The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – May 8, 2015
May 08th, 2015
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: May 8, 2015
Big changes across the high country continue as snow melt and intermittent rain/snow feed river levels. While this may cause some localized problems for fishing conditions, there are still plenty of options out there. Those may be day-to-day depending on the weather so, it will be important to keep a close eye on what is going on with each river system. We welcome any calls looking for up to the minute reports here at the shop 970-513-8055. As of Friday morning here are some of the highlights. Flows in the Blue River through Silverthorne rose yesterday and will do so again this afternoon. They should level out around 500 for the weekend. Big water for sure but, clear and Mysis rich flows should produce some good action. After a mid-week deterioration to conditions, the Arkansas is rebounding with clearing water and a good weather forecast that should provide a very good destination for the weekend. Baetis from Granite down to at Swissvale will probably be the more productive hatch but, there are still Caddis just waiting for water temps to inch up high enough to restart that emergence that seems to have stalled just below Salida. Other tailwaters worth checking out this weekend (where conditions should be stable, albeit crowded) include the William’s Fork, Frying Pan, Spinney Mtn and Lower Blue. While other freestones worth a look might be the Middle and South Forks of the South Platte, where stream flows are still manageable for wade fishing. 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: 495 cfs. | |
| Conditions: Flows have stepped up again this week and are running at a very solid fishing flow right at 300cfs. Yes, this is considerably more than most Winter anglers are familiar with but, it is a fantastic flow for the tailwater. The entirety of this release is bottom feeding so, clarity in town is very good, more importantly, this is a very Mysis positive situation. At this rate there should be a very steady stream of shrimp flowing through the dam into the Blue. As well, those shrimp should drift further down through town, providing additional action farther from the dam than normal. At this rate, make sure to bump up your weight substantially. We would start with at least a BB and add from there as needed, some runs are fishing well with 2 BBs right now and will need more if the flow continues to climb. Fortunately you can also boost your tippet size up at least one size, maybe two, with 5X being more than light enough and 4X working in many situations. Look for the quiet water along seams and edges to be collecting fish that are looking for a break from the heavier flows in the main channel. Angler traffic can vary from day-to-day, with the county now in “Mud Season” a lot of locals have headed out of town and some days are relatively quiet, at least for the Blue. As conditions elsewhere turn off color, we will expect an increase in traffic on this and other tailwaters. With that in mind try to consider your fellow anglers out there and give a courteous amount of space if you aren’t the first one on the water. The benefit to all this extra water is that it is moving fish into places that may not have been holding many trout previous to the spike. Take this opportunity to maybe look at some new spots that you may not have in the past. There isn’t only one or two good holes on the Blue, who knows you may just find a better spot than your usual one. Action has been good not only on the Mysis patterns but, also a good mix of Midge pupa and larva in red or black, along with Egg patterns, Mayfly and searching nymphs. On those warmer days where there is some melting snow affecting clarity, San Juan Worm patterns have been fairly productive as well. Good luck.
Town Flies: Stalcup’s Mysis, BTS Mysis, Charlie’s Mysis – All in size 14- 20, Copper John 16-20, Kingery’s Cap’n Hook, Pure Midge Larva Red, Tube Midge – Black or Red, RS-2 – Black or Dun, WD40 – Black or Chocolate, Tidbit Midge, Winter Baetis, Black Beauty, Disco Midge, Desert Storm, Frenchie, Two Bit Hooker, Rainbow Warrior, UV Emerger – Black or Brown, Otter Soft Milking Egg, Bead Eggs, Wooly Bugger Black or Olive, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Flossy Worn |
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Blue River Below Green Mountain |
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| Flow: 250 cfs. | |
| Conditions: Flows here seem to be holding low and steady, as it appears that the plan for the reservoir has transitioned into the collection mode. At this rate crossing is wide spread in the canyon, opening up so pretty good access to the far bank that is hard to reach at higher flows. Fishing has been a mixed bag down here, with some good very days being reported along with other days that leave you wondering if it is the same river. Either way this is still a decent option for those wanting a lot more solitude than the crowds up river in town. Most of the snow is gone now but, the hill down to the river is still slick and has been claiming a few victims. Be careful getting to the river. Nymphing has been decent with a wide variety of imitations for Midges, Baetis, mid sized beaded searching patterns (such as Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ear, Tungteaser etc) as well as some continued action on egg patterns. We also like to fish a larger bug in the set up through the Spring due to the good number of robust insects in this stretch of river like Drakes and Stones. Sometimes that larger offering presents a opportunity for a bigger meal that a fish just can’t pass up. Tandem rigs have been solid leading with either one of those beaded searching nymphs or an egg and following that up with your favorite Baetis or Midge pattern. If you find that all of your action is coming on the small, trailing fly, then switch up your lead fly to a Baetis imitation with a Midge behind. Water clarity and volume may necessitate dropping back to 6X but a well presented fly with 5X in the heavier currents should be just fine. While the majority of the action through out the day has come on those nymph rigs, there have been moments of widespread surface feeding on adult Baetis, primarily mid to late afternoon. Our recent experience has proven the dry fly fishing to be productive but, very technical. You may want to drop to 6X tippet in order to get a drag free drift, and be sure to be well stocked with a few different adult and emerging Baetis patterns.
