In the world of fly fishing, where anglers seek the perfect fly to trick stillwater trout, few bugs can be as effective as chironomids. These tiny, aquatic insects, play a significant role in the diet of trout in lakes and reservoirs. Let’s dig into the world of chironomids and uncover their value in fly fishing. Understanding Chironomids Chironomids, commonly known as non-biting midges, belong to the family Chironomidae and are found in freshwater environments worldwide. Despite their small size, ranging from a few millimeters to over a centimeter in length, chironomids form a crucial part o ..read more

Blackfly larvae, often overshadowed by their adult counterparts and ignored by anglers, are discreet yet ecologically significant inhabitants of freshwater ecosystems. Distributed globally, these larvae, members of the Simuliidae family, act as essential bioindicators, providing valuable insights into the health of aquatic environments. If blackfly larvae are present in a river system, it’s a great sign that it Despite their unassuming appearance, blackfly larvae play a pivotal role in nutrient cycling, contribute to water quality maintenance, and are particularly noteworthy for their presence ..read more

A Q&A with Ice Fishing Guru Hans, from Someone Who Has Never Wanted to Ice Fish Hans Mylant on the Ice January’s “Bug of the Month” focus is on ice fishing. Now, you might be wondering why a fly fishing shop is doing a whole month’s focus on ice fishing. I get it. It’s weird. I grew up in the fly shop, only ever fly fishing in my life. In fact, I only learned how to spin fish and use a baitcasting reel a few years ago by necessity, not choice. It’s safe to say ice fishing is not a sport in my repertoire. In 2013 we opened our conventional fishing store on the East side of the building, Co ..read more

In this final blog of 2023, several of our Guides take a minute to reflect on the past year.  From family adventures, to memorable clients, to collaborative efforts in sharing this sport, to appreciating the natural environment, they capture the essence of fly fishing in this collective reflection. Just ‘wow.’ Photo credit: Juan Ramirez Juan Ramirez 2023 was another great year to be on the water. Starting in the winter with midges and cold, low water and progressing into the spring with some great BWO hatches, the fish did what they were supposed to do – they ate! Summer brought out more ..read more

So we have reached the end of 2023. For our December Bug of the Month, we have returned to the midge. Seems like the midge gets a lot of love in December and January. And for good reason. While midges are in our rivers year-round, their prominence as a food source in the winter months cannot be ignored. The Lowdown on the Midge Life Cycle Unlike some other insect species that may take a year or so to evolve, midges develop very quickly. The midge has a very short life cycle, moving from larva-pupae-adult in just a few weeks.  Because of this rapid maturation, it’s important to be dialed i ..read more

with Neil Luehring, Angler’s Covey Guide and retired Fire Fighter The cold weather is not far away, so it is time to prepare for the challenges that the late season and winter fishing can create.  Neil Luehring, one of our fly fishing guides and retired Captain on the Colorado Springs Fire Deparment, reminds us that hypothermia is a threat anglers face in fall and winter because of two crucial elements: water and dropping air temperatures.  Winter fly fishing has its rewards — but safety comes first. Hypothermia Defined Hypothermia happens when you lose body temperature faster than t ..read more

Santa has his elves. Angler’s Covey has Orvis-endorsed guides to help shoppers decide on the best gifts for the fly-fishing angler in your life.  Check out the suggestions in our annual Guides’ Guide to Gift Giving.  Stocking Stuffers For stocking stuffers, nothing can beat simple items such as strike indicators, tippet material and leaders.  These items are always getting used and will be appreciated as great gifts. – AC Guide “Hopper” Juan Ramirez. Terminal Tackle! Who doesn’t need some new leaders, tippet, floatant, nippers to slip into their pack? Plus, it all fits great in ..read more

With the grey skies of fall, drizzly conditions and the first snows, the conditions are perfect for baetis and Blue Wing Olive action. If you Google “hatch chart,” you’ll see that Blue Wing Olive / Baetis stretch across the page from March through November. So, yes, the prolific baetis returns as our Bug of the Month for November. Director of Services, Jon Easdon, says that BWOs serve as sort of the “bookends of the fly fishing season. They emerge throughout the year, but we’ll get a great hatch in March and another one, but with smaller bugs, in the Fall.” With such diversity within the speci ..read more

Facts: Fish chow down before they head into winter doldrums. Little fish have big nutrition, high calories, lots of protein. Big fish eat little fish.  October’s focus is on streamer fishing and our “bug of the month” are imitations of baitfish. The Low-Down on Streamer Fishing Trout are territorial and predatory species. The key with streamer fishing is to tap into that predator response rather than just the territorial response. Large brown trout may move to chase a smaller fish out of his territory. What we want to achieve is the predator response: committing to eat our offering. This ..read more

Actually, fishing with Ant patterns can be a great option for late summer. The often overlooked and under-fished Ant is our September Bug of the Month. In late summer, we think in terms of the bigger terrestrial patterns with grasshopper imitations being the first we may reach for. Think small, though, and the ant may be an option that opens up new possibilities. We may not even spot the ants on the water, but they can be plentiful, at times, on quieter water along the banks. Image courtesy of Fly Fisherman Magazine Some Ant Facts Whether fishing flying ants or their earth-bound brethren, angl ..read more