SOUTH PARK, Colorado — Tarryall Reservoir is one of the jewels of South Park.
Its waters are home to trophy trout and the alpine setting is Michele White’s office
“This was my office before I owned a fly shop. Fly fishing and being outdoors on these waters is part of my soul," said White, the owner of Tumbling Trout Fly Shop in Lake George, Colorado.
White is a fly-fishing guide and outfitter. There are a lot of ways to catch fish, but her favorite involves fins.
“Get in your belly boat, kick out. Just being part of the water, being part of the fish. You get out just a little further than you can cast (from shore). Plus, you are part of it. I mean, you look down and you see fish. It's like being in an aquarium," said White. "These trout are just cruising around in schools. Everybody’s catching fish, and then (no one) is catching fish. You just wait.”
And wait we did, with limited success
“Alright so we got one? Nope popped off. Oh shoot”, said fly-fishing guide Mary Manka.
On this day, dry flies didn’t fly. The action picked up when Manka suggested we switch to a mop fly. A creation that includes a small piece of car shammy and a hook.
“The joy is you are mano y mano with a trout. You can usually see the trout and you start looking at the water differently. Where would I be if I were a trout?" said White.
That’s the beauty of a belly boat. With a couple of kicks, you can get there.
For more information and all the equipment and guides you would need, check out tumblingtrout.com.