07/22/11 - Summer is here!  Most water levels are perfect, with some high creeks a touch high.  Drakes are on the Upper Talyor, East, Slate, and some creeks.  The Gunnison River  has been great with caddis, pmds, bwo, and some stones.  We also have some great private access for beginners to learn.   The Bar ZX Ranch is open and the fishing is unreal.  Our guided trips this month have been very successful, with lots of happy clients!

The Bar ZX Ranch will open in Mid-May.  Come fish with us for exotic species and giant trout with the snowcapped peaks in the background.

Below : This monster brown was fooled in willow lake.  This trout is a good example of what is possible at this trophy fishery

             1/31/10 Rainbow                                         1/31/10 28" cutbow

Flows- Below Dam-400cfs, Almont-1200cfs                                                      

Techniques and Conditions- Spring is making a slow approach, and the anticipated run-off has flow way up.  The amount of visable fish is unreal, with a lot of big rainbows parked in the main current and browns is the slower stuff.  Concentrate on the runs, holes, pockets, and transitions in the river.  The C&R is as popular as ever, with anglers testing their skill against some of biggest trout in the West. 

Flies and Hatches-   Below the dam try egg, worms, mysis, rs2 18-24, wd 40 18-24, Baetis nymph #18-24, Black beauty #18-24, Poxy Midges red, black, ufo #18-24, Chocolate emerger, Poly and foam wing #18-24.  

**We have been guiding on a 1 mile piece of private Taylor River that sees very little pressure this time of year.  We are lucky to have this fishery in our backyard.   Expect to see numbers and quality with many fish over 18". $50 half day rod fee and $100 full.

Below : John from Lakewood shows off one his many trout that he landed on that beautiful April day.  This rainbow was 23" and plump.  Our private Taylor access is on fire, come check it out!

Flows - Almont-1200+cfs , Gunnison-1500cfs , Above Blue Mesa-1700cfs

Clarity - Clear.

Conditions and Techniques-Dropping levels and great fishing with some wading.

Flies and Hatches-   Nymphs- Beatis  nymphs 18-20, , blm, Caddis nymphs # 14-16, Soft Hackles,  20 incher #6-16, BH PT's #10-18, BH Prince #6-18, BH Hare's ear #8-16, Brown Stone #8, Halfback #4-10, , BH Lightning Bug #12-16, BH NFS #10-14, BH DJ Juice, Olive #14-16, BH Baetis #14-18, Big dark streamers, Big light streamers

Give a call for more details                970-209-6555      

Below : 04/08 This 28" 10-12 pound bow ate a #6 olive/white double bunny and put up a 15 minute fight.  That's a real fish! 

Flows - 150cfs

Techniques and Conditions -  The river is low and tough.  As with everywhere else, anglers can choose between a variety of techniques: nymphing, dry-dropper, and dry flies.  The kokanee have showed up as well as kokanee anglers.  Fish deep rigs for salmon.

Flies and Hatches - Mid-day bwo hatch and a few caddis are around.  Also try larger attractor dries with beadhead nymphs dropped a couple feet below. 

Nymphs - BH Beatis, Small PT's, wd,  Western Coachman #8-14, 20 incher #6-16, Purple 20 incher #8-14, PT #8-16, BH Prince #6-16, Biot Stones #8-12, Copper Stones #8-10, Halfback #4-10,

Dries - Midges in the Hatchery ponds, stimulator, mad x, pmds, caddis, p adams

Below: This brown was caught below the confluence of the East and Taylor River.  He was a glutton full of kokanee fry.  Like many trout during the fry release, his eyes were bigger than his stomach. 4/18/09

The Blue Mesa is fishing great.  Come fish the many tributaries that we are permitted to guide.  Our backcountry lake program is unique and offers anglers the opportunity to fish difficult to access water in a very secluded environment.  We access the feeder stream mouths by powerboat then step out and wade up the Lake Fork River, Cebolla Creek, and/or West Elk Creek.  From our recent trips, the morning lake fishing for browns and rainbows has been the excellent.  The many rock walls have hungry trout chasing down flies and lures.  The tributaries are all clear and ready to be fished and the lake water temp is 60 degrees.  Come with us and try something different!!

Flies - The current main food source is crayfish, baitfish, and midge larva with tributaries providing some insects being washed in.  Brown Buggers #4-8, Brown Krystal Bugger #4-8, Olive Buggers #4-8, Black Zonker #6-10, Crayfish, Clousers, muddlers, Perch Fly, and Trout Angels.  The creeks are currently offering excellent dry fly fishing.

Below :  4/28/09 A fat Blue Mesa rainbow caught up a tributary.  The moving water of the many feeders provides great habitat that is rarely hit by flyfishers and accessable only by boat.  This is a very unique experience, come fish with us and we will share it with you!