June Fishing Outlook from Head Guide Reed Ryan
With salmonflies hatching on the Upper Colorado, the bug factory has started! Look for the remainder of the Upper Colorado stoneflies to begin hatching in the weeks ahead. Golden stones, olive stones, and yellow sallies are all on the table and we've seen the trout start to switch their nymph diets to these morsels. The hot fly for these has been Schmidt's Yellow Sally and TDJ golden in various sizes.
We're pleased with the way runoff has shaped up so far. As discussed last month, our warm spring has made for a more drawn-out and moderated runoff. While our lower elevation rivers and main drainages will still see elevated flows during runoff, its a far cry from typical peak runoff and since most of the snow up to 11,000 feet has already melted, our water clarity should hold better than years prior, giving us a runoff product not usually seen. It is years like this that we start to catch the larger fish during the middle of the day during runoff.
NOAA is calling for above average temperatures and below average precipitation for our area for the summer. What does this mean for the fishing? For the near term, this points to the remaining runoff pushing through in the next few weeks. It also means that the post-runoff "honeymoon" period arrives a bit early this season. Look forward to prime float fishing conditions in the second half of June into mid-July all our float rivers.
Look for mid and high elevation lakes and creeks to come into play at the end of the month as well. While last year's epic runoff kept these jewels out of the rotation until August last year, they should offer a great fishing experience especially for those willing to walk a little. I know I'm looking forward to 3 weights, dry flies, and hungry little trout. Nothing says summer quite like a creek outing.
Thanks for Listening,
Reed Ryan
