The Joy of Flyfishing in the Rocky Mountains

Have you ever sat still, watching as a cool mountain stream flowed by you, entranced by the complexity in the simple movements? The smooth, unbroken stream of water can be enough to lull you to sleep, dreaming of the calm surface. Yet the most awesome moment, the greates spectacle to behold in such a spot, is the point when a rainbow colored trout enters the scene. Cruising underwater like a shark on the blood trail, it hits the fly and rises out of the water, triumphantly capturing its prey. Now the battle begins, because you had not fallen asleep to the lull of the stream but had, instead, landed a fly on the ripples with a soft touch. Now holding the fly rod with pale knuckles you let the fish fight, watching another break of the surface, a waving tail.

Colorado and Wyoming are two of the premier fly fishing states in the whole country, so to take a trip to either is truly wonderful. In Colorado one of the top rivers, the South Platte, can be accessed in Waterton Canyon at the edge of the southern Denver suburbs. From here you can drive down into Cheesman canyon, known by locals as a premium fishing location. Yet once you reach the South Platte around the small town of Deckers, then the river leaves canyon boundaries and widens, allowing easy wading access and free casting. It is here that you will be able to catch beautiful trout and also relish the country you're in.

After the South Platte, the other premium Colorado rivers are west, and south, mixed within the splendor of the great Rocky Mountains. Just below the well known resort town of Aspen the mighty Roaring Fork is an excellent river to test out a drift boat. Further south, in the San Juan Mountains, the San Juan river glides by on its way to a meeting with Lake Powell in Utah. There are great fish to be caught in this southern Colorado river, yet more than likely you'll be able to show at least eight people in close proximity what you caught.

Wyoming has very little problems with overcrowding of its rivers as it can lay claim to being the least populated state. This does not mean however that the many rivers are not premium and well known rivers, but that there are so many and there is so much space. This means that even on one of the more well known rivers you can fish all day without fear of seeing anything more than deer.

The most well known of Wyoming's rivers, the mighty North Platte, is most famous for a mile long stretched dubbed the "Miracle Mile." Unfortunately this name caught on quickly and throughout the early nineties the river was so throroughly fished that most trout would simply gaze at the fly in front of them and swim away. A lot of people saw this as the end to the North Platte's glory days and canceled all trips to the region. Yet this was unwise, for as the locals well know, the river was still and remains today a premium spot for fishing. The Miracle Mile has begun to revive, but while that area recovers the tailwaters from Grey Reef reservoir accept a small stream of drift boat fly fishers who walk away each day well supplied with fish and stories.

Because the North Platte takes most of the out of state fisherman, many rivers of premium quality are left nearly empty. Around Cody forks from both the Yellowstone and Shoshone river pass by, and both these waters cater to fly fishers wanting to be alone with the majesty of the country surrounding.

Fishing is one of the most exhilirating activities to pursue in our great outdoors. And, as everyone from the bible to River Runs Through It would say, fly fishing is the greatest art. Just go to a public river or up to a mountain brook, wait awhile and soon a fly fisher will appear. With a slow, deliberate motion he will prepare, waders on. Then he picks the fly, taking heed of the bugs flying around his head. Finally at the river he sets the line into an entrancing motion, a cast back behind and then rocketing forward, landing lightly on the water. Intimidation should by no means arise into thought, a year ago this smooth caster was probably whipping trees in his backyard. So go, by a cheap fly rod and set out to the flowing water and lock horns with a Rainbow Trout.