Hey Guys,
I am still out here in Colorado (now its work instead of play this week) and finally settled into Fort Collins with enough time to sort through my zillions of photos from the past 11 days. My legs are like jelly from a pretty ambitious 28 mile backpacking adventure in the Eagles Nest Wilderness along the Continental Divide, and my hands are still shaky from more than a few rock scrambles that I would rather of not had to attempt.
But I have had some chances to chase a few trout out here, and even managed to fool a few. Of course, I also lost my share as well... Including a shot at an honest-to-goodness "fish of a lifetime" from a little-known tailwater beneath the Wolford Mountain Dam. Easily a 10+lb ranbow decided to pounce on the bunny-strip streamer I have been tossing all week. That fat bastard came out from an undercut bank and tackled the fly about eight feet from where I stood. It took to the air immediately and tailwalked like a marlin you'd see on television. I fought it for well over five minutes and had it in the shallows before it flew the coop, throwing a bathtub's worth of water and coming unbuttoned. I will be dreaming about that fish for many years to come, it seems. Easily the best trout I have ever put a hook into. What a rush.
The CRAZY high water has limited my access and fishability to a few of my favorite waters here, but I made a few game-time audibles with my buddy and eventually put a few in our hands. Here is a quick photo recap of the past week or so, in case any of you wanna' see what the 'High Country' is all about. I am already trying to schedule a September return so I can hit the rivers I had to skip due to record flows this week.
Yes, plenty of snow here at 10,000ft still... Tons of the stuff, actually.
Here is the ridge we hiked to access a few highcountry lakes during the 'fastpacking' trip:
I took a few breathers along the way... I lost that 'winter weight' in a hurry this week:
I fished the Colorado River in a few spots, including a long trek into "Gore Canyon" searching for browns:
Lost a nice one in the Canyon, but did find a couple decent fish... Hot fly was a Prince Nymph for the day:
Did I mention there is a lot of snow up high still? Made for an interesting hike to smaller streams!
As usual, there are uncountable rainbow trout out here... Other than the massive beast I lost two days ago, most fish were below the size I used to be accustomed to here, but pretty none the less!
Some were a bit fatter... Here is a tailwater rainbow from this morning's drive to Fort Collins from Steamboat:
The "Cache le Poudre" River... Yeah, the water is RAGING out here this summer... Very rare for July in Colorado:
The wildflowers are loving all the rain and snowmelt though:
I did find some better fish while backpacking... This brown was a brawler... Check out those fins!
Some Forest Service roads are open, but you have to let yourself right in and keep the cattle from escaping!
Another fattie brown from the High Country:
I spent the 4th of July just outside Rocky Mountain National Park with some old NPS friends... While checking out a feeder stream to Lake Granby (Monarch Creek), I caught my FIRST EVER laker on a fly. To be proper, they call them 'Mackinaw' out here, but it was a surprise to get this skinny guy in some FAST water on a nymph:
The lowest (and most fishable) water I found all week. "Little Muddy" in Grand County, CO... I wish the fish cooperated more... Only some small rainbows in there this time around:
I also scooted into the "Big D" to see some friends and caught a game between the Rockies and Diamondbacks in Coors Field... I don't drink much Coors, but made an exception in the name of Baseball:
I fed my freinds all the rainbow trout they could handle, but I opted for a good ol' "Cheeseburger in Paradise":
Dougie will remember this place... Where I used to rip turns under a full moon in my younger days:
And last, but not least... A photo of the Mt Massive Golf Club, and a 180yd eight-iron... THIN AIR RULES!!!
Note, golf ball is off tee... My brother-in-law must have taken the other photo during a practice swing?
I took a ton of photos, of course... But most are still scattered all over my external harddrive, waiting for me to organize them somehow once I get back East later in the week. I should have some more cutthroat and rainbow trout photos in there somewhere, and hope to get 'em up before I leave Fort Collins. I hope you guys are slaying 'em in Albany, and that we get out and catch a few sometime soon!