The Eagle River has been fishing exceptionally well! With fall right around the corner bringing shorter days and cooler nights, water temperatures have stayed comfortable enough to fish throughout the day. Early in the week, we’re expecting cloud cover, followed by some late-week showers—ideal conditions for an epic Blue-Winged Olive (BWO) hatch.
There’s no need to be on the water at first light. Fishing has been most productive from late morning through early afternoon as both water and air temperatures rise. Bug activity is steady during this window, with a strong feeding push until around 1 p.m. Things tend to slow mid-day, but evening hatches pick back up nicely as the sun dips low.
This week’s forecasted cloud cover should make for especially consistent BWO hatches. Adams Parachutes in size 16, along with smaller BWO dries, have been excellent for targeting rising fish. Tricos have also been a major player—when you hit them at the right time, late mornings can be lights-out.
A great way to fish the Trico hatch is with a mini-rig: start with a larger hopper, drop to a size 16–18 soft-hackle pheasant tail, and trail a size 22 black crystal-wing RS2. Add a #6 split shot between the two nymphs to keep things in the zone. Focus your efforts on feeding fish in foam pools or work the shallow riffles for best results.
The Upper Colorado has been on fire. With recreational rafting traffic winding down, fish are noticeably less pressured and more willing to eat. Early mornings before the first hatch have been excellent for streamer fishing. Olive and black have been standout colors, with Rusty Trombones and Sculpzillas fished alongside a trailing black bugger producing great results.
As the hatches begin, switching to a dry-dropper setup has been highly effective. Smaller soft hackles or CDC pheasant tails fished beneath a chubby Chernobyl or hopper pattern have been getting plenty of attention, as well as the Black Crystal-Wing RS2 size 22. Changing focus as the day goes on, nymphing has proven to be the way to go during the heat of the day after the hatches have slowed. Productive flies include Barr’s Emerger BWOs, RS2s, olive Perdigons, and pheasant tails.
Mandy Hertzfeld