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How to Fish It
The Arkansas is a popular whitewater rafting river--not a good place for a Mckenzie-style drift boat, unless you want to take your boat out in pieces. Inflatable boats or pontoon boats with fly-fishing frames are the best craft to use. Personal pontoon crafts are excellent on this river most of the year (excluding mid-May to mid-July) when the water flows at less than 1,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). If you get a good map and plan your drift, you can have good fishing on your own. The launch areas are well placed from Salida to Canon City, giving you the option of short or long floats. Good maps are available from the two fly shops on the river or the Arkansas River Headwaters Association, (719) 539-7289.

Even if you use a boat, the best way to fish this river is to wade it. A competent fly fisher can break the river down into smaller units and work on fish up-close and personal. Wading is dangerous in flows over 1,000 cfs. Flow reports are available from www.royalgorgeanglers.com.


Dry caddis patterns work well on the Arkansas River. The Best way to fish the river is to wade it. Break it down into smaller units and work on fish up-close and personal.

Although most people don't use spikes on their boots, I recommend using them as well as a wading staff.I usually fish the river with a 9-foot, 5-weight rod, a weight-forward, floating 5-weight line (the Scientific Anglers Windmaster is my favorite), and 71/2- to 9-foot leaders with 4X-5X tippets. Afternoons can be breezy, so you must be able to penetrate the wind. An 8-foot, 4-weight is perfect for fishing drys in calm conditions.

The Arkansas is not an early-morning river. I find it fishes better from 10 A.M. until 2 P.M. and from 5 P.M. until dark. Your best bet for big browns is in the evening and later, when they come out to feed. Getting There The Arkansas River is about 115 miles southwest of Denver and easy to reach. From Denver take I-25 south to Colorado Springs. Take Highway 115 to Penrose. Go west on U.S. 50 to Canon City. Past Canon City and the Royal Gorge, the road parallels the river to Salida. North of Salida, U.S. 285 and U.S. 24 follow the river to its headwaters.

Commercial air service is available between Denver International Airport and Colorado Springs, and Canon City has Fremont Airport.

Bill edrington owns Royal Gorge Anglers in Canon City, Colorado.

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