When will the rain stop you ask? I really don’t know to tell you the truth. I’m just praying that the water stays pretty much clear. Usually after this much rain the delta is a wash out. It will take about three days of no rain to clear up to fishable clarity. I went on Dan Blanton’s  site ,a well-known fly fisherman and guide,and some one asked if the water clarity was still fishable and he was directed to CDEC,[ California Data Exchange Center] site, go to river conditions and look up the Sacramento River and it will give you the average water clarity for the month of  january 2010 or all of 2009.The higher the number the dirtier the water.It also gives you water temps, flows and oxygen levels for the water you’re interested in fishing. Not bad for free.

  That took me a while to figure out but being a fisherman I did it. I’ve pasted the page below so you can have a look-see at it. Hope this is useful to you, untill then  see ya.

Grumpus Grange

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With September upon us and Labor Day around the corner, fall fishing has arrived on the Arkansas. Flows are lower than average right now with about 90 cfs in Hayden Meadows and Granite, 254 cfs in Browns Canyon, and 270 cfs at Wellsville in Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The Bureau of Reclamation is not planning to move more water any time soon so, though other entities could impart some change to flows, I would expect the river to remain between 250-300 cfs for the balance of the season.

What does this mean? Low, clear flows are very beneficial to the fishery. In order to thrive, a brown trout must take in more calories than it expends and this is more easily accomplished in a river like we have now. The lower current velocity makes much more of the river bottom usable habitat for the fish, decreasing competition along the edges and putting more fish out where the food is flowing by. The shallower water also allows a fish that is hugging the bottom to still have access to all of the food that is present in the water column, including on the surface. The type of flow situation we now enjoy generates the best growth rates in fish of the year.

 For the wade angler, these flows mean opportunity. One can access nearly every part of the river under these conditions and fish will be found in a broader selection of habitat. On the other hand, they are a bit more selective right now – they have more time to look at your offering – and have experienced some reeducation over the last two months. The low, clear flow means you and your leader/tippet are more visible too so wearing muted colors, keeping a low profile and fishing lighter tippets or fluorocarbon will improve your success.

 For the float-fisherman, these flows can be challenging. While we are still floating the river every day the technical nature of some of the moves presents a challenge to the private float angler. And the presence of the boat does have an impact on the fish. We are often boating one side of the river and fishing the other side or middle. Many of us are slowing down, walking the boat quietly through productive water, and doing are best to minimize the shadow we cast. Both approaches to the river are productive now, but modifications have to be made to either for best results.

 In addition to our Arkansas River trips, we will be running our boat trips to Spinney Mountain and Antero Reservoirs through September. We are still having wonderful days on some of the high lakes of the San Isabel National Forest, too, as cutthroats try to fatten up as much as possible for the long winter ahead.

 Fall is the most beautiful time of year in the upper Arkansas River valley. We hope the season will include opportunity to cast your line upon these waters.

 Greg Felt

ArkAnglers

If you follow our fishing conditions page on www.arkanglers.com, you know that prophesy is not necessarily my strong suit. Especially when it comes to projecting river flows. I have been watching this river for many years, serve on the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District board, and have many contacts in the rarefied chambers of water management. Despite these advantages, I am often surprised, if not downright contradicted, by the behavior of this river in May and June. Now that it is July, I will humbly crawl out of my cave of humility and see if I can see my shadow, or at least see my way out of the woods.

We had an early peak around Memorial Day and then cool weather dropped and cleared the river for awhile. We had a second lower peak in mid-June and then the river dropped again. And then last Friday the river rocketed to its highest flow yet, the result of heat, the high angle of the sun, continued west-slope imports, and full storage vessels on the upper river. Monday morning we were at 3530 cfs at Wellsville. Today we are already back down to 2630 and dropping. It has been a prolonged process but it looks like we are finally headed into summer flows on the Arkansas.

All has not been doom and gloom during this time. The fishing at Antero Reservoir has been insane – many trips catching 30-40 fish or more and many fish over 5 lbs. The upper end of the Arkansas, above the confluence with Lake Creek, has been overrun with caddis and a variety of stoneflies. The main channel has been too burly to fish but the side channels and pockets in the grass have been full of aggressive feeders. Over the last three weeks, most of our high lakes have opened and cruising cutthroats have challenged the blood pressure of a number of ArkAnglers’ guests. All of these waters, and our lovely tributaries, will continue to produce even as we turn our attention back to the Arkansas. There is no shortage of fishing opportunities in July and August!

