Eagle River – 04/20/2026

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Time: 11:00AM – 4:00PM

Location: Between Wolcott and Minturn

Eagle River 04/20/2026 Photo Album

I was convinced that my day of fishing on Monday was going to unfold on the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon; however, a last minute check of the Eagle River prompted me to change my mind. High temperatures in Avon were in the low sixties with moderate wind; and, surprisingly the flows were chugging along in the 140 CFS range. I concluded that the river was back in ideal pre-runoff conditions, and I decided to take advantage before the real snowmelt made an appearance.

Quite a Start

Brown Trout Are Great As Well

I arrived at my chosen pullout at 10:30AM. The temperature was a chilly 51 degrees, so I wore my long sleeve thermal undershirt, my fishing shirt, my fleece hoodie and my raincoat. I was very comfortable until lunch, when I removed my rain shell. During cloudy periods in the afternoon I was comfortable, but there were times, when the fleece was a bit too much, but I persevered. I rigged my Sage One five weight and replenished my 20 incher supply, and I was off to the river.

Lovely Colors and Speckles

I hiked along the path for .2 mile, and then I cut a short distance to the river to begin my outing on Monday, April 20, 2026. My starting lineup included an amber ice dub chubby Chernobyl, a 20 incher and an olive perdigon. On the first backhand cast to a deep run at the entry point to a pool I noticed that the chubby darted sideways, so I made a swift hookset. I was connected to a fat rainbow, and it immediately rocketed downstream. I let it run and then exerted side pressure to bring it closer to my position, but the fighter slipped free of my fly. What an adrenalin boosting first cast! I continued to probe the nice deep riffle that produced the rainbow, and I landed two brown trout on the olive perdigon. It was quite an auspicious beginning to my day on the river.

Slicks Behind Exposed Boulders

Between 11:00AM and 11:45 I continued to wade up the river, and I built the fish count to six. All the trout grabbed the olive perdigon. If I encountered any riffle or glide with decent depth and moderate current, I was able to generate some action. The fish were on the feed, and I was the beneficiary.

Gold, Bronze or Butter

For lunch I returned to the bench by the pool that was below my starting point, and I observed the scene, while I munched my snack. By noon sporadic rises were distributed along the length of the pool, but I did not note any regular feeders, and I remembered from my previous trip to the Eagle that casting to the sporadic risers was a fools errand. I resisted the siren call of dry fly fishing and hiked back along the path to my exit point for lunch.

Turned Around

Between 12:30PM and 3:00PM I persisted with the dry/dropper, and the same three flies that I began with, and they served me well. I boosted the fish counter from six to nineteen, and these fish were not dinks. Of the first nineteen I estimate that six were below twelve inches and the rest stretched the tape between twelve and fifteen inches, and the range of sizes skewed toward the upper boundary of fifteen inches. In short, I was having a blast prospecting likely pockets, seams and moderate depth troughs, and quite often I was rewarded with a respectable hard fighting wild brown or rainbow. Several of the rainbows were wide slabs that easily extended to fifteen inches, and several browns were the same length although not as wide. The 20 incher finally chipped in and accounted for three fish, while the olive perdigon did the heavy lifting and accounted for the remainder.

Deep Color

Trough Between Exposed Rocks

By 3:00PM I was feeling very satisfied with my day, and I paused to inspect a new section of the river. A nice current seam created bubbles as it sluiced along the right bank, and three fish rose in rapid succession. I decided to accept the challenge, and I removed the three fly dry/dropper configuration and replaced it with a double dry set up. The first fly was an old reliable peacock body hippie stomper, and a mole fly trailed it on an eighteen inch dropper.

Across the Turbulence

Once I was ready, I executed a backhand toss to the tail of the small run, and instantly a fourteen inch brown trout smacked the hippie stomper. I was stunned but still managed to lift my rod and land the eager eater. I carefully dabbed the mole fly against my sleeve and then doused it in dry shake and plumped the CDC wing to dry it off.

Smacked a Hippie Stomper

Once the flies were back in floating condition, I flicked another backhand cast to the middle of the run, and within seconds I noted a flash and bulge and set the hook. Once again a feisty brown trout in the thirteen to fourteen inch range slid into my net, and in this instance it displayed the mole fly in its lip. I chalked the hippie stomper eat to a low IQ fish and expected to cash in on the mole fly a few more times.

Another Rainbow Beast

The last of the third fish rose next to a bank side boulder, so I lofted a cast above the rock. The flies drifted only six inches when another cookie cutter brown smashed the hippie stomper. This was not a dainty sipping take; but, instead it was an aggressive slash.  I landed all three fish that revealed their presence with surface eats, and I applauded my timely switch to the double dry fly combination.

Three Eats in This Location

It was near quitting time, but these successes caused me to continue the experiment with the stomper and mole fly. I moved up the river along the right bank, and I landed three additional trout, and all three mashed the hippie stomper with confidence. These fish were of similar quality and size to the three previously described, and this angler was in a state of euphoria. I elevated the fish count to twenty-five, before I called it a day, and the last six were all taken on dry flies. Should I have switched sooner? I will never know.

Deep Olive

My hunch that the Eagle River would be fishing well was confirmed, and I experienced my best day of the 2026 season. Everything coalesced, as I landed twenty-five trout, and the average size was above average. The icing on the cake was landing six stunning wild fish on dry flies in the last hour. I am very thankful.

