Wright and McGill Superstore Launched

Royal Gorge Anglers has launched a new web site featuring all Wright and McGill products. We have always been a big supporter of this old Colorado Company and since its foray back into fly fishing a few years ago, we have sold lots of W&M products to lots of satisfied customers. Now, everyone can buy these products on line and in addition, we are offering free shipping to all customers in the lower 48. Products are available directly from the factory, so availability will not be a problem unless the factory is backordered. Please go to the new site and take a look. Just click the title of this blog or go to http://www.wrightmcgillsuperstore.com

ARK Fishing

The Ark is looking good even with the rain over the past few days. I guided a half day trip this morning and fish were on Apes with a Red thunder or Red / Silver high voltage PT early in the morning and then Hoppers followed by the same droppers later in the morning. Remember fish are still in tight to the banks. Curtis

Arkansas Finally Fishing Again

After a seemingly endless runoff (sometimes you get what you ask for), the Arkansas is finally dropping and edges are clear. The river is dropping regularly each day and small creeks seem to be back into normal shape or getting there rapidly. With fish stuck on the edges to escape current velocity, fishing is bonehead easy right now. A big PMX trailing a PMD nymph or attractor nymph like a High Voltage Pheasant Tail is a good bet for lots of fish. Wading can still be a bit treacherous, so be careful and don't wade where you can't see your feet. I suspect that the river will now be great until Thanksgiving, so get out there.

South Platte Fishing

With flows in the high 300's the South Platte has been fishing great! The best Flies have been Scuds, Beads, and San Juan Worms trailed by PMD RS2 and Midge Larva. Fish can be taken through out the day with tan caddis if you prefer fishing drys. Then in the afternoon we have been fishing Hopper / Dropper rigs with small Dave's Hoppers or Parachute Hoppers trailing Yellow Thunders or Gold ice. If you like fishing streamers that has also been good on sinking leaders fished tight to the banks. Curtis

Wishing for lots of Water

After a high water spring and marginal fishing conditions due to releases from Twin Lakes to make room for runoff, the river has finally started to really rise. The largest snowpack in about 25 years is waiting for the rivers to take it away. The end result should be a cleansing flow that will remove a decade of silt and other drought related maladies. Hopefully this will be the year that gravel bars clean up, islands disappear and new islands reappear. We'll see.......

Spring Fling and BWOs

We just completed our 7th annual Spring Fling at the Arkansas River KOA at Cotopaxi. We had great weather and a great time. Thanks to all of you who participated. I hope the BBQ was to your liking. I thought it was one of the better fares of late.

BWOs have been hatching away on cloudy days as we prepare for the Caddis Hatch. We have a little more water to contend with this year than we are used to, but that has stabilized water temperatures and should lead to a great hatch. If snowpack stabilizes or some of it evaporates, we are told that BOR may actually cut back on releases in a couple of weeks. We'll see, but if flows stay as they are, it will still be excellent. Get out and fish. April is Numero Uno.

Spring has Sprung for Fly Fishers

The South Platte below Spinney is fishing extremely well right now and some big spawners from Elevenmile are cruising upstream now. Micro eggs, Midge Larva and Black Leeches are the trick. Lots and lots of fish to the net with some 5 to 8 pounders possible.

The Arkansas in Canon City and West to Salida has broken ice free and Browns are having a good ole time on molting Stonefly Nymphs and Caddis Larva. Basically any green Larva in a #16 and a #10 Golden Stone will do the deed. Fish are in deeper runs in the early morning and by Noon have filtered out into prime lies. Some fish are moving to Black or Brown Woolly Buggers. The rivers have certainly come alive the past week and fishing will only get better before runoff, which could be substantial this year, but probably not early. We've got lots of great fishing days before May 15, which is average runoff startup for the Arkansas.

