Black Canyon of the Gunnison. When Someone Mentions “Bucket-List” you better say
“Yes”.
Submitted by Jim Craig
What happens when a friend calls and says, “I got this bucket-list trip I want to talk to you
about”? Well, if that friend is Charlie Trankler, you better sit up and pay attention. Charlie had
attended a presentation by Matt Bruns at the 2023 Denver Fly Fishing Show. Matt and his wife
own Black Canyon Anglers on the lower Gunnison River. A little research on my part quickly
found that this section of the river is specifically listed in Chris Santella’s book, Fifty Places to Fly
Fish Before You Die. This river boasts Gold Medal status and spectacular scenery and wildlife.
We began our planning back in February. Matt provided timely and very helpful answers to our
trip planning questions as well as a detailed “must have” list of personal items to pack. And you
better pack well. Once you launch, there is no way out until the end. The trip would be a
three-day, two-night rafting trip. We would fish from guided rafts by day and sleep alongside
the river in tents by night.
So it began! On Sunday, Sept 10, 2023, Charlie, from Austin, TX, and me from St. Louis, MO,
flew to Denver, CO, where we joined forces and boarded our flight to Montrose, CO. From
Montrose, CO, it was only a 30-minute rental car drive to the Black Canyon Anglers Lodge. The
lodge is part of a lush green, working peach orchard and ranch along the Gunnison River near
Austin, CO. Yes, we sampled delicious, ripe peaches on the trees near our cabin. Interestingly,
this area had also been inhabited by ancient Indian tribes as evidenced by petroglyphs on cliffs
near the entrance to the ranch.
The trip would start Monday morning with a 5:30 AM wakeup call, so Charlie and I stayed in
one of their comfy cabins Sunday night. That way there was no rush to pack our individual
drybags. And, we were able to enjoy the appetizer/happy hour that started at 6:30 PM and
dinner at 7 PM, and meet the other six guests on our trip. We quickly learned that food, much
of it sourced from the ranch, was also going to be one of the trip highlights. Our dinner was a
three-course meal with a peppercorn duck breast entrée and gourmet side dishes and desserts.
Did I mention the trip was all-inclusive?
The next morning, we enjoyed a light breakfast and then carried our personal drybags out to
the 15-passenger van the guides had already begun loading. It would be an hour and 15 minute
ride to the head of Chukar Trail. I won’t kid you, the last 45 minutes of the ride on a 4×4 road
was very rough. Once there, everyone grabbed their gear and started down the trail. The 1.1
mile Chukar tail dropped 600’ down to the river. The day before, a team of horse and/or mules
packed in the rafts, some of the food, and all the group camping gear. Once we hit the river,
the guides inflated, rigged, and packed our four rafts. We were fishing by about 10:30 AM.
The predominant presentation for this trip was the hopper-dropper or the hopper-dropper-
dropper. A few fished swirled at the hopper, and Charlie’s big 20” brown on the third day came
on the hopper. But, all the other fish were taken on nymph, emerger, and larva droppers.
This trip gave us the best of both worlds. We fished from the rafts, and we took time to wet
wade. Since we had three days to cover 13 miles, there was plenty of time to relax and pick a
part our guide’s favorite wading spots. We also wade-fished in camp while the four guides
prepared dinner.
I think we stopped counting fish caught after the first day (but, I acknowledge that Charlie out
fished me the second and third days, ouch). The experience was so much more than the
fishing. Our days were periodically interrupted by running class II and III rapids. We had a few
wet runs. One even threw Charlie from his seat to the floor of the raft. Our guide, Peter
Sandels, was a master at navigating our raft, among many other things we highly valued for the
next three days. We passed by vertical cliff walls that extended 1,000 feet or more from the
river to the rim. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but not in this case. Pictures
could not do it justice.
Just like at the ranch, our food on the river was outstanding. I couldn’t help but take pictures of
every meal. The first night was salmon and the second night was filet mignon. The side dishes
and desserts were equally spectacular. All this was packed in and prepared fresh by our guides,
who were having so much fun amongst themselves, it was hard to tell they were actually
working. But their results proved they were working very hard. They didn’t let a question go
unanswered or a request unfulfilled. It was a joy to be with them and the other six guests.
Everyone was easy-going, fun-loving, well experienced flyfishers with lots of stories and
experiences to share.
Evenings never lasted too long despite the camaraderie (and some really good bourbon brought
by Tony and Pete from Gunnison, CO). Everyone was beat by the time night set in at about 8:30
PM. This is when Charlie and I learned a lesson, the hard way, for the next time. We had set up
our tent and were retiring to our sleeping bags when we immediately realized the comfort of
our sleeping pads did not match the needs of our 60+ year old bodies. Oh no, not even close.
Had we arranged for or brought thicker pads, we would not have awoken so sore each morning.
But, it’s not an adventure without challenges. One look at the river each morning and we
realized how blessed we were to be experiencing one of God’s most beautiful creations. So, we
put on our big boy pants, shook off the soreness, and sauntered over to the hot breakfast that
awaited.
The trip ended about 3 PM Wednesday, the third day. I think it is fair to say that we all had
bitter-sweet feelings at the end. No one wanted to leave this beautiful water, but everyone
had to admit they were exhausted. We just finished three days of hard fishing. The whole
experience was unforgettable. It was only a 10-minute ride to the ranch where showers and
our appetizer/happy hour, dinner and real beds awaited. Again, the ranch food was amazing.
The entrée was a lamb shank enchilada (source from the ranch) and deliciously unique side
dishes and dessert. Charlie and I enjoyed visiting with other guests after dinner, slept well that
night, and enjoyed spending time walking the ranch Thursday morning before we drove to the
airport.
Looking for an adventure in an easily accessible place with great fishing and accommodations?
Call Charlie or me, and we will point you to Black Canyon Anglers. Matt and his staff have it all
figured out for a true bucket-list trip. Personally, I am thinking that this is not going to be a
one-and-done bucket-list trip. I am going to kick this bucket again.
