Why We Love Fall Angling

Soon, the fall foliage will turn the Gunnison Valley’s landscapes into a forest of gold and orange. We will experience a unique combination of cooler weather, fewer anglers, and the long-awaited kokanee run. Some of the most productive fly fishing in Colorado is just around the corner, as lower water levels allow anglers to wade with ease and select the best places to target trout. Needless to say, fall should never be overlooked as a great time to fly fish the Gunnison River Valley.

What To Expect from the Trout This Season

Our guides are out on the water every day, ready to get you into fish and deliver the best guided fly fishing in Colorado. Red quill and March brown mayflies are prevalent, and trout are keyed in on their emergence. Mix those in with blue wing olives, midges, and terrestrials, and it’s an all-you-can-eat bug buffet. We are finding fish looking up at dry flies during the middle of the day, and fishing nymphs in the cooler mornings and evenings. If you notice that the smarter trout are rejecting your dry fly, throw one size smaller.

Try These September-Specific Strategies

Cast terrestrials close to the bank and debris, such as log jams and downed trees. A hopper dropper combo is always productive. Rainbows will stack up downstream of pods of spawning kokanee (a freshwater, landlocked sockeye salmon), and just like fall in Alaska, our rainbows like salmon eggs. Nymph a trout bead or small egg pattern in the deeper pools. It’s super fun when you can sight fish to feeding rainbows. Sometimes a size 18 or 20 midge pupa tied 14 inches below the bead is deadly.

Musts for Fall Fly Fishing in Colorado

Don’t leave the house without a streamer box and a rod rigged up with a sink-tip fly line. Fall is a great time to mix in streamers and target larger trout. Browns, in particular, are aggressive and territorial. Nothing beats the visual strike of a streamer eat. Like the trees, Gunny brown trout are decked out in gold and orange as well.

Focus on These Fly Patterns

For the most productive experience fly fishing in Colorado this season, we recommend these patterns:

• Red Quill 14-16
• Two Bit Hooker 14-18
• Parachute Adams 16-20
• Juju Baetis 18-20
• Zebra Midge 16-20
• BWO 16-20
• Poxyback Baetis 18-20
• Hoppers 8-12
• Griffiths Gnat 16-18
• Amy’s Ant 10-12
• Sculpzilla 4-8
• Baby Gonga 4-8

Join us up in Colorado at the beautiful Taylor River Lodge to experience these incredible fall angling conditions!