Being properly prepared is one of the most important things we can do to get a great fishing experience. Fishing is no fun if you have a dehydration headache. Or your grandfather’s 60’s era 3 weight fiberglass rod you brought won’t perform in the wind. I learned early in my guiding career that preparing expectations was one of the best things I can do to set my guests up for success. It’s better to have brought something and not need it than to be shivering on the side of the river because your bright orange sweatshirt that has been spooking fish all day got soaked in an afternoon thunderstorm.
What You Should Bring
Reusable water bottle
Sunscreen
Hat
Polarized sunglasses
Rain gear
Multiple layers of quick drying clothing
What You Should Expect
Patient instruction when needed
Variable high desert weather
Potential to get wet
Challenging whitewater
Casting to wary wild trout
6,000 t0 8,000 Feet in Elevation
What I Bring
Expert advice on fly selection
Simms waders and wading boots
9’ 5 weight Orvis rods
Lunches and drinks on full-day trips
Safety gear and 1st aid
20+ years experience on the Arkansas river
What I Row
14 ft. NRS whitewater raft
Custom Down River fishing frame
Comfortable front and rear seats
Front and rear diamond plate casting decks
Front and rear thigh braces
Front stripping basket
Below is a month-to-month breakdown of where I’m often fishing and the approaches I’m often taking in the Upper Arkansas Valley. The Arkansas River can throw us some curveballs so it doesn’t always work out exactly like this, but generally speaking this is what you might expect. Hopefully, this will help you plan when to book your trip with me to fit the style of fly fishing that suits you best.
March
For the most part, March is still winter here. We often do lots of nymphing on the Ark, but Blue Wing Olive mayflies should start to move around, and the fish should begin to target them. By the end of the month, we may see consistent hatches in the Salida area. The flows are often low, but float fishing can still be fun, especially if we take our time and stop and fish the many foam patches and foam lines where the small mayflies tend to collect. Rainbows should begin to spawn.
April
The beginnings of spring. The water is typically low and clear on the Ark which will require accurate casting and natural drifts. We can see consistent Blue Wing Olive hatches in the afternoons and the cloudy/wet/snowy days might spur the trout to focus on eating the adults on the surface. The weather can be highly variable with 70’s one day and a foot of snow the next with wind most days. Rainbows are probably still spawning.
May
The weather is probably getting more consistent, but we can still see a May snowstorm. The Salida area should see a fair amount of caddis (and anglers) and up river could get consistent Blue Wing Olive hatches. Streamer fishing can be excellent. In the beginning of the month, flows often start to increase, which should make floating a little smoother, but by the end of the month run-off is usually in full force. Run-off may shut down floating due to poor water clarity. Typical flows on the Ark in the Salida area for March or April may be 250 to 500 cfs while run-off peaks in May or June can often be 10 times as much. So the fish are trying to pack on the pounds before the deluge they know is coming.
June
The beginning of June is typically washed out with snow melt on the river. As the flows on the Ark subside later in June we fish along the edges and floats may have success in Salida and below or potentially the BV area depending on the flows. The fish are super hungry and compressed along the edges making them a somewhat easier target for anglers at this time.
July
This is usually the busiest time of year on the Ark. Lots of stoneflies and hoppers may dominate our approach, but there are also a couple good mayfly hatches and Drakes can be found in the upper sections of the river. The flows are usually still up but usually not close to the extremes of run-off. We can fish pretty much anywhere, but this is monsoon season, so while you may get sunny warm mornings, there will be a thunderstorm most afternoons. This may also affect water clarity at times.
August
The flows on the river usually begin to subside. The fish likely have been heavily pressured for a while now and can be highly educated and spooky. I often look to get some fish first thing in the morning on terrestrials in swift pocket water where oxygen levels are usually high. It is still monsoon season.
September
September usually brings low clear water and sunny skies. Plenty of fish can still be caught but your technique better be perfect. Blue Wings can come back, but the dry windy conditions make it harder for the fish to target the adults on the surface. Terrestrials can still be an option as well.
October
The weather in October can be highly variable and windy but the fishing can still be excellent. This is often when the bulk of the trout on the Ark spawn. There are often still some Blue Wings around, streamers can be excellent, and terrestrials can still be found down river.
November - February
This is winter and I don’t guide this time of year because there are plenty of pheasants and quail that need hunting, and my dogs are probably getting pretty restless. However, if you want to go it alone the Ark has the best winter fishing in the state and mild temps compared to the rest of the mountains. Pick sunny days to fish, target deep runs and under the edge of any ice shelves. Throw very small flies, like midges, paired with heavy flies, like stoneflies. See you in the spring!
