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“Hooking a Lunker” from “Hooked by Flyfishing” by Graham M. Mott

“My heart raced as I was sure

I had hooked a huge trout

as I never felt a fish this strong.

It rapidly stripped the line off my reel.

There was no possibility

of stopping such a big fish.”

You may know that wonderful feeling when first viewing a valley that is so beautiful it almost takes your breath away.  That is how I felt when I first laid my eyes on the South Fork of the White River curving among beaver ponds and nestled in a lush valley with forests and tall rugged mountains on both sides.  It was a five-hour road trip from Denver to the river driving I-70 to the exit next to the Colorado River at Gypsum and a long winding steep climb along a narrow dirt road up the mountainside to a high plateau.  The rest of the trip included driving through aspen groves and meadows while crossing several small streams until finally dropping back down in the White River valley on a steep, rocky, and rutted road.  The latter part of the trip was slow going but was well worth it when you finally arrived.  In fact, one time while driving down this road toward the White River, I managed to high center my car and had to walk for several miles to summon help.

Besides camping near the river, there was only one other place to stay, Budges Lodge, built in 1931.  This resort is now called Budge’s Flattops Wilderness Lodge and consists of a dining hall and seven primitive log cabins in a serene setting close to the White River and adjacent to the Flat Tops Wilderness Area in the White River National Forest, and 40 miles from the nearest paved road.  Guest cabins are lighted by kerosene lamps and heated with wood stoves.  There is a sink and a toilet in each cabin with only a shower curtain around it for privacy and an outside cold communal shower. The resort offers daily meals and horseback rides or pack trips to fish back country lakes in the wilderness area.  It is a step above camping out, and the food is good, family-style fare.

Read More: https://misterangler.com/hooking-a-lunker-from-hooked-by-flyfishing-by-graham-m-mott/