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Water clarity will be hit and miss throughout the early Spring. Look for water to clear as the weather cools or the rains become a memory. In general if the water is off-color or chalky from run-off use a brighter, larger attractor fly or warm colored or white streamers with lots of strike triggering action in the form of long marabou or rubber legs. When confronted with clear water go with a more sedate attractor like a Pheasant Tail or RS-II and drop a midge or smaller natural behind it.
| Alpine Lakes |
What you want to know: Most of the popular high mountain lakes are open but access is not always possible. Be prepared with a backup plan if you find yourself confronted with an iceberg blocking the 4 wheel-drive roads or trails.
| Arkansas River | 3,690 cfs @ Nathrop |
Temps: Mid to High 50s
Water Clarity: Clear
What you should know: Clarity is great and should hold for several more days until runoff starts in earnest. Dark caddis fly pupae are available to the fish in abundance and can be nicely immitated by Jujubees (18-20 black), but Blue Wing Olive dries also seem to be working beautifully for the actual catching of fish. Another nice tactic is to fish a Barr's Emerger 6-8" behind your BWO - so it sits in the film. Don't underestimate the staying power of the Golden Stonefly either.
Flies you will need:
| Bear Creek | 45 cfs @ Morrison |
Temp: Low 50's
Water Clarity: reasonable but seasonally predictable.
What you should know: Caddis are the predominant insect/food source. Bright green (chartreuse) is the color of choice.
| Blue River | 1570 cfs @ Dillon |
Temp: Low 50's
Water clarity is great.
What you should know: Try Medallion Midges behind Tan or Pink San Juan Worms, when the water is clear, RS-II's behind larger Rubber Leg Copper Johns, Avatars behind Lightening Bugs, and Top Secret Midges behind Gold Ribbed Hair's Ears when the water is off color.
Flies you will need:
| Cheesman Canyon | 497 cfs |
Temp: Low 50s
Clarity is Excellent
What you should know: Expect to see BWO's and Caddis and be able to imitate them with drys flies as well as emergers. Streamers like the Autumn Splendour stripped through the head and tail of bigger pools will very likely trigger a strike from the bigger 'bows.
Flies you will need:
| Clear Creek | 1060 cfs @ Golden |
Temps: Low 50s
Water Clarity: nasty
What you should know: The fishing on Clear Creek is shaping up to be amazing again this season. A variety of flies from monster Royal Wulffs to Barr's Micro Mayflies and Emergers, Copper Johns in Olive, Black and Red as well as the Zebra varieties will yeild nice browns right now.
Flies you will need:
| Colorado River | 5730 cfs @ Kremmling |
Temps: 50s
Water clarity is great.
What you should know: Rim Chung's RS-II's and Avatars are great producers here right now. WD-40's behind Lightening Bugs or Psycho Princes work well when the water is off color as it will be everytime it rains or warms up for a bit longer.
Flies you will need:
Nymph the deep holes especially in the AM
In the PM just before dark, try these:
| Deckers | 303 cfs Near Trumbull |
Temps: Low 50s
Horse Creek is really pumping some mud into the South Plate but the water clarifies further down the South Platte Road.
What you should know: Try attractors with mildly reflective qualities such as the Rainbow Warrior or Bubble Back Baetis followed by small midge or BWO emerger patterns such as Barr's Micro Mayfly or Barr's Emerger BWO. Rim Chung's RS-II's and Avatars are also highly effective below a red or tan worm.
Flies you will need:
| Elevenmile Canyon | 245 cfs |
Temps: Low 50s
Water clarity is reasonable
What you should know: Try Rojo Midges ahead of Barr's Micro Mayfly or Craven's Jujubee Midge behind a size 18 Pheasant tail.
Flies you will need:
| Frying Pan | 806 cfs @ Ruedi |
Temps: Low to mid 50s
Water clarity is great.
What you should know: The Toilet bowl and flats are already ridiculously crowded again. The best bet, however is a black biot midge or anything black and small 22-24 red midges rojo midge pure midge larva red, red, red. JuJubee midges and baetis are a great rig or try a Barr emerger 22, a Slumpbuster stripped through the tailouts, runs and pools. If you can't see the fish but think they must be there go ahead and strip a streamer through the deep water very aggressively. Eggs and Flashback Pheasant tails size 22 with a tiny black beauty or Jujubee midge trailed below it are also a great rig-up
Flies you will need:
| Roaring Fork | 5180 cfs @ Aspen |
Temps: 50s
Water clarity is great
What you should know: Nymphs and some streamers are yeilding the fish here. Midges and BWO emergers work all day. Work the deeper, slow water as opposed to the skinnies.
Flies you will need:
| Spinney Mountain Ranch Mile (The Dream Stream) | 385 cfs |
Temps: Low to Mid 50s
Clarity is reasonable
What you should know: Windy conditions and off-color water may not be enough to ruin the fishing here which can still be quite good. There will be some callibaetis and midge hatches and caddis larvae should also be fairly productive.
Flies you will need:
| Waterton Canyon | 357 cfs |
Temp: Mid 50s
Water clarity is OK
What you should know: Bows in abundance in the riffles and sunny sides.
Flies you will need: 16-20 Pheasant tails, Golden Stone imitators, BWO dries and emergers, little dark midges.
| Williams Fork | 48 cfs |
Temp: High 40s to Mid 50s
Water clarity is great.
What you should know: Nice little browns and bows are hanging out on the sunny edges in the mornings and should be worked with Blue Wing Olive emergers or streamers. Cast through the sun/shade edges and fast/slow edges especially on the slower sides of the runs.
Flies you will need: