A number of folks have inquired about my long silence. Rest assured, we never quit fishing over the last six weeks. We’ve been on the upper Arkansas in Hayden Meadows, suspension nymphing on Spinney Mountain Reservoir, hitting myriad mid-elevation lakes in the valley, and working Poncha, Silver and South Cottonwood Creeks. From the adversity of high, murky water, we have continued to develop diversity in our approach to fishing in central Colorado. And while the term “blown out” has been hurled around the state like a synonym for “change”, we’ve focused on the positive, keeping our feet wet and our lines taut. We haven’t marketed much during this period, as the appearance of the river in particular has not been that marketable, but we have continued to provide visitors to the valley with successful fishing and memorable days on the water. Call the silence modesty, if you will, but all is well on the Arkansas.
Looking at the flows this afternoon (7/9), all of the natural tributaries are within a day or so of declining to average flows. This is true from the South Arkansas River upstream to Halfmoon Creek west of Hayden Meadows. The current flow above the Lake Creek confluence (Twin Lakes discharge) is 577 cfs – still higher than normal but VERY fishable. We continue to enjoy strong caddis hatches on the upper river and some strong stonefly activity – both Goldens and Yellow Sallies.
The outflow from Twin Lakes has declined dramatically as well to 519 cfs. This has provided us with a flow of 1130 cfs at Granite and 1540 cfs at the Numbers gauge above Buena Vista. Clarity is great on this section of the river and the lower flows have made it much more accessible and the pocket water more clearly defined. At these flows, improved as they are, current velocity remains the most significant impediment to feeding fish. As a result, one will still find most browns hugging the banks, or lying on the bottom of deeper, slower holes. We’ve had some great fishing above Buena Vista over the last week. Covering a lot of water in search of congregated fish and adjusting the depth of one’s dropper have been the keys to success.
As we move downstream, Browns Canyon is running at 2120 cfs and is very busy with recreational boaters. Evenings can provide some good fishing there but during the day it is best left to the rafting crowd. From Stone Bridge on downstream to Texas Creek, however, the raft traffic is minimal and we are enjoying good visibility and a much better defined shoreline. The river has dropped out of the willows in most spots and the edgewater pockets are pretty well-defined. Golden Stoneflies, Yellow Sallies, and Pale Morning Duns comprise the main hatches now, with a smattering of caddis late in the day. Precise imitation is not as important as getting your fly into water that is holding fish. As upstream, fish in this reach are holding tight to the bank and are often congregated in the most obvious-looking water. It is a competitive feeding situation, and this works to the angler’s advantage.
Now that flows are dropping quickly, we are anticipating much improved fishing from now through October. We are a bit behind schedule this year from the guide service perspective and certainly appreciate all of you who have made plans to help us catch up during the second half of the season. We look forward to fishing with all of you again before too long. Call us at 719-539-4223 or email to greg@arkanglers.com if you would like to schedule a trip.
Greg Felt
