Day two found us out on the Colorado River bright and early. We opted to float a lower section that does not see as much traffic and we were rewarded with the river all to ourselves. I started throwing a double nymph rig and quickly picked up a trifecta of fish – brown trout, whitefish, and a big sucker (that did stop my heart for a second when I thought it was Walter the big brown). Having pulled several browns in I switched to a streamer and started pounding the banks looking for that big brown and although I gave it a valiant effort, I missed several good fish and came away with a longing to float it again for another chance at a big one.
We headed back to Jay’s place and after a quick bit to eat, I headed out on the small stream again. I found a few rainbows and a bunch of browns who were willing to play and was even lucky enough to catch a decent PMD hatch before dark, which for an Arizona fisherman was quite an experience to see such a strong hatch. Exhausted, I crashed into bed that night looking forward to a big float on the Eagle River the next day.
Some amazing water there Ben. It really looks inviting for a float.
Ben, you make a trip back down to Arizona not so scary for this old North Idaho boy. I guess it just takes a bit of searching to find some good water (and a pair of good knees) The last time we were through the area in 08 on the way to Texas we never saw clear water after we crossed the Colorado on the way to the south rim of the canyon until we hit Santa Fe on the way home…. Thanks for showing me some of the areas you know so well!
Sounds and looks like a fabulous trip knowing that there was always a chance at that big brown as long as you had the water to cast to.
It certainly was a great stretch. Wish I could go back and float it again in search of the big one, but that’s what keeps us coming back.