Erik Argotti’s Colorado Travel Chronicle – 2024
North Fork Ranch (September 21-24)
Taylor River Lodge (September 24-27)
Black Canyon Hosted Trip (September 27-October 1)
September 21:
I got a ride to the Redding airport around 9:45 am for a 10:50 flight to SFO. That is a nice time to catch a flight on a Saturday. I landed just before noon. My flight to Denver was around 2:30pm. The flight was a little late and landed in Denver right at 6 pm. I arrived in a heavy downpour. I picked up my checked bag and took the shuttle to the rental car area, where they let me pick my vehicle (Rav 4) and I was on the road by 7 pm for the 1.5 hour drive to North Fork Ranch. It was dark and rainy the whole way. I made it to the ranch by 8:30 and met Melinda, who is in charge of guest services, and owners Nick and Hayley. We sat around and chatted about the place. It has a really informal, welcoming, rustic feel. I was staying in the main lodge so I headed to my room and was in bed by 10.
September 22:
Coffee was ready at 6, breakfast at 8 am. Waffles with bacon and scrambled eggs. I walked over and hung out at the guide shack to see the guides get ready for the day. After everyone got going, Nate, one of the guides, showed me the North Fork Property (3 short sections), Shawnee Meadows (2 sections), and Rawhide (3 sections), all on the North Fork of the South Platte River. These are all walk and wade, stream-enhanced, stocked fisheries with plenty of fish. Lots of created habitat and holding water. This is a great place to send someone to catch big and small trout on a beautiful river with not a ton of walking necessary. All three are mostly nymph fisheries (worm and egg patterns), and some dry droppers. In the lower two sections you can fish streamers, as well – they don’t allow streamers on the North Fork Ranch. It is a very pretty river though the issue is the water is actually pulled from the other side of the continental divide for 23 miles through Robert’s Tunnel, and brought to the eastern side as water for Denver. It was running at about 280 CFS. There are times in the winter where it will run at 5 CFS – when that happens, all the fish can die. Yet, there are legitimate 10+ pound fish here. Everyone departed the lodge today and new people are coming in later. However, there were a few groups of 20+ people day fishing, so lunch was busy. 12:30 lunch with a few types of sandwiches, two soups, chili, rice and pasta dishes. Plenty of food. After lunch all the guides went back out and Hayley showed me around the cabins/lodge. Lots of different sleeping arrangements, and with them double occupancy means sharing a bed. There are some options to get your own room and share a bathroom and still get charged the double occupancy price. Stonehenge is a very cool house. Amazing architecture and design.
I came back to the lodge late afternoon and got showered up for a 6:30 dinner with Christian and Austin, two of the main guides that stay on the property. Christian guides in Alaska on the American Creek floats in August. He has done it for a couple of years. Delicious chicken with a creamy caper sauce, grilled veggies, pasta and fresh baked ciabatta bread. Peach cobbler for dessert. No appetizers.
September 23:
I was up for breakfast, 7:30. English muffin, breakfast egg muffin and lots of fruit. I organized some of my stuff and headed out to the guide shack. It was busy!! They had 10 guys at the lodge plus a group of 15 day fishermen plus a couple more regulars coming in later and a few half day trips. They had all three properties on the Middle Fork taken. After everyone cleared out and were on their way to the river, I met up with Jeff, owner of the guide side of things and we headed to South Park to see all three properties over there. The drive over was spectacular. Prime fall colors and lots of “leaf peepers” out. The Santa Maria Ranch (Middle Fork of the South Platte) is 1.5 miles of river sandwiched between two big public Wildlife Management areas. It is a fairly small stream that gets enormous fish that swim up from Spinney Mountain Reservoir during the summer. We saw two giant browns when we walked it. But I guess lots of 10-18” fish as well. Pretty section. Easy wading but you have to be able to walk. Next we went to Abell Ranch, encompassing three 1-mile sections of the Upper South Platte. It is a slow meandering river in this section with clear water and spooky fish. I guess there are lots of cormorants, pelicans and eagles from the lake that eat the fish, which makes them nervous. It’s a tailwater but looks like a spring creek – clear, flat water with weeds in it and lots of bug life. We saw a bunch of fish rising on every bend. It looks very fun/technical to fish.
