Thank you and Happy Holidays!

Big Fun

 

With the Holidays upon us, it's always amazing how fast the year goes by. This time of year we all must remember to be thankful of all the good things and people in our lives. Here at Blue River Anglers we want to thank you for being such good customers over the years. We really appreciate your business!

As a thank you we want to offer 10% OFF your 2015 trip, if you book by December 31st.Please take advantage of this great deal and let us show you a great time in 2015.

This fall and winter has been quite amazing. With one of the best fall seasons I can think of. Then an instant winter with almost ten feet of snow, and now some amazingly warm temperatures. We went from amazing fishing weather to amazing skiing and now back to amazing fishing weather. It's been pretty amazing to say the least.

I expect the winter to come back around soon and although the temperatures may be colder, the fishing can be quite hot. This is the time to fish the Blue River tailwater and many other tailwater and spring fed rivers in Colorado. You can expect to catch many fish like the one above on everything from small midge dries to midge larvae and more, depending on the river you are fishing.

If we keep the trend up of big snows to big warm ups, we could very well get the best of both worlds. A couple of weeks to enjoy some "Big" powder days, then a couple of weeks to rest the legs and have some "Big" fish days. I don't think it could be much better than that.

If you haven't fished with us in the winter please check it out. We would love to get you on the water for some "Big" fun. Remember we are also offering 10% OFF winter fly-fishing trips.

Thanks again for your business and continued support!

Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

Zeke Hersh

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Lots of Snow in Colorado, Time to Winter Fly Fish

Seasons of Change

The seasons have changed here in Colorado, after experiencing one of the best falls I can remember in my 22 years of living in Summit County. We had some unbelievable fall fishing here in the high country. From float fishing late in the season, using hoppers and getting more dry fly takes than on trips in the summer months. To great streamer fishing for large browns to name a few.

Now with over three feet of snow in less than six days, it’s time to think about winter fly-fishing techniques and experiences.

Winter fly-fishing can be some of the best fishing of the year. With few people on the water and hungry trout, that can mean many hook ups and great days of fishing.

You will have to look for open water in the form of dam releases or tailwaters, spring fed streams or streams with low enough elevations that they remain free flowing through the depths of winter.

The main technique for winter fly-fishing, would be nymph fishing. You will need to have a good selection of small flies in your box. From Black Beauties, Miracles, small Pheasant Tails, Jujubee midges, Juju Baetis, Cardinal midges, Egg patterns and more. These are just some of my favorites. Then fish light tippet in 5 and 6X fluorocarbon and make sure you get your flies down with some split shot. Deep holes are what you are looking for and then dredge the seams with your flies and look for subtle takes. If you do all this and I promise you’ll get some hook ups.

Dry fly fishing should not be forgotten as many of the winter fishing rivers have great midge hatches. If you don’t pay attention and watch the water, you could totally miss slurping trout to the midges or “snow flies” as some people call them. Typically you see these hatches during the middle of the day. Don’t be fooled that you need warmer weather to see a good hatch. In fact I have had my best winter dry fly fishing on some of the colder nastier days.

We will be fishing all winter long at Blue River Anglers and would love to show you some of our great winter fly-fishing destinations. We can get you out on the Blue River, upper Colorado, lower Colorado, Arkansas, Roaring Fork, Frying Pan and more.

A winter fly-fishing experience is a great way to get outside and enjoy the Colorado winter or a great way to rest the legs between powder days.

By the look of it so far, we are going to have quite the ski season just make sure you add some fishing days in there to make your Colorado winter experience complete.

The Forgotten Season

It always amazes me or maybe I should say, perplexes me. How, the fishing season comes to an end, for most people around Labor Day. What is perplexing is that the fishing is just getting better and better as we move into fall and early winter.

The trout in the rivers are on the feed to fatten up for the winter and with the cooler temperatures the bugs are active as well. Then add for that “perplexing” reason, the lack of people enjoying the great fishing and you have a perfect fishing opportunity.

I haven’t quite been able to put my finger on why there are so few people enjoying the great fishing. I know Sundays offer a great American past time of watching football but that is only a couple days a week. I guess it also could be with the shorter days and cooler temperatures, we instinctively slow down and think of preparing for winter. I know I myself sometimes lack motivation to get out in cooler temperatures at this time of year. For many reasons, we should all break through this lack of motivation and get out for some of the best fishing of the year.

