The Colorado River in Marble Canyon, the 13 miles between Glen Canyon Dam and the access point at Lee's Ferry, which is also the start of the WILD AND SCENIC section through the Grand Canyon, is simply the most breathtakingly beautiful river I have ever seen. The fact that it holds large numbers of large rainbow trout in gin clear water becomes frighteningly irrelevant to anyone with two eyes, for the first few days at least. It is also, fishing-wise, a weird and bizarre river. The daily flow fluctuations can be great. The perpetually low and unvarying water temperatures create a fishery without mayflies, without caddisflies, without stoneflies, and without terrestrials. The fish swim in a soup of scuds and midges, and without energizing hatches in the usual sense. Life is easy, food is slow moving, there are no apparent predators. The fish are all good communist workers. But hey, where else can you have 70 degree sunny weather, transfixing scenery and a challenging fishery in the middle of winter to early spring. And, that large black bird sitting on the gravel bar behind you begging for food will be one of those most rare, carefully people-deconditioned California Condors! For scale, find Jim Noteboom seated at the sagebrush/granite transition in the first two pictures.

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