Rustic Ranch in Fraser, Colorado

Temperature: high 80's
Flows: ~5 cfs
Fish Landed: 2

Summary

My angler buddies and I decided to venture to Fraser, CO, and try out the Ranch Creek Valley Vista. This is private water offered by the wonderful folks at RareWaters. Located about 1.5 hours from Denver, it makes for an easy day trip.

It was a cold morning, with our breath visible and a light frost on the grass. Even though it was late August, it warmed up quickly as the day progressed. The river was just a short walk from the parking area, but upon arrival, it was immediately clear that the flows were very low. We started working our way from the upper boundary towards the lower, searching for any deeper pools or pocket water. We found some pools, but the water was nearly static, making it difficult to achieve a proper drift with our euro setups.

Traversing the river was easy with the low flows, and there’s plenty of access along the shore. Just be careful of the large holes. More than once, I found myself scoping out a spot on the river, only to nearly twist an ankle or knee by not watching my steps carefully.

After a few hours of fishing and spooking a lot of fish, I found a small seam on the far bank. I cast a few times and felt a subtle take. After setting the hook, I landed a small brown trout, maybe 8 inches. Success—at least I wasn’t getting skunked today! The rest of the day involved trying not to spook the fish (which was very hard), casting around bushes, and avoiding casting shadows into the river.

It was a humbling day. With the low flows and spooky fish, this water proved to be very technical.

Ranch Creek is home to brook, brown, and rainbow trout. Given the conditions, I’d recommend using a 2wt to 4wt rod, around 8 feet in length. You can certainly get by with a 9ft or 9’5wt rod if that’s what you have, as there are plenty of open casting lanes and minimal places to get snagged.

Flies used

• Spanish Bullet
• Blowtorch
• Jake’s Tungsten SH Perdigon
• Rainbow Warrior

Products used

• 4wt 10’ Moonshine Epiphany
• Hardy Reel Ultradisc UDLA
• Patagonia Foot Tractors
• Patagonia Swiftcurrent Pants (my review)
• Net - Fishpond Nomad
• Hip Pack - Fishpond Waterdance Pro
• Chest Pack - Fishpond Canyon Creek Chest Pack