El Rancho Pinoso Fly Fishing the Rockies

I am the first to admit that I have been very lucky, especially when I think of the hundreds of beautiful rivers I have fished over the past 35 years. During that time I have found myself in some real knock-out locations, but I have to say, that where I ended up with my wife Mia and another couple on June 23, may have been the most beautiful valley I have ever seen. And after having spent four days fishing there and in the surrounding region, I have to say it was a fabulous overall experience that I can’t wait to repeat again soon.

El Rancho Pinoso is one of Robert Lindner’s pride and joy properties. Founder of United Dairy Farms, Lindner’s great love and legacy is a discerning selection of some of the most spectacular ranches in all Colorado. At 970 acres, El Rancho Pinoso and his personal homes on the property, form the centerpiece of what will become a coveted private water fishing program. The El Rancho Pinoso property is located at roughly 8,200 ft elevation on the Rio Blanco River, which is a tributary of the upper Rio Grande just south of Pagosa Springs. They have two tastefully renovated historic cabins look up the valley over a big red barn, grazing horses, deer and elk and on to a180 degree backdrop of dramatic 11,000-12,000 ft. peaks. Through the center of the ranch, the fully restored Rio Blanco flows for three miles with numerous deep pools, easy wading and lots of big rainbows, many of which are over 20 inches. The first day on the Rio Blanco we caught fish on sculpin patterns, small and large nymphs and then, as things warmed up, on stimulators. It was perfect.

The next day we drove to another one of Lindner’s Ranches, this time North of Pagosa Springs, on the Weminuche River. It was another gorgeous system that had been thoughtfully restored with a big mountainous backdrop and super fishing. While the dries were not happening this day, we caught good numbers of fish between 16 and 22 inches. After several hours there, we headed on to the upper Piedra on Lindner’s Notch Ranches. I had been warned that this river was really beautiful but I was not prepared for the magnitude of the experience. The little mountain freestone flowed through an elegant stand of old growth Ponderosa Pine and in back of it all were the most amazing eroded volcanic crags imaginable. On the way down to the river, head guide Damon Scott stopped at one of the ponds and landed a richly colored 20 inch brown trout on a little dry, and then we headed down to the river for a quick session. Personally, I was so blown away by the setting that I couldn’t even fish and instead stuck to the camera. On the way back to El Rancho Pinoso we stopped at Pagosa Springs and had a great casual outdoor Mexican meal at Kipps. Their margaritas were pretty darn good and our designated driver, Damon, was great.

The next day we could not resist heading back to the Piedra. This time it was just the guys and we hit it hard while the ladies went riding on the home ranch. We caught gorgeous wild rainbows, browns, brook trout and even a Colorado cutthroat. The dries fished just as well as the nymph, but the largest fish of the day, a fat wild 20 inch rainbow, was caught right in back of me by my buddy Ned on a #12 dirty bird nymph fished deep. When we got back to the home ranch, Mia and Lori were deep into their novels, enjoying the shade of the porch and their first cocktail. The evening light was again exquisite, the clouds and the mountains all turned pink and we all sat there on the big porch poking at the backdrop, trying to make sure that it was all real.

So I think you all are getting an idea of the scenery and the fishing but here is what you really need to know. This place is a flat out 10 for families, couples and private parties. With a group of four or six, you can have the place to yourself. If you wanted to have a big group there, you could pack both cabins out with as many as 16 folks. In either case, the valley and the private waters and the six horses are yours for the week. No strangers will be showing up, as this place has yet to fall into the “lodge” template. The cabins are so nicely situated and so well equipped that you will be amazed that the Lindner’s have opened them up to the public. The last note is that for groups who really enjoy cooking together, the entire package can be done on a self-catered basis which can be a real bonus for couples and family groups.

Currently the ranch has the following dates open for the 2009 season:
August 1-13, 17-20, 24-27
September 1-4, 15-24

Crane Meadow Lodge Fly Fishing the Rockies

During the last two weeks of June and the first week of July, I made my first official Fly Water Travel "business trip" through the fabled waters of Montana and Idaho. Over the three weeks I drove more than 700 miles, visited with the owners of seven lodges, dozens of guides, stopped in every fly shop I saw (fifteen or more), and put the hurt on a heap of unsuspecting wild trout. Was it work? I guess that depends on who's asking. As I landed in Bozeman, Montana and made the three hour drive to Missoula, I was greeted by swollen, brown rivers in all directions. The fishing reports were not particularly positive. Guides that I spoke to were rearranging their calendars to have their anglers return at a later date. More thunderstorms were rumbling overhead as I drove over the Clark Fork River in Missoula but fear not, even marginal fishing conditions in the Rockies can be rife with rewards.
 

In Missoula I met Tom Jenni of Reel Montana. Although Tom has built his name around multi-day camp trips on the blue ribbon rivers of western Montana, he and I spent a day on the West Fork of the Bitteroot River. By the time we arrived at the boat ramp I wished we were putting in for one of Tom’s overnight trips. As Tom and I discussed “guide stuff” like menus and camp logistics, I became aware of Tom’s level of professionalism and organization and quickly understood why he is considered the master of the multi-day downriver experience.

