‘Go early, go late, go deep and go high.’ With temperatures in Steamboat reaching into the mid-90s the past week, this is some good advice for the best way to enjoy your time on the river. Not only is this advice good for staying comfortable on hot summer days, but is often better for finding fish. ‘When rivers drop and water temperatures rise, fish seek cooler water, which means deeper runs and holes where cool water pools. Fish early mornings, sleep all day, fish late afternoons and into the dark.’

The Grand Junction Sentinel discussed in a recent article the conditions for fly fishing in some of the best areas in the state. When talking about Steamboat, they mentioned that the cold spring runoff has kept the flow of the Yampa and Elk rivers heavy into the summer. ‘It was just like having a big snow year, we just stepped into the Elk 10 days ago. Our rivers are just getting prime and the water temperatures are perfect. The late spring delayed some of the summer hatches…with the caddis hatch just starting.’