What can we expect on the big river? I think we will be dropping into the Very Fishable flow range of 1600 and below by early next week. At that level, the river is out of the willows and there is plenty of good structure breaking up the flow along the banks. Golden stoneflies will still be in evidence but yellow sally stoneflies and pale morning dun mayflies will take center stage. Hoppers will be profuse along the banks and caddis, in a variety of sizes and colors, will fill in the gaps. July and August represent some of the best dry fly fishing of the year. Mornings may suggest a beadhead dropper but midday to evening should be double dries along the edges, my favorite combo being a size 16 yellow stimulator followed by a 16-18 light cahill (pmd).

Oceanic and atmospheric observations are suggesting a fair bit of moisture in the rockies this summer. So we may see some days when monsoon rains murk up the lower river and push our trips upstream. Outside of those occasional events, we expect great fishing in Bighorn Sheep Canyon for the next 120 days. Depending on how you look at it, that’s a long time or will be gone before we know it. Either way, we hope you will find your way to the Arkansas this summer or fall.

We update our website almost every day. And we are here on the phones and email from 8-6, seven days a week (8-5 on Sunday). Please call us if we can help you with information, equipment or a trip. And we look forward to your next visit.

Best Regards,

Greg Felt

ArkAnglers

Every year at this time, nature affords us a few weeks to regroup from the spring and reload for the summer. Actually, it is often more like a month. But this year has been different with intense heat coming early and a large amount of snow melting in May, ahead of schedule. And while a cool, moist weather pattern circulates over the upper Arkansas River basin now, the fact is that we are moving through the runoff period quite gracefully thus far. We have seen the river go as high as 3350 cfs this spring but now it is back down to 2120 cfs with good visibility along the edges and NOBODY fishing. Moving upstream, flows become increasingly fishable, with about 550 cfs in Hayden Meadows and 1810 cfs in Browns Canyon.

A common misconception at this time of year is that one can’t catch fish above a certain flow level (fill in the blank, everyone has their own opinion) or turbidity (this ranges from crystal clear to coffee with cream). In my experience, there is no limitation based on flows or turbidity.  There are no absolutes, rather it is the relationship between yesterday and today that matters. 2120 cfs is a lot of water, and two feet is not a lot of visibility (both looked at from Arkansas River standards), but if it was 2500 yesterday and one foot of visibility, then the trend is decidedly positive and fish will respond accordingly. (As I am writing this, a local angler just walked in. He had just spent a few hours fishing the County Line section in upper Bighorn Sheep Canyon and had tremendous action along the shoreline). Runoff does not appear as a steady slope on a graph. It is a series of peaks and valleys with a lot of plateaus mixed in. Any time things flatten out or drop, clarity improves at the same time that fish become established in their positions. This is when hungry fish go nuts!

The way this runoff is playing out, I do not anticipate the river getting really high. It may not even hit the high point of 3350 cfs set last Friday. As a result, there are going to be plenty of days over the next three weeks that will fish quite well. After that, summer and stoneflies are full on. It all looks pretty good from here on out.

For those who are impatient, or don’t want to wager on peaks versus plateaus, our trips to Antero Reservoir have been absolutely red hot. We are talking about high fish counts and big fish in a beautiful setting on a comfortable boat. If you have wondered about this South Park fishery, now is the time to hit the water. We have good availability in the weeks ahead.

Warm weather and longer days have brought snowmelt into the Arkansas River, raising the water levels and increasing the turbidity. Conditions are poor from Salida down but we are still fishing the river from Browns Canyon on up. Caddis continue to hatch in Browns Canyon and the section between the canyon and Buena Vista, and blue wing olives continue to emerge on cloudy days as well. While we continue to float and wade the river, this time of year our attention is diverted by other options:

Antero Reservoir – Our boat-based trips on Antero have been incredibly productive recently. Many fish caught and some of excellent size, as the photo below demonstrates.