Next we went to Tarryall Creek. This is a beautiful, slow, meandering mountain meadow stream. It is a tailwater as it comes out of a reservoir just above the property. Lots of slow-moving bends with almost no current, with some riffles and faster water mixed it. Great dry fly fishing. There were lots of fish rising when we got there. We started fishing around 2pm. Small Tricos at first, then BWOs later, and I even hooked 3-4 on a small hopper on one fast water run. I hooked over twenty fish, landing a dozen – mostly rainbows, but I did get a few browns. They supplement-stock rainbows on this river. I guess there are some huge pike that come over the dam, for those who might be interested. I never put a nymph on, and it was a lot of fun, casting small dries to rising fish. Lots tucked tight to the bank. Mostly 10-15” fish. Jeff left me after an hour or so, and went to show 3 new guides the lower section of Tarryall. Those guides came up to fish and we met and got out of there around 5. I drove with Bryan and another guide and we made it back to the lodge just after 6.
Dinner with Christian and Austin again. Nice salad with vinaigrette, pistachios, raspberries and goat cheese. Ham with rice, asparagus/carrots and this delicious looking loaf of bread. Some sorbet or little muffin-like dessert with caramel sauce drizzled on it. Yum. In bed early.
September 24:
I got up and ate breakfast at the lodge and said goodbye to the staff and was on the road. I drove through Fairplay, and Buena Vista. The fall colors were at their peak. It was beautiful. I went over Cottonwood Pass (12,126’) and stopped at the summit and took a short hike up to a scenic overlook. A little tough catching your breath at over 12K feet. I took my time on the drive and took lots of pictures and made it to Taylor River Lodge just before 1pm. Elliot, the head of sales for Eleven Angling, was there waiting. They made me a quick lunch, sandwich and chips. I got wadered up and we hit the Taylor’s Fork right at the Lodge. There were at least a dozen fish rising in the pool below the bridge. We put on a BWO dry and there were lots of fish willing to eat. I had lots of takes, missed a bunch, and landed a few. They supplement fish here, stocking rainbows once a year. Lots of pocket water and it was fun putting dries in all the likely spots and getting takes. I used a dry most of the afternoon and had plenty of action, but we would switch to a double dry or dry/dropper on some pickier fish. As the sun faded, I put on a streamer and landed a half dozen more. Elliot said we could wade out and get to water lots of guests can’t get to. Good action and seeing the fish kept you in the game the whole time. We quit just before 5. Elliot and I grabbed a beer and had duck wings as apps and he gave me the guide briefing they give all the guests. He stuck around for dinner, carne asada mole, with cilantro rice, Elote corn and Shishito peppers. Very delicious!
September 25:
Up for coffee and breakfast, 3 chorizo tacos with egg, cilantro, guacamole and goat feta cheese. Really loose breakfast time, anywhere from 7:30 to 9am. I met up with Elliot at 9. We drove about an hour to Tomichi Creek. They have two properties on the creek, about 2 miles of water in each. One they own and the other they lease. It is a low gradient, meandering, willow-lined creek that looks like brown trout heaven. Lots of edges and buckets and undercut banks and weeds in the river. It was slightly off-colored. We fished small streamers right from the start. Lots of action, follows, grabs, misses and I would catch one every once in a while. We worked our way up and it seemed to get better the farther we got. I’d say mostly 12-15” fish, but a few bigger and I hooked a few getting up around 20”. One real nice chunky fish that jumped out of the water and threw the hook. We fished up to the bridge, went back to the truck, ate lunch and then worked down stream. Afternoon was slower, but still got a half dozen fish. We were done by about 3:30 and headed back to the lodge. I took advantage of the hot tub, sauna, steam room and pool. Soo nice. Roasted brussel sprouts for apps, house salad and harissa-marinated lamb loin for dinner, and I had the Affogato (vanilla ice cream with a double shot of espresso) for dessert. The presentation of the meals is really fancy and the food is excellent. At breakfast they give you a menu so you can choose between three different dinner options.
September 26:
Up for breakfast, then one of the staff shuttled me 10 miles down the road to Almont, where the Taylor River and the East Fork join to form the Gunnison. I met with Nate, the head guide, and we floated down about 14 miles to just below the town of Gunnison. It is a very pretty river, with a high gradient drop in the first part before mellowing out. It had been tough fishing the last few days as there was lots of algae in the river. We almost didn’t fish it, but I wanted to see it and said I would be happy fishing streamers and would enjoy the float. Nate put on a black Baby Gonga and we never took it off. Slow at first, it didn’t take long before we were moving lots of fish. Follows, grabs, misses and we landed a bunch. 12-16” average with a few bigger, and I lost a couple around the 20” mark. It was run and gun at first, lots of rock edges, drops, flats, buckets and runs to cast to. It was very visual seeing the fish chase, slash and come back multiple times. Fish were everywhere and we had the river mostly to ourselves…it was a blast. Fall colors were spectacular – I can’t imagine a prettier float. We also saw a few kokanee salmon in the river that come up from Blue Mesa reservoir at this time to spawn. We made it to the take-out just after 3, and I was pretty worn out from casting streamers all day. Back to the lodge just after 4 and straight to the sauna/steam room again. They had an individual cheese board for apps – it was delicious. I chose Alaskan Halibut with fresh artichokes, asparagus salad, pickled shallots, fava bean veloute and basil Pistou for dinner. Very tasty!
