Every year I’m surprised at how incredible the fishing is here in the Roaring Fork Valley during fall. This goes for the Colorado and Fryingpan rivers, and everything in between. The shorter periods of light touching the water and the dip in water and air temperatures cause something special to happen.

Big fish are all of a sudden showing up right in the runs that you might have fished in summer without success. These fish have been elusive up until now. It must be fall, and the bite is on. Winter, whether it’s your first or fifth as a trout, looms near, and the abundant insect delights of summer won’t be around much longer. They sense it. Gone are the big bugs of summer, giving way to the now more prevalent blue wing olive mayflies.

Big browns are on the move and are starting their annual spawning rituals, and the days finally return to seeing far more fish than other fishermen. Everything changes quickly up here in the fall, and the fish take notice. Take notice and re-position those BWO, streamer and midge boxes towards the front pockets of your vest or waist pack.

Autumn float fishing can certainly be sublime; I certainly enjoy a day of throwing streamers after a summer full of dry flies on tiny, fragile tippet. You can sight-fish the Fryingpan to your heart’s delight, and those deeper sections of the Roaring Fork yield strike after strike from hard fighting trout and whitefish alike. Most importantly, this is a perfect time of year to honor those who first taught us, and pass this gift on to someone else. The fishing is still fantastic with good opportunities for fishing dries, nymphs and streamers among beautiful surroundings without the crowds of summer that often plague these bustling rivers.

Find that co-worker or kid from church whose eyes lit up when they learned that you fly fish. Show them the right way to go about it, learning proper technique and river etiquette. If they’re anything like you, you’ll have handed them a gift that constantly keeps on giving regardless of age, physical ability or sex. Fall is especially one of these gifts on our waters. I’ll see you out there.

This report is provided every week by Taylor Creek Fly Shops in Aspen and Basalt. Taylor Creek can be reached at 970-927-4374 or taylorcreek.com.