Colorado River Outfitters

09/08/2026

What an incredible Labor Day weekend on the water! 🎣🇺🇸

Our guides stayed busy introducing guests to some of Colorado’s finest fly fishing, and the trout certainly cooperated. From first-time anglers learning the ropes to experienced fishermen connecting with beautiful fish, the weekend was filled with great catches, big smiles and memories made on the river.

Here are just a few of the highlights!

We’re incredibly thankful to everyone who chose Colorado River Outfitters for their holiday weekend, and proud of our guides for the hard work, patience and personal attention they bring to every trip.

Labor Day may mark the unofficial end of summer, but it also signals the beginning of one of our favorite fishing seasons. Cooler water, active trout, comfortable weather, lighter crowds and the first signs of fall color make September an exceptional time to fish Colorado.

If you’ve been waiting to plan a trip, this is your sign!

Call or text us at 970-236-1937 to reserve your fall fly-fishing adventure.

09/07/2026

This is what it’s all about! Nine-year-old Brady hooked this beautiful brown trout and brought it to the net completely on his own.

He stayed patient, kept the line tight and handled the fish like a seasoned fly angler. That smile at the end tells the whole story!

Helping young anglers build confidence, learn new skills and create memories with their families is one of the most rewarding parts of guiding. Brady will remember this fish for a long time, and we have a feeling it won’t be his last!

How old were you when you caught your first trout? Tell us in the comments, and share this with someone who needs to take their kids fishing!

Ready to plan a family fly-fishing adventure in Colorado?

📞 Call or text Colorado River Outfitters at 970-236-1937
🌐 Book online: www.coloradoriveroutfitters.net

09/05/2026

🍂 September is one of the best months to fly fish Colorado.

The mornings are cooler, the rivers are cold again, the summer crowds are beginning to thin out, and fall colors are starting to show. Even better, the trout are feeding.

But September can also be a month when knowing what’s hatching makes a big difference.

We just published our September Hatch Guide, covering the insects you should be looking for on Colorado rivers this month. We take a closer look at:

🎣 Blue Winged Olives — Tiny fall BWOs can produce some incredible dry-fly fishing, especially on cloudy days.

🎣 Tricos — Don’t put that Trico box away yet. These little mayflies remain an important part of a trout’s diet in September.

🎣 Caddis — September can bring a noticeable increase in caddis activity and some excellent opportunities to fish dries.

🎣 Midges — They may be small, but they’re one of the most dependable food sources for Colorado trout year-round.

🎣 Hoppers, ants & beetles — Terrestrials are still very much in play, particularly on warm and windy afternoons.

In the full guide, we explain life cycles, fly sizes, pattern selection, when to fish each hatch, and techniques we use on the water every day.

If you’re planning to fish Colorado this September or simply enjoy learning more about what’s happening beneath the surface, we think you’ll enjoy this one.

👉 Read our complete September Hatch Guide at the link below.

https://www.coloradoriveroutfitters.net/post/september-fly-fishing-hatch-guide-colorado

And if you’d rather experience September fishing with one of our guides, call or text Colorado River Outfitters at 970-236-1937. Fall is a special time to be on the river. 🍁🎣

September offers some of Colorado’s best fly fishing of the year. Cooler water, lighter crowds, fall colors, and hungry trout make it an incredible time to be on the river. Our September Hatch Guide covers Blue Winged Olives, Tricos, caddis, midges, and terrestrials, including the best flies, size...

09/04/2026

🎣🍂 September fly fishing in Colorado is hard to beat.

CRO guide .mbw had an absolutely epic day on the water today, and right now the fishing is about as good as we could ask for.

The cooler nights have brought our rivers back into prime shape. Water temperatures are cold, restrictions have been lifted, and the trout are healthy, happy, and looking up. And when we say looking up, we mean it.

The dry fly fishing has been incredible. Trout are consistently feeding on the surface, giving us some of the most exciting fishing of the season. Small mayflies, caddis, terrestrials and other late-summer bugs are keeping fish active throughout the day. There’s nothing quite like watching a good trout rise, tracking your fly downstream, and seeing that fish come up and eat it off the surface. 🙌

And the fishing is only part of what makes September so special.

🍂 Fall is starting to show in the Colorado high country. The mornings are cool and crisp, the scenery gets better by the day, and hints of yellow are beginning to appear in the aspens. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be fishing through some of the most beautiful scenery of the entire year.

If you’ve been waiting for a reason to squeeze in one more Colorado fly fishing trip this season, this is it.

September dates are available with the CRO crew. Come experience one of our favorite times of year on the water!

📞 Call or text 970-236-1937 to book your trip.

09/02/2026

🎣 NEW FLY TYING VIDEO: The Halfback Nymph

Sometimes the old-school patterns are still some of the best.

The Halfback Nymph is a classic Colorado stonefly pattern that has been putting in some serious work for CRO guides lately. It’s simple, buggy, durable—and trout eat it.

In our latest YouTube video, CRO’s Brian Hilbert walks you through how to tie this Colorado classic step-by-step.

If you tie your own flies, this is one you’ll want in the box this fall.

