Arkansas River

The upper river is in excellent shape and is easy to wade. We are seeing caddis and pale morning dun activity through Hayden Meadows down to Granite. Grasshoppers are beginning to become more important as the larger aquatic insect activity in the river slows down. With consistent weather behind us and before us, water conditions should continue to remain excellent. It is now possible to wade across the river in many places in the middle basin. Be careful and conservative with your wading. We are still experiencing good dry fly fishing with the fish responding to attractor dry flies imitating grasshoppers and stoneflies. There are red quills and blue winged olives hatching during the afternoon bringing fish to the surface as well. At these flows, do not be afraid of tying on smaller patterns. Midges as droppers in the morning have been productive and mayfly nymphs in sizes No. 16 to No. 18 work well through the afternoon hours. The key is finding the right water. At these lower flows, the fish are beginning to disperse away from the shoreline, so spend more time picking apart likely lies out towards the main current and adjusting dropper depth until you find the sweet spot.