Low water fishing tips

When summer is here and the rain isn’t don’t worry, fishing can sometimes be more productive.  Yes, you need to move to the headwaters where the water stays cool.  We all know trout need cold clean water so when we have lower than normal water levels trout can be found more concentrated in the deeper pools where the sun cannot penetrate or in deeper runs and riffles where the water has higher oxygen levels. 

Look for feeder creeks coming into the main river these are typically spring fed and offer a cool refuge for trout.  Smaller nymphs are geneally the rule of thumb; we recomment a size 18 (sometimes a size 20) hares ear in natural.   Terrestrials and yellow or dun mayfly patterns work well on top also.   Always be conscious of the water temperatures, if the water is too warm the fish can’t always recover from the stress of the catch and release so bring a thermometer.  

Always remember to quickly release the fish and try whenever possible to remove the fly without taking the fish out of the water.  The less stress you put on the fish the better chance they have of being caught another day!  Our high elevation offers some excellent headwater stream fishing throughout the year.