Late-Summer Options
It’s the Dog Days of summer – when temps rise, fish are getting picky, and fellow anglers are making those “end of summer” trips before Labor Day rolls in. August is also a great time to explore many late-summer options when it comes to your fly fishing adventure.
Fish, particularly brown trout, get more active in cooler water and decrease in activity as water temps rise. Because of this, look to the early morning hours and early evening for prime fishing. In fact, as explained in Jon Easdon’s blog on warm water threats to fish, it might be a good idea to take a long lunch between 11:00 and 4:00 and let the fish be idle. The water temps have reached a point where early morning and early evening are seeing thick hatches of caddis and PMDs – and the hopper fishing has been on fire.
Alpine lakes in our high country also offer an exciting alternative to beat the heat, find beautiful cutthroats, and get in some great scenery. Fishing the high country takes some extra planning – you want to get up to the lakes early in case storms roll in (or, more accurately, BEFORE they roll in because in all likelihood there’ll be a storm). Take a lot of water, carry a first aid kit, and watch the skies for those clouds to tumble over the surrounding ridges. See our webpage for alpine lakes, and read our blog for these fishing opportunities. Backcountry angling also gives the fly fisher willing to walk a little further some great experiences! Colorado also has some great small streams that offer different challenges for feisty brook trout.
Interested in trying some stillwater fishing – but not of the alpine lake variety? Within a two-hour drive from Colorado Springs, we have a handful of reservoirs and lakes to fish. Kenny Romero writes that Spinney Reservoir is living up to its reputation as a great stillwater destination. Check out our website for more stillwater opportunities!
If you want a little more hands-on guidance, call the shop to schedule a trip with one of our Orvis-endorsed guides. Half-day trips are a great choice right now for the reasons mentioned above. Our guides can customize a trip for you and friends. We have a couple of unique experiences to offer – our Couples on the River trips are great from special occasions. Not only will you get two great guides, a delicious river-side meal is part of the deal! Another popular trip is our Corporate Trips. Why have another BBQ with your company’s team? A guided corporate trip is a great way to reconnect with your colleagues and have some laughs in a beautiful environment! Finally, we have access to some of the most productive and beautiful private waters in the state.
Swing by the shop and talk to our staff about these late-summer fly fishing options. If you would like to schedule a trip, see our wide range of Guide Trip options.