Our Takes: The Arkansas River in upper Bighorn Sheep Canyon wakes up a little earlier than most freestones in Colorado. Watch for a series of warm days in the upper 40s and 50s with nighttime lows in the 20s, then, break out your mayfly nymphs and hit the pockets and buckets, even in the faster water. Just look for depth near a place for fish to get out of the current (slow water and structure).

Nymphs: prince nymphs, psycho prince, two-bit hookers, hot wire stonefly (size 10-16); beadhead flashback pheasant tails, rs2, barr’s emerger, Cheesman emerger (16-20); graphic caddis, any caddis pupa pattern (16-18)

Dries: parachute adams, purple haze, extended body bwo (18-20); elk hair caddis, X-caddis (16-18) Fish 4x and 5x mono with dries and 4x-5x fluoro with nymphs.

5 or 6 weight rod.