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: Split Case BWO, Barr’s BWO, Juju Baetis, Zebra Midge, Poison Tung, Winter Baetis, Black Beauty, Rojo Midge, Otter Egg. Streamers: Silver Bullet, Slumpbuster, Sculpzilla, Tungsten Thin Mint. Dries: Winger Parachute BWO, CDC Baetis Parachute Dun, Mole Fly, Sparkle Baetis, No Hackle Slate Gray. 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. |
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Colorado River Above Kremmling (Parshall)
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| Flow: 1450 cfs. @ Parshall | |
| Conditions: A very robust amount of water for this time of year as upstream releases, combining with melting snow have pushed this river up to a level that will give most anglers pause. At this rate it may be best for most to look elsewhere for their Spring fishing. (Say just upstream from the Breeze unit to the Williams Fork tailwater.) If you do give it a go here, tandem nymph rigs with plenty of weight or streamers will be the best way to search for feeding fish. Larger Stonefly nymphs, beaded searching patterns, as well as Eggs and San Juan Worm patterns. Concentrate on the quieter lies along the banks and inside of riffles. There will be days of better clarity at times, but we don’t think that will be as limiting as the flows. The positive will be the complete lack of competition.
Flies: Winter Baetis, RS-2, WD-40, Big Bear Baetis, Biot Midge, Pure Midge Larva, Tube Midge, Miracle Nymph, Beaded Pheasant Tail, Two Bit Hooker Red or Olive, Tung Split Case BWO, BLM, Buckskin Caddis, San Juan Worm Patterns, Juju Baetis Red or Purple, Zebra Midge, Small Eggs, Pat’s Rubber Legs, CDC Adult Midge, Sprout Midge, CDC Hanging Midge |
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Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero |
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| Flow: 2,480 cfs. | |
| Conditions: Definitely up and getting bigger. Yes, this is a lot of water and that will make it a challenge to fish, particularly for wade anglers. But, this is a very good level for fishing, depending on the clarity day-to-day. Most days, 12 inches or so should be enough visibility, granted there isn’t too much floating debris or suspended particulates in the water. The often overlooked factor will remain water temperatures. We have already seen those climb to 54 degrees in the Pumphouse area and higher below State Bridge, sparking some fantastic early hatches of Caddis to go along with the Baetis that have been active on cloudy days. However, as stream flows climb there will be temporary drops in these water temps, bringing a lull to some of the insect activity. Look for those to rebound as water levels plateau, hopefully once again initiating a solid Caddis emergence. Otherwise, tandem nymph rigs will continue to be the most productive method as clarity and flows fluctuate. Anchor your set-up with a larger Stonefly imitation for the impending Salmonfly hatch, followed up with a mix of beaded searching patterns, San Juan Worm and Baetis imitations. Streamer fishing has also been hit or miss lately. With water temps still at Spring levels, there hasn’t been a consistent desire for trout to chase down their food. The fish we are catching on streamers have been very nice on average and can be worth the effort. We are starting to see a good distributing of fish into most water types, with a lot of action still coming in the tail outs to runs but, also seeing fish move into riffle edges and ledges, as well as some pocket lies. As water levels continue to rise look for an increase in fish getting pushed into the soft edge water, as well.
Flies: Tungsten Split Case BWO, Tungsten Psycho BWO, Juju Baetis, Two Bit Hooker, Zebra Midge, RS-2, Rubberlegs, Beaded Pheasant Tails, Beaded Hares Ears, Hot Wire Prince, Small Copper John in Red, Green or Black, Tungsten Prince, Rubber Leg Mr Peacock, Miscellaneous Streamers: Sculpzilla, Silver Bullet, Space Invader, Beldar, Bead Head Buggers in Black or White |
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Colorado Below Glenwood Springs |
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| Flow: 6,700 cfs. | |
| Conditions: Big and dirty. It’s a shame, Spring fishing had been so good and the Caddis were thick. Probably going to be out of the rotation for some time. Check back late June to mid July.
