6/24/2014–The Eagle River is improving daily downvalley. Clarity and temperature are excellent, and flows are coming down. Wading is still unsafe in many areas, but trout are holding near the banks and responding eagerly to high-water patterns.
Eagle River Fishing Report–Downvalley: Wolcott to Gypsum
The Eagle River is one of Colorado’s gems, especially just as the meltwater recedes. The key is to find holding water and avoid the main current, just as the fish do. The worm seems to be the food of choice, though small (#16-#22) mayfly nymphs are abundant on the rocks at the edges of the current, and trout are responding to nymph and emerger patterns dragged behind a heavy rig. Don’t be afraid of weight!
Not Too Busy
The crowds have not yet descended on the Eagle, so you have your choice of locations, though Guide Rock (the campground on Highway 6 just west of Wolcott) has been somewhat busy. Red Canyon needs a little time, so skip it and the fairgrounds for right now. Look for stretches with low gradient and side channels, where ‘bows and browns are tucked in the slack water, awaiting the “buffet line” of bugs coming down the current. Good examples of this are the public sections below the Wolcott Post Office and behind the Gypsum Ponds.
Temperature: 48°-52°
Flow: 1900 CFS at Wolcott, 2300 below Gypsum
Best patterns: Cannon’s worm (red or brown/red) #8-#12; Pig Sticker (wire worm) #10; Graphic Caddis #12-#16; Z-Wing Caddis #14-#16, Stone Bomb #10-#12; 20-Incher #10-#12; Pat’s Rubber Legs #10-#12; Soft Hackle and standard PT #14-#18; Rainbow Warrior #18-#22; Barr’s BWO Emerger #20-#22
