Spring fishing is in full effect on the Eagle River. With fish starting to come out of their winter feeding behavior and hatches picking up, they are hungry and eager to eat. Fish are still spawning, so being aware of redds and where you are fishing is still important. Leave fish that are actively exhibiting spawning behavior alone to do their thing and make sure there are fish to catch for generations to come.
Upper Eagle
On the upper Eagle particularly from Minturn to Edwards, streamer fishing is fantastic, with fish eagerly chasing small streamers like wooly buggers and slump busters. Dry fly fishing can also be very good in these areas, especially in the afternoons, when large hatches of caddis and mayflies are growing increasingly more common. Black and brown caddis patterns have been most effective, especially when there is some cloud cover. A productive tactic has been fishing a small foam body caddis with a caddis pupae behind it. The trusty Parachute Adams has been another productive dry fly. Try fishing a small Parachute Adams in a size 18 or 20 behind a size 16 Elk Hair Caddis if you are looking to fish dries.
Lower Eagle
On the lower sections of the Eagle, from Wolcott down, nymphing has still been the most consistent way to pick fish. Water levels are much lower than they typically are during run off which is great news for wade anglers because many spots that are not accessible during high water are in prime condition for wading. With the warm weather fish have slowly been moving out of the slow deep water into faster riffles. Look for fish in seams between fast and slow water as well as off shelves where the water suddenly gets deeper. Fish have been consistently eating larger pheasant tail, caddis pupae, and midge patterns. Dry fly fishing can also be good on the lower Eagle, particularly in slower water and up against the banks.
Tyler Banker