Three weeks enjoying the Rocky Mountain fall finale in the Conejos River region in southern Colorado…
The campground was about 10 miles west of the little town of Antonito on the southwestern edge of the San Luis Valley. We had full hook-ups, good laundry facilities, and good wi-fi…yippee! There was decent space between sites and the Conejos River was a short walk away. Other than a brief period that an RV club invaded, the campground was more empty than full. There were a couple of aspens outside our windows that provided the soothing sound of rustling leaves. It was peaceful and we were very comfortable.
- Fishing the Conejos
The Conejos River is a pretty stream with a healthy population of picky rainbow and brown trout. There is a lot of public water that provides fishermen whatever kind of conditions they prefer. If you like fast moving pocket water with big boulders, the Conejos has it. If you like runs and riffles, the Conejos has it. If you like river bends with deep holes, the Conejos has it. If you like a small stream meandering through a meadow, the Conejos has it. There are good numbers of fish, some of them big, along much of its length. But do yourself a favor and visit a local fly-fishing shop to get the most recent report and buy some of the hot flies. Otherwise, you’ll fish some beautiful water and likely have limited success.
The Conejos near the campground is a medium sized river averaging about 30-50 feet across. There are no special regulations on that stretch. My best outing led to five or six browns all 9-12 inches. Otherwise I’d only get one or two and even got skunked a few times. The largest fish I caught on this section was a 13 inch rainbow. The productive flies were bright red San Juan worms, size 16 and 18 gold ribbed hares ears and pheasant tail nymphs, size 20 red or grey midge pupas, and size 10 olive and black leeches.
Our favorite section was just five miles upstream of the campground. It is artificial flies and lures only and two trout over 16 inches can be kept. Access was via step-overs of barbed wire fence and the drop to the river was a little tricky. There were three or four runs that were really pleasant to fish, but the trout rarely cooperated. Arleen caught a healthy 16 inch rainbow and I caught one an inch shorter. We also caught a couple of 8-12 inch browns. On a separate trip to this section, Arleen caught a 10 inch rainbow and I got skunked! She’s getting pretty good at this fly-fishing thing.
We also fished the meadow section way up towards Platoro, which is also restricted to flies and lures with a two fish over 16 inches limit . The river is smaller, maybe 15-30 feet across. The trout are cautious in the clear water and difficult to fool. Arleen caught a small brown and I caught three that were 8-13 inches long. I saw trout in the 16-18 inch range but they ignored my flies.
Though our success was limited, we really enjoyed fishing the Conejos. The beautiful fall colors made it hard to concentrate on fishing!
The meadow section of the Conejos River valley
A small brown trout from the meadow section A pretty 16 inch rainbow
- Trujillo Meadows
The medium sized reservoir was 25 miles from the campground near Cumbres Pass. Fishing reports varied but it sounded promising. We went to Trujillo Meadows a few times and were never disappointed. It was a pleasant lake that was nice to kayak too. Each time we caught mostly rainbows 8-16 inches long.
Arleen, “Troll fishing. It is hard to believe that just four short months ago, I would not troll fish with my fly rod. Now, I really enjoy it. It is very relaxing to slowly back stroke and enjoy the birds, wildlife, and scenic wonders. It can be a bit complicated to control the boat and fish at the same time. Normally, I hold the rod between my knees. I had become so relaxed the first afternoon on the lake, that I had let go of the rod. . A big strong brown grabbed the lake leech and headed to the bottom of the lake. My rod shot up and I grabbed it with just the tip with my toes right before it flew out of the kayak! Maybe, I learned my lesson.”
Twice we fished into the darkness and targeted big brown trout. Results…Though I got a couple of hits on my three inch long streamer fished deep, I failed to hook them. Arleen did quite well using the reliable size 10 olive and black lake leech. She caught our biggest fish from the lake, a 16 inch rainbow trout. The lake is roughly 10,000 feet high and the temperature dropped rapidly as the sun set. It was 35F the second night we got off the water. We watched an osprey circle the lake and make a determined dive. Then it shook the water off its wings as it flew within 20 feet of me. We saw otters, ducks, and listened to coyotes howl at the moon. Bats came out and flew crazy patterns just inches above the water on the hunt for insects. As the sun set, the sky turned red and reflected peacefully off the rippled lake. Then the big bright moon slowly rose and climbed above the lake. It was serene watching Arleen quietly drift in the shimmering moon light.
- Lake Fork of the Conejos and Big Lake
We wanted to catch one of our favorite fish: Colorado’s native Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout. The Lake Fork of the Conejos is a cutthroat trout sanctuary that hosts catch and release fishing.
