Fishermen should be ready for elevated flows and potentially dirty, or off-colored water in much of the Gunnison drainage.  The warmer temperatures have started the first push of snowmelt and rivers and streams are starting to swell.  Day to day can be hit or miss, so check your hydrographs before you head out the door.  Wading can be difficult on pushy rivers, so use caution.

The Taylor River will maintain some fishable sections because of the dam upriver.  It will continue to increase in volume, but should maintain fishable clarity.  Some of the high country creeks will actually stay pretty clear and fishable too, as they haven’t seen as much snowmelt as the lower elevations.  In addition, be prepared for reservoirs, ponds and lakes to ice off soon.

A lot of techniques will be working on fishable water.  Watch for adult midges, mays, and caddis on warmer afternoons.  You may find some sipping fish.  Nymph fishing tandem setups with a variety of big and small protein patterns will pay off—Pat’s, 20 inchers, eggs, S.J. worms, and mays and caddis.  And, for the streamer addicted fisherman—now can be the time with a lot of chasing fish coming off softer seams and eddies.