By Bob Good

In 1875 when Gus Bergole and Jack Echols ventured into the remote valley pocket that eventually became known as Umcompahgre City (later changed to Ouray to honor Chief Ouray who taught whites how to survive the harsh winters) they had gold fever on their minds. Any fish encountered in the region's prolific streams probably meant no more to the prospecting pair than the opportunity to occasionally dine on grilled cutthroat trout instead of the regular red-meat diet of elk, deer and Rocky Mountain Sheep. One hundred twenty-five years later, prospectors still probe the region's outcropping for silver and gold, while elk, deer and Bighorns still wander the ridges; but it's the spectacular scenery, rugged peaks, and the area's multitude of fishing opportunities drawing throngs of tourists to Ouray these days.

Big water, small water, fish for eating, fish for sport, fly fishing, spin and bait fishing: it's all here. Within easy driving distance of Ouray, anglers will find trout fishing opportunities to match the desires of everyone from casual angler to the hard-core catch-and-release flyfisher. One of my personal favorite sites has a bit of it all. A quick dozen miles north of Ouray on Highway 550 lies PA-CO-CHU-PUK recreation area, the down-river section of Ridgeway State Park. The park houses three pleasant tent and RV camping areas, but visitors with fishing on their mind should key in on the unit below Ridgeway Reservoir.

At this point, the Umcompahgre River becomes tailwater, flowing from the Bureau of Reclamation dam in a broad, cool stream, perfect habitat for browns and rainbows, some of prodigious sizes. Here the river makes sweeping bends, churning and spilling small cascades over river bottom and midstream deflectors constructed in a cooperative effort by several agencies at a cost of $200,000 for the two-mile stretch. At the premium of $100,000 a mile, fishermen would expect premium fishing, and they won't be disappointed. Broad riffles, big pocket water, meandering side channels and deep chutes tempt fly and spin anglers alike.

Below the dam, the river is restricted to fishing with flies and lures only, no keep, catch-and-release fishing. An easy trail parallels most of the stretches. Except for a few spots, even novice fly anglers will find ample room for trouble-free backcasts. Spin fishers often do well on Mepps #2. Both silver blades and black seem to have their days. When downstream demands raise the river and increase the flow, one or two BB-size split shot will ensure spinners hang in the deeper pockets and runs long enough to tempt strikes.

Fly fishers should keep an eye to the water and willows alongside for signs of hatches occurring the past few days. Bank-side spider webs hold specimens that give anglers close-up views of shape and size of stream-born insects that have stumbled in. The newly reconstructed habitat hasn't had much of an opportunity yet to establish large hatches, but old standby patterns often produce solid results. I have often done well on Beadhead Prince Nymphs and Beadhead Hares Ears, both in size #12. If the river is high, a #8 weighted Colorado Caddis Nymph with a pair of BB shot above the tippet knot will sink the offering down to where fish are holding out of heavy flows.

This is no place for light lines or tippets. The Umcompahgre runs the color of blue-green glacier melt, so spider-web-thin lines aren't necessary to fool fish, and the possibility of tangling with a true trophy in heavy water is not a remote possibility. My personal best from this tailwater to date was just under ten pounds, but I netted a slab-sided rainbow for another angler one evening well into double digits. Most fish will run 12 to 20 inches, but true monsters can and do shock anglers any week of the year, including the dead of winter. Anglers should be prepared to be frustrated on occasion. The fish can turn on and off with no apparent reason. I have blanked early and gotten giddy with strikes at midday.

If you are hankering for a few 'bows grilled over the campfire, and the river fish have you talking to yourself (which they can do!), stroll down to the two well-marked lakes below the RV campground. There, bait is legal, and a limit of fish may be kept. (Check park brochure for current limits.) Kids will love the fishing, and a fly/bubble combination will almost guarantee them strikes. A solid population of rainbows inhabits the ponds, and while most will run 10 to 12 inches, there are fish that will scare you when they follow your lure or fly in. They are clever fish, these lunkers, the gin-clear water making them a tough go, but they can be had, usually in late evening or early morning. A patient angler can trick them into taking tiny flies on micro-size tippets, but just try to land one when it bales for the bottom weed cover.

