If you’ve been following this blog for a bit you know I’ve jumped into the deep end of the fly fishing pool. Recently, I had the chance to fish the Upper Arkansas River near Buena Vista, Colorado with my dad and a guide. It was incredible.
As a long-time traditional tackle fisherman, I’ve only recently gotten into the sport of fly fishing. And while I am not doing a whole lot of catching yet, it has been an incredibly fun activity to pursue. From watching YouTube videos, and buying books on bug hatches, to talking with a former boss who was kind enough to mentor me on some fly fishing tips, and lots of trial and error, I’ve jumped into the river with both feet.
Because my work takes me to Colorado occasionally it was simply too good of an opportunity to pass up when my dad called me and asked if we could go fishing together. Like me, he’s been learning how to fly fish too. I probably said before he got the question out and I decided to amp it up a bit by booking a guide for us.
Our two and half day trip would include a guide during our second day which was going to be on the Arkansas River. Our first day was spent on the Dream Stream (bucket list checked!) a notoriously hard stretch of water to fish. My dad hooked one – a small rainbow and while I had two on the hook, I couldn’t get them into the net. Still, it was incredibly rewarding to fish this notorious stretch of water.
We moved on and fished the stunning 11 Mile Canyon (arguably one of the more beautiful stretches of water I’ve ever fished). I had one on the hook again, but couldn’t get it in the net, and my dad had the same thing happen to him while using a traditional tackle setup (authorized for that part of the river we were on).
On day 2 we made a long (very long!) drive to some water just north of Buena Vista and met up with our guide Derek from The Blue Quill Angler.
Unsure what to expect because we’d never used a guide before (and are still novices at this whole fly fishing thing) we were understandably a little nervous. However, our guide, Derek Draplin, was incredible. The 30-year-old was patient, and encouraging, and taught us tons of useful information throughout the day.
And we caught fish. 6 in total (3 each!).
Though we didn’t have much of hatch that day, we nymphed quite a bit and learned techniques like how to roll cast, and how to stack nymphs on a line – including an attractor nymph and a plethora of other little tips and tricks that you simply couldn’t learn on a YouTube video. Plus he brought lunch, hot coffee, water, snacks and beer.
- Book a trip with Blue Quill Angler here (not an affiliate link)
Let me be clear: if you are new to fly fishing and are looking for a patient and encouraging guide, Derek Draplin from Blue Quill Angler is your man. Period. 12/10 recommend.
After a long day in the sun we retreated to the town of Buena Vista for some grub before heading back to our hotel in Colorado Springs.
The next day we made a run at the South Platte near Deckers and while I hooked one on like my 7th cast I narrowly missed getting him into my net before he jumped off. The rest of the day was a bust as the water was flowing high and fast and we couldn’t make it work. But, any day fishing is better than a day not fishing and we still had a blast.
Investing in a guide was a game changer for us. We took all of the trial and error from our previous efforts and leveled up with the expert tutelage of our guide. If you are starting out at this sport consider a guide. I fully recommend Blue Quill Angler if you are fishing in Colorado (Note: I was not compensated in any way by Blue Quill).
I also recommend you get yourself on the Arkansas River. As a freestone stream, it’s stunning.
I also recommend fishing with your dad. It was a special time (for me at least) to learn this activity together with my dad – the person who taught me how to fish traditional tackle. A special memory for sure.
My Gear Setup
In case you are curious about what kind of setup I am using these days, I’ve listed it here for y’all.
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- Orvis Recon 9’6″ 5-Weight (See Orvis’ Price, See Amazon’s Price)
- Sage Trout Reel (See Farbank’s Price, See Amazon’s Price)
- Rio Gold x1 (see Farbank’s Price, See Amazon’s Price)
- GAME CHANGER: Venture Fly Company 200 flies – the perfect set to round out your fly kit for beginners (See Amazon’s Price)
- Dark Lightning Breathable Insulated Chest Waders (See Amazon’s Price)
- My grandpa’s old fishing vest – it’s old, not for sale anymore, and I love it!
Sage Trout 4/5/6 Reel
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. We may also earn commissions from other affiliate programs as applicable. Click here to read our privacy & disclosure page.
Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I may also earn commissions from other affiliate programs as applicable.
