The Caddis Fly Hatch, sometimes referred to as the
The Royal Gorge is located just west of Canon City, Colorado, at about 6800 feet. The best known tourist attraction is the suspension bridge which hangs about 1000 feet above the Arkansas River. Following the Arkansas River from the Royal Gorge west to Salida, CO is a sixty-mile trip, filled with fishing spots, side trips and hundreds of opportunities to experience some of the best 4X4 trails in the state. If you choose to take any strictly sight-seeing trips, the train ride from Canon City through the Royal Gorge is breath taking.
Fishing on the Arkansas River is a unique experience. If you are a fly fisherman, you will want to schedule your trip for spring, usually in April- May. Watching the almanac, and local news from Canon City, Salida or Buena Vista, CO will help to pinpoint the timing. The goal is to arrive at least a couple of days before the Caddis Fly hatch commences. You will not be alone, no matter where you choose for your "spot". Fishermen come from all over the world for this event. Fortunately, the Arkansas River is large, and affords plenty of chance for all to catch their limit of those cold water trout. Any spot east of Salida, along the river to Canon City will be a good one. You should make a reservation whether you wish to stay in a lodge or hotel, or in the campgrounds along the river. Although there are many choices, their reservations for this time fill up very early, beginning in the fall before the event.
The Caddis Fly is also known as the May Fly. They usually begin to hatch in late April or early May. The hatch itself is something to behold. Trout spend the fall spawning and the winter surviving the cold. In the spring, they are driven to gorge themselves on the fly hatch and the feeding frenzy is a fisherman's paradise. When the snow "melt-off" begins, the flow of the river increases and warms to about 50ยบ. Caddis nymphs, having laid in the river awaiting the warming, begin to hatch and fly over the river surface, most times in huge clouds, often regarded as swarms. It has been said that a foot-long brown trout can consume as many as 100 flies a day. The hatch is a sight to behold, even if you didn't wish to fish. They are so thick; they blot out the sun, and make visibility very limited. These bazillions of bugs are impossible to ignore. You will want glasses, when you are on the river, to keep them out of your eyes. You may also wish to take care when opening your mouth to speak, lest you ingest a few of your own. This is no exaggeration. Not to worry, the caddis doesn't bite.
The hatch begins in Canon City, where there are several wonderful places to spend the day on the river, and nights either in camp, or at a local motel. If you like, you can follow the hatch progression up the river, as the warming moves up the Arkansas River Canyon towards Salida. If you choose to camp along the way, at one of the many campgrounds right on the river, the news of the hatch will be coming to you daily. Since there is no way to accurately predict the exact day, you will need to keep an eye on the weather and fly fishing reports, of which there are also many in the area. Many plan to arrive a week earlier than the expected hatch, and commence to fish their spot with the flies they spent the winter making. As the hatch time nears, the population of trout grows. Some report that the best days of fishing were the ones they enjoyed just before the hatch actually began. When the hatch begins, you will be so amazed by the scope and size of the masses of flies in the air, you will have to fight the distraction to concentrate on your fishing technique.
While you are in search of the trophy Brown Trout, you will also be meeting people from all around the country, and making new friends each day on the river. Some of those friendships, begun on the river, have endured for a lifetime, with meetings yearly to share a couple of weeks of a special and unique Rocky Mountain fishing experience. You will be surrounded in some of the most awesome and breath taking scenery in the world, and you will be seeing nature at its absolute best. During your stay before the hatch begins, there are many side trips within short range of any spot you may have chosen as your base camp. A simple road map will show you dozens of smaller roads to take in exploration. Many small creeks feed into the Arkansas from both sides, and those creeks all contain small brown trout. There is nothing more enjoyable than trout and eggs for breakfast, with a hot cup of coffee and some hash browned potatoes. For some mysterious reason, they don't taste the same if not cooked on the open fire and eaten in camp.
I highly recommend that if you tie your own flies, you seek pictures and examples of various stages of the Caddis fly and spend your winter working to perfect your personal Caddis Fly. While you are in the Royal Gorge Region, check out the many shops dedicated to fishing gear, and the several where fly fishing is the only specialty. There are shops in nearly every little town, each with the unique flavor of the owners, most of whom have spent a lifetime in search of the perfect fly. The Rocky Mountain Caddis Fly Hatch will be something you never forget. Please remember your camera and even a video camera if possible. You will soon realize that there are no words to describe the sights, and that the sounds, smells and just the general sensation of this experience will be ones you want to share. As you go about exploring during your first trip to this wonder, you should be planning your next and all the subsequent trips. It is a rare fisherman indeed, who doesn't return year after year, each time, bringing friends and family to prove his stories were true.
