East side Rivers

[jnpcook]

A guy at work was asking about the different east side rivers (Rifle, Au Gres, etc) and what type of fish are in the east side rivers and what the fishing is like. I don't really fish these rivers much but told him there were trout and salmon and steelhead. I was wondering if someone wanted to describe these rivers better and rank them for fishing experience. I don't know if he would be wading or floating from a canoe and whether he would be fly fishing or using other methods.

Thanks

John

[WEEZER]

I'll tell ya what I'm not going rank them on the internet!!! but I will describe them on it.
Ausable: Well just about everyone knows how that is! too many people competing for the fish.(During the main runs of course.) I used to be in total love with the Ausable but not now, I can't stand the crowds.One good thing is that the run is a but later than the West side so it offers an extension of the season.
East Branch of the Augres: I don't fish there much, There is excellent surf fishing at singing bridge and "The ditch". When I go there I usually fish the mid river by 55. It's a hard river to fish because of the low gin clear water! Steelies and chins are SPOOOOOKY! some people fish them with 2lb test.
Rifle: Has a stable year round fishery. Steelhead in the spring until May and a "few" chins in the fall around October.
Fishing for Chins is a real hit or miss situation because they will usually all run up the river at the same time and spawn out within a week of being in the upper river. I normally get 4 solid days of fishing in the fall and they all follow the first big rain in October and extend for a week! That's about it for chins.Oh Yeah they don't plant them in the rifle!!!So be careful what you keep! A 17lb chin on the Rifle is BIG! Most are around 10 or so.
Steelhead: They plant about 30000 of them in the Rifle. I bet about 40% are instantly killed from the way they plant,fisherman,mink and those damn walleyes!!!! My best advice to fishing this river for steel is to float the river and look for the gravel stretches above Greenwood rd. A lot of times you will see beds but not fish! They really disappear during the mid day!!!!!!!!!!Can't disclose any areas on the internet. Let's face it the Rifle is a fragile system! C&R is a must!!
Trout: The rifle has a so so trout fishery! Caddis,Brown drakes, Isonychia, sulphers, hendriksons and the White flies are the major hatches.Hoppers and streamers work good too