The Salmonfly Hatch on the Colorado River is the most prolific insect hatch we see in the month of June. This year was no exception as big Salmonflies blanketed the banks, crawled on our clothing and covered the sky. We have had some incredible dry fly fishing on the Colorado River over the past couple days and landed some amazing trout.

More often than not, the Salmonfly Hatch comes during a period of high water making it difficult to pursue these trout with big dry flies. This year we were lucky to have reasonable water flows and great clarity on the Colorado River which allowed us to present large Salmonfly patterns and Stimulators to more than willing fish. We fished undercut banks, canyon walls and shallow riffles with great success. Watching these fish come to the surface to smack your fly is a thrilling experience.

The Salmonfly Hatch on the Colorado River is beginning to dwindle down but if you get up there in the next couple days you still may be able to catch the tail end of it. If you do decide to skip work and give it a go, try the upper river and look for willow covered banks. The Salmonflies like to crawl up these trees and mate. Be sure to fish tight to the bank and do not be afraid to move the fly. Sometimes a little twitch is all you need to entice a strike.

Keep an eye on the water gauge at Kremling as we are on the verge of a huge run off. As soon as they begin releasing water from one of the many dams that feed the Colorado River expect the river to rise rapidly. Best of luck to all you anglers and stay safe out there.