Colorado River Report - March 20, 2017

FLOW: 2,330 cfs 

WATER CONDITIONS: Looking a little discolored, things are warming up quick around here.

OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10 Midge-Zilla time!

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Caddis, Midges, Blue Winged Olives, Sculpins, Juvenille Rainbows, Eggs

THE LOW DOWN: Good to go and fishing well. Floating this river easily yields the best fishing opportunities, although if you are a rock-hopper, you can cover a lot of water on foot in a day. The best wade fishing has been in Glenwood Canyon. Look for drastically improved dry fishing and decent to good nymph and streamer fishing for better than average fish. The water is rising now with spring warming conditions. In general, that essentially means that we are just fishing smaller flies on lighter tippets. Overcast days have yielded sporadic fish rising to midges and BWOs, hot and bright days mean caddis. Midday nymph fishing has been good using "tiny and shiny" flies.

HATCHES: Caddis 16-18, BWOs 18-20, Midges (1 pm-4pm) sz 18-24

Appropriate Patterns 

NYMPHS: Prince 16-18, BLMs 18-20, Tung Bead Baetis 18-20, Biot Baetis 18-20, RS2s 20, Polywing Emerger 18-20, Imposters 20-22, Assassins 20-22, Freestone Emerger 20, Biot Midge 20-22

DRIES: Pearl and Elk Caddis 16-18, Lawson's EZ Caddis 16-18, Biot Wing Midge 20, Hatching Midge 20, CDC Transitional Midge 20, Colletts Para-BWO 18-20, Improved Sparkledun BWO 18-20

STREAMERS: Carlton Banks, Meat Gazers, Circus Peanuts, Sculpzillas, Willy White Shoes, Weir's Sculpin, Splendors

HINTS: Avoid fishing the river post cold front and in and around the full moon. Don't say we didn't tell you!