OUR JOURNAL

A collection of news, features & interesting things.

  • Crystal River Report

    Crystal River – Flow: 979 cfs/Redstone, 1350 cfs/Carbondale Conditions: Currently high and discolored. We will undoubtedly have an amazing summer of fishing this year with the abundance of snow pack! July and especially August and September will be banner months on the Crystal! No worries about low water or high water temps this year – we can’t wait! Like most…

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  • Colorado River Report (Glenwood Springs – Rifle)

    Colorado River – Flow: 9170 cfs/Glenwood Springs Conditions: Currently muddy and cold from warm weather and snowmelt. Junk-rigs consisting of stoneflies, caddis larva, worms and eggs are your best bet. Better fishing can be had elsewhere right now (like the Frying Pan, upper Roaring Fork). Spawning closures are in effect for No Name, Grizzly, Canyon and Elk Creek confluences. Feel…

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  • Roaring Fork River Report

    Roaring Fork River Flow: 503/Aspen (Jaffe Park), 1090cfs/Basalt, 2400cfs/Glenwood Springs Conditions: It’s runoff time – the trend of cool weather giving us small fishing windows and warm weather giving us muddy conditions will continue for the next several weeks. We’ve got a great snowpack this year and are already looking forward to having a sensational summer season under good water…

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  • Frying Pan River Report

    Flow: 170cfs/below Ruedi Reservoir Conditions: While other fisheries in the area are struggling with runoff conditions, the Frying Pan River remains low and clear with good fishing though crowds are fairly high given the lack of options. Higher water flows are finally here again after fishing in a trickle for the past few months. Midges and BWOs are pretty common…

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  • Crystal River Report

    Crystal River – Flow: 208 cfs/Redstone, 325 cfs/Carbondale Conditions: It’s been a big snowpack year along the Crystal River drainage and lately there’s been plenty of low-lying snow melting off with our warmer weather. Like most freestone rivers at this time of year, extended cold snaps in the weather may aid in clearing the river, momentarily providing a fishing window.…

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  • Colorado River Report

    Colorado River – Flow: 2,860 cfs/Glenwood Springs Conditions: Currently muddy and cold from warm weather and snowmelt. During periods of extended cold snaps there’s a possibility that the river might be clear enough to fish but I wouldn’t count on it. Spawning closures are in effect for No Name, Grizzly, Canyon and Elk Creek confluences. Junk-rigs consisting of stoneflies, caddis…

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  • Roaring Fork River Report

    Roaring Fork River Flow: N/A ice/Aspen (Jaffe Park), 421cfs/Basalt, 991cfs/Glenwood Springs Conditions: Our famous ‘Fifth-Season’ is well underway. In fact, warm weather and a big snowpack has made the river discolored the past few days with low-lying snowmelt. This trend of cool weather giving us fishing windows and warm weather giving us muddy conditions will continue for the next several…

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  • Frying Pan River Report

    Flow: 49cfs/below Ruedi Reservoir Conditions: We’ve seemingly turned the corner lately as warmer and longer days are finally here. That’s not to say that we won’t get another spring snow but the changing of the seasons is certainly here in the fishing world. Midge hatches are now fairly commonplace most days with BWOs in lighter but increasing numbers. Thinking of…

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  • Colorado River Report

    Colorado River – Flow: 1,230 cfs/Glenwood Springs Conditions: The lower elevation waters of the Colorado River below Glenwood Springs annually kick-off our famous ‘Fifth-Season’ of fishing. It’s certainly a different year after all of last years weather events down here. Sure, the fishing has certainly been slower than what we were accustomed to but it’s not all doom and gloom.…

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  • Crystal River Report

    Crystal River – Flow: 53cfs/Redstone, 63 cfs/Carbondale Conditions: Not a lot to report here as the majority of the river is still pretty locked-up in ice and snow once you’re out of headquarters here in Bonedale. The fishing down here in town has been pretty decent though. We’ve had quite a few customers and guides telling us about seeing good…

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  • Roaring Fork River Report

    Roaring Fork River Flow: N/A ice/Aspen (Jaffe Park), 184cfs/Basalt, 370cfs/Glenwood Springs Conditions: The fishing has finally changed to point where a new fishing report was needed. Longer, warmer days are here and the fish have taken notice! The select few anglers who’ve been on the water the past two weeks have noticed a very considerable up-tick in the fish and…

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  • Frying Pan River Report

    Frying Pan River Flow: 67cfs/below Ruedi Reservoir Conditions: We’ve seemingly turned the corner lately as warmer and longer days are finally here. That’s not to say that we won’t get another (and another and another) spring snow but the changing of the seasons is certainly here in the fishing world. Midge hatches are now fairly commonplace most days with BWOs…

