Rocky Mtn. High

[wizard]

Traveled to Colorado to spend family time with my stepdaughter and her family recently. It's a great family that will not only let you sneak away for some fishing time but also uses their time share minutes to get you a place to stay!

Rocky Mts. near Estes Park, Colorado.


A Mule Deer family walking thru a yard just behind the condo!

Big Thompson River just east of Estes.


Continued..........................

[wizard]

The River was very high with the "Meltoff of the Peaks" just starting, stained as well.

The guides at the flyshop tried hard to encourage me to book a trip with them, and when it was obvious I wasn't buying did recommend some flies to try, and after I purchased a couple dozen, one of them steered me to some spots but told me hooking up would be difficult due to the runoff.
My first Rocky Mtn. Cutthroat.

A couple of beautifully colored wild rainbows.


Continued.........................................

[wizard]

What a gorgeous place, and the Big Thompson is easily accessable. When I returned to the fly shop for another few flies to take home, one of the guides keyed me in on the best parts of the season to fish the river, as well as when the tourist traffic is lightest, and some more key spots to try when I come back, and I will!
And how about this oddity. I spotted a fly hanging from a tree, a tandem fly set up actually.

See the line directly below to the dropper. I think I feel a bite................

One big DEAD bat! When I showed the guides the pics they made me promise to mail them some copies. Never seen nothin' like that!

[jimsnarocks]

Great report wizard. Those are darn colorful trouts you caught there. That's a good shot of those mulies. It's real pretty there in that part of Colorado. The bat photo is a rarety for sure. Thanks, Jim

[Heritage Angler]

Dave - You lucky dog! I'm happy for you. Was it CPS time? You'll have to tell us all about your trip at the lodge.

BTW - I don't have your phone number or your email address. How the heck did THAT happen? Sent you a return PM with my info. I'll be up until about 10 or 11 tonight, then it's Pine dreams - and when I wake up, it's gonna turn to reality.

THE FISH-IN IS TOMORROW!!!

[Beaver]

Wizard,

Great report. Loved that bat shot. Thanks

Beaver

[turvy]

I used to night fish for large browns on a stream in SE Minnesota. My friend and I would catch 2 to four bats a year. The bats would grab the fly in the air. At night when you could see very little, you only knew something wasn't right. We'd take the bats to the rod tip and drown them, then stip off some leader cut it and start over. Neat picture...I never thought of taking a picture because they freaked me out. We fished with wide brimmed hats in the evenings because if you didn't the bats would pick off the bugs flying around our heads. Sometimes they were so close you could feel or hear the wing beats.

[nighthawk]

Beautiful pics! Glad you had a great time too.

[Eric D]

Beautiful! Those pix take me back when I visited RMNP. So many pretty views.
Thanks for sharing them.
EDW

[Gigante]

Thanks for sharing. I've had people tell me I was crazy when I said I hooked up with a bat once (Toccoa tailwater N GA, just enough morning light to cast a dry, bat quickly released itself)....proof that it can happen