September 27:
Up at 7:30 in for coffee and the chef special, Caprese omelet and some fruit. Checked out and was on the road after 9am. I drove through Crested Butte and over Kepler Pass, just over 10,.000’. Once again full fall colors on full display. I took my time and pulled over a bunch for pictures. Stopped for lunch in Hotchkiss and made it to Black Canyon Anglers just after 2pm and met Matt and True and got caught up. I got settled in my cabin and packed my dry bag for the float the following morning and took a walk around the property. It is a beautiful little oasis. Lush green with peach, apple, cherry and pear trees, grapes, big vegetable and herb gardens and ponds right along the river. Stark contrast from the dry desert all around. I went over to the dining room to chat with Ed (one of the anglers in my hosted group), and we enjoyed a drink and apps. Bruce and Richard made it just before dinner and Mike made it back from fishing and joined us. He had showed up early and fished the water around the lodge for a few days. The food was amazing. Chef Deanna is a rock star. The salad was one of the best I’ve had. Kale and purple cabbage, shaved carrots, chipotle buttermilk Ranch, Asian pear, local goat feta. So many flavors. Lamb carnitas for dinner, also really good. It was a good bunch of guys and we had a nice time at dinner. There were 5 of us on the 3-day Gunnison Canyon float. I headed back to my room around 8 and was in bed for an early start the next day.
September 28:
Up at 6, breakfast at 6:30. It was a simple breakfast, some bagels, yogurt, pre-heated breakfast sandwiches/burritos, and fruit. Nothing fancy. We loaded into the van and were on the road just after 7. It was about an hour and 20 minutes to the trailhead and the last half was really rough. Half an hour walk down to the river. You could pack your own gear or pay someone $75 to pack it down for you. Those guys were animals. One guy packed down 3 packs. Rafts/coolers and drinks were already down there, being packed the day before. We were on the water and I fished with Ed and we had Will as our guide. It was his 34th year. Most of us rowed up 3/4 of a mile to the bottom of Black Canyon National Park. It was beautiful, with steep canyon walls that go straight up. It was slow at first. I fished streamers the whole day even though dry droppers were the way to go. Forecast was for temps in the 90s with little clouds. We only fished a few miles today. We stopped for lunch and waded around after eating. I fished with Mike after lunch and he did well with the dry-droppers. He must have caught 8-10 fish in the afternoon. We fished until about 4 and made it to camp. I moved a few, hooked a few and landed a half dozen all day. Guys fishing dry droppers did well. Water was low at 450 cfs and the day was pretty easy as far as white water and boat maneuvering.
Apps were tiny beef tacos…yum. We had salmon with mango salsa, broccoli and noodles. Unbelievable for river food. We hung around for dessert, had a beer and everyone was in bed by 8.
September 29:
Up around 7:30. Cowboy coffee, very nice breakfast frittata, sausage and potatoes. We were out fishing at around 9. Just before we headed out, Bruce and I threw 3 hoppers in the water and they all got eaten, almost right away. I decided to fish a hopper. Not nearly as good to start, but I did land a few fish. Mike was doing pretty good fishing the chubby-dropper rig. Dry fly fishing picked up as we went on. After lunch I switched to a dry/dropper for a little while and got a fish. Then we saw some fish rising in a flat so I put on a Morrish Hopper with a small caddis trailer. They liked the caddis. I hooked 6-8 fish, 2 really nice ones. One 20”+ but a little skinny compared to the rest. And one that I hooked, got a good look at and ran upstream as we went down and got me wrapped around a rock. Angus(guide) rowed us back up to where he was wrapped – I was snagged on the rock and the fish was off. Mike was pretty consistent with the dry dropper all day. There were a couple more rapids today with one Class 4. We made it to camp around 4 and all relaxed over a beer. Smoked salmon for appetizers and beef filets with caramelized onions, seasoned rice, sliced zucchini and garlic bread. That meal was really good. Double brownies (vanilla and chocolate) with whipped cream for dessert.
