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Recent Guide Reports
Nov 24
ArkAnglers
Wednesday 11/24, 2021
Flow at Wellsville: 286 cfs
Water Temp.: 40s
Clarity: Clear
Wednesday Report - Braden Baker
Both our Salida and Buena Vista locations will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.
Wednesday and Thursday of this week are a little cooler in Salida but our extended forecast shows weather in the high 50s and low 60s heading into the first week of December, which is incredibly welcoming weather for anglers on the Arkansas this time of year. November is definitely a transitional time on the Arkansas, as local brown trout wrap up their spawning and prepare for winter. Most days you'll find fish near deeper water in the mornings and then moving into more riffled, shallow water to feed mid-day and early afternoon if the food is there. You'll find fish beginning to occupy the traditional winter water, though not exclusively. As we see this winter migration in the coming weeks, expect to find areas of the river that appear devoid of fish. Often it may seem like all the fish in a 100 yard stretch of water will migrate to one or two deeper runs or pools within that area. When you find this, it pays to slow down and change flies and depth regularly to be successful, resting that run every so often to allow fish to reset before presenting again.
Fish that are still truly spawning will give a great show as they leap out of the water in their spawning habitat. Please avoid fishing to trout who are actively paired and spawning on redds. That said, downstream from the redds you'll likely find fish holding to take advantage of a stray egg. Whether it be post-spawn hunger, pre-winter preparation, or just outright meanness, fish that are post-spawn are very predatory and territorial, which means that leeches and streamers can be incredibly effective this time of year beyond a standard nymphing approach. Expect a lot of variety through the day, particularly on the warmer days. We're still getting reports of fish sporadically eating grasshopper patterns on the surface, so you may consider fishing a deep dry-dropper rig instead of nymphing under a strike indicator. Midges are the most active food and can be effective as a larva, pupa, or even adult throughout the day depending on conditions. Often we'll fish a midge as a dropper off of a larger attractor nymph, like a large pheasant tail, hare's ear, or copper john. The year-round availability of golden stonefly nymphs make these a good attractor nymph to substitute, as well. These larger flies can be fished in #10-14 and the smaller midges should be in the #16-20 range. We're past the bulk of fall mayfly hatches, but mayfly nymphs like a pheasant tail, two-bit hooker, micro-mayfly, frenchie pheasant tail, etc. are still going to be worth packing in a #16-18 through the late fall and winter. Mid-day hours will offer you your best opportunities.
Follow us on instagram at @ArkAnglers!
COVID-19 Chaffee County is the best resource for up to date information on the county.
Salida Location - 7500 W. Highway 50, Salida, CO 81201. (719) 539-3474.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday 8:00am-5:00pm.
Buena Vista Location - 517 S. Highway 24, Buena Vista, CO 81211. (719) 395-1796.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday Closed.
Email [email protected] with questions or to make your reservation.
Flow at Wellsville: 286 cfs
Water Temp.: 40s
Clarity: Clear
Wednesday Report - Braden Baker
Both our Salida and Buena Vista locations will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.
Wednesday and Thursday of this week are a little cooler in Salida but our extended forecast shows weather in the high 50s and low 60s heading into the first week of December, which is incredibly welcoming weather for anglers on the Arkansas this time of year. November is definitely a transitional time on the Arkansas, as local brown trout wrap up their spawning and prepare for winter. Most days you'll find fish near deeper water in the mornings and then moving into more riffled, shallow water to feed mid-day and early afternoon if the food is there. You'll find fish beginning to occupy the traditional winter water, though not exclusively. As we see this winter migration in the coming weeks, expect to find areas of the river that appear devoid of fish. Often it may seem like all the fish in a 100 yard stretch of water will migrate to one or two deeper runs or pools within that area. When you find this, it pays to slow down and change flies and depth regularly to be successful, resting that run every so often to allow fish to reset before presenting again.
