Colorado

As I continue my post retirement fun. I went on a fly fishing run to Colorado last month with a couple family members. Lots of snow in the mountains. If we had gone a week earlier we would not have been able to access our forest service cabin.



The main destination was a hike into Black Canyon of the Gunnison, but the timing was messed up due to a late snow fall in Colorado this year. Dash was unable to go because Dogs are not allowed in the Canyon. After visiting the Gunnison river below we fished Taylor for a bit we decided to move the hike to the end of the trip to let the water level come down on the Gunnison. When we first arrived the reports were that the water was up over the camping spots on the river and into the trees. Unfishable. The Taylor was up, off color and difficult to fish.



The streams at the Guard Station near Jackson Reservoir where we stayed were way up and muddy as well.



We hiked up to one high mountain reservoir and found it was a bad choice as it was way down for some reason and had no trout in it. To make matters worse we were unable to find it the first day and had to make a second try to find it. It turned out to be a neat experience anyway. It was full of White Suckers. We figured out how to catch them on fly rods using "San Yuan Worm" flys under a strike indicator. It was a first for me and would have been another check box if I had a fishing species life list. Those suckers fought as hard or better than trout of the same size. Unfortunately I ran my phone battery down before we caught fish because of using the GPS on it to find our lake so I did not get a picture of the suckers. I went minimalist on this trip and did not take a camera.



The second high mountain lake we hiked to in the Uncompadre was closer and much better with Cutthroats and Brooks both in excess of 17 inches caught. We did not see another person the day we spent there.



I told my Nephew Ryan he was trolling for Bears. Not a minute later we came up on a Bear in the trail in front of us. Fortunately it ran away.



Made for some good eating too.

Then Black Canyon we chose to do the Warner Trail. It is the longest trail into the canyon and by some considered the most difficult hiking trail in Colorado.







We spent two nights on the river. The river was still up and off color, but had retreated off the gravel bar camp spots and came down at least a couple feet while we were there.





Despite the conditions we figured out the trout and probably had one of the better days on the river there for numbers of trout over many years of trips since I was 8 years old. First day it was large bead head stonefly nymphs using a fast sinking line and fished deep. Second day for brown trout it was an unknown flashy rainbow colored saltwater fly stripped fast right on the grass banks. We caught several. We killed it.

Stone fly nymphs were on the rocks with many coming partially out of the water. I predict we missed the epic salmonfly hatch by only a week or two.



I ate one Brown Trout each night in the canyon. First time I cut the fish into sections and wrapped in foil seasoned with left over beef jerky bits and cinnamon apple crumbs. Not bad, but second night the filleted sections were much better. Not pictured, my nephew found two long lost swisher sweet cigars in his pack with a bottle of tylenol exp dated 2004. It was the best 15 year old cigar I have ever smoked.





By tradition I picked up a hiking stick to use. I personalized it along the way and have no idea what the top was supposed to be, but my wife stuck at home did like it. Notice the second crude carving.



We ended the trip with a stay at a Guard Station near Saguache. I Climbed a mountain. Hiked to a mine I saw on google earth. I have no idea what kind of mine. Long caved in and nothing special in the trailings. And hiked through old Ute Indian hunting grounds. I am pretty sure I was followed by a mountain lion from above in a rocky draw just before dark, but I don't have any pictures to prove it. I later found out one had been reported seen there the week before. My last morning at below 40 degrees temps I hiked across an old stagecoach trail to watch the sunset rise over the Saguache River Pass where there had once been a great Ute Indian battle with over a hundred dead. No pictures of the sunset. That one was just for me.






Till next time.

That is awesome John. I hate to see the water was high and the fishing was not great. None the less great pics of some beautiful country.

Once we adapted to the conditions, we actually experienced some great fishing. There were one to two hour time periods in the Canyon when there were surges in the water level probably because of the several rain showers we had while in the canyon. I was catching trout in the 15 to 20 inch range every 10 minutes or less during those surges. I missed strikes on many more due to not being able to see the fish. All I can figure is the current was knocking some of those stoneflys off the rocks during those moments. And I guess because of the rain, we had no other campers or people fishing our chosen section of river. We had over a mile of river all to ourselves.

What a great trip, that had to be so frickin nice to be out in Gods country like that! Great pictures and thanks for sharing y'alls adventure

Thanks for sharing

Awesome trip! That's the time of year to be in Colorado for fishing.

always an adventure with you,

Great trip and recap.

very nice

Yes it is! And this was another AWESOME one! I would love to do that and not be on any schedule, or having to rush for any reason. I wonder if you are allowed to use a metal detector around the stagecoach line? That would be cool. Heck,, just the scenery would do me just fine.

Bravo!

Great pics and write up.

John, it appears my ways to adapt are seriously lacking That is good numbers Sir. Hell, the water we fish rarely produces over 12" but have multiple species. That is awesome Sir.

Great pics and recap, can't wait to get up that way in mid-September

Great Pictures! Can we retire with you?

good stuff!

Looks like you had a great time. I was just up there on the lake fork of the gunnesion. We have a place south of blue Mesa lake. Really want to get back up there and check out the canyon. Rivers were wild when I was up there with all the sno melt so we didn’t really try fishing too much but I did hear the fishing has been great on Taylor.

Awesome!