Colorado Flyfishing

My dad and I attended the recent Colorado Flyfishing Show in Denver. We enjoyed it a great deal. There’s quite a bit of mystery though, as to why they hold it on the exact same weekend as the International Sportsmen’s Exposition. Many of the presenters had to choose which to attend, and the crowds were divided between the two. It’s hard to imagine that’s beneficial for either show.

Dad likes to watch the fly tiers, but for me one of the highlights was meeting Steve Schweitzer, who presented a seminar on “Fishing High Mountain Lakes of Colorado RMNP.” I’ve fished a couple of his lower altitude selections, but it was fascinating to learn about the techniques of finding fish at 12,000 feet.

Interestingly, he recommended against bringing float tubes (no big surprise there, if you’ve ever lugged one up a steep mountain trail) and waders. He made a good point that wading in such a fragile ecosystem as the bottom of a pristine mountain lake can be really hard on the environment and therefore the fish you’ve come to find. Disturbing the tiny plants that feed the tiny bugs that feed these fish can be devastating and take years for recovery. Plus, you can cast clear across many of these small bodies of water and fish the most productive parts of the lake from shore with ease.

Nymphing is the obvious choice at this altitude, where ice out may not last long enough to allow many fly hatches, but Steve recommends using an attractor and a dropper for maximum effect. Since these fish see food only sparsely, then tend to be opportunistic and may just as easily take either fly. He showed some photos of beautiful fish during the presentation, though his projector was acting up a bit.

Steve says he has fished every body of water in Rocky Mountain National Park, and the results are in his book, A Fly Fishing Guide to Rocky Mountain National Park. He’s planning (and fishing for) similar books about the surrounding area.

Steve is fascinating to listen to, and would likely be even more fun to fish with. The first printing of his book has already sold out, but his web site says more are coming soon. Meanwhile, I’ve got my autographed copy to dream through until ice out.

This is the kind of fishing I enjoy the most; not to far from home, beautiful scenery, not too crowded. Now I’m armed and getting ready to explore!

I love flyfishing and I love my home state of Colorado, so I thought I’d combine the two into a blog. A lot of the information I find on the internet regarding flyfishing is not specific enough for me. I like to fish close to home because I can just stop by after work or on a day off, with minimal time commitment. Or I can drive a few hours, do some fishing, and b e home in the evening.

There are so many great flyfishing opportunities all over this great state, and I love to discuss them when I’m not fishing them. Love to hear comments from others who flyfish in this beautiful location.