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 […]
fly fishing tips
Why Is A Stream Thermometer Important For Fly Fishermen? Most serious fly fishermen have a stream thermometer stashed somewhere in their vest, chest pack, or boat bag. But it seems like they seldom dig it out and actually put it to work. What many anglers (and even guides) fail to realize […]
Guide Flies: Soft Hackles Still Catch Trout When my father did a lot of fly fishing in Pennsylvania in the 60’s and 70’s nymphing with strike indicators was yet to be discovered by fly fishermen and fishing with nymphs was probably not as effective as it is with modern tactics. […]
When building a traditional nymph rig with sinking flies, we almost always need to add a little extra weight above the first fly to help get our bugs down to the bottom column where we suspect the fish are feeding. Most fishermen don’t put a lot of thought into what […]
Each year when the snow begins to fly in the Rockies, I park the drift boat, pack up the car, and head to Salt Lake City, Utah for the winter ski season. No matter how good the skiing is or how much snow we get, I usually find myself on […]
Tail water fly fishing This the favorite choice of many trout fishermen. Consistent water temperature and clarity, the abundance of aquatic insects, and the promise of bigger fish all bring anglers to these special places. These ideal conditions come with their own unique challenges however. Tail waters here in Colorado […]
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 […]
Summer is officially over and the snow is already flying here in Vail. And while some area anglers are still taking advantage of some great fishing, your line could probably use a much-needed care and cleaning after a long season of fishing. Whether you plan on continuing to fish through […]
Yesterday, when deciding where to fly fish with only a couple hours of sunlight left in the brilliant fall day, my attention was all of a sudden dedicated to the idea of fishing as many local bridges as possible in my short fishing window that day. The Vail Valley is […]
Fall has arrived here in the mountains of Colorado, and with all of the leaves changing color comes another less noticeable transformation. Many of the trout that live in our rivers and streams have begun to spawn. While rainbow trout and cutthroat trout reproduce in the spring, brook trout and […]
Fly fishermen are a funny group of people. Author Jim Harrison has a story about a coyote watching the weird human “standing in a river waving a stick.” We try to fool creatures with brains smaller than a pea with bits of fur, feather and synthetic materials lashed to a […]
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 […]
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