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One of the finest tailwater fisheries in North America Offered by
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ThereIntroduction are fabled waters
There are fabled fishing waters so abundant with trophy trout that they are often talked about with mysterious lore as if only existing in legends. The over 1.5 miles of Yampa TailWaters Preserve is such a fishery. The approximately 514-acre Preserve features storied water, teeming with voracious browns, acrobatic rainbows and eager cutthroat trout, all exceptionally large. Very few sections of river exist with all of the conditions precisely in concert necessary to recruit and hold the extensive number and size of coldwater sport-fish as the Yampa TailWaters Preserve. These waters are consistently flowing at an ideal temperature with an abundance of nutrient-rich aquatic insects steadily churning into and reproducing in the system. The river does not have dams or structural impediments downstream for 128 miles to the confluence of the Green River and beyond, allowing the free flow of migratory fish until they reach Yampa TailWaters Preserve. This equilibrium has resulted in one of the finest trout fisheries in the entire West; this legacy fishing paradise represents an opportunity to own a rich sporting sanctuary.
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Premier Fishin g Live Water
On the Yampa TailWaters Preserve, there is unquestionably premier trout fishing. The private fishing experience allows anglers to: site-cast dry flies, go after trout sipping from spinner falls, and pull streamers through deep back eddys. Additionally there is nymphing along seam lines and behind rocks. Trout are recruited for the rich resources of this tailwater fishery from many miles to settle in and feast on the nutrient-packed water as it funnels out of the Catamount Dam.
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Steamboat Springs Lifestyle
Steamboat Lifestyle
There is an abundance of recreational pursuits within close proximity to the Yampa TailWaters Preserve. This pocket of Colorado is known for its fisheries, and there are many options within an hour-drive. The Yampa River offers public fishing throughout the drainage, including 7 miles of stream access downstream through the town of Steamboat Springs. Additionally, there are three other public access points within 40 miles of the ranch. Another option for fishing is the upper Elk River, which provides the adventurous angler a small stream fishery in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area. An elk hair caddis often does the trick to dupe the fiery trout in this stream. The Bear River is a tributary to the Yampa and provides pure dry fly fishing where one can catch rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout. There are also many lakes in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area that provide quality stillwater fishing surrounded by exceptional rugged splendor and tranquility. Hunting throughout the Yampa Valley is also a great outdoor recreational endeavor. Hunting for elk, deer and game birds is outstanding on the many wildlife areas surrounding the valley. An extensive elk herd seeks refuge on the ranch year round, bedding down in the timbered hillsides by day while seeking water and forage grass in the meadows by night. Steamboat Springs, known to ski enthusiasts worldwide as “Ski Town U.S.A�, is home to a wonderful alpine ski resort that boasts 3,668 feet of vertical rise and an average of 343 inches of snowfall a year on the 165+ trails. The resort offers the finest amenities, from slopeside lodging to fine dining and is only 6 miles from the Yampa TailWaters Preserve. Why not ski knee-deep in powder during the morning and cast to 25-inch fish in the afternoon? Other popular local recreation includes golfing on one of the numerous local courses, horseback riding, hiking, whitewater rafting, mountain biking and cross country skiing.
Hunting
Huntin g
Yampa TailWaters Preserve, located at the base of Rabbit Ears Pass on the Continental Divide, offers some of the finest waterfowl hunting in the state. With a resident elk herd on the property most of the year, elk hunting is also notable.
Waterfowl Steamboat Springs is uniquely located between both the Pacific and Central flyways offering great duck and goose hunting. With the Yampa TailWaters Preserve’s consistent flow and water temperatures below the Catamount Dam, there is open water year round, even in the coldest winters. This open water becomes a duck magnet, especially during the late season; when local lakes and waters downstream of the Yampa freeze, every duck and goose in the valley make their way to the property. Mallards, Pintails, Canvasbacks and Canada geese are the most common. Blind hunting is productive in both the morning and evening, and jump hunting throughout the day can be prolific on the river and on Suttle Ditch.
Big Game Hunting Yampa TailWaters Preserve has a resident elk herd that is found on property year round. The herd consists of between 70 to 100 elk, with 10% being mature bulls. The herd spends most of their time in the back bowl area of the property, which consists of hillsides on both sides of the river during the day, and coming down to the river in the evening.
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS 7 miles north
LAKE CATAMOUNT
* Property boundaries and acreage calculations are preliminary and subject to change
Tailwaters Formation In the summer of 1976 after a decade of planning and permitting, construction of Lake Catamount commenced immediately upstream on the Yampa River from the subject property. The lake was filled by July 1978. Over the ensuing decades, the Yampa TailWaters have improved dramatically due to consistent flows of nutrient-rich waters which run from the lake.