These trips depart daily early – 5:30-6:00 am – and the wind can bring them to an end by early afternoon. But the fishing is incredible right now and we highly recommend this trip. Larry Friedrichs and Larry Stiefel both have custom fishing boats so we have  four person per day capacity. This trip is a great alternative to the river from now through the end of June.

Mid-Elevation Lakes – There are many options opening up in the valley right now that offer the peace of a lake in the mountains coupled with hungry feeding fish. On some of these lakes, we are able to launch our float fishing rafts for better access. On others, we work the shoreline.

Tributary Streams – Some of the tributaries are raging, but many are fishing well already. Fish are hungry in these streams and a dry-dropper rig works fantastic. While the pressure can be significant in the summer, early season fishing there is excellent.

We have been keeping close tabs on the river conditions. Visit our conditions page at www.arkanglers.com for the latest updates. If these trips are of interest, or if you want to plan ahead for stonefly fishing in the second half of June, call us at 719-539-4223 or email us at info@arkanglers.com.

We look forward to fishing with you!

Many who monitor conditions on the Arkansas River know that winter and early spring flows have been unusually high this year, the result of releases from Twin Lakes. The Bureau of Reclamation has been moving water from Twin Lakes to Pueblo Reservoir in order to vacate space for imports from the Frying Pan drainage during runoff. The large releases reflected the intent of the Bureau to move this water early, so that they would be able to reduce flows during the critical period of 4/1-5/15. Though late storms could necessitate some additional mild releases, the Bureau has completed its plan on time and is now stepping down the flows over the next four days. By Friday, the entire 330 cfs run from Twin Lakes will be reduced to zero, leaving us with a Wellsville flow around 300 cfs.

To say this is good news would be an understatement. Spring flows of 250-400 cfs are optimal for the brown trout fishery:

-         Dropping the flow reduces the current velocity, allowing brown trout to make use of much more river bottom habitat. This reduces competition, allowing more fish to feed more effectively.

-         In April and May, reduced flows allow the water temperature to warm more, strengthening the hatches and increasing trout metabolisms.

-         Lower flows also lead to better recruitment of brown trout fry as they emerge from the redds in April.

-         Low flows make wading easier and make more of the river accessible to anglers.

While it is early yet to project, it looks like flows will remain quite low well into May. There may be an occasional slug of murky water due to rain or melt from an abnormally hot day, but true runoff will probably not be a factor until May 20^th or so.

Blue wing olives are hatching consistently now and caddis should begin to emerge in Canon City in 2-3 weeks. There are a few caddis around, not the species that causes all the excitement, but fish will take them off the surface late in the day. Stonefly nymphs and caddis larvae continue to take a lot of fish early in the day while the afternoons are devoted to blue wing olives.

If you’ve been holding out for dry fly fishing or easier wading, the wait is over. Both are happening now on the Arkansas.

Greg Felt

Water is still on the rise,good for the run.There should be a lot of  silver throughout the weekend & early next week.

Water is  rising,once again another fresh run should be coming up over the weekend.The searun season is fast coming to an end so get out while you can enjoy it

Unseasonably warm weather has motivated the fish, bugs, and anglers to begin the annual dance a bit early this year. As my colleague, Bill Edrington, down in Canon City has noted, this past January provided the best winter fishing conditions he can remember. Thus far February seems to be sending us more of the same. And though winter weather will surely come and go in the three months ahead, the fishing on the Arkansas is clearly underway. As of today, we are enjoying a high of about 60 degrees. There is no wind at mid-day and not a cloud in the sky. The river is running about 400 cfs at Wellsville, and fluctuating in temperature from the low 30s to low 40s in each 24 hour cycle. Clarity is good. The only hatches we experience at this stage of the season are midges. And we have had some pods of rising fish on still, warm afternoons. The nymphing has been much more consistent. Most folks are running a stonefly nymph as a lead fly and following that with a black or olive midge pupa. Red is also typically a good color at this time of year. The fish are still congregated in the deeper holes but are moving down toward the tailouts (maybe two thirds of the way down, in 2-4 feet of water) in the afternoons. Sun on the water is a good thing, warming both the water column and the bottom itself. With the weather so fine and anglers testing the water, our phones are starting to ring with inquiries regarding spring trips. We are open right now for wade trips and will begin floating in early March. For those looking to float or to wade fish our private water during the caddis hatch, we encourage you to start planning your trip soon and contact us to make reservations. Some dates are already filling in! For those with a keen interest in the future of the Arkansas River, the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area is seeking input from interested parties on the management of the state park. The input will be processed through the A.H.R.A’s citizen task force. One of the two angling reps on the task force is our own Rod Patch, who is seeking input on issues that impact angling on the Arkansas river. If you have an issue that you would like to see discussed please respond to info@arkanglers.com , and we will see to it that your voice is heard. We look forward to seeing everyone again this spring! Greg Felt

