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Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir
Conditions
Flows remain steady, as well as strong for the winter season. That, combined with the recent influx of mature fish into the system, has made for some relatively solid fishing as of late. Spring break and the allure of new fish has definitely brought out additional interest in the Blue, so be prepared to move around a bit to navigate some of that angler traffic. With the added pressure on the river, the fish have been a bit sensitive to impatient angling. Meaning: excessive wading and casting. Best results have been for those anglers that take a slower approach to the water. Start by making your early casts from the bank, and gradually working your way into the river after you have made a number of drifts without success. This allows the fish to remain comfortable and more likely to continue to feed. As well, sunny days will increase fish sensitivity, so look to get out on those days early in the morning, before the high sun angle mid-day. Late day fishing, once that sun falls below the Gore Range, has also been productive. Clear water mandates the need for light tippet, no bigger than 5x, but ideally 6x.
Flies
Perdigon Nymphs, Hare’s Ear, Red Neck Midge, Glassy Brassie, Mirage Zebra Midge, Rainbow Warrior, Brassie, Tungsten Psycho May-Black, Tube Midge – Black or Red, RS-2 – Black or Dun, Zebra Midge, BTS Mysis, Stalcup’s Mysis, Flossy Worm, San Juan Worm, Pheasant Tail #18-22, Pine Squirrel Leech
Current Water Data
Blue River Below Green Mountain
Conditions
For some reason the feature that captures the stream flow for this locations is a little off. It is actually holding pretty steady right at 250cfs. Although still a little on the low side for this tailwater, this is a good winter level that should start to come up a bit as we move into spring. As it is, clarity is providing an additional challenge to the fishing, making for some very sensitive fish. With that in mind, action has been better under lower light conditions. Either in the way of cloudy days, or fishing early and late in the day, when the sun is not directly on the water. Midges will provide the greatest amount of insect activity at the moment, and pupa and larva patterns for those have been steady. We are starting to see Baetis on the regular as well, so be prepared with a mix of patterns for what will become a daily happening. On top of those 2 hatches, this is a very diverse and rich tailwater offering plenty of other viable nymphs for foraging trout. Don’t overlook imitations for Stoneflies, Drakes and PMDs, as hungry trout gearing up for spring will often feed on any available opportunity.
Light tippet and a lighter foot when wading will also be key. At this flow wading will be a breeze, allowing for crossing the river just about anywhere you like. We would expect fish to be sheltering in the deepest water available, in and amongst deep boulders and tail outs to big runs. Nymphing has been most consistent, although early and late in the day when the light is off the water, there is a better chance for fish willing to come to the surface. If you do find rising fish, that will be primarily to Midge patterns, with a little bit of Baetis action.
Flies
BH PT, Perdigon Nymph, Quill Body Jig in dark olive, Pat’s Rubberlegs, Duracell Jig, Beaded Epoxy Mini Mayfly Brown, Bead Head Pheasant Tail, Darth Baetis, Tungsten Micro Mayfly BWO, RS2, Poison Tung, Red Head Midge, Zebra Midge, CDC Hanging Midge, Mole Fly, Winger Parachute, Parachute Extended Body BWO
Current Water Data
Colorado River Above Kremmling (Parshall)
Conditions
The stream flow at Parshall is actually just about 580 cfs, we are having trouble getting a link to the correct gauge below the confluence with the William’s Fork.
Having made a significant jump in flows last week, clarity had taken a bit of a hit. That should be improving daily now that those flows are pulling back slowly. That being said the upper Colorado will still offer a good destination at this time of year, thanks to steady flows and stable water temps from the tailwater release of the William’s Fork. Nymphing will still be the most consistent method, but there are solid Midge and modest BWO hatches most days, that sometimes develop into decent dry fly opportunities. Early in the day focus your efforts on the slower water adjacent to the main current or in the tail out of pools. Once the day starts to warm and the bug activity picks up, adjust that attention to the be more in the middle of the pool or flat, as feeding will begin to get more consistent. Then as action intensifies mid-afternoon, look for fish to move up towards the head of runs and feed on drifting nymphs below riffles.
