Quick Details
Make sure you secure your Colorado Fishing License online!
Fishing Gold Medal Waters – Don’t miss the ‘Stonefly Hatch’
Please note, this trip is lead by our friends over at Ed’s Fly Shop!
Custom float fishing trips on the Gunnison River Gorge are fully guided for Fly Fishing.
It is a Catch & Release fishery with a fish count of over 7,000 Rainbow and Brown trout per mile, 1,000 of which are 14-35 inches. Gold Medal fisheries are 60 pounds of fish per acre and the Gunnison River has over 400 pounds per acre!
Accessible only by foot, it’s a 1 mile hike into the Gorge! The day before your trip, Ed’s Fly Shop will horse pack boats and gear into the Gorge. The Gunnison Gorge is a wilderness canyon for those who are willing to literally go the extra mile. With every step, the wilderness feeling deepens. The solitude and scenery found at the canyon floor make the Chucker Trail hike down worth every step.
A trip to the canyon floor requires a hike of one mile down a steep trail. Guests are expected to carry their personal gear in Ed’s Fly Shop issued dry bag backpacks (3.3 cu.ft), provided by Ed’s Fly Shop.
You can choose to add a horse to carry your bags to the launch at the bottom of the Gorge (NOTE: we must have your gear a few days before your trip in order to accommodate this).
Special regulations are in effect to protect the fishery which allows only one fish over 16″ and two under 12″ to be kept. Fly and lures only. We encourage everyone to catch and release. A valid Colorado fishing license is required.
We can set up the rafts or drift boats with 2 anglers per boat. Our professional guides will prepare your meals (lunch through lunch on multi-day trips) and set up the camp. There is easy access at the Gunnison Forks Park (our meeting location) and Ed’s Fly Shop will return you to the same at the trip end.
The limited access and unique June ‘Stonefly Hatch’ makes these very exciting trips at special rates.
Important details:
- Limited space (8) per trip
- Minimum 2 Anglers per raft
- Only one fish over 16″ and two under 12″ are allowed to be kept per special regulations
- Catch & release encouraged
- Flies only
- You must purchase a valid Colorado fishing license – we will include a link in your confirmation email
- Gratuities are not included in the trip cost
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The meals are planned with lots of fresh and hearty vegetables and salads. Gourmet selections for the delight of our guests throughout the journey. Your guides will be in charge of all preparations and they will amaze you with what comes out of those dutch ovens!
We can accommodate special diets with advance notice and the menu almost always suits the vegetarian.
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Ed’s Fly Shop will provide complimentary wine for dinners. You’re welcome to bring alcohol on multi-day expeditions, as long as it’s in unbreakable containers. Discretion in alcohol consumption during whitewater days is strongly advised. If you would like us to pick up a particular beer and bring it to the river, please advise and payment can be made for your purchase at the river put-in with your Trip Leader.
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The meeting place for this trip is the Gunnison Forks Pleasure Park (this is also the finish point of the trip). You will rendezvous with your guide on the morning of the first day of your trip. Meet in the parking lot behind the kiosk.
By Plane: Fly into Montrose, CO Airport (served by United, Continental, and America West) for pick up at lodge or airport. (See details on confirmation letter). Or Fly into Grand Junction, CO Walker Field (served by United, Frontier, America West, Delta, and Great Lakes Aviation) and rent a car for the 1½ hour drive to the Gunnison Forks Pleasure Park. Take Hwy. #50 south 50 miles to Delta, then east on Hwy. #92, 14 miles to the Gunnison Forks turn off.
Alternately fly into Denver (served by most major airlines) and rent a car for the 4½ hour drive to the Gunnison Forks rendezvous. Take Interstate #70 west to Glenwood Springs. Turn south on Hwy. #82 and go 12 miles to Carbondale, then southwest 60 miles on Hwy. #33 to Hotchkiss. Continue for 6 miles on Hwy. #92 to the Gunnison Forks Park south turn off.
By Car: From the North: Follow directions for air travelers from either Grand Junction or Denver. From the South: Take Hwy. #50 north from Montrose 20 miles to Delta, then Hwy. #92 east 14 miles to the Gunnison Forks turn off.
A roundtrip pickup or shuttle is available from Montrose or Grand Junction, CO. Add at checkout.
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Gratuities are not included in your trip cost. While tipping is done at your discretion, tipping is one of the gauges we use in terms of customer satisfaction. If you are ever not satisfied, please let us know so that we can adjust our expeditions in the future.