Written By Sarah Brandt Green
With the many mountain-fed rivers in western Colorado, there is a wealth of fishing spots for the novice or the serious. The San Miguel River from Telluride to the Norwood Bridge offers rainbows, cut-throats and brown trout. Caddis or Adams parachute flies are used and the fishing is generally good
in the afternoon before the rain comes in. The Upper Dolores River is also good, north of Rico. Flies typically used include Trudes, Caddis imitations and Copper Johns, in a variety of sizes. There are big fish below the dam of
the Ridgway Reservoir, between Ridgway and Montrose, at Pa-co-chu-puk. If you're in the Gunnison area, try Cooper's or Neversink, recreation spots between the Blue Mesa Reservoir and Gunnison. The Palisades is an especially beautiful spot near Gunnison where you can wade in deep water against a dramatic rock outcropping. The Taylor River which comes out at Almont, between Crested Butte and Gunnison, is also popular.You can find the crowds at the dam at the top of the Taylor where the big old trout hang out. Float trips are numerous between Almont and Gunnison and there is catch-and-release salmon fishing during the late summer and early fall.

Also good is the East River from Gothic to Crested Butte and the wild trout water above Almont. The Lake Fork of the Gunnison, which stems from Lake City is also popular. There are also numerous backcountry streams that hold all types of trout and are considered the jewels of the area. The most successful underwater fly tends to be the Bead Head Pheasant Tail.

Fishing lovers should obey all private land signs and stick to public access areas when wading the rivers in Colorado.