🎥 Watch the full tying tutorial here:

https://youtu.be/2VfIqknSINQ?is=Fax_EOuqIq8U_kFF

Tie a few up, get them wet, and let us know how they fish!

09/02/2026

🔥 TWO DAYS OF DRY FLY MADNESS 🔥

Riversidefletch just wrapped up an awesome couple days on the water with his guests Nelson and Kevin, and the dry fly fishing has been INCREDIBLE. 🎣

Rising trout, eats on top, bent rods, and plenty of beautiful fish finding the net. It doesn’t get much better than watching a trout come up and crush your fly!

September is here, the water is cooling down, and the fishing is firing on all cylinders. If you’ve been waiting for the right time to get on the water… this is it.

📞 Call or text CRO at 970-236-1937 to book your trip.

09/01/2026

Some days on the river remind you exactly why we love this sport.

Brian Christopher Hilbert had an absolute epic day on the water with Tom and David. You know the fishing is good when you can fish double dries all day long. Even a steady rain couldn’t slow these guys down, they put on an absolute clinic from start to finish.

Fall fishing is shaping up to be outstanding, and the trout are looking up.

📞 Ready to experience it for yourself? Call or text 970-236-1937 to book your trip before the best dates are gone.

08/30/2026

🏆 Today’s the day! 🏆

This is your last chance to vote for Colorado River Outfitters in the Best of Vail Valley awards!

First and foremost, thank you. The support we’ve received from our clients, friends, family, and community this past week has been incredible. We’re truly humbled by every vote, share, comment, and kind word.

One quick reminder: Voting is once per day! If you voted earlier this week, you can vote again one final time today. Many people don’t realize that, and we’d be honored to earn your last vote.

If we’ve helped you catch your first trout, shared a memorable day on the river, provided a fishing report, taught you something new, or simply made your time in Colorado a little more enjoyable, we’d be grateful for your support.

🎣 Vote for: Colorado River Outfitters
📍 Category: Arts & Activities → Fly Fishing Outfitter

🔗 Vote here: https://ogden.revfluent.com/bestof/og/1rlvp68dl5/vw76gqq29q

Winning back-to-back Best of Vail Valley awards would mean the world to our entire guide team and our small, locally owned business.

Thank you for believing in us. We hope to see you on the river soon! ❤️

08/29/2026

🚨 ONLY 2 DAYS LEFT! 🚨

Before you keep scrolling…

We just want to say thank you. ❤️

The support you’ve shown Colorado River Outfitters this week has been incredible. Every share, comment, and vote means the world to our guides and our small business.

Now we’re down to the final 2 days.

Last year, you helped us earn Best Fly Fishing Outfitter in the Best of Vail Valley. Bringing home the back-to-back and winning again this year would be an incredible honor, and we can’t do it without you.

If we’ve ever:
🎣 Guided you on an unforgettable day on the water…
📖 Helped you with one of our fishing reports…
🪰 Taught you something through our videos or fly-tying content…
🤝 Or simply made your time in the Vail Valley a little better…

We’d be truly honored to earn your vote.

It only takes a minute, but it makes a huge difference to our guide team and our business.

Please vote for Colorado River Outfitters
➡️ Outdoor Activities
➡️ Fly Fishing Outfitter
➡️ Colorado River Outfitters

Thank you for believing in us and for supporting local businesses. Let’s see if we can bring home the back-to-back!

VOTE HERE👇
https://ogden.revfluent.com/bestof/og/1rlvp68dl5/vw76gqq29q

08/28/2026

Colorado Fishing Report: Vail Valley & Beyond | Late August Update

Cooler nights are making a big difference, and Colorado’s rivers are headed in the right direction. Our latest fishing report is live with the most up-to-date conditions from the rivers our guides fish every day.

Inside this week’s report:
✅ Colorado River conditions & fly recommendations
✅ Eagle River update
✅ Roaring Fork River report
✅ Arkansas Tailwater report
✅ Current voluntary closure updates
✅ Guide-approved fly selections
✅ Pro tips from CRO guides Paul Killino, Sam Kinney, Matt Fletcher, and Chris Stella
✅ Why September is shaping up to be one of the best months of the year to fish Colorado

If you’re planning a trip this fall, this is the report you won’t want to miss.

As water temperatures continue to cool, we expect fishing to keep improving and anticipate current voluntary closures being lifted soon. Fall is one of our favorite times of the year to be on the water, and September dates are filling quickly.

📖 Read the full fishing report here:

https://www.coloradoriveroutfitters.net/post/colorado-fishing-report-vail-valley-late-august-2026

🎣 Ready to book your September fly fishing trip?
📞 Call or text (970) 236-1937

If you find our weekly fishing reports helpful, we’d love it if you’d Like, Share, and Follow Colorado River Outfitters. Your support helps us continue bringing you current, on-the-water fishing reports from across Colorado every week.

Cooler nights are improving fishing across Colorado, and our latest fishing report covers everything you need to know before hitting the water. Get current conditions, river-by-river reports, recommended flies, guide tips, and the latest updates for the Colorado River, Eagle River, Roaring Fork Rive...