Trip Summary Detals

I am the first to admit that I have been very lucky, especially when I think of the hundreds of beautiful rivers I have fished over the past 35 years. During that time I have found myself in some real knock-out locations, but I have to say, that where I ended up with my wife Mia and another couple on June 23, may have been the most beautiful valley I have ever seen. And after having spent four days fishing there and in the surrounding region, I have to say it was a fabulous overall experience that I can’t wait to repeat again soon.

El Rancho Pinoso is one of Robert Lindner’s pride and joy properties. Founder of United Dairy Farms, Lindner’s great love and legacy is a discerning selection of some of the most spectacular ranches in all Colorado. At 970 acres, El Rancho Pinoso and his personal homes on the property, form the centerpiece of what will become a coveted private water fishing program. The El Rancho Pinoso property is located at roughly 8,200 ft elevation on the Rio Blanco River, which is a tributary of the upper Rio Grande just south of Pagosa Springs. They have two tastefully renovated historic cabins look up the valley over a big red barn, grazing horses, deer and elk and on to a180 degree backdrop of dramatic 11,000-12,000 ft. peaks. Through the center of the ranch, the fully restored Rio Blanco flows for three miles with numerous deep pools, easy wading and lots of big rainbows, many of which are over 20 inches. The first day on the Rio Blanco we caught fish on sculpin patterns, small and large nymphs and then, as things warmed up, on stimulators. It was perfect.

The next day we drove to another one of Lindner’s Ranches, this time North of Pagosa Springs, on the Weminuche River. It was another gorgeous system that had been thoughtfully restored with a big mountainous backdrop and super fishing. While the dries were not happening this day, we caught good numbers of fish between 16 and 22 inches. After several hours there, we headed on to the upper Piedra on Lindner’s Notch Ranches. I had been warned that this river was really beautiful but I was not prepared for the magnitude of the experience. The little mountain freestone flowed through an elegant stand of old growth Ponderosa Pine and in back of it all were the most amazing eroded volcanic crags imaginable. On the way down to the river, head guide Damon Scott stopped at one of the ponds and landed a richly colored 20 inch brown trout on a little dry, and then we headed down to the river for a quick session. Personally, I was so blown away by the setting that I couldn’t even fish and instead stuck to the camera. On the way back to El Rancho Pinoso we stopped at Pagosa Springs and had a great casual outdoor Mexican meal at Kipps. Their margaritas were pretty darn good and our designated driver, Damon, was great.

The next day we could not resist heading back to the Piedra. This time it was just the guys and we hit it hard while the ladies went riding on the home ranch. We caught gorgeous wild rainbows, browns, brook trout and even a Colorado cutthroat. The dries fished just as well as the nymph, but the largest fish of the day, a fat wild 20 inch rainbow, was caught right in back of me by my buddy Ned on a #12 dirty bird nymph fished deep. When we got back to the home ranch, Mia and Lori were deep into their novels, enjoying the shade of the porch and their first cocktail. The evening light was again exquisite, the clouds and the mountains all turned pink and we all sat there on the big porch poking at the backdrop, trying to make sure that it was all real.

So I think you all are getting an idea of the scenery and the fishing but here is what you really need to know. This place is a flat out 10 for families, couples and private parties. With a group of four or six, you can have the place to yourself. If you wanted to have a big group there, you could pack both cabins out with as many as 16 folks. In either case, the valley and the private waters and the six horses are yours for the week. No strangers will be showing up, as this place has yet to fall into the “lodge” template. The cabins are so nicely situated and so well equipped that you will be amazed that the Lindner’s have opened them up to the public. The last note is that for groups who really enjoy cooking together, the entire package can be done on a self-catered basis which can be a real bonus for couples and family groups.

Currently the ranch has the following dates open for the 2009 season:
August 1-13, 17-20, 24-27
September 1-4, 15-24