Nothing beats standing in the middle of the river in search of that next big fish. So of course when we go on vacation I want to cast a line. In a short time we will be heading out west, Colorado to be specific. I would not be able to live with myself if I did not chase some fish. With every river system being different it is hard to know what flies to bring though. Bellow, you will find several great resources to pick flies for new water.
Orvis Fishing Report
Orvis is a great resource for people getting into fly fishing. They offer classes that include a discount on a rod upon completion. They also have a great knowledge base, offering all the information you need to start fly fishing. But, the reason they made it into this specific article is that they have a fishing report website. It is updated weekly by Orvis certified guides all across the country.
The site gives you all the information needed to learn a new river. You can easily find the water temperature, clarity, flow rate, a rating of how the fishing is, and most importantly what flies to use. While it may sound strange the best part about being able to see what flies are recommend here is the ease of purchase. You can normally click on the name of a fly and it will take you to the Orvis website and pull up that exact fly. It might sound like a small thing, but being able to easily purchase the specific fly mentioned is way better than trying to find it by just searching.
You can access the website here. Once on the site, it is super easy to find the body of water you will be fishing. Just click the state the water is in. Then click the drop-down menu and select the river you want to see. Then you will be taken to the page that has all the information we mentioned above. I have been talking about this website for finding flies for new water. While it is great for that I also hope on from time to time to see what my local rivers are looking like. It is nicer than having to figure out the water again if you haven’t been out in a while.
Wildlife Agency Website
No one knows the water better than the people who run it. Every state has its own wildlife agency and they are the perfect people to ask when trying to pick flies for new water. Of course, you can call them and try to talk to someone who may be able to help. However, I prefer to go online first to see what I can find.
Most of the agencies have a website that is full of great information. However, not all of them are created equally. For instance, the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) website is great. You can easily find all the regulations and even find a map that shows all the public fishing access across the state. You can also easily purchase a fishing license. They also make the Tennessee Fishing catalog available in an online forum. It has some useful information but is missing some information that would be nice to see. Like fishing reports of major bodies of water and suggestions on what to use.
Recently I discovered the Colorado Parks & Wildlife website. I have to say that it blows the TWRA site out of the water. They offer everything the TWRA site does and so much more. For instance, they upload a fishing report every Friday. It gives information about all the major bodies of water. The reports will often give an example of what fish have been taking in the past week. The best part of them though is the Fishing Atlas. It allows you to see every waterway and even filter by what species you want to fish for. You can also find each body of waters regulations.
While every state may not have a great website. You should definitely check to see if your destination has one. The information you find may be extremely valuable to you when you arrive.
Youtube
This may come as a surprise to some, but youtube is actually a great resource to find flies for new water. You can see what flies the locals are using in almost every condition. Plus you can go back and see what flies they were using in any season. For instance, I was able to find a fly shop in Colorado that fishes the rivers we are planning on visiting on our trip. Once I found their channel I was able to go back and find them fishing at the same time last year that we will be there this year.
Many of the channels are great about explaining what they are using and why. This is really helpful when you have never been to the area before. It is almost like meeting someone who is knowledgeable about the place you plan to visit. Not only do you get to see the flies they choose, but how they fish the body of water. Also seeing the very body of water also allows you to decide exactly what gear you will need. This really has never been possible before. You would have had to get a guide or have a friend that could show you what you need and how to do it. Now you can easily see it all before you even leave your house. Depending on where you plan to go there may not be many videos, but it is definitely worth doing a quick search.
The Local Fly Shop
If you really want to find the best flies for new water you need to take a visit to the local fly shop. These give rely on knowing the water to make their living. They have acknowledged that only comes from spending hours on the river and talking to everyone that comes in about their latest catch. Don’t worry about asking them what flies are working right now. That is what they are there for and they get it all the time. Most owners and works are always willing to help someone catch a great memory.
If you do stop into a fly shop to ask for a recommendation, you should always make a purchase. This is your way of really thanking them for the information. It may also be worth seeing if they guide on the local rivers. Getting a guide can really make the difference in catching some great fish on the river. Plus you can always go back to the same place you were shown later by the guide and know how to catch fish.
Combine Multiple Sources
You may be wondering how I got all this information. Well, we have been gearing up for our upcoming trip to Colorado. Since I am a planner I have been doing a lot of research and fishing has been a top priority to me. From everything I have found these resources have seemed to be the best.
You could use just one of these resources, but you would be very likely to miss something. I have used all of these resources in preparing this trip, except visiting the local fly shop. We will definitely be hitting one up before making it to the river though. I did make an order for flies in preparation and picked flies that were mentioned across all the resources. I had to assume that if multiple sources mentioned them they had to be worth buying. Be sure to keep up with us on social media to see if all my research paid off. Also be sure to check back for a follow-up article about what winter fly fishing in Colorado was like for a Tennessean.
Thank so Much For Reading!
I hope this article has helped you find a resource that you have never seen before. Of course, there are many other ways to find flies for new water. These are just the ones that I preferred during my research. Do you have a favorite that I did not mention in this post? Please let me know in the comment I would really like to check it out.
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