[drewski]

Anyone fished Browns Canyon recently? Just wondering how it fished/clarity and any other insight. Don’t fish the Ark much. Thanks.

 

[MNichols]

Anyone fished Browns Canyon recently? Just wondering how it fished/clarity and any other insight. Don’t fish the Ark much. Thanks.

Fishing is fine, but getting a line in between the endless string of commercial boats can be problematic. One needs to launch about 6AM to beat the traffic. Downstream in section 3 is a lot better, the water has been alternating between cloudy and clear as the monsoon rains hit us. The report for Saturday is for 2 inches of rain near and south of Hwy 50 from Poncha Pass to Pueblo..
Not showing it on NOAA, but

National Weather Service

forecast.weather.gov

FWIW...

 

[drewski]

Thanks! Didn’t even consider the commercial boat traffic.

 

[Acheron]

Fishing is fine, but getting a line in between the endless string of commercial boats can be problematic. One needs to launch about 6AM to beat the traffic.

Sounds like the upper Colorado as well.

 

[griz]

commercial boat traffic.

the rubber hatch….a hatch you definitely want to miss.

 

[MNichols]

Sounds like the upper Colorado as well.

100 times worse...

 

[MNichols]

These are just the private boat counts, IIRC unless it changed in the latest revision of the RMP, Commercials have 450 BPD..

So far 2 days have hit the threshold to insitute a permitting system for private boaters.. Yep, it's coming down the pipe likely next year if use hits the threshold for one more day.. Also likely administered by Wreck.gov, so we can all be assured of being able to get a permit... Not...

Browns is a zoo, and has been for years. But the commercials give money to AHRA so they see no need to change anything..

 

[Ripper]

Saturday at Fibark was packed on Browns!

What would the permit system look like on Brown's? Camping only or launch reservations as well?

 

[jamesg]

Do the last commercial trips still launch at 3 each day? I remember having some good late days in Brown's just waiting it out.

 

[MNichols]

There's no hard and fast rule as to when the last commercial trips launch, and the permits would be for a launch permit, there's very little camping in browns Canyon

 

[bigfishn]

Fishing is fine, but getting a line in between the endless string of commercial boats can be problematic. One needs to launch about 6AM to beat the traffic. Downstream in section 3 is a lot better, the water has been alternating between cloudy and clear as the monsoon rains hit us. The report for Saturday is for 2 inches of rain near and south of Hwy 50 from Poncha Pass to Pueblo..
Not showing it on NOAA, but

National Weather Service

forecast.weather.gov

FWIW...

I'd say 6am is an exaggeration. I got to Fisherman's Bridge at 8:30 on the highest flow Saturday (two weeks ago, 1920cfs) and I was the first vehicle in the lot. I was very surprised! Still a busy day overall, just not before 9am....at all.

 

[MNichols]

I'd say 6am is an exaggeration. I got to Fisherman's Bridge at 8:30 on the highest flow Saturday (two weeks ago, 1920cfs) and I was the first vehicle in the lot. I was very surprised! Still a busy day overall, just not before 9am....at all.

No two days are the same, I have seen boats launching at fisherman's at 0700, browns Canyon rafting, and AVA...

 

[DoStep]

Having been running Brown's both private and commercially for over 30 years now, it is pretty predictable when it will be busy and when I can go and have it all to myself. If you want to run it during the late morning/mid-day, expect it to be busy. Earlier and later you can find plenty of solitude. There is even a sweet spot between the primary morning and afternoon commercial launches where traffic can be sparse if you time it right.

I've also never had difficulty getting ramp space at the take out regardless of time of day, but Ruby Mtn. sometimes gets a little congested being so small. For the traffic Brown's sees, things generally go pretty smoothly with only an occasional shit show.

I just hope that the powers that be will consider the concentration of boats in time windows when developing a permit system. There is no reason for permits if you are launching before 8 or after 4.

 

[MNichols]

Having been running Brown's both private and commercially for over 30 years now, it is pretty predictable when it will be busy and when I can go and have it all to myself. If you want to run it during the late morning/mid-day, expect it to be busy. Earlier and later you can find plenty of solitude. There is even a sweet spot between the primary morning and afternoon commercial launches where traffic can be sparse if you time it right.

I've also never had difficulty getting ramp space at the take out regardless of time of day, but Ruby Mtn. sometimes gets a little congested being so small. For the traffic Brown's sees, things generally go pretty smoothly with only an occasional shit show.

I just hope that the powers that be will consider the concentration of boats in time windows when developing a permit system. There is no reason for permits if you are launching before 8 or after 4.

I can't speak to Tom Waters, who is now the park manager with the retirement of Mr. Revenue, Rob White, but the thinking back in 2003ish when this was being considered the first time the privates hit their allocation, was 24/7 365 permits, as the carrying capacities were designed for a 24 hour period. One point I brought up was the lack of people counting outside of "business hours", how would they track use? The reply I got was they would track the permits. Personally, the ONLY areas a permit system would work is in the gorge and browns, as all the other areas have way too many access points to be able to control. I hate to say it, but it's likely imminent, the commercial SUA people won't not let it happen. They have a huge wad of panties for the privates, feeling they hinder their operations, and impact their customers enjoyment..

The Ark has long since lost all the "mom and pop" operators, the last to go was WAO downstream, now it's all business people, and it's a big business indeed. Talking with a guide for Echo last night, he said visitation is off at least 1/3 this year, despite decent water. The thinking amongst the guides is gas prices and rampant inflation is stopping people from traveling, so it may well be a good year to boat and miss some of the crowding.. Just not in Browns..