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On the Fly: Guides give insight into top fishing spots

Scott Spooner
On The Fly
Scott Spooner of Taylor Creek Fly Shop takes an afternoon to go fishing on Avalanche Creek southwest of Carbondale.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO |

Besides hiking, golf, cycling, kayaking and all the other distractions this valley has to offer, fly fishing can be a very relaxing way to spend your day.

Even if you’ve never fished the Roaring Fork Valley, there are a bunch of great places to explore and plenty of wild trout to meet out there during the summer months. If you are visiting and don’t have any gear, most fly shops from Glenwood Springs to Aspen offer rental gear as well as top-notch guide services to maximize your time on our rivers, streams and lakes.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to where and when to go, as you can choose between intimate small streams, high country lakes, world-famous gold medal waters, or floating the big rivers in a dory or raft. Any shop in the valley would love the opportunity to spread out a map on the counter and show you their favorite haunts, including what to use and how to fish the flies they recommend. Finding great water is easy here, getting a license for the day or the week is even easier.



If solitude and wild cutthroats or brook trout are your speed, be sure to check out the upper Crystal River, Avalanche Creek or Rocky Fork Creek while here in the valley.

If it’s all about dry fly hatches and gold-medal water, this is the time to be on the Fryingpan with a few green drake and pale morning dun patterns in your vest. Most of us shop types love to float the bigger sections of the Roaring Fork and Colorado Rivers, and hatches on these waters are as good as they get. Right now!



Even if you have never fly fished, I guarantee (with the right advice and/or guide) you can have a blast on our rivers and lakes.

Bring along some sunscreen, a few flies, and take in the gorgeous scenery we love to call home. You won’t regret it!

— This report is provided every week by Taylor Creek Fly shops in Aspen and Basalt. Taylor Creek can be reached at 970-927-4374, or at http://www.taylorcreek.com.


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