Summer Outlook For the Rockies, with Chris Steinbeck

Summer Outlook For the Rockies, with Chris Steinbeck

May 25, 2026 · 1h 4m

About this episode

Chris Steinbeck shares strategies for fly fishing in low water conditions during the summer in the Rockies.

My guest this week, Chris Steinbeck [25:15] of the Blue Quill Angler in Colorado, shares his strategies for dealing with what we expect will be low water and possibly water that is too warm for ethical trout fishing. This doesn't mean you have to forgo fly fishing! There are many options for continuing your trout fishing through the summer, plus loads of alternatives to trout that are amazing fun on the fly rod. Chris has some solid tips for enjoying the summer with your rod, and for treating the fish properly in low water. Although Chris concentrates on Colorado fisheries, his advice is solid for any part of the Rocky Mountains. In the Fly Box this week, we have these questions and more: If I briefly hook a brown trout, do you think it's still worth trying for that fish? I have an old Orvis Bamboo rod left to me by my grandfather. Should I fish it, and if so how should I care for it? Is there a material you could wrap around a dry fly to make it float better? Which types of dubbing are best for dry flies? Can I use jig nymphs on a dry dropper setup? How can I strip "retired" flies of their dressing so I can re-use the hooks and beads? I fish a cold tailwater but have not seen or…

People in this episode

Host: Tom Rosenbauer

Guest: Chris Steinbeck

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Blue Quill Angler

Places: Colorado, Rocky Mountains

More episodes of The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast podcast page.