In the last couple weeks, I have had some great trips. While not as many as I would like, these trips were by far some of the best of the year.

On the last weekend in September, I had the opportunity to run an overnight trip on the Colorado River. What a great time this was! From the gourmet meals I prepared; I like to think I am a pretty decent cook, to the night mouse fishing and the amazing float fishing the Colorado River has to offer. This is a must experience trip! I would highly recommend getting out on one of these trips with us in the future.

Now I can’t say everywhere fishes great in the fall. Some small creeks and rivers get to their lowest points of the year and the fish get wary and scarce. However, if you pick it right, like the lower Arkansas and Colorado Rivers. The fishing is lights out!

Floating the Colorado is one of my favorites ways to fish in the fall. You can’t beat the scenery and the fishing is at it’s best. This is a great trip for anyone, from beginners to experts.

Last weekend, I had the opportunity of taking a client and his father out. The father was 70 years old and had never fly fished. The father had some reservations on the ride to the river and said he may fish a little, but may just enjoy the ride. Well, I must tell you, he was hooked and hooked up about a quarter mile from the put in. He never put the rod down the rest of the day and hooked and landed many more fish. These experiences are priceless as a guide and what makes our job rewarding.

Anytime of year is a great time to fly fish or start fly fishing and Blue River Anglers can get you out on the water for a great experience.  But, why not get out there now? The fall fishing is great and we have the guides and trips to make your fall fly fishing experience the best it can be.

I recommend full day float trips and full day wade trips this time of year. Just remember, once you start fishing in the fall, you may never want to fish any other season.

Fall Fishing Experience

Fall Fishing Experience

Fall is upon us in the High Country and that means great fishing. We had a great summer at Blue River Anglers, with great flows in our rivers, a new location and lots of fun on the water.

Everyone at Blue River Anglers wants to thank you for a great summer season and for choosing Blue River Anglers for your fly fishing needs and experiences!

We want to keep the great fly fishing experiences happening this fall, so we are offering 10% OFF all Full Day and Full Day Float Trips. Please take us up on this offer and get out on the water once more, before winter hits us.

The fall fishing season is probably my favorite time of year to fish. From epic float trips on the Colorado to massive Blue Wing Olive hatches on the lower Arkansas, and don’t forget about the Salmon in the Blue River. These are just a few fall fly fishing experiences we are ready to show you.

We plan on running some great trips late into the season and of course winter fly fishing adventures all winter long. Remember we can float the Colorado late into November in the Glenwood Springs area for some great Brown and Rainbow trout action.

We would love to get you out for a fall fishing adventure!

Thank again for your business! We really love seeing you every time, give us a call or stop in the shop for some fish stories.

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Fishing Bug

The fishing season has begun here in Colorado. Spring is in the air and maybe even a little bit of summer.

With Blue River Angler’s Guide School wrapping up last week. I got a good opportunity to be on the water floating the Colorado for five days straight. What a great way to spark my fishing and floating interest! We worked on skills, both student and instructor and just had a good old time fishing, floating and putting new skills to the test. Really couldn’t of had a better time. 

So now the fishing bug is here, but so is the run off in some of our streams. Notice I said ‘some’. We do have some streams running clear and fishing good. Look for dam releases below reservoirs. 

One locally that is fishing great is the Blue River. The water is high, but the fish are right on the banks. Look for a slow pocket, sneak down next to the bank and peer into the water. I bet you see a ‘Lunker’ right next to you. We have been catching some big ones lately.

Last week at the Guide School, the Colorado was running about 2600 cfs (cubic feet per second) and while there was a little stain to the water and the water was cold, we still caught fish every day. As the week warmed the fishing got better as did the Blue Wing Olive hatch.

The Colorado has since came up to around 3600 cfs, which usually means off color conditions. This can change any day while reservoirs releases are fluctuated for the run- off. One day could be muddy and the next can be clear.

The caddis have been moving up from Canyon City and should be in Salida any day now. The hatch brings some great fishing, but also a lot of fishermen. I recommend trying to stay in front of the hatch and maybe the fishermen.

In a few weeks, we should also see the Salmon flies moving up the Colorado River. There is nothing quite like seeing these huge insects crawling all over the bank and then seeing a trout suck one off the surface. Most years the water is a off color for this hatch but most days the trout still have enough visibility to eat these large insects above and below the surface.

