Roaring Fork River Report 10-9-17

UPPER ROARING FORK- ASPEN DOWNSTREAM TO BASALT     
                  
FLOW: 244 cfs below Maroon Creek (Woody Creek Canyon) 

WATER CLARITY: The Upper Fork is clear and perfect

OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: BWOs,  caddis, ants, sculpins, midges

THE LOW DOWN: Conditions are absolutely perfect on the upper Roaring Fork. Covering a lot of water is key, so do yourself a favor and put some distance between you and the parking areas.  Don't forget you can access Jaffee Park from the Airport Business Center as well as off of Smith Hill Way on Highway 82.

HATCHES: Midges 22-24, BWOs 18-22, caddis 16-18

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS:  

DRIES: Bills Midge Emerger 20-22, Bills Midge Adult 20-22, Flag Adams 18-20, Perfect Baetis 18-20, Ethawing Caddis 16-18, Pearl and Elk Caddis 16-18

NYMPHS: BLMs 18-20, Tungsten Bead Baetis 20, BTS Baetis 20-22, Sparklewing RS2 20-22, Freestone Emerger 20, BH Polywing Emerger 20, Biot Baetis 20-22, Soft Hackle BWO 20-22, Prince 18, Eggs 16-18, San Juan Worm 10

STREAMERS: Weir's Sculpin 6, Autumn Splendor 6, Zuddler 6, Slumpies 6-8 

HINTS:  Crowds are starting to thin out, plenty of sight fishing opportunities await you.

MIDDLE ROARING FORK- BASALT DOWNSTREAM TO CARBONDALE 

FLOW: 529 cfs in Basalt 

WATER CONDITIONS: Clarity is perfect

OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10 

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: BWOs, midges, caddis, sculpins, ants 

THE LOW DOWN: This is the time of year that the Roaring Fork becomes more technical as the water drops steadily.

Anglers are primarily skating caddis dries around the edges and below the willows with some pretty good success!

On the nymphing side of things, use those eggs as attractors and follow them up with some shiny baetis nymphs. 

HATCHES: BWOs 18-20, Midges sz 22-24, Caddis 16-18

APPROPIATE PATTERNS

NYMPHS: BLMs 18-20, Tung Split Case BWO 20-22, Princes 16-20, PTs 16-20, Tung Teasers 16-18 Freestone Emerger 20, BH Polywing Emerger 18-20, Biot Baetis 18-20, Sparklewing RS2 20-22, Tailwater Assassin 20-22, Imposter 20-22, Eggs 16-18, San Juan Worm 10 

DRIES: Colletts BWO Adult 18-20, Sparkledun BWO 18-20, Goddard Caddis 16-18, Ethawing Caddis 16-18, Pearl and Elk Caddis 16-18 

STREAMERS: Peanuts, Gongas, Carlton Banks, Splendors, Bread n Butter Bugger 6

HINTS: Keep downsizing your presentations if you are in the struggle box, or focus on completely different water types.

LOWER  ROARING FORK- CARBONDALE TO GLENWOOD 

FLOW: 863 cfs in Glenwood Springs.  The Fork is in perfect shape and dropping daily into a comfortable fall flow.

WATER CONDITIONS: Clean and beautiful. If we get a heavy rain storm up on Sopris, there might be a shot of mud mid-day.  Feel free to call us up with up-to-the-minute river conditions if you are floating.  The bridge closure over the Colorado River has been presenting some challenges, if you avoid peak commute times it hasn't been that bad.  Crowds are a non-factor!

OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT:  BWOs, caddis, midges, sculpins

THE LOW DOWN We are now moving into that time of fall where flows are down and the water is clear, try sizing down those flies and focus on the "tiny and shiny" We are also seeing good numbers of BWOs and caddis for you dry fly junkies!

HATCHES: Caddis 12-18, BWOs 18-20, Midges 20-22

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS: 

NYMPHS: Prince Nymph 16-18, Tung PT 18-20, BLMs 18-20, Freestone Emerger 20, RS2s 20-22, Polywing Emerger 18-20, Biot Baetis 18-20, Thread Body Baetis 18-20, Soft Hackle BWO 20-22, Imposters 20-22

DRIES: Pearl and Elk 16-18, Ethawing Caddis 16-18, Goddard Caddis 16-18, Morgans Midge 18-20, Sprout Midge 18-20, Skittering Zelon Midge 20-22, Improved Sparkledun BWO 18-20, Perfect Baetis 20, CDC BWO Comparadun 18-20

STREAMERS: Carlton Banks, Meat Gazers, Sculpzillas, Peanuts, Gongas, Splendors

HINTS: Caddis on bright days, BWOs on cloudy ones

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Link to the USGS Real Time Flow Chart for the Fork @ Aspen

Link to the USGS Real Time Flow Chart for the Fork @ Basalt (Emma) 

Link to the USGS Real Time Flow Chart for the Fork @ Glenwood