Spring is up next, believe it or not

With the Christmas season upon us, spring is right around the corner. Years pass pretty quickly for me, so as usual I find myself behind in planning for spring fishing. My buddy, Larry Kingrey and I are confirmed for lots of presentations after the 1st. We'll be doing seminars on the Arkansas hatches, how to tie and fish Caddis hatches, and tying and fishing wet flies. I hope we're in your neighborhood and that you'll come out to see us. Our schedule right now looks like this:

January 4,5,6 The Fly Fishing Show...Denver; February 8,9,10 The Albuquerque Sports Show; February 22, Wichita, Kansas Flatland Fly Fishing TU; March 13, Cherry Creek TU, Denver. I suspect we'll add a few more to the list, but I wanted to post these so you can put them on your calendar. We're looking forward to seeing you.........

Bill

Fishing Report

Fishing has been very good over the last week. Fish Have been On hopper / Dropper rigs using a Red October trailing # 16 Red Thunders, #20 Black Ice, # 20 Black Thunders and # 20 Purple High Voltages. Streamer Fishing has Been good in the afternoon With Olive Squirrel Streamers, and Spruce Streamers. Blue Wing Olives have been hatching mid day with fish eating adults even on the sunny days. Curtis

Fishing Report

Fishing was good today. We had clear water from Coaldale up in the morning and grey / olive water at Texas creek in the afternoon. As long as we don't get a heavy rain tonight I think we will have fishable water all the way to Canon City on Sunday. The picture is Evan with his first Arkansas fish. Fish were on # 10 red Octobers, And royal PMX's, # 16 Red thunders, # 16 Red / Silver High voltages and # 16 Orange / Yellow High voltages. Most fish were still on the edges. Curtis

Low Flows and Hungry Fish

After a long spell of heavy rain, the Arkansas has now dropped in flow and is fishing extremely well. Wet flies like the little Brown Hackle Yellow in the photo are responsible for lots of hook ups right now as are the traditional hopper/dropper rigs that are so popular on this river. Approaching fall, we are turning to Royal patterns for the top flies such as a Royal PMX, Royal Wulff or Royal Trude. Copper colored bead heads like Larry Kingrey's Copperhead, Curtis Andrew's High Voltage Pheasant Tail and a standard old Copper John will all take lots of fish when suspended below the big dry fly. Streamers are right around the corner, but for now we need to enjoy the numerous Caddis species that are hatching as well as the sporadic hatches of Red Quills. Me, I'm just waiting for the Royal Wulff hatch..........

Arkansas is fishing well now

The Edges are now clearing from all the rain we have had over the past couple weeks. Flows are still up and pushing the fish to the edges. My wife and myself had an evening float on Sunday the 12Th and did very well with streamers ( muddlers and olive buggers)fished on sinking leaders. We also moved some fish with hoppers. The pictures are of a couple fish that we caught including my wife's first fish on a fly rod! Curtis

Arkansas is Perfect

The Arkansas is now clear and flows have dropped to around 700cfs which is where they will now stay until mid August. We have PMDs, Golden Stones, Yellow Sallies, and incredible late day Caddis hatch and hoppers. Walk/wade fishing is now easy and floating is spectacular. We're starting out the day with a hopper/dropper rig running a Parachute Madam X or Stimulator with a #16 Gold Ice, Yellow Thunder or High Voltage PT in orange/yellow. Afternoons are Caddis, Hoppers, and Yellow Sallies. Caddis are tan and olive bodies in a #16, Hoppers are yellow or olive in a #10 to 14, and Yellow Stimulators or Larry's Yellow Sally in a #16 work well by themselves up until dark. Watch for afternoon thunderstorms which can stain the water and lightening which can stain more than the water.

