Well runoff came, and when you read this, runoff will have went here for the Eagle River in the Vail Valley. The fly fishing has been fantastic! We did see the Eagle River reach flows up to 2,000 cfs which is encouraging to know the river got a good flush and cleaning which creates a clean bottom for all of our trout food. The spring runoff provides a cleanse that is desperately needed, and where the runoff takes a lot of silt, mud, sediment, debris, and more downstream, creating a healthy environment for bug life.
We had 6+ solid weeks to get rafts down the river to allow for float fishing but those days are gone (Mostly, those of you with stealth crafts and creek companies can still squeak out a few more weeks or days) but the fishing is still en fuego.
The methods can vary based on the hour of the day and it pays to be prepared. In the past 2 weeks, the Eagle River has morphed every couple of days, and you want to be ready from day to day as the water drops and new holding water is created. You can go from throwing streamers to the aggressive minnow eaters to casting small nymph (16,18,20!) rigs. Be prepared to continue changing your fly presentations until you’ve cracked the code. Once dialed in, stay with the rig that is producing the most eats until or unless they stop eating your offerings. Then change it up again.
The fish have predominantly moved off of the banks and are now in ALL the riffle runs all the way out to the center of the river making for plenty of places for fly fishing. As usual, the best fishing will be in areas of oxygenated water. If you are fly fishing still water and catching fish, great! But if you can find even the smallest riffles producing oxygen bubbles for the fish to enjoy, that’s where you want to be.
Locate the shelves! The Eagle River is loaded with shelves big and small When you see a small or large shelf of rocks that at one point drops anywhere from a couple inches to a foot or so deeper below riffles believe with confidence that there are numerous smart and hungry fish starting at the very moment the shelf drops all the way through the pool or run the shelf has created. The hottest part tends to be that 6 inches to 2 feet below the shelf drop off.
Early morning and late evening to dark programs are in full effect. We started at 5:30am and fished till 9:00 the other morning and then later from 4pm getting to 9pm. Mornings and evenings are cool so pack a hoody and/or a rain jacket. You never know when the afternoon thunderstorms will appear, and while they are not long-lasting, a wet body gets cold with the afternoon winds.
I even saw my first bear of the season scampering along a small hill along the Eagle River! Bonus!
Get ready to throw those dries!
Most importantly, get out there and go fly fishing here in the Vail Valley!
Any questions, comments, or you’d like to share a pic of your recent success, send them our way! If we use your pic in a report we will send you a 1/2 dozen of our flies as a thanks!
alexmbeck@yahoo.com
alex@hillsdiscountflies.netgen.work
HOT FLIES
- Blowtorch
- Night crawler, jigged
- PMD, jigged
- Black Fly Larvae, olive
- Perdigons, muted colors(Tan, white, olive)
