Of all the types of fly fishing, from the flats of the tropics to the steelhead and salmon rivers of the coastal north, my favorite is what I’ve always called “blue lining.” I love small mountain streams on public lands—places where anyone can visit with a fly rod and, often, not see another angler for hour or even days on end.
Above, the folks at Trouts Fly Fishing in Denver do a little blue-lining of their own. In order to beat the Front Range heat, Trouts GM Rick Mikesell heads to the high country to a gorgeous little stream full of willing trout. For a lot of us “creek freaks,” this is a lot what we hope heaven looks like.
And, with runoff winding down, more of us ought to venture into our vast public lands and take advantage of these precious places that belong to every single American, free and clear.
— Chris Hunt