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Pondering Trout #12791060 06/13/18 11:19 PM
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BoPro Offline OP
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Just looking for some recommendations for some trout destinations in either Colorado or Arkansas. I was a bit spoiled fishing in Ontario catching pike, walleyes, and smallies. I need a change of pace from casting the 7-9 wts. It's been a while since I actually targeted trout.

Montana is on the bucket list, but I'm planning on Iceland or Alaska near year, so just looking for a filler in the meantime. I would really like to get a overnight drift boat trip, or go during the hopper season, or chase browns on streamers.

It's up in the air, let me know what ya got.

Cheers!


Re: Pondering Trout [Re: BoPro] #12791101 06/13/18 11:58 PM
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In Arkansas, I like the Norfork and the White and prefer to fish around the confluence of both. Many good outfitters work both rivers. It isn't trout fishing, but the Buffalo river float is really special, outstanding.

In Colorado, I like the Arkansas river and the Frying Pan and the Roaring fork. The Frying Pan is an especially enjoyable fishing spot.


Don't forget New Mexico where the great San Juan provides some of the greatest tail race trout fishing anywhere. If you really want to see a ton of fish, try the Green River in NW Wyoming...one of the highest trout populations per mile anywhere and a beautiful river to float.


Any of those would be pretty fair "fillers" for most any angler.

Re: Pondering Trout [Re: BoPro] #12791168 06/14/18 01:10 AM
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I hear water levels are low, but, it is tough to beat the upper tribs in the conejos drainage for brooks and cutthroats. Those are some hungry fish.

Re: Pondering Trout [Re: BoPro] #12792007 06/14/18 06:13 PM
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I presume you reference Arkansas (my state) because of its proximity to Texas. But in that case, you ought to include Oklahoma in your pondering, at least SE Oklahoma, specifically the Lower Mountain Fork River. From Dallas it's closer than any trout destination in Arkansas. The main trout fishing is done inside of Beaver's Bend State Park. It's quite decent with a number of good access points. Mostly recent stockers are caught, with just enough honkin' big hold-overs/naturals to keep things interesting. It can get quite crowded depending on the time of year or day of the week. I'm going to call the LMF a second string trout stream if the Bull Shoals tailwater of the White River and the adjacent Norfork are first string.

Now the LMF or my next, geographically organized, description, the Little Missouri in Arkansas, they both are best fished in the fall to spring seasons. The temps are a bit warm and the fish easily stressed in the heat of summer. In fact at the Little Missouri in summer, the trout are all just in the first 300 yards below the dam, AFAIK. But its quite a decent place to fish in season. There's about 5 good access points in about a 5 mile reach. I'm going to call it a 3rd string trout destination. It's located about an hour and a half north of Texarkana. Good camping nearby. Really no good to fish the Lil' Mo' in summer while, at the LMF, yeah, you still can. The flow at the Mo is maybe 1/2 of the LMF.

In the Arkansas Ozarks, north of the Arkansas River valley, you have the mighty White River and its tributaries, the Norfork and the Little Red River. The LRR is kind of between the White and the LMF in terms of flow and available access points. I caught a real nice, 19 inch brown on a sowbug the last time I was there. I think the world record brown was from there, or something. The town where it's located on a map is Heber Springs, while the town on the White is Bull Shoals. Here's the generation schedules for the LMF, the White, and the LRR (? I think):
https://www.swpa.gov/generationschedules.aspx
Enjoy!

Re: Pondering Trout [Re: BoPro] #12793407 06/15/18 08:40 PM
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just spincasting rooster tails at a release poing on the lmfr in beavers bend..caught some of the biggest rainbows ive caught in 25 years..took my grandkids and decided to pitch in and "help" we caught our limit every day from 4 to 5 lb football bows..mmm they were delicious..grandkids were spincasting salmon eggs and doing just as good..shoot me a pm and i can detail more and specific info..beavers bend state park 7 miles out of broken bow is wonderful..broken bow has good motels..and watch your cash a small casino..lol

Re: Pondering Trout [Re: BoPro] #12793978 06/16/18 01:02 PM
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I think I skimmed passed your middle paragraph when I first read the post. If you're interested in the more trophy-like trout fishing in Arkansas, it's definitely the White out of Bull Shoals where you want to go. There's a slew of guides who can take you out to fling streamers for trophy browns.

