Detailed Reports - Click on a location for details.
Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir
Conditions
The flows in town have been reduced to just about our normal fall levels. No real change in fly recommendations since our last report in mid August.
The flow is very nice for wade fishing. Fish are even looking up in some spots. Daily hatches of caddis, pmds, and some blue wing olives are still hanging around along with the old midge standbys.
With flows returning to bottom release look for fish to be eating shrimp as well.
As for traffic, that has been day-to-day. With other rivers dropping into wade able flows locally, tailwater traffic is down.
Flies
BTS Shrimp, Tim’s Mysis, Stalcup’s Mysis, Buckskin, 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, Flossy Worm, Gummy Worm, Sparkle Worm, Jake’s CDC Leech, squirrel leech, Pheasant Tail, Caddis Variant in ginger, Burks silhouette dun, and small parachute adams
Current Water Data
Blue River Below Green Mountain
Conditions
Green Mountain Reservoir is full and outflows should be up for the near future. Flows did drop for a week or so but are now back to regular fall levels.
Look for green drakes, PMD’s and a variety of caddis throughout the day. This is the best time of the year to enjoy the dry fly fishing in the canyon. The drakes should be out for the next few weeks. If you are floating please be ultra sensitive to private property laws.
Flies
Extended Body Para Drake, Furimskys Foam Green Drake, GT Adult Green Drake, Deep Dish Green Drake Nymph, Quill Body Jig in dark olive, Tungsten Split Case Green Drake, Parachute Extended Body BWO, CDC Baetis Dun, Slate Gray No Hackle, Winger Parachute, Parachute Purple. Big bead heads: Hare’s Ear, Tungteaser, Pheasant Tail, Rubberlegs, Psycho Prince, Duracell Jig, Flossy Worm, Sparkle Worm, etc. Sculpzilla, Sex Dungeon, Cheech Leech, Sparkle Minnow etc
Current Water Data
Colorado River Above Kremmling (Parshall)
Conditions
No real changes here. If you haven’t fishing the Parshal area in the fall you should. Wade fishing is the only way to do it and the variety you will encounter on a daily basis will keep you on your toes.
Flows shown are at Windy Gap, so if you are fishing below The confluence of the Williams fork add that flow in. Wading will be very nice in the Parshal area at these flows. Expect afternoon hatches of blue wing olives, with fish rising under cloud cover. Also look for early midges and sporadic caddis.
The bottom of the river is now available. With many nice dishes and deeper holes Nymph rigs are going to be the best approach in the morning. Look for midges to start with bigger bugs coming through the day.
The Parshal area is great place to find the type of fishing you want to do. The variation in the water available and some waking and hunting will surely find fish looking up or down.
Flies
Caddis Drys, Gulper Special, Twinkling Gulper, Slate No Hackles, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Flashback Hare’s Ear, Miller’s Tactical + One, Flossy Worm, CDC Pheasant Tail, Bead Prince, Psycho Prince, Breadcrust, Hammerhead Nymph, Pheasant Tail #14-18, Redemption BWO, Split Case BWO, Tungsten Micro Mayfly Brown, Tungsten Juju Baetis, Aero Baetis, Root Beer Float, Zebra midge in black, Sparkle Worm, Zirdle, Sculpin patterns.
Current Water Data
Colorado River Pumphouse to Catamount
Conditions
The gauge for this report is the Kremmling gauge that includes The lower Blue, Muddy and Williams Fork.
Flows should stabilized around 1000 and remain there as Green Mountain reservoir begins to drop. While these flows are ideal for float fishing, many spots are available for the wader. Try Gore canyon, or walking around Pumphouse, or even getting out of your boat to walk a few banks.
Clarity is as good as it ever gets, maybe up to 6 feet in areas. Watch the weather as it can change quickly if we get a pattern of afternoon storms. You can really take your pick on your preferred methods, while nymphing will be the most productive on a regular basis, fish are rising to all bugs in the right conditions. Fish are rising under full sun but are extremely sensitive to boats and anglers. Put the sneak on and use long light tippet to not spook the fish in the mornings. As the day goes, and clouds build they become less sensitive.
Tricos, Blue Wing Olives, and Hoppers are the daily hatches.
Dry dropper rigs, and nymph rigs are going to be the most productive, streamers and dry flies will also pick up fish under the right conditions.
Leave the light tippet in the car and fish the 3 and 4 for nymphs, or 0 to 2x for streamers.
Flies
Big Dries, Chubby Chernobyl, etc., Pat’s Rubber Legs, Gulper Special, Twinkling Gulper, Indicator Trico Spinner, Psycho Prince, Yeager’s Soft Hackle, Bead Head Pheasant Tail, Duracell, Lil Spanker, Millers Tactical Plus 1, Foam Wing RS2, Tungsten Psycho May, Darth Baetis, Zebra midges, Sculpzilla, Silver Bullet, Sex Dungeon, Cheech Leech, Crystal Bugger
Current Water Data
Colorado River Below Glenwood Springs
Conditions
Flows below Glenwood are ideal for floating and even some rock hopping wading. Please watch for increasing afternoon temps for a couple of more weeks and fight fish quickly.