Fishing Report

Hello, fished the Texas Creek area today and did very well with large hoppers and a # 16 Yellow / Orange High Voltage PT (see Picture ). This bug can be fished for a PMD, Yellow Sally or Red Quill. Edges are clearing nicely, but still remember to use caution if you must get in the water. Curtis

Arkansas in Runoff

The Arkansas has been taking runoff now for the past few days and is yet to crest. We will probably see peak flows by sometime next week and then edges should start to clear, giving us access to lots of fish and lots of hatching Golden Stones. By simply walking shorelines with a #10 Yellow Stimulator you can have the easiest fishing of the year. Pulling a streamer off the bank from a boat is not bad.....as a matter of fact, once we have a clear strip off each bank, it is very good.

Caddis Explode upstream

On Thursday, Caddis literally exploded off the water from Pinnacle Rock to up past Cotopaxi. Today we are experiencing a very strong hatch even to Coaldale. This one's a killer, so get out there over the next two weeks. Very good dry fly fishing on Black Foam Caddis and Larry's Egg Layer.

Chris, Greg and Abby enjoying the Arkansas

Hi,had a full day trip out on the 24th, the weather turned out to not be that bad had some rain off and on along with some wind. Air temp was 48 in the afternoon with water temp 46 to 48. Fish really turned on to BWO nymphs. The best pattern was the Purple Pheasant Tail in a #18 . We also moved a few fish on Brown Hackle yellows and olive buggers. We never had a strong BWO adult hatch.

Fishing Report

Hello everyone had a full day trip today fishing started slow up at Texas Creek but came on strong at about 1100 using a QD Larva / Black thunder rig.Water temp at 1100 at Texas Creek was 50 degrees. We moved down into Canon and found caddis this afternoon. Fishing was hard but if you gave them a pupa on the swing they would take it. As for drys they are starting to get picky and you need a pattern like Larry's hi vis or the brachy adult. Curtis

Caddis Upon Us

Full day guide trip today.....Fished Parkadale in the morning, took a number of fish on size 12 Yellow Sally, and also very productive with a mettalic caddis larva. Afternoon was spent hunting down some risiers on the riverwalk. A strange occurance today, as there were 2 overlapping hatches. First started about 1 PM, 2nd at about 3 PM, and at 430 we had egglayers back on the water. So, there were plenty of bugs, however, the fish were slow to key on them but came along nicely towards the end of the day. Fished a black foam caddis, trailing a Lofontaine Caddis Pupa, this was productive all afternoon.....get on the water, the blow up hatch should be in the next few days!!!!

Hello everyone I just got off a full day trip. Fishing was slow this morning up river, but was ok this afternoon at Parkdale and in Canon City if you found rising fish, then you could take them on a foam body caddis, wire body soft hackle or primetime. Curtis

WE HAVE CADDIS

We had caddis come off today in Canon City. Fish were eating larva ( Larrys QD larva) and adults (Elk hair and Larry's foam body) , fishing was slow on pupa but will pick up over the next couple of days. The adults came off at about 130 and went strong until about 215 when the clouds came over. Water temp. was 56 at 130. So get out and enjoy Curtis

Blue Wings Now....Caddis to Come

Blue Winged Olives have started hatching in earnest this week. Cloudy days are very important to BWO hatches. A little rain, a little snow, a little fog, and all of the above with low clouds will brings lots of bugs up to the surface. Fish follow the emergence all day, beginning with the nymphs close to the streambed and then the drifting larvae to the emerger and then the Adult. BWO spinnerfalls usually occur in this part of the country after dark. The next cloudy day, come to the Arkansas with a box of little Blue Wings in an 18 or 20. OH, be sure to bring the Gore-Tex.

Back From a Long Winter's Nap

Nymphing with Golden Stones, midge larvae, and chartreuse Caddis larvae have taken center stage on the Arkansas right now. Golden Stones from a size 10 to a size 16 are molting and offering themselves to hungry fish in choppy water at the heads of runs. Adult Midges are hatching around Noon until 3PM or so. A #20 Para Adams seems to do the trick. Good stuff to get you out of the house.

