Friday, April 26, 2013

And So It Begins



A funny thing happens this time of year.  All winter we have been waiting for spring and summer to come and the great fishing that comes with them.  During the long and cold months of winter, we often dream of the warm sun, summer activities and blissful afternoons that seem to last forever.


When April comes around, these activities, thoughts of summer and warmer temperatures start to become a reality. This is when I start to look at a calendar and schedule the many activities, fishing trips and fun for the summer months.  Then, a funny thing happens. All of a sudden I am out of weeks on the calendar. I find my self looking at the middle of October and wondering if the weather will still be warm and inviting. For us here in Colorado, this time of year usually signifies the end of summer and a long winter around the corner.  It always comes as a surprise at how short summer really is.

With some adjusting here and there, I can fit most everything in on the calendar. But a strategic use of the “shoulder seasons” of April and May is the only way to accomplish a full summer of fun. 

For the months to come, I will try and get to Fruita or Moab for some mountain biking, to the front range for some sports outings and then of course to the Arkansas River for some of the first dry fly fishing of the summer. (The above photo is of a cloudy BWO day on the Ark)

In the latter part of April the Caddis start to move up the Arkansas River from Canyon City and make there way up through Salida, Buena Vista and finally to the headwaters by Leadville. This migration takes a couple months and ebbs and flows with cold fronts and warming trends flowing through Colorado.

The next few weeks are a great time to be watching reports from all of the shops that frequent the Arkansas River.  There will be reports on the fishing activity, where the hatch is, hot flies and techniques for fishing in front of, behind and in the middle of the hatch. These are all important factors to have a successful trip to the Arkansas in the midst of the hatch.

This is an exciting time with exciting fishing! Make sure you schedule a day or two on your “shoulder season” calendar, to check the Arkansas River caddis hatch.  You don’t want to be looking back at summer, wondering where it went and why you didn’t get out for more fun in these “shoulder seasons”.