“Let it sink,” said Dan Real, Granby resident and volunteer with the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD). “If it doesn’t, I’ll add a weight.”
Grey Kelley listened intently to Real’s instructions.
Kelley tried again.
“Now it is sinking,” responded Real. “Mend the line. Good, Grey. Nice job.”
Kelley a resident of Highlands Ranch and an avid fisherman was new to mountain fishing. A boat owner originally from Texas, his fishing experience focused more on the open waters and marshes popular for fishing in the southern state. Kelley is also a right-leg amputee who has participated in a variety of activities with NSCD, but this was his first time participating in a fishing event with the organization.
Real, Kelley and more than a dozen others were participating in the “Fly Fishing in the Rockies” event hosted by Rocky Mountain National Park in partnership with NSCD.The event gave participants the opportunity to learn from volunteers and park staff about the basics of fly fishing, including learning about the fish species that live in the park, how to read the water, and how to cast. The event was held at a bend along the Colorado River near the Holzwarth Historic Site on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park.
According to Alicea Powell, interpretive ranger and coordinator of the event, Rocky Mountain National Park received a Junior Ranger Angels Grant to fund and enhance the fishing program within the park. That allowed the park to staff the event and provide equipment for participants to use, such as an automatic and electric reels, adaptive gear like arm braces for holding rods, and mats to place along trails for safety and wheelchair accessibility.
Fly fishing is a type of angling where an artificial, lightweight lure resembling a fly, is used to catch fish. The technique differs from spin fishing mostly because of the gear. In fly fishing, the tapered line and leader is weighted and propels the artificial fly to its destination on the water.
Flies come in all shapes, colors, patterns and sizes, each designed to mimic a different part of the diet of a fish. An example is a dry fly, which represents an insect on the surface of the water. A wet fly, on the other hand, is designed to look like an insect under the water and therefore needs to sink.
Powell explained that the overcast, sometimes rainy, weather during the event on Tuesday was good for fly fishing. For that weather she suggested using dry flies, brightly colored flies that float on the surface of the water.
Although only three people preregistered for the event, a wide variety of park visitors joined in on the fun during the course of the morning.
“Fly fishing is really good for fine motor movements, such as in fingers and hands, and endurance of standing,” said Maisie Bryant, Instructor with NSCD. “Fishing is also very social and a great way to connect with nature.”
It has also been said that trout don’t live in ugly places.
Rocky Mountain National Park will host another fishing event in September with NSCD. Details will be available on the park’s website at nps.gov/romo in the coming weeks.
Based out of Winter Park, NSCD hosts events all year long for all ages, including skiing, sit skiing, snowboarding, therapeutic horseback riding, fishing and rafting. Most activities are available for individuals or in group camps. For more information about their programs and the groups they serve, visit nscd.org.
