it worse. And this is probably the best time of the year for hitting the local still water destinations. Ice is off on every major lake below 9,500 feet and action is heating up. This may be completely foreign to many fly casters but, still water fishing can offer huge rewards at a time of year when river fishing is less than ideal. Not only is there great trout fishing but, Pike fishing has already been productive this spring and we haven’t hit prime season yet. Look for the Pike to step up their aggression as water temps climb into the low 50s. Which typically happens right about the time run-off on our rivers is peaking. That is what you call making the best out of a bad situation.
General Tips for Spring Fishing: Be prepared for instability in both the weather and water conditions any day you hit the river. Pack an extra layer, or ideally two, for any trip but especially for floating. Nothing sucks worse than launching under sunny skies with no wind in a sun hoodie, only to get 3 miles into a 10 mile float and have a wet and windy spring snowstorm blow up on you. As well, bring a shell along too. Not just for any precipitation but, that spring wind can be brutal. Hat, gloves and a buff can really ease the pain in those situations. River conditions can change often, from day-to-day or hour-to-hour. Be flexible in your plan on the water. While it may have been dry flies one day, the next day might be a little cooler and water temperatures might not rise enough to ignite the same hatch. Same goes for clarity. Any new snow this time of year has a tendency to melt off quickly along the river, as it is lower in elevation than where the remaining snow-pack up higher may insulate that new snow and keep it from melting until a later date. This can lead not only to changes in clarity, but also temperature as melting snow is colder than what may have been already in the river. Most of the time if you can find where the run-off is coming in, moving just above it can improve conditions. There still isn’t a real urgency to get out on the water at the crack of dawn just yet, as cold overnight air temps produce the same effect on water temps and they take a little bit of daylight to rebound. Generally speaking, we are seeing things start to get active late morning, with the early to mid-afternoon providing the peak action. Early in the day expect to find fish sheltering toward the tail-outs of runs, along eddy lines and in deeper sheltered lies where they don’t have to expend as much energy as in feeding lanes. As the day moves into late morning and water temps rise, spurring insect activity. Look for fish to move up in the run towards the bottom of riffles and suspend slightly higher in the column in an attempt to feed on drifting nymphs. With the possibility of finding rising fish towards mid-afternoon if conditions allow. 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: 203 cfs | |
| Conditions: Stream flows from the dam have leveled off for the time being but, Denver Water may adjust that higher in a week or two if snow melt above the reservoir pushes inflows into the lake higher than they are currently. This is great news for the tailwater stretch through town for a couple of reasons. First, the addition of water also increases the amount of habitat for fish to spread out in, as well as provide an increase in cover from predators, which puts them a little more at ease. The other benefit is going to be the increase in food opportunities for trout as the heavier flow has a greater pull from the reservoir and should add a few more Mysis to the system. Good news all around. So…. Bump up your weight and maybe your tippet diameter and hit the river. Tandem nymph rigs will continue to produce the best however, with the addition of some brood stock fish recently there have been more than a few anglers reporting fish hitting their indicators. With that in mind, we like to recommend a dry-dropper rig using a nice red Chubby Chernobyl on the surface, just in case you encounter that naive newcomer that can’t help himself. At this level, the shrimp fishing should improve, which will go along with the San Juan Worm and Eggs that have been carrying the load over the past couple of weeks. There continues to be a steady amount of angling pressure on the river, which will affect the bite at times. As well, the sunny days can add to that, as the high sun will intensify the movements of wading anglers in and along the river and spook fish. If you do fish it on a sunny day, pay extra attention to your approach to the river and try to limit your impact. Cloudy days generally have been a little more productive, as the subtle light will help keep fish at ease and more likely to stay put, which will lead them to at least see your drift. Experiment with your weight throughout the day and make sure that you are getting down to the depth you need quickly, that is the key to more fish seeing your offerings. If you aren’t bumping the bottom on occasion, chances are you need more weight. Also of note, this past week’s warm temps have increased the volume in the feeder streams here in town and are adding not only an additional 75 cfs before the edge of town but, also some color to the river which can benefit anglers with less selective trout. For those dry fly enthusiasts out there, we have been seeing scattered fish feeding on the surface at times. Keep your eyes peeled, as it will not be widespread. If you do find fish on the surface they have been taking emerging Midges in Black, Chocolate and Dun colors, sized #22-26. Good luck with that.
