Sporadic, but heavy, hatches of Blue Winged Olives and midges are occurring. Keep an eye out for snouts.

Water clarity is excellent right now. Weeds have started to break off and float freely.

Streamer fishing has been pretty sweet. Give trailing a leech 18-24 inches behind a larger point fly a try. Throw or swing into soft water and strip back quickly and erratically. A 9' 2X leader to 18" of 3X tippet is a good sturdy setup.

Nymphing may be your best bet at catching fish. San Juan Worm variations are usually effective, as are Small Prince Nymphs or Hare's Ear. Try fishing two flies, tied to the tag ends of either a double surgeons or blood knot, followed by split shot on a smaller tippet size. Hard to cast but very effective to fish.

We encourage everyone to pinch their barbs. Pinching your barbs will help ensure that releasing fish is easier on you and the fish.

Fly tying time is upon us. Whether you are stocking up on some more of you old favorites, or adding a new twist, fly tying materials may be in order. Check out the courses available this winter on our courses page. We are offering Level I Fly Tying courses on 5 consecutive Tuesday's beginning January 16 and February 27.  

Bow River Flies to try: 

Dries: If you are not willing to give up the dry fly then maybe give midges or blue winged olives a try. Midges to try are: Griffith's Gnat, High-Vis Parachute Midges, and Zebra Midges  BWO patterns like Para-Sipper, Double Vision BWO's, or Foam Emerger BWO Biot are worth a try. 

Streamers: Small leech patterns like an Aaron's Leech, Woolly Grubbers, and black brown or olive Woolly Buggers have been extremely effective. Kreelex Minnows, Bow River Buggers (both Conehead and OG), Clouser Minnows, and Flesh Eating Sculpin are also good streamer choices.

Nymphs: Will's Chai T, Kaleidoscope, TJ Hooker, Aaron's BT Rubber Leg, Tungsten Prince, Copper John's, and Red Wire Worms.

Winter is here. Don't give up. There still will be some chances to get out. With winter comes layering. We have lots of underwear and base layer options to keep you warm and on the river.

Tight lines!

FTFS