The following is an article from Greg Felt of ArkAnglers featured in the 2025 Guide to Central Colorado Fishing magazine, published by O'Rourke Media Group.
I went down to the river and waded in on the shortest, darkest day of the year as a simple act of appreciation, both for the memorable fishing season we had in 2024 and in anticipation of the one to come. I did land several fish as my feet went numb and my fingers ached, a sort of providence that augured well for both the fishery and myself, and I also fought some windy tangles to my line and left a couple flies in the willows.
To fish at all, and especially in late December, is to demonstrate hope.
There is an essential optimism that drives anglers forward, across the ice and over the rocks and into the wind, a belief that being there is of value and that fish may be caught and that above all things will improve over the months ahead. The earth will move on its orbit, rotating on that critical tilt, and bring warmth and sunlight and possibility. There is everything to be gained from where one stands on the solstice. Why wouldn’t one stand in the river?
At the darkest, coldest point on the ecliptic, one remembers only dimly that our fishing seasons on the Arkansas are truly a study in abundance and diversity. Early spring stonefly nymphal drifts, blue wing olive mayfly hatches followed by an explosion of caddis before runoff, the constant summer hatches and proliferation of terrestrials, and the mayflies and midges again in the fall all reflect a watershed and fishery that is healthy and resilient. And while there is nothing truly formulaic about fishing on the Arkansas River, the essential architecture of a great fishery is always there, asking us the tough questions, providing answers for those who are persistent.
I’ve guided on this river for forty years, at all flows and weather and states of mind. Also, with all sorts of people. And their expectations. Despite how it might appear, this is often stressful work for the simple reason that there are many parts of the equation that are simply beyond one’s control. Seasons of direct experience, shared observations from others, and an open, objective mindset are all critical to guiding success. So is the ability to communicate effectively and encouragingly with one’s guests.
Beneath it all, though, is the essential stance one takes in relation to the river and the fish. It is something one must conjure every morning, a ritualized preparation of the mind and spirit for the vagaries of a day on the water. Part gratitude, part expectation, it is probably best represented by the vision of a cold and solitary and stubborn angler, waist-deep in an icy run, the rod swinging through a bitter wind. There is no evident reason for someone to be at the river’s edge in winter, much less working the current for fish, but that is what one sees. Optimism. Hope. The certainty that this year, with all its potentialities and ferment, will bring another cycle of the seasons and hatches and great days on the waters of the Arkansas River. It warms my heart.
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