Fish Landed: 25

 

Arkansas River – 04/15/2026

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Time: 11:00AM – 3:30PM

Location: Bighorn Sheep Canyon

Arkansas River 04/15/2026 Photo Album

After a disappointing outing on the Roaring Fork River on Saturday, I picked up a sore throat and spent Sunday, Monday and Tuesday loading up on daytime and nighttime cold medications. By Wednesday I was feeling well enough to embark on another spring fishing outing. I was anxious to revisit Bighorn Sheep Canyon, so I checked the status of the 24 Fire, and I was pleased to learn that the fire was 85% contained, and CO 115 was open for travelers. I made the Arkansas River my destination on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. My federal and state taxes were filed, so I could relax and celebrate with a day of fly fishing.

No. 1 Was This Pleasant Surprise

I arrived at my chosen pullout by 10:30AM, and this allowed me to be poised along the bank of the river ready to cast by 11:00AM. The temperature at the start of my day was in the upper fifties, so I wore a long sleeved Brooks undershirt and my raincoat. Once again I was armed with my Sage One five weight in case of large fish and to combat the predicted double digit wind velocity.

Decent Clarity Although Somewhat Stained

When I arrived, my car was the only one in the vicinity, but as I prepared to fish, another angler parked forty yards farther west along the highway. He was ready before me, but fortunately he grabbed a spot directly across from his car, and I was not planning to fish that area. Instead I crossed the highway and began along a high bank across from my car. I chose an olive perdigon and a bright green go2 caddis pupa to begin my search for trout. in the first twenty minutes I managed to land a chunky rainbow trout in the sixteen inch range. When I scooped it in my net, I found the go2 caddis embedded in its lip. Needless to say, I was very pleased with this early success.

Peek-a-Boo

After I covered the attractive pockets and slots, I found a place to cross the river, and then I ambled down the river for .1 mile to another favorite spot, where I could work some deep seams. I was getting no action on the olive perdigon, so I substituted a 20 incher and kept the go2 caddis on the point. Before I adjourned at noon for lunch, I added three brown trout to my count. One was shorter than twelve inches, but the other two were very respectable wild fish in the thirteen inch range. All three grabbed the 20 incher, thus, validating my switch from the perdigon.

Murkiness Evident in This Productive Pool

I ate my lunch along the bank thirty feet above a goose that was sitting on a nest. Several other geese were in the vicinity, and they honked and carefully watched me, while I ate. I suspect they were the security guards for the young mother.

Nesting Mama Goose

After lunch I continued up the river for .3 mile, and I built the fish count from four to eleven. Number five grabbed the bright green go2 caddis pupa, and was another husky rainbow. I estimate it was in the seventeen to eighteen inch range and very plump. Number six was a fifteen inch brown trout that smacked the 20 incher.

Another Bow in Excess of Fifteen Inches

It took an hour to add the two fish after lunch, so it was rather slow going. I did observe three refusals to the chubby Chernobyl, and I shook loose a decent number of caddis, as I waded along the willows. I decided to give a double dry approach a try, so I knotted a peacock hippie stomper to my line and then added a size 14 olive-brown body deer hair caddis. I began prospecting with the dries, and within minutes I landed a small brown trout that recklessly crushed the caddis along the left bank. I directed my casts primarily to the edge of the river along the left bank; however, I did cover very attractive pockets and seams toward the middle of the river. Unfortunately the dry fly experiment did not pay additional dividends, so I abandoned it, as I approached a nice section with deep pockets and runs. I did see two or three fish elevate to inspect the caddis, but they never closed the deal with an eat.

Rainbow Lived Eight Feet Out from Center-Right Bankside Rock

I returned to dry/dropper fishing, and during this go round I utilized a yellow fat Albert followed by a 20 incher and several nymphs. I started with a beaded soft hackle emerger, but it did not yield results, so I swapped it for a hares ear. The 20 incher produced a much appreciated fifteen inch brown trout for number eight, and then I suffered through a bit of a slump. I landed three additional trout that gobbled the beadhead hares ear, but they were on the small side, and I was spoiled from my earlier catches. In addition, I experienced a streak of long distance releases and foul hooked fish, and of course these felt like larger fish.

From the Top

Ugly 20 Incher Saved the Day

By 3:30PM I covered my targeted section of the river, so I hiked back to my crossing and completed my day. I achieved double digits and six of the landed fish were in excess of the twelve inch standard including two rainbows that exceeded fifteen inches. I have to admit that I was disappointed with the lack of dry fly action. I was convinced that prospecting with a deer hair caddis in the early afternoon would produce some results; but, alas, that was not the case. I spotted one blue wing olive, so perhaps it was too sunny, bright and windy, or I was on the downside of the baetis hatch. I suspect that another trip to the Arkansas River would take me upriver to the Salida area or above.

Fish Landed: 11

Roaring Fork River – 04/11/2026

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Time: 12:30PM –  3:00PM

Location: Near Carbondale

Roaring Fork River 04/11/2026 Photo Album

Jane and I spent the weekend with our daughter, Amy, in Carbondale, CO; and I was free for some fly fishing on Saturday. I checked the conditions on the Roaring Fork River and the Frying Pan River, and the flows on the Frying Pan were quite low at 47 CFS. The Roaring Fork flows were 275 CFS, and since we were staying in Carbondale, I was easily able to observe the excellent clarity of the river. Based on this evaluation and the close proximity of the Roaring Fork given my limited window of time, I chose to drive to the Roaring Fork River.

The temperature was in the low seventies, as I prepared to fish, but dark and threatening clouds appeared on the western horizon, so I pulled on my raincoat as a windbreaker and in case of rain. I assembled my Sage One five weight, and I immediately paid a visit to the large pool just down the river from the parking lot. I experienced quite a bit of success in this area on a previous visit during a blue wing olive hatch, and I was seeking a similar result on this Saturday visit.