The hike climbs steeply right away as it circumnavigates private property. Once you drop back down to the creek, it’s a fairly easy hike all the way to Big Lake, just over three miles from the trailhead. At the two mile point, the little creek meanders through a meadow that’s delightful to fish. Each small pool and undercut bank harbored fish. Most were just 3-6 inches long, but there were usually one or two “monsters” that were 10-13 inches. We got numerous hits on our grasshopper flies, but had a hard time hooking them. That’s alright…it was a lot of fun seeing those pretty trout whack the fly. (Check out the video below.)
After fishing the creek for about two hours, we headed up to Big Lake. The surrounding mountain sides were shimmering a golden yellow. When the wind calmed and the lake’s ripples disappeared, the reflection resulted in an even more incredible scene. And the fishing?…FUN! Trout were rising sporadically all over the lake. It looked like I could get to them along the north bank. After a few half-hearted hits on a couple of different flies, I switched to a floating beetle fly…jackpot! I caught six very pretty cutthroat trout, 11 to 16 1/2 inches long, and I had at least ten more hits that I missed. This hike and this fishing experience was one of our favorites!
Beautiful fall day at Big Lake…see me?
- Mushroom hunting
We got to the Conejos thinking that the shrooming season might be over. Morning temperatures were in the mid to upper 30s and rain had been sparse. Then, on 11 and 12 September, we got about .80 inches of rain…we might have another shot!
On 17 September, we made our first trip to Trujillo Meadows Reservoir. As Arleen walked the trail along the lake, she spotted four nice king boletes! Maybe mushroom season wasn’t over. We caught a couple of nice trout and walked in the woods hunting for little treasures…we didn’t find any more
. On the drive back, we also hiked around La Manga Pass for an hour and found no more shrooms.
A few days later, we went back to Trujillo Meadows, got scared off by a thunderstorm, and didn’t see any mushrooms. We stopped near the pass again and waited in the truck as the ground whitened with snow pellets and slushy snowflakes…our first snow of the year! The shower ended after 30 minutes and we walked around in the woods for an hour or so. We found five or six sad little chantrelles that looked like they had been frost nipped. We picked them anyways and Arleen grilled them that night with steaks…yum yum!
We went one last time to the Spruce Hole area. During our four mile hunt, we only saw a few mushrooms (that we wouldn’t eat) and quite a few black, slimy remains of frost bitten shrooms. Sadly, we declared the season over, but we’ll keep our eyes open for surprises.
- Great Sand Dunes National Park
We experienced the amazing sand dunes on Oregon’s Coast and wanted to see more in Colorado. Colorado’s dunes are the highest in North America reaching height’s of 750 feet. And with the 13,000-14,000 foot, yellow splotched, Sangre de Cristo Mountains as a back drop, they are spectacular and dramatic.
First we soaked in a bunch of knowledge at the Visitor’s Center and stamped our National Parks Passport. Then it was time to play in the sand! We did a three mile loop hike up and along some of the higher dunes. We got a great workout and will never forget the views!
- National Parks Annual Pass
Our first annual National Parks Pass expired 31 August. In nearly 13 months, we visited national parks and monuments 40 times! With an average daily entrance fee of $15, we would have paid $600 without the annual pass. However, we paid $80 for the pass and saved ourselves $520!
Needless to say, we bought another annual pass. Next summer we may end up in Utah where we will certainly get our money’s worth again!
- Campground hike
Shortly after setting up camp, I spied a low plateau just northwest of the campground that could be a good hike. So one afternoon when we wanted a little exercise, we gave it a shot. The steady pitch consisted of small loose rock, groups of small prickly cactus, and thick patches of pinion and juniper which made the climb tricky. Of course it progressively got steeper and more challenging as we neared the top, but we made it! The view of the Conejos River valley was beautiful especially with the yellow leafed cottonwoods and aspens lining the river. We headed down towards a Forest Service campground and looped back by the river. I found a nice set of deer antlers and had to pose for a few pictures!
- Evening hike on the Duck Lake trail
Though it was the second half of September and fall was in full swing, trout fishing on bright sunny days was still slow. So we decided to hike to Rock Lake one evening.
We started the three mile hike at 4:00pm and planned to fish until 7:00pm or so and then head back in the nearly dark. We were prepared with head lamps, but were a bit concerned about critters. There was nobody parked at the trailhead so we were on our own.
The hike was going smoothly and we kept a good pace. The fall colors were spectacular in the late afternoon sun. Two miles in, we crested a short, but steep rise and begin traversing a small meadow. There were about 15 cows spread across the meadow, some of them within a few feet of the trail. We proceeded slowly, giving the cows a little extra space when we could. They stopped eating and stared at us, but went back to their business as we passed. Then we popped out of a few trees and spotted the big bull. It didn’t take him long to spot us. There was no way to go around him, and we discussed our options as he stared us down. Arleen, who is from Roundup, Montana, insisted we could herd him away. But since my run in with the “rogue deer” in Lake City, I’ve been leery about big critters so I was no fan of challenging this bull. Plus, it would be fairly dark on the way back and I really didn’t want to deal with him then. So I wimped out and we turned around!