September 30:
Nice breakfast again, and we were off and on the water around 9. I stuck with the hopper, but most everyone else went to streamers. This was the more serious rapid section. I went with Ed again and we must have gone through 7+ good rapids in the morning, with a few just big enough for the boat to fit through. One stretch had three serious rapids in a row. Will handled them like a champ. Not too bad in low water but I guess they are pretty serious when water levels are running higher. So, with all the pocket water and little buckets the streamer fishing was pretty good. A few big fish, 20+, were caught. I had a few lookers at the dry dropper and landed a couple. After lunch I fished with Mike – we came out of the canyon and the water flattened out and the river got wider. We both fished terrestrials. He fished a big Chernobyl and I stayed with a Morrish. He landed a half dozen nice fish and I got a few. It was hot after lunch. We made it back to the take out just after 3 pm. The guides broke down boats and loaded gear into the vans and on the trailer. They made quick work of it. Short drive back to the lodge and we all settled into our cabins again. We organized our gear and hung out in the large shaded gazebo in front of the cabins and chatted about the trip and shared pictures. Later, we headed over for cocktails and appetizers. Dinner was amazing again. Salad was an arugula with dill vinaigrette, pears, pickled onions and goat feta. The main course was chile-crusted elk tenderloin with a roasted pepper relish, creamed olathe sweet corn, cherry tomatoes and tomatillos and lion’s mane mushrooms. Awesome!! Whiskey creme brulee for dessert. We were all tired and headed back to the cabin.
October 1:
I got up at 6:30, had breakfast, and we said our goodbyes. I left around 7:30 for the 5 hour drive to Denver. Stopped for lunch and gas in Georgetown, and made it back to the airport around 1:45.
Flight out of Denver was at 4 to SFO, and I had a 9 pm flight to Redding, which was late and I arrived home around 10:30.
Conclusion:
North Fork Ranch is just over an hour from Denver, in a beautiful narrow valley and with a clear, high-gradient mountain river running right through the property. Comfortable lodge with a welcoming feel and has a lot of history as a dude ranch, as that is what it was when the current owner’s parents initially ran it. Once Hayley and Nick took over they went with fly fishing as the main focus and brought in Jeff to take care of the fishing. The North Fork is perfect for people who want to catch fish and have a good time for a few days, as long as they don’t have issues with stocked/managed fisheries. Families that want to get their kids on fish, or beginners who want to catch fish in a Rocky Mountain setting. The other 3 South Park fisheries are a great addition to the North Fork River properties, giving it more depth and great for guys who want to walk something more traditional. You could easily do a 4N/3D trip and keep busy with more technical walk-and- wade fishing. Although a little farther drive from the lodge, I would love to go back and explore these streams. Lots of different lodging options and good upscale family-style food. Guides all seemed friendly and knowledgeable and you can tell they are all a team. Price is reasonable, Hayley does a great job with the lodging and food side of things, and Jeff runs a tight guide program and is really knowledgeable on all things Colorado.
Taylor River Lodge is a great high-end option in Colorado. They are all about you having your best day, and they cater to individual needs and groups. They have a pretty varied program and can keep you busy with different fisheries. A day walk-and-wade fishing on the Taylor River, a day or two floating the Gunnison, and a day or multiple days on Tomichi Creek (2 different sections). It gives you quite a bit of variety for multiple days of fishing, including high mountain streams and/or lakes during the peak of the summer. The cabins are set up for couples and families. None of the lodging is really set up for a couple of guys that want to fish. If you had a group of six, a couple or a family it would be ideal. Although there might be better places to fish, if a guy wants to take his non-fishing wife somewhere and have her taken care of while he fishes, I can’t think of a better place. They have a spa, with massages and classes, a sauna/pool/steam room, white water rafting, lawn games, rock climbing and lots of other options to keep non-fishing partners busy. It would be hard to beat this option for that type of trip. The architecture is dark and rustic, food is amazing, lots of staff, it is quiet and spread out, and each cabin has a private feel but is still close enough to walk everywhere…but they provide bikes if you want to ride around the property. The schedule is really loose for meals and there is a window when you can have dinner and breakfast. You can have dinner on the lawn or in your room if you want.
Black Canyon Anglers – These guys have it dialed in. They do a lot of trips in the Gunnison Gorge and are true experts. The guides are all veterans. The 4 guides we were with had a total of 75 seasons in the Black Canyon. The food, the guiding, the adventure of the trip and of course the fishing were all top-notch. In early summer when the water is high this is a white water adventure and when it is low you are picking your way through rock gardens just big enough to fit a boat through. The logistics for getting everything in order is a lot and they are honed in and focused on the job. Staying at the lodge before and after is highly recommended and the food there is some of the best around. The trip is very reasonably priced. This is a trip all anglers should do. The fish numbers are high and there are some monsters that come out of this river. You can fish any way you want, but they mostly do dry droppers or straight dry flies. There are lots of hatches and of course the salmonfly hatch in June is highly sought after. I guess the river can come alive with fish then. I think this is a great trip for anybody looking for something unique, and for an all-around experience over just a straight fishing trip.