Another angler occupied the very top of the huge pool, so I ambled to the tail and paused to observe. I saw no rises, but I decided to give a double dry fly configuration a try just in case. I tied on a peacock hippie stomper for visibility and added a mole fly on an eighteen inch dropper. I waded to the middle of the river, so I could make some long casts to the bottom corner of the pool. I paused again to observe, but no heads were showing, so I made some prospecting casts and hoped for some surprise takes. After twenty casts, I concluded that my approach was futile, and I decided to move up the river to some faster sections.

I hooked my fly in the guide and hiked along the path for .3 mile, whereupon I cut down a path to the river and resumed my attempt to land a Roaring Fork trout. The section I entered consisted of many long, deep troughs and pockets and runs. In short, this was the type of water that typically produces results with a dry/dropper approach. I removed the double dry flies and replaced them with an amber ice dub chubby Chernobyl, 20 incher and olive perdigon. I felt a renewed confidence in my chances for success.

I drifted the three fly offering through some very attractive spots, but the fish were not interested, and my recent optimism quickly faded. After covering quite a bit of prime water, I cast to a narrow seam that suggested it was probably too fast for a trout to hold, but much to my surprise I saw the chubby dive, and I quickly set the hook. Instantly a torpedo of a rainbow trout streaked down the river. I allowed the bullet to run, but then it leaped above the surface and tossed aside my fly. Based on my brief glimpse of the fish, I guessed that the rainbow was in the fifteen to eighteen inch range. I paused to allow my heart beat to return to normal, and then I resumed my upstream progression.

Only Fish of the Day from This Area

After a short interval I came upon a place where some riffles of moderate depth ran along the left bank. There were some tree branches protruding over the water by a foot or so, and I began to cast directly upstream with a concerted effort to avoid the tree branches. On the third drift I spotted a flash to my fly, and I set the hook. A brief struggle ensued, as a fifteen inch brown trout battled for its freedom. In this instance I was able to land the noble foe, and the skunk was off.

Nice Brown Trout

Once again I moved up the river, but the signs of trout disappeared. During this dry/dropper period I cycled through a classic RS2, an emerald caddis pupa, a hares ear nymph, and a salvation nymph, but none of these offerings were winners. I passed a section where whitewater entered a long section of pockets and runs, and then I circled around a wide shallow area. Eventually I reached another more attractive riffle and run stretch, but I encountered a no trespassing sign, and this forced me to retreat.

I ran out of public real estate, so I retreated back to the pool near the parking lot. By now four anglers had arrived, and they were spread out through the pool, although I could have occupied the lower fourth. I keenly observed for a bit for a hatch and rises, but seeing none, I decided to explore downstream. I hiked a well worn path, and in short order I faced a sign that said no hunting, trapping or horses; but it did not mention fishing. I continued on my walk, and after another fifty yards, I encountered another white and red sign that warned against trespassing. In this case it mentioned the same outdoor activities not allowed including fishing, but fishing was scratched out. Was this legitimate or an act of vandalism? I concluded the latter and turned around. Another clue was that the next section ran across a property, where the ground was cleared of the typical woodland debris in a quasi yard.

I returned to the pool, and I once again I observed for rises, but none were forthcoming. The last of the four pool occupants had slid down the river a bit, so with no hatch in progress, I was not going to risk crowding him. I decided to move up the river to another public area.

I drove another four miles to a bumpy parking lot and retrieved my gear. The sky was still threatening, and I was pleased to be wearing my raincoat. I hiked down a path and found my way to the Roaring Fork River downstream from a section I fished on a prior visit. I was covering new ground, or should I say water, once again. I cherry picked some very attractive runs and seams, until I came back to close proximity of the trail; but, alas, this period of fly fishing in a new locale yielded no fish. By now my watch was showing 3:00PM, so I climbed the bank and returned to the parking lot.

2.5 hours of fishing yielded one landed fish, albeit a very respectable brown trout. I tangled briefly with a very nice rainbow trout, but I saw very little in the way of insect activity. I was perplexed by the lack of blue wing olives given the very overcast conditions. Baetis typically love cloudiness for their emergences. Not every outing can be a roaring success, and Saturday certainly was a bit disappointing.

Fish Landed: 1

South Boulder Creek – 04/07/2026

Time: 11:00AM – 3:30PM

Location: Below Gross Reservoir

South Boulder Creek 04/07/2026 Photo Album

Not all outings can be as rewarding as those that I experienced early in the 2026 season. Tuesday qualifies as a disappointment in my book. Flows on South Boulder Creek were held steady at 90 CFS, and I knew from previous visits that flows at that level were very conducive to fly fishing. The high temperature in Eldorado Springs was expected to reach 61 degrees, so I decided to make the trip.

Upstream

I arrived at the Walker Ranch Trailhead parking lot and quickly prepared to fish. The dashboard temperature was 51 degrees, and that was surprising since the reading was in the thirties as I passed through Boulder, CO. I pulled on my fleece hoodie and stuffed my raincoat and a long sleeve undershirt in my backpack along with my lunch. I selected my Loomis two piece five weight for my casting tool, and I departed on the one mile downhill trail. I knew I would pay for the downhill on the return, but that is part of the South Boulder Creek bargain.

