Welcome back, trout fishing.

Even though you never left us and the majority of your fans are truly devoted anglers; we needed to rip a few powder lines, get our fair share of face shots and take advantage of the 30-plus feet of snow that Mother Nature has gifted us this winter. I think it's a reasonable choice living in the best ski valley known to man.

I wouldn't say your fans are fickle; just seasonal. There are the few and elite who come from another breed and fish all winter. And then there are the rest of us who never forget about trout fishing — we just place the thought on the back burner. We wait until the rivers open up and the ice melts. We wait for the majestic dance of the rainbow trout and honor the cannibalistic ways of the brown trout.

Fishing is serious business and it always has been. It's a way of life. It can't be replaced by skiing, live music and grilling. All though I highly endorse these activities; trout fishing is the bond that holds together the duties of the “adult” world and the joys of the playful and youthful side of every angler.

And for this, we, the trout fishermen, give you thanks. We thank you, trout fishing, for perfect balance to our lives and the gift of certainty in a world full of uncertainty. Yes, we know how good it can be even when the trout aren't biting.

Right now, the trout are biting and biting well. The Eagle River has completely iced out with the exception of a few shady stretches that run from north to south. Sections of the Eagle west of Wolcott will have a tendency to blow out from time to time due to creeks feeding into the Eagle. Keep your eye on Milk and Alkali creeks, two big contributors.

This will continue until the low-lying snow in the valley melts. Once the seasonal runoff starts, you can expect to see feeder streams dumping dirty water into many of the rivers and creeks we fish. These include the Roaring Fork, Colorado, Eagle, Gore and many others that are not headwaters or tailwaters.

With the above average snowpack we have received this year we can anticipate a heavy runoff with sustained healthy flows throughout the season. Basically, this means the initial runoff will be high, probably above average, but the long haul where fishing matters the most (July-September) will have plenty cold water to keep fishing strong through the summer heat.

The chance for our fisheries to see high temperatures and low volume water flows is decreased by massive amounts of snow sitting on the millions of acres throughout the Rockies. As of now, we can expect the next six to eight weeks to bring great fishing with a gradual increase in water volume. When temperatures consistently reach the 50s and 60s throughout the day, flows will begin to increase dramatically and the clarity will drop.

This simply means fishing will be tougher and anglers will have to move to tailwaters and headwaters where clarity is good and flows are safe and fishable. But for now get out on the water and experience some great early spring fishing. March and April are two of the best months for pre-runoff fishing.

Miles Comeau is a guide at Alpine River Outfitters in Edwards. For guided trips, hot flies, questions and concerns or if you feel the need to share a whopper, you can call him 970-926-0900