Denver Fly Fishing Show

If you live nearby, I hope you went to the Denver Fly Fishing Show. It snowed a foot on Saturday on top of 6 feet that previously fell......therefore....not many folks showed up on Friday. They made up for it on Saturday when the sun came out. Chuck did his usual terrific job of putting on a great show. The new cane rod section was a big hit. I came home with some by Curt Elder for the shop. Great rods for around $800 each....almost unheard of quality for this price. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and said hello. It was good to get our and talk about fly fishing for a change. We're sitting here in a foot of new snow and it was -8 last night. Spring is just around the corner.

Winter on the Arkansas

We'll not spend a lot of time on the blog during the winter, however, we would like you to visit us at the Denver Fly Fishing Show Jan. 5,6,7 2007. We'll be back after it when the spring hatches start. I apologize for the negligence this fall. I had a motorcycle wreck with severe injuries and am just now getting back in shape.

Excellent AM and late PM fishing....

I took this guy on a #16 Egg Laying Caddis evening before last. Fishing is incredible on these bugs with several Caddis hatches occuring late in the day.

Float fishing is hot!!!!!

Float fishing was great tonight using #14 Red Octobers, #14 Royal Wulffs, #16 Yellow Thunders and small hoppers.

Great AM fishing now......

Morning fishing is very good right now with hopper/dropper rigs, ants and Yellow Sallies. Afternoons are slow with the warm days.....deep nymph rigs will work with Yellow Sallies and Yellow Thunder trailing. Late afternoon/evenings patterns are single PMXs and yellow Humpies. The water has a green clarity after the floods of last week ended. Expect more clear water each day now.

July 15th

This picture is Brannon's First Arkansas Brown. Fishing was good on PMD nymphs like Yellow Thunders fished hopper dropper or on a nymphing rig. Water was clear down to Texas creek with edges clear down to parkdale.

Fishing Report June 29th

Fished from Texas Creek down this morning and did good using a #14 yellow stimulator, Yellow Thunders, Gold ice, and red or black Ants. Remember to fish the shore lines, most fish were no more than 4 feet off the shore line.

We're back........

Right now the water is rapidly dropping into condition for the rest of the summer. While still on the high side, fish are beginning to move a little away from the shorelines and back into outside seams and boulder pockets. You'll still find plenty tucked into the dirt, but more and more they will now begin to settle into prime feeding lies along the outside. Stimulators and Stonefly Nymphs of all sizes are working for the Golden Stones and Yellow Sallies. Take care wading.....the current is still a hammer if you make a mistake.

High Water for a while

For the next couple of weeks, the Arkansas will experience rising water and heavy runoff conditions. By June 1, the scouring will be complete and water levels will start to receed. When this happens, we are able to fish adult Stoneflies along the edges from a boat or by walking shorelines. This is the easiest fishing of the year, so stay tuned for updates. In the meantime, get in a whitewater raft and have some fun. That's a great way to spend an afternoon with the kids. Let us know if we can book one for you.

Lots of Fish on Now......

Some guys are just better than others. Nice fish from Caddis frenzy yesterday. Fish are on a variety of Caddis patterns and fishing in most places is just plain silly.

Egg layers were hot last evening....with BWOs as well

Bill,



Quick update. Went to Spike Buck yesterday afternoon. Cloudy, drizzle, and 40 degrees. Started at east end of Spike Buck and worked my way up about a mile or so along the south shore. Threw an egg layer. Not many on the water but I found that throwing the fly up against rocks in the water and let the eddy carry them back around I got plenty of strikes. In fact one of my best days on the water. Must have had at least 25-30 hook ups and landed about 20 fish. Some good size ones in the 14-16 inch range and chunky. Many small ones too. It was a blast. I watched a few egg layers hit the water and watched the action. As they swirled in the eddy’s they got swallowed up so I did the same and same results. Great time. Only spent about 3 hours tops on the water too.



Thought you’d like to know.



John

Spent Caddis

  

Caddis Update......