Fish that are still truly spawning will give a great show as they leap out of the water in their spawning habitat. Please avoid fishing to trout who are actively paired and spawning on redds. That said, downstream from the redds you'll likely find fish holding to take advantage of a stray egg. Whether it be post-spawn hunger, pre-winter preparation, or just outright meanness, fish that are post-spawn are very predatory and territorial, which means that leeches and streamers can be incredibly effective this time of year beyond a standard nymphing approach. Expect a lot of variety through the day, particularly on the warmer days. We're still getting reports of fish sporadically eating grasshopper patterns on the surface, so you may consider fishing a deep dry-dropper rig instead of nymphing under a strike indicator. Midges are the most active food and can be effective as a larva, pupa, or even adult throughout the day depending on conditions. Often we'll fish a midge as a dropper off of a larger attractor nymph, like a large pheasant tail, hare's ear, or copper john. The year-round availability of golden stonefly nymphs make these a good attractor nymph to substitute, as well. These larger flies can be fished in #10-14 and the smaller midges should be in the #16-20 range. We're past the bulk of fall mayfly hatches, but mayfly nymphs like a pheasant tail, two-bit hooker, micro-mayfly, frenchie pheasant tail, etc. are still going to be worth packing in a #16-18 through the late fall and winter. Mid-day hours will offer you your best opportunities.
Follow us on instagram at @ArkAnglers!
COVID-19 Chaffee County is the best resource for up to date information on the county.
Salida Location - 7500 W. Highway 50, Salida, CO 81201. (719) 539-3474.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday 8:00am-5:00pm.
Buena Vista Location - 517 S. Highway 24, Buena Vista, CO 81211. (719) 395-1796.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday Closed.
Email [email protected] with questions or to make your reservation.
Nov 20
ArkAnglers
Saturday 11/20, 2021
Flow at Wellsville: 302 cfs
Water Temp.: 40s
Clarity: Clear
Saturday Report - Braden Baker
The next few days should be very mild in Salida with highs in the 50s and even 60 degrees on Monday. This is really good weather for fishing this time of year and the weather pattern looks good for the next 10 days or so at least. November is definitely a transitional time on the Arkansas, as local brown trout wrap up their spawning and prepare for winter. Most days you'll find fish near deeper water in the mornings and then moving into more riffled, shallow water to feed mid-day and early afternoon if the food is there. You'll find fish beginning to occupy the traditional winter water, though not exclusively. As we see this winter migration in the coming weeks, expect to find areas of the river that appear devoid of fish. Often it may seem like all the fish in a 100 yard stretch of water will migrate to one or two deeper runs or pools within that area. When you find this, it pays to slow down and change flies and depth regularly to be successful, resting that run every so often to allow fish to reset before presenting again.
Fish that are still truly spawning will give a great show as they leap out of the water in their spawning habitat. Please avoid fishing to trout who are actively paired ad spawning on redds. That said, downstream from the redds you'll likely find fish holding to take advantage of a stray egg. Whether it be post-spawn hunger, pre-winter preparation, or just outright meanness, fish that are post-spawn are very predatory and territorial, which means that leeches and streamers can be incredibly effective this time of year beyond a standard nymphing approach. Expect a lot of variety through the day, particularly on the warmer days. We're still getting reports of fish sporadically eating grasshopper patterns on the surface, so you may consider fishing a deep dry-dropper rig instead of nymphing under a strike indicator. Midges are the most active food and can be effective as a larva, pupa, or even adult throughout the day depending on conditions. Often we'll fish a midge as a dropper off of a larger attractor nymph, like a large pheasant tail, hare's ear, or copper john. The year-round availability of golden stonefly nymphs make these a good attractor nymph to substitute, as well. These larger flies can be fished in #10-14 and the smaller midges should be in the #16-20 range. We're past the bulk of fall mayfly hatches, but mayfly nymphs like a pheasant tail, two-bit hooker, micro-mayfly, frenchie pheasant tail, etc. are still going to be worth packing in a #16-18 through the late fall and winter.
Follow us on instagram at @ArkAnglers!
COVID-19 Chaffee County is the best resource for up to date information on the county.
Salida Location - 7500 W. Highway 50, Salida, CO 81201. (719) 539-3474.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday 8:00am-5:00pm.
Buena Vista Location - 517 S. Highway 24, Buena Vista, CO 81211. (719) 395-1796.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday Closed.
Email [email protected] with questions or to make your reservation.
