The Fly: The world is your oyster

Fishing planning for Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley centers on easy access to local expertise and seasonal fly patterns. The article says that even visitors without gear can find fly shops across the valley offering rentals and guide services, along with hundreds of miles of rivers ranging from high mountain lakes to smaller streams. It recommends hiring a guide for first-time anglers because they can match water choice to skill and physical ability, and it describes common trip rhythms: nymphing in the morning followed by switching to dry flies as the river warms. Options include walk-and-wade fishing as well as float fishing from drift boats or rafts. For self-guided anglers, it names midge, pale morning duns, craneflies, blue-winged olives, and caddis around the Fryingpan, while noting Colorado River late afternoons can get too warm. It also points to damselfly fishing in high mountain lakes during summer.