Gunny River Basin CoWW Outing 06Sep22-09Sep22

Yoho & I met up with Bro Brown @ Rosy Lane CG in Taylor Canyon for the somewhat annual fall CoWW fishing trip to the Gunny & its tributaries. The drive was simple over Cottonwood Pass; the BC20X pulled nicely again and measurements indicate I get about 10mpg average when dragging the camper over mountains and on highways... sometimes it's 3.5 and sometimes it's 35. Jim & I dined at Elkhorn Pizza in BV before the final climb and descent into Taylor Canyon ~ nothing else was open. We scored one of the better Rosy sites this time, #7; it is two-tiered and right on the Taylor.

Unfortunately we are weeks early for the salmon run this year, so we planned trout outings. The first such outing was on the lower Taylor just above the campground. We just fished from shore but flows were kindof high, though we did learn of planned reductions, which did occur. I managed a couple of tiny browns.

For dinner we enjoyed a number of brews and Asian spicy veggies with noodles and chicken from the skottle. Field test of the new LP distribution system worked well.

After a nice fire from fire-master Brown and some tunes on my new boom box nearby, we slept well. Outing #2 of trout pursuits was on the Gunnison. We started @ Neversink and felt the high flows - here, if Brown is mid-thigh deep you know Jim & I were waist high on the inner channel. We encountered 4 drift boats right off ~ hiking around them upstream required some dreaded bushwhacking, and it was very hot. I even had to skip the first great hole. Nonetheless we caught quite a few browns and 'bows, but not as strongly as we've done in the past here. Sorry for the images ~ I didn't notice my camera lens was smudged.

We clamored back to the Crusher Too for lunch and decided to head back toward Gunnison for different water. We tried the guardrail hole in hopes of an early salmon pod ~ we did nothing. We returned to Rosy Lane for some more beers, gear tests, and some dinner. The fire pit worked well even though I still need an $9 adapter to connect it as I want to do. The toaster on the other hand is kindof like a bread drier ~ still work to do there but the BLTs were yummy. Bro Brown brought fire and ice as he rummaged the forest for firewood and stoked a mighty flame again, AND he served Brown bourbon sours with ice (much better to remember the ice)!

Trout  pursuit # 3 was on the Taylor where we started (with the crowds) at the hog trough, the Taylor C&R. This finicky section was teeming with bugs as we arrived so we were a smidge late. We managed some nice fish, including this super-orange brown. We're nearing the brown trout fall spawn and the boys are starting to show their colors. I had an even larger one on but he lept five feet in the air, shook his head and broke me off at Barr's emerger he'd eaten.

We dined on the road @ the Crusher Too and decided to head downstream to the lower Taylor in search for fewer folks and dumber fish. We stopped across from Cold Spring and managed just a few small browns.

Back at camp again I had pre-gamed the night's dinner in making Dave's Thom Ka Gai soup. It's a concoction of chicken, lemongrass & other spices, veggies and noodles. The team was happy and sated as we hit the riverside for fire and debates. We enjoyed Yoho's special sipping tequila as well as awesome full moon light allowing moon shadows.

 

 

We awoke and decided to cut the fishing trip a smidge short given lower than hoped weekend CoWW attendance, no salmon, and a strong concert alternative at Dillon Amphitheater, Flogging Molly & The Interrupters! We scored tix and laid plans. Outing #4 was up for debate but we chose to make the drive to the Lake Fork of the Gunnison. It was well worth it as we had the most prolific day fishing of the trip on the LF. Flows were decent and we ran our typical play at Seay easement of hiking downstream 1/2 mile and fishing back up. Jim generously allowed me the lead which yielded me 15 good fish on the #16 chubby or the green wire with CDC beadhead caddis or the MHFBPT. The fish were all pretty strong; I even managed a nice 18" brown from this small water.

Jim & I ate at High Alpine on the way back to camp and decided to pack and head to Summit Friday night. We did so, capping another fine, though salmon-less, outing to the Gunnison River basin. Thanks boyz for coming out.

CoWWs In Gunny River Basin - Fun But Odd 06Sep20-11Sep20

The late summer C0WW outing to the Gunnison River basin was fun but strange:

• we traveled in style in Richard's Sprinter van often as the Crusher went lame the day before departure and in a thoughtful SaveTheFishingTrip move, Richard towed the camper
• we never found the salmon - the run had not begun as the August heat wave delayed their move into the rivers
• we braved a storm which delivered 10" of snow at our campsite
• we endured some pretty thin fishing days with fish not very spread out in the rivers - probably for the same weather reason delaying the salmon run
• we did not have many of our usual CoWW mates due to travel or schedules or conflicts but we did draft Steve & Richard into the ranks
  

Nonetheless we had a good time on many awesome rivers running through gorgeous canyons. 

