After a long, cold winter, a spring of unprecedented releases from Twin Lakes, and an elevated and prolonged runoff, the Arkansas River is now in prime form and producing some of the best dry fly fishing we have seen in years. Flows are 237 cfs in Hayden Meadows, 455 at Granite, 793 in Buena Vista, 989 in Browns Canyon, 1080 at Wellsville and 1160 at Parkdale. While these flow levels are still a little above what many Arkansas River anglers are accustomed to, they represent such a respite for our brown trout that fish are feeding voraciously in spite of the current. As the season goes on, the flows will continue to recede and we anticipate one of the best fall fishing seasons ever.
Perhaps most remarkable about the current feeding behavior is the willingness of the fish to take dry flies. While we see the occasional rise to a natural yellow sally or pale morning dun, the rise to big attractor dries has simply been phenomenal. Over the last six trips that I have guided, we have hardly utilized a beadhead nymph at all. A big parachute madam x, stimulator, or hopper followed by yellow sallies in the morning and pmds in the afternoon has been sufficient to keep fish on the hook all day.
Equally remarkable has been the condition of the fish. Given the stresses they have endured over the last eight months, the browns are healthy and putting up a vigorous fight. They could stand to gain some weight through the fall but all things considered, they are in good shape!
As we head into late summer and the river returns to more normal conditions, I hope that people will look to the Arkansas for the great fall fishing it provides. We will be running float trips through October, and wade trips year-round. Call us at 719-539-4223 or email us at info@arkanglers.com for more information or to make reservations.
We look forward to fishing with you soon!
Greg Felt
ArkAnglers
