It’s one of our favorite times to be on the water. Fall colors are at their peak and the Vail Valley scenery is absolutely stunning. This week is shaping up to be a beautiful one weather-wise, and it’s the perfect excuse to pull out the waders and a few extra layers for crisp days on the river. With cold nights and cool mornings, we’re not rushing to hit the water at first light—an extra cup of coffee and a little patience for the water to warm up go a long way this time of year.
The Eagle River saw a nice bump in flows overnight after the recent rain, now sitting at 127 cfs, with water temps ranging from 48–52°F depending on the stretch. These conditions are ideal for wade anglers, and fishing has been excellent if you’re dialed into the hatches and fish behavior. Hatches remain similar to last week, with only slight changes. Tricos—both males and females—are coming off from late morning into early afternoon. Fish are keying in on RS2 patterns in gray and black, sizes 20–24. A productive way to fish the hatch is with a mini-rig: start with a larger hopper, drop down 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 nymphs to keep them in the zone. Focus on foam pools or shallow riffles for the best action. Once the Tricos fade, look for a Pseudo Baetis hatch—small olive foam emergers in sizes 22–24 have been effective. Blue-Winged Olives are also appearing sporadically throughout the day, especially with cloud cover. Parachute Adams in size 16, smaller BWO dries, and Barr’s Emergers (BWO color, sizes 18–20) have all been producing well on rising fish.
The Colorado River has been fishing much the same in terms of hatches. Flows on the Upper Colorado are around 1,160 cfs with water temps holding between 50–57°F depending on location. Early mornings before the first hatch have been lights-out for streamers. Olive and yellow have been standout colors, with Rusty Trombones, Sex Dungeons, and smaller Sculpzillas all moving fish. Adding a trailing black bugger often seals the deal for more committed eats. As hatches kick in, dry-dropper setups have been highly effective. A chubby Chernobyl or hopper with a smaller soft hackle, CDC pheasant tail, or size 22 black crystal-wing RS2 beneath has been drawing plenty of attention. Nymphing deeper pools and runs has also been productive, with Barr’s Emergers (BWO), RS2s, olive Perdigons, and pheasant tails all getting solid results.
Looking ahead, we’re preparing for the fall run as fish begin moving upriver to spawn. Expect them to grow more aggressive and a little less selective—making streamers, egg patterns, and larger bugs the go-to choice in the coming weeks.
Mandy Hertzfeld