Crystal River –
Flow: 128cfs/Redstone, 159 cfs/Carbondale
Conditions: Spring has sprung and the Crystal is day to day with runoff conditions. Above the town of Redstone and Coal Creek, the river is clearer but access is still difficult with lots of post-holing through the snow still. Cold spells can slow and minimize the runoff effect while warmer temps will have the opposite effect. Small attractor nymphs are standard fare on the Crystal. Cover and focus on the deeper sections of water. For you Euro/Czech nymph geeks out there, you won’t find a more ideal trout stream than the Crystal. Midge and blue-wing-olive hatches have been commonplace with late afternoons into the evenings yielding the most risers. I like casting my dries upstream in pocket water and downstream in the slicks and big runs because that’s what the fish tell me to do here most often. There has been virtually no pressure on the river lately as other valley waters are generally more reliable at this time of year.
Flies
Dries: Mole Fly, Stillborn Midge, CDC Midge Adult, CDC RS2’s, Roys Special Emerger, Flag Dun BWO, Sparkledun BWO, Purple Haze
Nymphs: Poxyback Baetis, BTS Baetis, Pheasant Tails, Jujubaetis, Barr Emerger BWO, Zebra Midge, Medallion Midge, RS2’s (black and gray), Biot Midge Emerger, PTs, French Dips, Flashtail Mini Eggs, BH Electric Caddis, Breadcrusts, BH Princes, BH Poxybiot Golden Stone
Streamers: P3 Buggers, Thin Mints, Mini Jig Buggers
