Friends,
The Arkansas River fishery has fully transitioned to spring. There are blue wing olive mayflies hatching from Buena Vista down to the Royal Gorge. There are active brachycentrus caddis hatching in Bighorn Sheep Canyon clear up into the Rincon campground area. The brown trout (and rainbows) have largely migrated out of their deep, slow, “winter water” and are dispersing out into the pocket water habitat that characterizes so much of the Arkansas River corridor. And ArkAnglers guests are having phenomenal and memorable days on the water.
It is spring, what we like to call "our most dynamic season," and with that are fluctuations in weather, temperature, and "atmospheric gradient" (the "W" word). It is spring, the season that leads to "runoff," with which can come occasional tributary flows of low elevation melt or rain that can briefly murk up the water. It is spring, the time when the factors listed above can also cause fluctuations in water temperature that can trigger or inhibit the metamorphosis of various aquatic insects. All told, the Arkansas River fishery is now delivering anglers excellent opportunities amid occasional moments of puzzlement. That is spring fishing in the Rockies!
How long will it last? I think we will have good conditions and hatch activity through the third week of May. During that third week we may shift operations upstream to follow both the evolving nature of the hatches and better water conditions. Generally speaking, days closer to today will have more reliable conditions than days further out so I encourage people to plan their visits and book guided fishing for sooner rather than later. Also, there is less fishing pressure and more guide trip availability Sunday through Thursday so folks with flexible schedules might want to factor that into their plans.
Finally, I want to share a recurring thought I’ve had over decades of float-fish guiding on the Arkansas River. Inherent to my experience (floating downstream) is a daily intersection with numerous wade anglers (stationary or slowly migrating upstream). I cross paths with quite a few people on a ten-mile float and I am often struck by the locations they choose for their focus. The spots may be incredibly scenic or have easy parking or access. It may be a very wadable stretch, a place with gentle current or perhaps free of foliage in the back cast. It may look like a fishing postcard or simply have a well-beaten path. What strikes me, though, is how often I encounter people fishing for prolonged periods of the day in water that I would characterize as unproductive. It’s not to say that they don’t catch any fish; rather, that they catch one or two and that relative success serves to deter them from moving on or trying different approaches. It is hard to learn or improve much under such circumstances.
I mention this because learning and improving are what ArkAnglers is all about. I don’t want to take anything away from anyone, and a day on the water is great even if one isn’t actually fishing, but if catching fish is part of the equation, wouldn’t it be preferable to be catching more fish and, even more importantly, learning one’s way into a better actual understanding of what is going on beneath the surface of the river? I ask this rhetorical question because there actually is a way to achieve this.
While many of our guests make the spring trip to the Arkansas River specifically for the float fishing, for the long drifts and access to the entire river corridor, the ability to fly-fish ten miles of water in a single day, the camaraderie aboard the boat and continuously unfolding scenery of our canyons, we see much less demand for our instructional guided wade trips at this time of year. While our staff of about a dozen float guides is quite busy through April and May, our equally accomplished team of wade guides is underutilized in the spring. It’s unfortunate because the spring offers so many learning opportunities and wade fishing is the context in which one can slow down the experience, try something new and then try it again, let the guide demonstrate and then try it again. It’s the format that is really designed for learning. And it’s the way most of us fish most of the time.
I’ve been a float guide for a long time. I love it and feel very fortunate to have spent so many days on the oars. And I know I have provided a lot of great days for many guests. We float guides share a memorable experience, teach what we can, and try to keep the boat off the rocks. But when it comes to imparting knowledge, to improving someone’s game, particularly in a way that enhances their regular wade fishing experience, there is no comparison to what our wade fishing guides can do. It’s truly apples and oranges.
So, I throw that out there. Set it drifting on the currents of your mind. Meanwhile, we’ll all look forward to seeing you return to the valley, wish you a happy new fishing year, and work hard to help you have a successful and memorable experience on the Arkansas River.
All the Best,
Greg Felt