Let’s hear it for March, a blessed event that, for those counting along on their pocket computers, happens tomorrow.
Tack on another three weeks and we have spring, another of those calendrical landmarks for which anglers – or at least the variety who dunk their worms and flies in streams – are eternally grateful.
For a tribe that has suffered unduly from an uncommonly cruel winter, the elevation of the sun’s rays and the arrival of warmer weather can’t come soon enough. Point is, if you’re waiting for things to get better, don’t.
As Bob Streb will tell you, March is as good as it gets when it comes to nymph-fishing success.
Or at least so it seems against the backdrop of the extreme cold that goes before and the runoff sure to follow.
“It’s my favorite time and it even goes beyond nymphing,” said Streb, who recently purchased the Fly Fishing Outfitters shop in Avon. “Later in March, the Blue-Winged Olives become active and we can fish on top as well.”
March madness isn’t just for basketball. It’s when Rocky Mountain stream fishing vaults beyond the standard tailwater fare that has formed the slender link to sanity for those who simply can’t sit still. Eager anglers become weather watchers in an effort to target the windows between spring storm pulses. Pick a mild, windless day and you’re in for some of the best action of the year. Miss the mark and, well, it’s winter all over again.
Here’s a rundown of some of the better river locations:
Arkansas: Open water prevails downstream from Buena Vista, where fish are feeding on golden stoneflies with a dropper of midge larvae or pupae. Rod Patch of the Arkansas River Fly Shop in Salida expects surface midge action any day now, followed by Blue-Winged Olives in about three weeks.
“At this point, we’re very weather-dependent,” Patch said. Warmer conditions rule the tailwater below Pueblo Reservoir, where stocker rainbows dominate the catch.
Big Thompson: Stephen Jacob at Kirks Fly Shop in Estes Park is “pleasantly surprised” at nymphing activity, both in the section immediately below the dam and along the extended stretch of catch-and-release water above Drake. Warm days induce a scattering of dry-fly action.
Blue: The tailwater below Dillon Dam remains the most consistent producer, with occasional midge surface activity. “Warm days are bringing out lots of anglers,” said Mitch Vogt of Cutthroat Anglers in Silverthorne. Vogt said patches of open water are available all the way downstream to Green Mountain Reservoir. Flows remain relatively low at 75 cubic feet per second (cfs).
Colorado: Winter conditions remain on the upper reaches through Middle Park, with warming just around the corner toward State Bridge. Action has accelerated below Glenwood Springs, where warm weather stimulates good catches on both nymphs and streamers.
Eagle: Streb predicts midges will dominate through mid-March, when some BWOs will appear, along with a surging interest in egg patterns. April ushers in streamer action. “We get some of our biggest fish on the lower Eagle in late March and early April,” Streb said.
Fryingpan: Midge larvae and mysis shrimp are the best producers, with egg patterns warming into the mix. Look for midges adults just past noon.
Roaring Fork: Hole-to-hole nymphing with drift boats produces outstanding catches with heavily weighted small nymphs. Midges are appearing on the surface on select days. Drew Reid of Roaring Fork Anglers in Glenwood Springs touts the upcoming BWO hatch in mid to late March.
South Platte: A low 60 cfs flow has stalled the much-anticipated run of larger fish up from Elevenmile Reservoir, with more anglers than trout. The Elevenmile Canyon reach offers good dry midge action on warm days, again with lots of angler pressure. Low flow, 48 cfs, makes for tough fishing above Deckers. Nick Arndt of Anglers All advises against the stretch below Deckers, still troubled by muddy runoff from road work along Horse Creek.
Yampa: Open water immediately through the town of Steamboat Springs facilitates good fishing when the weather gods cooperate. The tailwater below Stagecoach Dam also is good, but ice rules all the rest.
Charlie Meyers can be reached at 303-954-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com.
