Colorado’s Gold Lake

The drive up Lefthand Canyon begins in the foothills of the Front Range between Boulder and Lyons, then branches off along Little James Creek through Jamestown on County Rd. 94, climbing, climbing. On Overland Mountain the road turns to dirt, but you eventually hit hard tack again when 94 joins the Peak to Peak Highway southwest of Minnie Lake. Turning south, you head toward the mountain village of Ward and its eclectic inhabitants. Just before you hit Ward, you take Gold Lake Road, after passing Chipmunk Gulch, down toward the lake and Bell Gulch, passing Burnt Mountain. Soon the reflection of a small high country lake appears before you, and you know that trophy trout await you.

Could the stories of rainbows and cutts be true? Fish of 24 inches and then some being quite common? Less than two hours from the teeming metropolis of Denver? In a pristine, fly-fishingonly lake where hot pools, gourmet dining, and exquisitely decorated and comfortable cabins await you after a day of wrestling trophy trout in the vigorous mountain air? Indeed, all of the stories are true, as you are about to learn for yourself.

SMALL WATER, BIG TROUT

I might never have fished Gold Lake had it not been for Court Dixon, owner of Kinsley Outfitters (800-442-7420), an Orvis shop and Orvis Endorsed Outfitter in Boulder. I was in the shop for a book signing last spring when Court suggested I write an article for Fly Fish America about the trophy trout available at Gold Lake. After getting the details from him, a trip was scheduled and I was on my way.

Gold Lake is a private water owned by Shelley Kappell and David Brand, who also run the beautiful Gold Lake Mountain Resort & Spa (800-450-3544) on the shores of this pretty lake. What is perhaps most unusual about this place is that, although a private fishery, anyone can pay a daily rod fee (fly-fishing-only/catch-and-release only) of a mere $59.50 and quickly be sight-casting to some truly big rainbows and cutthroats. And the fee includes lunch in the lovely Alice's Restaurant and the use of the hot pools sitting in the rocks overlooking the shimmering lake reflecting towering, snow-capped mountains.

Now, if you know anything about the usual cost of fishing in private trophy trout waters in the Rockies, you'll immediately see that $69.50 is a genuine bargain! And when you see the size and abundance of the trout, and the uncrowded conditions, you'll quickly realize that you've struck gold.

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES

I arrived at the lake early, before anyone else was around, except for the snoozing guests in the cabins. I rigged up and headed along the western shore, passing over a narrow spring creek that empties into the lake. Glancing into the confluence, I stopped dead in my tracks as my eyes caught the shadowy form of a huge trout hiding in the shade of a pine tree. Was this merely coincidence? The first time I look into the water and there sits what is obviously a very, very big trout? I went into an instinctive crouch and backed away from the water. Now, peeking from behind the pine, I watch the great fish as it casually gobbles unseen nymphs. (I later wondered if any guests had seen me peeking around the pine tree and wondered what the nut down by lake was doing.)

Looking around, I am stunned to see several more trout all feeding below this big one, all of which are no smaller that 18 inches. Egad. My Scott Eclipse 5-weight begins to tremble with the rhythm of my shaking hands. I drop a size-16 Prince into the water and watch as it tumbles toward the big trout. The fish ignores it-doesn't even give it a second look-and I wince at this refusal. "Damn," I mutter to myself. "This fish has probably seen every fly made north of Patagonia." But my annoyance is suddenly dimmed by a vicious tug and my rod bends heavily to the cork, line disappearing from my reel like a politician's promise after election day. But which fish behind the big one took my nymph? The way the trout is fighting and how my rod is bending under its weight tells me that this is no punk.

After a few minutes I catch a glimpse of the trout about 60 feet out on the surface and see that it, too, is very big. I start fighting the fish with the butt and a few moments later it surrenders to the net. I hoist the trout up and gaze at its thick shoulders and its wide tail base. The tape measure tells the tale: 25 inches from bow to stern. Double egad.

GREAT WRITER GETS TAKEN

As you are no doubt keenly aware, I am a great and very famous writer and fly fisher. That said, I must more or less honestly tell you that I am seldom defeated by a fish, especially trout, this because I am a recognized authority in the field of trout tactics. Therefore, you can well imagine my shock and dismay at this next turn of events. Slipping along the bank, I saw a gentle rise about four feet out and 30 feet ahead of me. I scurried ahead and quickly found myself looking at a beast of a rainbow, surely 27 inches long and weighing seven or eight pounds, minimum. I had tied on a fur ant at the advice of one of Court's guides, Scott Fraser, and gently put the fly three feet in front of the nonchalant trout. It sped forward and inhaled the bug. Lifting my rod tip, I grimaced as the monstrous thing peeled line off my reel in a startling blur. My thoughts instinctively turned to my tippet's rating: 7X. Uh-oh. Pop. Doh! (Said with the voice of one Homer Simpson.) You might want to go with 5X or so.

Gold Lake offers excellent stalking along a path that skirts the lake. Float tubes are allowed, but you get far fewer sight-casting opportunities in a float tube than you do from the bank. I found that taking one's time and watching for trout slowly making their way along the bank is very productive, but make sure you are watching for trout that are doing more than feeding; rises are only one indicator of a trout thereabouts. Look for their forms and shadows both close to the bank near the rocks and vegetation, and up to 50 feet out from shore.

A breeze frequently picks up in the afternoon, and this is the time to reach into your terrestrial bag of tricks and pull out a hopper pattern. Get on the downwind side and cast quite a ways out into the chop. You need not impart much action on the fly to get an aggressive strike. Just about any black or cinnamon ant pattern will work as well, and small black beetle patterns are also productive.

Size 14 to 16 Callibaetis dries and nymphs are some of the most fruitful mayfly patterns, as are parachute Adams in the same sizes. Caddis imitations in various patterns and sizes are also to be brought along, especially from mid-summer into early autumn. Nymphs should include the aforementioned Callibaetis plus Princes, gold-ribbed hare's ears, and pheasant tails.

I can't stress enough how important those terrestrials are. Of all the flies I used at Gold Lake, ants and beetles were the most consistently reliable. On the north end of the lake there is a small rock overhang where many large black ants live. I may not have noticed this had they not been attracted to my net, which smelled of trout and was lying on the ground beside me as I spied on the trout below. I grabbed one of the ants and dropped it in. From out of nowhere a 20-inch cutt slammed into the hapless ant. I spent the next hour catching ants and feeding the trout, studying how the fish detected and approached each offering. Most made aggressive charges from several feet away and never hesitated once the ant was spotted. Ants of this size (1/4-inch) represent a substantial meal for the trout and they don't pussyfoot around when one is seen floating on the surface.

Bring a 5-weight rod in the 8- to 9-foot range. Your standard reel will do. Leaders should run between nine and 12 feet. 5X tippet is fine, although you daredevils might want to push it to 6X. For high country lake action for trophy trout, Gold Lake is among the very best available in Colorado. Visit Alice and Karel when the ice goes out-you won't regret it.

Bob Newman is Fly Fish America's Rocky Mountain regional editor, and the author of Flyfishing Structure, Sycamore Island Books (303-443-7250). A must read for any flyfisher