Well I will follow up on this as I am flat beat. Here is a little teaser though.

Nice! What stretch did you fish? I was up there last fall and fished below Rio Grande reservoir, a few miles above it, and two mountain streams that feed into that area.

Hit that upper stretch last year really some stud fish in there. These are in the upper and lower Collier wildlife area the upper stretch is way harder to get to numbers were about the same. Yet upper size structure was way better with harder access. I walked all the way back to south fork I will fill in on the story on the way back. Long long walk lol.

Looks like an amazing trip

Yes has been amazing mitt we are actually hitting that upper stretch above and below the lake tomorrow YAKnit. Hopefully some big browns have already started to move up to spawn. I hear the dream stream is already fishing great.

Not sure if you saw YAK but caught the biggest rio I�ve ever seen on the upper run last July on a green drake emerger on top. Called it cuttzilla honestly pic did no justice. it�s behind my body not in front the tail was on my waders. yet I had to hold my arm back with the head to get it in the shot as my buddy couldn�t hear me as I got it in. He came up as I released it with some under water shots he tied on one of my emergers, and pulled his biggest brown out of the same eddy. I hope the same pattern is on up there as it will really top this run.

I bet those put up a good fight. I haven�t ever been trout fishing yet but your pictures are making it hard to wait till my trip to Arkansas in November.

Looks like a awesome trip Robert. Thanks for sharing.

Awesome! I loved it up there. I think they will shut the gate pretty soon there and block access up towards Rio Grande reservoir. I'd love to get up above the lake when browns start running up the Rio.

I was expecting tarpon! That's a long river! And I've done both ends - one's a lot smellier than the other though.

Lol yes it is. I am back at work recovering from drive back. I�ll work on a full report here in a bit

