Rising Fall

It’s hard to believe summer is winding down.  It seems like yesterday that the snow pack was just finishing it’s melt off. Fall is right around the corner and with fall comes cool evenings, blue sky days, vibrant autumn colors and best of all; some of the best fishing of the year.

I always look forward to this time of year.  I can actually get out of the shop and do some guiding and fishing for myself.  The busiest time of year has come and gone and the daily chores slacken. Now I can get out on the river, and let me tell you, this is my favorite times of year to be on the water. 

Daytime temperatures can still get in the eighties and evenings are cool and crisp.  This cool down kick starts some good fall hatches. Grasshoppers, Caddis, Pale Morning Duns, Blue Wing Olives and Red Quills spring into action before the cold of winter hits the river.  There seems to be sense of desperation in the fall air as a last wave of hatches hits the river and a feeding frenzy by the trout follows.

For the next two months this trend dominates Colorado fly fishing, with the Colorado, S. Platte and Arkansas sticking out as a few of my favorites. Some rivers can fish better than others in the fall season. Mostly due to water levels that are too low and fish have retreated to deeper water.  I recommend fishing larger rivers or concentrating on the deeper holes in smaller streams, and make sure to use a stealthy approach. 

Floating the Colorado River would be one of my first choices.  The temperatures are perfect and the fishing maybe better with the Colorado’s abundant aquatic insect life and healthy Brown Trout population.

This is also the time of year the Brown Trout start thinking about spawning and it’s not uncommon to see twenty plus inch Browns in the headwaters of the Colorado, South Platte and Arkansas Rivers. These Browns are very wary and do not come easy to a fly.  Walk the river with a stealthy approach and look for fish in the tail-outs, riffles and always fish the deep holes.  Be ready to hang on and make sure you keep them out of the under cut banks.

I would love to help you experience the great fishing of fall and maybe catch that lunker Brown. 

For the month of September Blue River Anglers will be offering 15% OFF all trips in September and October.  So get me, or one of my guides out of the office, by booking a float or wade trip this fall.