Flies
CDC Hanging Midge, Double Griffith’s Gnat, Adult CDC Midge, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute, No Hackle Slate Gray, Flashback Hare’s Ear, Miller’s Tactical + One, Flossy Worm, CDC Pheasant Tail, Pheasant Tail #18-24 -beaded and not- Magic Fly, Two Bit Hooker in Red or Olive, Darth Baetis, RS2, Tungsten Micro Mayfly Brown, Tungsten Juju Baetis, Aero Baetis, Darth Baetis, Barr’s Emerger BWO, Slim Shady BWO, BH Biot Midge, Zebra Midge, Chocolate Thunder, Pure Midge Larva
Current Water Data
Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero
Conditions
A decent jump in flows last week made for some tough conditions as the river turned stained and saw a modest drop in temperature. That is stabilizing by the day, as it has fallen slightly. Action has been good, primarily on nymphs, but with the clouds we should see fish rising to increasing numbers of Blue Winged Olives and continued Midge hatches. Flows are great for early season floats, while still offering wade fishermen an excellent destination. Expect the majority of the action to be on nymph set-ups, as fish will be focused on capturing the greatest calories with the least amount of effort. In addition to the hatches of Midges and Baetis, multiple varieties of stone flies will be molting over the next month or so, and will be a very viable food source for hungry fish coming out of the winter season. These larger bugs will go a long way in replenishing calories burned over the winter. In addition to those stonefly nymphs, mid-sized beaded searching patterns should also be a part of your early season rig. Mid-day will offer the best time to be on the river, once the sun is up enough to bring water temps up and spark the insect activity. Along that idea, action will be better in the areas that get a good amount of that mid-day sun. In the depth of the canyon, water temps will still be a little on the cold side, and action may not be as strong as in the more wide open terrain. Additionally, as we move into actual spring, the streamer bite is picking up, in particular Sculpin patterns. As they are about to begin their spawn and offer an easy target for hungry spring Brown Trout.
Flies
Pat’s Rubber Legs, Masked Marauder, Psycho Prince, Yeager’s Soft Hackle, Bead Head Pheasant Tail, Jigged Perdigon, Pearl and Orange Jig, Duracell, Iron Sally, GB Biot Stone Golden, Zebra Midge, Foam Back Emerger, BH Biot Midge, Rainbow Warrior, Poison Tung, Tung Psycho Mayfly BWO, Juju Baetis, Sculpzilla, Silver Bullet, Sex Dungeon
Current Water Data
Colorado River Below Glenwood Springs
Conditions
At the moment, the river has jumped a good deal after last week’s warm temperatures, and is definitely stained. That is improving and will become day-to-day. We wouldn’t count on this as your primary destination, at least from a consistency standpoint, but if you are in the area and it offers a foot – foot and a half of visibility give it a try.
Often an overlooked option at this time of year, the lower river is actually one of the best early season freestone options going. With it’s lower elevation, spring-time temps are often 15 to 20 degrees warmer than here in Summit. This year is no exception and fishing has been worth while for several weeks now. Yes, nymphing will be the most productive, but there will be opportunities to find rising fish day-to-day. Solid Midge hatches have been driving the insect activity, and that is now seeing the addition of spring Baetis. While not as widespread, nor consistent in occurrence, is the potential to find March Brown’s emerging at this time of year. For the uninitiated, that would be March Brown mayflies, not March Brown Trout, which is a good sized mayfly that emerges in late March – early April on the lower Colorado. As good as this stretch can fish early in the spring, it is also at risk for being unstable, as warm temps can bring in a sudden influx of low elevation run-off that carries a bit of color. If you arrive at the river to find it off color, it may not be un-fishable, as a little color down stream is normal and can actually help. As a rule, we use the “green is good, brown is down” theory when it comes to water clarity here.
Flies
Pat’s Rubber Legs, BH Pheasant Tail, BH Prince, Twenty Incher, Masked Marauder, Mayfly Micro BWO, Magic Fly, Darth Baetis, Two Bit Hooker, Perdigon Jig, Holo Point Jig, Frenchie, Zebra Midge, Poison Tung, Rojo Midge, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Parachute Purple, Extended Body Parachute BWO, Parachute March Brown
Current Water Data
Arkansas River Above Buena Vista
Conditions
Although the river is wide open almost the entire length from Buena Vista up to Leadville, the action hasn’t quite picked up just yet to match what is happening below BV. This will be due to overnight lows still running below freezing. That’s not to say that you won’t find any action in that stretch, it’s just going to be spotty and less consistent than further on down river. The closer to BV you are you should be able to find some feeding fish mid-day. Focus on “winter water”, with deeper lies and holding water adjacent to, or downstream from heavier currents. Typically, as we move into the early part of April, we’ll see things start to increase in consistency.
Flies
Juju Bee Midge, Zebra Midge – Black or Red, BH Biot Body Midge, Miller’s Tactical Plus One, Red Collar Leggy PT, Duracell, Copper John, BH Pheasant Tail, BH Hare’s Ear, Psycho Prince, Yeager’s Soft Hackle J, Iron Sally, Perdigon, Flossy Worm.
