Daytrip to Portal

           Seeking an exciting but easy daytrip?  You say you want to experience Western Colorado and squeeze in a little fishing?  As long as you’re wishing, could it be somewhere with the potential to catch trout measured in pounds, not inches?  Oh by the way, not wanting to seem pushy, but could it be a place that one can drive to? Tall order.  But, after all, this is Colorado.

           Ten miles east of Montrose on Highway 50 is a turnoff that seems innocent enough.  No fancy entrance gate.  No big signs.  But awaiting the visitor is a hole in the ground.  A big hole.  No ordinary hole, this Black Canyon, but a very deep and spectacular abyss.  Unexpected.  Surprise is inevitable.  Most Colorado vistas raise your chin - this one lowers it. 

            An outing to the Black Canyon National Park is a daytrip not to be missed while visiting in the Montrose area.  The Black Canyon is easy to get to and can be enjoyed by those with a few hours or a few days.

            For those with only a few hours, take the short drive to the Visitor’s Center first, then stop at a few of the many overlooks and gaze down into the over 2,000 foot deep canyon.  A favorite overlook is the Painted Wall.  Look for nature trails, exhibits, and wildlife such as deer, eagle and peregrine falcons.

            That seeming creek at the bottom is what interests the fisherman.  Distance fools the eye into thinking that the Gunnison River is a mere trickle and that the house-sized boulders are but stepping stones.  Although not large by western river standards, the Gunnison River is one of the larger rivers in Western Colorado, and supports one of the largest biomasses of trout in the state.  You can hear the visitor wondering “Does that sliver of water really hold any fish?  If I could just get down there, then I’d wade around and find out!

            Well, it’s not very often that you wade the Gunnison in the Black Canyon, but there are ways of getting to it.  Walking to the bottom is an option reserved for only the very serious hiker, and requires a permit.

            Driving to the bottom via the East Portal road is an easier option.  This road provides the only drive access to the canyon floor.  Yes, it’s paved, but lest you be fooled, the road is an adventure in itself - a real brake smoker.  Not for the faint of heart or those in drivers education!  (No trailers are allowed).  Very steep and twisty, the route was used during construction of the Gunnison water tunnel, and later for Crystal Dam.  Whether or not you plan to fish the Gunnison, this is a drive well worth your time.

            For the fisherman, the Gunnison River here provides opportunity no matter what kind of tackle you favor.  At the bottom on the river level, a diversion dam for a water irrigation tunnel causes the river to be divided into two distinct sections.  Up river, the road continues past a picnic area for about one mile before dead-ending at a gate near Crystal Dam, which marks the end of public access.  Along this stretch, the river is slow and deep.  No wading here.  Fly fishing works where brush is absent, but fishing from the bank is best achieved with a spinning outfit.

            Downstream, the real river reappears below the diversion dam.  Except for a caretakers house, a small tent campground, and a parking lot along the very short road, the canyon from here on is as it was and has been since time.  The upper boundary of the Black Canyon National Park begins below the campground, marking the start of gold medal water.  The gold medal designation is given to only a few rivers in the state which possess the highest quality of fishery.

           Pressure at the Portal is heavier in mid-summer months, but fishing can still be good because the Gunnison is a very productive river.  Dry flies and nymphs are both effective.