Location: Gore Creek behind the Grand Hyatt, Vail
Guide: Dave + shadow guide Luke
Conditions:
- Weather: Wind and rain threatened most of the morning, but it only rained for a little bit. Never fully overcast. Ironically, the weather shift improved the fishing.
- Water: Clear with late-spring flows. Cold but fishable. Slow to medium speed pockets were key.
- Time fished: Early afternoon into evening
The Report: Guided two clients today who were fresh off a casting clinic with ERO guide Adam. They did a great job applying what they’d just learned on the water. I also had Luke shadowing me – he’s young, local, and going to do great work. Keep an eye out for him.
We did some Gore Creek fishing right behind the Grand Hyatt where the guests were staying, which made for an easy walk-and-wade day. We worked both upstream and downstream from the property.
The fishing started slow. With the front pushing in, fish were hesitant and extremely picky. We saw small mayflies coming off, and that’s exactly what the trout keyed on. The interesting thing: profile mattered a lot. Fat-bodied mayfly patterns fished way better than thin-profiled ones. If it looked a little chunkier in the water, it got eaten. If it was too skinny, it got refused.
To get into fish we had to commit to weight. We fished slow to medium speed pockets and ran a large amount of weight on our lines to keep flies down in the zone. Once we got the depth right, both rainbow and brown trout started eating consistently.
What Worked:
- Hatches: Small mayflies, size #18-20. Fish were picky but dialed on them.
- Patterns: Fat-bodied mayfly imitations out-produced thin ones. Think plump RS2s, Micro Mayflies, and foam-body BWOs.
- Rig: Heavy. Lots of split shot to punch through the current and stay in the strike zone of those slow to medium pockets.
- Approach: We walked both up and down from the Grand Hyatt, picking apart every soft seam and bucket we could find.
Notes: The wind and light rain that threatened actually turned the bite on. Classic spring scenario – a little weather makes them less spooky and more willing to eat. Both guests were first-timers and they crushed it. They caught fish, learned a ton, and had a great time. Both said they intend to keep fly fishing back in their home states.
Luke was a huge help and asked all the right questions. Stoked to have another solid local guide coming up.
Outlook: Small mayflies are the name of the game right now. Go heavier on your patterns and don’t be shy with weight. Focus on slow to medium water and be patient – the fish are picky but they’re feeding. If you get a little weather, consider it a bonus.
If you’re staying at the Grand Hyatt, you’ve got world-class water out your back door. No excuses.