First Fish of the Day

I began my day with a peacock hippie stomper and size fourteen deer hair caddis on the off chance that the fish would be looking up. No dice. After twenty minutes of inaction, I converted to a dry/dropper configuration that included an amber ice dub body chubby Chernobyl and a psycho prince. The combination was equally ineffective, so I swapped the psycho prince for a regular prince, and the pairing was ignored. I suspected that I was not drifting deep enough, so I added a second nymph in the form of a hares ear. Once again no response was forthcoming. Finally before lunch I swapped the hares ear for an olive perdigon to gain depth, but my morning ended with a fish count of zero. I did note a refusal to the chubby Chernobyl, and I temporarily hooked a fish on the chubby as well.

Another View of My Favorite Pool

The sun was out bright, so I removed my fleece hoodie and knotted it around my waist under my waders. It worked, but the fit was rather tight. It was obvious that the trout were not interested in nymphs, so I abandoned that approach and returned to a double dry fly gambit. I pulled a classic Chernobyl ant from my box and placed it in the first position, and then I added a deer hair caddis. Between 12:30PM and 2:00PM I cycled through a number of dry flies, but I could not unlock the code. There was the hippie stomper, a yellow stimulator, a size 14 olive-brown deer hair caddis, a size 14 gray stimulator, a black parachute ant, and a Jake’s gulp beetle. The stimulators and caddis provoked refusals, but my fish count remained mired on zero.

Handful

At this point I encountered a gorgeous pool; my favorite on the stream. The hippie stomper and beetle remained on my line, but the shutout continued. I swapped the beetle for a size 16 olive-brown deer hair caddis, and I nicked a small trout, but then the creek residents once again ignored my offerings. I waded to the tail of the pool below the right bank, where some side channels fed into the pool in some short runs. I could see quite a few trout in front of me, and they were rising and sipping something small on a very irregular basis. I tried an ant and a CDC BWO, and I was able to monitor the reactions of three very respectable trout to my right. They ignored my offerings. Finally I decided to try the new kid on the block, the mole fly. Guess what?Two trout charged to the surface and smacked the mole, and I was on the board with two landed fish.

Home to a Lot of Fish

I persisted with the mole fly for another fifteen minutes, but it was treated like inert flotsam. I cycled through a soft hackle emerger fished dry and a tiny CDC BWO, but those flies were ignored, so I moved above the pool. The next set of attractive pockets were much faster moving, and the tiny baetis imitations seemed futile without actually seeing rising fish, so I reverted to the size 14 olive-brown body deer hair caddis. Once again I only exercised my arm, so I exited and began my arduous return hike.

Take Two

When I reached a spot, where I was forced to wade along the edge to progress back to the car, I paused to make some casts, and much to my amazement, I landed a small rainbow and a small brown trout. This lifted the fish count to four, and I was very thankful for that meager tally. I returned to the fishermen path and hoofed back to the car. During the one mile uphill I paused every .3 miles to drink water, catch my breath and rest my muscles. I made it.

Wide Pocket Yielded

Tuesday was a very slow day. There were very few insects present, and that may explain the lack of action. I tried quite a few flies and methods, but none delivered consistent results. I will probably give South Boulder Creek a rest before I return.

Fish Landed: 4

Eagle River – 04/06/2026

Time: 10:30AM – 3:30PM

Location: Near Avon

Eagle River 04/06/2026 Photo Album

From March 27, 2026 until April 6, 2026 the Eagle River dropped from a peak of 470 CFS to today’s flows of 187 CFS. I contacted an Instagram friend, and she informed me that the river was clear, so that cinched my decision to pay a visit. Temperatures were projected to peak around 61 degrees, and I deemed the weather to be tolerable for spring fishing.

I arrived at my chosen parking space, and the temperature on the dashboard was 46 degrees. I wore my Columbia long sleeve thermal undershirt, fleece hoodie, North Face light down, and my raincoat to begin my day. Yes, I was quite bundled up. I rigged my Sage One five weight, and I ambled to the river.

Whoa! What a Start!

To start my day I chose to fish the head of a long pool with my favorite dry/dropper set up. It consisted of an amber chubby Chernobyl, a 20 incher, and an olive perdigon. I covered the upper one-fourth of the run with high expectations for twenty minutes, but disappointment was the only result. I migrated up the river along the right bank, and by the time I broke for lunch, I registered five very respectable trout. The morning catch included a thirteen and fourteen inch brown trout, a couple twelve inchers, and a stunning football of a rainbow. I do not believe it extended to twenty inches, but it made up for that with an abundance of poundage. The width of the monster far exceeded my hand. I suspect the length was around eighteen inches.

Slick Produced

I exited the river and found the path back to a bench overlooking the long pool, where I began. I munched my sandwich and warmed my feet and observed the pool, and I immediately noted sporadic rises in the lower half. I was now overheating, so I removed my raincoat and stuffed it in my backpack, as I formulated my afternoon plan. I decided to once again prospect the top one-fourth with the olive perdigon and a sparkle wing RS2. I hoped that the trout would key on the subsurface baetis nymph. If not, I was prepared to removed the three fly dry/dropper and switch to a double dry with a mole fly on the end.

Zoomed

Phase one of my plan proved to be ineffective, as no fish attacked the nymphs, even though I executed some expert drifts through the gut of the entering run. In short, the river structure looked spectacular, but my flies were not favored. I moved to the midsection and removed the dry/dropper configuration and replaced it with a peacock hippie stomper and a size 20 mole fly. I tied five additional mole flies on Sunday night in preparation for this very happenstance.

