Great Crested Butte Fly Fishing Gunny Gorge
Great Crested Butte Fly Fishing Gunny Gorge – I am an avid fly fisherman, and love to fish the many great rivers and streams in the Crested Butte area. The “Gunny Gorge” or Gunnison Gorge is a short drive from Crested Butte and well worth the trip… The Gunnison Gorge is so named because the Gunnison river flows through it – and it is a beautiful place to fly fish for wild rainbow and brown trout.
Crested Butte is at the end of the valley and surrounded by mountains – we also have many drainages that provide crystal clear mountain streams and rivers. There is Cement Creek, Brush Creek, Slate River, and the East River and Taylor River join in Almont to create the Gunnison River. See Fly fishing in the Crested Butte area.
Crested Butte offers plenty of great public water that you can float, or walk and wade. There are also many rivers and streams that flow through private land that offer great ownership opportunities with private fly fishing. The Reserve on the East River, The Wilder on the Taylor, Gunnison Riverbanks Ranches and Crystal Creek are all developments with private residences and homesites for sale with access to approximately 2 miles of private fly fishing in the Crested Butte area. A short drive west gets you to a section of the Gunnison River that flows through the Gunnison Gorge.
The Gunny Gorge
I have had the opportunity to fish this section of the Gunnison river many times. I have hiked in, I have taken the Jet Boat upriver from Pleasure Park, and I have floated 10+ times over the past 20 years. It is truly a special experience and I would say one of my very favorite thing to do is be with a group of guys for the three day Gunny Gorge guided trip fly fishing and camping along the river.
Where is the Gunnison Gorge?
From Crested Butte and the Gunnison Valley we have the East River and Taylor River that join up in Almont to form the Gunnison River. The Gunnison River flows into the Blue Mesa Reservoir, which flows into the Morrow Point Reservoir, and then the Crystal Reservoir. The Gunnison River starts flowing again below the Crystal Reservoir. The Gunnison River has carved the deepest and narrowest canyon in North America – The Black Canyon. The Black Canyon is a National Park – and it is also very hard to fish because there are vey few access points and you are “bouldering” down and up to get to the water.
After the Gunnison River flows through the Black Canyon it enters the more forgiving Gunnison Gorge and this is where our journey begins. Fly fisherman can hike in via a number of trails, as well as float the 12 miles of the Gunnison River.
The most accessible trail to access the Gorge and float safely is via the 1.1-mile hike down the Chukar Trail. From this point there are 12 miles of pristine river, wild trout and the beauty of towering canyon walls that create the serenity of isolation.
There are a few outfitters who have limited permits to float and guide fly fishermen in the Gunnison Gorge. Gunnison River Expeditions (GRE) and Black Canyon Anglers are two that I have used.
Black Canyon Anglers (BCA)
I have had the opportunity to float and fish the Gunny Gorge for many consecutive years. I have floated and paddled without guides three times (and flipped twice). I prefer being guided, and really like Black Canyon Anglers out of Hotchkiss, Colorado. They have a stable of fly-fishing guides who double as skilled oarsman, cooks, and concierges. The adventure begins when you we arrive at their beautiful riverfront oasis the night before the trip through the gorge. Their lodge is a great meeting place for the people in your group to meet – especially if you have people flying in from out of town. The trip is approximately $2,500 per man with first night gourmet dinner and staying at the Lodge , 3 Days Float fish/food/beverages, and Guide gratuity.
Staying at their lodge is very nice – we were assigned to small cabins and the accommodations were very basic but good. On our trip there was another group of fly fisherman who had just come off the river and stayed another night on the property. We gathered in the lodge for appetizers and fish stories before dinner. We mixed well with the other group and were all seated for a wonderful meal prepared by their local chef (who also prepared some of the food that we were served on the three day float trip). After dinner there were more stories, and a few games of billiards. Wake-up call was 5:30am the next morning so the group retired to bed fairly early.
Hot coffee and a light breakfast buffet was ready for us promptly at 6:00am and then we met with our guides who looked through our fly boxes to ensure we had a supply of “what was working”. They have a small fly shop with a sundry of necessary items specific for the Gunnison Gorge. We all got in their 4-wheel drive van and headed off to the top of the Chukar Trail. Too much coffee – as usual we had to make a pee stop…
Hike Down the Chukar Trail to the Gunnison River
If you are considering fly fishing the Gunnison Gorge – you will be hiking down the Chukar trail.
We were given dry-bags to pack all our recommended list of clothes and personal items we would be taking on the three day, two night trip. All food and beverages, along with our rafts, was already packed down to the river the previous day by mule, and unloaded and was waiting for us. We loaded into a van and drove to the top of Chukar trail – the majority of the trip is on a slow bumpy dirt road to get to the trailhead – travel time a little over 1 hour.
