With snow in the forecast tomorrow, a few of the ERO gents decided to scratch their itch before the expected inclement weather shows up in the Vail Valley tomorrow. With some new water to guide this season we checked out a few of the wade easements we have and we liked it. A slight stain and an uptick in flows had the fish feeding well, somewhat voraciously. Once we found where they were laying, we found what they were eating and they had quite a variety to choose from. Midges and caddis were popping around the banks while small baetis seemed to be the favorite even without any seen above the water. Adam made the most of his time by sliding into a soft deep seam and I would guess he made most of the fish sitting in that hole a little smarter today. His medallion midge in tandem with a caddis emerger drew the most attention for him. I fished a smaller deep seam next to a faster current with lot's of little boulder pockets for them to hide between where I managed to lose multiple large trout on a small jigged streamer followed by a couple baetis. I tried some caddis larva to no avail and some midges ta boot. Adam turned some on a squirmy as well.
Pumped to continue upstream on the Roaring Fork and spend a little time on the Frying Pan, we continued on to our next new wade spot where we came across a guided trip while scouting the water. We decided to make our Pitkin County Pilgrimage to Timbo's Pizza for a cold cut and a slice. Unfortunately we found a sharp rock as we made our way back to 82 that had different plans for us. After a 30 minute "Pit Stop" we had the donut on and filled with air and made our way back to the Vail Valley still victorious. Adam at least ha.
With offseason about to be in full swing, head on out on the water before the ski bums trade their ski boots for wading boots. If you brave the cold this weekend, you'll be tickled to find the lower Eagle River should regain some clarity and might we worth a snowy float! Call if we can fish with you or help you on your own adventures!
Dave