Better Sense of Width

The wind by now was gusting periodically and riffling the surface, but flurries of rises seemed to follow the gusts. The rises were fairly splashy but also sporadic. I was unable to spot a consistent feeder. I began firing downstream casts, and in a short amount of time, two fish flashed at the mole fly, but they elected to refuse. Uh oh. I have witnessed this scenario many times. Finally I made a cast and allowed the stomper and mole fly to drift downstream toward the tail, and I spotted a bulge near the hippie stomper. I quickly set and found myself attached to a very respectable fourteen inch brown trout.

Home of Brute Rainbow

My confidence in the mole fly soared, but that was the extent of my dry fly success. I spent close to an hour attempting to tempt additional risers, but I finally concluded that dwelling in the pool was a waste of time. I stripped in my line and waded to shore and climbed the bank to the path. I moved up the river and found my exit point from before lunch and cut to the river. My line still contained the double dry setup, so I quickly hiked to a wide slow moving section and paused to inspect for rises, but none were evident. I bit the bullet and returned to the dry/dropper. I retained the chubby Chernobyl and olive perdigon, but I placed a silver bullet in the upper nymph position.

The Large Pool

For the remainder of the afternoon I deployed the three fly system, and I boosted the fish count from six to eleven. At one point the flies got lodged under a large boulder, and I was unable to rescue due to unsafe water depth, so I snapped the nymphs off. If you are counting, that was two lost tungsten beads. I opted to replace the silver bullet with a beadhead hares ear and knotted a new olive perdigon to the line. The afternoon action was slow, but I did manage to land five trout. Three were under twelve inches but another chunky rainbow graced my net. This one was slightly shorter than number five, but it was also very husky. The afternoon rainbow emerged from a swirly eddy area behind several exposed boulders.

Perfect

At 3:30PM I was quite weary, so I found a path and climbed the bank and returned to the car. Monday’s outing was satisfactory, although the action was not as hot as several of my March stream visits. Nevertheless I reached double digits and two of my catch were spectacular rainbows in the sixteen to eighteen inch range and very thick. I also netted a pair of hard fighting brown trout in the fourteen to fifteen inch range. I enjoyed a bit of dry fly action, although my success rate was lacking. This was the first instance that the mole fly did not exceed or even meet my expectations. Was a size 20 too large? Perhaps I need to tie some 22’s.

Swirling Area Behind Exposed Rock Produced

Will I be able to fish the Eagle River again before run off commences in earnest? I will keep my eye on the weather and the flow charts just in case.

Fish Landed: 11

Arkansas River – 03/31/2026

Time: 11:00AM – 3:15PM

Location: Between Granite and Buena Vista

Arkansas River 03/31/2026 Photo Album

After a productive day on the South Platte River, I stayed in a motel in Salida rather than make the drive back to Denver and then return on Tuesday. My plan included another day on the Arkansas River, but rather than detour around the 24 Fire through Pueblo again, I decided to fish the upper Arkansas.

The Scene at the Start

I stayed at the Woodland Motel in Salida on Monday night. This little motel has been a favorite of mine over the years, and it changed ownership since my last visit. Apparently a family now owns and manages the enterprise, and I noted many nice improvements to the room. The Woodland Motel remains my preferred option, should I wish to stay over in Salida to fish the Arkansas River on back to back days.

A Bit More Chunk

On Tuesday morning the temperature hovered in the upper thirties, so I took my time getting prepared to fish. I departed the motel at 9:00AM, and after a thirty minute drive I arrived at my intended destination. Well, actually I did not, as the road to the river had a sign informing the reader of seasonal closure until April 15. This forced a revision in my plan, and I circled around and crossed the river and visited another favorite spot. By the time I began my preparation the temperature was 46 degrees. I was wearing my Under Armour insulated undershirt, and I added my fleece hoodie and raincoat for wind protection. Because the river was running low and clear, and I knew from previous experience that the fish were not as large as farther downriver, so I elected to use my Loomis two piece five weight.

Side Channel

I hiked along the trail from the parking lot for .7 mile, and then I slid down a long steep bank to the river. I launched my day on the river with a gray chubby Chernobyl, 20 incher and olive perdigon. Between 11:00AM and noon I managed to land three brown trout in the eleven to twelve inch range. All three grabbed the olive perdigon. I was feeling rather toasty sitting in the newly arrived sun while eating my lunch, so I removed my fleece and tied it around my waist under my waders. It was a tight fight, but I made it work. I maintained the rain shell to block the wind and provide an element of warmth during overcast periods.

This Area Yielded Quite a Few

Between lunch and 2:30 I worked my way along the right bank of the river, and the action was extremely slow. In fact all three landed fish during this time period came from one area. The river widened, and a nice long and slow moving area was directly across from me. The main center current split the river, and after I fished the right shelf pool with no luck, I turned my attention to the slow area of moderate depth across from me. In order to get drifts through the target section, I needed to execute long casts, but trees obstructed my back cast. I resorted to an array of roll casts with a large quick mend to combat the swift run in the middle of the river. It was a lot of work and a strain on my shoulder, but I landed three nice brown trout, and had two additional escapees. I used the snap-T cast with some effectiveness, but I also allowed the line to straighten below me and then did a back hand sweep. All the trout that I connected with snatched the olive perdigon, as it began to swing toward the bottom of the pool.

One of the Perdigon Chasers

The fish count was mired on six for quite awhile, so at 2:30PM, I decided to deploy a new tactic. I removed the dry/dropper set up and replaced it with a double dry. The reliable peacock hippie stomper was the lead fly, and I trailed a size 14 olive deer hair caddis. I was skeptical that dries would entice the fish to the surface, but I was stationed at the base of a nice pool and riffle section. I was shocked, when I duped four brown trout in this area. Three attacked the caddis, and one smacked the hippie stomper. Needless to say I was quite pleased with this turn of events. I also noticed a couple refusals, and I added a couple momentary hook ups.

