We will get a nice taste of “spring” fishing this week here in the Roaring Fork Valley, and many anglers are getting ready for some fun with the warm forecasts on the horizon.
Nestled in between winter and spring is this little bonus season we are currently experiencing. As you probably know, it’s all about overnight temperatures this time of year, and this coming week is going to be a warm (and hopefully snowy) one before the following week’s cool-down. Rivers like the Roaring Fork and Colorado can be negatively affected when it gets too cold at night, as slush dominates the river surface the next day.
Fishing up the Fryingpan has been quite productive lately, and in the coming week anglers should be able to branch out to some of their other favorite streams here in the valley. Some anglers get a little bummed when it gets crowded under the dam at Ruedi, but this week should help spread anglers out a bit. Winter has a tendency to funnel everyone to tailwaters (dam releases) but the future looks bright for anglers who enjoy the lower Crystal, middle Colorado and almost anywhere on the middle-and-down valley Roaring Fork as well.
Courtesy of Jake Muse
Fly patterns of note this week will be small midges, winter stoneflies, baetis nymphs, worms and small Princes. Fish pile up in the deeps during winter to take advantage of the cover, oxygen and food, so our best advice is to ply the deep pools versus the shallow riffles. That’s not an absolute rule; you might even have some midge dry fly opportunities on the Fork and Colorado if it gets cloudy in combination with the forecast warmth.
One note of caution with our forecast warming trend is to be aware of ice dams while fishing on the Roaring Fork. Ice can break loose in giant wads and wreak havoc out there, so don’t get caught daydreaming, and try to fish with a friend for safety’s sake. We hope you have a safe, warm and fishy week out there before winter comes back!
This report is provided every week by Taylor Creek Fly Shops in Aspen and Basalt. Taylor Creek can be reached at 970-927-4374 or TaylorCreek.com.
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