Roaring Fork River Report 8-27-17

UPPER ROARING FORK- ASPEN DOWNSTREAM TO BASALT     
                  
FLOW: 198 cfs below Maroon Creek (Woody Creek Canyon) 

WATER CLARITY: The Upper Fork is clear and perfect, it's go time!

OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Green drakes, PMDs, BWOs, yellow sallies, caddis, golden stonefly nymphs, hoppers, ants, sculpins, PMD and green drake nymphs, midges 

THE LOW DOWN: Conditions are absolutely perfect on the upper Roaring Fork.  You name a bug, it's hatching up here. Covering a lot of water is key, so do yourself a favor and put some distance between you and the parking area.  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: Green drakes 10-12, midges sz 22-24, BWOs 18-22, caddis 16-18, Pale Morning Duns 16-18, golden stoneflies 6-12, Yellow Sallies 14-16

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS:  

DRIES: Stott's KGB 12, Winged Green Drake 12, Sparkledun PMD Pink 16-18, Perfect PMD 16-18, 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, Charlie Boy Hopper 12, Stimulator Yellow 10, Garcia's Mini Hot 16, Hairy Sally 16

NYMPHS: Twenty Incher 12-14, 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:  Get your map out and find those oddball fishing areas no one seemingly knows about.

MIDDLE ROARING FORK- BASALT DOWNSTREAM TO CARBONDALE 

FLOW: 525 cfs in Basalt 

WATER CONDITIONS: Clarity is perfect, a heavy rain can muck it up slightly, but it's been a great summer with ideal flows.

OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10 

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Green drakes, Yellow Sallies, PMDs, BWOs, midges, caddis, golden stonefly nymphs, sculpins, cranefly larva and adults, hoppers, ants 

THE LOW DOWN: This is the time of year that the Roaring Fork becomes more technical as the water drops, and the Fryingpan gets "easier" as hatches increase in intensity.

Drakes have come and gone in Basalt and are hatching best near Aspen.  Anglers are primarily skating caddis dries around the edges and below the willows with some pretty good success!  We are seeing PMDs and Sallies here and there as well.

On the nymphing side of things, use those worms, Twenty Inchers and golden stones as attractors and follow them up with some shiny baetis and PMD nymphs.  

HATCHES: Yellow Sallies 14-16, PMDs 16-18, BWOs 18-20, Midges sz 22-24, Caddis 16-18, Cranelfies 14-18

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: Stimulators 12-16, Split Flag PMD 16-18, Sparkledun Pink PMD 16-18, 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: 811 cfs in Glenwood Springs.  The Fork is in perfect shape, although we've had a brief shot of mud here and there with afternoon storms.

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:  Pale Morning Duns, Yellow Sallies, BWOs, caddis, midges, golden stonefly nymphs, sculpins, cranefly larva

THE LOW DOWN We are now moving into that time of summer 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 Yellow Sallies, PMDs and caddis for the dry fly junkie!

HATCHES: Yellow Sallies 14-16, PMDs 16-18, Caddis 12-18, BWOs 18-20, Midges 20-22, Golden Stones 6-10 

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: Hairy Sally 14-16, 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, PMDs 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