Things are pretty quiet here in Salida. We have had some good afternoons of nymphing – no ice or slush and relatively active fish when the sun is shining. There are very, very few people venturing out onto the river at this time but we are receiving some favorable reports. Another month and the stonefly nymphs and certain caddis larvae will become much more active.

Of far greater interest for anglers right now is the Pueblo tailwater, which is consistently producing strong midge and blue wing olive hatches. At a time when folks are searching for good nymphing opportunities, our Pueblo guides are enjoying regular hatches with rising fish. That, coupled with the gentler climate of Pueblo, makes for a great day of winter fishing. Our Pueblo shop is open Monday-Saturday and Alex and Catherine are ready and able to help you find your way down there. We do offer guided wade trips on this stretch through the winter for those who desire it, but we have free maps, advice, and a well-stocked store there for everyone. Feel free to call the Pueblo shop at 719-543-3900 with any questions.

Our Holiday sale continues in Pueblo as well. In addition to discounted rods, reels, and Simms waders, we still have three different models of personal watercraft from Outcast that are 40% off! Come by, or call the shop for a list of sale items. We will gladly ship to those who can’t make the trip.

Spring is coming soon, and with it, the caddis and baetis hatches on the upper river. If you want to fish private water this spring, or join us for a float trip, we urge you to start looking at your calendar and call us for reservations. Phone 719-539-4223 or email to greg@arkanglers.com.

We look forward to fishing with you soon!

Over the past few weeks we here at Arkanglers have been receiving questions regarding our participation in a fly fishing show this winter.  We felt it necessary to inform those who are interested as to why we have decided to stay home this year.  Over the past nine years Arkanglers’ show effort had grown to a 1000 square foot booth with an extensive offering of fly fishing tackle.  The show had become an annual event for the entire company.  We invested many man hours as well as a sizable monetary investment each year.  We felt then and still feel that a consumer show which focuses solely on fly fishing is a great idea.  We also feel strongly that the entire fly fishing industry needs to take part in such a show.  As many of you know last year there was a split show scene in Denver, which in our view greatly compromised our ability to be profitable.  We also feel strongly that the two show choice given to consumers last year was unfair and watered down.  Due to the fact that there is no longer a fly fishing only show, with the full support of the fly tackle industry in Denver, we will stay home.  If, at some point in the future, the two shows can combine their efforts and put forward a show that the entire industry can support, then Arkanglers will return.  Until then we will invest our time and money in other endeavors.  

Our participation in the Denver shows in the past accomplished many objectives for our company. One of those was to convert discontinued models of inventory into cash that could then be reinvested into in-line product for the upcoming season. We still have a good avenue for accomplishing that objective and we are doing it right now – we have a major sale going on at our Pueblo store. Pasted in below is a running spreadsheet of discounted merchandise that is at the Pueblo shop as of today (12/4). If you see something that interests you, please call Alex or Catherine at the Pueblo store (719-543-3900). They will be glad to ship anything to you in time for the holidays. Better yet, take some time to go visit the shop, check out the bargains, and spend some time fishing on the Pueblo tailwater section of the Arkansas. The fishing has been outstanding down there lately with good midge and blue wing olive hatches and a lot of nice-sized fish to hand. The Pueblo store has maps of the area and the staff there will be glad to help you locate a good area to fish and make sure that you are well-equipped for the experience.

Have a look at the list below, let us know if we can help you, and have a wonderful holiday season!

