+ Old Western Train Station

Δ Noose?

There have been days when I leave my rod in my camper and just head out with my camera and my tripod, but not as often as I would have liked. Of course, it didn’t help that I dunked my camera in the Gunnison and had to deal with getting that repaired. Afraid of my clumsiness, I became gun-shy about taking it on the water, even after purchasing a Patagonia, water-proof camera bag. I oftentimes felt too bogged down by gear and just wanted to keep it more simple. As I am putting together the chapters of my book and going through my photographs, I realize that it’s time to pay my dues, and I really hope I have enough good photos for the book.

On the Rio de Los Pinos, I did take several hours in the afternoon to just shoot the river and its surroundings. I climbed up to the top of bluffs to see if I could get a better view, always aware that I was no longer on the top of the food chain. It is a rush to realize that you are far from the maddening crowd and on nature’s terms. It’s a good thing I grew up in the city and still appreciate all the benefits of living there because I could really manage well out in the wilderness.

The river can be reached via the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad but my husband and I chose to take the four-wheel drive road to the rim above the river. Sporty, but doable. We passed the Osier Railroad Station that still operates as a lunch spot for the train travelers. This station was established in 1890 as a stopover for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad.

We ran into one other group of anglers from New Mexico who headed upriver and so we headed downstream. Immediately we spotted some fishy-looking riiffles followed by some deep pools. We started fishing with a double nymph rod and messed with split shot to try and get to the bottom of some of the holes, but nothing in my first two holes worked. In fact, nothing in any of any of the holes worked the entire day.

My husband ended up catching one small brown, but I had to be satisfied with the beauty of the spot and the practice tying knots!

+ Cumbres & Stoltec Railroad

Δ Closed till next year

What I didn’t know about where she lives is how remote and beautiful it is. There are few anglers this time of year, but lots of company in the form of hunters. Everywhere we went we saw camps of mostly guys with their orange hats and camouflage garb. Like us, they were there appreciating the beauty and uniqueness of the wilderness. I don’t know anything about hunting but I do know what its like to be away from the busy-ness of city life trying to understand a whole new set of rules.

I can see from the tracks and scat on the ground that coyotes, foxes, bears and mountain lions are sharing the same space where I am, but I don’t see them, like they see me. It’s an amazing feeling to know that at the same time, you are so not in control but also not in danger. We are much more insignificant and unimportant than we think.

Paul never blinked staying on top of all the weather conditions to make sure our rods were set up with the right rig. We lost several flies due to the “woody” nature of the water, but he found a way to both row and rig us up seamlessly, and often…

Not only is Paul skilled at what he does, he just a pleasure to be around. He absolutely loves what he’s doing and it shows. He’s a blast to fish with, and I’m most grateful for his hard work and service. I can’t wait to fish with you again, Paul.

+ Fall light

Δ  Deeper shadows

Even though the Conejos is located in a rather remote area of Colorado (west of Antonito) there is more than 60 miles of access to the river. After studying some guidebooks, the Pinnacles section of the river was decided upon and off I headed. (It’s uncanny how many rivers have a “Pinnacles” section.)

There was still a little color in Mogote but as I drove higher up into the mountains, there wasn’t a leaf left on the Aspens and the grass had turned a subtle golden color – almost washed out looking. The half-mile hike down to the river was in open country, which was a good thing this time of year with elk season in full swing. I admonished myself for not bringing a bright orange hat with me but felt safe once I started fishing and stayed riverside.

The local fly shop – Conejos River Anglers – indicated the fishing might be difficult now that the water topped out around 40 degrees and the fish were looking to find a place to hole up for the winter. I lured a few out from the river and quickly and carefully returned them to their habitat so as not to let them expend too much energy. There were other places I could have fished where Fish and Game had stocked the river with lots of rainbows, but the wild browns are so beautiful to behold and the area in which they live is so remote, that I was happy I had made my way up to the higher grounds of the river.

This is really a magnificent spot where you are far away from the beaten path. Even so, I only saw a few whitetails all weekend. The animals know it’s hunting season.

We put our boat in on the river just north of State Bridge, a current live music venue.  State Bridge is located about 15 miles north of Wolcott on the I-70 corridor. The town is rife with history having been an old stagecoach stop for pioneers and settlers. The first grant from the State of Colorado to build a bridge was granted in this area, thus the name. During Prohibition, State Bridge was known as a speakeasy and for illegal gambling.

Well, we didn’t have that kind of fun on our day on the river, but we did have an eventful day. First of all the weather decided to play with us a bit. We started with rain and wind and thus decided to fish with a triple nymph rig, hoping the fish would be interested sub-surface.

When it turned to hail, we decided that we should change over to streamers. My husband showed his skill with streamers catching several good sized rainbows. About 2:00 was when the real fun started.

We watched the sun trying to make its way through the thick cloud cover for about two hours and finally, although certainly not a blue sky day, we had some sun peaking through the clouds. It was just enough to initiate a mayfly hatch that the river is known for in the fall. Not only did the hatch occur, our boat happened to come upon a spot where the current was steady but light and the fish could literally slurp their meal.

This photo shows the foam line with the mayflies flying off the water. Although I didn’t catch a good photo, at one point, it looked like there were hundreds of small sailboats sitting on the water with dozens of fish rising to eat them. I have never experienced a hatch so beautiful and productive as this one and it made me feel connected to this river in a powerful way.

More about our guide in the guide column later this week, but Paul Killino of Colorado River Outfitters is one of a kind. This is my third trip with him, which should say a lot, and he truly loves what he is doing and it shows in everything he does with you on the river. Thanks for an amazing day on the Colorado.

Chris accommodated me at the last minute after some changes needed to be made with another guide. Instead of his expected day off, he spent his day on a river where he has spent almost every day this summer and did it with enthusiasm.

I had tried to float the Roaring Fork earlier in the year but run-off had been late and slight, so I had to cancel that trip. This time, the river floated well, albeit a little low, and the fishing was good. Fall is such a great time of year to fish because you oftentimes have the river to yourself and the fishing is so varied. You usually have a chance to fish both on top of the water and under the water with nymphs and streamers. And, in fact, we did all three, although the dry fly fishing was not productive as a storm approached right when the hatch should have occurred. No worries because Chris knew every hole on the river and rowed us back through them several times.

His pretty wife, Serena, shuttled the truck and trailer for us and we spoke of teaching and her job as an English teacher in Aspen. Chris works for Frying Pan Anglers in Basalt. This is the same guide shop I worked with on the Frying Pan River earlier this year. If you’re in the area, be sure to give them a call. Thanks so much, Chris!