Our brief reprieve from elevated flows ended Thursday as increased releases from Twin Lakes combined with snowmelt from Tuesday/Wednesday and rain Wednesday night to raise the river significantly. The rain had the greatest impact, raising flows from Leadville on down and contributing a significant amount of soil/sediment to the flow. And while the inflows from rain have receded somewhat, the releases remain high. As of Saturday morning (5/10), we have 227 cfs in Hayden Meadows, 871 at Granite, 1040 above Buena Vista, 1260 in Browns Canyon, 1200 at Wellsville and 1090 at Parkdale. Visibility varies with location and time of day. Above Pine Creek near Gold Camp, visibility has been good. The release of 600 cfs from Twin Lakes, all clear water, has a diluting effect not unlike a tailwater. Further down, there is a daily “bubble” of murkier water reflecting the snowmelt of the afternoon before and a daily “divot” representing the colder hours of the night up on the snowfields. Following the daily divot down the river is the best way to find clearer and more stable edgewater. Currently, that would mean fishing above Browns Canyon early in the day, from Stone Bridge to Salida during the middle of the day, and in the upper Bighorn Sheep Canyon later in the afternoon.

For those who are still keen to venture out, a key concept is to study the structure of the river bed and look for those areas where changes in flow do not necessarily change the dynamics of the spot from a fish’s perspective. Deep eddies downstream of large outcrops of rock, inside corners with depth, major shelf lines – all of these will be places that fish migrate to for stability and low impact feeding. Focusing on these places and getting big nymphs/streamers right on the bottom is key. If you see improved clarity on the edges, dry-dropper rigs tight against the bank can be very effective too. Fish bigger dries with tungsten beadhead nymphs that will cut quickly through the turbulence and get down to the bottom.

Runoff is not a straight-forward, well-defined event. It typically happens like most things in nature – a quick jump in flows followed by days of stability or even receding flows followed by another jump. The multi-year averages show a nice bell curve to the flow levels in runoff. But averages are a mathematical fiction – they have predictive value but are rarely imitated in the natural world. I mention this because the common phrase “the river is blown out” is misleading. The river, and the fish, don’t have an on-off switch. Rather, the river continues to modulate between periods of stability and change, and the fish continue to feed whenever it is possible for them. I have a hard time marketing high, murky water but I am dealing with fishermen. Brown trout obviously take what they get every day and look for opportunities to make the most of it. In a twisted way, figuring out what that is in times of adversity can be more rewarding than applying cookie cutter tactics in those times when fish are jumping into the boat.

Due to an unforeseen dam safety inspection, the Twin Lakes release will be ramped down from this morning’s flow of 375 to zero over the next four days. Following Monday, the release will be ramped back up over four days to 375 on next Friday. This means that Saturday through Wednesday will present the best fishing flows we have had all spring and will be more apt to generate caddis activity and feeding behavior among fish. Hope you can make it!

The last few weeks have been challenging on the Arkansas River. Sustained elevated flows of 750-850 cfs have kept the river from warming up as quickly as usual, stalling the caddis hatch below Texas Creek. And while we have enjoyed some blue wing olive hatches and caddis larval drift, the higher flows have also made it hard for fish to feed effectively. Most days have seen a mixture of fish behavior best described as “indecision” as they seek to balance the intake of calories against the energy expense of fighting the current for food. Our trip results have been fair to good but for the itinerant anglers here for caddis dry fly fishing, the action thus far has been disappointing.

As many Arkansas River fans are aware, the Bureau of Reclamation cut back their release of Fry-Ark project water from Twin Lakes by 125 cfs about two weeks ago. That release was scheduled to resume today. Thanks to input from DOW, State Parks, and the Southeastern and Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District managers, the Bureau has agreed to maintain the current release (375 cfs) until the full-blown runoff takes over. While this is still more water in the river than is best for fish and fishermen at this time of year, it is nevertheless a victory and will hopefully lead to a decent, if tardy, caddis hatch over the next two weeks.

With cool weather in the forecast from Thursday through the weekend, we expect the river to remain in a similar condition until next week. Then, with a little heat, we can hopefully see the river temperature approach the magic 54 degrees and get some caddis popping. If it doesn’t get too hot, runoff ought to be mild to minimal until the weekend of the 17^th or so, allowing a nice feeding window for the fish prior to the big flush.

This has been new territory for us, as guides, prognosticators, and political animals. But we continue to hold out hope that this spring hatch will be saved, the fish strengthened for the flows ahead, and many an angler’s smile brightened with a brown trout on the line. The best spring fishing is hopefully still ahead and we look forward to assisting you in making the most of your time on the Arkansas.

