Stop here if small fish and ultralight spinning gear make your blood pressure spike...
Some of you may remember a post of mine from last fall in which a local (I live in NW Colorado) graciously took me out Sage and Blue Grouse hunting (Sean I'm still glad to have you swing by for grouse season if you're so inclined). Well, R is back for another outdoor adventure. Only this time we went after fish this weekend.
Let me preface this story by saying that I had never caught a wild brook or cutbow before. I caught a couple cutthroats in Yellowstone as a kid, and a number of rainbows outside of Pagosa Springs, but never had I been on a fishing trip like this. Let's also get it out of the way that I used an ultralight spinning rod and nightcrawlers. While I'd love to set myself up with the accoutrements of fly fishing, I have neither the resources or time to be even mildly effective. An even more sporting event it would have been, but maybe in the future.
Additionally, we set out to release all fish that were caught. We tried to take very quick photos and return them to the water, so apologies for less than stellar photography.
On to the fun...
I've heard no shortage of stories about the Flat Tops Wilderness which is just a bit east of us, and have been eagerly awaiting an opportunity to get out and stretch my legs. My buddy and I headed east right after work Friday, and we were able to get to one of the fishing holes that evening after setting up his trailer.
Camp:
We camped in an area that would require us to hike into the back country a bit in search of the brookies and cutbows that call the creek home.
On the trail to the first hole:
The trail was easy enough, but a great reminder that I really need to hit the gym/stair climber in anticipation of hunting season. Several of the fishable areas of the creek required fun jaunts down the hillside. Some a bit more steep than the other, and most left us with very little purchase for our feet and essentially no bank to speak of.
Looking down at the first run of water to fish:
A couple of casts went without a strike, so R kindly provided a bit of coaching. Next cast brought my first brook trout.
Five or six fish later, R invited me to where he was having good success as well. First cast in the new location:
That about ate up our time for Friday evening, so we hiked back to camp, made a quick meal and enjoyed a completely clear evening for star gazing.
Saturday morning saw us up early to attempt making it to Trappers Lake early enough to secure a boat while beating the heavy winds common to the area.
Scenery on the way to Trappers:
Trailhead just as you approach Trappers Lake from the parking lot:
R accidentally led us down the wrong path to the boats, but no worry, a little extra walking does a body good. R quickly rowed us to the first spot, and my second cast brought in my first Colorado cutthroat. A short while later, my second and final cut of the day was brought to hand. It's worth noting that you can only use lures or fly fish on Trappers, so I was quite pleased with bringing in a couple nice cuts on a spinner.
The rest of the morning was rather slow, with R only catching one small brook. R's dad was also camping in the same camp as us, and mentioned seeing a bull moose near Trappers the day before. Well, we didn't see the same bull, but were fortunate to grab a quick view of this cow feeding leisurely in the meadow on the way back to camp.
We had a quick lunch at camp, then hit the trail with the intention of making it about 4 miles upstream (ended up hiking about 10 miles total for the whole day). Here are various shots of the area and fish we caught throughout the rest of Saturday. I lost count after 15 brookies, but I think it's safe to say we totaled about 40-45 between the two us Saturday afternoon.
Wild strawberries:
Our final destination for the day provided numerous brook trout, as well as my first cutbow:
Cutbow:
A lone young cow on the way back to camp:
Sunday morning saw us back on the trail for a quick attempt at a few more fish before heading home. R made the catch of the weekend on the fly after he dove off the trail down a steep bank to attempt a stretch of water we left alone Saturday.
I caught a handful of brookies, but the bite wasn't near as hot and heavy as Saturday. We did chance upon a few tracks down the trail, and figured the resident track experts would appreciate seeing them. We weren't aware of any dogs in the campground, so we figured at least one set was a coyote.
To say the least, this weekend was absolutely epic and was by far the most memorable trip without my family in a long time. No amount of offshore trips catching snapper, kings, and dorado or more inland adventures seeking specs/reds or bass/bluegill can compare to what this weekend provided us. The combination of scenery, bountiful fish (even if they were small), and great company made for a truly memorable experience.