Town Flies: BTS Shrimp, Tim’s Mysis, Stalcup’s Mysis, Andrew’s 5-0 Midge, 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, Zebra Midge, Otter Soft Milking Egg, Bead Eggs, Flossy Worm, Gummy Worm, Sparkle Worm, 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: 150+/- cfs | |
| Conditions:Flows remain very low for this tailwater and look to continue for quite some time as water managers are now in the process of filling the reservoir. At this flow, waders will have the canyon to themselves as it is definitely too low for float anglers to navigate the river. We don’t like to recommend any particular level to float the lower river, because so much depends on the actual skill of the oars man and the type of raft being used but, it is well above this level if you want to be a good citizen and avoid trespass issues. At these flows there will be a need to be conscious of your approach to the water, as low flows will reduce habitat and fish comfort, making them fairly sensitive to angler movement. Furthermore, if it is high sun that will only exacerbate the situation. Focus on the deeper cover, eddy lines and water along ledges just off the main current early in the day. As the day warms and insect activity picks up, look for fish to move closer to feeding lanes from the middle to upper ends of runs and pools as well as just below riffles where drifting nymphs will be easy forage. Results will be best on tandem nymph rigs, with a wide assortment of patterns. For the lead fly Stonefly, beaded searching patterns and egg patterns should get their attention. Then follow that up with a mix of Baetis and Midge imitations. As well, those overcast days have produced a little interest in surface feeding to emerging midges along with some minor streamer activity.
Flies: Big bead heads: Deep Dish Green Drake, Hare’s Ear, Tungteaser, Pheasant Tail, Rubberlegs, Psycho Prince, Duracell Jig, Flossy Worm. The Smaller Stuff: Aero Baetis, RS-2, Tung Psycho May, Darth Baetis, Split Case BWO, Barr’s BWO, Lil Spanker, Big Spanker, Juju Baetis, Red Neck Midge, Tube Midge, BH Biot Midge, Mirage Zebra,Otter Egg. Sculpzilla, Sex Dungeon, Cheech Leech, Sparkle Minnow etc |
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Colorado River Above Kremmling (Parshall)
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| Flow: 454 cfs and Rising | |
| Conditions: Flows continue to fall after spiking last week and are now at a very good level for this piece of water, Clarity continues to improve as well but, that can still be temperamental at times. The majority of the action has been coming on nymph imitations fished in tandem nymph rigs. Interest has been best on a mix of small midge pupa and larva imitations, and Baetis patterns. We are also finding success on small to medium sized Stonefly and searching nymphs used as the lead flies in those set-ups. Bump up your tippet for the time being, no point in losing any more flies than you need to, with the stained water 3 and 4x is more than thin enough. Don’t overlook the factor that weight plays into the equation either. As spring time flows jump, so does the need for added weight. You want to make sure that you get it down and quick. This level offers good bank-to-bank coverage and fish should be well distributed throughout the entire channel. Look for sheltering lies where fish can get a break from the current with less energy spent, while at the same time be able to feed with little effort. Pockets, eddy lines and ledges below riffles all have good potential.
Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Flossy Worm, CDC Pheasant Tail, Bead Prince, Psycho Prince, Hammerhead Nymph, Lil Spanker, Tungsten Hackled, Pheasant Tail #18-22, Black Copper John #20-22, Tung Psycho May, Split Case BWO, Tungsten Micro Mayfly Brown, Tungsten Juju Baetis, Aero Baetis, Root Beer Float, Zebra Midge, RS-2, Foam Wing RS-2, Darth Baetis, Red Neck Midge, BH Biot Midge, 5-0 Midge, WD40, Pure Midge Larva, Chocolate Thunder |
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Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero |
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| Flow: 875 cfs. @ Pumphouse and Rising | |
| Conditions: It’s up, it’s down, it’s up again. Don’t blink or it might change again. Flows and clarity are experiencing a slight amount of volatility over the past week or two. This will be due to the fluctuation in precipitation and temperatures that is typical for this time of year, as well as the drop from Green Mountain, which leads to less clean water coming into the system. Although runoff has started, we don’t expect flows to get real big this year due to lower overall snow-pack numbers in the system. It’s certainly not horrible but, we don’t expect to see flows jumping to 6,000, as can be the case on bigger water years. Overall action is on the rise, as water temps climb and both trout and insect activity increase. However, it will be tough at times, as there will be days with limited visibility where it will take a thorough effort to hook up some fish. As well, with the inconsistent flows, fish will have to reposition themselves in new sheltering lies each time the water substantially rises or falls. Results have been best on tandem nymph rigs with a mix of imitations for Baetis, Midges, Stoneflies, Eggs and beaded searching patterns. With the clarity being a little stained, 3 and 4x tippet will be more than thin enough to work in all water types. Make sure to pay attention to the amount of weight and depth of indicator as you change locations in the river. Early in the day fish will be sheltered in slower, deep currents conserving energy until food becomes available. Once water temps start to rise in the late morning, look for fish to move up to positions in the middle to the top of runs where they can feed on drifting nymphs. Although we have been finding moments of good fishing throughout this stretch, the clarity can definitely be an issue the farther west you go due to sedimentary soils and tributary streams. As visibility degrades, you may have to move upstream above those key tributaries. Most notably, Piney Creek and Sheephorn Creek. However, keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be gin clear, at this point we’ll try anything greater than 12 – 15 inches of visibility.
Salmonflies: We have seen the first few adults today, Friday May 18th. Not widely distributed and in limited numbers but, when this hatch happens it happens quick. Give us a call for up to the minute intel.
Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Psycho Prince, Yeager’s Soft Hackle, Bead Head Pheasant Tail, Duracell, Lil Spanker, Mirage Zebra Midge, Foam Wing RS-2, Poison Tung, BH Biot Midge, Tungsten Psycho May, Darth Baetis, Eggs, San Juan Worm, Sculpzilla, Silver Bullet, Sex Dungeon, Cheech Leech, Crystal Bugger |
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Colorado Below Glenwood Springs |
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| Flow: 6340 cfs | |
| Conditions: Actually getting big and mostly off-color. Probably not the best option for the near future, even if it isn’t gigantic this year, it is still going to carry a greater amount of sediment than allows for productive fishing. If you are absolutely dead set on fishing this stretch of river, then nymphing will be the most appropriate approach on indicator rigs with a mix of Stonefly, Baetis, Midge, Egg and Caddis imitations. As well, streamer fishing has been improving now that water temps are on the rise and Sculpin are getting active. Big Tippet and big weight. Look for deep cover, ledges and drops to be holding fish most consistently. This stretch of the river is entirely different than anything upstream from Dotsero but, if you can get past it’s proximity to the highway it is definitely worth the trip. Although floating it does offer the best access for the patchwork of public water that can be hard to reach on foot, there are plenty of spots to drive/walk in to. Don’t let the size of the river intimidate you, rather break it down into smaller pieces and fish it like you would any other wade river you are familiar with. This stretch consistently produces some of the nicest Rainbows on the Colorado River and early spring is a great time to get out and explore this overlooked location.
Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, CDC BH Pheasant Tail, Bead Prince, Duracell Jig, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Bead Hares Ear, Yeager’s BH Soft Hackle J, G6 Caddis, Thrift Shop Caddis, 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: 1280 @ Granite and Rising | |
| Conditions: Still fairly cold along the upper part of the river but, the ever popular stretch of Hayden Meadows is starting to get to a point where Midges, Baetis and even Caddis are emerging regularly. The bigger issue will now be rising water and decreasing clarity. Above Lake Creek flows are on the rise and there has been stain to the water but, not unfish-able. Water temps are an issue at this elevation and as such, action has been slow in the morning, with mild improvement mid-day until finally good chances mid-afternoon into evening. Look for quite water along edges, behind islands and in pockets to provide good shelter for fish out of the increasing current, while at the same time offering easy access for those same fish to well presented dry flies in these tight lies. Hoppers, attractors and adult Caddis imitations have all brought fish to the surface lately. The more consistent action on the upper river has been from Balltown and the confluence with Lake Creek downstream. There has been a noticeable change over the past couple of weeks, as a substantial release of water from Twin is entering the river and is continuing to step the river up at a steady rate. However, that is not nearly as ominous as it sounds when you consider that it is clean water coming in from Twin. Look for fish to push out to the quiet water along the edges, inside of corners and below islands. Nymphing will offer the best approach with 3 and 4x tippet in a two fly set-up. Lead with a mid-sized to small beaded Stonefly, Caddis or searching pattern and follow that up with a Midge pupa or larva. Look for fish in the early part of the day to still be congregating in that sheltered water that offers a little more cover from the heavy currents, then as the day warms, you may see a slight adjustment in their positioning as they hover mid-depth and suspend in the column, as they look to feed on drifting nymphs and emerging Caddis. It might not be the most comfortable flow for wading and prospecting for trout but, there are fish feeding and the clarity is solid below Lake Creek.
