Springtime Hatches on the Colorado River: Info About Flyfishing in Fraser, CO

The state of Colorado is filled with rivers, creeks and streams that are ideal for fly fishing. In fact, anglers come to Colorado from all over the world, descending upon the state’s waters during insect hatch seasons in particular.

Wondering when the best time is to come out and do some flyfishing in Fraser, CO? Here is some information about some of the biggest hatch seasons of the year to help you plan your next big fishing excursion.

Stoneflies

The salmon fly is perhaps the most famous of the stone flies, hatching between May 15 and June 15 and bringing in a massive number of trout fishers every single year. But there are other species of stoneflies that hatch in the area aside from this big bug.

The Micro Yellow fly, for example, is a greenish yellow to bright yellow colored bug that hatches most of the summer long, emerging when the water is between 46 and 54 degrees. There are other types of flies that emerge earlier in the year, while the water is still between 38 and 44 degrees. The Micro Black fly, for example, emerges any time between the start of the year and early May.

Mayflies

Mayflies tend to be smaller on average than the stone flies—there are none that get to be the massive size of the salmon fly, for example. Their emergence periods also vary much more widely.

For example, the Blue Winged Olive fly can emerge any time between March 1 and November 15 during the warmest parts of the day, typically under cloud cover. The Gray Drake fly also has a wide range of emergence times, from June 1 to November 30. It will emerge in the late morning.

Caddisflies

Caddisflies are generally medium-sized flies, and often have sporadic emergence periods, though some can be a little more particular. The October Caddis, for example, is out between September and October and emerges in shallow water in the afternoon and evening. The American Grannom comes out from March 1 to May 15, but usually only emerges in the early morning to early afternoon.

Other caddisflies are not quite as particular. The Little Tan Short Horned Sedge can be found in Colorado waterways any time between March 1 and August 30, and could emerge at just about any time of day in any conditions.

These are just a few examples of the emergence periods of the many species of flies and insects you’re likely to become acquainted with if you spend any significant amount of time fishing in Colorado. We strongly encourage you to become familiar with the types of flies and insects that are most likely to draw responses from the fish you are going for—this will help you find much greater success in your fishing and help you determine which types of day are best to hit the water.

For more information, contact our fishing shop in Fraser, CO today. We look forward to helping you enjoy your most productive fishing season yet!

Categorised in: Fishing Store, Fly Fishing