Eddie Olwell
Fishing has slowed in the last couple weeks due to low flows, hot temperatures, and the waning of abundant summer hatches.
Like everything else the dog days of August have arrived a couple weeks early. There are still opportunities out there to catch trout, you just might have to put in more of an effort.
There is 150 cfs of FWP contract water currently being released from Painted Rocks. This cold water from the bottom of the reservoir is keeping water temperatures cool and favorable for trout down to about Wally Crawford.
Downstream from there, water temps are rising well above 66 degrees and even up to low 70’s which can be dangerous for trout. Please keep track of water temperatures and refrain from fishing when water temperatures reach above 65 degrees in the afternoon.
As trout are stressed please practice good catch and release tactics to reduce mortality. Those include fish barbless hooks, play and land fish quickly, keep fish in the water (skip the grip and grin photos), and revive fish before release.
If you head out, there are still pmd’s and spinners on the water as well as the large nocturnal golden stones in the morning. Terrestrials (grasshoppers, beetles, and ants) are bringing up some fish and should be in your fly box. Hopper dropper rigs are a bit of a mainstay this time of year as most larger trout aren’t coming to the surface.
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