Arkansas River - Upper

Upper Ark flows peaked last week and have been on a steady decline since then. While we may see minor bumps in flow as the remaining snowpack melts, we don’t expect flows will rise substantially. As we move through the back half of runoff, water clarity will gradually improve and trout will feed more actively. Trout will continue to favor the outer edges of the river where they are protected from faster currents, so keep it simple and focus on the soft water 5 – 15 ft from the bank. Hopper droppers/dry droppers are an effective option when targeting trout holding tight along the bank (this will be particularly productive through Leadville). Otherwise, heavy nymph rigs will do the most damage. Elk Hair Caddis, All-Season Caddis, PMXs and Chubby Chernobyl’s are great dry fly patterns for a single or double dry dropper setup. When nymphing, lead with a Pat’s Rubber Legs, Barr’s Tungstone, Copper John or Electric Caddis. Below one of those patterns, trail a smaller, flashier pattern (Rainbow Warrior, Frenchie, Sparkle Pupa, Darth Baetis, purple RS2, Perdigon). Our daily FlyCasts are currently disabled but will return once flows drop enough for trout to spread out across the river.