With unpredictable weather but a small window to fish before run-off really gets started, ERO client, Rene and I snuck in a mid-day wade trip on the Eagle River in Avon. The Eagle continues to rise but the visibility is still holding on. Rene has been fishing with us for a few years and loves to cover a lot of water which is a great thing this time of year because there are few spots to hold your ground and pick apart. The name of the game today was travelling up and down river looking for soft spots behind rocks for fish to hang in during these fast moving flows of May and June. The Eagle River in Avon has plenty of great "pockets" like this and Rene was happy to make short drifts in each one using high-sticking techniques with a longer rod and minimal amounts of fly line. We walked from the Westin Hotel down to the Arrowhead golf course and back, catching fish in the slow water using Patt's Rubber Legs and worms trailed by small baetis and midges. All flies received the approval of our local Eagle River brown trout and rainbow trout. They were feeding well even with a storm looming, dark cloudy and heavy winds.

Now is the time to really start thinking about carrying a wading staff and making smart decisions while wading. Though clarity is enough for fish to see the small bugs, it's not crystal clear and the Eagle is full of slippery rocks, and deep pockets. Fish spots close to the bank where the water is visibly slower than what surrounds it. Fish are inherently lazy and don't want to be out in the cold fast current, just like you should not be! Try and fish with friends but if you are going to get after it alone, make sure you let someone know where you intend to fish and when you intend to come home.

Enjoy the remainder of run-off, be safe and keep looking for more fishing reports as we will certainly be out there on our own and with our lovely clients!