After breakfast and taking pictures in the front yard, I thanked Cassie's aunt and uncle for letting me stay at their house and headed to my next fishing destination. I stopped in Woodland Park and went to the South Platte Fly Shop. Here, I purchased more flies and some Redington waders. The guys at the fly shop were very helpful and gave me a lot of guidance on where and how to fish. I then picked up some groceries and drove onward.
After another thirty minutes to an hour of driving, I reached Eleven Mile Canyon State Park. The drive through the canyon was beautiful. I drove to the end of the canyon and began stopping at the various campgrounds as I made my way back toward the entrance. I would have been glad to stay at any of the campsites. The problem, however, was that they all had little signs saying that they were reserved from August 22 through 24, Friday through Sunday. I had planned to stay for four nights and really didn't want to have to pack up my stuff and move half way through the stay. I took a break to set up my fishing gear at one campground, then I kept searching.
Finally, I found a couple sites that didn't have reservation signs. Bingo. It was about a 60 yard walk to the campground from the parking lot; I assumed that was why no one reserved it. Plus, there were no trees for shade. It was simply a flat campground with a fire pit and a picnic table, nothing more. However, it wasn't reserved and I would be able to stay here for the next four nights. Wanting to get onto the water to wet my flies, I dumped my stuff at the site to mark it as mine, and then I left for the stream. I found a stretch of creek that looked "fishy;" so, I pulled off to the side of the road, threw on my waders, and hopped in. I found some fish surfacing for the light, evening trico hatch. I got two strikes on a small trico dry fly but didn't set the hook in time. I fished for an hour or so and then headed back to my campsite.
When I returned to the campground, I parked next to an older man who was unloading his truck. We spoke for quite a while. The man, Steve Young, worked for newspaper companies all his life. At one point, he even worked for the Houston Chronicle. Now, he is in Omaha, Nebraska. Steve told me that he grew up hunting, fishing, and camping. He suggested I go backpacking in Pinedale, WY, saying it is the best backpacking he has ever experienced. When he was a kid, he used to spend the entire month of August every year camping with his dad. Then, when his granddaughters were growing up, he would take them camping and teach them about the outdoors. Now, he does a lot of camping alone. We laughed when he said people question him for camping alone, for I have encountered the same attitude when I tell people of my trip. There are some things you just can't explain. When I went to bed, Steve stayed up to watch the the stars.
South Platte Fly Shop stream report and map
From the entrance of the state park
When I returned to the campground, I parked next to an older man who was unloading his truck. We spoke for quite a while. The man, Steve Young, worked for newspaper companies all his life. At one point, he even worked for the Houston Chronicle. Now, he is in Omaha, Nebraska. Steve told me that he grew up hunting, fishing, and camping. He suggested I go backpacking in Pinedale, WY, saying it is the best backpacking he has ever experienced. When he was a kid, he used to spend the entire month of August every year camping with his dad. Then, when his granddaughters were growing up, he would take them camping and teach them about the outdoors. Now, he does a lot of camping alone. We laughed when he said people question him for camping alone, for I have encountered the same attitude when I tell people of my trip. There are some things you just can't explain. When I went to bed, Steve stayed up to watch the the stars.
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