Flies: Para X, Elk Hair Caddis, Stimulator, Foamulator, Small Chubbies, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Red Collar Leggy PT, 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, Mirage Zebra, Red Neck Midge, Poison Tung, BH Biot Midge, Flossy Worm, Silver Bullet, Sparkle Minnow. |
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Arkansas River Salida Area
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| Flow: 1610 cfs @ Salida | |
| Conditions: Flows have jumped up steadily over the past couple of weeks from releases in the upper valley and melting snow but, that isn’t out of character for this time of year and has kept the river tracking at a good early season level, relative to the date on the calendar. Clarity however, is on the decline and will limit feeding at times as sediment is being carried down stream with rising flows. As the flow rises large sections of water may be un-fishable as sheltering lies disappear but, there can still be good edge water to find fish if you get a pocket of less dirty water. Certainly not the best option at the moment and you wouldn’t want to plan your entire trip around this destination right now but, if you are in the area and have the inclination, you might be able to manage a few fish with the right approach. Strong hatches of Midges and Blue Winged Olives had been driving great action all the way up into Browns Canyon and we do expect them to remain viable. However, we are now seeing Caddis driving good amounts of action up into Salida and that should be a factor any day where temperatures remain warm. Early in the day fish will be a little slow to start but, that should change late morning as they feed on Midge pupa and larva and Baetis patterns. Fish any of those behind a Stonefly or beaded searching pattern. As the day goes on their interest should switch away from the Midge and more to drifting Baetis nymphs behind a mid-sized searching pattern such as BH Pheasant Tail, Duracell Jig or your go to fly for that category although, we do still continue to have good success on Stonefly, Midge, Baetis and Beaded searching patterns all throughout the afternoon. As well, when conditions allow (overcast) the dry fly fishing has been solid on Blue winged Olives. And as an added bonus, from Hecla Junction downstream through Salida has been seeing a nice little emergence of Craneflies, with good action on both adult and nymph imitations. With clarity as off color as it is, 4x is ideal but, you could get away with 3x to your top fly. We think that flows will peak slightly ahead of schedule and once that does look for clarity to improve and fish to be comfortable in their high water lies, enough to create some great fishing along the bank.
Flies: Beadhead Pheasant Tail, Red Collar Leggy PT, Beadhead Prince, Beadhead Hare’s Ear, Red or Chartreuse Copper John, Hot Wire Prince, Iron Sallie, Psycho Prince, Hammerhead, Duracell Jig, Crane Bomb, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Yeager’s Soft Hackle J, Barr’s Emerger, Juju Baetis, Tungsten Psycho May BWO, Extended Body Para BWO, Zebra Midge, Poison Tung, Rainbow Warrior, BH Biot Midge, Brassie, Lil Spanker, Big Spanker, Mirage Midge, Red Neck Midge, Biot Pupa Midge, Tan Pat’s Rubber, Tungsten Yellow Sallie, Masked Marauder |
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Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs |
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| Flow: 2180 cfs | |
| Conditions: As with everywhere, there was a noticeable jump last week due to rain and or snow melt. The lower river will be fairly dirty for the near future as that will continue to increase in volume. Your best bet at this time of year will be in the upper valley above where the Crystal comes in. Deep nymph rigs will offer the best approach early in the day with 3 and 4x tippet. Start with a BH searching pattern, Stonefly imitation or Egg on top, dropping down to a Baetis or Midge imitation, using a good amount of weight. Caddis and Baetis will be the majority of the insect activity until the river peaks and begins to drop and clear.
