As you travel west of Denver,Colorado you will notice a jumbled mass of high peaks.
The mountains are crowded togeather and the streams and rivers run swift and rocky.
Fishermen from California can relate to these mountains as the Sierra's built in the same way.
As in the High Sierra's the best fishing lies back in the rugged peaks away from the roads.
Horses are an important factor if you wish to avoid crowded waters.
Much of the water that is accesible by automobile is posted,and in many places fishing is reserved for the guests of resorts and ranchs.
You cannot find good stream fishing in Colorado without making careful plans in advance.There is a lot of fine fishing in the State,but it is not lying around in plain sight.Heavy fish stocking accounts for the fact that there are still plenty of fish to be caught where the fishing is heavy.
Being high above sea level gives the mountains a cool atmosphere all summer long,which attracts many people from the hotter states to escape the summer heat,and nearly everyone goes trout fishing.
This means the trout are caught before they reach any size.It is only in the wilder,more isolated sections that larger trout are found.In all fairness,it should be said that compared to eastern and midwestern fishing,Colorado fishing is exciting despite the traffic.
There is one outstanding stream in Colorado and that is the Gunnison River.Travelling west on U.S.50,one branch of the river follows the road all the way down from Monarch Pass,but the good fishing doesn't start until various tributaries combine,which is not far east of the town of Gunnison,to form the main river.
The best fishing is around Cebolla.A road makes it easy to reach thirty miles of river below the town of Sapinero.It is a one way road with many turnouts for safety.
The Gunnison river has long riffles of depth,deep,slow runs around the outer side of each bend,and an occasional deep still hole of great depth under overhanging rocks make fishing interesting.
It may be fished with wet or dry flys,and the fish run up to four or five pounds.
Wet flys in the nymph as the stone fly are good bets and also the bucktail.Stone flies are by the millions on the Gunnison,so that would be my bet as a fly fisherman to use.
If you want to catch Cutthroat trout your best bet will be the side streams,which are rugged but the beauty of a Cutthroat trout is unsurpassed in my book.Rent a horse and fish Cebello creek for cutthroats.Most fish caught in the Gunnison are Rainbow and Brown trout.
Late August and early September are the best times to fish the Gunnison River.
Resort Areas;
Glenwood Springs,Colorado is a major resort town catering to fishermen.
Aspen,Colo.is a good place for fishermen who like small streams and some lakes which can be reached by road.Aspen offers high meadow creeks which have sizeable trout in them to be caught and a good place for family outtings,as the streams are fairly flat and easily accessed for the kids to fish,beaver dams and ponds made by the beaver are good places to catch trout also.
Good Luck and Happy Camping.
Monday, June 15, 2009
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