Ski in the morning, fish in the afternoon.
Yampa TailWaters Preserve Bug Chart The key to a quality fishery is the bug life. Tailwater fisheries by nature provide consistent, cool and fertile water that support insect life and big trout. The Yampa River is one of the most biologically intact river systems in the West, flowing un-damned from the start of this spectacular property to the confluence with the Green River nearly 128 miles downstream. The portion of river on Yampa TailWaters Preserve below Lake Catamount offers consistent flows of cool, aerated, nutrient-rich water keeping the river open year-round. The extended season aids the growth of bugs and fish.
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Tailwaters create an ideal habitat for trout downstream. The naturally rich environment produces prolific bug life to sustain an abundant fishery.
Below is a listing of major hatches and food sources that make the Yampa TailWaters Preserve a prolific, trophy trout-factory. Midges
Mayflies
• During winter midges comprise the major food source for trout with less during colder winters in January and February. These cold winters, fish hold tightly to the bottom and pick nymphs out of the water. Sunny days during cold months will trigger prolific midge hatches.
• The Beatis or Blue-Winged Olive is the first and last of these mayflies, arriving in late March to early June and making a resurgence in late September to November.
• In March, big activity increases with outstanding dry fly fishing typically seen through April due to increased numbers of midges.
• Tricos will appear the second or third week of July and become the major food source until they disappear in late October.
• Numerous different midge species that generally hatch 12 months a year.
• There are a number of mayfly hatches from late spring to late fall.
• PMDs, Red Quills and Mahogany Duns are the majority of the first summer hatches and trout take full advantage of the abundance.
• Rising fish can be found feeding on duns in the morning and spinners throughout the day during the summer season.
Caddis
Stoneflies
• While summer caddis hatches are a major food source for trout on the Yampa downstream, they are often secondary on the tailwater sections due to the exceptional numbers of mayflies.
• Another abundant insect is the calorie-packed stonefly.
• Exceptions on the property are the Tan Caddis and the Autumn Sedge/Great Orange Caddis; Tan Caddis make an appearance at the end of June and can be seen through August.
• The small black/winter stonefly appears in late February to March.
• Egg layers always seem to get the attention of trout. Swinging adult patterns on top or just below the surface can offer outstanding grabs from willing fish, especially on hot summer evenings. • Orange Caddis appear in mid-October and while quantities are not great, the size of this bug makes it something trout cannot refuse.
• This tailwater section features a thriving resident population of smaller stoneflies with a good number of the large Golden Stones. • Trout can occasionally be found feeding on these stones on the surface, but the best fishing is always sub-surface with small soft hackles patterns. • Yellow Sally hatches starts in late June to end of July. Like the small black stonefly, Yellow Sally usually entice more trout when fished sub-surface. • Golden Stones are seen sporadically June to September, and trout will rarely pass up an opportunity to feed on these large bugs as a flying adult or nymph.
Abundant Insect Life
Terrestrials
• Many great western rivers are known for ideal grasshopper fishing and the Yampa is no exception. • The property encompasses acres of undisturbed grassy meadows that are loaded with big juicy grasshoppers. • In summer months, grasshoppers are clumsy flyers and a staple of the trout diet especially on windy days when they end up helplessly floating down river in a prime feeding lane. • Ant patterns are a favorite of trout and often overlooked by anglers. These are abundant May - October.
Other Food Sources
• Both small olive and giant tan crane fly larva are present and these nymph patterns are a favorite of hungry trout. • Slow stripping dark-colored wooly buggers and other leach imitations are an excellent way to prospect for large trout looking for a substantial meal. • Crayfish is another abundant food source and is a favorite for large trout and the occasional pike. • It has been said by renowned trout angler and guide Kelly Galloup, the diet of trophy trout consists of “fins, fur and feathers.” While we have not seen a trout take down a bird on the property, thus satisfying the feathers component, we feel sure that it has occurred. Fins and fur are prevalent meal choices for the large “meat-eater” trout. • Large streamers replicate smaller fish, often producing aggressive strikes and enormous trout, especially during low light conditions in early morning, dusk and all day when cloud cover is present. • Scurrying mouse patterns during windy conditions provide an explosive fishing experience, a well-placed pattern can illicit voracious strikes from aggressive trout.
