Imagine. There you are standing thigh-high in a rushing glacial river, rod in hand, trying to catch Mr. Big. You wait patiently. Nothing. Maybe the fish aren’t hungry today, you tell yourself. A giant rainbow trout leaps out of the water nearby as if to taunt you. Grrrrr. This has historically been my experience fly fishing. An exercise in futility and frustration. While everyone may agree that fly fishing is a beautiful, serene sport, no one said it was easy.
On a recent trip to Beaver Creek my husband and I decided to try our hands at Colorado fly fishing in the hopes of actually catching something. Set in the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Beaver Creek (about a 2-hour drive from Denver) is a quaint mountain town of high-end shops and fancy restaurants catering to elite retirees and ski fanatics. During the winter season, fresh white powder draws many skiiers to this resort town. But come summer, it’s mountain biking, hiking and fly fishing that appeals, which is why set my sights toward this scenic escape for a guided Colorado fly fishing adventure along the Eagle River.
With that in mind, we booked a half-day trip with Gore Creek Fly Fishermen. Open year round (apparently you can fish in the winter, but their busiest seasons are obviously the summer months), Gore Creek Fly Fishermen is Vail Valley’s oldest fly fishing shop that’s been in operation for 35 years.
The hubby and I began our Colorado fly fishing adventure at their store in Beaver Creek. We signed some papers, paid for our fishing licenses and geared up in oversized Gortex waiters and boots. We met our guide Cooper Anderson, a 35-year-old Vail native who has been fly fishing for 25 years and has been guiding with Gore Greek for since 2002. He welcomed us and made sure our gear fit properly, before we all piled into his SUV and made the five-minute drive to Eagle River. For the complete story see Travelocity https://www.travelocity.com/inspire/fly-fishing-colorado/
