This winter, my wife and I are going to treat ourselves to a float fly fishing trip on the Roaring Fork or the Colorado River. We always enjoy a boating experience, but this Minturn Anglers excursion ties it in with superb fly fishing opportunities. We are both looking forward to catching the big fish and viewing spectacular Colorado winter views from a drift boat.

The guides from Minturn Anglers monitor river flows, and decide which river provides the best floating experience on any given day. These professionals know every inch of the waters, and how best to use a float boat. Productive sections of the Colorado are the Pumphouse to Radium, the section from Radium to Rancho Del Rio, or the last section to the State Bridge. The guides refer to the Roaring Fork, located only an hour away from Minturn, as a “little slice of winter fishing heaven”.

The best time to fish these waters is between 10 to 4 pm. Regardless of how cold it is outside, I am told that fly fishing from a float boat will quickly warm us. This is a good prediction, because Minturn Anglers guides are always keen to share their fishing knowledge and coach us in perfecting our techniques. Typically the guide uses the boat like a taxi, keeping a holding position over prime fishing locations.

Staff at the fly shop have suggested that the guide will likely:

• Help us to read featureless water to find those elusive trophy trout
• Teach us to use side drifting nymphs
• Find out how to fish streamers
• Learn about finer points of fishing dry flies
• Guide us in swinging flies with two handed rods

This is exciting! When it comes to fishing for trout in Colorado, the best way to approach the water is from a float boat. Planning for a float fly fishing trip is a good part of the enjoyment. Actually completing the excursion and being able to recall the experience to others certainly makes the winter pass by more quickly.