Colorado fishing guide for the week Aug. 21-25

Fishing has been good in Summit and Park counties. We have been able to fish several rivers in the area and are seeing good productivity with hatches and fish.

Flies and naturals that we have been seeing are PMDs, small Blue Wing Olives, caddis and small cream midges. A dry dropper rig has continued to be productive in the morning, or you can try a full nymph rig with a bead head and an emerger (BWO). In the afternoon, I have been switching to hopper droppers if the weather holds out and the grass stays dry.

For best results, try rigging a double dry with a smaller dry in front (ex. a para adams) and put a bigger hopper behind it. My favorite is the para hopper, as it is a lower-riding hopper. Try to get that hopper rig close to the bank, give it a mend and wait for the take!

Flows are starting to slow down and we are seeing good clarity in all the rivers, so try going down on your tippet size to help fool those fish. Usually we fish 4x on bigger rivers and 5x or 6x on smaller rivers, such as the South Platte and its forks. Make sure to use flourocarbon tippet for droppers and mono for dries.

The end of summer means sleeping in later than usual. With the cooler temps, an early start isn’t all that necessary. Try getting out around 9 a.m. to let that water warm up just a bit. Tight lines!

Brandon Atha is a manager and guide with Breckenridge Outfitters in downtown Breckenridge. Stop by the shop throughout the weekend for updated conditions, flys and everything for a day on the river.