Snowpack and river flows have been a constant topic of discussion in the fly shop and around the state. With every basin reporting above-average snow-water equivalents in their snowpack, this looks to be a big water year in Colorado. How and when it comes down will be a function of weather – will we get more snow before runoff or hot dry winds? Will the days be hot or cold once runoff starts? There are too many variables at play but we can make some projections:

-          The snowpack in the upper Arkansas River basin is about 140% of average. One way or another, more water is going to flow through Salida this summer than normal.

-          The projections for imports of west-slope water to our basin are also very high. This will add to the total flow through the summer.

-          The Bureau of Reclamation plans to cut the release from Twin Lakes on Monday (4/14) by 125 cfs. They plan to maintain this reduction for two weeks, at which point they will reevaluate. This provides strong impetus to get out and fish the Arkansas between now and the 28^th.

-          I don’t think that in-basin runoff will begin much earlier than usual, probably around May 15^th. Flows may be higher than normal before then, though, as water is released from Twin Lakes to make room for runoff.

-          Once it begins, runoff will probably affect the fishing for a considerable period of time. While we have pulled through some recent melts with only 3 weeks of major impact, this year could see twice that.

The river has continued to serve up some great fishing, though it has that typical unpredictable quality one associates with spring. As always, our guide staff continues to adapt to the changing conditions, moving from stonefly nymphs to caddis larva to blue wing olive nymphs or adults as the focus of the fish changes. We expect caddis to begin hatching on the lower river by late this week and hope to see them in Salida by the end of the month. Our fish are hungry after the long winter; the upcoming hatch will be of more importance than ever in helping them gain strength for the high water ahead.

It is fair to say now that the blue wing olive hatch is in full swing on the Arkansas River below Salida. Both Saturday and Sunday, ArkAnglers guides reported adult mayflies on the surface and pods of fish feeding on them. This is a very “situational” hatch - one angler might encounter a tremendous hatch and feeding frenzy and someone 200 yards downstream might not see a bug. But odds are better now than they were a few weeks ago that cloudy skies will bring nymphs swimming to the surface and the fish are becoming conditioned to taking the adults on top.

We continue to field a lot of questions about runoff. Over the last 10 days, the upper basin snowpack declined from 146% to 136%, a positive trend in our view, but a long way from where we’d like to be. In our experience, it seems unlikely that true runoff will begin much before the May 15-20 period when it usually does. We may have a few small-scale events caused by rain or low elevation snow followed by a hot day, but until the sun is at a certain angle in the sky, it seems unlikely that true runoff will begin. Flows are higher than normal now, but they are the result of releases from Twin Lakes and not the melting of snow. We actually expect flows to recede a bit later in April as releases are decreased.

 We still have good availability for most days during the caddis hatch. It seems like we are a little behind schedule on our bookings, the result most likely of the weather and uncertain economic times. Please call us at 719-539-4223 or email to info@arkanglers if you would like more info on our trips or would like to make a reservation. We feel confident that despite the snowpack this will be a good hatch season.

If there is one statement that can be made about springtime on the Arkansas, it is that you can’t make one statement about springtime on the Arkansas. Each day presents a unique combination of factors that play into the behavior of the fish, and the nature of the fishing. It is a very rare day in which fish don’t eat - more common are those when we simply can’t identify what it is they are eating. Some days good fishing lands in our lap. Other days are challenging, to say the least. It is important this time of year to gather as much information as one can on the known forces at work within the fishery, but it is equally important to remain observant, vigilant, for clues as to what is really transpiring beneath the surface. By doing so, the toughest of days can become the best, those days where adversity transforms into brilliance, where we learn lessons we never forget.

Blue wing olive mayflies represent the best chance at a hatch and surface feeding now. As we have been blessed with mostly sunny weather of late, the hatches have been few. Nevertheless, the mayfly nymphs are very active and yesterday saw a flurry of fish working subsurface in the Wellsville area. The mixed weather predicted through early next week will probably bring more bugs to the surface.

Down along the bottom of the river, there is a lot more going on. Stonefly nymphs continue to become available to fish, particularly when they are molting out of their exoskeletons. Midge pupa, both black and red, also provide a steady food source. And caddis larvae are undergoing periodic drifts as well as they move towards maturity. From 11-3, blue wing olives are often the most likely food source for trout. But earlier in the morning and later in the afternoon/evening, these other bugs represent a more plausible offering to have on the line.

