Colorado River Report

*new:* follow us on twitter at: www.twitter.com/tcreekflyshop or follow us on Facebook under "Taylor Creek Fly Shops"or subscribe and follow our blog at: http://taylorcreekflyshop.blogspot.com/

March 8, 2010

FLOW: 1270 CFS

WATER CONDITIONS: The fishing is definately beginning to pick up along the Mighty Colorado! If you are bold enough, the Colorado is where you can find your most pleasant days in January. On days where a few more degrees of warmth will make all the difference, the Colorado offers wide open spaces from Glenwood down to Rifle.

OVERALL RATING: 7 OUT OF 10. In the right hands on the right day the Colorado has the potential to rate as a 7out of 10. You just have to time the weather right. Eggs have continued to supplement great midge fishing opportunities.

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT:BWO's (18-22), Eggs (14-18), Midges (18-22), Winter Stones (8-12), Caddis Larva (16-20)

THE SHORT AND SWEET: Check out our blog for a recent in depth Colorado River fishing report. As we move through February have yourself a nice late breakfast before heading out on the water. Typically the Colorado fishes best between noon and dusk, with dusk offereing up the warmest water temperatures of the day (though not necessarily the warmest air temperatures so you'll still want to bundle up a bit). Eggs and Midges are producing the most fish, while the occasional winter stonefly might bring a big fish up from the deep. The whitefish and browns are nearly done spawning with less and less fish focusing on eggs. The midge hatch has been sensational lately and will become full-blown chaotic by March. Fish are following the bugs, so start out nymphing the deep the slow. By midday though, look for fish to transition into shallower riffles where the midges prefer to hatch. During the last hour of light keep a sharp eye open for noses breaking the surface. Tandem dry fly rigs are the ticket using a hi-vis indicator dry trailed by low-vis, more exact midge imitation.

THE IN DEPTH REPORT: Besides eggs, there's no longer one fly that's a must have as fish are still feeding on a variety of bugs including: Eggs, Cat Poops, Princes, 20 Inchers, Red CJ's, Baetis and Midges. To be successful on the river you need two things: depth and a slow current. As long as you have these two key items you'll find plenty of fish, and good fish at that. In fact, count on having your butt handed to you by these fish. They're just downright that mean and that tough. Wading anglers are all reporting great fishing as well. Glenwood Canyon, Two Rivers Park, Big Johns, Goose Island, Dino, Silt and New Castle are all great access points. Before long, the midge hatches will really come into fruition......hang in there.

Appropriate Patterns 

Nymphs: Cat Poops, Princes, 20 Inchers, Red CJ's, Blings, Boogers, Freestone Emergers, BH Polywings, Thread Body Baetis, Bat Wing BWO's, STD's, Red Headed Step-Childs, Sparklewing RS-2's, Tungsten Hoovers, Zebra Midges, Flashtail Hot Eggs

Dries: Frying Pan Emergers, BDE BWO's, Para Quill BWO's, Sprout Midges, FP Emergers

Hints: Cover water. You'll be hopping in and out of your car going from spot to spot frequently if you're wade fishing. Cover the good water, catch some fish and move on to the next area. You can't expect to fish one or two pools all day long.

Link to the USGS Real Time Flow Chart for the Colorado River