As Tom slid his raft off the trailer he started spotting “the bugs”. Late June in Western Montana means “the bugs” are stoneflies. Sure enough the streamside vegetation was filled with the shucks of adult giant stoneflies. We did not expect to see any stoneflies on the wing in the cool, overcast conditions. Nonetheless we tied on large stonefly dries and got to work pounding the banks. The West Fork of the Bitteroot is a swift river and the fishing was fast and furious. I immediately started hooking (not landing) fish as Tom shook his head and wondered when the fishing would pick up. This came to be a common theme on my trip: guide apologizing for “kinda slow” fishing as I caught more than my fair share of 15” – 17” trout and fought the urge to click my heels. By the end of the day we had caught numerous brown and rainbow trout on dry flies, nymphs and streamers.

After fishing in Missoula I traveled to Crane Meadow Lodge on the Ruby River. Cody Meine runs a great program at Crane Meadow that is completely centered around the fishing. Cody and his guides have brought serious fishing to a whole new level. Anglers at Crane Meadow Lodge will typically be on the water earlier and later than guests at other lodges. In spite of high water, during my two days at Crane Meadow I fished no less than six different fisheries that were all beautiful, unique and productive. We primarily focused on private spring creeks and still water fisheries, although we did one float on the Beaverhead River that was a lot of fun and produced some nice fish. The bottom line here is that irrespective of conditions, Crane Meadow has lots of options.

Once again I was able to catch fish on dry flies, nymphs, and streamers during the course of my stay at Crane Meadow Lodge. The private waters varied greatly in their nature and were great fun to fish. We caught fish in spring creeks from six to 20 feet in width. I will never forget the jaw-dropping feeling of seeing brown trout over twenty inches swim out from cut banks to chase my fly in a spring creek that is less than a rod-length wide. The still waters were intimate and were a combination of sight fishing and blind casting on foot.

After leaving Twin Bridges I drove north and east to Livingston, MT to spend some time with Dan Vermillion at theHarrison Homestead. Upon my first glimpse of the homestead I immediately started thinking of groups I’d like to host there. The homestead is an ideal setting for those who want to have some privacy with family or friends as well as quick access to outstanding trout fisheries. The Yellowstone River runs right in front of the property and I could hear pheasants in the fields (and yes, you can cast and blast there in the fall). As was usual for this trip, we passed the well-known rivers that were high and off-color on our way to an intimate, clear water river that seemed to be teeming with 15” – 17” rainbow trout. Still on the early side of stoneflies I gladly caught these fish on large, dark stonefly nymphs.

My next stop took me south of Billings, MT to Bighorn River Lodge. Carlo and Janel Boshoff have a beautiful lodge right on the river with their own private boat ramp and bass pond within 150 feet of the lodge. I have heard the stories of the Bighorn River’s productivity over the years and was anxious find out if my experience would uphold the legend. I can definitively say that rumors about the number of fish you catch in the Bighorn River are absolutely true. Carlo and I caught great numbers of fish throughout the day and I left knowing that the harder you fish the Bighorn, the more trout you catch. Simply put, it is a fish factory where folks rack up the numbers. Meals at Bighorn River Lodge are outstanding. More than one guest made the comment that they gladly gain a few pounds each year they visit.

From the Bighorn River I drove through Yellowstone National Park to Island Park, ID and Henry’s Fork Lodge. The lodge’s location on the banks of the river downstream of Harriman State Park make it an ideal base for fishing the famed waters of the Henry’s Fork. True to its reputation, the Henry’s Fork had beautiful, gin-clear water and prolific hatches that transitioned throughout the day between multiple species of mayflies and caddis. Just fishing the different sections of the Henry’s Fork would take a week. While in the area I visited with the folks at Henry’s Fork Anglers, Trout Hunter and WorldCast Anglers. What I learned is that Island Park is an ideal base from which to fish many lifetimes’ worth of outstanding trout rivers. With accommodations at Henry’s Fork Lodge, cabins from WorldCast Anglers and western hotel-style lodging at Trout Hunter, we can design an itinerary to match all budgets and fishing desires. From chosen accommodations in Island Park anglers can access the Henry’s Fork river, the upper Madison river and the storied trout streams of Yellowstone National Park.

A two hour drive from Island Park brought me to Swan Valley, ID and South Fork Lodge on the banks of the South Fork of the Snake River. The high water prevented a big dry fly bite but my nymphs were readily eaten by surprisingly strong trout. The South Fork of the Snake River is an incredibly productive river and is a great place to catch numbers of fish on dry flies for anglers of all skill levels. The guides out of South Fork Lodge are dry fly and dry/dropper specialists! After viewing my pictures from the trip, South Fork Lodge was the first place my wife pointed to and said “I want to go there!”

My final visit of the trip was to Firehole Ranch just west of Yellowstone National Park and on the shores of Hebgen Lake. My summary of the Firehole Ranch experience: this place has it all. The crew at Firehole Ranch have managed to blend the best aspects of a western guest ranch with a solid fishing program. Although the vast and varied waters of Yellowstone National Park represent the bread and butter of Firehole’s fishing program, I spent my time fishing the Madison River. This was another day that we caught fish on streamers, nymphs, and dry flies. Well…there may have been some pilot error on the dry fly end but that’s another story.

The upshot of my first business trip? Well, I think I may be a workaholic! I learned a lot on this trip by seeing all these destinations at the same time of year and under the same challenging conditions. It was invaluable to see the guides and outfitters go to their “Plan B” and learn that tough fishing by Montana standards is still better than good fishing in a lot of other places. I look forward to filling in anyone interested on the details of this trip and reporting on my upcoming summer trips to Wyoming and Colorado, as well as the Deschutes, Grande Rhonde and Clearwater Rivers this fall.