Trout Fishing in Colorado 1/2/17.

 FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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Great – another potential fishing hobby!

(Wow, 2 posts in one day, with a few more on the way.  I am trying to catch up.)

On our way to the dog sledding I noticed a brochure on the dashboard for the Yumpa Valley Anglers.  So I asked the driver Ryan, who turned out to be one of the owners, about the fishing.  What started as just a question turned into a fishing trip.  I was really surprised by the amount of fishing in the area, shows what a little research will do before you go.

Ryan has fished all over the world, and actually has fished Arkansas.  And his partner Matt still guides the White and North Fork each year, along with the San Juan in New Mexico when the time is right.  We shared some fishing talk and I got excited to give it a go.  I can cast a little with a fly rod and was wanting to experience this winter fishery.  Ryan had a commitment the next day so I set it up with his partner Matt.

The next morning Matt picked me up at the hotel and off we went.  It was a balmy 8 degrees.  We stopped and got a day license and then headed to the Stagecoach tailwaters.  On the way we learned we had a lot of common experiences in similar places.  Matt is friends with Dave Whitlock, a famous trout fisherman, author, and artist from my neck of the woods.  He told me he met Ryan in Alaska and has since moved to Yampa permanently.

Great Folks!

http://www.yampavalleyanglers.com/

It might have been 8 degrees when we got to the tailwaters.  Lucky for me since I had no fishing stuff with me, he had waders, boots, and rod so I was in business.  We got prepared and made the walk down the hill in a foot of snow to the water.  The weather was crisp, but as usual, if you are ready for it no big deal.  You can always take it off, but if you don’t have it you sure can’t put it on.

Matt getting us ready to roll.

The tailwaters was small by my standards, heck I could even cast across it with my very beginner skills.  The first thing that impressed me was the size of the fly, or lack thereof.  You could have put the whole fly in the eye of a good size circle hook.  We used several flies that morning, most being nymphs and other little hairy things under an indicator.  I forgot to check but the rod was probably a 5 weight, it was light and easy to cast.  The leader was the size of a gnats eyebrow, and the split shot was the size of a number 8 shot.  Really small stuff.

The pool on the tailwaters.

Matt was great with my total lack of skills and spent the whole morning teaching me, not only about presentation but about fish movements.  He was extremely patient.  He knows his stuff, end of story.  It took me a minute to get the hang of it, but I finally caught one.  You could see them finning, it was only a couple of feet deep at the very most.  And I do want to add that I got hung on a fence behind me, a couple of trees, and roots across the creek, and Matt handled it like the professional guide he is.  I told him it was different being on the other side of this deal and it was nice to have someone change my baits!  Especially when you could only have your fingers uncovered for about a minute!

My first rainbow on a fly.

Talk about a subtle bite.  When you fish by feel as much as I do this was a whole new game.  But Matt worked with me and I managed to land another one.  These fish are relatives of the original stockers decades ago, now they are all wild.  You could sure see the difference from the stockers I have caught in the past.  And the bigger one was a good tussle on the light outfit.

My second.  The colors were fabulous.

At one point we waded to get a different presentation and Mat said look behind you.  Turning around there was 5 or 6 nice trout who immediately set up right behind our feet, using it as a break in the current.  During the whole time we could see trout moving and feeding.  It really was interesting and I can not say enough about my Cocoons, good glasses are mandatory.

What a beautiful place to fish.

Before our half day was over I hooked 5 or 6, landing 2.  How many did I miss – a bunch!  It really was a unique experience.  Like I told Matt, I need another outdoor hobby like a another hole in my head.  But no matter, it really has primed my desire to get after the reds with my fly rod here on the coast, and of course to try this trout fishing thing again.  The whole experience was great.

Give them a call, you won’t be sorry.

I want to say a little bit about fishing with Matt.  I have fished with a few guides in my life, and known a ton, and he is probably the most professional guide I have had the pleasure of fishing with.  He does not fish, and his whole attention is on you catching a fish.  He has fished with everyone from the basest rookie like me, to real pros.  He has fished nd guided many places around this country, including Florida, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Colorado, to name a few.  He still fishes those places and can arrange any type of trip you need.  After fishing with that famous horses butt guide out of Corpus last year who was just a pompus jerk who seemed to mail it in, Matt was a real pleasure.  If you ever want to fish that part of the country, or any of the other places Matt fishes, I can not recommend him any more highly.

And though I did not get to fish with Ryan he and I agreed on lots, especially when it came to sharing information and trying to help people catch fish,.  That is what primed me to try them out, and if my experience with Matt is any indication of how it is fishing with Ryan and any of the Yampa Valley Anglers it will be tough to choose  when I go back.  And about the cost, trust me, crazy low for what they have to offer.  So if you are interested in wading a tailwater, doing a drift fishing trip, ice fishing, or fishing high mountain lakes for big rainbows in the summer these are the boys.  When you add in the scenery there is no better trip.  For me this is in the same class as the Everglades, Lake of the Woods, Louisiana, or any of the other great destinations.  What a place.

So that was my second big adventure on the trip, and I really enjoyed it.  I listened to what I was told and tried to do it right.  Just the amount of pure knowledge Matt shared with me was worth the cost.  It was a great day and I wanted to personally thank you Matt, you are a real professional.

And last while having an adult beverage at happy hour the guy next to me started talking about fishing and so of course I interrupted and he ended up showing me his trout pictures, wow!  So the Steamboat area has plenty to keep the family busy while you sneak out and catch some fish no matter what time of year.  Next I will get up the obligatory mountain, snow, trees, elk, mule deer, and antelope pictures.  We got lucky and saw quite a few cool things on our trip.  But that will have to wait a day or two.  I am headed to POC in the morning to catch some of those “other” trout.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

About Redfishlaw

I am a retired attorney who just loves to fish. I was a freshwater guide for about 20 years and now have moved to the salt. I am not the greatest fisherman, but I am committed. So if you love fishing, and want to learn what little I have to offer, stop by anytime.
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