The Alpine Lakes of Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park

Mitchell Lake

Colorado’s alpine lakes offer an excellent fishery for the traveling fly fisherman looking for new water to explore. Unlike my usual fly fishing in North Georgia, the high altitude lakes and ponds found along the continental divide just northwest of Denver do not receive much pressure and are filled with hungry trout. These trout have exquisite coloration and are some of the most photogenic fish on the planet. Rocky Mountain National Park is less than a two hour drive from Denver and has dozens of these small lakes and ponds to discover. Many of these waters are stocked annually with Brook and Cutthroat Trout. Stocking information can be found on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website if there is a particular trout you would like to find.

Betty and Bob lakes sit to the Southwest of the park. The drive to Rolling Pass is filled with anticipation as you follow the bumpy, and I cannot emphasize just how bumpy enough, gravel road up the mountain. At over 10,000ft in elevation the one to

Betty Lake Cutthroat Trout

two mile hike to the lakes can be quite a workout for individuals like myself who have not adjusted to the high altitude. The hike and the scenery are absolutely breath taking as you make your way down the King Lake Trail. Both Betty and Bob are stocked with Cutthroat Trout. The trout tend to roam in schools around the lakes during the summers, awaiting any hatch or feeding opportunity. Small is key to matching the hatch as majority of the insects in these ponds are quite small. The occasional hatch of larger mayflies can lead to an excellent dry fly bite, but going to a mayfly nymph imitation in the size 18-22 is a sure bet. The wind can pick up rather quickly on these lakes making dry fly patterns relatively useless. Look for rising and active fish around flats that break into deeper water to get bit. Probing flats with small streamer and wooly bugger patterns can also be productive and give you a shot at some of the larger fish in the lakes.

Moving over to the east side of the park, just west of Boulder, the Brainard Lake Recreational Area offers has a great fishery for Brook Trout. This area is more easily

Mitchell Lake Brook Trout

accessible than Betty and Bob, with newly paved roads leading to the park and well maintained trails to the lakes. The park is crowded on weekends throughout the summer, but the lakes get very little fishing pressure. The brookies of Mitchell lake are very aggressive and roam the perimeter of the pond looking for an easy meal. It is surprising how shallow and close to the bank these fish will get. Because of this they are easily spooked by approaching anglers. The best tactic for these fish is to wade 2-3 feet off the bank and make parallel cast downwind around any cover in the water. The creeks and streams entering the lake are guaranteed to stack fish. 

Weightless buggers and small streamers are perfect for targeting these cruising brook trout. Cutthroat can also be found in Mitchell but behave quite differently. Similar to Betty and Bob, cutties will school up around the drop offs just off the flats. Caddis dries and small nymphs are useful on these fish when the wind cooperates.  For a change in scenery, the creeks flowing from Blue and Mitchell Lake are loaded with small brook trout. During the summer months, a size 14-16 elk hair caddis will elicit violent surface takes from these trout in nearly every part of the stream.

For anyone trying to spend some quality time outdoors on a smaller budget this summer, the alpine lakes near Rocky Mountain National Park are a great place to start. Be sure to stay hydrated and watch for the quickly building storms that build in the summer time. The biggest tip is to bring a good camera as the landscape and colorful trout are sure to provide memories you will never want to forget. Learn more about Americas best fly fishing here.

Rolling Pass, Kings Trail

Maine's Backcountry

Upper West Branch of the Penobscot

Maine’s Allagash Wilderness Waterway and neighboring Penobscot River Corridor offer several unique fishing opportunities. Brook Trout and Landlocked Atlantic Salmon are the main target for anglers in Maine, but for an experienced angler a more difficult challenge awaits. The Sunapee or Blueback Trout (a subspecies of arctic char) is found in less than a dozen ponds in northern Maine along with several ponds across the border in Canada. They can be difficult to catch due to their affinity for deep water during the warmer months. To make this challenge more difficult, several of the ponds have had invasive smelt take over, slowly reducing the numbers of brook and Sunapee trout that can be found. Several years ago, the eradication of the smelt occurred in several of the ponds and have since been restocked with trout from neighboring ponds. While Sunapee populations are back on the rise these days, accompanied by the popular salmon and trophy brook trout fisheries, Maine offers some excellent choices for fly anglers looking for something new.

The town of Millinocket, Maine is the gateway to the backcountry. The Golden Road follows the West Branch of the Penobscot upriver through some of the best landlocked salmon waters in the state. The West Branch is a fast flowing river until it hits the Nesowadnehunk deadwater, and yes, most the names in Maine’s backcountry are nearly impossible to pronounce. In the mile long stretch of river upstream of the deadwater  are several areas to wade for salmon. For better success, fishing from a boat or float is optimal as more water will become accessible. Fast water current seams hold

Landlocked Atlantic Salmon of the Upper East Branch of the Penobscot River

fish throughout this stretch and fish can be caught on various flies. Caddis imitating dries, ghost streamers, and pheasant tail nymphs are excellent patterns for both salmon and brook trout. The upper reaches of the Penobscot, below Loon Lake, offer more opportunities for wading and small water fishing in a much more secluded environment. Streamers are a great choice in these waters as the tailwater fish aggressively feed on bait entering the river from the lake. A map is recommended when finding these smaller waters as the logging roads of the area get very poor service.