Sunday 06Sep20 Colo Spgs Camper Pickup ~ Richard drove to COS from DEN to SaveTheFishingTrip and pickup my camper while Kala, Steve & I too drove down from Silverthorne. Of course I took the boys to Cerberus for dinner and brews - unfortunately it took hours to get beer and service - but it was good once we sat down and tasted.

Monday 07Sep20 Arkansas River @ Salida East ~ We started fishing on the Arkansas on the way out, we were able to wet-wade and while it was not epic, some caught fish. Andy Holley joined the team of Yoho, Brown, Hubbs and me for some days on the rivers. The smoke was really bad and the wind played hell with casting. Of course we stopped at Amica's on the way through Salida.

 

Tue 08Sep20 Gunnison @ Neversink ~ G2 indicated that the salmon run hadn't started in earnest but should in a couple days. So, we decided to defer those pursuits for other salmonids and hit the Gunny @ Neversink, at least until the storm started in earnest. Jim made an awesome poached egg tortilla soup breakfast and then Andy met us at Tributary to join for just the morning, given the veracity of the inbound summer snowfall. We caught some fish but not many or big ones. We lunched at Ol Miner on good steak sandwiches and then rolled back to the campsite to wait out the storm. Jim & I hunkered down with beers and many games of backgammon, Kismet and cards while Richard & Steve read before preparing pulled pork sammies and corn for dinner.

Wed 09Sep20 Storm Time Then Taylor @ C&R And "The Spot" ~ We got 10" of wet snow and 25° temperatures at Rosy Lane for ~24 hours. The heaters worked overtime and we had to clear heavy snow from the camper awning and popouts overnight but we were undeterred as to fishing, yet stayed nearby on the Taylor. We headed first to the C&R section to target the pigs there. I had some luck with the mole fly during a strong BWO & PMD hatch and caught two nice 22" & 19" rainbows, among some others. Jim caught one too on this challenging but epic tailwater. We observed an unusual tweety bird hatch while there - apparently the flash cold and storm killed a number of birds who were caught unaware and 10s of 'em floated by us as we fished in the AM. We then moved downstream to what now is affectionately known as "The Spot." Everybody scored some nice fish there as we caught another nice BWO hatch in the afternoon. The weather turned again and we went camper-bound for the evening and had my cowboy caviar due to inside prep.

 

Thu 10Sep20 Lake Fork @ Seay & Red Bridge ~ We piled into the Hubbs-mobile after a nice breakfast from Richard on his electric setup and headed southwest to the Lake Fork (of the Gunnison) River, where many a strong day fishing has been had. Unfortunately not everyone had success but we did catch fish - including a nice 16" rainbow caught right in front of Richard where he had stopped. I did ask if he'd fished the water and suggested he do so when he had not, but he was "out." Humorous as it could've been his, breaking his drought. No fish were in any shallower hiding/feeding spots this day - unexpectedly challenging fishing. We also stopped briefly just above the lake on the Gunnison, in search of running salmon. With colder rainy weather Richard drove the van all the way to the water and some fished but there was no sign of salmon. I broke out the skottle for an Asian noodle & roasted veggie dish with chix.

Fri 11Sep20 Gunnison @ Cooper Ranch West - In Search Of Salmon ~ We received word from an young sales clerk than there were pods of salmon discovered at Cooper Ranch West so we headed there after another nice breakfast of waffles and bacon (partially enjoyed by the stellar jays) and having packed up for the trip back to Summit Co. We stopped for BB weights at a fly shop as one needs to go deep for salmon, but Steve promptly dropped his box and we ultimately never found the salmon. Jim and I did catch some trout though it was again far from epic. We said our goodbyes to Jim who was headed to Hartman Rock to ride and we piled into the van and headed back up Taylor Canyon to grab the camper. We had a beautiful ride home over Cottonwood Pass at ~12Kft where the copious snow made it seem like winter; our thoughts turned often to the upcoming ski season and how C19 will impact our dates on the slopes. A great trip but weird without salmon and more classic Gunnison River basin "fall" fishing conditions.