Straightline Sports | Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Hot off the press everybody – here are the latest tips and tactics to land the fish while there’s snow on the ground!

With the water temperatures as cold as they are, midges are the most effective way to fool that spooky rainbow in the low, clear water. Be armed with a variety of sizes and colors. Soft Hackle Black and Gray Biot Midges, Black Beauties, RS2’s, Craven colored Jujubee Midges, Red Brassies, the list goes on and on… These are all great patterns to throw this time of year. Sizes are 20 and 22.

The next question is, what do I trail these tiny midges behind? The answer is small Golden Stones, Eggs, small Pheasant Tails (non – beadhead), small Blue Copper Johns, etc.

Fish these flies with a 6x, 9ft leader and a small white strike indicator. Stealth is key to hooking fish right now and concentrate on slower moving areas of the river, preferably below tail-outs and bends.

The temperature has cooled down but the fishing has remained hot this fall. The question is, how do you approach fall fishing techniques? Well, read on to find out.

The first idea is to wait awhile until the water temps heat up, which usually happens around 11 am. Once out there,  do you see fish rising? If so, try a dry dropper method with an Irresistible Adams up top and a grey or black emerger underneath. No fish hitting the surface? First try nymphing with a Red Squirrel or Copper John and a BWO emerger as a trailer. If this is met with resistance, go to the streamers. Larger bugs work extremely well in the fall when the fish know that winter is coming and they are eager to fill up on minnows, sculpins and crayfish.

Hey everybody, we’ve finally deleted all of the ancient posts and we’ll start updating fishing reports, weather outlooks and skiing tips shortly. Check back soon, the fall fishing’s fantastic right now!