September Trout Fishing Updates from Colorado
ColoradoWords By: Elliot Manning | September 7, 2023
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What to Expect from Your Fall Fishing Trip
For those who have fished in Colorado during the fall season, you know what’s about to hit our valley. Fiery shades of red, yellow, and orange, rivers full of life, and some really great trout fishing opportunities.
The kokanee salmon have depth to congregate, the browns have spawning grounds that were once dry, and anglers have more room to maneuver and work. The past few years we haven’t been able to report so many great conditions, so we’re celebrating what’s been a really great season.
Come enjoy the good times with our fishing guides who are still out on the water everyday and ready to get you on fish. Red quills and march browns have made their presence known and trout are beginning to key in on their emergence. Mix those in with BWOs, midges, and terrestrials, and the fish will start indulging themselves prior to a long winter ahead.
The Right Techniques Make the Difference
You’ll find fish looking up at dries throughout the middle of your day on your fishing trip. You’ll want to work nymphs through the cooler mornings and evenings. If you notice consistent rejections, try one size smaller and you may get those fish to commit. Drift terrestrials along the bank, especially next to debris such as log james or downed trees. If you can’t seem to get any fish to eat, drop a nymph below a buoyant hopper. Of course, you can always book one of our fishing guides, who will keep things sorted for you while you focus.
The rainbows will begin to stack up behind pods of kokanee feeding on their eggs. Have a trout bead or salmon egg pattern handy when nymphing deeper pools. Follow that with a small midge, and you’ll be in good shape.
Don’t leave the house without your streamer box and have a rod ready with a sink tip line. It’s alway good to have this as an option when you can’t seem to get the productivity you’d hoped for from your dries and nymphs. This is the time of year when brown trout become aggressive and territorial which will give anglers visuals of eats that will either end in frustration or the reward of a vivid fall picture with a great fish in hand.
The Best Patterns to Try
At this point in the year, throw patterns like:
- Red Quill 14-16
- Two Bit Hooker 14-18
- Juju Baetis 18-20
- Zebra Midge 16-20
- BWO 16-20
- Poxyback Baetis 18-20
- Magic Fly 18-20
- Poly Wing Emerger 18-20
- Hoppers 8-12
- Amy’s Ant 10-12
- Parachute Adams 16-20
- Sculpzilla 4-8
- Baby Gonga 4-8
There’s Still Time for a Great Fishing Trip
Many consider this time of year the very best—and it’s not hard to understand why. Expect fewer crowds on the river these days as the peak season of summer has come to an end. Whether you’re a beginner or expert, Taylor River Lodge welcomes you through the end of our season here to come experience the best of Gunnison Valley’s trout fishing with our fantastic fishing guides.