Though we got some good exercise by hiking over four miles and climbing a thousand feet, Rock Lake in the evening dusk remains a mystery.
- Big Lake round two
We really enjoyed this hike and fishing so we made another trip. Fall colors were at the peak. In fact, there were stands of aspens high up the mountains that had already shed their leaves. There were no other vehicles at the trailhead and we didn’t see anybody else the entire day. Winds fluctuated between nearly calm to gusting around 30mph. Each time the sun disappeared behind clouds, it was chilly.
We arrived at the lake and watched closely for trout feeding activity while we snacked…no risers. I headed to a point on the north bank and fished deep with a lake leech and gold ribbed hares ear…bam…a small cutthroat nailed the leech! A couple of casts later, it happened again. About thirty minutes and two or three trout later, I noticed a couple of risers…excellent! I switched to a floating beetle and continued to have success. Because of the winds, Arleen used her spin rod. She started with a small spoon and had a few follows, but no good hits. Then she switched to a size 2 Panther Martin spinner and caught five pretty cutthroats. She probably had 10 other hits and fish briefly hooked. She had a good time!
Arleen’s ‘Ghost Fish’: One of the most exciting things about spin fishing in a pristine mountain lake is the ability to watch fish follow your lure. The cutthroat’s back are the same dark color as the lake bottom making them nearly invisible. A trout startled me when it attacked my lure inches from shore and turned, showing its brilliant silver and red side. It was a ghost that materialized out of nowhere!
The whole time we fished, a couple families of Canadian geese entertained us. They were quite active and boisterous. One obnoxious gander harassed the others. As they invaded his space, he honked like crazy and chased them away over and over. Some of the younger geese kept beating their wings on the water, making a big ruckus, and kicking up a bunch of spray each time. Then we spotted a lone eagle soaring a couple hundred feet above the lake. He made one impressive dive for a trout meal and came up empty. At one point, I told the obnoxious gander to leave the other geese alone or I’d sic my pet eagle on him!
It was yet another special day. Between the spectacular fall colors, the pretty cutthroat trout, the entertaining geese, the soaring eagle, and having it all to ourselves, this day will stay in our memories forever!
Family of Canadian geese Bald eagle soaring above the lake
- High-T Snacks
As we travel, we like to try locally made products. We support and cheer for small businesses and believe that they should keep every hard-earned penny they make. Recently we discovered such a company in Alamosa and want to share the experience.
The sneaky folks at the Kentucky Belle Market in Creede gave us samples of Hawaiian Crispy Wafers. We really liked all of the yummy flavors and the satisfying crunch of each bite. And compared to other snacks, they are fairly healthy: 35 calories and .5g of fat in two wafers. So we bought a couple of stacks and they only lasted a few days! While we were in Creede, we made a few more trips to the market to get more Hawaiian Crispy Wafers.
After we left Creede and finished our last tasty wafers, we almost went into withdrawal. We looked for them in the three grocery stores in Alamosa, the town where they are made, and struck out. Finally, we went to the address indicated by Google and found the small warehouse where the wafers are produced and shipped. Tammy, owner of the company, was there and came out to greet to us. Tammy shared her family’s story about growing up in Hawaii and ending up in Alamosa. Her grandfather started making the wafers over 50 years ago. In addition to seven or eight stores in Colorado that sell her wafers, she travels to various farmer’s markets too. She doesn’t have a web page, but will gladly ship if coordinated by email or phone. We bought a large supply, and felt like hugging Tammy on the way out the door.
NOTE…We do not get kick backs, nor do we want or expect any. We like the yummy wafers. We like Tammy and we’d like to see her business prosper!
Click the pictures for better detail
The days are getting shorter and cooler. Our motivation has slipped and we’ve enjoyed some lazy days.
Next we head back to Elevenmile State Park for a week. It will be our first repeat visit. We will find out if fall fishing is as good as early summer fishing at one of our favorite lakes: Spinney. And we might have a shot at huge brown trout as they begin to move out of Spinney and Elevenmile Reservoirs to spawn in the South Platte River.
Upper Conejos River valley…some of the prettiest fall vistas anywhere!
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This is an awesome blog! I'm going to be heading to Elk Creek Meadows next week and was looking for other places nearby to fish and I think that this lake fork just fits the bill. All your adventures are great and inspiring, keep it up!
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