Moving to stillwater, Maine’s ponds offer fantastic brook trout fishing no matter which one you choose, but only a few offer a chance at the Sunapee trout. The best chances at the Sunapee are on Deboullie and Black pond in the far north and Big Reed and Wadleigh Pond of the Allagash. Wadleigh and Big Reed are more accessible and shorter drive, while the lakes and ponds of the Deboullie region have larger

populations of Sunapee trout. While probing the ponds for Sunapee, focus on the

Large Male Brook Trout (Bottom) and Female (Top) from Wadleigh Pond

steepest banks of the lake. Small streamers and wooly buggers on longer sink tip lines are great choices as the Sunapee are largely piscivorous fish feeding in or near deeper water. These tactics will also give you an opportunity at larger brook trout as well. Brookies in the 20” range are not uncommon in these ponds and are an excellent surprise while exploring. The most important tip is to stay ware of your surroundings. Noticing small rises on the other side of the lake can be the difference between a bad day and the day you will never forget. You may also be able to spot the occasional moose, black bear and a number of water fowl species traveling from pond to pond.

The Allagash is a perfect spot for a weekend camping trip but there are several lodges throughout the region that offer excellent amenities. Lodges offer a safe bet should inclement weather, which is not uncommon, should move through the area. My stay brought me to the Johnson Allagash Lodge. Bob, the owner, was tremendously helpful and offered loads of information on the local fisheries. Within close range of the Penobscot, Wadleigh Pond, and a trophy brook trout pond within feet, the lodge has it all. A canoe comes with your stay should you wish to explore the neighboring areas along with many other options. Wherever you decide to roam in Maine’s backcountry, the deep green of the dark forests, the tranquility of the hundreds of desolate ponds, or the view of Mount Katahdin towering above the forest in the distance will assure a fulfilling trip for any outdoor enthusiast. It will be tough going back to the small brookies we find when fly fishing in North Georgia.

Mount Katahdin looming over the East Branch of the Penobscot River

The Gila National Forest

Labor Day sunrise in the Gila National Forest

Located in the southwest corner of New Mexico, the Gila National Forest is the largest protected forest in New Mexico. At 872 square miles or 3.3 million acres, just north of Silver City, NM, the forest encompasses the Mogollan Mountains and the Gila River Watershed. The easiest access into the national forest is through the town of Reserve, NM. Route 59 heads south toward the Willow Creek Campground, and is the best maintained road through the forest, winding through the high alpine meadows and forests of the picturesque mountains. The real treasure of the forest is the native Gila Trout which inhabits the high elevation tributaries of the watershed.

Mogollan Mountains

The Gila Trout (Oncorhyncus gilae) has the smallest range of all the trout species in the U.S. Limited to the small streams of the neighboring White Mountains of Arizona and headwaters of the Gila River, the Gila Trout was listed as an endangered species until 2006. The population found in Arizona’s White Mountains is actually a sub-species of the Gila known as the Apache Trout. Due to the stocking of Rainbow trout in the streams of the White Mountains it has become increasingly difficult to find pure strain Apache trout due to hybridization. This is not the case in the streams of the Gila National Forest. New Mexico Game and Fish has done a spectacular job with stream rehabilitation and supplemental stocking of the native trout. If you are looking to catch your first Gila Trout the Gila National Forest is the best place to start.

Willow Creek Campground is the right place to begin your search. Willow creek flows the campground and downstream along the access road. The trout will

Gila and Rainbow Trout Hybrids

position in the deepest parts of the creek, which is typically no more than 4’ to 8’ wide, near the campground. Trout will congregate beneath each of the manmade riffles and logjams that provide depth and cover. Most fish will measure in the 6’’to 8’’ range with potential opportunities for a 14” plus trophy. Further downstream on Willow Creek is a dam which congregates fish on the downstream side. Undercut

Gila Trout from upper Willow Creek

banks along bends in the creek all hold trout, though they may be hidden from you at first glance. Gila trout can be found below the dam in considerable numbers along with smaller rainbow trout. Many of the trout in this section of river have hybridized making pure strain Gila Trout more difficult to find. The dam acts as a barrier separating the rainbows and hybrids from the genetically pure strain.

Iron Creek is a one to two hour hike through scenic elk country to find a more secluded fishery. Once you reach Iron Creek the next mile upstream holds Gila Trout. Nearly every pool holds hungry trout who are always opportunistic feeders. Look for the deepest pools to target the larger, more wary trout.

With the dense undergrowth alongside the creeks and the limited room for casting, a 7.5 ft 3 weight is perfect for targeting the Gila. A 9 footer shouldn’t give you too much difficulty but isn’t quite optimal in some of the areas. During the late spring and summer dry flies are a great way to raise these hungry trout. Caddis, hopper and ant patterns all work great in the size 12-16 range. Matching these dries with droppers is a sure way to get the most finicky trout in the pool, with size 14-18 zebra midges, hares ear, and pheasant tail nymphs being a good bet.

The Gila Trout population is still on the rebound and proper caution should be used while handling these fish, though from my experience the fish were quite resilient. Many of these trout found their way back into the stream, eluding any photoshoot I had in mind. This is an excellent destination on a long weekend for those looking to try their hand with a new challenge and a unique species. Now it’s back to trout fishing North Georgia. Learn more about Americas best fly fishing here.

View from Route 59 to Reserve, NM