Three Forks Lodge Colorado

This 250,000 acre working cattle ranch is nestled on the Wyoming/Colorado border with the magnificent Little Snake River flowing straight through the heart of one of America's last wild places.

Three Forks is by far one of the best dry fly fisheries for wild trout anywhere in the lower 48 states. On any given day from June through October an intermediate angler can expect to have 20-30 dry fly takes. The daily hatch varies with the months and water levels, but the Little Snake is known for its massive "hopper", pale morning dun and calabatus sessions. With 6 to 8 pound trout slurping down size 16 fly's in 2 feet of water this place is a heart stopping experience, and the occasional 10-12 pound Hog that will earn you a place in the exclusive 25 inch club.

The elegance of Three Forks is unparalleled, 5 star rooms complete with on-suites, self-contained kitchens, lounge rooms and dining facilities. The accommodation is situated on the banks of the river, with sweeping lawns and a short walk to the main Lodge where three meals and beverages are served daily.

Three Forks also offers many activities for the non-fisherman or for someone needing a break from the river program. Horse riding, ATV rides, golf, hiking, clay shooting course, wildlife tours and massage therapy rounding off what is an amazing holiday.

 

The Three Forks Experience, By James Hutchinson

Thanks to a couple of classic Hollywood movies like ‘A River Runs Through It’ and ‘Legends of the Fall,’ the Rocky’s in the USA has always been a place of fascination for me. Stretching just under 5000km, this incredible mountain range starts in British Columbia in Canada, and finishes in New Mexico in the US, passing through a number of world class trout fishing destinations such as Colorado, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. It is also home to a huge variety of wild animals to keep nature lovers happy, including Grizzly Bear’s, Rattlesnakes, Bison, Bobcats, Coyotes, Gray Wolves, Elk, Moose, Bald Eagles and Mountain Lions.

It was with great pleasure then that I travelled half way across the world to Three Forks Ranch in Wyoming, hoping for a chance to hook into the famous wild Brown and Rainbow Trout. Nestled at the foot of Three Forks Mountain in the heart of the Rocky’s, this private ranch is owned by David Pratt who had made a fortune when he sold 90% of the pesticide company he founded for $620million in 1999. An avid trout fisherman, hunter and baseball fan (Pratt is a minority owner of the St. Louis Cardinals major league baseball team) Pratt spent a reported $3.5 million to rejuvenate the 16 serpentine miles of the Little Snake River that flow through his property. It wasn't long before rainbow, brown, brook and Colorado Cutthroat trout returned in healthy numbers.

When we entered the property it was clear that this project, which is the most extensive privately funded river restoration program in the history of America, was a huge success. The pristine snow-fed streams meander their way through vast grassy meadows, and the 30 oxbow lakes create the perfect habitat for the wily trout. There is also a plethora of terrestrial and aquatic based insects which swarm the late afternoon skies from June to October, and this makes for some sensational surface action with the trout rising from the deep to gorge themselves on Stoneflies, PMD’s, Salmon Flies, Black Ants and Blue Damsels.

After a hearty lunch, the four women on the trip saddled up the horses and cantered off for and afternoon’s ride in the mountains. The men, on the other hand, wasted no time and headed off to one of the top pools with our guide to get into the fishing. Being mid afternoon the fish were initially laying low, but it was great to iron out some casting problems with a few tips from our guide. We were told that around 5:30pm the skies fill up with an assortment of all kinds of insects and sure enough, just like clockwork, swarms of insects appeared right on time, and the trout started rising in solid numbers. What followed was one of my most memorable trout fishing sessions ever, not because of the amount of fish caught, but because of the sheer excitement of stalking rising trout, using delicate casts and tiny surface flies. The take was often so relaxed and discreet that I found myself holding my breath to make sure that I wouldn’t miss the strike. Once on the hook, however, it was a completely different story, with the well-fed, plump trout taking us for an arm wrestling ride downstream. That afternoon the PMD’s were the flies of choice, and everyone hooked into a couple of beautiful fat trout.

For the next three days the fishing proved to be sensational, including a brilliant session in a remote lake high in the mountains where we fished to rising Cutthroat Trout from small, canoe like boats. But it wasn’t just us men that were reluctant to leave, the women had thoroughly enjoyed themselves with daily horse rides, ATV tours, massages, a little bit of fishing and a scenic helicopter trip over the Rocky’s.

Ideal for both the non-fisherwoman and the serious fisherman, Three Forks Lodge offers remote, private and untouched trout fishing in style.