Flies: Mr Peacock Ice, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, Bead Prince, Hot Wire Prince, Twenty Incher, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Bead Hares Ear, San Juan Worm patterns. |
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Arkansas River Above Buena Vista |
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| Flow: 525 cfs. @ Granite | |
| Conditions: Pockets of activity starting to improve on the upper river. In particular near the tailwater feeders of Clear Creek and Lake Creek down to Granite, as well as closer to Buena Vista. Still a little bit early on the uppermost part of the river, especially Hayden Meadows but, there are some signs of improvement there as well. Focus your efforts on the tail-outs of pools and runs where fish will hold in the slower currents to conserve energy. As the day warms up look for them to move towards the middle to top of those runs to feed on drifting Baetis nymphs. A double nymph rig focused on Baetis and Midge imitations will be a solid set-up along with smaller sized searching nymphs. Afternoon dry fly action has been productive on Baetis imitations. This seems to be localized and not widespread. You may see them in one location but, a mile up or down stream there may be no surface activity. Unfortunately, there may be some inconsistency to your own experience out there if you are looking for dry fly action. Don’t hesitate to call us for our most recent reports on where these adults have been seen. If you have the time, head downstream a little farther south at least to Brown’s Canyon.
Flies: Two bit Hooker, Zebra Midge Black or Purple, Poison Tung, Biot Midge, Medallion Midge, Tube Midge, Beaded Hares Ear, Hot Wire Prince, Beaded Pheasant Tail, Copper John, CDC Hares Ear, Twenty Incher, Mr Peacock, RS-2, Flossy Worm, Pure Midge Larva |
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Arkansas River Salida Area
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| Flow: 650 cfs. @ Salida | |
| Conditions: Conditions have been deteriorating as snow melt and recent rains have had an influence on the clarity of the river, particularly from Salida down. There will still be some moments of decent conditions below town as cool weather moves through but, this will be day-to-day. Above Salida appears to still be viable, although visibility is reduced to 1 1/2 feet above Big Bend. That is still plenty of clarity and will be slightly better as you move up into Brown’s Canyon. There are still good amounts of Baetis above Salida to be found, especially on cloudy and cool days. As the sun returns there may be a short window where the Caddis (which have made their way up to Salida) shoot upstream before the big run-off surge hits and shuts that down. Until then focus on dry-dropper set ups with a medium to larger sized attractor trailing a mix of Caddis and Baetis emerger imitations, as well as beaded searching patterns. The streamer fishing has also been fairly decent and is often over looked at this time of year, as most anglers that venture down this way are looking for dry fly action. If things dry out a little there could still be a chance at what was looking like some of the best Caddis activity in the past 8-10 years. As flows creep up look for fish to spread out and take advantage of the increase in holding lies, including some good soft water along the banks finally. The key right now will be flexibility. Don’t set your plans on only fishing one particular stretch of the river. If you get to Wellsville and the water is dirty, head upstream until you find better conditions. Then also be prepared to potentially fish a different insect species, as well.
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, Zebra Midge Black or Purple, Rojo Midge, Poison Tung, Barr’s Emerger BWO, Juju Baetis, Loop Wing Emerger, Split Case BWO, Tungsten Psycho BWO, |
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Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs |
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| Flow: 1750 cfs. | |
| Conditions: This went big in a big hurry, basically doubling over night. For the most part clarity is shot downstream of Carbondale but, there are some pockets upstream from there through Basalt and above to Aspen. Check out some of the public water between Carbondale and Aspen, where Caddis nymphs, searching patterns and mid sized stones have been productive. These conditions will also be unstable, with good days followed by dirty water from run-off and rain. However, those days that allow have been producing some decent action.
Flies: Twenty Incher, Tungteaser, Stubby stones, Beaded Pheasant Tail, Standard Pheasant Tail, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungstone, Copper Johns, Hares Ear, Mr. Peacock, CDC Prince, Split Case BWO, Barr’s BWO Emerger, RS 2, Tungsten Psycho May, Hot Wire Prince, Two Bit Hooker, Juju Baetis, Biot Midge, Zebra Midge, Black Beauty and a variety of Eggs. |
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South Platte River, Middle Fork |
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| Flow: 65 cfs. | |
| Conditions: A big jump in flows this week, with a little drop due to cooler temps. Clarity initially will have diminished as the formerly dry river bed was flushed with the influx of water. Now that it has fallen again that should improve and return to a good option. This is a good level for fishing and anglers should be able to cover most situations with a dry dropper rig, instead of having to rig up a dedicated nymph rig. Medium to large attractor dries followed up with a good mix of beaded searching nymphs, small Stones and Baetis imitations. Early in the day focus on the deeper pools in the bends of the river where fish will hold to conserve energy and shelter. Look for some fish to move towards the heads of those pools and at the bottom of riffles to feed on drifting nymphs in the early afternoon. Midges and Baetis will be the majority of current insect activity. However, streamers might be worth a shot later in the day, as you might find a hungry Brown looking to pick up a larger Spring meal. Our advice would be to fish your way upstream with bugs, then when you turn around to head back to the car cover that same water with that streamer set-up.