Flow at Wellsville: 302 cfs
Water Temp.: 40s
Clarity: Clear
Saturday Report - Braden Baker
The next few days should be very mild in Salida with highs in the 50s and even 60 degrees on Monday. This is really good weather for fishing this time of year and the weather pattern looks good for the next 10 days or so at least. November is definitely a transitional time on the Arkansas, as local brown trout wrap up their spawning and prepare for winter. Most days you'll find fish near deeper water in the mornings and then moving into more riffled, shallow water to feed mid-day and early afternoon if the food is there. You'll find fish beginning to occupy the traditional winter water, though not exclusively. As we see this winter migration in the coming weeks, expect to find areas of the river that appear devoid of fish. Often it may seem like all the fish in a 100 yard stretch of water will migrate to one or two deeper runs or pools within that area. When you find this, it pays to slow down and change flies and depth regularly to be successful, resting that run every so often to allow fish to reset before presenting again.
Fish that are still truly spawning will give a great show as they leap out of the water in their spawning habitat. Please avoid fishing to trout who are actively paired ad spawning on redds. That said, downstream from the redds you'll likely find fish holding to take advantage of a stray egg. Whether it be post-spawn hunger, pre-winter preparation, or just outright meanness, fish that are post-spawn are very predatory and territorial, which means that leeches and streamers can be incredibly effective this time of year beyond a standard nymphing approach. Expect a lot of variety through the day, particularly on the warmer days. We're still getting reports of fish sporadically eating grasshopper patterns on the surface, so you may consider fishing a deep dry-dropper rig instead of nymphing under a strike indicator. Midges are the most active food and can be effective as a larva, pupa, or even adult throughout the day depending on conditions. Often we'll fish a midge as a dropper off of a larger attractor nymph, like a large pheasant tail, hare's ear, or copper john. The year-round availability of golden stonefly nymphs make these a good attractor nymph to substitute, as well. These larger flies can be fished in #10-14 and the smaller midges should be in the #16-20 range. We're past the bulk of fall mayfly hatches, but mayfly nymphs like a pheasant tail, two-bit hooker, micro-mayfly, frenchie pheasant tail, etc. are still going to be worth packing in a #16-18 through the late fall and winter.
Follow us on instagram at @ArkAnglers!
COVID-19 Chaffee County is the best resource for up to date information on the county.
Salida Location - 7500 W. Highway 50, Salida, CO 81201. (719) 539-3474.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday 8:00am-5:00pm.
Buena Vista Location - 517 S. Highway 24, Buena Vista, CO 81211. (719) 395-1796.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday Closed.
Email [email protected] with questions or to make your reservation.
Nov 17
ArkAnglers
Wednesday 11/17, 2021
Flow at Wellsville: 308 cfs
Water Temp.: 40s
Clarity: Clear
Wednesday Report - Braden Baker
The Salida weather forcast shows temps in th elow 50's to high 50's. this weather pattern whould hold through the weekend into early next week and will provide great opportunities to find feeding fish in the sunlight. November is definitely a transitional time on the Arkansas, as local brown trout wrap up their spawning and prepare for winter. Most days you'll find fish near deeper water in the mornings and then moving into more riffled, shallow water to feed mid-day and early afternoon if the food is there. You'll find fish beginning to occupy the traditional winter water, though not exclusively. As we see this winter migration in the coming weeks, expect to find areas of the river that appear devoid of fish. Often it may seem like all the fish in a 100 yard stretch of water will migrate to one or two deeper runs or pools within that area. When you find this, it pays to slow down and change flies and depth regularly to be successful, resting that run every so often to allow fish to reset before presenting again.
Fish that are still truly spawning will give a great show as they leap out of the water in their spawning habitat. Please avoid fishing to trout who are actively paired ad spawning on redds. That said, downstream from the redds you'll likely find fish holding to take advantage of a stray egg. Whether it be post-spawn hunger, pre-winter preparation, or just outright meanness, fish that are post-spawn are very predatory and territorial, which means that leeches and streamers can be incredibly effective this time of year beyond a standard nymphing approach. Expect a lot of variety through the day, particularly on the warmer days. We're still getting reports of fish sporadically eating grasshopper patterns on the surface, so you may consider fishing a deep dry-dropper rig instead of nymphing under a strike indicator. Midges are the most active food and can be effective as a larva, pupa, or even adult throughout the day depending on conditions. Often we'll fish a midge as a dropper off of a larger attractor nymph, like a large pheasant tail, hare's ear, or copper john. The year-round availability of golden stonefly nymphs make these a good attractor nymph to substitute, as well. These larger flies can be fished in #10-14 and the smaller midges should be in the #16-20 range. We're past the bulk of fall mayfly hatches, but mayfly nymphs like a pheasant tail, two-bit hooker, micro-mayfly, frenchie pheasant tail, etc. are still going to be worth packing in a #16-18 through the late fall and winter.
