This time of year marks a period of transition for Colorado anglers. As daylight hours steadily increase and water temperatures begin to warm, trout become more active and more aggressive. They will spread out from their typical winter lies to take advantage of high-calorie meals. Dry fly fishing opportunities will steadily increase as hatches of Blue Winged Olives and Midges become more prolific.

Starting in February and over the next couple of months, anglers will also see rainbow and cutthroat trout beginning their annual spawn. We’d remind anglers to watch for trout that are actively attending a redd, or spawning bed. Redds can often be found in shallow water with gravel substrate. The female trout (hen) will clear a spot in the gravel to lay her eggs. Sometimes, these redds may seem obvious, while other times they can be difficult to spot. If you see a trout or a pair of trout in a location that looks like it could be a redd, it’s best to play it safe and let them carry out the spawning process undisturbed.

While we give spawning trout a break, there are plenty of opportunities to find feeding trout during this winter-spring transition. From nymphing, to dry fly fishing, and swinging streamers, anglers can employ a wide range of tactics, making this a fun time to be on the water. 

As we enjoy this season of transition, here are nine of our favorite fly patterns to consider: 

Baxter’s Bearded Baetis

Our very own Ben Baxter has built a stealthy and fast-sinking pheasant tail variation that just plain catches fish! When developing the Bearded Baetis, Ben says that he was seeking to get a lot of weight, along with an aggressively tapered profile. The addition of ostrich herl legs provides great movement. 

Fish it under an indicator for nymphing deep runs or use it as a point fly in a larger size, or as a dropper fly in a smaller size on a standard Euro nymphing rig. It's an effective pattern during baetis hatches. Check out the fly tying video here. 

UV Scud

If you're fishing any tailwater in Colorado, this pattern is one of our year-round confidence flies. No matter what time of year you’re fishing, it’s always worth at least a dozen clean drifts. Scuds are a significant food source for trout in rivers like the South Platte, the Blue, and the Frying Pan. Although the fish in these heavily pressured tailwaters are generally spooky and feed selectively, a well-placed scud pattern like Pat Dorsey’s UV Scud can do some serious damage.⁠ You can learn how to tie it with this video tutorial.

Rojo Midge

Unfortunately, midge patterns sometimes get pigeon-holed into being a necessary means for targeting picky tailwater fish in the winter. But it’s important to remember that midges are an important food source for trout in almost any water, any time of year. And one of our favorites during this transitional season, is the Rojo Midge. 

Developed by our friend and Umpqua Signature Tyer, Greg Garcia, the Rojo Midge is easily one of our favorite midge patterns and it’s a staple in our team’s fly boxes. When it comes to fishing small midges this time of year, you can’t beat Greg Garcia’s Rojo Midge. It’s available in black, olive, red, and purple variations. Check out this video for a fly tying tutorial. 

Newman’s Micro Matcher

Invented by Colorado native and Umpqua Signature Tyer Scott “Walter” Newman, the Micro Matcher was designed with purpose. The inspiration came after a tough day fishing on one of Colorado’s tailwaters. Walter says he had noticed a lot of baetis in the water and couldn’t find the right size and profile in his fly box. The Micro Matcher was created as a three-tailed mayfly/baetis nymph with three sets of rubber legs for some added motion and appeal, combined with a great baetis profile. Check out the tying tutorial video here. 

Cheesman Emerger

This pattern is characterized by a thin, curved body, a short white wing case, and a pronounced head. Some would classify this as a midge emerger (with the tail/back of the fly seen as a trailing shuck), but the majority of anglers would describe it as an emerging baetis or blue winged olive.

The Cheesman Emerger was developed specifically for highly pressured and picky tailwater trout. This is a great year-round pattern that can be fished as part of a tandem nymph rig or as a dropper. Especially on these later winter days, this makes our list of must-have flies.

Christiaens’ GT Adult

Dry fly selection during this winter-spring transition period doesn’t have to be complicated. A handful of small midge and BWO patterns is all you need. One great example is Christiaen’s GT Adult. When you need a mayfly imitation that lands softly, but is also visible enough to be seen at a distance, give Christiaens' GT Adult a try. 

This fluffy dry fly will usually land without a splash, making it a killer pattern wherever you find spooky trout. Designed to imitate natural mayflies struggling from their shucks on and below the surface, the GT is certainly one of our go-to flies this time of year.

You may want to skip the dry fly floatant if you notice trout actively feeding on emergers. However, keep your floatant on hand for those times when they’re targeting adult bugs on the surface. When the weather is particularly cold, remember to stick your gel and liquid floatants in an inside pocket to keep them from freezing.

Squirrel Leech

The Squirrel Leech is a simple pattern that gives anglers incredible versatility. Strip it like a streamer, swing it like a soft hackle, or dead drift it under an indicator. It may look inconspicuous at first glance, but this is a fly that has the ability to put fish in the net.

Don’t underestimate the ability of a small streamer like this one to be a great searching pattern. When you’re feeling stumped, this can be a great confidence-boosting pattern. Fish the Squirrel Leech in nearly any water, any time of year. Particularly during this transition season when trout are looking to capitalize on an easy meal, this is an easy meal ticket. Check out the fly tying video here. 

Tungsten Gummy Crane

Coming off a lean winter season when trout are hungry, they will opt for meals that are nutrient-dense and packed with calories. Less work, more reward. This is the beauty of fishing crane fly larvae.⁠⁠

When many anglers are fishing rivers like the South Platte, crane fly larvae imitations are probably not the first patterns to come to mind. This is a big miss. This is a pattern that every angler should have in their toolkit this time of year.

These fat little grubs are a little different from typical trout food sources. Although some reside in the water, many crane flies are terrestrial and live in the soil along stream banks. Usually, this keeps them away from hungry fish. But when the water rises, it's a different story. When they get swept into the river, these larvae do not have the ability to swim, making them extremely vulnerable to trout feeding near the banks. From now through runoff, keep a few of these patterns on hand.

Blue Quill Angler guide Joe Shafer created the Gummy Crane to capitalize on this opportunity. This fly matches the chunky profile and grubby, segmented anatomy of a crane fly larva. The Gummy Crane is heavy and sinks like an anchor, making it especially useful during runoff or any time the water is off-color. That said, this bug is worth a few drifts anytime flows rise. You can find a tying tutorial here. 

Egan’s GTI Caddis

Created by Lance Egan, the GTI Caddis imitates a hydropsyche larva - better known to anglers as "net-spinner" or "net builder" caddis. Similar to the previously mentioned cranefly larvae but smaller, these are worm-like grubs with well-defined segmentation. ⁠⁠

When removed from their hiding spots, net-spinner caddis larvae will curl up slightly and ride the current until the flow deposits them into a new spot downstream. It's important to note that net-spinning caddis larvae cannot swim, unlike their free-living cousins.⁠⁠

Like the crane fly larvae above, these bugs provide a big target for trout as a high-calorie food source. And Egan’s GTI Caddis provides us with a realistic imitation.

Contact Us for Help

If you have questions or if you need some direction, we’d love to help you find success on the water. Don’t miss the variety of fishing opportunities that we have available during this transitional season. If you live in the Denver area or along the Front Range. please stop by and see us at the fly shop. Otherwise, you can give us a call at 303-794-1104.