Thanks for reading!
Some of you may remember a post of mine from last fall in which a local (I live in NW Colorado) graciously took me out Sage and Blue Grouse hunting (Sean I'm still glad to have you swing by for grouse season if you're so inclined). Well, R is back for another outdoor adventure. Only this time we went after fish this weekend.
Let me preface this story by saying that I had never caught a wild brook or cutbow before. I caught a couple cutthroats in Yellowstone as a kid, and a number of rainbows outside of Pagosa Springs, but never had I been on a fishing trip like this. Let's also get it out of the way that I used an ultralight spinning rod and nightcrawlers. While I'd love to set myself up with the accoutrements of fly fishing, I have neither the resources or time to be even mildly effective. An even more sporting event it would have been, but maybe in the future.
Additionally, we set out to release all fish that were caught. We tried to take very quick photos and return them to the water, so apologies for less than stellar photography.
On to the fun...
I've heard no shortage of stories about the Flat Tops Wilderness which is just a bit east of us, and have been eagerly awaiting an opportunity to get out and stretch my legs. My buddy and I headed east right after work Friday, and we were able to get to one of the fishing holes that evening after setting up his trailer.
Camp:
We camped in an area that would require us to hike into the back country a bit in search of the brookies and cutbows that call the creek home.
On the trail to the first hole:
The trail was easy enough, but a great reminder that I really need to hit the gym/stair climber in anticipation of hunting season. Several of the fishable areas of the creek required fun jaunts down the hillside. Some a bit more steep than the other, and most left us with very little purchase for our feet and essentially no bank to speak of.
Looking down at the first run of water to fish:
A couple of casts went without a strike, so R kindly provided a bit of coaching. Next cast brought my first brook trout.
Five or six fish later, R invited me to where he was having good success as well. First cast in the new location:
That about ate up our time for Friday evening, so we hiked back to camp, made a quick meal and enjoyed a completely clear evening for star gazing.
Saturday morning saw us up early to attempt making it to Trappers Lake early enough to secure a boat while beating the heavy winds common to the area.
Scenery on the way to Trappers:
Trailhead just as you approach Trappers Lake from the parking lot:
R accidentally led us down the wrong path to the boats, but no worry, a little extra walking does a body good. R quickly rowed us to the first spot, and my second cast brought in my first Colorado cutthroat. A short while later, my second and final cut of the day was brought to hand. It's worth noting that you can only use lures or fly fish on Trappers, so I was quite pleased with bringing in a couple nice cuts on a spinner.
The rest of the morning was rather slow, with R only catching one small brook. R's dad was also camping in the same camp as us, and mentioned seeing a bull moose near Trappers the day before. Well, we didn't see the same bull, but were fortunate to grab a quick view of this cow feeding leisurely in the meadow on the way back to camp.
We had a quick lunch at camp, then hit the trail with the intention of making it about 4 miles upstream (ended up hiking about 10 miles total for the whole day). Here are various shots of the area and fish we caught throughout the rest of Saturday. I lost count after 15 brookies, but I think it's safe to say we totaled about 40-45 between the two us Saturday afternoon.
Wild strawberries:
Our final destination for the day provided numerous brook trout, as well as my first cutbow:
Cutbow:
A lone young cow on the way back to camp:
Sunday morning saw us back on the trail for a quick attempt at a few more fish before heading home. R made the catch of the weekend on the fly after he dove off the trail down a steep bank to attempt a stretch of water we left alone Saturday.
I caught a handful of brookies, but the bite wasn't near as hot and heavy as Saturday. We did chance upon a few tracks down the trail, and figured the resident track experts would appreciate seeing them. We weren't aware of any dogs in the campground, so we figured at least one set was a coyote.
To say the least, this weekend was absolutely epic and was by far the most memorable trip without my family in a long time. No amount of offshore trips catching snapper, kings, and dorado or more inland adventures seeking specs/reds or bass/bluegill can compare to what this weekend provided us. The combination of scenery, bountiful fish (even if they were small), and great company made for a truly memorable experience.
Thanks for reading!