By the time the Salmon fly hatch has come and gone, we will be in full swing of fishing season. Hatches will be numerous and the trout hungry.  Make sure you get in the weeks to come and get a little of the ‘rust’ off.

Give us call for conditions and make sure you get your guide trip scheduled for one of these hatches or the summer season.

Great Expectations

As you can see the fishing locally has been pretty good. We have had some good days on the Blue River lately. The Colorado continues to fish better and better and the Arkansas is in full Blue Wing Olive hatch season.

With the middle of April just around the corner it’s time to think about the Mother’s Day Caddis hatch on the Arkansas. With a warming trend hitting Colorado the next couple of weeks, look for the Caddis to start moving up from Pueblo and Canyon City. This is a great reason to dust off those waders and fly rods and hit the river looking for slurping trout. 

If you are looking to experience the Mother’s Day caddis hatch with a guide, we can help you. We really want to give you the opportunity to get on the water this early season for rising trout. So, for the months of April and May we will offer 15% off trips taken during these months.

Besides the Mother’s Day Caddis hatch on the Arkansas the next couple of months offer some great fishing and outdoor experiences. I plan on breaking the boat out of the snow bank soon and doing some floating. Maybe even hit the river for an overnighter or two.  If you haven’t experienced an overnight trip on the Colorado, it’s a must. Fishing till dark, gourmet streamside meals, daybreak coffee and early morning trout. It doesn’t get much better. If this is something you would like to experience, we can take care of you. This year our prices for overnight trips are very affordable and I would love to get you out for a great experience. 

With lots of snow in the mountains this winter, summer fishing is looking to be one of the best in many years. Expect good hatches and healthy trout. Remember we do get quite busy from the middle of June to the middle of September and reservations for your day on the water are highly encouraged.

We look forward to seeing you all in months to come. Whether it’s stopping in for a fish story or two, some flies and tippet or taking a guided trip. 

Thank you for your business in the past and please let us know how we can serve you better.

Sincerely,

Zeke Hersh

Blue River Anglers

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Good things to come in the months ahead!

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First Day of Spring

Officially the first day of spring has come and you can see it in the Colorado weather and fishing.  Many of the rivers have freed from the ice hold of winter and fishing has started to heat up.

Lately the Blue River has been fishing great below the Dam in Silverthorne with flows nearing 400 cfs.   This is quite uncharacteristic for the Blue River, especially this time of year.  This is creating lots of action on midges, nymphs and Mysis shrimp.  The higher flows have been pushing some fish downstream that you usually will not see.

Word is that the lower Blue River above Green Mountain is also fishing well.  Look farther north and the Colorado has also been producing some great fishing.  Everything from fishing below the Williams Fork to actually floating from Pumphouse down.  We have had good releases on the Blue River below Green Mountain Reservoir and this freeing the Colorado of ice earlier than usual. 

The Arkansas is also fishing great with some higher flows.  People have also been floating but this time of year speaks Blue Wing Olive hatches to me.  This is great time of year to fish in the Salida area with Blue Wing Olive hatches happing daily and the river is teaming with life.  Blue Wing Olives hatching, Caddis on the move and getting ready to hatch in the next month, Golden Stones emerging from winter and these are just to name a few.  If you want to see a river busting with life you must get to the Arkansas in the next few months.

I have also heard great things on the Eagle River and Lower Colorado River.  People have been saying they are fishing flies they usually don’t break out on these rivers for a month or more.  Blue Wing Olives, midge hatches, streamers and big stones.  The Caddis should also start becoming active in the weeks to come.

So as you can see, I am very excited about the fishing possibilities this spring and summer.  I think you should be too! 

We are starting to book up in some periods of the season and if you want to fish with us please get your dates on the calendar. 

Also remember we dropped our rates this year and there are a few more days to save 10% off these NEW 2014 rates.  Please take advantage of this promotion!

Give me a call 970-668-2583

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Spring is in the Air

Spring seems to be in the air here in Colorado.  The next couple of days we will see temperatures in the sixties in the Front Range and forties up in the mountains.  This kind of weather gives me the itch to get out and enjoy some fishing, trail riding or jut about anything outside to soak up the sun.

