On the Fly: Soak up your surroundings out there

Ask anyone who fishes around the American West, and they will invariably comment on how healthy our rivers are in the Roaring Fork Valley (on the Fryingpan, Roaring Fork, Crystal, and Colorado). The Roaring Fork (despite the problem last week in regards to Lincoln Creek) boasts incredible fish counts, diverse insect life, and tons of birds that make the river their home.  On any given day, you can find osprey, bald eagles, ducks, geese, herons, and American dippers dining on the riches of our local waters. Complex insect hatches — varying from caddis, yellow sallies, all sorts of mayflies, and stoneflies — are on the menu, and as most of you know, these nearby rivers are lousy with fish.

This applies to the Colorado River, as well — compared to even ten years ago, this river has rebounded in health exponentially.  Taking a client on a float trip on the Colorado River (around Glenwood and west) back in the day wasn’t even a consideration, but this river is now much, much healthier. Heavy hatches and twenty-plus fish days are now the norm, and many people prefer the lighter boat traffic and hardest fighting fish that the Colorado offers versus other floatable rivers in the state.  

Contributing factors to the rebounding water health are many. Local organizations like the Roaring Fork Conservancy are spreading awareness and making a big difference, constantly testing water quality and teaching local youth about the interconnectedness of our streams and lakes. 

The Roaring Fork Fishing Guide Alliance members and plenty of other anglers make a daily difference, whether it is by handling fish rarely, reviving fish properly, leaving no trace or trash behind, and keeping an eye on down-valley water temperatures in the dog days of summer. Barbless flies, an ingrained catch and release ethic, cleaner vehicle emissions, the end of salt as a de-icer, and better-constructed drainage on our highway systems has had a positive effect on the Colorado’s health, too.  

The next time you’re on a local river, take a minute to soak in your surroundings. We doubt you’ll find a prettier or healthier stream than what we have right here in our backyard!

This report is provided every week by Taylor Creek Fly Shops in Aspen and Basalt. Taylor Creek can be reached at 970-927-4374 or TaylorCreek.com.