Listening to a recent report about the reconstruction efforts from the Colorado floods of 2013, I was pleased that many of the residents along the Eastern Front of the Rockies were getting their lives back together again. A family visit to the region some years ago made it easy for me to sympathize with the hard-hit areas when the flooding occurred. Fly-fishing for native cutthroats, particularly the sub-species known as the greenback, was one of the highlights for me on a ramble through Rocky Mountain National Park. The following composition reflects an aspect of the visit, with a hope that 2014 is a banner year for Colorado.
the fish eye glazed,
the olive back,
the darkly spotted tail–
once thought to be extinct,
the trout, a remnant population,
was discovered and returned
to the rocky mountain streams
where i searched for native cutthroats
and felt like a fish at home.
Rivertop Rambles 
Just love them high country cutts and the environs they inhabit.
They are somethin’, Les. No doubt you’ll be enjoying them soon.
Certainly looks like a trip to remember. Those are fish I’d like to come across one day…
The special qualities of these trout helped make a memorable trip, Mike. Part of that is due to the exterior beauty, part of it is due to rarity, and to the relative inaccessibility. Well worth revisiting. As always, thanks for reading and commenting!
Beautiful pics and words, Walt. And thanks for the fly tying shout-out a couple of posts ago. Starting to get in to serious tying mode now, with the longer days and spring fever takin’ hold!
Sure Bob, and thanks. Your flies have honored styrofoam seats among my fly-boxes. Glad that you’re catching the fever!
A wonderful trip for sure. Catching native trout is one truly satisfying experience.
Great photos.
Thanks Alan, and I think that, for me, the “satisfying experience” of catching native trout is allowing the fish to take one immediately to the spirit of a wild place.