Time: 10:30AM – 3:15PM

Location: Between Minturn and Edwards

Eagle River 10/02/2026 Photo Album

After a successful day on Thursday on the Frying Pan River, I was undecided on my fly fishing option for Friday. The action on the Frying Pan heated up late in the afternoon; and I would, therefore, want to remain on the river until late in the day. However, Friday was my getaway day, and I faced a three hour drive back to Denver. From the upper miles of the Frying Pan the trip was closer to four hours. My alternative was to test the Eagle River. It was along my homeward drive, and it actually reduced my trip home by an hour or more. I made the Eagle River my destination.

Surprised by This Hopper Eater

Hopper Take in Current Seam Along the Bank

I experienced quite a bit of success on the Eagle in the spring of 2026 and during the fall of 2025, so I was guardedly optimistic that I could recreate some of that good fortune. I arrived at my chosen parking space by 10:00AM, and by the time I geared up and hiked to the river, it was 10:30AM.

Nice Little Run Boulder to Boulder

I selected my Sage One five weight for Friday duty. The Eagle River was one of the rivers that experienced voluntary closure during the hot summer months, so I was concerned about the stream level for this October visit. Once I returned home, I discovered that the flows were between 65 and 70 CFS during my stay on the river. Clearly these were low flows, but the river seemed to be quite fishable. I adjusted my approach by focusing my efforts on sections of the river, where the riverbed narrowed thus creating deep pockets, slots, riffles and oxygenated whitewater.

Different Light

I cast a three fly dry/dropper throughout the day, and only varied the offering a few times. Initially I presented a tan size 8 pool toy hopper and trailed an olive perdigon and salvation nymph. One hungry brown trout crushed the hopper early in the game, but that was the extent of the action between 10:30AM and 11:45AM. The brown was a spectacular specimen, as it probably measured in excess of fifteen inches.

Behind the Large Exposed Rock

After lunch I contemplated a change, and I did, in fact, adjust my lineup. First I shortened my dropper to three feet, and then I replaced the pool toy hopper with an amber ice dub body chubby Chernobyl. I was opting for the improved visibility offered by the two white poly wings of the chubby. I knotted a 20 incher in the upper nymph position, and I moved the salvation to the point. These flies allowed me to move the fish count to three, but it took quite a while.

Held Above the River

I was drifting flies through all the likely structure that delivered excellent results in previous visits, but the fish were not readily cooperating. At some point I replaced the salvation with the olive perdigon, and the chubby/20 incher/olive perdigon yielded the best results. I finished the day with nine trout landed, and I felt this was actually rather commendable after the woeful start.

Another Bank Eater

Although the fish count was on the low side for nine hours of fly fishing, I did land some fish that were above average in size. There was the pool toy savoring brown trout in the early going, and I netted a second brown of at least fifteen inches late in the day on the olive perdigon. A thick slab of a rainbow crushed the chubby Chernobyl in the two o’clock time frame, and fish number eight was a superb rainbow that grabbed the 20 incher in a deep slot. Number eight was a muscular torpedo of a fish that probably measured sixteen inches, but it’s girth was very impressive.

Quite a View

On the day I landed three rainbows, and the remainder were brown trout. Two trout smacked dry flies, as I mentioned, and the remainder of the fish were split among the nymphs. I recall one fish taking the salvation, two gobbled the 20 incher, and the rest grabbed the olive perdigon.

Rainbow Home

I noticed virtually no insect activity. There were a few sparse tiny caddis buzzing about, but they were not on the water enough for the fish to waste energy in pursuit. I was hoping for straggling pale morning duns or early blue wing olives, but neither made an appearance. I’m pretty sure I will return again to this destination in October, but Friday was a tough day. Large fish always offset any disappointment, and that was the case on October 2, 2026.

Fish Landed: 9