A thaw like this happens every year and while I know winter will rear its head once again.  It is sure nice to know the days are getting longer and spring is just around the corner.

So far this winter has been quite spectacular here in the high country.  We have seen many feet of snowfall since the first of the year and our snow pack is up over 100% of average.  This not only means many good things for Colorado and our trout streams, but the West in general.  

An abundance of water is something we have been lacking here in Colorado the past few years. This has put a tremendous strain on our trout streams, forests and economies to name a few.  With the promise of plenty of water in our streams, brings the promise of healthy ecosystems and local economies. This coming summer is looking to be one of the best in years and I am looking forward to all the beauty and joys it will bring.

With late season snowfall last spring and unusual amounts of rain last summer, our reservoirs have been quite full. This has made for great flows out of our tailwaters this winter and that has meant good fishing. 

The Blue locally has been fishing quite good, as well as the Colorado below Williams Fork Reservoir.  Soon many sections of rivers will be breaking free of ice and the late winter, early spring fishing will have plenty of opportunities.  This is always a great time to get on the water and look for unsuspecting trout that readily eat a fly.

Soon we will also be seeing some of the first Blue Wing Olive hatches on the Arkansas and Colorado Rivers.  Then shortly after that comes the Caddis hatch. With the abundance of water in the streams, look for this Mother’s Day caddis hatch to be one of the best in years.

This is an exciting time of year, with change right around the corner.  So many exciting and fun things are to come.  Are you going to join us this summer?   We sure would love to show you a great experience on the river and help you experience the splendor of the spring and summer to come.

To help get you on the water for a fly-fishing experience of a lifetime, we have dropped our prices roughly 10%.  We really want to earn your business and show you a great time. Check our rates out here-

As an added bonus we are offering another 10% off our new 2014 rates, if you book your summer trip by the end of March.  Use code NEW2014

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Great deals for Valentine's Day. Save 25% off guided fishing trips from Blue River Anglers or 20% off tunes from Tunes on the Fly. Go to www.blueriveranglers.com and www.tunesonthefly.com or give me a call at 970-668-2583.

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Happy New Year and Happy Fishing

First of all I want to wish everyone a happy New Year.  I am looking forward to some great things in the year to come.

The New Year always is a great time to clear the slate and build on what you have and think about the year to come. 

That can mean fishing in the next few weeks and months.  Right about this time of year I get an itch to get out on water with some warmer temperatures.  Maybe it’s that the solstice has come and the days are actually getting longer. Or it is just time to get out of the cabin.

This winter has offered some great fishing of the Blue River below Dillon Reservoir.  The flows have been up since September and this has offered lots of Mysis shrimp to the fish.  The fish have been very active on Mysis patterns and other midge and nymph patterns.  Many large fish have been caught and released in the past few months.  The time is now to get out on the Blue River!

There has also been some great fishing on the upper stretches of the Blue between Dillon Reservoir and Breckenridge.  There was a decent run of Kokanee in the river and some nice Browns as well.  This section fishes great in the winter.  If you haven’t checked it out, I would recommend it.

I usually like to escape Summit County this time of year for some warmer temperatures.

One of my favorite escapes is the Arkansas River in the Salida area.  Not only is the fishing great all winter, but also you can expect warmer temperatures and little fishing pressure.  This is always a welcome feeling on the hands while wielding a fly rod or tying a bug on.

Another favorite is the South Platte River in the Deckers area.  I love to hike up into Cheeseman canyon and spot lunkers from the trail.  The fish can be wary but if you take your time and hike a ways up into the canyon the fishing can be great.  The fish are large, you may run into a midge hatch and the scenery is breathtaking.

There are plenty of other options to get out of the cabin and feel some warm sunshine on your back and break the fly rod out of it’s case.  Look to the Roaring Fork Valley and the Frying Pan and Roaring Fork Rivers.  Or maybe you need to get out farther to the San Juan River in New Mexico. Don’t worry in just a few weeks there will be plenty more options, as the longer days warm temperatures and break more rivers from the ice and grip of winter.

If you want to get out for a day on the river please get in touch.  We are offering 15% off all winter fly fishing trips.

Also until the end of January I am going to offer 20% off all guided trips booked for the summer, from 5-1-14 to 10-31-14.  I am opening my schedule up for the summer, so if you would like a day with me.  Book me and take the discount!

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