Camp sites in all three areas are spacious, some with electricity, sewage outlet and water. Easy pull-throughs make parking even large rigs a snap. Trails lead to tent sites across the river. Showers and laundry facilities are available in the main services building. Deer frequent the area delighting early risers arriving at the ponds for first-light angling. Kids of all ages will enjoy the over-friendly chipmunks and cottontail rabbits. For information and reservations call 1-800-678-CAMP.

More Travels in the Area Click Here:

For anglers who like to match wits with small-stream trout, a drive over Red Mountain Pass toward Durango will bring them to the Purgatory Ski Area. From there take Forest Road 578 west to Hermosa Creek Trailhead, about 12 miles. Primitive camping is available at the trailhead meadow. A well-marked trail follows the stream almost 20 miles and is easily negotiated by ATVs, mountain bikes, or motorcycles. Full-size vehicles are prohibited. An easy three-mile walk or ride in will put fishermen well past where most anglers fish.

Hermosa Creek is a tributary of the Animas River. Most fish will be 8- to 12-inch rainbows, with an occasional brook trout or cutthroat. Although most of the river can be effectively fished by anglers in hiking shoes, knee boots let fishermen slip up on fish hiding in brushy tangles that seldom see an offering. Some of these reclusive fish reach a surprising 16 to18 inches. On my last trip, I tangled with two of these that are probably still showing off the nymph patterns stuck in their jaws, acquired after they ripped me off by charging downstream over small cascades and under down-timber tangles.

To make hiking along Hermosa a memorable event, take along a small fry pan, some cooking oil and a single-burner pack stove. Add a few 8- to 10-inch trout fresh from the stream, dot with Lawry's Season Salt to taste, fry till crisp, then sit back and enjoy them with a can of brew chilled in the stream. Life doesn't get any better than this.

If you're a fan of big water, big fish, continue down the road to Durango. Stop in at Duranglers Fly Shop or the Orvis outlet on the main drag and arrange for a float and fishing trip down the Animas River. The Animas is a big, powerful piece of water. It's sheer size will intimidate many anglers accustomed to more placid waters, but the boys at Duranglers and Orvis have been fishing the river for years and will direct your casting to pockets holding browns that will shake even experienced fishermen to the roots when the fish rocket out of cover to slam flies big enough to choke most trout. Big water, big fish, big flies, major excitement. Floating is the best way to productively fish the Animas although some public wade fishing is available right in the down of Durango itself. The state record for brown trout was held for many years by a fish taken from under a bridge right in town.

The above waters offer opportunities to satisfy almost any angler's wishes, but I would be remiss did I not let readers know that a quick hour's drive south of Durango lies one of the most storied trout fisheries of all time. Just over the border into New Mexico lies Navajo Dam. From its base flows the tailwater of the San Juan River. The trout population is so high it startles even veteran anglers. The division of wildlife did test samples on one pool and estimated it's trout population at over 4,000 fish.

Below the dam, the river separates into ribbons divided by elongated islands. Wading into one of the flats in these stretches has to be experienced to be believed. As the angler wades, a flotilla of trout from 14 to 22 inches moves ahead of him, finally settling down, then moving back into position, often within inches of the fisherman's feet. Seeing all these fish can be unnerving.

The river below the dam is divided into several diverse management sections, some designated flies-and-lures only, some catch-and-release only. Parking areas are well posted with signs and maps advising anglers as to regulations in the immediate area. It's all good. Outflows from the dam are a nearly constant 42 degrees Fahrenheit, perfect conditions for raising rainbows rapidly to fat, healthy slab-sided fish averaging close to the two-pound mark with many exceeding that. 

Hiring a local guide for a day is not a bad idea if you are not familiar with the river. Advertising along the roadway will direct you to a number of local outfitters. Experienced anglers will be able to do a fair job of reading the river's nuances on their own, and will know the right questions to ask at the sporting goods outlets adjacent to the river. Spin fishers will do okay on the San Juan, but this tailwater is really the realm of the fly fisher familiar with fishing light tippets and tiny flies. Midge-larva patterns in #20 to 22 almost always produce fish, or catch an evening hatch and do a match, and an angler will have flyfishing to remember a lifetime.

For more information on this and other Jeep Jamborees, please visit http://www.jeepunpaved.com/jamboree/index.asp. 

Photos by Bob Good
Copyright (c) 2000 by Bob Good. All rights reserved.