Fish yesterday were hard on egglayers from Texas Creek up to Cotopaxi in the afternoon. Clouds of gravid females were on the water around 3PM. Emergence of new bugs was slow, but should be big today around Vallie Bridge. Even in cool weather, the fish have eaten pupa continuiously. This hatch is a little sporadic, but fishing is certainly very good. Lots of new fly fishers hooking up.

Larry

We fishd near Texas Creek this morning, water temp was 49 at 8:30, took a long time to warm up, only 51 at 9:00. Fishing was slow, some on larvae and pupae. Moved down to Parkdale at noon, water was 5 degrees warmer, fish were eating pupa on the swing. About 2:30 began to see good numbers of rising fish, and took them on foam caddis for 2- 2 1/2 hours. Some fish on egg layers later.

Fish are staying on Pupa....

Since water temperatures are not soaring towards 60 degrees, fish are continuing to eat Caddis pupa voraciously in the mornings thru early afternoon. A pretty good hatch is going on the Canyon City riverwalk right now and the adult numbers should increase a lot this weekend. Concentrate on fishing the pupa wet fly style and fish egglayers after 5 PM for the best dry fly fishing.

Larry

My trip today was instruction for an intermediate fisherman,so we weren't hunting fish real hard. Water temp at Parkdale this morning did not break 50 degrees until nearly noon. Some fish were taking caddis pupa on the swing, and got a couple of takes on stimulators on top. We saw a light caddis hatch in Canon City this afternoon, with some egg laying activity. Water temp was nearly 60. The sun was high and bright, so not much surface action--Should be better when light level is lower, or more bugs.

fishing

Hello, I had a half day trip today and the fishing was good on caddis pupa and wet flies at parkdale this morning. I did not see any adult caddis this morning but I did see some in Canon City this afternoon. Curtis

Caddis

Hello everyone this Curtis and I was able to get out for about an hour today from 2pm-3pm and I found some caddis in Canon City on the river walk. We also got reports of some caddis at parkdale. The fishing was not great today for me but I did get one in that hour on a bubble pupa. The fishing will only get better now as the hatch grows, so make plans to come over and fish soon.

Blue Wings are GREAT and Caddis are knocking...

Guides today had great success with BWO nymphs. Flies like a Black Thunder and Black Ice in #20 were excellent. Fish were not moving to Caddis pupa as they were yesterday. Caddis are right on the cusp of hatching in the lower river. As soon as the pupa start to drift in the water column, the fish will be on them. If you don't see fish, stay with rigs underneath but not on the bottom. Use small split shot and drift the nymphs up in the buffer zone. We're on Caddis Watch now, so be ready.........

BWO emergers rule the afternoon

Wind has been a factor over the past couple of days, but BWOs have been coming off anyway. We had good strong hatches in the Canon City to Texas Creek water this afternoon and wind was actually a little milder in Canon than it was upstream......Larry's Iceberg Baetis has been the number one weapon. Fish it off a Black Ice nymph in late morning and pull it up in the film in the afternoon with a greased leader technique or behind a dry fly. This thing is devastating but hard to see, so I like the target fly approach. Fish are holding in pocket water and foam lines. Expect BWO activity to get really good with clouds later in the week. Water flows will start coming down on Thursday, making wading and finding fish a little easier and floating a little harder.

BWO Increase in Intensity Under the Clouds

BWO hatches today moved from sporadic to fair. We have taken fish on adults, but primarily on emergers. Patterns like RS2s, Larry's Iceberg Baetis, Chocolate foam wings, and Cold Turkey Baetis all took fish today from 11AM to about 2PM. Nymphing with a Golden Stone and a dark Baetis nymph like a Black Ice or Pheasant Tail produced fish this morning. Spring hatches are here.

