Colorado

Cony Creek

The hike to Cony Creek is 5 miles each way, with a 3000 foot elevation change both ways. I decided to hike up to the creek and fish all day, sleep, then hike back to the truck.

The creek was definitely worth the hike.  Completely secluded, Cony Creek is small and fast, but offers some nice slow, flat pools, like this one above. I didn't see a single person all day and night. There was room for one more at the near campsite, but i was the only visitor.

Cony Creek was teeming with Greenback Cutthroat trout, a sub-species native only to the pristine, high mountain waters of the Colorado Rockies. The Greenbacks i found here averaged around 5-6 inches. They love large terrestrials like, olive hoppers.

After a long day of hiking, fishing, and getting used to the altitude, i went back to camp to eat at my private high mountain lake.

Fall River

I took a day hike up to the Fall River to fish for more Greenback Cutthroats. It is a fast, little river, with lots of boulder pools and brushy banks. It requires stealth and creative casting to present to the fish here.

Like Cony Creek, The Roaring River boasts a large population of native Greenback Cutthroats. How ever, the Greenbacks in the Roaring River were much larger, averaging around 9-12 inches.

The Greenback on the left is laying next to my Grey's 7'6'' 4 weight rod, and Orvis CFO reel.

Ouzel Creek

This is the view from above Ouzel Falls. The main trail takes you below Ouzel Falls for a nice photograph spot, and then  continues on to a lake, and bypasses Ouzel Creek.  However, if you leave the main trail and climb the rock face beside the falls, you come up to a beautiful open valley, with a beautiful creek running right down the middle. Up top, above the rest of the day hikers, there are no trails, besides the animal trails, and light foot paths made by the few other anglers.

A wildfire wiped out all the trees years ago, giving the creek a valley-like setting. This cold mountain creek, was no bigger than 10 feet wide and no deeper than 2 feet. It was made of fast riffles with undercut banks, boulder pools, and some small flat glides dropping into small plunge pools.  The best spots to fish were the slow, deeper glides with large fallen dead trees cutting across.

Ouzel Creek is filled with plenty of these transplanted Brook Trout. Brook Trout are native to the Northeastern United States. Out west, they are starting to compete for Cutthroat trout territory. Although, considered an intrusive species out west, the Brookie is a very beautiful fish. The Brookies i was catching in Ouzel Creek were bright with their fall spawning colors.