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  • Colorado River Report

    Colorado River – Flow: 1,340 cfs/Glenwood Springs Conditions: What in the world is going on the with the Colorado River below Glenwood Springs? Well, the way I see it there’s several contributing factors involved that all way over my intelligence and pay grade. We had high water temps all summer that forced a closure and even when the river did…

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  • Crystal River Report

    Crystal River – Flow: 45cfs/Redstone, 71 cfs/Carbondale Conditions: Old-man Winter has been around Redstone and Marble for several weeks (and snows) now BUT the river down in Carbondale has been fishing really well. A good “run” of brown trout occurs along the lower river as fish from the Roaring Fork push into the Crystal in efforts to spawn. Some nice…

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  • Roaring Fork River Report

    Roaring Fork River Flow: 107cfs/Aspen (Jaffe Park), 210cfs/Basalt, 458cfs/Glenwood Springs Conditions: November is by far and away THE month for the brown trout spawn – and subsequently, THE month for egg and streamer fishing. These conditions will last as long as the weather holds in the 40s. As winters’ grip takes hold in December, expect the best fishing window to…

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  • Frying Pan River Report

    Frying Pan River Flow: 54cfs/below Ruedi Reservoir Conditions: We’ve settled into the winter flow regimen – low, clear and cold. Small flies and light tippets are now more crucial than ever. Sporadic hatches of BWOs are still being seen while the midge hatches have yet to really kick-in. Truthfully, December conditions are much more favorable as the brown trout spawn…

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  • Colorado River Report

    Colorado River – Flow: 2,240 cfs/Glenwood Springs Conditions: The river reopened to fishing on August 26th – unfortunately the river is too discolored to fish as water visibility has been ranging from 6-12″ inches. When the river clears here’s what anglers should expect – Attractor nymph patterns like rubberleg stoneflies, worms, princes etc will all catch some fish. PMDs and…

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  • Crystal River Report

    Crystal River – Flow: 76cfs/Redstone, 24 cfs/Carbondale Conditions: WOW!!! — This is THE time of year to experience the Crystal River. The river is low, clear and easily accessible with the fishing conducive to a variety of techniques and flies; dries, nymphs, streamers, Euro, swingin’ wets – all are capable of producing fish on the Crystal right now! Overall, the…

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  • Roaring Fork River Report

    Roaring Fork River Flow: 124cfs/Aspen (Jaffe Park), 425cfs/Basalt, 609cfs/Glenwood Springs Conditions: The water and air temps have cooled off and the fishing has rebounded in a big way. Hatches are consisting of Hoppers, PMDs/Rusty Spinners, caddis and BWOs. With the water dropping, fish are moving off of the banks and into midriver holding areas. The river is at a great…

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  • Frying Pan River Report

    Frying Pan River Flow: 267cfs/below Ruedi Reservoir Conditions: Flows are ideal right now and the water is nice and clear and cold. The green drake/flav hatch is along the upper river now with PMDs still being the most widespread and consistent hatch with a good mix of both pink and yellow bodied duns. Red Quills can also be thrown in…

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  • Colorado River Report

    Colorado River – Flow: 2,060 cfs/Glenwood Springs Conditions: The river reopened to fishing this morning – here’s what anglers should be thinking. Monsoonal rains have been frequent and the water clarity has been temperamental with about 1-2’feet of visibility currently. Attractor nymph patterns like rubberleg stoneflies, worms, princes etc will all catch some fish. PMDs and psuedocleons (small fall BWOs)…

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  • Mystery Hatches On The Frying Pan River

    I’ve always enjoyed the mental parts of fly fishing as much as the physical parts. Watching insect hatches unfold around me in a trout river has fascinated me since I was a child. One of the most mysterious hatches I’ve ever fished occurs on the middle sections of the Fryingpan River during August and September. It’s infamously known as the…

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  • Crystal River Report

    Crystal River – Flow: 165cfs/Redstone, 86 cfs/Carbondale Conditions: The Crystal River has been a bit hit-and-miss lately due to our monsoonal rains causing several mudslides below the town of Crystal (below the Crystal Mill) and above Avalanche Creek. The river has cleared considerably the past two days with about 2-3’ft of water visibility. Overall, the best fishing has been taking…

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  • Roaring Fork River Report

    Roaring Fork River Flow: 206cfs/Aspen (Jaffe Park), 467cfs/Basalt, 728cfs/Glenwood Springs Conditions: The lower river from Carbondale to Glenwood Springs has been fishing well in the mornings up until about 2pm or so. Water temps have been getting up to 68’f – because of that, anglers should be carrying a stream thermometer with them and cease fishing when temps meet or…

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