As often as I can, which turns out to be not near enough, I try to plan a trip to the west. When I was younger and held fewer responsibilities, these trips came more frequently. Fortunately, my wife loves it as much as I do and we want to take our kids for as long as they are still willing. So about the time the summer heat was arriving here in Georgia, we pointed the truck towards the Rockies and headed out for an excursion that would end up covering 5000 miles and 12 states.
Since this is the Fly Fishing Forum, I won't bore you with our visit to the Black Hills and our amazing hike up Black Elk Peak, the highest point east of the Rockies. I won't tell you about standing atop the hill upon which Custer and the 7th cavalry made their last stand. And I won't tell you about our hike up into a local area known as the Blue Castles, shining white cliffs streaked with bright blues and greens, results from the oxidation of the minerals in the rocks.
I'll just tell you about the fish.
There's a quite large alpine lake in northern Colorado that holds a very pure strain of Colorado River cutthroat. I've visited it a half dozen times over the years and I've now taken my children twice. The lake itself offers pretty good spin fishing opportunities and if the sun and wind are right, excellent flyfishing as big cutthroat cruise the shallows sipping mayflies.
For the uninitiated, they get their name from the bright red slash under their jaw.
I've fished the lake enough to know that when the fishing is slow in the main lake, it's probably better up in the creeks. That's not always the case, but it was this time. There have been 2 fires here in the last 30 years and after a severe wind storm a few years back, many of the widowmakers that have been standing dead for decades have finally come down. But that makes the fishing a little more challenging for anyone who ventures up the creek.
Higher than average snowfall had every single stream rushing with whitewater. High, fast water combined with numerous deadfalls and logjams made fishing with a dry fly an exercise in frustration. I don't like being frustrated, especially when I'm fishing. So I tied on a big flashy olive streamer and the fish responded.
This is what I came for.
After a hard morning bushwhacking overland to find fishable runs, I relaxed for a lunch break overlooking this gem. Not a bad spot to relax and recharge.
To be continued....
Since this is the Fly Fishing Forum, I won't bore you with our visit to the Black Hills and our amazing hike up Black Elk Peak, the highest point east of the Rockies. I won't tell you about standing atop the hill upon which Custer and the 7th cavalry made their last stand. And I won't tell you about our hike up into a local area known as the Blue Castles, shining white cliffs streaked with bright blues and greens, results from the oxidation of the minerals in the rocks.
I'll just tell you about the fish.
There's a quite large alpine lake in northern Colorado that holds a very pure strain of Colorado River cutthroat. I've visited it a half dozen times over the years and I've now taken my children twice. The lake itself offers pretty good spin fishing opportunities and if the sun and wind are right, excellent flyfishing as big cutthroat cruise the shallows sipping mayflies.
For the uninitiated, they get their name from the bright red slash under their jaw.
I've fished the lake enough to know that when the fishing is slow in the main lake, it's probably better up in the creeks. That's not always the case, but it was this time. There have been 2 fires here in the last 30 years and after a severe wind storm a few years back, many of the widowmakers that have been standing dead for decades have finally come down. But that makes the fishing a little more challenging for anyone who ventures up the creek.
Higher than average snowfall had every single stream rushing with whitewater. High, fast water combined with numerous deadfalls and logjams made fishing with a dry fly an exercise in frustration. I don't like being frustrated, especially when I'm fishing. So I tied on a big flashy olive streamer and the fish responded.
This is what I came for.
After a hard morning bushwhacking overland to find fishable runs, I relaxed for a lunch break overlooking this gem. Not a bad spot to relax and recharge.
To be continued....
Need to get back out there myself. 2019 was my last trip.
