Go West Young Man!

Finally Here!
Finally Here!

I have been a follower of Moose Knuckle Fly Fishing since its inception. I really love the material that is offered and decided that I want to offer my insights, knowledge, and adventures to the blog. So here I am.

Over the past week, my wife and I have taken an opportunity to go out to Colorado and stay for over a month. Last weekend, we packed the car, dropped off our two cats at my in-laws and headed west. It took about 1800 miles, the majority on Interstate 80, for us to arrive at our destination, Steamboat Springs, CO.  In order to make it here, it took two hard days of driving and every effort of my self restraint to not stop at the 3 Cabelas and 2 Bass Pro Shops that we passed along the way.  All in all it was pleasantly uneventful getting out to Colorado.

One of many amazing views!
One of many amazing views in Colorado!

Steamboat Springs

Steamboat Springs is located in northwest Colorado, about a 3 hour drive from Denver.  It is closer to Wyoming than the any of other major Colorado ski resorts.  Steamboat has a history based not only in mining but also cattle ranching.  The vibe of the town is definitely cowboy-ish.  I have seen more people wearing Stetsons in the past couple of days than over the past year.

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Steamboat Springs Ski Resort has over 3000 acres of skiable terrain with an average annual snowfall of over 350 inches.  The town is deserving of its nick name, Ski Town USA.  The town is also host to some of the best winter fly fishing in the country.

A rite of passage that every local child particpates in during the Winter Carnival.
A rite of passage that local children participate in during the Winter Carnival.

Yampa River

The Yampa River runs 250 miles through Northwest Colorado into Utah, where it joins up with the Green River.  It holds all four major trout species as well as Pike and Smallmouth in its lower sections.  The tailwater section below the Stagecoach Reservoir is the part where you can truly catch a trophy winter trout.  This tailwater section is about a 30 minute drive outside of Steamboat.  Usually one can drive the access road along the tailwater section; however, in the winter, this road is closed for elk migration.  So one either has to hike or snowmobile to reach the tailwater section.  Like all great Colorado tailwaters, the water temperature is stable, the insect activity is vast, and the fishing is super hard!  The Yampa also runs through downtown Steamboat.  This is a great section to try and catch a Colorado Grand Slam (cutthroat, rainbow, brown, and brookie).

The subsurface arsenal ready to go
The subsurface arsenal ready to go

Going Forward

This is the setting for my next two months.  I will be exploring all the local waters and skiing as much as I can.  In the next few months I will not only be fly fishing in Colorado but also the  Bahamas, Central America, the Adirondacks, the Catskills, and the New England coast.  I look forward to sharing all these adventures with the Moose Knuckle Fishing readers.

My wife Jess enjoying her first Fat Tire in Steamboat
My wife Jess enjoying her first Fat Tire in Steamboat

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