RMNP - Cub Lake > The Pool With T&L And Fishing The For BigT Browns 10Sep18

Arrising for coffee and berries we saddled our day packs for a loop hike including Cub Lake, The Pool (on the BigT headwaters) and a return to camp. Leslie's X5 running on a flat got us to the TH NP. We navigated the loop through a serious burn zone and saw a low and lily pad choked Cub Lk at great pace but faced the extra mile on the dusty road along the next drainage - the BigT, and a wait for TAW when down (he chose to see Fern Falls - .7 mi the other direction, as he does, but we love him for that); we enjoyed the whole thing immensely. Our pals left after lunch and Kala and I hit the BigT @ the Morraine for some feisty browns on terrestrials before the 5pm "elk deadline." Super fun 6.6mi & 1Kft and Morraine Pk dry fly fishing.

RMNP In Fall 15Sep16

Kala and I camped in Moraine Park in the Rocky Mtn Nat Park ~ it's becoming a fall tradition. Despite a sketchy forecast, the weather was gorgeous for fall in the mountains. Shorter, cooler days have brought brilliant color to the aspens, elk to the meadows and dustings of snow to Long's Peak and the alpine. We hiked and fished and photoed throughout the Bear Lake and Glacier Gorge corridor. Some elk spent one night right outside our tent - a bugling bull and his harem of 15 cows. We didn't mind the sounds. We hiked to Lake Helene (from the tarn above I saw 3 lakes) & The Loch (Kala's reviewing the lake & glaciers) and fished the Big Thompson (and caught brownies). We even found a mama moose and her calf - they are really big and really crazy so we kept our distance - even though we may be just as crazy. Fall is spectacular in RMNP.

Big T in Moraine Pk 06Sep13

The beauty of Rocky Mtn Natl Pk can not be overstated. For several hours before checkout I fished the Big Thompson right in Moraine Pk and caught a triple of cutthroat, brown and brook. I didn't catch a rainbow for the possible quad in this area. The brookie and cut' were small. I caught mostly 10-12" browns. I threw a double dry of flying ant and caddis and dropped an olive nymph. Most fish rose to the caddis but some to the ant and both received an even greater share of rejections... the nymph took 1/3 of the fish. I spooked a lot of fish but I caught a lot too. The easy getting around this meadow section was needed respite from the prior day's jaunt up to the high alpine.The pic here in Moraine Pk has yesterday's spot in the deep background. It was another nice fall trip to RNMP.

DRC on the Big T in Moraine Pk in RMNP

Browns of Big T in Moraine Pk

True Headwater of Big T 05Sep13

Above "The Pool" on the Big Thompson is a fierce wild spot called "Forest Canyon." Miles of dead fall, plunge pools and the most difficult travel imaginable. I was there today and landed a couple dozen cuts on lime trude, stimi, and  ants up top and my chartreuse & olive tiny BH below. Most fish were 8-12" but I caught two bigger. And I caught a nice brown to start the trek. I climbed all the way into "Raspberry Pk," and in fact ate wild raspberries for lunch. My body paid for the 8 mile experience though as weird cramping is happening again and I'm covered in soot and charcoal marks from a major burn there. I also biffed down a waterfall and broke my GLoomis on the way back down... I guess it was just feelin' left out. Drivin' out i did see a huge elk with 16 point rack and a host of ladies with him. No pics of any of this as the phone died, bummer but Colorado is so cool.