At the trailhead we put on our dry bag packs and hiked the 1.1 miles down to the river. It is a pleasant 30-minute hike down a canyon trail and into the gorge. The anticipation builds as you can hear the water and feel the cooler temp as you near the river, but cannot yet see the water. Once at the waters edge we see our four boats waiting for us. We split up into teams of two and selected our guides and rigged-up our rods. Each guide had a different idea about what to tie on, but all had large stone fly and / or golden stone fly dry fly patterns.
After we were done rigging up and repacking our dry bags the guides loaded each boat and tied down the gear. Each boat shoved off one by one and our float adventure was underway. One boat paddled upstream to access the calm waters below the Margaritaville campsites.
The next three days were fantastic fishing, camping, and camaraderie among our group.
Great Crested Butte Fly Fishing Gunny Gorge
I feel lucky that I have done this float trip through the Gunnison Gorge many times. I have fished great waters in Crested Butte, the state of Colorado and the Western US and none compares to the peaceful serenity and beauty of fishing in this place.
I have floated and paddled with three others in my two SOAR inflatable canoes. I have also hiked in to fish sections of the Gunnison Gorge, and have taken the jet boat up from Pleasure Park to Smith Fork Area & All-Day Float Back to Pleasure Park. These are totally different experiences that I won’t focus on here – but suffices to say, the pleasure of fly fishing with a big group for three days and sitting on the large raft as a seasoned guide calmly navigates the class 3 and 4 rapids is quite a contrast to the hectic whitewater experience of a self-guided float.
I am a pretty good fly fisherman – but I am much better when I have an experienced guide who selects the fly pattern and rig.
The Stone Fly Hatch
The Stone Fly or Salmon Fly hatch is legendary. These are big big bugs and trout love them. They hatch “sometime” in June or even into early July every year depending on the weather. The trout love stone flies – the big rainbow trout will come up from the bottom to eat these bugs on the surface.
I have been in the gorge during the epic stone fly hatch a few times, and supercool to catch the large rainbows that rise from the deep to attack these big bugs. It is exciting to see large rising trout as they feed non-stop on this hatch. We have literally had to peel the stoneflies off our faces and neck and out from under our shirts.
Gunnison Gorge Wild Trout
There are wild brown and rainbow trout in the Gunnison Gorge. The majority of the fish we caught were 12” – 22”. They are healthy, fat, and shaped like a torpedo with girth. We fished from the boat, and often eddied out to walk and wade and focus on a specific piece of water – a riffle, a pool or a deep run that held fish. We would change flies and tactics depending on the conditions and the instincts of the guide. It is nice to work a section of the river and rewarding to land a large fish after numerous casts with a near perfect presentation. It is also nice to be in a large group and get the benefit of others successes and what flies are working for them.
The beauty and serenity of floating through the Gunnison Gorge is hard to put into words. This is a very special place. If you are seeking a time to unwind and a few days of great time with family and friends, Crested Butte Fly Fishing The Gunnison Gorge is my recommendation.
The upper and middle sections of the river are full of cascading waters and rapids. This creates soft calm waters above and below and deep fast runs, and deep calm pools that hold lots of trout, and some very big trout. Floating along through miles of the gorge, it is spectacular to look up and admire the steep canyon walls that rise hundreds of feet above the flowing river.
The guided trip floating through the Gunnison Gorge is a full three days. There is a campsite sign-in sheet at the bottom of the Chukar trail to reserve the campsites for the two nights in the gorge.
A First Class Experience on the river
In addition to the awesome fly fishing – the Black Canyon Anglers guides prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food is great, especially considering they pack in all the food, supplies and cooking gear. For dinner we had grilled steaks and salmon accompanied with salad, vegetables, potatoes, and even a scrumptious dessert.
Each time we went ashore for lunch or at one of our campsites we also get the opportunity to explore the bank up and downstream for some great fishing spots. I really love the chance to patiently work a section of the riverbank, or behind a large rock in the river, or the challenge of fishing in a deep pool knowing there are lunker waiting… I enjoy taking the time to look at the water, the current the structure, and think about where the trout are holding. I inspect the vegetation and trees along the bank, and plan my back cast, and where I want my fly to land, how I need to mend the line to carefully present my fly to the waiting trout…
When I return to camp, the food is almost ready and the banter from group and the reflection of the day on the river is a special time. It is a time to unwind and relax, a time to appreciate nature, and to enjoy the Camaraderie of the group in this special place. The roar of the river is constant as a backdrop as we tell stories and laugh. There is no cell service and so we are all present in the moment… We share some photos of some of the big fish we captured on our phones and tell the tales of the ones that got away… the biggest ones!
