Time: 10:00AM – 4:30PM

Location: Eagle to Gypsum

Eagle River 06/30/2025 Photo Album

Every year during the last four or five I selected a few dates to join my friend, Dave G., on a guided float trip. Dave G. schedules ten or so of these ventures per year with Cutthroat Anglers. We typically use the same guide, Reed Ryan, and if any readers are interested in a guided float trip, I highly recommend Reed.

Monday, June 30 was my first scheduled float trip of the 2025 year. I drove to Eagle, CO on Sunday night and stayed with my friend Dave G. and his wife Beth, and this positioned us for an easy meet up with Reed on Monday morning. Monday’s weather was forecast to peak in the low eighties with mostly clear skies and sunshine, and the weather for the day did in fact evolve in this manner. Reed recommended that we float the Eagle River, so we met him at the parking lot at the Eagle Fairgrounds boat launch at 9AM. The flows on the Eagle on June 30 were in the 650 CFS range, and clarity was excellent. All the factors seemed aligned for a superb day of fly fishing.

Headed Downstream

By the time Reed prepared the raft and launched and configured two rods for each of us, the clock registered 10:00AM. Reed’s dog, Edna, was a very unobtrusive guest in the raft for our entire trip. I assembled my Scott six weight, and Reed supplied a five weight, since my Sage One remained in a state of being repaired. To begin the day the six weight was rigged with a chubby Chernobyl with an ice dub peacock body. Beneath the chubby, Reed added a flashback pheasant tail nymph and a dark olive Pat’s rubber leg size twelve. The depth from the chubby to the rubberlegs was around four feet.

Top Fly, Chubby Chernobyl

Since we chose the shorter float of eight miles (compared to the alternative 18 miler), we were able to explore the sweet spots more thoroughly. A PMD hatch commenced around noon, so we delayed our lunch break until 2:00PM. We did not want to be wasting valuable top water feeding time while eating lunch. We had our priorities straight.

Pat’s Rubber Legs

During the morning I manned the rear of the raft, and Dave G. commanded the front. In the early going I landed five gorgeous trout, and all nabbed the Pat’s rubberlegs, also known as the pickle fly. One of the five was a small barely countable brown trout, but the others were very substantial fish including a fine cutbow and a long brown trout in the seventeen inch range. The brown take was my favorite of the day, as I cast near the right bank and allowed the flies to drift very close to an overhanging cluster of dead branches. Just as the flies approached the branches I noticed movement a foot below the surface, so I set and connected with the prize brown. These are the fly fishing moments I live for.

On Fire

We swapped our dry/dropper rods for dry fly rods at 11:30, when we observed sporadic rises and a few emerging PMD’s, but we seemed to be a bit early with our top water offerings. We paused for snacks and water and rested for a bit, and then we resumed. By noon the hatch was developing, and our casts were rewarded frequently with hungry Eagle River trout. For dry flies I was deploying a yellow sally imitation as the front fly and a film critic PMD on the point. Between noon and 2:00PM we cast our double dries and enjoyed the magic of the hatch.

Anglers Behind Us

In addition to pale morning duns, the air was also occupied by yellow sallies, golden stoneflies and caddis; but the PMD’s seemed to be the main entrée. Reed worked diligently to place us in the best possible positions for success. Since we were not in a rush to cover the eight miles, he initiated “nose up” positioning quite often. This maneuver involves positioning the raft downstream from an attractive wide riffle and run section and then allowing the person in the nose to cast upstream. The ploy encourages thorough coverage of prime river real estate. In some cases Reed turned the raft around 180 degrees and gave the rear occupant shots at attractive water. It was a blast.

Film Critic PMD

I moved my fish count from five to thirteen during this dry fly searching time frame. Admittedly the average size shrank a bit, but a few very respectable trout were sprinkled among the smaller cousins.

Afternoon Brown Trout Beast

By 2:00PM we had covered what Reed considered the most exceptional water, and the hatch waned, so we pulled to the river bank for lunch. The sun was high in the sky, and it sent down intense rays on the river and those of us taking advantage of its offerings. Edna took advantage for a swim, and by 2:30 we were once again adrift on the rolling currents of the river.

Look at the Shoulders

Between 2:30PM and our takeout at 4:30PM, we covered quite a distance, and we once again cast our dry/droppers. I managed to boost the fish count from thirteen to sixteen, and although that represented fairly slow action, the three additions to my count log were quite nice, and included another brown in the seventeen to eighteen inch range with a significant girth.

We pulled ashore in Gypsum at 4:30PM, and Edna eagerly leaped into the water for a much deserved cooling off. Black fur must absorb the sun’s intense rays. Monday was another very enjoyable day on the Eagle River. I landed sixteen wild trout including some substantial fish in excess of fifteen inches. The weather was very cooperative, and I reveled in an extended pale morning dun hatch. The comradery among my friend Dave G., my guide Reed and myself was refreshing. I have one more guided float trip scheduled in 2025. I cannot wait.

Fish Landed: 16