Keep an eye on afternoon storms as it easy for this section to muddy up. Nymph rigs, Dry Droppers, and Sreamers are the general go to on this section. Keep an eye out for bigger bugs in the evening lower light hours.
Flies
Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, CDC BH Pheasant Tail, Bead Prince, Duracell Jig, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Deep Dish Green Drake, Bead Hares Ear, Yeager’s BH Soft Hackle J, Zebra Midges, San Juan Worm patterns, Lil Spanker, Tung Psycho May, Big Spanker, Rainbow Warrior, Magic Fly, RS-2, Bead Eggs, Otter Egg, Flossy Worm, Sex Dungeon, Heisenberg Streamers, Sculpzilla, Silver Bullet.
Current Water Data
Arkansas River Above Buena Vista
Conditions
Wade fishing on the upper river is in great shape.
Fish are looking up for bugs on the surface. Attractor dries, smaller hoppers and caddis have been getting fish. Drakes are hatching in the area around Hayden Meadows!
Nymphing has been good on a mix of beaded searching patterns, Caddis larva, Baetis nymphs and smaller stones. Look for any slower deeper bends where fish can lay up and still feed on passing nymphs.
I find some of the best dry action in the faster riffles during the Drake hatch. You should plan on covering a little bit of water to find those favorable lies so, don’t get too married to a spot, keep moving.
Flies
GT Adult Green Drake, Colorado Green Drake, 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, Tungsten Psycho May, Tungsten Micro Mayfly, Beaded Biot Midge, Flossy Worm, Silver Bullet, Sparkle Minnow.
Current Water Data
Arkansas River Salida Area
Conditions
Its time to wade fish the Arkansas. Check out the spots you would normally avoided because of high recreational use. These areas are now a ghost town and the river is much easier to walk. With lower flows and clear water the fish will be watching for you but it is a wonderful time to be on the water.
Nymphing has been productive on a mix of beaded searching patterns, Caddis larva, Baetis nymphs and smaller stones.
With reduced flows fish will be off the shallow bank water and looking for more cover. You can get to them in spots that were too deep and fast just a week ago.
Look for fish rising constantly to BWO in the afternoon and opportunistic fish looking for small terrestrials.
Flies
Elk Hair Caddis, Simulators, Purple parachutes, 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, Tungsten Psycho May, Tungsten Micro Mayfly, Beaded Biot Midge, Flossy Worm, Silver Bullet, Sparkle Minnow.
Current Water Data
Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs
Conditions
The Roaring Fork is in great shape around Glenwood Springs. Tricos are the hatch in the morning, with other bugs coming on as the day warms.
BWO,Caddis, Tricos, midges and waning PMDS depending on the section of river that you are on.
Nymphing will offer the best results, whether as part of a tandem nymph set up, or underneath a big bushy attractor as part of a dry-dropper. Focus on the depth changes as the flows are coming down. Caddis remain a viable hatch, so be prepared to encounter them. Other nymphs to have on hand are Baetis, San Juans and beaded searching patterns.
Wade fishing is getting good as the flows come down. Light nymph rigs can really get your flies where the need to be.
Flies
GT Adult Green Drake, Colorado Green Drake, Big beaded searching nymphs, BH Pheasant Tail, Duracell Jig, Chartreuse Copper John, Yeager’s Soft Hackle J,San Juan Worm, Pat’s Rubber legs
Current Water Data
Williams Fork River Below Dam
Conditions
Flows are up a bit, but wade fishing is still possible.
Midges, Baetis, Caddis will likely be found. Nymph imitations to match the hatch along with smaller searching patterns such as Pheasant Tails and Tactical nymphs are going to be your best bets for finding fish.
If you encounter afternoon clouds look close for fish rising to Blue Wing Olives.
Flies
Gulper Special, Darth Baetis, Slate No Hackle, Breadcrust, Duracell Jig, Perdigon Nymphs, Poison Tung, 5-0 Midge, Pure Midge Larva, Flashback Pheasant Tail, RS-2, Foam Wing RS-2, Buckskin, Tungsten Psycho Mayfly, Barr’s Emerger, Miller’s Tactical Plus One
Current Water Data
Eagle River
Conditions
It is time to wade fish the Eagle. Good hatches have been found on the entire length of the river. Caddis, Tricos, and BWO’s are coming off mid day.
Look for fish to have moved into there standard holding spots, deeper runs seams and some riffles.
Dries may pull a few fish along the seams and pockets with terrestrials and attractor patterns but, nymphs are going to be the more consistent approach. Stoneflies, Caddis pupa, beaded searching nymphs and the odd San Juan pattern to start. Pay close attention to the bugs, and be ready to match stage of the hatch.
Watch afternoon water temps on hot days, and fight fish quickly as temps rise. Stop fishing when temps get into the mid to high sixties.
Flies
Duracell Jig, Tungsten Psycho May, RS-2, Juju Baetis, Darth Baetis, Aero Baetis, Perdigon Nymph, Miller’s Tactical Plus one, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Psycho Prince, Bead Head Pheasant Tail, Yeager’s Soft Hackle J, Sparkle Worm, Glister Grub, Huevos