Taylor River Fishing Report & Nymphing Tips
A colorful Brown Trout from the Taylor River near Crested Butte.
In this article, I will discuss the current fishing conditions on the Taylor River and some generic nymphing techniques and fly rod recommendations.
It is now Taylor River fly fishing season as the flows have now dropped enough to feel reasonably confident when wading. Although trout have been feeding actively for several months, fishing is only as good as our confidence to remain upright on these slippery rocks.
Safety first.
What’s working on the Taylor River?
Deep nymphing is most effective with the occasional dry fly eat from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. If we’re actively seeing fish eat on the surface, I’ll change my indicator-nymph rig to a dry-dropper rig.
The benefits of the dry-dropper rig include the ability to target fish on the surface and below the surface. A major downside to a dry-dropper rig is that changing depths is more cumbersome and time-consuming.
As such, when using a dry-dropper rig, we recommend dropping the nymph 6-12 inches deeper than you deem necessary in order to give you a better shot at getting the flies deep enough.
I recommend using the lightest and smallest indicator possible when using an indicator rig in clear water. The waters of the Taylor River are very clear during August and September and an indicator that lands more gently will give you a leg up when targeting spooky trout.
This week, I witnessed ants and grasshoppers on the banks, indicating terrestrial patterns are now on the menu for Taylor River trout. Amy’s Ants, Dave’s Hoppers, Chubbies, and a variety of other ant and beetle patterns should be in your fly box.
I like to use terrestrial flies with contrasting colors to best see the flies throughout the drift. While effective, a simple black, grey, or brown colored terrestrial is generally more difficult to key in on throughout a drift. So add some bright orange or yellow colors.
Remember: If you can’t see it, you can’t fish it.
If you’re not catching fish in a deeper run, change your depth every dozen drifts by 6-10” until you hook into a trout or begin getting snagged on the river bed. Many anglers don’t fish deep enough because they are fearful of breaking off. And I get that, but I’d argue they are leaving fish on the table when fishing timidly.
An angler targeting a deeper pool with some excellent sub-surface features. I advise anglers to study the currents on the surface and envision what the currents are doing on the river bed.
After fishing a new zone, I often walk through it and make mental notes on what the riverbed feels like. Are there drop-offs? Are there large boulders I couldn’t see? Does the water slow down or speed up? All of this information can be valuable the next time I approach the same zone.
Instead, I’d advise anglers to fish aggressively to get their flies into the strike zone.
Rule of thumb: Drop your nymphs 1.5x the depth of the river to get the best drift subsurface. Yes, that means if it is 3 feet deep, your point fly should be at least 4.5 feet from your indicator/dry fly.
Many runs on the Taylor River are deeper than 3 feet, meaning extraordinarily long droppers.
And if you get hung up on a rock, so be it. At least you’re giving yourself a chance to present your fly to a Gold Medal trout.
Lastly, it’s important to fish across all types of water, including medium to medium-fast riffles. Sure, we can predict trout to generally hold in the deepest, slowest, most obvious runs. But there are also some great chances for trout in the less obvious locations. With Taylor River flows out of the dam measuring around 350 cfs daily, anglers should make casts into all sections of the river, including faster water.
Unless you are euro-nymphing (contact nymphing), you’ll find more success casting into currents that are less swirly. Find the currents that are straightforward for an opportunity to catch a Rocky Mountain trout.
Most fish on the Taylor will be brown trout but don’t be surprised to link up with a colorful Rainbow Trout too.
A drop shot technique can also be effective on the Taylor River. Check out our article on how to use drop shot here.
Best flies for the Taylor River:
Beadhead Hares Ear (size 14-18)
Olive/Brown/Rainbow Perdigon (size 14-18)
Dave’s Hopper (Size 10-14)
Beadhead Prince Nymph (Size 12-18)
Tung Bomb PT Leggy (Size 14-16)
Stimulator (Size 10-16)
Elk Hair Caddis (Size 12-18)
Best Fly Rods for the Taylor River:
9.5 Foot, 5-weight Scott Centric
This is higher-end rod from Scott that is light in hand with plenty of backbone to suspend a heavy nymph rig. The extra length of this rod compared to a traditional 9 foot 5-weight is beneficial right now because some holding zones are still challenging to wade to, allowing anglers to high-stick a nymph rig from a distance. In general, it’s better to use a longer rod for high-stick nymphing. When the water comes down a touch more, a 9-foot rod is sufficient.
9 Foot, 4-weight Sage Foundation
This is an intermediate, fast-action rod that performs more like a higher-end rod. My favorite characteristic of the Foundation is its recovery speed, lending to accuracy in your cast. Recovery speed is the time it takes for a fly rod to go from being flexed back to its straight, natural position. The quicker this happens, the better.
For Crested Butte anglers who desire versatility, this rod is for you. It has the power and accuracy to deliver heavy dry-dropper rigs but is also delicate enough to sling single dry flies on small to medium-sized creeks. If you are committed to some form of dry fly fishing on the Taylor, this rod will do the trick quite well. If you want the ability to switch between dry fly fishing and committed nymph fishing, anglers should consider using a 5-weight Foundation.