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Colorado Western Slope
Post 19 Jul 2020, 17:02 • #1 
Master Guide
Joined: 06/07/12
Posts: 865
Location: US-CA
My kids lost their summer camp experience this year due to COVID, and vacation plans have been a challenge. We decided a couple of months ago to book a few nights at a cabin that an old friend of mine operates on the Colorado Western Slope and play it by ear regarding making the trip. We've been lying low and socially distancing, so we decided to go for it. The trip involved a 950 mile drive each way from CA to CO with an overnight stop in Salt Lake City at the beginning and end. We stayed near the upper reaches of the forks of the White River near the Flat Tops Wilderness. Beautiful area. We mixed up day hiking, a visit to a limestone cave, and an all-day horseback trail ride to a pair of high likes in the Flat Tops Wilderness. This was a family trip, but I managed to wedge in three one-hour sessions with a rod in my hand.

Side note: if you like beautiful varied terrain and you don't mind grinding out long drives, driving from CA to CO is a wonderful, immersive way to see the American West. Our kids survived and we got to listen to a lot of really interesting podcasts to boot.

My first session was about 1 hour on a short beat of public water in the evening. I used my Scott F 4-wt with a dry dropper rig. I only really had time to fish a couple runs, but I found fish in every run. I landed two 16"-class Mountain Whitefish on the nymph and had a big-enough-to-be-scary-on-a-4-wt Cutthroat grab my dry fly. I kept it on for about a minute before it popped off. I almost felt relieved to be honest. It was kind of funny - there wasn't any surface action at all except for fish that hit my dry fly. But I'll take it.

My second session was in the high lakes. The fishing was much like high Sierra lake fishing - sight-fishing for 10" brookies with dry flies. The family horseback ride was awesome, too.

My third session was on another public of water away from the road. The stretch I fished was fast pocket water - challenging "combat" wading, complex flows, and limited spots that were slow enough for fish to hold AND conducive to good drifts. My kind of fishing. I pretty much found that rainbows were sitting everywhere I expected they might be. In an hour I landed 3, had 3 more on, and had multiple grabs, all on a dry dropper rig. The fish weren't trophies, but they were solid 12" to 16" fighters. Fun stuff.

Over all, this area fit my preferred fishing experience - adventurous, off the beaten path, enough action to be interesting, and absolutely stunning location. Pics follow:

Late afternoon on the river
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My rig for the trip - Scott F 754-3 with a dry dropper
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Entering the Flat Tops Wilderness
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High mountain lake
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Brookie
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River valley carved out of the Flat Tops
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Pocket water at the bottom of the river valley
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Nice 12" rainbow
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Another great catch
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Post 19 Jul 2020, 18:33 • #2 
Sport
Joined: 12/27/16
Posts: 52
Location: US-CT
Beautiful. Sounds like a great trip


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Post 19 Jul 2020, 20:44 • #3 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/26/14
Posts: 3578
Location: US-MN
Awesome trip!


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Post 20 Jul 2020, 08:55 • #4 
Guide
Joined: 09/10/18
Posts: 161
Location: Alberta, Canada
Sounds awesome! Also sounds like you hit a good balance between doing stuff with the family and getting some time to yourself.


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Post 20 Jul 2020, 09:41 • #5 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/09/09
Posts: 2796
Location: US-NM
Great pictures........Aurelio


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Post 20 Jul 2020, 10:06 • #6 
Guide
Joined: 04/03/19
Posts: 221
Location: CO
Great trip! The west slope looks nice this time of year.


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Post 20 Jul 2020, 10:56 • #7 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 05/22/16
Posts: 1760
Location: SJC
Looks like an enjoyable trip for everyone!


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Post 20 Jul 2020, 12:22 • #8 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/11/14
Posts: 1784
Location: urban Colorado
excellent.. that kind of pocket water is my favorite too.

my elk hunting tag is for that area, been staring at the OnX maps and layers 'till my head spins.. going up in a week or so to run through a couple spots.. really want to take a rod, but elk hunting rewards only the obsessed, need to stay focused and not burn time..


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Post 21 Jul 2020, 09:00 • #9 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/12/16
Posts: 4094
Location: USA-CO
Great trip and report. I've only been to the eastern edge of the Flat Tops and want to explore further. Thanks for showing!


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Post 21 Jul 2020, 09:34 • #10 
Guide
Joined: 01/10/16
Posts: 186
Location: Parkersburg, WV
Great report and photos!

I've always wanted to explore the Flattops Wilderness a little more. I made a trip to Trappers and Little Trappers in 2011 and haven't been back since. I have a tentative plan to do a backpack loop in the northern area of the Wilderness and your post has me very excited to return.

Thank you!

Chris


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Post 21 Jul 2020, 22:00 • #11 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/09/16
Posts: 746
Location: Colorado
Beautiful!


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Post 24 Jul 2020, 14:31 • #12 
Guide
Joined: 11/11/14
Posts: 168
Location: Warsaw/Poland
Amazing!


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Post 24 Jul 2020, 19:32 • #13 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/09/05
Posts: 2524
Location: US-CO
Great pictures. There is so much nice water in the high country of the Rockies!


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Post 24 Jul 2020, 19:35 • #14 
Master Guide
Joined: 06/07/12
Posts: 865
Location: US-CA
Yes. I have to go back...


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Post 24 Jul 2020, 22:19 • #15 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/16/05
Posts: 2537
Location: Georgia
Thanks for sharing. Another area to put on the wish list.


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