Spring and Winter wrap up

We are putting the wraps on a busy winter/spring fishing season.  The fishing this spring was spectacular, really consistent midge hatches, and a lot of fish in the Roaring Fork between Basalt and Aspen.  I have been guiding here in the Roaring Fork Valley for 15 years and it seems like there are more fish in the upper part of the Roaring Fork river than there have been for several years so we are excited about the upcoming summer.

We are looking at a pretty good snowpack with a wet spring predicted so we should have a decent runoff and great conditions throughout the summer.  Couple more pics from the winter.

Headed south in the off season, been tying these guys up

 

to throw in front of these guys, hopefully it works out.

It has been an interesting summer so far here in the Roaring Fork valley.  The Roaring Fork river is finally coming down from a runoff that no one would have predicted a couple of months ago.  We spent most of June fishing the Frying Pan river and the fishing was pretty consistent and relatively uncrowded as a lot of people don't want to deal with the high water.  couldn't be happier now that the Roaring Fork is shaping up and fishing well.  

We started floating around July 1st and the fishing has been spectacular.  Nymph fishing has been consistent but there have also been some great streamer and dry fly days - in fact one client that has fished with us for years had "the best day ever" back on July 5th.  The Green Drakes are hatching on the lower Fork

The fish are starting to look up and really feed on wade trips as well, we have seen some good PMD and Caddis hatches on our wade trips the last several days.  Big dry flies tight to the bank have been the ticket.

We are excited about the rest of the summer, it's going to be a good one..

So easy a 4 year old can do it

We had a great late winter/early spring fishing season here in the Roaring Fork valley.  It's always good this time of year, but this year was as consistent as I can remember.  The snowpack is not huge but there is still a fair amount of snow in the high country, we should see a decent runoff but nothing like last year.

 Feel free to give us a call 970 920 6886 and we can answer any questions you might have.

 We have had some great days on the Colorado river from the drift boat in the last few weeks.  Thick caddis hatches and really good dry fly fishing.

The only downside is the wind, but that is part of the deal this time of year.

The most consistent fishing in the valley has been wade fishing the Roaring Fork between Aspen and Basalt.  We have had very few slow days in the last two months.  Big midges, beatis, small stoneflies and drake nymphs are the way to go.  The water is starting to come up as of the last few days but the clouds and cooler weather have slowed down the runoff.

We have fished the Frying Pan a few days, but with the fishing as good as it is on the Fork it is sometimes hard to head up there and deal with the crowds.

The fish are big, strong and well fed coming off a mild winter so we are really looking forward to the summer season.

Fat

Dive bombed by caddis flies

Dry fly fishing on the Colorado

We had an interesting winter and spring here in the Roaring Fork Valley.  The fishing was as good as I have ever seen it, unfortunately that came at the expense of the ski season.  Our snowpack is nowhere near what it has been for the last several years.  For the first time in years we will not be dealing with a heavy runoff in June and early July - so the early summer fishing will be great. 

Right now we are having some great days on the water, the Roaring Fork from Basalt up to Aspen is spectacular.  There are still plenty of midge hatches and we are starting to see some good Blue Winged Olive activity in the early afternoon.  We are booking 1/2 days from 11-3 to take advantage of the hatches.

Early Summer Update

It has been a long spring here in the Roaring Fork Valley but, despite the high water, we have been hard at work putting people on fish. While high runoff flows limit the places to fish, there are often a multitude of options available on any given day and if you're in the right place at the right time the fishing can be on fire. Our senior guide staff knows the spots and has been producing consistent results all summer long.

That being said, the rivers are finally on the drop and within the week we should start seeing a serious downward trend in flows. Floating is just right around the corner and so are the bugs. It has been a long spring, but it is going to be a fantastic summer.

Here are some high water shots from the last few weeks.

What a Difference a Day Makes.

There is a saying in Colorado, "If you don't like the weather, wait ten minutes." It is cliché, but it is particularly apt in the Spring. Yesterday we spent the day floating and casting at carp in our barefeet.

Today the weather was so bad that we had the toilet bowl all to ourselves.

You've got to love Springtime in the Rockies.

Monsoon Hogs

It has been an active Monsoon season all over the State of Colorado this month. And as a result, we have had to deal with some periodic muddying of the rivers.

This past Friday we had a huge storm system role through, completely blowing out the lower Roarin Fork below the Crystal. On Saturday, my friend Capt. Matt Thomas and I put the rafts in at Hooks Bridge in Basalt and floated the middle river down to Carbondale. The fishing was fantastic, and our guys had such a good time they rebooked for Sunday. With the Lower Fork still running dirty, we decided to roll the dice and put the drift boats in at Carbondale anyway. Needless to say, we made the right choice. The river provided non-stop action and the dirty water let us sneak up on some real nice fish. Including one beautiful, 20.5", wild rainbow trout.