Temps are on the rise and winter is in the rear view. Spring is in mid-season form, boat ramps are opening up all over the Western Slope, and the fish are moving around. It’s a great time of year and only going to get better!
It's Good to be Back!
I did my first Gorge trip back in late April with my brother and a buddy. This served as a great little tune up before the season gets started. It also allowed me to fish, for myself. I took full advantage.
We had good weather and pretty dang good fishing. Water temps were around the 47* mark. There were lots of spawning rainbows and a few midges and baetis flying around.
Early in May, we did 3 days of blasting through the Gorge (all 14 miles in one day). This was part of training some newer guides and team building with the returners. I always try to take advantage of these opportunities, especially with my first client trip of the year approaching quickly.
The first two days we committed to the streamer game, and it paid off. Day 2 was better than the first day but with some different techniques we were able to find some good fish.
First Client Trip of the Year
May 10th Launch Date
This was the earliest commercial trip I’ve done through the Gorge. Typically, my Gorge season doesn’t start until the Calendar hits June but there’s really no reason not to start in May.
We had solid weather and pretty much the whole canyon to ourselves. The fishing was a little tougher than I would’ve liked but we persevered and found some nice fish.
My clients for this trip were awesome. I fished with one of them last year up on Vega Lake and we had a bang-up time. This year was the year to take his son on a big fishing trip, in hopes he’d fall in love with fly fishing.
We started off hot hooking a fish in the middle of Chukar Rapid. Soon after that, our rookie hooked into a fish, but too much tension would allow the fish to get off the line. We had similar results with the next couple of hook ups.
This was to be expected. I don’t think anybody actually lands the first fish they hook into. However, this was a great start. He was understanding the drift, mending, and he would soon bring that first fish to hand.
First Fish on a Fly Rod
We got out of the boat and did a little walk-wading in a classic run. I had planned on stopping here and working this water hard. Walk-wading is a great opportunity to slow things down, teach a roll cast, and how to fish with a strategy.
After putting a few good drifts through the run, we hooked up towards the end of the drift, as the flies drug through the water, swinging to the top. Now, I’d be lying if I said this was intentional. We were adjusting our position in the river when a brown trout decided that our flies rising in the water were emerging bugs.
Obviously, this wasn’t the prettiest way to catch a fish, but it was a great teaching moment. I explained why the fish probably ate it and how bugs behave underneath the water. It wasn’t long before he landed a good fish with a great drift.
I think this will be the first of many father son trips these fellas. It was an honor to be a part of it.
Moving Forward
It’s been a great start to the Gorge Season and things should really heat up come June. As of May 20th, we’re still waiting for them to start the flush, which already puts them 5 days behind schedule. Looks like this year will be following suite with the previous 2, which will give us a higher flow through the beginning of June.
I’ve got lots of availability from now until June 7th. A lot of the rivers are high and dirty, although not as high and dirty as usual for this time of year. I think we’ll be able to fish the Lower Colorado sometime mid to late June. As of now, our best fishing options are as follows:
Good Fishing Options
Vega Reservoir – Trout
This reservoir has been awesome in the spring. The quality of fish has gotten better and better over the past few years. There’s some quality fish to be caught.
Harvey / Rifle Gap Reservoirs – Pike, Bass
These reservoirs hold some good pike. They don’t give it up easy but if you’re wanting to go for the home run on a big, aggressive, apex predator, this is the place to do it.
Gunnison Gorge – Trout
Depending on what the flush does, I have an opening on June 2nd. There’s potential for a higher flow on this date and I’ve seen the fishing very good at higher flows. This can be a one-day trip or three days.
Summer's Near
It’s a great time to be in the West! We may not have had the best snowfall this winter, but the big bugs will be flying around soon and that’s always a great time to be on the river.
As we move into the heart of summer, expect to have some restrictions, as flows will be lower and water temp may get pretty warm. Do your best to keep fish wet and fight ’em a little quicker.
Until then, get out there and wet a line with some good buddies and enjoy this time of year.
LTF Guides is a guide service based in Western Colorado. We’ve partnered with two of the best outfitters and provide float trips on the Gunnison, Colorado, and Roaring Fork Rivers, as well as lakes and reservoirs around the Western Slope.
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