Coal Creek, Colorado

The main reason we had gone to Colorado, besides visiting George and Val at their hay ranch, was for the fly fishing. George and Val had guided us on several rivers here during our last visit and this time they wanted to take us to fish Coal Creek and the Crystal River.

Heading toward McClure Pass we drove past several coal mines. Stopping along the Gunnison River we gave up any thought of fishing there as the river was cloudy with sediment. Coal creek however was clear and driving up stream we found some nice looking water with easy access.

Renita and Val staked out a good looking stretch while George headed downstream and I waded upstream to a break in the creek caused by a large boulder. Three of us were using dry flies and George of course was using a prince nymph with a copper john dropper.

Before long Renita cried out that she had a fish on and she fought a nice rainbow into shore. It had taken her royal wolf dry fly and snapping a picture she gently released the fish back into the river. Meanwhile George was hollering that everyone should join him downstream, where he had caught several rainbows and a nice Colorado Cutthroat.

Deciding that there were enough people downstream I continued up the creek and soon was fast onto a nice fish. It had risen to take a parachute, one of my favorite dries.  However the hook pulled out before I could land the fish but that’s ok as I was going to release it anyway.

Meeting back at the car we ate lunch before heading back to the ranch. It had been a good day on a Colorado trout stream. The skies were a beautiful blue as the smoke from fires had not yet reached us, a day of beauty, while fly fishing colorful Colorado.

 Clear skies