Eagle River Float Fishing Report – May 17, 202 Section: Rittenhouse to Community Pit, near Gypsum, CO
Conditions:
- Weather: Iffy all day with heavy clouds threatening. We found a window and beat the weather. Barely got rained on.
- Water: Cold for mid-May. Clear with good visibility, flows are manageable for a float.
- Float time: 3 hours – quick trip start to finish
The Report: Fly fished the Rittenhouse to Community Pit stretch of the Eagle River and had to work for every fish. With the weather looking suspect, we dedicated ourselves to the nymph game and stuck with it.
It was not easy fishing. The cold water had the fish sluggish, and they weren’t moving far for flies. You had to put it right in front of them and keep it there. We picked away at them, though – mostly rainbow trout made up the day’s catch. Nothing huge, but solid, healthy fish that fought hard in the cold water.
Saw some really cool mayflies popping sporadically. Not enough to get fish looking up, but a good sign for what’s coming. No real dry fly opportunities, so staying deep with nymphs was the call.
What Worked:
- Rig: Dedicated nymph setup. Double nymph rig with weight, fished slow and deep
- Patterns: Stonefly nymphs as the anchor, trailed by #16-18 mayfly patterns. Hare’s Ears, Pheasant Tails, and smaller BWO emergers took fish. Darker profiles seemed better in the cloudy light.
- Tactics: Had to work hard. Long drifts, mending often, and really covering water. Fish were hugging the bottom in slower seams and deeper buckets.
Notes: We moved quickly, and it paid off – 3 hours on the water and we were off before anything ugly rolled in. If you’re floating this stretch right now, commit to the nymph and expect to grind. The fish are there, but the cold water means you’ll earn them. Keep an eye on those mayflies, though. When water temps bump up a few degrees, that surface activity could turn on fast.
Outlook: As runoff still hasn’t kicked in hard, this float is very doable. Bring your rain gear just in case, and plan to nymph deep. 3-4 hour floats are perfect right now to dodge weather windows.
Rowed hard, fished harder. Worth it.