Long Middle Pocket

Of course, this proved to be the end of the dry fly action. Toward the end of my fly fishing day, some dark clouds slid across the sky, and this prompted a sudden flurry of surface feeding. At least four fish slashed at the surface across from me, as the wind kicked up. I swapped the caddis for my new friend, the mole fly, and almost immediately I connected, but the fish quickly escaped. I inspected my line and discovered the telltale curly pigtail suggesting a poorly tied knot. By the time I tied on a new fly, the rising action slowed to a sporadic cadence, and then I lost another mole fly. I am not sure what caused the loss of the second fly, but the surface action only lasted for ten minutes and then ended. I spent most of the time tinkering with my flies.

Caddis Worked Along the Bank

At a bit after 3:00PM I called it quits and hiked back to the car. The temperature chilled significantly, as the wind exploded, and I could see some menacing dark clouds moving across the Collegiate Peaks.

Tuesday was a so-so day, as I landed ten fish in four hours of fishing. Three periods of decent results saved my day, and these time frames were bracketed by a lot of futility. Nearly all the trout were browns in the eleven to twelve inch range with a couple that stretched the tape to thirteen. I am spoiled by all the great days that I enjoyed earlier in March.

Fish Landed: 10

South Platte River – 03/30/2026

Time: 11:00AM – 4:00PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 03/30/2026 Photo Album

After a stellar day on March 24, I was anxious to return to a stream on Monday, March 30. The Arkansas River was my first choice; however, forecast wind speeds in the high teens deterred me. In addition, the 24 Fire forced the closure of CO 115, and this extended my drive time to lower Bighorn Sheep Canyon by thirty minutes to nearly three hours. Instead I chose the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon. Wind speeds were predicted to be in the low teens, and I knew from previous experience that the north/south orientation of the canyon offered some amount of protection.

Early Action in This Section

I arrived at my chosen starting point by 10:30AM, and the dashboard thermometer registered 45 degrees. This was colder than I expected, so I pulled on my fleece hoodie and added my rain shell for wind protection. I rigged my Sage One five weight, and that meant that I used the same rod for every fly fishing outing in 2026.

Prime Shape

To begin, I chose a peacock hippie stomper and an olive perdigon. I went light because the river was tumbling along at 60 CFS and clarity was excellent. I began just above a bridge, and I was shocked, when a thirteen inch brown trout grabbed the perdigon within the first ten minutes. In the same run but higher up, two rainbows snatched the perdigon, and I was off and running. By the time I broke for lunch at around noon the fish count was perched on six, and this included a thirteen inch rainbow and a few more trout beneath twelve inches. All the trout nabbed the olive perdigon. My confidence was sky high, and I anticipated an afternoon olive hatch.

Pleased with This Catch

For the remainder of the day I continued with the hippie stomper and the olive perdigon. At 1:30PM I noticed a couple baetis fluttering about, so I added a classic RS2, and I eventually cycled through a sparkle wing RS2, and a sniper baetis. I hooked a fish momentarily with the classic RS2, but that was the extent of my success with BWO nymph imitations. For the last half hour I swapped the sniper baetis for a beadhead hares ear, and the shaggy nymph produced two trout.

Wide Moderate Depth Riffle

Head Shot

The star of the afternoon was the hippie stomper. In quick succession I prospected two moderately attractive riffles, and two fat fifteen inch brown trout responded. I have no idea what they mistook the attractor dry for. These two fish were numbers seven and eight. The hippie stomper then produced a 14 inch brown and two robust thirteen inch rainbows. I spotted five spawning rainbows, while I ate lunch, but I did not bother them. Apparently not all the rainbows were in  reproduction mode, as I landed the two hippie stomper eaters after lunch.

A Brown Emerged from This Hole

Monday was a rewarding day in Eleven Mile Canyon. I avoided the wind for the most part, and I landed fifteen trout including five in the thirteen to sixteen inch size range. The air temperature reached the upper sixties, and I was comfortable for my entire tenure on the river. March continues to be superb.

Fish Landed: 15

Arkansas River – 03/24/2026

Time: 10:15AM – 3:30PM

Location: Big Horn Sheep Canyon

Arkansas River 03/24/2026 Photo Album

The Arkansas River was on fire yesterday. Well, not literally, although I had to detour thirty minutes out of the way to avoid using CO 115, as it was closed due to the 24 Fire at Ft. Carson. Before the news of the fire, I was quite determined to return to the Arkansas River after my stellar outing on 03/09/2026. Upon learning of the fire, I checked out other options such as the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon and the Eagle River. The unseasonably warm weather caused the water flow graph for the Eagle River to turn upward with a fairly decent slope. This spooked me with concerns over early snow melt and turbid conditions. I sensed that the progression of spring hatches in Eleven Mile was lagging the Arkansas as a result of the cold bottom release from the dam and the narrow width of the canyon.

Section Number Three

After pondering the variables, I decided to depart early and follow the detour route to Pueblo and then head west on US 50 through Canon City. I arrived at my chosen pullout by 9:45AM after departing at 7:00AM, The temperature was in the low fifties, but the high was expected to reach 90 degrees. I elected to wear my fleece hoodie with the intent of tying it around my waist and under my waders, as the temperature climbed. I chose my Sage One five weight as my casting tool.

