Fishing Report | Colorado River | Fly Fishing Outfitters

Fishing Report For: Colorado River
September 19th. 2023

One of the most famous river in the state, the Colorado River, is also probably the most diverse fishery as well. The section of the Colorado we fish and guide starts above the town of Kremmling and extends to the Rifle area west of Glenwood Springs – roughly 80 plus miles of floatable and wadeable river.

A fisherman caught a fish and is trying to pull her out with his fly fishing rod while his colleague is trying to keep the boat steady

A man holding a fish caught with march brown on streamer

Kid is in the boat with his guide who is holding a brown trout they caught on a hopper fly

Trout head with open mouth seen from close.

The Royal Wulff | A great dry fly for prospecting, it can be fished in slow or fast water | Fly Fishing Outfitters

An experienced fisherman is teaching young boy essentials of fly fishing.

Many miles of the upper Colorado make its way through some of the most scenic areas in the entire country and can only be accessed by boat or hiking in. Large Browns and Rainbows as well as some native Colorado River Cutthroats inhabit this majestic river.

The Colorado is a great terrestrial river during the warmer Summer months when big fish are looking for a grasshopper falling from the banks. Spring and Fall are Streamer seasons on the “C”, that’s when we like to throw large double streamer rigs on 6 – 7wt rods for the big Pre-spawn Browns in fall and Rainbows in spring.

If you are mystified by the whole streamer program, then it’s time to get on board by taking advantage of our off-season guide rates and get out with us.

9/19/2023– It’s Still Hopper Season!

Conditions on the Colorado are excellent! Flows on the Colorado above catamount are just over 1300 CFS so that has the trout holding tight to the banks looking for the Hoppers and other terrestrials. Dry/droppers with either a Hopper or aa attractor pattern are working well. The Browns are in pre spawn feeding mode right now. Streamers are going to start getting serious looks now as well. As we get further into the fall the lower Colorado above Dotsero and below Glenwood Springs becomes a real favorite for the serious streamer fishers.

Nymphs: Prince nymphs #10-14, Pats Rubber Legs Black/brown #8-14, Bitch Creeks #4-8 Red/Black Copper John’s #12-16, Two Bit Hookers, Black #14-18 Newbury’s Alt Rocker Black, Blue #12-16 Pardigons #12-16 Frenchies #12-18 Pheasant Tails(#12-18), Jiggy PT #12-16

Dries:, Stimis #10-14, Olive Elk Hair Caddis #12-16, Chubbys #6-12, Hippy Stompers #8-12 PMX #10-16, Amy’s Ant #8-10, PMDs #12-16, Para Wulff #14-18, Dave’s Hoppers #6-10, Parachute Adams (# 14-18) Royal Wulff (#12-18)

Streamers: (#16-22) Tequily (#2-6) Mongrel Meat(#2) Cheech Leach(#2) Sex Dungeon’s Olive, Black, Purple #2-4, Gaiski’s Jig Leech (#12-16) Buggers White, Black, Olive live #8-12 Autumn Splendor #4-8 and any other big ass streamers you can think of.

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