Arkansas Turning On Quickly

Over the past 48 hours, the Arkansas has been doing its thing. Stonefly nymphs are molting in the mornings and fish are moving to them in choppy, current tongues. This afternoon, BWO nymphs really started moving around and the fish keyed on them big time. Fish a short leader with a Golden stone nymph in the morning and use the bounce nymph method. In the afternoon, rig a double nymph system with a #10 BH Prince trailing a #20 Black Ice or Cold Turkey (or your favorite BWO nymph).....fish this afternoon moved into prime lies for the first time this spring. Best areas were Canon City, Parkdale, Texas Creek and Vallie Bridge. The other areas exposed to sunlight were probably just as good. IT'S BAAAACK........

Mother Nature's Revenge

Very seldom in life, or at least in the past 15 years, can you be at the bend pool on the Frying Pan at 11:00 AM on a Saturday morning and not see anyone. I was on the river this past Saturday with my son who met me for a little February fishing excursion. The air temp at the time I took this photo was 2 below 0 with a fifteen mph wind out of the SE. Even the guide I met was leaving with his clients. Sometimes even the tailwaters are just too cold, even for a nineteen year old fish hound like my son. The skiing is great by the way.....

Winter Fishing picking up for this time of year

Right now we are taking quite a few fish along the Canon City Riverwalk, the water just below the Texas Creek Store, County Rd. 45 and the Salida leases and SWAs. Fish are moving the dark stonefly nymph patterns such as a #10 BH Twenty Incher with a red midge larva point fly like a #20 Red Copper John. Some fish in the Canon City area on a #20 Black Ice behind a Rubberleg stone. Get out and have some fun in this unusually warm January. We've probably got payback coming before February is over.

All Frozen Up

Here's the Arkansas today above Pinnacle Rock. Tough to get a drift through a foot or more of ice. That's what 20 below will get you. Expect to see Bighorn Sheep Canyon ice bridged from Texas Creek to Spike Buck for the remainder of the winter. There is open water above Texas Creek, but shoreline ice is trecherous, so be careful. Try the riverwalk in Canon City or below the dam at Pueblo.

It's cold out there!!!!!

Over the past two nights, the temps have dropped below 0 at the headwaters, so river temps have dropped now as well. Look for fish in the deeper runs and pools. Place a nymph right in their face and get a good, slow drift.... 

My favorite right now....the Gray Ghost

Get out there while you can....

Fishing is good now but sporadic. Post spawn fish are on streamers at the tails of runs and lots of fish are picking up Red Copper Johns dragging a #20 Baetis nymph. Not much surface activity at all, but the weather is nice and the fish are willing. That won't last much longer.....

Survival of the Fittest

This time of year a lot of fish simply don't survive the rigors of spawning. You will see them in eddys and pools either dying or already dead. This is only a small percentage of the fish in the river so don't be alarmed. They are either weak or old, or both.

Fall in Colorado......

I thought this made a pretty special statement......

Colorado and Old Glory 

Arkansas clear now...

The Arkansas is clear now and fishing great on deep nymph rigs like a BH Prince trailing a Pheasant Tail or Baetis nymph in a 20. Hopper/dropper rigs will work today as the water temperatures warm up. There are some realeases from Twin Lakes that are keeping water levels around 400 cfs. Actually that should make fishing better.

O'Haver is getting cold

We fished O'Haver yesterday and the wind was cold and fish were deep and disinterested for the most part. Give it a few days to stabilize after this cold front. Should be good to go by Sunday. Try Olive Buggers, Red Copper Johns, and Renegades.

The Colorado High Country has on it's best dress right now. Get up this weekend before the wind takes it away..... 

Check out this private pond piggy..... 

Ark is low, clear and good to go....

The Arkansas fished great today and yesterday on hopper/dropper rigs with an Orange Stimy trailing a Copperhead and a third fly behind the Copperhead. Larry's new Cold Turkey Baetis is killer and we'll have it up on the store tomorrow. Check out the bigger fish in the heavy water current tongues in the afternoon. A bounce nymphing method with a big stonefly nymph or Bead head Prince does the trick with lots of split shot and 2X tippet.