Now We Are Talking

Beast of a Rainbow

As I approached the river, I noticed that it was tinged with sediments, but the clarity was adequate for fish visibility. In fact, the turbidity was probably a boon for the angler, as it helped prevent detection. Between 10:15AM and 11:00AM I worked a deep run along the high bank near US 50, but I failed to ignite any action. I was using a gray body chubby Chernobyl, a 20 incher and an olive perdigon. In fact, these three flies remained on my line for the entire day. After my fishless first forty-five minutes, I contemplated a change, but I maintained my offerings, and persistence paid off.

Love It

This Chubby Eater Surprised Me

At 11:00AM I crossed the river and walked upstream to a stretch, where the river fanned out into a nice long pool. I moved toward the top, and I finally saw the chubby dart, and I landed a twelve inch brown trout. I was on the board. Next I moved downstream to another section where the river ran tight to a bank along the highway. I started in a long pool that fanned out to a shelf along the right shoreline. Much to my amazement the action began to click. I discovered that casting upstream to the seam next to the fast water resulted in some hot action. Before breaking for lunch, I netted five additional trout, and these were very fine fish ranging from thirteen to sixteen inches. The first two from this area were a brown and rainbow, and I was shocked at their length. All the landed fish were larger than twelve inches during this time, and all nabbed the 20 incher. The dark colored stonefly imitation was likely visible in the cloudy water conditions.

The Release Suggests the Size

After lunch I resumed my migration up the river, and the willingness of Arkansas River trout to ingest my flies continued unabated. I doubled the fish count from six to twelve by 1PM, boosted it to sixteen by 1:30PM, and then landed an additional six between 1:30PM and quitting time at 3:30. Obviously the pace of catching slowed as the afternoon wore on, and the temperature gauge spiked. I only spotted a handful of blue wing olives, and only two sporadic rises revealed a fish. Roughly half the trout landed between noon and 3:30PM consumed the 20 incher and the remainder snatched the olive perdigon. I also suffered at least five long distance releases and a couple foul hooked fish. I snagged quite a few sticks, but I was able to rescue all the flies from these challenging situations.

Another Fine Spot Bankside

What was the quality of these fish? Outstanding. I can recall only one fish below twelve inches, and the remainder were all in the twelve to sixteen inch range. I estimate the average size of the fish was skewed to thirteen to fourteen inches. Tuesday was my second outstanding day on the Arkansas River, and I am very anxious to return. I have my fingers crossed that some cooler weather arrives on Friday, thus, putting a halt to the premature run off. 2026 March fly fishing has been prime.

Fish Landed: 22

 

 

Roaring Fork River – 03/21/2026

Time: 10:00AM – 12:00PM

Location: Near Carbondale, CO

Roaring Fork River 03/21/2026 Photo Album

Jane and Amy reserved a time slot to hike to Hanging Lake at 2:00PM, so my fishing window was confined to the late morning on Saturday, March 21. I knew that prime hours for hatch activity were 1:00PM – 4:00PM, but I needed to optimize the window I was allocated. I chose to fish another section of the Roaring Fork relatively close to Carbondale.

I arrived at a parking area at 9:50AM, and I quickly prepared to fish. I rigged my Sage One five weight, and I pulled on my raincoat for some additional warmth, as the temperature was in the low fifties. I was not very familiar with the area, so I chose an upper trail out of the lot, and this necessitated a .3 mile hike, before I found a worn path to the river. A trail sign at the parking lot displayed “fisherman access”, and I now know this was probably the means to accessing the lower river next to the parking lot.

This Spot Teased Me

To begin I rigged a gray chubby Chernobyl, a 20 incher, and an olive perdigon. For the first hour the fish failed to cooperate. I fished some very attractive runs and holes with nary a fish sighting. During this time I cycled through the olive perdigon and an olive midge larva, before settling on a Frenchie.

Big Gap in My Grip

The dry/dropper finally clicked with the 20 incher and Frenchie, and I landed two superb trout in the eighteen inch range. One was a hook jawed brown, and the other was a rainbow. These fish emerged from a nice band of slower moving riffle water along the left bank over moderate depth. Apparently the warming temperatures woke up the fish from their cold night stupor. The brown chomped the 20 incher, and the rainbow snatched the Frenchie.

Rainbow of Similar Size

I continued moving up the river along the left bank and landed a twelve inch brown trout on the 20 incher to boost the fish count to three. A short lull ensued, as the clock ticked toward noon, my chosen departure time. By 11:45AM I approached a deep angled pool above a dense collection of driftwood that formed a makeshift dam. I climbed on top of the stick dam, and I began to fire casts to the deep hole.

Just before this approach I noticed a stray strand of something poking out from the 20 incher. I stripped in the fly to discover that the strand was a spike of tinsel rib that had apparently been cut by the teeth of a trout. I nipped off the rogue strand of wire to create a ribless 20 incher. Perhaps my lull was attributable to the damaged fly, because my third cast to the curled deep hole resulted in a take, and I battled an energetic fourteen inch rainbow into my net. I held my rod high and stripped quickly to prevent the bow from running beneath the stick dam, as that would have been game over.

Scene of Bank Eaters

Upon releasing the rainbow, I flicked a cast to the slower shelf section of the pool, and a ten inch brown immediately crushed the ribless 20 incher. By now it was quitting time, but I executed the proverbial last cast, and the chubby dipped thus provoking a hook set. I was connected to a very energetic rainbow, and I once again raised my rod high to prevent branch entanglement; however, in this instance, the estimated thirteen inch rainbow popped free.

It was now minutes after noon, so I hooked the Frenchie to my rod guide and hustled back to the car to meet my Hanging Lake engagement. Saturday was another surprise success on another new stretch of the Roaring Fork River. The ratio of large to small fish during my two brief days was amazing. Amy can expect plenty of future visits from her dad to the Roaring Fork Valley.

