ROARING FORK RIVER (Updated 04/17):  LOWER RIVER (Glenwood to Carbondale): Flowing at 835 cfs in Glenwood Springs. The Crystal has put a lot of mud into the lower river over the past few days with the warm weather, but last night and this morning's cold and snow should clear things up enough down here to make it fishable with streamers and attractor nymphs tomorrow. Clarity will continue to be off/on the next couple weeks until runoff hits us full force--call the shop for the latest conditions.

MIDDLE RIVER (Carbondale to Basalt): Flowing at 525 cfs at Emma. There was a big spike the past 2 days which slowed the pace of what has been a hot stretch of river, but it has cleared considerably this evening after the cold. Great midge and baetis hatches have fish feeding heavily throughout most of the day, and the nymph fishing with stonefly/midge or stonefly/baetis combos has been dynamite! The dry fly fishing is best later in the day with BWO and midge cluster patterns in the slower inside bends, shallows, and slack water. Levels have come up enough to make the stretch below Hooks (the drop below Basalt is still very hazardous) floatable for good oarsmen with 1 fisherman in the raft--too low for 2 (you'll get stuck on private property). There is a sweeper hazard right at Hooks, so rookies should leave the rowing to a pro, or enjoy the wade fishing.

UPPER RIVER (Basalt to Aspen): Flowing at 140 cfs at Maroon Creek. Wade fishermen have the luxury of fishing to big concentrations of fish with the water levels still very low. This also means there are many shallow spots of the river that aren't holding (m)any fish--you're either into them or you're not--so covering water is essential until you find them. But where you find one right now, there's usually more, and they aren't too picky. Attractor/midge nymph combinations have been deadly, and BWOs are starting to join the mix up here now.

Catch of the Year!
A mighty 29 inch rainbow fell to the Prince nymph (pictured above). No--we won't tell you where she's back to...sorry.

Hot Fly Patterns
MIDGES, SIZE 18-24, NYMPHS: Hollywood Midge, Improved Biot Larvae and emergers, Big Red, BMWs, CDC Biot Loopwing Emergers, Black Beauties; DRIES: Griffith's Gnat, Roy Boy, Trico Parachute, Trico Quad. BAETIS, SIZE 16-20, NYMPHS: D-River, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Poxyback Baetis, Copper John's, Whitey's Dropper, WD- 40's, Solitude BWO Emerger/Nymph, BH Bubbleback BWO, BMW; DRIES: Biot Comparadun BWO, Para-Biot Crippled Emerger, Williamson BWO Paracripple, Zelon Cripple, Para-Wulff Patriot, Compardun BWO, Gulper Special, Parachute Adams. CADDIS SIZE 14-18, NYMPHS: Rockworm, BH Lime Caddis Larva, Lite Brite Pupa in Peacock & Lime, Hydropsyche, Electric Caddis larva, (Flashback) Prince. STONEFLY NYMPHS SIZE 8-14: 20 Inchers, Golden Poxyback, Stellar Stone, Large Princes.

FRYING PAN RIVER (Updated 4/17): Flowing at 230 cfs.  The dry fly fishing is good throughout the length of the river, and with baetis thickening in the lower half of the Pan, starting to become less technical as you can catch fish on dries larger than #20's.  Levels are a little higher than normal for this time of year, so concentrate on shallower shoals that might be ankle high normally this time of year (which is also where they can't help but see your dry).   More fishermen are getting out to enjoy the great spring weather and fishing, so fish are more wary then they were during the dead of winter.  That means fishermen who make careful drifts without drag (reach casts are always helpful on the Pan) early in their encounters with feeding fish will do better than those who chuck and duck. 

Natural midge larva, baetis nymphs, and emergers (forget the flash and beads) fished deep and drag free on lighter tippets will produce results before the hatch.  When you starting seeing noses is when you make the switch to dries--make sure you're not seeing tailrises, which means fish are eating emergers just below the surface, which is where your emerger/nymph should be fished if that's the case. 

With levels slightly higher than normal, fishermen continue to do well fishing shrimp patterns below the dam.  There are a good number of fish spread out in the flats, which will only increase if/when water levels go up.  Speaking of water levels, the Pan will be one of the best options in the state this runoff season.  While it is almost certain that there will be some tough conditions up here for a week or two sometime in late May/early June when the reservoir fills, you should be able to count on the dam-controlled Frying Pan to be fishable throughout most of runoff in this snowy year.

Hatch Info
Midges from size #22 to #18 prevalent now much of the day--BWOs now in the lower half of the river.

Hot Fly Patterns
MIDGES, SIZE 18-24, DRIES: Roy Boy, Trico Parachute, Trico Quad, Black Paramidge; NYMPHS: Improved Biot Emerger, Black and Olive Biots, CDC Biot loopwing emergers, wine and black midge larva, Sunken trico spinner. BAETIS DRIES, SIZE 18-24 (which fish will also take for large midges/ midge clusters): Comparadun Biot Baetis, Zelon Crippled Baetis, BWO Quad, Williamson BWO Paracripple; NYMPHS: Poxyback baetis, Olive Biot and Loopwing emergers, Pheasant tail and WD-40 nymphs, Downey's Master baetis, Beaverhole Special, Solitude Baetis Emerger, BMW. CADDIS, SIZE 16-20 NYMPHS: Cased Caddis, Edwards Hydropsyche. Small (#14 & #16) Green Drake imitations.