Risers 4 Rett Fall 2021
Another great Risers event is in the books. Fall is a magical time to be in Colorado’s high country and the aspens were changing before our eyes as the weekend progressed. Chilly evenings and warm days are the norm in late September, so while we enjoyed sunny afternoons, nights were spent bundled up in fleece while standing around the fire pit with cocktails in hand and stories galore. We had some newcomers this year, and my guess is they came because a friend invited them to come fish. At least that’s how my buddies Jeff and JD showed up. But very quickly they learned what the Risers Faithful knows – there is an amazing commitment from our tribe to support young girls affected by Rett Syndrome. Throughout the weekend, they experienced the amazing work that the Rett Clinic at Denver Children’s Hospital is doing to support these girls. They met Brooke, who has been living with Rett Syndrome since she was little and was a shining light to us all. Each became part of the Risers family and lifelong friendships were established. I’ve said it before…the secret sauce with Risers is the incredible people and giving nature of the Risers community.
This past Spring, I overheard one guide mention (in April mind you…) that they’d already seen peak runoff for the year. So, you can imagine by late September the rivers were a little bony. We floated the first afternoon, chucking Thin Mint streamers on our way to town. Even though we were in a two-person raft, we still had to drag through several sections (particularly when yours truly got on the sticks). But the browns were willing, and we got some good streamer eats. But the most challenging part was playing pinball with the myriad of wade fisherman who are standing in the middle of the river, nymphing the deep channel. We got a few angry looks and more than a few snarky comments, but we emerged with our egos intact and a few fish in the net. Guess it didn’t help matters when we’d get past the waders, start pounding the banks again, and stick the local thug with an articulated streamer while still in eyeshot of the dudes upstream. Oh well…
One of my favorite parts of the Risers weekend is reeling up the rods and rolling into the Party Tent along the East River as the sun is setting, grabbing an ice-cold Oskar Blues beer and hearing stories of how the day’s fishing went. Upon arrival one evening, I asked Chef Mike Shelly how his day went? As he turned a giant rack of ribs on the BBQ, he smiled a wry smile. “Not bad…not bad…”. So I grabbed him a beer and asked if he cared to elaborate? He shared that while cooking all day, he’d periodically sneak out to the river behind the cabin. Although the river only had a foot or less of water, he was ambitious enough to swing an olive Galloup’s Dungeon and stick a bunch of healthy browns. More than a bunch. He had an epic day. Good for him. Happy chefs can only lead to good things for hungry fisherman.
As always, the food was remarkable. I think we could actually hold a bird watching or nature walking event in Almont each year and our group will still attend…as long as we got to eat the culinary treats that Mike Shelly, Ed Kammerer, Travis Phillips, Chris Hoffman, Fush Fushimi and Paul Burke serve up for us. Some of the highlights this Fall were smoked brisket enchiladas, River Bear burgers and hot links, and pork ribs. And as is now a long standing tradition, Shawn Nelson and Rodney Coquia played guitar and we all jammed to Red Dirt Country tunes mixed with some blues and rock. One night I retired a little early to my cabin above the river and stood on the porch as the Milky Way shone brightly. I could hear the music bellowing over the tiny town of Almont with a glow of the lights from the party. Pretty cool way to end a memorable day.
The fishing was strong this year. While low water limited our access, we still got boats down the lower Gunny, and reports came back that fish were eating both streamers and nymphs. Some groups opted for double wade days. The thought being that fish are concentrated in the deeper runs, so focused time in the more likely spots yields more success than pushing drift boats through shallow sections. A few headed to the top of the Taylor, and I watched guide Alex Albers patiently lead a few anglers to some mighty big fish. I heard a story about a 28” fish being hooked on 6x tippet, where the brute quickly bolted upstream. No chase ensued, and our sad angler (names removed to protect the guilty) felt the sickening feeling of the rod going limp as the big fish broke off. Gotta chase those big fish and stay even with them! Some got creative (as always seems to happen at a Risers event) and went way up high, above Taylor Reservoir. After bushwhacking up a small creek, they caught something like 100 little trout, and they came back elated by such a fun day and wild adventure. Others ventured far in a southerly direction and fished canyon sections of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison. What a beautiful spot. The drive certainly took “time off the clock” but was well worth it. Deep granite walls, gin clear water and some nice fish made for a fun experience.
In all, we raised nearly $115,000 for the Rett Clinic. We welcomed new folks into the Risers community. We celebrated our love for the outdoors and wild places. We built friendships. And we all committed to do it again in six months when we get back together for Risers Springs 2022!
Brad Billingsley
R4R committee member