Every year I do a hunting road trip with my Vizsla for two weeks give or take. Different direction each year, not much planning, just get in the truck and go mostly. This year I decided on hunting the Sept Grouse seasons in Colorado and traveled across the entire state over 2 1/2 weeks. But to give the dog breaks, I did spend half my time fly fishing.

Another day I went up into the Weminuche Wilderness to fish a small stream with the intent to catch a Rio Grande Cutthroat. Caught a few brook trout as well as my target fish.





This last fish was actually a different day. I had seen this fish on the first day and watched it pick up a small brook trout that was still in a bit of shock from being caught and released. The big Cut swam around with the brook in it's mouth and eventually swallowed it. So I went back to the same pool with the biggest brightly colored fly I had and it worked. Over 15 inches. Sorry picture is out of focus. I wanted to quickly release the fish, so did not get to take another.

One evening I noticed some agressive trout just after dark where a tiny stream entered one of the reservoirs out of Southfork. Some blind casting with a big orange fly. Don't remember, maybe a caddis. Did very well. Beautiful fish in spawning color.

One goal was to catch all four trout on this trip. Another day I caught well over 100 "stocker" rainbow trout in northern CO. Almost every cast. Fished until my fingers hurt. Even caught a small Cutbow that day. Unfortunately those pictures are stuck in a corrupted memory card at the moment.

But I did also find a stream near Eagle Colorado that was full of nothing but Browns. I worked the beaver ponds along the stream with a Copper John. Small fish, but strong fighting. Made for my fourth species of trout, so I was happy with them.

Then there was the stream I fished in an open park area of the Routt National Forest after hunting sharptail grouse. I was within sight of the Wyoming border. Some of the most beautiful Brook trout I have ever seen. This was my last fishing day.

Nice trip! So how was the shooting? Did you wind up with any grouse feathers?

Hope y'all enjoy the pictures. I know I sure enjoyed the trip.

If you want to see a story book of the entire road trip including the hunting pictures they are here.
http://www.texastradingpost.com/Hunting/20082009.htm
That site is mostly for family and as a place for me to store my hunting pictures, so sorry pictures not thumbnailed.

Just looked at all of her photos. Looks like she has a good support team for her expeditions (I got kick out of her smelling out the stripers on the Red)

Great stuff, best to you all on your future trips.

Oh she points trout too. Here she is pointing out a trout for me in Park creek.

fantastic.... took me about 15 minutes or more to read through it all... sounds like a much better time than i had during the same period been doing some dove hunting here and there but not too much trout fishin

Draggin Yak, those are awesome pics, and stories. Glad you posted them. Wish I could go there one day!

Looks like a great trip. I'll have to check out the previous years.

That last brookie is one of the prettiest fish I have ever seen. That is one special creature.

Draggin yak!!! Awesome. I passed on the fall trip to colorado to go to mountain home for the conclave. I did miss out on that colorado experience, but had a good time. One of those creels lokks real familiar. Was it sand creek near pagosa?? That creek also has a lot of pink granite in the hills.

Very cool!!! I think I have the same 'yak as you. I love mine.

No, never made it to the Pagosa side due to a setback losing a day when my truck broke down. In fact, though I have been flyfishing around SouthFork on a summer trip most years for 30+ years, I don't remember ever fishing the other side of the divide there. Though I am sure I have. But I actually had hoped to fish in the San Juan this year at Pagosa. The local businesses had funded a weekly stocking of BIG trout all summer in a move to attract more tourists. $40,000 dollars of big trout and largest stocking of trout in the US, so they claimed. All on one short stretch of river in town. The program had just ended in August and most locals were talking about the trout being caught now running 4 to 6 pounds each.

Also, because of the $1000 tow and repair, I also nixed any idea of stopping a night at a cabin in Almont to fish the kokanee run. I would not have done it without private water access. And besides, hunting came first on this trip.

K14 Predator. I love mine. In fact I am dragging the thing around so much hunting and fishing, it is why I changed my nickname here from JvT to Draggin Yak.

OOPS! mine is the 111, they are great very stable easy in and out.

Great photos John, esp the brookies.... beautiful fish. Nice looking dog as well. Looks like a killer time

Nice. That place looks like heaven on earth. And that's one helluva dog you got there.

Those are some beautiful pictures and trout, would love to catch some of those , looks like you had alot of fun. OBTW that is One Beautiful Dog, Don't have any fish, but here's my dog, when we were in Colorado

Beautiful dog!

Thank you kelkay, and such a great demeanor too