written and photographed by Mary L. Peachin
Feb 1999, Vol. 3 No. 4
The rainbow trout, its gill a brilliant red, flashed through the sparkling water of the Upper Colorado River. In a second, it broke the surface of the water to take the fly. Hooked. The trout jumped and ran until, finally, it was reeled in enough to be caught and released.
Terry Gunn, owner of Lee’s Ferry Anglers, cradled the trout in his hand as he gently removed the barbless hook. Pointing to the brightness of the gill, Gunn explained that the color indicated that the fish was spawning.
Rainbow trout spawn during winter months in the 16-mile stretch of the Upper Colorado River between the Glen Canyon Dam of Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon, near Marble Canyon, Arizona. I visited Lee’s Ferry in late November, planning to do some fishing from a draft boat, a shallow craft whose shape is perfect for fishing in the swift currents of the Colorado River, its ebbs and tides created by water released from the river’s famous dam.
This is said to be some of the best fishing in the U.S., and Gunn’s clients travel across continents to fish the Upper Colorado, returning year after year. (Most travel to Phoenix and rent a car for the four-hour drive to Marble Canyon. First-time visitors can easily combine this excursion with a trip to the Grand Canyon, Phoenix, or Santa Fe.)
Unlike salmon, which swim upriver, spawning until death, trout are more territorial and survive their mating ritual. Salmon also become disfigured during their rugged journey upstream, the shape of their mouths becoming increasingly hook-shaped. And fishing for a spawning salmon can be futile, as most fish are preoccupied with the task at hand. By contrast, the beauty of the trout is intensified during spawning, and they hungrily take the fly offered by an angler.
During my visit to Lee’s Ferry, the weather was unseasonably warm, ranging from 50-65° F. Still, add in the wind chill created by traveling upriver in a speeding boat, and those of us on this excursion-about of us in the -foot boat, plus Gunn, were glad for our ski jackets, hats, and gloves.
As the sun warmed the day, we gradually peeled off layers and fished in lighter clothes, as Gunn told us tales about fishing in the cold. He remembered the temperature of the same day of the previous year-a frigid 17° F. The lesson? If you want to fish in the winter, Polartec fleece, down jackets, neoprene waders, plus a warm hat and fingerless gloves are in order. And while it might be cold on the Upper Colorado, the fishing is at its peak in the winter… and many other U.S. rivers are frozen solid.
Terry Gunn knows the Upper Colorado. He knows the curves and bends of the river, its tides and currents, so well that he calls it his “office,” We progressed along the river, Gunn either anchoring the boat on a sandbar (always keeping an eye out for the possibility of a rising current) or tying it to a tree along the shore. The sandy bottom of the river allowed for easy wading, and we quickly moved beyond the boat, seeking that perfect pool of trout. Another fact to recommend the Upper Colorado: it’s easier to wade than the rivers of Montana, Idaho, or Wyoming, where swift currents flow over slippery algae-covered boulders.
We used a five-weight rod with 5X and 6X tippet; the light rod allowed a lot of play when jumping and reeling the fish. Spinning gear is allowed on the river, but in this world-class fishery most anglers use fly rods. Many trout are hooked while nymphing; the fish takes the fly under the surface of the water. Because the water is so clear, when casting upcurrent and stripping the line to allow an extended drift, the angler can see the trout strike the fly.
A favorite fly here is the chironamid, which resembles a San Juan worm or the globe bug, which simulates a trout egg. When we followed Glenn’s advice and used one or the other of these flies, we got a look, bite, or hook up on almost every cast.
But Gunn knows more than flies. A trip with Gunn is more than just a fishing expedition: He knows the geology, the history, the archeology, the flora, fauna, and birds of the region. Marble Canyon is also a bird lover’s paradise; in just a few miles, we observed many varieties of ducks including gadwalls, mallards, lesser scaup, goldeneyes, and wideons. We also saw red-tailed hawks and great blue herons.
To make the trip more enticing, it takes place at the center of a memorably beautiful area of Arizona, which includes Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon. The primary rock formation near the river is Navajo sandstone, and reflections of the red canyon walls are mirrored on the river, making for exhilarating sunsets. In the fall, the foliage of the tamarisk trees that line the banks turns gold, framed overhead by blue sky and streaky white cloud trails from passing jets.
The world-class fishing at Lee’s Ferry may be one of the better-kept secrets in Arizona. Gunn’s catch-and-release fishing policy and the use of the barbless hook, an Arizona Fish and Game regulation, has greatly increased the rainbow trout population. The scenery is stupendous. And Gunn’s enthusiasm for teaching, and for his job as a whole, is a wonderful boon to new anglers. Finally, Lee’s Ferry Anglers considers it their responsibility to teach techniques that will improve a client’s existing casting and fishing skills. Even the fly-fishing expert can learn something-one of the most appealing things about the sport. After fishing Lee’s Ferry, the members of my group decided that we agreed with Gunn’s motto, “Fly fishing is not a destination, but a journey.”