It feels more like January out there today. The low this morning was below zero and we are hoping for a high of 40 degrees. This cold snap has put slush and Ice on the Eagle River but should clear out over the next couple days. The ski resorts are happy with the recent snowfall and some are claiming 72 inches in the high country. While that is all fine and dandy most of us are not ready for ski pants. Despite the recent arctic blast our long range forecast is calling for highs in the upper 40’s with warmer temps further down valley. Prior to this weather system, fishing was red hot and should pick back up once the trout figure out what month it is. Small Blue Wings are still coming off giving us some good dry fly days. Small Para Adams, Roy Palm Special (RIP), Renegade and a variety of BWO Dries are working well on the surface. A lot of fish are suspended during the hatch so it might be wise to run a BWO emerger fly pattern behind a dry.

The streamer bite has been good with a lot of fish hound dogging smaller Slump Busters in Olive & Natural colors. Many of the Trout on the Eagle River have found the slower water but we are also finding a few in the shallow riffs. The river is low and clear making it necessary for 5x-6x tippet. If you are chucking a bobber be sure to start your nymph rig light and add weight as you go. in some areas we have been losing the weight altogether and letting a jig get our flies down. Hot nymph fly patterns have been; Foam Back RS2 (grey/olive), Cream Midge, Purple Thunder, Olive Quill Jig, Pheasant Tail and WD40. Look for the slow buckets and soft seams when fishing under an indicator. The Brown Trout are getting ready to spawn so keep your eye out for Redds. We have not seen many in Wolcott (yet) but be sure to watch your step as you make your way into the River. There are usually a bunch of spawning beds in Gypsum, so if you are fishing in the Hood be sure not to bother them. They are easy to spot, look for the shallow water with a cleared off bottom and a bunch of fish over it. That is a spawning bed.

We are now offering two for one rod fees on our private water. If you have never fished this section of the Eagle River, now is a good time to target unpressured trout on some of the best water in Eagle County. Call us to book your fly fishing trip. 970-368-5959