Current Water Data
Arkansas River Salida Area
Conditions
Always one of our favorite spring options. Action is on the rise here as the river is low and offering fantastic wading access. Although there is just enough water to float some sections, stream flows are still very low for boaters. In particular, the big issue for floating at this level is with the water so low, the channel is often very narrow, concentrating most of the fish in the same trough as the boat is floating. Which leads to you running over most of the fish and them scattering. If you do float, get your cast downstream and well in front of the boat.
As for the action, nymphing has been the most consistent with a wide range of bugs working. Midges have been very productive over the past several week in pupa and larva imitations. Now as we move into spring, we are seeing the Baetis really getting active, in particular as you move further down below Salida. And not to be overlooked, molting stoneflies are providing an additional food source that has been very productive. We have found good success with a Stonefly nymph leading a Baetis or Midge imitation.
Flies
Pat’s Rubber Legs, Red Collar Leggy PT, Duracell, Copper John, BH Pheasant Tail, Psycho Prince, Yeager’s Soft Hackle J, GB Biot Epoxy Stone, My Gal Sal, Matt Demon Stone, Iron Sally, Zebra Midge, Hot Spot Jig, Micro Mayfly BWO, Tungsten Psycho May BWO, Weiss’ BP, Two Bit Hooker, Darth Baetis, Slim Shady, Chocolate Thunder.
Current Water Data
Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs
Conditions
After jumping up last week, flows have pulled back about 20 percent and cleared enough to offer a very good spring option. Beaded searching patterns, small Stonefly imitations and Baetis variations are a good place to start. Follow those up with a mix of Midge imitations. As we have moved into early spring, this will offer one of the best early season Baetis hatches around. With good numbers of bugs from Basalt downstream and clouds in the forecast, look for fish to be rising to well presented adult Baetis imitations. This hatch will continue for the next several weeks and at times will be as good as anywhere in the state. That will be closely followed by Caddis, as sunny day temps are starting to squeeze the first of those from the river, as well. Be Aware of Spring Spawning Fishing Closures at the mouth of key tributaries. If you don’t know where those are, give us a call.
Flies
BH Pheasant Tail, BH Prince, Duracell Jig, Chartreuse Copper John, Yeager’s Soft Hackle J, Pat’s Rubber legs, RS2, Tungsten Micro Mayfly, Juju Baetis, Darth Baetis, Tungsten Psycho May, Chocolate Thunder, Hot Spot Jig, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute, No Hackle Slate Gray, GT Adult BWO
Current Water Data
Williams Fork River Below Dam
Conditions
Flows remain at winter lows, creating a technical tailwater opportunity. However, it is a consistent flow and temperature so fish are always present. Light tippet and drag free drifts are going to be as critical as bug selection. As well, proceed along the river with a slow, deliberate pace, so as not to spook any fish from foot steps and sudden movements. As to be expected, nymphing will offer the best approach. There is also the potential for some decent dry fly opportunities mid afternoon.
Flies
Epoxy Micro Mayfly Brown, Miller’s Tactical Plus 1, Chartreuse Copper John #20-22, Two Bit Hooker, Darth Baetis, Slim Shady, Juju Baetis in BWO, Red or Purple, Pure Midge Larva, Miracle Nymph, Disco Midge, Zebra, Poison Tung
Current Water Data
Eagle River
Conditions
Spring has definitely arrived in the Eagle valley and action on the river is really picking up. Midges can be found up and down the river with Baetis also emerging in the lower half of the river. As such, Baetis nymphs are consistently producing throughout the day in all locations, along with Midge patterns. We are also seeing very solid Midge and growing hatches of Blue Wings producing solid dry fly activity mid-day. This is fairly widespread, in that you can find risers at many spots along the river most days. However, some of the spots won’t be consistent day-to-day. You might find risers on a specific run one day, then return the next to find only random surface eats, sporadic in nature. And this is the time of year when clarity can be all over the place, due to low elevation snow melt and run-off. Most noticeably from Milk Creek, below Wolcott. However, this has been mostly localized and has not totally wiped out the lower river as you might typically expect. Do yourself a favor and check out the lower river, from Eagle to Gypsum, and see what the clarity offers on a given day. We have found plenty of good conditions down there even when Milk Creek is puking, and often times have found it to be less busy than on the upper river. Worst case scenario, you get to the lower river to find it stained and you have to drive back upstream to cleaner water.
Flies
RS2, Tungsten Psycho May Black, Magic Fly, Juju Baetis, Darth Baetis, Bullet Quill, Duracell Jig, Perdigon Nymph, Miller’s Tactical Plus one, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Bead Head Pheasant Tail, BH Biot Midge, Weiss’ BP, Midge cluster, CDC Adult Midge, Hanging Midge, Hatching Midge, Winger Parachute, Mole Fly