Fish Landed: 5

Roaring Fork River – 03/20/2026

Time: 3:00PM – 5:30PM

Location: Near Carbondale, CO

Roaring Fork River 03/20/2026 Photo Album

I love exploring new water, and Friday was one of those days. Jane and I drove from Louisville, CO to Carbondale, CO on Thursday evening and checked into a hotel room. We reserved Thursday through Saturday nights, while we visited with daughter, Amy, on the weekend. Originally Friday was planned as a ski day, but high temperatures in the 80’s scuttled that plan. Instead we completed a two mile hike on the Marian Gulch Trail among intermittent mud and ice sections. We had two dogs to keep us company. After the hike we walked to Plosky’s Deli for sandwiches, and then I departed for the Roaring Fork River.

I debated between the Frying Pan and Roaring Fork, but flows of 41 CFS out of Ruedi Reservoir persuaded me to pass on the low water that probably required technical fishing. In addition, my late start made the closer Roaring Fork a more convenient option.

I arrived at my chosen parking lot, and as I prepared to fish, another angler arrived. He advised me to go downstream from the bridge to a pool that he just vacated. He offered that a blue wing olive hatch was in progress, but he also mentioned that there was another fisherman in place. I rigged my Sage One five weight, and the warm temperatures allowed me to simply wear my fishing shirt with no additional layers.

Promising Ahead

When I hiked down the path to the river, I peered under the bridge, and sure enough an angler was waded into the middle of the pool. I decided to adhere to my original plan, and I hiked for .3 mile upstream. I bypassed a long section of wide, shallow water, before I cut to the bank, where I noticed more depth. To begin I knotted a gray body chubby Chernobyl to my leader, and then I added a 20 incher and olive perdigon. These have been hot flies in recent spring outings.

I prospected some decent pockets and runs, but the fish did not cooperate. The flies were hanging up fairly frequently, so I swapped the 20 incher for a RS2 and moved the perdigon to the upper position. After quite a bit of casting through relatively attractive structure, I managed to land a twelve inch brown that snatched the perdigon. I also experienced a temporary connection, but for the most part my flies were ignored. I cycled through the RS2, a sniper baetis, and a crystal stone nymph, but none of those flies created interest.

Nice Moderate Depth and Velocity

I returned to the 20 incher as the top fly and placed the perdigon on the bottom, and still the fish showed no interest. By this time it was 4:30PM, and I approached the fast water that fed a nice pool and pockets, so I decided to hike back toward the bridge to cherry pick prime lies.

Mole Fly Produced

As it turned out, most of the intervening section was the unattractive wide and shallow area, so I arrived at a moderately attractive run above the bridge. A man was just exiting the river in wet shorts after taking a dip on the first day of spring, but he told me his swim was limited to a small deep spot next to the beach. I cast up the river to the attractive seam along the faster current, but once again futility was the result.

I gazed under the bridge and noted an angler in the pool, but it was a long section of slower moving water, so I gambled that I could fish the tail below the other fisherman. I crossed the road and found the path, and just as I was about to pass the other angler, he shouted that he was leaving, and I was welcome to his spot. I accepted his invitation and moved toward the upper one-third of the long pool.

Gorgeous

I noticed a few straggling mayflies, as they flitted about, and some sporadic rises resulted. I paused briefly to observe, and then I decided to migrate to a double dry approach. I removed the three fly dry/dropper and added a peacock hippie stomper trailing a size 20 mole fly on an eighteen inch dropper of 5X tippet. I tied a small batch of mole flies several weeks ago, since they were highly recommended by Charlie Craven, so I was anxious to give them a try.

Between 4:30PM and 5:30PM I cast this combination, and the results were gratifying. Initially I focused on sporadic rises near the midsection, but this was futile, and the downstream area was in a glare, so I waded to the tail for better visibility. Sure enough, when I stared across the pool, I could see more regular rises near the far bank. The river was shallow enough that I could wade beyond the middle of the pool and cast to the bottom corner. Much to my delight a pair of eighteen inch fish grabbed the mole fly. These were stunning wild and large fish, and I was transported into a state of euphoria. My confidence in the mole fly soared.

Fought Hard

The rises in the “corner” area slowed, so I turned my attention upstream. A splashy rise upstream and left of center caught my attention, so I fired a series of casts to the area, and on the third drift, a fourteen inch rainbow smacked the hippie stomper. I was incredulous.

The number of rises now slowed, so I decided to begin my exit. I crossed to the east bank, and as I began wading the shallows, I noticed three successive rises within a small area. I decided to make another attempt. On the fifth cast to the area of the rises, a bulge appeared near the hippie stomper, and I reacted with a swift hookset. Voila! I was connected, and a brief battle ensued, before I slid my net beneath a marvelous brown that approximated twenty inches. What a fish! It had the mole fly in its mouth. Perhaps Charlie is not exaggerating the effectiveness of his simple mole fly.

Fish of the Week

It was now 5:30 PM, so I called it a day, but some fairly regular feeding continued under the bridge near the far bank. I left these for another day. A day that began as a dud, evolved into a very rewarding outing, as I landed five trout and four sipped dry flies in the last hour of fishing. I missed the main hatch, but enough straggling baetis initiated sporadic feeding that allowed me to spot fish. The four trout landed on dries were all very fine wild specimen in the fourteen to twenty inch range. The last brown trout was quite the beast. I definitely found a new section of the river to explore more extensively.

Fish Landed: 5