Guide Report: 3 Days Wade Fishing on the Eagle River – 3 Different Sections

Nothing screams summer quite like America’s birthday landing on a weekend, cold beverages in hand, and top-notch trout fishing. For this week’s guide report, we link up with CRO guide Sam Kinney to break down how three different sections of the Eagle River fished over the course of three days following the holiday weekend.

Day 1 - 'Middle" Section of the Eagle River Near Wolcott

Day 1 was a bit of a bonus—an impromptu send to take advantage of falling flows and a break in the crowds. I was lucky enough to spend it with my dad (who extended his trip just to sneak in a day on the water), his longtime best friend, and another close buddy. I’d be fishing with the latter two again the following day, but I knew the pressure was on to get my old man into some fish.

We hit what I like to call the middle section of the Eagle, below Milk Creek. I’d been eyeing the flow graph all weekend and noticed a significant drop. Combined with warming air temps, I had a hunch dry fly action might be on the table. We started out nymphing a deep, juicy run, working a buffet of bugs through it. Big stoneflies (Pat’s Rubber Legs - Black #8 and #10) and smaller pheasant tails (CDC Flashback PT #18 and #20) got us into fish early. Before long, trout started looking up—and like clockwork, PMDs filled the air.

We quickly switched to a double dry setup: a Stimulator (Crystal - #12 & #14) up front with a CDC Sparkle Dun (Sulphur Orange #18) trailing 18–24 inches behind. Pro tip—whether you can see the second fly or not, set on any rise near your point fly. It didn’t take long for things to click, and the rest of the day was lights out. Fish ate both flies, but the PMD was clearly the fan favorite. Mission accomplished on the bonus round.

Day 2 - "Upper" Section of the Eagle River Near Edwards

Day 2 brought us upriver and with my dad heading home, I had just the two remaining anglers. Up here, water temps were noticeably cooler, so we chopped off yesterday’s double dries and got back to business with nymph rigs.

The upper Eagle is classic pocket water country. Still pushy from runoff, the wading was challenging, but these guys toughed it out. I always tell clients on this stretch—if there’s even the slightest piece of structure and it looks like a fish might be there, there probably is. And today proved that theory right.

A light midge hatch got us on the board early with a few nice fish on small patterns (Dorsey's Top Secret #22 and Zebra Midge Two Tone Olive/Black #20). As the day progressed, caddis and small mayflies started popping, and the buffet reopened. The MVP fly of the day was an Egan's Thread Frenchie (#18) —an Eagle River classic I like to call “Ol’ Reliable.”

Post-lunch, we changed locations and lucked into another round of rising fish, this time on small caddis (Elk Hair Tan #18) and PMDs (CDC Sparkle Dun Sulphur Orange #18). Double dry magic to close out another successful day.

Day 3- "Lower" Section of the Eagle River Near Gypsum

Day 3 took us west to the lower section of the Eagle near Gypsum. Within minutes of stepping into the river, we were greeted by a full-blown caddis hatch. We started out nymphing since nothing seemed to be looking up—rookie mistake. Ten minutes later, it was full-on chaos. Between coffee jitters and fish eating on top, we couldn’t tie knots fast enough.

Once we switched to a double dry setup with two caddis patterns, we were back in rhythm. And while the previous days brought solid fish, it was obvious we had saved the big boys for last. With gin-clear water, trout were eating both flies, but after a few refusals, we simplified things down to a single EC Caddis (Olive #16) —which quickly proved to be the ticket.

Later, when surface activity slowed, we transitioned to a dry-dropper setup and kept hooking fish on small mayfly nymphs (Barr's PMD #20 & Mercury Bead PT #20). It was a textbook beatdown of high-quality trout—an ideal way to wrap up three days of fantastic wade fishing on the Eagle River.

**NOTE** Be sure to keep an eye on water temps on the lower Eagle as the day progresses. Temps are getting to the high 60’s by the afternoon on hot days! Remember, 68 degrees or warmer is too hot for trout!

Want to get in on the action? Summer is in full swing and the Eagle is fishing as good as it gets. Whether you're new to fly fishing or a seasoned angler, our veteran guides would love to show you around. Call (970)236-1937 today to book your float or walk-and-wade trip and experience prime time fishing in the mountains of Colorado!