Greg Felt and Rod Patch

ArkAnglers

The Arkansas River continues its amazing fall dance, with fall colors only just beginning and hatches that are normally long finished continuing to draw trout to the surface. Blue wing olive mayflies are always the obvious hatch this time of year but for reasons unclear we continue to see pale morning duns, red quills, big stoneflies, and a variety of caddis all active on the river. Hoppers, beetles and ants only add to the picnic. And while prognostication becomes less and less appealing to me with age, I can’t help but think that the indicators are that fishing will be great for quite a while to come. We can only hope for an autumn like last year where fish were active through November.

For those contemplating a final guided trip of the year, we will be float-fishing through October (maybe later) and wade fishing right through the winter. It is beautiful on the water right now. Come up if you can!

On another note, our friends at the River Run Inn are putting their property on the market. It is a going concern as a B&B but would also make an awesome fishing lodge for a group of convivial anglers. I’ve provided some listing information below:

 For Sale:  Prime Arkansas River Frontage & Historic Residence in Salida Colorado:  under $1.3 million

Own your piece of fly fishing paradise in the Arkansas River Valley.  The River Run Inn has been operating along the banks of the Arkansas River for over 20 years as a Bed and Breakfast.  In that time we and our guests have enjoyed a long standing relationship with the good folks at Ark Anglers (http://www.arkanglers.com).

Highlights of this property include:

·         5 acres with 1/8^th of a mile of private frontage on the Arkansas River

·         spectacular views to the West of the Sawatch Range including Mt. Shavano, Mt. Antero, Tabauache; Mt Simmons, the first peak in the Sangre De Cristo range is prominent to the South

·         Beautifully updated 7,500 square foot, 3-story brick turn-key B&B featuring 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms and a 3^rd floor dorm room & bathroom that can accommodate up to 13 people

·         Charming 1,300 square foot 2-story innkeepersʼ cottage sits just a few yards from the Inn with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms

·         2,900 square foot historic barn presents endless opportunities to expand into a shop, studio, apartment, classroom facility are just a few ideas  

·         Extensive list of personal property inclusions

·         Deeded Water Rights

·         Historic Register Designation

·         Tasteful remodel and landscaping completed in 2003

River Run Inn sits on the Arkansas River three miles northwest of downtown Salida, Colorado.  The Inn has 1/8 mile of private access and is adjacent to miles of public land and lease access.  Within walking distance is a stocked pond perfect for practice.  Short drives take anglers to nearby mountain lakes and streams. Truly good fishing and good catching!  This stretch of the Upper Arkansas River offers blue ribbon fly fishing to the beginner and experienced angler.  While brown trout make up 90% of the river’s trout population, rainbows bred from wild fish give anglers a colorful occasional treat.  Nearby mountain lakes and streams are home to Greenback Cutthroats.  April and May bring “blizzards” to the river in the form of baetis and caddis hatches.

Call today to schedule your private tour and learn more about this property.

Sally Griego, Owner at 719-539-3818 will answer questions and direct to you to her listing broker.  For a preview of this property, please visit http://www.riverruninn.com or email us at info@riverruninn.com . 

Fall is here. We had a light frost last night and flows have dropped to 386 cfs at Wellsville. Visibility is excellent and the current velocity is way down – one can cross the river in many spots and the fish are able to move off the edges to feed throughout much of the river corridor. Though we continue to enjoy some pale morning dun hatches, and red quills are coming off on many days, the blue wing olive hatches are already underway, particularly on cloudy days when fish can be found surface feeding with abandon. Stir in some hoppers and a smattering of caddis and you have the full smorgasbord of insects that are available to the fish this time of year.

September and October offer some fabulous fishing on the Arkansas. Fall colors, lower slower flows, and steadily feeding fish make for some truly memorable days. If your spring trip to the Arkansas fell short of the mark due to the high water, consider coming down this fall. We are looking to make this the best one ever.

We will be running our 5-Day Rowing School October 8-12 this year. Please contact Greg at greg@arkanglers.com for more information on that.

And Don Puterbaugh, who turned 80 on Tuesday, is beginning his quest to guide 80 trips in his 80^th year. I expect he will get 20 or so done this fall as a headstart on next season. E-mail or call us at 719-539-4223 if you would like to be one of the 80!

Best Wishes for a great fall season!

Greg Felt

ArkAnglers