Colorado River Emergency Closure
Effective immediately, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has issued an emergency closure for all public access and downstream recreation on the Colorado River starting at James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park in Fruita and extending to the Utah state line. This closure is necessary for firefighter and public safety due to the Snyder Fire currently burning in McInnis Canyon. Learn more.
When most people think of fishing in Colorado, fly fishing is one of the first techniques that come to mind. Like all types of fishing, it can be a fun group or family activity or it can be your way to find peace and tranquility — an escape from our busy lives.
Learning to fly fish does not have to be intimidating, difficult or expensive. There are lots of opportunities for classes with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), local fly shops and fly-fishing organizations around Colorado.
People in Colorado love to fish. Colorado sells more than 900,000 fishing licenses each year! There are so many fishing choices in Colorado with 6,000 miles of streams 1,300 natural lakes and reservoirs. Your new favorite fishing spot may be just around the corner.
Walking into your local sporting goods store or fly shop and seeing an entire wall of rods would be enough to intimidate anyone new to fly fishing. Now throw in reel choices, line and all the little accessories and you can start to feel overwhelmed! Don’t worry, below is an excellent starting place for what you need to get out on the water and be successful today.
You can spend a lot of money on a rod. In the hands of an experienced caster, an expensive rod will feel different and cast better. For most beginners, you will not notice the difference and do not need to spend a lot of money to get a good rod. The extra money for a high-end rod is usually there if you break the rod. They will fix or replace it at a lower cost.
Rod — A 9-foot, 5-weight rod is a good general purpose rod for Colorado.
In general, you will not use your reel as much as you would with a spinning rod. Again, you do not need to break the bank here. At the distances most anglers fly fish in Colorado, and the size of most of our fish, a basic reel will be just fine. Pick a reel with a good disc drag system.
Reel — Any basic reel matched to your rod will be fine. For example, a size-5 reel should be used for a 5-weight rod.
There are almost as many types of lines as there are rods. A great starting place is a weight-forward floating line. This will handle most of the common fishing situations in Colorado. Look for one in the mid-price range.
Line — A weight-forward fly line that is matched to your rod and reel will be perfect. For example, a 5-weight line for a size-5 reel.
Several manufactures sell entry-level combos that will have everything you need to get started at a fraction of the cost. These kits will have a rod, reel, line, backing and other extras all for around $150.
Fly Fishing Basics – Part I: Picking the Right Gear
Fishing Tips
Between great local fishing supply stores and a number of low-cost fly fishing outfits available online, there’s never been a better time to take up fly fishing. Howard Horton, Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Angler Outreach Coordinator, dispels the myths that prevent many from trying fly fishing. Learning to fly fish does not have to be expensive or intimidating. Howard walks through gear selection and rod setup, showing you exactly what you’ll need to get out on the water without breaking the bank.
When starting out, it is a good idea to have a few flies that can catch fish no matter where you go. Below are 10 good, all-around patterns that will catch fish all over Colorado. Some of them you can get with beads and flash or in different colors.
Dry Flies — sizes 14-18
Streamers — sizes 4-8
You will need a few extra tools to make your day of fishing a success. Below are just the basics.
There are many fishing knots in the world. Fortunately, you only need to know a couple before you go fishing. Make sure you take time to practice your knots at home before you hit the water. When you make it out to fish, you want to maximize your time fishing “not” tying knots. There are a bunch of tutorial videos on the Internet with step-by-step instructions. Below are three easy knots that will get you fishing fast.
Annual fishing licenses are valid from March 1 through March 31 (13 months). CPW provides a range of options for anglers, from the annual fishing license to the one-day fishing license. Youth under the age of 16 fish for free.
