Small, fast flowing river with a lot of vertical drop, the Encampment is challenging and fast-action fly fishing.
The Encampment River is arguably the best dry fly fishing in the west. In its short season it boasts many excellent hatches; Sallmon flies, Golden stones, Yellow sallies, Caddis, Tricos and of course the famous Drakes green and grey!
The Encampment flows fast and cold which makes it an excellent trout fishery. Lots of vertical drop and water volume winding back and forth through constantly changing terrain. From log jams to large rock crops to its canyon section. Everything is a challenge and can be dangerous especially for those that are inexperienced.
Continuous vertical drop and fast paced fishing makes the runs and pocket water exciting to fish for the advanced to moderate angler. A long cast is not required but precision and accuracy do matter. This is not the place for the sloppy caster to knock off the dust.
Being a freestone every year is different and the float season varies. We start floating as soon as the ice clears and are the last boats on when they stack up the diversion dams. Pre run off is typically pretty short but can produce some great early dry fly fishing. During runoff due to it’s hard canyon nature it will actually fish surprisingly well but hatches will be sparse. Post runoff is when the hatches get intense and the fish take notice!
