Roaring Fork River Report 6-23-17

Roaring Fork River Report 

June 23, 2017

UPPER ROARING FORK- ASPEN DOWNSTREAM TO BASALT     
                  
FLOW: 1100 cfs below Maroon Creek (Woody Creek Canyon) and rising 

WATER CLARITY: The Fork has peaked and will be dropping in the coming week. Be safe- but on the flipside don't be afraid of finding those soft water spots where fish will hang out.

OVERALL RATING: 2 out of 10 in the morning, 4 out of 10 in the afternoon

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Midges, BWOs, Caddis, Golden Stonefly nymphs, Sculpins.  Some juvenile PMD and green drake nymphs 

THE LOW DOWN: The Roaring Fork is living up to it's name this week but starting to drop. You'll notice little to no visibility in the early hours and a foot or so of clarity in the late afternoon as the yo-yo cycle keeps repeating itself.

The upper river is narrow and less forgiving than the lower reaches, be smart out there and choose your battles wisely.

HATCHES: Midges sz 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, Poxyback Golden Stone 8-12 

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

HINTS:  Focus on the Roaring Fork later in the day to be successful.  

MIDDLE ROARING FORK- BASALT DOWNSTREAM TO CARBONDALE 

FLOW: 3210 cfs in Basalt 

WATER CONDITIONS: The Fork is cranked up to 11, but this won't last much longer with the hot week on deck.  As with the upper, skip it early but fish it late!

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 10 in the mornings, 5 out of 10 in the afternoons

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: PMDs, BWOs, Midges, Caddis, Golden Stonefly nymphs, Sculpins, Cranefly larva 

THE LOW DOWN: Noticing all of the anglers plying the Roaring Fork around Basalt at twilight?  It only improves from here.  These anglers are primarily skating caddis dries around the edges and below the willows with some pretty good success!  We are starting to see handfuls of PMDs here and there as well.

On the nymphing side of things, use those worms and golden stones as attractors and follow them up with some shiny baetis and PMD nymphs.  There's no mystery where the fish are residing during high water.

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, CJs Red 16-18, 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, Cat Poop 10-12, Twenty Incher 14-16, San Juan Worm 10 

DRIES: Bills Midge Adult 20-22, HOH CDC Spent Midge 22-24, 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: If you find yourself struggling down here, move! Covering water is key on the middle Fork. 

LOWER  ROARING FORK- CARBONDALE TO GLENWOOD 

FLOW: 5930 cfs in Glenwood Springs

WATER CONDITIONS: The Fork has peaked now, and conditions are improving. The Crystal River adds quite a bit of discoloration this time of year in addition to the high flows of spring runoff.  This is the most challenging section of the Roaring Fork to fish this week.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 10

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: BWOs, caddis, midges, golden stonefly nymphs, sculpins, cranefly larva, green drake and PMD nymphs

THE LOW DOWN: Runoff is here- albeit for just another week or so.  As mentioned above, the conditions are about as challenging as they can get this time of year.  The river is big and fast, but as in the middle and upper river- it doesn't hurt to head to the water around twilight to see if there are any risers along the edges.  Drakes are on our doorstep, people!

HATCHES: PMDs 16-18, Caddis 16-18, BWOs 18-20, Midges 20-22.  There is a drake or two being spotted at twilight already.

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS: 

NYMPHS: Prince Nymph 12-18, 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, Cat Poop 8-12, Twenty Incher 14-16

DRIES: H and L Variant 10-12, Royal Wulff 10-12, 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: Lightening rounds will be here before we know it... Caddis have been hatching at last light, bust out your dry shake and headlamps! 

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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