Great Crested Butte Fly Fishing Gunny Gorge – The Float
Day one and day two are spent in the gorge – the canyon with its steep walls, and tumbling water. The guides skillfully navigate our boats through the rapids and around the rocks. There are many instructions to stop fishing and hold on as we wash over drops, bump off large smooth boulders, and crash through waves…
Booty Boy – We are required to wear life jackets for a reason – and there have been members of our group who have fallen out of the raft and taken a swim. Typically the guide is subject to quite a bit of ribbing by the other guides. We implemented a rule a few years ago that the member of our group who falls out must drink a beer from his shoe – it is a pretty funny celebration. (one of our guys has been nicknamed “booty boy” because he has a propensity for slipping out of the boat.
At dinner the first night it is fun to see the photos of the fish others caught and tell fish stories of the ones that got away… Food is a gourmet eating experience. Smoked salmon with crackers, diced scallions, cream cheese and crackers. We had steaks and potatoes and a salad for dinner. Yes also dessert was served.
They provide tents – but a number of our group slept under the stars. The high-altitude desert climate rarely receives rain. As I laid down to go to sleep and looked up at the unbelievable sky of stars, and listed to the roar of the river, I was thankful to get to live, work and play in such a special place… and I could not wait for our next day of fishing…
Day 2 Floating The Gunnison Gorge
The river and fishing day two is very similar to day one. And as always it is great to wake-up to a hot cup of coffee, breakfast, then break camp and get back on the water.
When I woke up I felt good. But, I could tell I had not put enough sun screen on my face, and my right arm and shoulder were a bit sore from all the casting from yesterday. I caught a lot of fish, and as a result my right index finger now had duct tape on it to mask the pressure of the line when setting the hook and the tension of the drag I would apply to the fly line. I took some Advil, applied more sunscreen and was ready to go!
We draw straws for fishing partners for the day – and then pick guides which is a good system so pretty much everyone gets to fish together and to fish with a different guide. I enjoy the opportunity to be with two of my best friends from college – we were fraternity brothers at Ohio State and have stayed close our entire lives.
We had another great day on the river. The fishing was great, we lost and caught some big trout, and as usual time on the water goes by too fast. Soon we were sitting in camp reminiscing about the day once again. Our group bonded around the experiences we shared in this beautiful place. We had seen only one other group of fly fisherman and we marveled a the beauty of the canyon, and the fact that we are so remote, but less than two hours from downtown Crested Butte.
Day 3 Floating The Gunnison Gorge
The third day of the trip we come out of the canyon when we get to the Smith Fork creek that flows into the Gunnison River. We were at the end of the canyon but not the end of great fly fishing waters. There is a sandy beach here and many times we have stopped to have lunch here. We had about 5 miles of flat water before the end of our adventure. This is the spot that Al runs his jet boat to. He makes several trips early in the morning and leaves from Pleasure Park and brings float boats and people to this spot where they start their float.
This section of the river is wide and typically there is a bit of a headwind. The guides told us we would be fishing with the biggest ugliest hoppers in our boxes. We sent long casts to the banks with overhanging brush to the large waiting brown trout in the crystal-clear water. This section of the river is not deep, and so many of the brown trout broke water which is so exciting to see and experience.
Lost iPhone in the River – Oh No!
We floated to Ute Park and our guide said he would drop me and take my fishing partner downstream. I was to fish the water down to them. There is some great water here and I was able to wade into the middle of the river and stand on a couple different rocks to give me lots of water to fish… I landed a 20.5″ inch brown trout and decided I needed a photo of that guy… so I went to the bank and set-up my phone for a selfie… Nice fish, good photo… all good. 20 minutes later as I am back in the middle of the river standing on my special large submerged rock I noticed my zipper on my vest where my iPhone goes is unzipped. I feel inside… no iPhone. Check all other pockets. I think. Why did I select a green iPhone and a green case? I should have gotten a yellow case.
I retrace my steps slightly downstream of my route back to the bank so as not to disturb the bottom where I am hoping to spy my iPhone (with the photo of the big fish on it). I lost hope, then 5 feet from the bank, I found my iPhone about 5 feet from the bank in 3 feet of water there it was. I thought of the Timex commercial “…takes a licking and keeps on ticking” was my iPhone dead? I pressed the button and it came to life. The iPhone 13 was as advertised – waterproof. Yes!
The trip ends at the take-out at Pleasure Park. We were off the water by about 4:00pm and there were high-fives all around.
What a great adventure getting to float, fish, camp, and enjoy the friendship of others in such a beautiful setting.
People often ask me “What Makes Crested Butte Special?”
People often ask me what makes Crested Butte special – there are so many things…, but the amazing fly fishing we have here in the valley, and Great Crested Butte Fly Fishing Gunny Gorge with a great group of guys is one thing that is very special to me.
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Chris Kopf
Global Luxury Property Specialist
Coldwell Banker Mountain Properties
email: Chris.Kopf@CBMP.com
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