It is no secret. There’s a highway paralleling the entire fishable stretch of river. It gets hammered. Still, the Arkansas River is one of Colorado’s real gems. It is a vast amount of water from which to choose, and that water is diverse. It is productive, known equally well for its prolific caddis and BWO hatches. And, if you’re willing to do a little work and learn the language of a particular reach, you’ll find fish. Plenty of ‘em.
Yesterday, I schemed with my buddy Sanders (check out his excellent blog, Up The Poudre, if you haven’t already) to make the trip. It was to be his first time on the Ark, and my first time in a few years. For me, it was like getting re-acquainted with an old friend. In fact, the day was reminiscent of the first time I ever fished the Arkansas close to a decade ago. The memory of that day endures as a fine angling memory, and I’m sure yesterday will do the same.
Fish came at first on nymphs, hot and wild browns that lept eagerly. As it will under spring’s warm influence, the river then transitioned, revealing emergent and adult baetis. The fish switched roles accordingly, much to our satisfaction.
It’s always great to fish with a friend. It’s a rare and special experience to share a river with a passionate angler for the first time. Connecting with a couple hours of terrific dry fly action is just icing on the cake. See more of the day’s photos on the schnitzerPHOTO Facebook page.
