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Crystal River The Crystal River is a beautiful and pristine little river and it does have public access. It runs parallel to highway 133 and meets the Roaring Fork at Carbondale. Traveling along there are spots where hot springs emerge into the river. In winter the steam is quite visible. The locals take a dip from time to time. It is also worth taking a drive up to Redstone along Highway 133 to enjoy a picturesque quaint little town. The Crystal River does offer some good fishing and can be enjoyed when the water level is high enough. Unfortunately it can change very quickly because of rain and irrigation. The hatches are similar to the Roaring Fork.
Colorado River
The Colorado River is a large river and best fished from a drift boat. We use McKenzie type boats and rafts that are very comfortable. It is a big water and worth an introduction with local expertise. Although not as plentiful as the Fork or the Pan, the trout in the Colorado are big river fish. Since the completion of Wolford reservoir and the I-70 Glenwood canyon ,the Colorado river is clearer and is more fishable year round. Our float trips on the Colorado and Roaring Fork rivers have been very productive with some excellent fish. A variety of flies will work well. Dries such as hoppers with droppers. Streamers. There are also hatches of Caddis. Stone fly nymphs. Copper Johns - particularly the red ones fished deep. Autumn splendors and small nymphs are also productive. It is also a good midge fishery. It can be fished down towards Rifle when the winter sun is low and it gets too dark in the canyon. Down lower it opens out and the sun gets on to the water. Spring FishingBecause the Colorado is lower down, it will warm earlier and the insect hatches will start there earlier than higher up where the snow is still on the ground. Hence the Colorado affords the opportunity for some good fishing quite early in the year provided the water condition is good. The benefit of a colder March. After winter the fishing picks up around March. How good the fishing will be on the Colorado depends on the temperatures prevailing at the time. The ideal water is light green where the visibility is good. The difficulty is that if the weather begins to warm in March and the run-off starts early, by the time the BWO's start to come off in late March the visibility will be poor. On the other hand if the winter remains colder through March, that will slow down the beginning of the run-off hence it will tend to keep the water a little clearer. This will make for some great fishing. It should also be noted that from 15th March until 15th May fishing is prohibited 50 yards both upstream and downstream from No Name, Grizzly and Canyon Creeks while the rainbows are spawning. Over the period from March through April, it is best to check local conditions and find out the quality of the water. If you can get on the water before the discoloration begins, you will experience some of the best fishing the area has to offer. The midges will hatch in the morning and the BWO's will come off in the afternoon so be loaded with flies. The fish are not as choosy as the Frying Pan and the Roaring Fork towards Basalt so you can use a heavier leader and larger flies. Size #16 to #18 midge emergers are fine and will work better than on the Pan. In addition towards April, the caddis will start to move about, so carry some caddis larva and pupa patterns. In addition, you might find it easier with a heavier rod. Maybe a six weight. It can tend to get a little windy so a faster action rod will get the line through the air a little better. In addition, the average fish is larger so a heavier rod will enable you to handle the fish more quickly and get your line back in the water. Once the discoloration begins, the fishing will not be as acceptable until after the run-off has finished. The problem then is the rafters! Bless their hearts. They have a lot of fun, but traditionally they don't seem to care much for fishermen on the river and will float right through where you are fishing with nary a thought. Summer Fishing. After run-off has finished and the water is clear there is excellent fishing on the Colorado during Summer. The drakes will hatch there before they start hatching on the Fork and then the Pan. Other hatches occur there earlier as well. At the height of summer, a distinction has to be drawn between fishing the Colorado below the confluence with the Roaring Fork and above it. In the hot weather, the Colorado near Dotsero, for instance, gets affected by the heat. The water warms and the fish become lethargic during the day. The only reasonable fishing is in the mornings or in the later afternoons against the steep banks with hoppers. If you took the time though it is a pretty float through open rural lands down towards Dotsero. However, below the Fork the water is cooled by the colder water from the Roaring Fork. So in fact the fishing on the Colorado below Glenwood is better in the summer heat until even the lower Fork starts to warm a little. There is excellent floating if the water is clear down to Silt and Rifle. Furthermore, down that far, there are carp which is a favorite of Ed. One disadvantage of the Colorado below Glenwood is that the water can color up very quickly if there is a sudden summer downpour. If the Crystal river or Thompson Creek blow out, that will dirty the Fork which in turn will affect the Colorado and the fishing in the Colorado can be off for days. Recommended Flies : Spring: Theo’s bead head stone, tan - #10 Summer: Theo’s bead head stone-tan-#10 Autumn: Bead head pheasant tails #16, 18; Winter: Prince Nymphs; [Index]
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