We’re still getting a lot of fish to look up at dry flies, and fishing lately has been very good!

Mid to late August is a great time to fish hoppers and hopper-dropper rigs in the Gunnison Valley. This pretty cutbow is from the East River. Underwater shots are always fun. You never know how they will come out but sometimes you get lucky with a pretty cool abstract reflection.

We’ve had a good Green Drake hatch on the Taylor River, along with lots of PMDs. Hatch time has been from around noon to 3 PM give or take. Cloudy/rainy days have been very good.

There is something special about catching a beautiful Taylor River rainbow trout on a dry fly! See another shot of this fish here.

Finally got some time off to hit the mountains with Peri and chase some beautiful cutthroat. Fished all day and didn’t see another person. A great day!

All the rivers in the valley have been open for a while now, but we’ll see pretty big water through summer. The small creeks are in great shape now with excellent dry fly action. It’s a good time to head to the mountains to catch wild trout.

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 7, 2019
GUNNISON AND SLATE RIVER CLOSURES High, Fast Water Prompts Sheriff to Issue Order
Gunnison County, Colo – Effective June 7, 2019 and until further notice, the Gunnison River is CLOSED between Almont and the Gunnison Whitewater Park; and the Slate River is CLOSED between Gunsight Pass Ridge and the State Hwy 135 bridge at mile marker 25.5. By Order of the Gunnison County Sheriff (per authority of Colorado Revised Statute 33-13-111), these river portions are CLOSED to all water vessels. These closures are to protect public safety, and are due to dangerous river conditions, including very low clearances at bridges. For more information, contact the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office 970-641-1113.
All Other Rivers and Streams: For all other areas not identified above, please be aware that all rivers and streams in Gunnison County continue to run at bank-full conditions. All recreational users (boaters, fishermen, etc.) are urged to use extreme caution on and around the rivers. The rivers are fast, cold and carrying large amounts of debris. There could be numerous snags and debris jams, resulting in serious obstacles, as well as low clearances on bridges. Due to the volume of water being carried, the character of these rivers and streams is far different and more dangerous than during normal flows.
Do not allow unsupervised children or pets close to these rivers and streams. All persons on or near these rivers should be wearing appropriate personal floatation devices (PFD’s).
Beginner boaters and floaters are strongly advised to employ a professional rafting company if entering the water.
Boating equipment lost on/in the river should be reported to Dispatch at (970) 641-8200.
For more information, please contact the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office at (970) 641-1113.

Spring is here and we’ve had some good early season fishing. The rainbows have been chasing big stonefly nymphs and small baetis.

We’ve had a flurry of activity with Eleven Angling this off-season, and we’ve expanded our fishing programs and added some exciting new fly fishing packages. You can visit our Eleven website and check it all out. In Colorado, we developed several new fishing products, which include premium single and multi-day fishing itineraries, customized for our guests at Taylor River Lodge. We are also offering a 3-day deluxe Gunnison Gorge float fishing trip in partnership with RIGS Fly Shop. This is Colorado’s premier multi-day wilderness float on the Gold Medal waters of the Gunnison Gorge. This is an amazing all-inclusive 5 day and 5 night trip. We start with 3 nights and 2 days of fishing at Taylor River Lodge, followed by 2 nights and 3 days float fishing the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area Wilderness. This is truly a bucket list item! Spring is here and we’re ramping up for another great season. And to top things off, we’ve got two new premium Boulder Boat Works drift boats being custom built for Eleven. Rope seats, custom woodwork, the works! Time to fish! Learn more about our Colorado Angling program here.

A couple of nice trout from a recent trip to New Zealand. Beautiful country!