In this report
Flow is up—and that means tighter casting and warier fish
We’re sitting at 30 CFS right now, which is genuinely elevated for Above Spinney. Your reference point here is 15 CFS as normal low-water baseline on a stream this size—this is nearly double that. It doesn’t sound dramatic until you’re actually wading the open meadow reaches, where every extra cubic foot of water changes the channel geometry and fish behavior in real time.
The consequence is twofold. First: the water is actively moving. Those shallow, gin-clear lanes that hold pods of trout when flow sits in the teens are now darker, faster, and less forgiving of a sloppy approach. The meadow character of this stretch means there’s nowhere to hide—no overhanging bank, no dense willows to break your silhouette. Fish are already wary in these open flats, and faster water makes them even more hair-triggered. Your casting distance matters now. Stay back. Wade diagonal and slow. If you’re spooking fish in the first five minutes, you’re too tight.
Second: the trout have more water to spread into. Instead of being concentrated in the deepest slots and the tight margins where current breaks, they’ve redistributed into secondary holding zones—the inside bends, the slightly deeper depressions along the banks, the softer water behind minor current breaks. It’s not catastrophic, but it means you have to work harder to find them. The upside is that the water temperature is still holding at 48°F, which is solid for early October and a sign that the recent runoff is clean snowmelt-fed water, not stalled warm rain. That’s genuinely good news for fish welfare and your ability to land them without stress.
October means midges, with a BWO subplot on gray days
At this elevation and this time of year, midges are the backbone. Black Beauty, Mercury Midge, and zebra-midge patterns in #20–24 will be your volume fly. They start coming off in earnest as water cools in the morning, taper through midday, and can pick back up in the afternoon if cloud cover moves in. Don’t sleep on #20–22 RS2 emergers either—the transition from nymph to adult in moving water like this is where fish actually eat.
Fall baetis (small BWO) are present and worth having in your box, but they’re not yet the main event. You’ll see them most reliably on genuinely gray, cool days when light is flat and the water temps dip toward the low 40s. Right now, with the sun still climbing through clear skies most days, the midge emerger bite is the safer primary.
The meadow water here is shallow enough that midges aren’t fished super deep—you’re generally working #20–24 nymphs in the top 18 to 24 inches, not below that. This is very different from tailwater midge fishing where you’re pounding the bottom in 8 feet of water. Here, you’re matching the rise pace and the shallow holding zones where trout cruise to intercept drifting insects.
Rig specifics for elevated flow and clear water
Your best setup right now is a tight-line or light-indicator rig with a two-fly dropper. Start with a heavier midge pattern—a Barr’s-style Mercury Midge or a weighted black beauty in #22—as your anchor fly, positioned about 20 inches up the leader. Tie on a lighter RS2 emerger or standard zebra midge in #22–24 about 16 inches above that.
Use 4X tippet for your lead fly and 5X for the dropper. On water this clear and trout this spooky, 5X is not overkill—in fact, it’s the minimum if you want to avoid the refusal rate that heavier tippet can trigger on a calm meadow reach in broad daylight. Yes, you’ll lose a few fish. You’ll catch more.
For weight, a single small split shot pinched about 8 inches above the anchor fly is usually enough. You don’t need to pound the bottom—the water is only 2 to 3 feet deep in most holding zones, and at 30 CFS, the current is moving enough that your flies will get to depth quickly without excessive weight. If you’re dragging bottom constantly, you’ve added too much.
If you prefer an indicator, use a tiny pencil foam style and set it 18 inches above the first fly. This lets your rig work the water column rather than dead-bottom-bouncing. Adjust depth by moving the indicator up or down incrementally until you’re just ticking bottom on the first cast of a drift—not every cast, just enough to confirm you’re in the zone.
Tight-line nymphing is equally effective here and often more sensitive on small water. A 9-foot, 4-weight rod with a dead-drift grip and subtle rod-tip feel will give you better contact and fewer missed takes than an indicator in the tight, technical sections.
Where to focus effort
The open meadow stretches in Badger Basin and Tomahawk hold the most water and the most trout, but at this flow, concentrate on the slightly deeper runs and the inside bends where current softens. Those high, fast, choppy sections that were productive at 15 CFS are harder to read and less productive when flows are elevated—the water runs too thin and fast. Target instead the zones where the channel widens and the current spreads out. Fish hold in the soft edges there, and at elevated flow, those spots are less obvious to other anglers who default to the faster water.
The open meadow character is what it is: wary fish in thin cover. A quiet approach, a long cast, and a precise mend beat aggressive wading every time.
One stewardship note
At 48°F, the water is cool enough that fish aren’t in active thermal stress, but they’re approaching the fall spawn. If you’re using streamers or attractors (which are appropriate now as browns begin positioning for spawning), keep them small and handle fish gently. Barbless or pinched-barb hooks speed release and reduce jaw damage. If this location moves into a seasonal spawning closure—which the regs can do here—respect it.
Have your CO fishing license or SWA pass with you. Artificial lures only in Tomahawk. Plan accordingly.