We'd been eyeing it on our maps for years. An unnamed trout lake nestled deep in the peaks of Colorado's rugged Gore Range. It looked like nobody would ever hike in there to fish, but we'd done our research, and knew that the Department of Fish and Wildlife had once stocked it with cutthroat trout. It took the four of us (me and my friends Jeff Rogers, Charlie Bloch, and Ben May) years to coordinate our schedules, but we finally set a date: Labor Day weekend, 2006. Boy was it worth it. Here's the story of our trip in pictures. Photos and text by Tim Romano
For the last fifty years or so, adventurers and entrepreneurs have pushed the boundaries of fly fishing far beyond trout and salmon in North America and Europe. First came saltwater fly fishing and bonefish, tarpon and striped bass. Then the waters of Patagonia and New Zealand became hotbeds for adventurous troutists. Billy Pate and a handful of others realized one could tempt billfish with a fly. Soon after, salmon anglers discovered the Kola Peninsula, steelheaders the rich waters of Kamchatka. And a host of new species-from roosterfish to peacock bass to taimen-came to be viewed as legitimate fly rod species. It's safe to say that with a recent trip to Borneo, Ralph Cutter has pushed the boundaries of fly fishing travel to a whole different level. A much lower level. Read through the slide show at right to hear his story. Editor's Note: This story is an excerpt from the book 50 Favorite Fly-fishing Tales by Chris Santella, published by Stewart, Tabori, & Chang. Click here for more information.
Stuck behind your desk? Escape to the Rockies with these great shots from photographer Cameron Lawson.
Our trout expert Ted Leeson explains how to tie this simple pattern in five easy steps