MY TRIP WEST (WITH PHOTOS)

[Bartman44]

I left wet New York for a week with my  wife to get some R&R in Colorado. The rivers were in run off mode but my home base was Steamboat Springs as it offered a bit of everything and the Yampa, a tail water fishery, was at a perfect water level, and the was fishing great.  We explored, hiked, and relaxed. I have two words to describe  Colorado – Vast and diverse.  On our way in, my wife was standing in a snow bank at Berthound Pass and four days later when we explored the northwest corridor; it was 97 degrees with a desert look and feel.  Anyway,  here’s some photos we took of our journey west, I thought you ‘d like to see.















We saw many animal life forms during the week. About the only thing we didn’t see was bear and mountain lion.     













One morning we headed south and hiked the Gore Canyon trail, which runs along the Colorado River and as expected,  the surf was up.  I did find some slack water and caught my first Colorado River trout. Not a big one, but a milestone.  The Colorado River at Pumphouse:







Fishing was great but  it took  a few days to adjust. In the mornings, hot pink San Juan worms did the trick. Typical fish ran from 14 to 16 inches but I did have a few encounters with some giants. One night a rainbow sipped in my dry fly  at dusk, boiled, then leaped strait out of the air and threw my hook, I estimate it was about 4 pounds. On my final night I was blessed with a large  brown drake hatch (about a size 10) that lasted several hours and I landed about 10 fish to 18 inches on dry flies.  My final image of the river occurred about 9:10 pm when I saw a giant head taking duns less than a rod length away from me. I placed the fly in front of it, it came up, I set, then it boiled like a beaver, headed directly across stream, boiled again, then headed straight down stream screaming into the rapids below, taking my fly, never to be seen again. I laughed, tipped my cap, and headed back to the house to pack.     

Typical Yampa River fish:









The was our  first time west and we're already planning another one,

Bart 


 







 

[Gump]

Great photos.  Thanks for sharing!

[NateFishNY]

Great pics and it looks like it was an amazing trip. Thanks for sharing, this was an enjoyable post.... 

[rgfixit]

Very nice Bart, well done!

Rg

[RIVERRAT2]

Great pics and it looks like it was an amazing trip. Thanks for sharing, this was an enjoyable post.... 

2X that love the photos
 
RAT

[fishnmachine]

Beautiful pictures. Thank for sharing them. 

[Dug1898]

Really nice shots Bart, they look like postcards. Nice pretty fish too. Rainbow trout were my favorite fish until I caught an Oneida Lake walleye, lol. Between you and Snagger, you guys should go into the calendar business!

[Deadeyez]

Looks like a great time! Awesome pics! 

[bigredfishing]

You really know how to enjoy a trip!  Great pics and great fish!!  Even though conditions weren't ideal, did you get a feel for how the fishing compares to our eastern waters?

[filetandrelease]

Great photos thanks for sharing

[O]

Looks like a great trip, thanks for posting it!

[Raquettedacker]

Looks like a great trip Bart..  Congratulations on the trout and the pictures are exceptional....

[hunts2long]

Great pictures. Thanks for sharing your vacation....h2l

[Racer268]

Beautiful country.  I was there 2nd week of June in the Denver area. No fishing, just touring.  Gonna go back again.

[reeleyz]

Awesome pics! There is some incredible scenery out there. I have been out there a few times and I can't wait to go back again.