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Angling Publications - Index

Angling Publications - may2008 - Index

STEVE LAMASCUS PHOTOS
The Alpine Moose Lodge (970-944-2415) is my favorite place to stay in Lake City.
The owner—Chef Bruno, a big, jovial Frenchman—is a wonderful cook and you can
eat at the restaurant on site. Other motels include the Inn At The Lake (970-944-2032),
Matterhorn Motel (970-944-2210), and Old Carson Inn (970-944-2511). Campgrounds
include Castle Lakes Campgrounds & Cabins (970-944-2622), Highlander RV Campground
(970-944-2878), River Fork RV Park (970-944-9519), and The Texan Resort
(970-944-2246). Chow spots include Poker Alice, The Tic Toc Diner (a great breakfast
place), Bruno’s Bar and Grill, Crystal Lodge, and Sportsman’s Texaco BBQ.
There are many more streams, lakes, beaver ponds, and pot holes in this marvelous
area, but there’s simply not room to cover them all. An ardent fly angler could spend a
lifetime in and around the Lake City area without becoming bored. Come to think of it,
many have done just that. There is so much prime water—some of which is rather difficult
to find—that the modest fee for a guide (usually $200 to $250 per day) is money well
spent. Dan’s Fly Shop (970-944-2281; dansflyshop@lakecity.net) can fix you up, but it
would be wise to call ahead for reservations as his guides are pretty heavily booked.
On our last trip, my daughter, Lindy, and I fished with guide Geoff Elrod. Geoff is
friendly, outgoing, polite to a fault, and casts a fly rod like Lee Wulff. His knowledge
of the country and the trout allowed us to catch many more fish than we would have
on our own. He also taught Lindy how to properly cast a fly rod, something that I had
been unable to do with any degree of success.
This is high country in every sense of the word, and winter can come early and stay
late. The snows are usually deep and the winters very cold. If you know the story of
Alfred Packer, the Colorado cannibal, you will get the picture. His infamy was earned at
the expense of several comrades when they were stranded by snow at the spot where Lake
City now stands. If you’re there early or late in the season, you’d better come prepared.
Steve LaMascus is a freelance writer and photographer living in Brackettville, Texas.
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