This 23″ brown trout was caught on the East River on a size 20 baetis nymph. It was a beautiful fish and probably my fish of the year.

My buddy Jim came out from New York last week and we fished around the valley quite a bit. We had to work hard to find fish at times, but we had a lot of fun.

This nice 22-inch rainbow trout slowly sipped a size 18 black ant right on the bank. Fun!

We’re still getting a lot of fish to look up at dry flies, and fishing lately has been very good!

Mid to late August is a great time to fish hoppers and hopper-dropper rigs in the Gunnison Valley. This pretty cutbow is from the East River. Underwater shots are always fun. You never know how they will come out but sometimes you get lucky with a pretty cool abstract reflection.

We’ve had a good Green Drake hatch on the Taylor River, along with lots of PMDs. Hatch time has been from around noon to 3 PM give or take. Cloudy/rainy days have been very good.

There is something special about catching a beautiful Taylor River rainbow trout on a dry fly! See another shot of this fish here.

Finally got some time off to hit the mountains with Peri and chase some beautiful cutthroat. Fished all day and didn’t see another person. A great day!

All the rivers in the valley have been open for a while now, but we’ll see pretty big water through summer. The small creeks are in great shape now with excellent dry fly action. It’s a good time to head to the mountains to catch wild trout.

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 7, 2019
GUNNISON AND SLATE RIVER CLOSURES High, Fast Water Prompts Sheriff to Issue Order
Gunnison County, Colo – Effective June 7, 2019 and until further notice, the Gunnison River is CLOSED between Almont and the Gunnison Whitewater Park; and the Slate River is CLOSED between Gunsight Pass Ridge and the State Hwy 135 bridge at mile marker 25.5. By Order of the Gunnison County Sheriff (per authority of Colorado Revised Statute 33-13-111), these river portions are CLOSED to all water vessels. These closures are to protect public safety, and are due to dangerous river conditions, including very low clearances at bridges. For more information, contact the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office 970-641-1113.
All Other Rivers and Streams: For all other areas not identified above, please be aware that all rivers and streams in Gunnison County continue to run at bank-full conditions. All recreational users (boaters, fishermen, etc.) are urged to use extreme caution on and around the rivers. The rivers are fast, cold and carrying large amounts of debris. There could be numerous snags and debris jams, resulting in serious obstacles, as well as low clearances on bridges. Due to the volume of water being carried, the character of these rivers and streams is far different and more dangerous than during normal flows.
Do not allow unsupervised children or pets close to these rivers and streams. All persons on or near these rivers should be wearing appropriate personal floatation devices (PFD’s).
Beginner boaters and floaters are strongly advised to employ a professional rafting company if entering the water.
Boating equipment lost on/in the river should be reported to Dispatch at (970) 641-8200.
For more information, please contact the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office at (970) 641-1113.