Well I have to start with the fact I have been going to Colorado for 15 years and have never been outside of the end of June or July. The fall up there is definitely a different animal! The big Rivers normally only accessible by floating have now become wadeable. The smaller upper tributaries the fish have either pulled back or the water is so low and clear you have to rely on stealth to coax them into eating. I have always heard the fall is all about streamers up there. My self normally being a nymph Tacticioner I was shocked. I only caught one single fish on a nymph the entire week. Every single other fish was on a sz6 bugger with a rust red tail with forest green body and green flash for hackle. I don�t know if I ever remember that many days in a row with Fish in Stillwater and Rivers keying in on the same pattern the entire time. We had a really good size group of close to twenty people yet bono fly and I were the only two people that had a rod. The rest were just there to ride side by sides and four wheelers. That is really the way to go to see what beautiful country is up there you would never see from the road. I have seen pictures of them but the Aspen are really breathtaking. We saw an amazing variety of wildlife including Bald, Golden, and osprey eagles of those the osprey flew right beside us with a nice trout. The bald eagle was flying the other direction and actually swooped down and came up with a fish as we passed. On land we encountered Moose, Elk, Marmot, mule deer, chipmunk, prong horn, and one snake way higher than Ive ever seen. Really no interest in seeing big cats lol didn�t see a bear but heard there were a few coming into South Fork at night. The first day I went ahead and rode along all day on the alpine loop. Did stop and fish above San Cristoble lake For a bit fhe water was gin clear, And the skies blue bird clear. I kicked up a few hoppers walking in but they were very lethargic not wanting to fly at all. I did go ahead and try a foam hopper about the same size of what I had seen. After not even spooking a fish at the first few pools I tied on the bugger. I walked up on the next hole and found a nice cut bank at an oxbow. Landed right at the top of the riffle and mended down stream to get down and under the cut. I was caught completely off guard when a brown shaped like a football in the 18-20 inch range bolted out and engulfed the bugger. I was caught so off guard I watched the entire process as the fish attacked tasted and spit my fly before I could even twitch to set the hook. We only had a short time to meet the rest of the group for lunch and start back so that was it for the day in regard to fishing. After drying out all day the trails were really dusty even with glasses and a buff felt like I took a big bite of dirt getting back. So I decided that was enough for me Wednesday I told Bono fly don�t worry about me as I was going to go hard core. He obviously needed the truck for a toy hauler. I had him drop me off at the start of lower. Colliar�spelling� Wild life area at mile marker say 3.5 just outside of town. I had honestly rushed getting rigged and added some 5x to my ten pound sandbass leader. I had rigged up a double nymph setup before bed. The skies were blue bird again and the wind was howling down stream on the river. It was blowing so hard it was dragging the flies bad. With no way to keep it on a dead drift I decided to go back to the bugger. On the first cast upstream behind a large rock I held the rod high to keep the line out of the seam. Right as it hits the water a gust accelerates the fly just under the surface. Two browns come into view chase it down and fight over eating it lol. Two cast later pick up the fish that got second place. This day started of and continues like this the entire day. There were no cut banks left with the low water so the fish had to rely on rocks for cover. Every place you would think there was a fish there were two or three. They were in front of and behind every boulder in the river. With this being said with 15 years of a minimum of seven days fishing Colorado Wednesday was hands down the best day I�ve ever had. I�ve had a day with ten fish in the 20� or bigger range but they were the only fish all day. I�ve had 70+ fish says with all tiny cutthroat and bookies. This day the average size was great and the treated me like the sandbass do haha. About 11 o�clock thick clouds moved in and the nocturnal browns kept at the feeding binge. Before I knew it I was all the way up the lower stretch and hit private water. I made my way out of the river and hiked the close to a mile and a half or so around the houses. I continued working my way up at the start of the upper section. The upper section varies greatly from the lower as the river start to enter a canyon there were no noticeable pull off places to get down that I saw. The further up I worked the quality of the Fish kept getting better. After breaking off two really good fish from the heavy leader cutting the way smaller tippet I finally did it right. Stopped fishing and had some tuna crackers and put on a Seven and a half foot 5x leader and added two feet of grand max seaguar floro. Shortly after resuming fishing I make a cast to the back of a rock the size of a one ton truck skipping the fly back under the surface a real rio grand fish a brown in the 8-10 pound range blows up like a striper. It hit right at my feet quickly for the deep hole behind the boulder. I was wet wading and as I was trying to scramble down stream where I could cross it swam right around the rock and back down game over. The day at this point was so good it didn�t matter as I�ve caught bigger trout and I�m sure I�ll get another shot. They are that big for a reason! I really had lost track of time so I turned my phone on out of my dry box shortly after. I was shocked it was already 3:30 and I had already worked up around four miles on the upper section. You had to walk the river out with no service I had no idea if bono fly was back and being in the dark out there with no side arm I start walking. I kept a constant pace with the first mile marker I pass being ten. I had no idea I had gone that far until I saw that sign. I was really kind of upset as I definitely look like a stranded flyfisherman walking down the road. Protect and serve I had a police officer a game warden and a forest park vehicles all past me and not offer a ride Lol. The mile markers kept going by slow with wet wool socks and two blown out sandals my legs were really burning. I watched as I reentered Rio grand County and finally passed the city limit sign for South Fork. Just as I got even with mile marker one and could see the roof of the first store coming into town I see Bono fly coming down the road. At that point I was so close I almost said screw it and kept walking but quickly changed my mind and jumped in the truck LOL. He asked me if I did any good And he thought it was like fish story when I said I had brought 75 fish to hand and lost that many more. As I figured he might think I was joking. I showed him the go Pro with 52 different fish I had taken pictures of I definitely needed to bring back evidence of the day. All that being said I never saw another angler on the river all day. I rested up the legs and Thursday we went up and hit a height lake that has snake river cutts. Bono was ready to fish after seeing the pictures. The front from Wednesday had passed the clouds vanished and we were back to bluebird skies. We did not start seeing many fish at the lake but they finally got active. Had a bunch of hook ups but they were short striking. Bono finally did manage a nice cutthroat up there. I broke two off setting the hook to hard with 6x. We moved down to the gold medal water halfway to Del Norte. This stretch of the river is like walking on greased bowling balls. Caught eight browns and one bow in short order only problem was the biggest was about ten inches. It was Unseasonably hot now that it was a little after lunch and the water felt warm so we stopped. We went up river looking for faster cooler water where I was Wednesday. With the high sun the fish just didn�t want to play. I think they all had sore lips from the day before ha ha. We finally had gotten rain the night before but the river was more of a color than I expected. On the last day Friday I was going to start at the upper section and go the rest of the way up and fish my way back. But the ATV great change their trail to go up to Rio Grande reservoir. I have done really good above and below the lake so decided To go. Upon arriving I was shocked to see the river the color of chocolate milk! And even more shocked to come around the dam of the lake to find the lake almost dry and drained. I had read on them working on some of the older dams but nothing on Rio Grande reservoir. I did hook into a really good Rio under some Willow�s but it flipped up into the tree and broke off. We did try the muddy River to no avail so made our way up to one of the lakes off of the trails. We still found solitude and beautiful country managed a few nights rainbows to finish off the trip. All in all was a great trip And good company topped off with a very special day of fishing. Dreaded the drive back and going back to work but it�s got to happen sometime I will definitely be back in the fall sometime. Lack of crowds is awesome I would definitely recommend checking it out this time of year if you have not. I will work on adding some pictures here shortly!

