When I think of fly fishing on the Roaring Fork River, images of Mount Sopris, brown trout eating dry flies, and cold, clean water rushing by are easy to conjure.
Throughout the Roaring Fork Valley, scenic beauty is met with fantastic and comfortable living all along its banks. The combination of reasonable pricing and incredible fishing in a beautiful setting is the way it is at the Lodge on the Roaring Fork near Carbondale, Colorado.
The Lodge is located downstream of Hwy 133 at the Carbondale Bridge, between two and a half and three hours drive from Denver.
For an oarsman like me, the Lodge is the perfect place to wake up and start the day by launching my drift boat at the Carbondale Boat Ramp a quarter mile away. Easy access to Hwy 82 is a plus when planning a short drive to fly fish the Frying Pan for the day.
The larger trout of the Colorado River west of Glenwood Springs is only thirteen miles away and rarely see hooks. But, why would you need to drive when you have the Roaring Fork in the backyard?
Guests at the Lodge enjoy over a mile and a quarter of the river to fly fish in one run after another, both public and private, each packed with many willing trout. Access to great fly fishing is what the Lodge on the Roaring Fork is all about.
The guide staff at the Lodge is patient and professional with a constant hint of freshly caught fish smell. Knowledge of the rivers fished by the guides is fortified by a lifetime of fishing, both locally and abroad.
You can choose to float or wade with your fly rod. For those who do not like to travel with their own gear, the Lodge is happy to provide Orvis and other top brands.
I decided to float in a raft on the Roaring Fork from Jaffe Park to Basalt fly fishing with dry flies, and sight fishing to feeding trout while wading on the lower stretches of the Frying Pan River.
The Lodge provides cruiser bicycles to its quests. I found those an excellent touch on a pleasant evening. The Rio Grande Trail is a smooth, paved ride to Main Street Carbondale not too far away.
After a long day of fishing and a nice dinner, the hot tub is irresistible with a glass of wine or a cold beer in the outdoor bar area. Homemade breakfast each morning inspired me to sit on the back porch, listening to the river and reading a book a little bit longer. If you are not planning to fish for a day or two, it is a quick drive to Aspen for a day on the town.
Lodge in this area is a beautiful place to stay when fishing in the Roaring Fork Valley. This is an ideal spot with the direct access to float and wade fly fishing on the Roaring Fork, Frying Pan, Crystal and Colorado Rivers.
In this Youtube video you can find out why Roaring Fork River is such a great place to fish:
You can find more info about Colorado fly fishing from this book.