Just when you thought fly-fishing couldn’t get any more complicated, you found out about night fly-fishing in Colorado. For the most part, any place you would fish during the day, you could also fish at night. However, wading or float fishing any Colorado river at night poses more dangers and challenges for even the experienced angler. One tip we would like to mention is that you should only fish areas that you have familiarized yourself with during the day. Never fish an area at night that you have not experienced before, as the likely hood of you finding yourself in an unpredictable situation is much higher when you are unaware of your surroundings.
Photo courtesy of advnture.com
IDAHO SPRINGS
Chances are, if you’re visiting Colorado, you are flying into Denver International Airport (DIA). If this is the case, then the closest place to DIA for you to settle into for your trip and still find plenty of night fly-fishing is Idaho Springs. Here, you’ll find the Clear Creek tributary running through the entire town of Idaho Springs, just off Highway 70, which means a short commute and plenty of maintained trails. If you’re looking to fly fish at night in a more rural setting, Mill Creek, Silver Creek, Georgetown Lake, and Echo Lake are all within 20 minutes of town. All of which offer great night fly-fishing opportunities. To top it all off, Idaho Springs is home to great restaurants and breweries, and exciting ziplining and via ferrata for the family.
Kremmling
Kremmling Colorado offers a plethora of night fly fishing opportunities. Kremmling is about 2 hours from downtown Denver, but this town has plenty to offer like rafting, float fly-fishing, and off-road UTV rentals to keep your crew busy during the day. The Colorado River sits only 5 minutes from town and guided trips with experienced anglers are easy to find. If you have your own gear, then head over to the gold medal fly-fishing waters from the Fraser River to Troublesome Creek for world-class fishing anytime of the day. Still water nigh fly fishing on the Wolford Mountain Reservoir and Green Mountain Reservoir are excellent options that offer overnight parking and camping, both only a 30-minute commute from Kremmling.
Leadville
If you prefer fishing standing bodies of water, Leadville offers easy access to Turquoise Lake during the day. Twin Lakes, Dillon Reservoir, and Clear Creek Reservoir are other close options for fishing at night. Leadville also has its own regional airport and access to the Arkansas River. You can see the highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains (Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive) from downtown Leadville and its scenic byway.
Photo Courtesy of vailvalleyanglers.com
Wherever you decide to have a crack at night fly-fishing, make sure you are well prepared. While there are no state-level regulations on fishing at night, local authorities may restrict access to specific waters after a certain time. You should always carry a headlamp although pointing it into rivers or streams is likely to spook even those fish who are more aggressive at night. A fishing line that glows is a good way to see where your flies are landing, without tipping off the fish. Also, when becoming familiar with the area you plan to fish at night, pick locations where you can cast without worrying about getting snagged in trees or brush. Lastly, prepare yourself for encounters with snakes and other dangerous creatures that lurk at night. As a final tip for success, we recommend mouse flies for the bigger fish that usually tuck away during the day.
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