To Fish or Not to Fish—Depends on the Weather

Mark Moberg

From June 1 through the 26th, my wife Eileen and I planned to spend time out of the heat in the incredible, picturesque mountains of Colorado. We rendezvous with two other Sun Lakes Fly Fishing Club (SLFFC) members and their wives at various times during that period. My primary goal was to float the South Fork of the Rio Grande with fellow club member and guide Tyson Warren from the Wolf Creek Fly Shop.

We arrived in South Fork to be greeted by cold, gray skies, winds, and high-fast water, too dangerous to float. We opted to cancel; however, the next day, our guide Tyson Warren notified us that the river had settled down enough to be guided, so we decided to fish. The water condition wasn’t excellent, but it was safe, so Tyson, Dan Roberts, and I opted to launch. I landed the first fish almost immediately, and as the day progressed, Dan did most of the catching, but it was a worthwhile day for both of us.

Later that week, with improved water conditions, Dan and Carl Smith floated the river with Tyson, and they had success in landing numerous trout. The following day, Dan, Carl, and I launched our personal crafts on the Beaver Creek Reservoir to experience still-water fishing. The day was perfect; no crowds or wind, smooth water, just the sounds of birds and a blue sky. Mountain views and pristine woods surrounded the reservoir. It was an ideal fishing experience for the three of us. We were all successful, with many trout caught.

After a few more days of marginal weather and slim fishing, Carl, Dan, and their wives left to continue their vacations. Eileen and I stayed for several more days at the Salida RV Resort, situated on the Arkansas River. Our campsite was a few yards from the water, so I was able to fish from the shore at my leisure and was able to catch mainly brown trout. With the wind constantly blowing, however, snags were aggravating, and you needed to be a Billy goat to negotiate the banks in that area. Eileen and I have been visiting this area for years and will undoubtedly return next year, hopefully with more hospitable weather.

I’ve been involved with the SLFFC for several years and have befriended members with diverse backgrounds and have enjoyed my relationships with them on and off the water. The club’s philosophy is to keep our lines wet and support the disabled veterans with Arizona Veterans Fly Fishing. Last year, in addition to sponsoring several events, we raised over $7,000 for their organization. Some of the money came from the resale of donated fly fishing equipment from residents within the Sun Lakes communities. If you have fly fishing equipment that is gathering dust and would like to donate it for a good cause or make a cash donation, don’t hesitate to get in touch with George Abernathy, SLFFC president, at apachescout@gmail.com.