In 1981 the City of Aurora finished the damming of the South Platte River to create the Spinney Mountain Reservoir and the Spinney Mountain State Wildlife Area to access the five miles of meandering tailwater prior to its flowing into Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir. These three linear miles are, as […]
colorado rivers
As October weather cools down, and it cools quickly in Vail, Colorado at 8,000 feet above sea level, local water temperatures correspondingly decline. Descending water temperatures can help make fly fishing and fly selection a less complicated task during autumn. When fishing our local rivers like the Arkansas River, Blue […]
Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly, Fly Fisherman’s Nemesis or Nirvana? While fly fishing my beloved Colorado River Blue-Winged Olive mayfly hatch, I have witnessed numerous clients struggle with catching fish consistently during the annual spring and fall mayfly hatches. Did we have the right size, shape and color of the natural? Was […]
Many fly fisherman feel the Colorado River fishes best when fall arrives. My experience as a float fishing guide on the river since the mid- eighties is that the Colorado River conditions are the most consistent during the fall season, namely late September, October and early November. A side benefit […]
Here at Vail Valley Anglers we are blessed to have more miles of world class trout fishing than any die hard angler could cover in a lifetime of fly fishing. Our trout fishing takes place on tiny mountain creeks, medium sized freestone streams, cold clear tailwaters and also big brawling […]
As a year-round fly fishing guide, my clients often ask me what are the best months or times of year to come to Vail to fly fish. The short answer to these questions is that there is no single “best” time or month. Great fly fishing can be had any […]