When you go to the river, take a little time before plunging in to look into the water and try to determine what the fish are up to. Take periodic breaks from casting to gain a vantage again and attempt to spot fish. Keeping an eye on water temperature through the day can provide valuable predictive information as well, both regarding insect and trout behavior. Anticipate changes in light as clouds move across the sky. And when the clouds do occlude the sun, don’t forget that the swallows may provide an earlier indication than the trout of adult insects beginning to fly.

 It is springtime. It’s beautiful. Dynamic. Bountiful. Cruel. It promises a lot, doesn’t always deliver, but it beats the heck out of winter.

With a warmer week on tap, the Arkansas River insect and fish populations continue to become more active. Blue wing olive hatches are now common below Salida while stonefly nymphs, bwo nymphs, and midge pupa continue to garner good attention. Flows are higher than normal for this point in the spring, but water quality has been good and the water temperature more stable. ArkAnglers has had a number of float and wade trips in recent weeks, but our schedule for the next four weeks is still wide open. Now is a good time to get on the water ahead of the caddis crowds. Call us at 719-539-4223 or email to info@arkanglers.com if you would like more information or to schedule a trip.

 We have a number of brand new discontinued rods that are on sale:

Sage SLT  9 foot 4wt 4 piece regularly $615, sale price $430

         SLT 8′9″ 3 wt 4 piece regularly $615, sale price $430

         SLT 8′9″ 3 wt 2 piece regularly $555, sale price $388

         SLT 9′ 4 wt 2 piece regularly $555, sale price $388

Scott  S3 9′ 5 wt 4 piece regularly $625, sale price $438

           V2 9′ 5 wt 2 piece regularly $185, sale price $129

           V2 9′ 4 wt 2 piece regularly $185, sale price $129

           V2 8.5′ 5 wt 2 piece regularly $185, sale price $129

Orvis  TLS 9′ 5 wt 2 piece regularly $290, sale price $203

 We will be glad to ship these rods, or anything in our inventory, the day the order is placed. Phone or email with questions or to order.

ArkAnglers guides have encountered several blue wing olive mayfly hatches over the last three days. This is earlier than normal but represents a gift to those who are truly crippled by cabin fever. The hatches have been noted thus far in the upper reaches of Bighorn Sheep Canyon. We have seen isolated bwos further downstream, as well as strong midge hatches. In addition to this new emergence, we continue to experience golden stoneflies molting (and hence more available to fish), caddis larvae drifting, and blue wing olive nymphs more active regardless of an actual hatch. The fishing is turning on, time to get down to the Arkansas or at least make plans.

 ArkAnglers has a quiver of rental/demo rods that we are going to sell. They are Sage 590 Launch and Sage 590 DS IIs - cost is $110 and includes shipping. These are entry level rods, good for a back-up or for someone new to the sport. Contact us at info@arkanglers.com or call 719-539-4223 if interested.

 Greg Felt will be giving a talk on spring hatches at the Cherry Creek Orvis Store this Saturday morning from 11:00-1:00. This is a good “tune up” opportunity for those who fish the river sporadically and may have grown a little fuzzy on spring details.

 Our spring schedule is filling in around the caddis hatch. Don’t delay if you want a guided trip this spring.

We look forward to fishing with you soon!

This is the new blog for ArkAnglers, Colorado’s premier guide service and fly shops on the Arkansas River. By opting in to this blog, you will receive regular updates on the Arkansas River, tips and suggestions for improving your fishing experience, and notices of special deals or events that may be of interest. Postings will generally be brief and specific.

The upper Arkansas River brown trout fishery is finally shaking off winter. Hatching midges, molting stonefly nymphs, and drifting caddis larvae are motivating fish to move out of the deep winter holding water and into feeding positions in tail-outs and structured shoreline. While fish and bug activity are still tied to weather, increasingly warmer average water temperatures are generating more activity. For more detailed reports, go to www.arkanglers.com. For questions, or to make reservations for a guided trip, call us at 719-539-4223 or email to info@arkanglers.com.

Welcome to ArkAnglers’ fly fishing news. Here’s what’s coming up soon in Colorado’s fly fishing world:
We are excited to announce that we will be exhibiting at the NEW Fly Fishing Expo, January 4-6, 2008, at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. This new show will be more focused on Colorado fisheries, feature all of the top manufacturers, include casting ponds with real water, and have an excellent lineup of professional speakers on fly fishing topics. Mark your calendar today!