Follow us on instagram at @ArkAnglers!
COVID-19 Chaffee County is the best resource for up to date information on the county.
Salida Location - 7500 W. Highway 50, Salida, CO 81201. (719) 539-3474.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday 8:00am-5:00pm.
Buena Vista Location - 517 S. Highway 24, Buena Vista, CO 81211. (719) 395-1796.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday Closed.
Email [email protected] with questions or to make your reservation.
Flow at Wellsville: 308 cfs
Water Temp.: 40s
Clarity: Clear
Wednesday Report - Braden Baker
The Salida weather forcast shows temps in th elow 50's to high 50's. this weather pattern whould hold through the weekend into early next week and will provide great opportunities to find feeding fish in the sunlight. November is definitely a transitional time on the Arkansas, as local brown trout wrap up their spawning and prepare for winter. Most days you'll find fish near deeper water in the mornings and then moving into more riffled, shallow water to feed mid-day and early afternoon if the food is there. You'll find fish beginning to occupy the traditional winter water, though not exclusively. As we see this winter migration in the coming weeks, expect to find areas of the river that appear devoid of fish. Often it may seem like all the fish in a 100 yard stretch of water will migrate to one or two deeper runs or pools within that area. When you find this, it pays to slow down and change flies and depth regularly to be successful, resting that run every so often to allow fish to reset before presenting again.
Fish that are still truly spawning will give a great show as they leap out of the water in their spawning habitat. Please avoid fishing to trout who are actively paired ad spawning on redds. That said, downstream from the redds you'll likely find fish holding to take advantage of a stray egg. Whether it be post-spawn hunger, pre-winter preparation, or just outright meanness, fish that are post-spawn are very predatory and territorial, which means that leeches and streamers can be incredibly effective this time of year beyond a standard nymphing approach. Expect a lot of variety through the day, particularly on the warmer days. We're still getting reports of fish sporadically eating grasshopper patterns on the surface, so you may consider fishing a deep dry-dropper rig instead of nymphing under a strike indicator. Midges are the most active food and can be effective as a larva, pupa, or even adult throughout the day depending on conditions. Often we'll fish a midge as a dropper off of a larger attractor nymph, like a large pheasant tail, hare's ear, or copper john. The year-round availability of golden stonefly nymphs make these a good attractor nymph to substitute, as well. These larger flies can be fished in #10-14 and the smaller midges should be in the #16-20 range. We're past the bulk of fall mayfly hatches, but mayfly nymphs like a pheasant tail, two-bit hooker, micro-mayfly, frenchie pheasant tail, etc. are still going to be worth packing in a #16-18 through the late fall and winter.
Follow us on instagram at @ArkAnglers!
COVID-19 Chaffee County is the best resource for up to date information on the county.
Salida Location - 7500 W. Highway 50, Salida, CO 81201. (719) 539-3474.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday 8:00am-5:00pm.
Buena Vista Location - 517 S. Highway 24, Buena Vista, CO 81211. (719) 395-1796.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday Closed.
Email [email protected] with questions or to make your reservation.
Nov 12
ArkAnglers
Friday 11/12, 2021
Flow at Wellsville: 309 cfs
Water Temp.: 40s
Clarity: Clear
Friday Report - Braden Baker
The weather today in Salida has improved, warmer and less breezy than yesterday and preceding mild weather this weekend. November is definitely a transitional time on the Arkansas, as local brown trout wrap up their spawning and prepare for winter. Most days you'll find fish near deeper water in the mornings and then moving into more riffled, shallow water to feed mid-day and early afternoon if the food is there. You'll find fish beginning to occupy the traditional winter water, though not exclusively. As we see this winter migration in the coming weeks, expect to find areas of the river that appear devoid of fish. Often it may seem like all the fish in a 100 yard stretch of water will migrate to one or two deeper runs or pools within that area. When you find this, it pays to slow down and change flies and depth regularly to be successful, resting that run every so often to allow fish to reset before presenting again.
