Been gone a little while guys glad to be back!!! I have a couple of group txt within the forum crowd and I’m not online much. Good to be back:). I just took 12 days in southern Colorado. For those that know me I meet a girl fly fishing and be out her back to Texas lol. I had to pick up the kids from summer with their dad this week. I went a few days early:). Day one got dumped on and I had forgotten my rain gear moved to three different watersheds and got rained on all of them. I still managed 15 fish or so! A lurker friend of mine that had been up in Colorado for three weeks working from an abb and just got back to Fort Worth found a way to get back for a few days( he definitely is getting my rain gear before he leaves). We have fished here in Texas forever but he has never hit real trout with me. I told him I’ll try not to kill him day one but…… no promises. So day two he is two days out I pull up at my first camp upper Rio headwaters right on the river. Five minutes after pulling up my one camp fellow brings beef fajitas for two to me. He was from Lubbock and just getting out in nature. I didn’t realize how hungry I was but he tried to kill me haha. Next morning I hit above Rio Grande Rsv I have caught 22+inch rios in here but they drew the lake down empty two years ago to work on the dam. They apparently have restocked the lake and there was an abundance of fish like I’ve never seen. They where eager and willing I was throwing double drys parachute green drake and parachute Adams. After putting a beating on them I returned to camp. While sitting by the fire getting camp set up all the way a mini van stops on the dirt road. A pleasant guy (Chad) comes down and ask if the camp sites where free told him yes 14 days. He and his brother where down from PA and had never fished Colorado. They had done the research but hit blown out rivers and wasted a few days it happens to all of us. They said they had one more night at hotel over hour and a half away and may come back the next day and camp in the rental van. I sleep get up early and head down to a hike in spot in the rio down from the lake. And at 6 A.M. there sits the minivan with Chad and Shawn who I hadn’t meet. They said they were hiking in and I said let’s go we hike if a good way and got into some mnt. Goat stuff pulling each other up the rocks and found solitude on a majestic level but fish were slow. We all caught a fish but dang I hammered them day before. We finally found other anglers that hiked in and I said let’s boogie back to the cars and go back up high. We made hasty progress and went out. These guys were excellent fly casters fish the letort and spring creeks said they sit till you see a rise and don’t cast before. Six hatched and the trout are only eating one. They first bend we get to trout are coming up all over. I had to remind them Don’t get stuck in one place. We where creating a hatch the fish are looking up. It blew their mind to blind cast drys to a good seam with no rise. I would say they got the hang of it really quick:). I was going to fish the next day with them but my buddy had gotten out early and I had to get down south to meet him for the next leg. Chad and Shawn hit it the next day before flying out and left me with a buch of camping gear they naught because they flew I managed to pack it guys. They did well the next morning we will fish again together sometime. Ok I’ve messed up and deleted long post several times so sending now and I will continue and then post pics. More to come.

Well I go stay at the in-laws and see the kids they are ready to come home but not yet. I load the car full of more fire wood hey it’s how they heat the house. I meet Brian in Alamosa at Walmart we stock up for the next leg and head out. We pass by a camp in 20 years I’ve never seen only one with a bathroom tucked in the woods. I was wanting an old site I’ve used that wasn’t on a canyon so you could fish in the evening. We push on and the other campsites have been closed off. We boggy back to try and claim the site only to see another truck. But they where not staying there;). This was about as picturesque as it gets we get set up and rigged for the next day. Like I told Brian I wouldn’t kill him on the first day but…. I tried real hard!!!! We got started in a canyon and we were way past turning back you must keep going. 1/4 past the parking lot we didn’t see any ther angler for ten hours. These fish where like heat sinking missiles doing back flips pounding flys with abandon. You have to keep pace to make these type of adventures it started getting late and this was not a we are coming in the canyon thing we have to get to the car. Passed up several miles of the best trout water that can roll thru your mind. But he got out in the end we hitch hiked back to the car no problem. Also if your in the back country and see a fisherman packing down the road see if they want a lift back to the car. Promise you if they have gear on their back back there chances are really high they are not going to kill you. Two cars makes it way easier but you shouldn’t have any problem with one. We eat well and catch up we were a little low on water because we kept a slower pace no big deal we made it work and got some chow. Next cutthroat tributaries I hate a sign not saying what one but dam makes me mad the rotting board you couldn’t read was nostalgic I mean dam at lest leave the old historic on even if you put up a new sign. Rant over I wanted to pull it up from the ground it made me so mad ask Brian he was laughing at me. The tributaries are very akin to hunting stalking looking watching your shadow casting from a knee crystal clear water. You are going to blessed when it works out and you don’t spook the fish. They will eat. We caught some nice cutts and move up to some glacier lakes but no sun with no sun your casting blind. You catch sun it’s site casting oasis. You land a damsel out in n front of their path they will eat. But we where blind casting. Caught a few and rain came so we boogied. It didn’t always work out in monsoon season but we skirted the rain every day we saw one angler that is one of like five and saw him twice on different water he was on an adventure as well.

Another day and off to know where down new mexico back to Colorado and New Mexico again and back all dirt roads. We find baste open water and no other anglers. It’s raining hey I have rain gear now thanks Brian these fish were hungry and willing great size small water and solitude. Any that know me I don’t put streams on blast at all I find them and fish them. All in all you can’t buy the trips I take you have to make them it was trout nirvana!!! I’m going to post pics and do a separate post on what I’ve been talking about with work and many people. Looking at doing expedition trips to remote trou push the envelope. I’ve worked restaurants for 30 years and I’m an excellent open fire camp cook my country butt knows some great wine pairings and I’ll be putting out feelers finally. Not instructional trips adventures of a life time when it works out. I’ll put that out separately but pics to come.

I don’t know what to tell you this is the trail

Don’t forget the new home base camp we found

Save the best for last golfer kodys papa shhhhh if you know lol. If you don’t I would pm y’all enough said.

Solid post and some very nice fish. Thanks for sharing and back. Great seeing your post again!

Great to see you posting. Wish I was younger. I would definitely be talking to yo about an expedition.

Cob great to be back and would be a pleasure. Chuck I’ve still got your number really want to hit gills and rio’s with wou one of these days.

Didn’t read the whole thing, but scrolled through the photos. Lots of familiar water from those photos. Nice fish!

Well it’s a shame every trip on the same old water is a different story sorry you missed the read. That’s what makes a trip is the experience!

Sorry it’s late guys but gas company and fire trucks are at the house.
City is replacing gas and water and gas smell outside was real strong had the kids at the gas station with mom up the road and I waited right here real thorn in my side. They are sending another truck now that has a bettter sniffer anyway is what it is haha

Incredible Photos!!! Well Done

Robert, I think my eyes started watering when I read your comments and looked at your pictures. I went to Steamboat last year, but Southern Colorado holds a special place in my heart. I know right where you were talking about above the headwaters of the Rio Grande. I caught some nice fish there many years ago, and the Texas canyon access gave up a few bigguns, too.

I’ve been talking about Creede and Southfork to my buddy that went with me to Steamboat last year. We may put a trip together. If it happens, I may have to get your advice on a few things.

Awesome write-up! Cheers!

JR

Thx4sharing Awesome Catch+Report

Great post. Pics puts it all in line.