HIDDEN GEMS
Fly Fishing in the Fall Popular places to catch fish in the Four Corners STORY BY JENNY JOHNSTON
A day spent fishing is a day well spent — and fall may offer the best days of the year. Once the hustle and bustle of summer has faded away, the wilderness somehow becomes a bit wilder. Big bugs and even bigger trout wait in every back eddy and at the seam of every run. Fall is indeed the ultimate moment of splendor. It is quite simply full of good days to go chase trout. For fly fishermen in the Four Corners, the opportunities to experience fall fishing are countless. There is enough water for anglers to fish every day and not step foot in the same spot twice. Whether you choose to fish the high country streams, alpine lakes or the rivers of deep canyons, you are sure to have a day well spent. COLORADO Colorado boasts 322 miles of Gold Medal waters, including 11 different rivers and three lakes. This fabled water is popular in the summer, and trout can sometimes become wary of all of the anglers hot on their heels, or fins. But come fall, the waters open up and trout go back to their predictable honey holes, offering plenty of casting and elbow room. If you want to fish the 4-mile stretch of Gold Medal waters on the Animas River near Durango, head to the confluence with Lightner Creek and fish upstream to the river crossing bridge. Look for big brown and rainbow trout.
Catch fish and colors at the same time, as the leaves change along the banks of the Animas River in Durango, Colorado. photo by Terrance Siemon
46 |
A D V E N T U R E P R O . u s
It is commonplace to land trout in the 18-plus inch range right through town. For more of the picturesque fishing experience, head north of Durango to the high country. Hermosa Creek, located behind Purgatory Resort, entices anglers with meandering tight water in a wide-open meadow. This unique 23-mile stretch of water is the largest pure Colorado River cutthroat habitat in the state. The Colorado River cutthroat trout is the only native trout to the Hermosa Creek drainage and to the Colorado River Basin. Thanks to a collaborative effort of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service and Trout Unlimited, Colorado River cutthroat are making a comeback. It is important to note that this water is designated as strictly catch and release fly fishing only. Further north, Lime Creek offers some equally spectacular pocket water. Look for beaver ponds dotting the landscape along the way. This is the place to find smaller but feisty rainbows and brookies on the end of your line. ARIZONA Arizona’s state fish and one of only two trout native to the State, the Apache trout is as beautiful as it is sought after. Thanks to collaborative restoration efforts of the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Game and Fish and the White Mountain Apache Tribe, the trout that was once on the brink of extinction is now thriving in its native habitat. Anglers now have the opportunity to find one of these beauties that were once at the end of their line, now on the end of their fly line. For a prime shot at one of these fish, head to the White Mountains and fish the East Fork of the Black River. This 8-mile section can be accessed from Springerville on Highway 191. Look for Hannagan Meadow for easy access. The East Fork can also be accessed as it crosses Forest Road 249. Another area nestled between Sedona and Flagstaff will place anglers in one of northern Arizona’s hidden treasures: Oak Creek Canyon. Reminiscent of its vastly larger, more popular sibling, the Grand Canyon, Oak Creek is a beautiful river gorge located along the Mogollon Rim. Red Rocks and green water filled with Brown and rainbow trout welcome anglers of all skill levels. Don’t be surprised to find river otters, bald eagles and great blue herons all competing for your catch, but at least there are plenty of fish to go around.