The long walk back

Robert, you dont know this yet, but Im going with you next year! Thanks for sharing your trip with us my friend!

Haha more than welcome I really have some hidden gems in the summer up there. Nothing can beat solitude and hungry fish.

So did you eat any of the fish? For shore lunch or dinner?

Hey crapicat hows it going? Talked with Catslayer a while about the trip yesterday. As far as eating goes I don�t think as bad of trout as I do sandbass butn,sure love to catch both. All of this was wild trout water though. I would say once every three to five years I�ll keep a stocker rainbow if I can find one with clipped fins. Gut scale rinse and throw them on a bed of hot coals. Wrapped up air tight In Foil with lemon butter,salt,pepper,and cyan. As soon as the foil blows up and about to pop pull off and enjoy. Probably been three years now may have to do one in the Ozarks in a month or so now that you mention it

This was the killer fly of the trip had to let it dry before I took a pic. It was what they wanted for sure.

Wow. Great report and epic trip...

Thanks kodys papaIt was absolutely incredible! I don�t know how we�ve missed each other but we definitely need to get together up there one of these trips. Really look forward to the day on the water with you.

Thanks for the report, Robert. It�s been WAY too long since I have been there. I have friends that used to live right below that Wagon Wheel campground. Do you ever fish Cevolla creek out of Slumgullion Pass? The brookies were thick in the beaver ponds.

I caught one of my biggest rainbows, too, right below the bridge at the Texas access just as you turn off the main road to go up to the reservoir.

Anyway, thanks for the memories that you stirred. Maybe I�ll tag along with you in the not-too-distant future........

JR

I�m glad it brought back some great memories where is an amazing area right there for sure! there are definitely some big trout In that River below the dam for sure.

Gotta love a bugger. I know I do. Size 6 buggers are my standard warm water fish go to size. Glad to hear the cold water trout like that size too. I like that hackle on it. I�m going to have to get some.

Thanks for the report. I�m up in New Mexico in the Rio Grande watershed thinking I probably have should have brought a fly rod and a few of those buggers. The weather is beautiful and there�s no monsoonal afternoon t-storms to consider this time of year. My buddy and I are already plotting a return and maybe we�ll leave the wives at home and just bring the fishing gear.

Yes it�s absolutely beautiful country and that Rio Grande Valley. You should hike down at cerro and hit the confluence of the red river and the Rio Grande. There are some really big fish in that stretch and you might even hook into a northern pike. I actually caught several trout on a great big size to bugger this trip in all black

Fantastic post Robert, You da man

man that sounds awesome. I might have to add a trip like that to the ole bucket list

Thanks Jamie was a great run for sure!! We need to get a trip gathered up again at some point. I may or may not know a river loaded with those pesky white bass right now😳🤭. I can�t believe I�ve been going up there this long and never hit it in the fall. Bissett you should definitely do that. I keep thinking you and I are going to run into each other on of these days.

October sandbass run lol I can assure y�all this won�t be the last fall run I make up to the Rockies! It absolutely breathtaking in full color and the lack of crowd is incredible.

I definitely need to knock the dust off the fly rod. I've only had about enough time to fish my bass tournaments so about one day a month haha. Got a lot planned the next few weekends but I'd like to go catch some trout when I get a break. Probably mid-November so it should be perfect timing. Closest place for a day trip for me (from Tulsa) is the Lower Illinois River below Lake Tenkiller. I can make it over there in about an hour and fifteen minutes and it's not uncommon to have 50+ fish days (or couple hours) You ever fished up that way?

I'm ready. Just say the word.

I hit the Illinois once but was looking for stripper. Think it�s about the same as broken bow for me. We may have to set something up. J moe I�ll shoot you a txt

Spectacular fishing and scenery Robert!