Re: Pondering Trout [Re: Meadowlark] #12796184 06/18/18 04:47 PM
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Originally Posted By: Meadowlark
In Arkansas, I like the Norfork and the White and prefer to fish around the confluence of both. Many good outfitters work both rivers. It isn't trout fishing, but the Buffalo river float is really special, outstanding.

In Colorado, I like the Arkansas river and the Frying Pan and the Roaring fork. The Frying Pan is an especially enjoyable fishing spot.


Don't forget New Mexico where the great San Juan provides some of the greatest tail race trout fishing anywhere. If you really want to see a ton of fish, try the Green River in NW Wyoming...one of the highest trout populations per mile anywhere and a beautiful river to float.


Any of those would be pretty fair "fillers" for most any angler.


Solid advice here.


Aztec Anglers San Juan River Guide Service
www.aztecanglers.com
Re: Pondering Trout [Re: BoPro] #12796422 06/18/18 07:00 PM
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We have at least 8 species of trout in Wyoming, come on up and catch some. Way less people to deal with. These little pounders came out of a small stream.
The Platte River and Miracle Mile are also excellent fisheries, along with the Green. We have cutthroats and golden trout in mountain lakes west of Laramie.


Re: Pondering Trout [Re: BoPro] #12796879 06/19/18 12:07 AM
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Thanks for the suggestions guys. I've been to Broken Bow many times over the years. Although, I still think it's a nice place close by, but I've retired my trips up there after the last flood. I've been tying big flies for warm water species the for past few years.

I'm thinking of booking a drift boat trip, and a private waters trip this fall near Durango, CO or near the Little Red in Arkansas. I'm normally a DIY guy, but if you have any guide recommendations, let me know. I love backpacking, and tent camping in the winter, so that's also an option. smile

Cheers!


Re: Pondering Trout [Re: BoPro] #12797435 06/19/18 01:57 PM
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I've heard great things about the Conejos River in Colorado, but have never fished it myself. Don't overlook some Northern New Mexico rivers/streams either, such as the Rio Grande north of Taos or the Chama. They carry some large fish, the scenery is amazing, and often the crowds are small or nonexistent.


"You can�t get second things by putting them first; you can get second things only by putting first things first."
- C.S. Lewis
Re: Pondering Trout [Re: twstephens77] #12797970 06/19/18 07:23 PM
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Originally Posted By: twstephens77
I've heard great things about the Conejos River in Colorado, but have never fished it myself. Don't overlook some Northern New Mexico rivers/streams either, such as the Rio Grande north of Taos or the Chama. They carry some large fish, the scenery is amazing, and often the crowds are small or nonexistent.


There's a lot of great stuff in Northern New Mexico. The Red, from Red River, New Mexico all the way downstream to where that big, nasty open pit mine is, the Cimarron where it runs through the state park (it's closed now because of the Ute fire that just got put out, but should be open soon), and all of the stuff In Valle Vidal just south of Vermejo Park - Latir Creek, Rio Costilla, and Comanche Creek all come to mind. The Valle Vidal roads are fixing to open up for the season on July 1, so it'd be a good time to maybe go check that out if you've never been.

Re: Pondering Trout [Re: BoPro] #12797975 06/19/18 07:25 PM
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Although the Ute Park fire was upstream of the state park section of the Cimarron, so even when it technically opens up, it may be completely fouled up with runoff from the burned areas. That may junk up that water for quite some time, dunno.

Re: Pondering Trout [Re: BoPro] #12797980 06/19/18 07:28 PM
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NEVERMIND...the Ute Park fire was east of the state park, so you'd still be golden on the Cimarron.

Re: Pondering Trout [Re: BoPro] #12798526 06/20/18 01:55 AM
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Good stuff Floon Swenson...some of my earliest fishing memories involve cheap Zebco combos on the Cimarron. Also Eagle Nest Lake is supposed to have some GIANT pike, but it's illegal to throw them back.


"You can�t get second things by putting them first; you can get second things only by putting first things first."
- C.S. Lewis
Re: Pondering Trout [Re: BoPro] #12798531 06/20/18 01:59 AM
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Also, my best friend from high school's dad grew up in Questa because his dad (my buddy's grandpa) was the director of that mine. Not the proudest family history for my environmentally conscious friend haha.


"You can�t get second things by putting them first; you can get second things only by putting first things first."
- C.S. Lewis
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