Flies: Chartreuse Copper John, Rainbow Warrior, Egg Patterns, Hot Wire Prince, Beaded Flash Prince, Tungteaser, Tung Psycho May, Zebra Midge, Poison Tung, Rainbow Warrior, Autumn Splendor, Slumpbuster, Sparkle Bugger, Silver Bullet |
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South Platte, Dream Stream |
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| Flow: 50 cfs. | |
| Conditions: Low and clear flow, as is the norm prior to the lake filling. Well the spawn has begun and with it the annual angler shenanigans that come with it on this piece of water. Something about the “Dream” and etiquette. Maybe it’s the big fish in skinny water but, we see some pretty unethical angling here when those big brutes move up out of 11 mile. We realize that 90% of fishermen want to do the right thing, it’s the 10% that either don’t know they’re stressing out the fish or don’t care. So, if you see anyone standing over paired up fish, on a bed, trying to procreate, exposed to the world, can you please take that opportunity to educate them on the damage they are doing to the population by interrupting the spawn by hooking fish as they are just trying to keep the species alive. If you hook fish that are on a bed you are negatively impacting current populations of fish, as well as future populations of fish, period. Rather, inform them that they should focus their efforts on the areas that are not dotted with bright circles of cleared gravel, where they will still find plenty of fish. Rant aside, sight fishing under these conditions will help bring your success rate up, along with limiting your need to be in the water. As low as the water is now you should be able to reach most drifts without having to wade very much, as well your wading can also disturb spawning beds and increase mortality. Definitely a technical time of year to fish the “Dream”, you’re going to need to bring your “A” game. Tandem nymph rigs using 6-7x tippet with a small or no indicator is standard. Small Midge pupa, larva and emergers along with Baetis imitations are going to be the most consistent. Use a stealthy approach not only when walking up to the bank, but also when casting. Move slowly along and sight your fish before casting blind and risking spooking a fish you may not have know was there.
Flies: Loop Wing Emerger, Pure Midge Larva Black or Pale Olive, Black Copper John #22, Juju Baetis, Buckskin, Desert Storm Chartreuse, Tube Midge, Midge Biot, UV Emerger, Poison Tung, Zebra Midge Black/Silver, Barr’s Emerger BWO, RS2, Poxybiot Nymph, Egg Patterns, Cap’n Hook, Disco Midge |
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Williams Fork River Below Dam |
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| Flow: 121 cfs. | |
| Conditions: A great water level right now for this smaller sized tailwater. A polar opposite to the Colorado that it flows into. With that popular piece of water currently out of it’s banks in spots, a lot of the usual angler pressure that will frequent it at this time of year will now move up onto the Willie’s. So, be prepared to find above average traffic at times. At this flow there should be bank to bank coverage and fish widely distributed in most water types. Baetis and Midges will continue to be the primary food sources but, seeing that it is the Spring, Egg and San Juan Worm patterns are also worth a shot. With these healthy stream flows, it should be possible to increase your tippet size to a more secure size such as 5X. As well, if you are fishing some of the heavier currents and seams, add some additional weight in order to drop your nymphs in a quick manner, giving you optimum time in the strike zone.
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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Antero Reservoir |
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| Conditions: The lake is open and normal bag limits have been lifted. The last we heard park managers were asking for 8 fish bag limit. The plan is to drain this lake for repairs to the dam this season and anglers are urged to harvest what fish they do catch. Flies: Chironomid imitations, Calibaetis nymphs, Hare’s Ear, Copper John, Pheasant Tail, Leeches |
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Spinney Mountain Reservoir |
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| Conditions: Open for the season and results have been solid. Action has been reported on a wide range of nymphs including insect and spawn patterns.
Flies: Jumbo Juju, Yankee Buzzer, Skinny Nelson, Chartreuse Copper John, Hare’s Ear, Egg Patterns
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Delaney Buttes Lakes |
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| Conditions: Ice is out, reports are that all three are open. Current info should be in after this weekend.
Flies: Jigs in White, Pink and Red |
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