Flies: Midge Emergers, UV Emerger, Glassy Brassie, Beadhead Biot Midge, Poison Tung, Beaded Pheasant Tail, Pat’s Rubber Legs #8-10, Psycho Prince, 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, Yeager’s Soft Hackle, Frechie |
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South Platte River, Middle Fork |
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| Flow: 175 cfs | |
| Conditions: Flows are on the rise and clarity is dropping. But….. there can still be periods of action on beaded searching nymphs and streamers against bank cuts. Always a good spot to prospect for resident browns even if the water is less than perfect.
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: 9 cfs | |
| Conditions: Flows remain just under a hundred, which is a typical early spring level, particularly in a year with sub standard snow pack. As such, this is a flow that will fish a little better if you think about your approach the river. Make sure to travel with a little greater caution when moving along and in the river. Slow down and make sure your foot steps are light, so as to not alert fish to your presence. Minimize wading and keep a lower profile. Once at a spot where you intend to fish, don’t be in a hurry there either. Slow, calm movements with your rod and cast, limit your extraneous movements. Light tippets of 6x will offer the best presentation. Midge pupa, larva and emergers will be the core of trout diets through the winter but, now that spring is approaching there will be some action on small Baetis imitations. And we would be remiss not to point out that the spring also brings with it the onslaught of crowds that descend upon this small piece of water looking for a shot at a trophy fish running up from the lake. With that in mind, if you are looking for solitude, this ain’t the place. The traffic has been down right heavy while the etiquette a little lax. We are not big fans of targeting fish that are just trying to propagate their species so, if you find yourself drawn to this place, at this time, PLEASE, stay off the Redds and leave spawning fish to their mission. After all, if they can’t reproduce, there won’t be any fish to target – big or small- in short order.
Flies: Loop Wing Emerger, Pure Midge Larva Black or Pale Olive, Black, Red, Chartreuse Copper John, Juju Baetis, 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 Worm variations, Crane Fly Larva, Buckskin, Bread Crust |
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Williams Fork River Below Dam |
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| Flow: 40 cfs |
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| Conditions: Dam releases are holding steady at low levels and may drop further. As it gets down to these sub 75 levels, the action really tightens up on this popular tailwater, which gets more than it’s fair share of traffic. As such, drop your tippets to 6x, even 7 if you are comfortable with that light of line. Midge pupa, larva and emergers along with Baetis patterns will be most productive. These can be fished together or behind a small searching pattern, such as a size 20 Flashback Pheasant Tail, or Caddis larva. Look for fish to be “holed up” in the few deeper spots that are available at this low flow. We haven’t heard what the spring release program will be for the lake but, with snow-pack this year being sub par, we anticipate the flow to stay low through May.
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: 1350 @ Edwards 1820 @ Gypsum | |
| Conditions: Friday clarity and volume update:Rising and stained. There may be the odd opportunity above Milk Creek but, that will be best in the afternoon as the daily drop happens for a couple of hours. Going to be a tough go for a bit but, once it peaks and begins to drop it will come back on line quickly. Lead with an small stone, Caddis or mid-sized searching nymph and follow that up with a Midge or Baetis pattern. Look for any sheltering lie along the bank where fish can lay up and conserve energy.
Flies: Duracell Jig, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Psycho Prince, Bead Head Pheasant Tail, Yeager’s Soft Hackle J, Thompson’s Forky Baetis, Lil Spanker, Big Spanker, Root Beer Float, Tung Psycho May, Poison Tung, BH Biot Midge, Foam Wing RS-2, Rainbow Warrior, Red Neck Midge, Darth Baetis, Spaghetti and Meatballs. |
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Spinney Mountain Reservoir |
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| Conditions: Ice is out and fishing is in. So are the crowds. That should taper off a little now that opening weekend has come and gone but, expect weekends to still be popular through spring. Cruising fish along the banks have led to success for both foot and float based anglers. A wide range of techniques are catching fish including: static nymph rigs, hand retrieved nymph rigs and a variety of streamers fished in varying retrieves.
Flies: Chironomids, Hares Ear, Pheasant Tail, Zebra Midge, Eggs, Rabbit Leech, Hale Bopp leech |
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Delaney Buttes Lakes |
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| Conditions: Shore Fishing has been slightly better than from boats but, that will change as the water warms and trout return to their normal range, particularly along weed beds. Flies: Buggers, Chironomids, Calibaetis and Eggs and such. |
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