Time: 8:00AM – 1:30PM

Location: Glenwood Springs to South Canyon

Colorado River 08/22/2025 Photo Album

Friday, August 22 was my second guided float trip of 2025. I stayed with my friend, Dave G., on Thursday night, and we met our guide, Reed, of Cutthroat Anglers at 7:00AM on Friday morning. The early start enabled us to complete a decent float before temperatures peaked in the early afternoon.

I secured the bow position for the first half of the float, while Dave G. took the position in the rear of the driftboat. As usual, Reed’s dog, Edna, was present, but she barely moved, until she jumped in the river at the takeout.

Bow Ahead

Reed rigged my Scott six weight with a dry/dropper set up, and the Sage One five weight was designated for double dry fly duty. I never floated this section of the Colorado River, and I was impressed with the quality of the fishery. As one would expect, the river at this stage is quite large, but the many riffles, eddies, and pocket water sections provided interesting challenges for a guide and focused anglers.

Best of the Day

Reed had Dave G, and I switch between dries and dry/droppers, as the river dictated advantages to each. A nice heavy cloud cover blocked the sun for much of the morning, and this provided comfortable temperatures for most of our trip.

My Second Best Fish

During the 5.5 hour float, I landed six trout. Three were substantial fish in the fifteen to seventeen inch range. Two of the larger fish were rainbows, and one was a gorgeous brown trout. Two small rainbows were part of the count, and the sixth rainbow was in the midrange. I recall that all the landed fish grabbed one of the trailing nymphs that comprised the dry/dropper arrangement. I had some looks, refusals, and misses on the dries, but the dry/dropper rig proved to be the most effective on August 22.

Productive Area

This was my last guided float trip of 2025. Although the fish count was subpar, it included some very substantial trout. I cast to new water, and the experience was very enjoyable. My expectations were low given the heat wave and time of the year, so the results were not disappointing. In fact, I can see the potential for very productive days at other times of the year on the Colorado River below Glenwood Springs.

Fish Landed: 6