Fly Fishing Road Trips
Good People Good Water Good Fish
ARIZONA
Good Fish
The target is Lee Ferry, Glen Canyon, and the Colorado River. It is about two-half hours from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Every state has its magical moments, but this one is in the top ten to date.
I arrived in mid-afternoon from the Grand Canyon, and it was hot, somewhere in the mid-90s Fahrenheit. Lake Powell feeds Glen Canyon via the Glen Cayon Dam, so this Colorado tailwater section runs cold all day long.
Good Water
The number one insect is midges. You can pull out a giant trout on a tiny zebra midge. Even after studying this, I had no idea what I was doing the first day. You could see the trout in the water, but I could believe it, so I never saw them on the first day.
I met a young college kid who was new to fly fishing and excited to be fishing. He couldn't afford wading boots, so he was fishing in waders. Those were not going to last without a hole. I bought a new pair in Arkansas a few days back, so I gave him mine. Nice feeling to give back to the fly fishing world!
Back to fishing, I gave-up late afternoon and drove to the fly shop (Lees Ferry on the Fly). I talked to a young kid working the counter and said I need a guide to go just wading. A boat is typically how one does this section of the Colorado River. He said he could take me as he wants to be a fly guide. We agree we would start early at 7 am the next day.
After setting up camp at the Lees Ferry Campground ($20), I made dehydrated beef stroganoff with a small bottle of pinot noir.
It was a night of stars until the full moon showed up. I was determined to get to the river before 7 am.
Good People
I arrived at about noon and started fishing. I ran into a college kid just learning to fly fish. He could not afford boots, so he was fishing in his waders. I bought new boots at Bass Pro Shop in Arkansas on my way down since my old boots' soles started peeling. So I have him those boots which fit perfectly. He would be suitable for the season.
I had no idea how to fish the Colorado River in Arizona. It is a wide, fast-moving river and very intimidating. So, after a couple of hours, I packed up and drove to the fly shop.
I talked to the guy at the counter and convinced him to take me out to the river at 7 am the following day. But, unfortunately, he was still studying to be a guide.
Brooke and I arrived on the Colorado River to meet my guide at 6:30 am, but our guide got even more pumped and arrived there at 6:15 am. He brought two rods, one setup for streamer and one for nymph fishing. If I remember, we had a black woolly bugger for the streamer pole and zebra midges for the nymph pole.
We landed my first rainbow within an hour, and I was ready to go to Utah, but he would not let me go. So he gave me extra time, and we fished for about five hours, landed maybe about 15 trout, and hooked 30. I had never successfully felt a trout on the line with a streamer before; what a rush! These streamer lessons would pay off dividends in Nevada.
My guide was the best! He recommended that Brooke and I go to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon for better views; he was absolutely right!