Property Details Acreage: 514.82 per Routt County records Zoning: AF- Agriculture Forestry by Routt County
Property Taxes: $2,396.72 in 2010 Elevation: 6,800 – 7,500+/- feet above sea level River Miles: 1.52, both sides.
Location & Climate
Geographic Location: Steamboat Springs lies against the western ridge of the Continental Divide and is nearly surrounded by National Forest and Wilderness areas. The Yampa River begins in the Flat Tops Wilderness and flows through downtown Steamboat Springs and eventually meets the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument. Two ski areas, four Colorado State Parks, hot springs, lakes, rivers and trail systems cater to an adventurous grouping of outdoor activities.
Climate: Steamboat Springs’ summers are mild, cool and dry. July is the hottest month with an average high of 82 degrees and low of 41 degrees. Low humidity and elevation combine to make the summer comfortable and an ideal mountain retreat. Fall offers the crisp morning breeze with a spectacular display of brilliant colors as the aspens turn to a quaking and golden splendor.
Access: Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN) located 22 miles west of Steamboat Springs is open year round and accommodates jet service. The airport is the only commercial airport serving Northwest Colorado and provides access to the Steamboat Springs Ski Resort, to year round activities throughout the Yampa Valley and to outstanding hunting and fishing in Northwest Colorado and Southwest Wyoming. Various airlines are served at Yampa Valley Regional Airport. American offers daily service to Chicago and Dallas/Ft. Worth. Continental offers daily service to Houston and weekly service to Newark. Delta offers daily service to Atlanta and Minneapolis/St. Paul. United Airlines offers multiple flights daily to Denver. Frontier offers daily service to Denver. Bob Adams Field is located 3 miles NW of Steamboat Springs and offers an asphalt strip of 4,452 ft capable of handling many smaller private aircrafts. Private jet rental services also cater to the Bob Adams field, the FBO operator can provide additional information about these services.
Water Rights
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One of the finest tailwater fisheries in North America
Weiskopf Ditch The Weiskopf Ditch has a priority date of September 4, 1889, and a decree date of September 20, 1906, for 1.0 cubic feet per second. The priority number is 83a. The subject has a proportionate share in the ditch.
Suttle Ditch The Suttle Ditch has historically irrigated 691 acres, although recent Division of Water Resources records show 354 acres. It has an 1888 appropriation date and an 1892 adjudication date for 19.47 cubic feet per second. More junior decrees also exist.
“Through our firm’s extensive research on the Yampa River Tailwater’s property, it is quantifiably realized that an outstanding and unique trophy fishery is in place.
Sandhofer Ditch Division of Water Resources records indicates 52.8 acres are irrigated under this ditch, they are most likely entirely on
Also, all of the biological markers suggest that with strategic habitat design and enhancement efforts, this
the subject. The ditch has a 1903 appropriation date (1906
reach of river has the potential to become one of the
adjudication) for 1.17 cfs, along with later junior decrees for 1.89
most remarkable and productive fisheries in the West...”
and 2.5 cfs. - Shannon Skelton, Senior Fisheries & Aquatic Biologist/President of Fort Collins, CO based CFI - Global Fisheries Management www.cfiglobal.com
Sprin g
Winter World class FLy-Fishing that doesn’t change with the season
Su mmer
Fall
The Yampa TailWaters Preserve
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One of the finest tailwater fisheries in North America
There are fine pieces of artwork and then there is the masterpiece; the Yampa TailWater Preserve is as obvious a fishing masterpiece as there is available in the world today. In Colorado, the waters and the underlying stream beds are private, and Yampa TailWaters has over 1.5 miles of private, wadeable water. With an incredible tailwater spilling cool, insect-rich, clear water for over 300 days a year, the river contains some of the largest concentrations of exceptionally large brown and rainbow trout that we have seen. For 128 miles below Yampa TailWaters, fish migrate unimpeded up to this last 1.55 miles of refugia where they happily stay and feast. Fish restoration specialists at CFI Global Fisheries Management have studied this resource and say amazing as it already is, the river can be greatly enhanced with careful stewardship. It is a relatively private basin consisting of 514 acres full of elk, deer and waterfowl that is only 6 miles from one of the world’s best powder ski resorts in Steamboat Springs. There are significant financial benefits for the conservation buyer interested in donating a conservation easement. This property adjoins the unique and largely protected Catamount Club (www.CatamountRanchClub.com) where memberships can be purchased for a wide variety of amenities. If you are interested in owning one of the world’s most extraordinary, private trout fishing masterpieces then this Colorado ranch for sale deserves a closer look.
Photo credits: Colin Taylor, Barry Beck & Larry Pierce
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