Fish that are still truly spawning will give a great show as they leap out of the water in their spawning habitat. Please avoid fishing to trout who are actively paired ad spawning on redds. That said, downstream from the redds you'll likely find fish holding to take advantage of a stray egg. Whether it be post-spawn hunger, pre-winter preparation, or just outright meanness, fish that are post-spawn are very predatory and territorial, which means that leeches and streamers can be incredibly effective this time of year beyond a standard nymphing approach. Expect a lot of variety through the day, particularly on the warmer days. We're still getting reports of fish sporadically eating grasshopper patterns on the surface, so you may consider fishing a deep dry-dropper rig instead of nymphing under a strike indicator. Midges are the most active food and can be effective as a larva, pupa, or even adult throughout the day depending on conditions. Often we'll fish a midge as a dropper off of a larger attractor nymph, like a large pheasant tail, hare's ear, or copper john. The year-round availability of golden stonefly nymphs make these a good attractor nymph to substitute, as well. These larger flies can be fished in #10-14 and the smaller midges should be in the #16-20 range. We're past the bulk of fall mayfly hatches, but mayfly nymphs like a pheasant tail, two-bit hooker, micro-mayfly, frenchie pheasant tail, etc. are still going to be worth packing in a #16-18 through the late fall and winter.
Follow us on instagram at @ArkAnglers!
COVID-19 Chaffee County is the best resource for up to date information on the county.
Salida Location - 7500 W. Highway 50, Salida, CO 81201. (719) 539-3474.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday 8:00am-5:00pm.
Buena Vista Location - 517 S. Highway 24, Buena Vista, CO 81211. (719) 395-1796.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday Closed.
Email [email protected] with questions or to make your reservation.
Flow at Wellsville: 309 cfs
Water Temp.: 40s
Clarity: Clear
Friday Report - Braden Baker
The weather today in Salida has improved, warmer and less breezy than yesterday and preceding mild weather this weekend. November is definitely a transitional time on the Arkansas, as local brown trout wrap up their spawning and prepare for winter. Most days you'll find fish near deeper water in the mornings and then moving into more riffled, shallow water to feed mid-day and early afternoon if the food is there. You'll find fish beginning to occupy the traditional winter water, though not exclusively. As we see this winter migration in the coming weeks, expect to find areas of the river that appear devoid of fish. Often it may seem like all the fish in a 100 yard stretch of water will migrate to one or two deeper runs or pools within that area. When you find this, it pays to slow down and change flies and depth regularly to be successful, resting that run every so often to allow fish to reset before presenting again.
Fish that are still truly spawning will give a great show as they leap out of the water in their spawning habitat. Please avoid fishing to trout who are actively paired ad spawning on redds. That said, downstream from the redds you'll likely find fish holding to take advantage of a stray egg. Whether it be post-spawn hunger, pre-winter preparation, or just outright meanness, fish that are post-spawn are very predatory and territorial, which means that leeches and streamers can be incredibly effective this time of year beyond a standard nymphing approach. Expect a lot of variety through the day, particularly on the warmer days. We're still getting reports of fish sporadically eating grasshopper patterns on the surface, so you may consider fishing a deep dry-dropper rig instead of nymphing under a strike indicator. Midges are the most active food and can be effective as a larva, pupa, or even adult throughout the day depending on conditions. Often we'll fish a midge as a dropper off of a larger attractor nymph, like a large pheasant tail, hare's ear, or copper john. The year-round availability of golden stonefly nymphs make these a good attractor nymph to substitute, as well. These larger flies can be fished in #10-14 and the smaller midges should be in the #16-20 range. We're past the bulk of fall mayfly hatches, but mayfly nymphs like a pheasant tail, two-bit hooker, micro-mayfly, frenchie pheasant tail, etc. are still going to be worth packing in a #16-18 through the late fall and winter.
Follow us on instagram at @ArkAnglers!
COVID-19 Chaffee County is the best resource for up to date information on the county.
Salida Location - 7500 W. Highway 50, Salida, CO 81201. (719) 539-3474.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday 8:00am-5:00pm.
Buena Vista Location - 517 S. Highway 24, Buena Vista, CO 81211. (719) 395-1796.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday Closed.
Email [email protected] with questions or to make your reservation.