The Colorado Luxury Fly Fishing Ranch Vacation of a Lifetime.
The 4UR Ranch is the perfect destination for private fly fishing in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. With six and a half miles of private tailwater winding through the ranch, it provides an exclusive experience few can match. While many guest ranches offer fly fishing, 4UR stands apart with Goose Creek, one of the only fully private trout streams in the American West. Managed under the traditional English “Beat” system, this pristine waterway has a long history of conservation. Thoughtful stream management and catch-and-release practices keep the ranch’s streams and ponds among the finest fly fishing spots in Colorado and beyond. As Ernest Ingersoll wrote in 1884, “I know of no place in Colorado where the fly-fisher will have better sport.”
The English Beat System
Our fly fishing ranch waters are divided into 22 private stations, or “beats,” which guests select each evening by lottery. Each beat, ranging from a quarter to a third of a mile, is reserved exclusively for a guest in the morning or afternoon—no need to rush out early to claim your spot. At 4UR, your chosen beat will be waiting for you.
As dinner winds down, a fishing guide brings a shake bottle from table to table, where guests draw numbered marbles to determine their selection order. The highest draw picks first for the morning, with others following in order. In the afternoon, the order reverses, ensuring everyone enjoys privacy and prime water each day.
Beats vary from tight canyons and meandering hay meadow streams to larger water flowing into the Rio Grande and trophy ponds, offering diverse fishing experiences regardless of lottery position.
As a longtime family vacation tradition, kids often take the honor of shaking the bottle and drawing for their family—just remember, once you draw, there’s no putting it back! The lottery keeps each day’s fishing experience fresh and exciting.
The Waters
From completely private tailwater and river, to trophy ponds and wilderness lakes, there is water to inspire every type of fly fisherman at the 4UR Ranch. Furthermore, we believe the privacy the ranch offers its guest is an ideal way to spend your family fly fishing vacation, no matter what skill level.
Goose Creek: The main attraction of this Colorado fly fishing ranch features fifteen “beats” marked off along the creek as it twists and turns its way through the valley. Each beat provides a slightly different aspect to the stream; the lower stations are contained in meadows and flanked by willow bushes and the higher stations on Goose Creek provide spectacular canyons and big, meandering bends in the stream. Goose Creek holds generous numbers of rainbows, browns, Rio Grande cutts and cutt-bow hybrids, plus brookies in its higher reaches.
The Rio Grande: While most guests spend their time on Goose Creek, they also have access to both sides of the legendary Rio Grande River. The Rio Grande begins its meandering towards the Texas coast just 40 miles above Creede, Colorado, making our stretch of this river one of the first places for this water to flow through. Our guests enjoy four beats along this stretch and many anglers discover what the locals have long known: that the fisheries of the upper Rio Grande River may be little known but are some of the best in the West.
Lost Lakes: About 50 miles northwest of the ranch at an elevation of over 10,000 feet are the pristine, secluded, and private “Lost Lakes.” The lakes are deep in the high country forest and a very special adventure for the angler who enjoys a bit of time on still waters. The all day guided trip entails traveling by Suburban to the trail head above the Rio Grande Reservoir. Then transferring to a smaller 4 wheel drive vehicle for the more rugged road into the last mile into the lakes. These lakes are overflowing with cutthroat and rainbow trout. It is an amazing opportunity to get kids of all ages catching fish and wanting to learn more about the sport. What could be better than a Colorado fly-fishing experience miles from the closest paved road?
Soda Creek Pond: This still water pond, dedicated as a beat, is fed by Goose Creek and stocked throughout with large trout. Soda Creek Pond is a great place to take your daughter or son for that special day of fishing for a trophy sized catch.
Walton Pond: Walton Pond is a wonderful small lake perfect for the young ones in the family to develop their fly fishing skills. This is the only water on the property on which the children may use a spinning rod to help get them started along their fishing journey.
Guides and Lessons
Some guests prefer the option of an experienced hand to show them the 4UR waters, while providing a personal introduction to the sport. Our young guides are some of the best you’ll ever meet bringing experience from a variety of backgrounds and fisheries throughout the country. Knowledgeable, patient, and enthusiastic they strive to make your week of fishing at the 4UR Ranch one to remember.
Whether your goal is to catch your very first fish or learn to better navigate tight waters and riffles, you can make the most of your fly fishing ranch vacation with one of our fly fishing guides. Each morning after breakfast our guides meet you at the lodge and get a feel for your goals that day. Some mornings start with a casting lesson on the front lawn while others begin with a quick breakfast and a drive up the valley to one of our higher elevation fishing stations. Ultimately, our guides will ensure that your fly fishing vacation is nothing less than ideal.
Hatches
There is no need to rush out to your beat each morning, our hatches usually start around 9am and slow down around 1pm. We have a softer hatch later in the afternoon near 4pm that lasts for a couple of hours.
- Early to mid June – Stonefly’s and Caddis
- Mid to late June – PMD, Green Drakes
- July – Caddis, Callibeatis, PMD, Grey Drakes
- August – Hoppers, midges, Caddis
- September – Midges, Blue Wing Olive and Terrestrial’s
For the Kids
During the heart of the summer the 4UR Ranch has always been a great destination for families with children. Our daily children’s program teaches kids the fun of fishing and can turn those young novices into seasoned anglers in no time. During the week the kids will spend time on Walton Pond, learning to cast, and are welcome to bring their catch back to the ranch for dinner.
Equipment
We recommend 3,4 and 5 weight rods for Goose Creek and 5/6 weight rods for the Rio Grande. We have a number of Sage rods and Redington waders to loan and a full service fly shop with a great selection of fly’s, tippet and other accessories you may need. We also carry fly fishing apparel and rain gear to include shirts, hats, and pants, by such great names as Patagonia, Ouray, Fish Pond and Smith sunglasses. If you have a request before you come, just call (719-658-2202) and we will try to accommodate before you arrive.
What to Bring:
- Fly Fishing Rods (3,4,5,6 weight)
- Waders/Hip Boots – we do have loaners
- Fishing Hat
- Sunglasses (Polarized preferred)
- Good Sunscreen (the sun can cause a burn quickly at altitude)
- Long Sleeve Fishing shirts (we recommend shirts infused with UV protection and bug repellent)
- Bug Repellant with Deet
- Rain Gear
- Fly Fishing Net (large enough to accommodate 24″ trout)
fyi… we’ve found that the favorite fly for our waters anytime of the season is a Parachute Adams!
From our Guides’ point of view:
“Fishing the big water is always an exhilarating challenge. The fish in the Rio are very healthy and you can often catch brown trout in the 16-18- inch range as well as some large rainbows moving in and out of Goose Creek. Timing the salmon-fly hatch on the Rio is always exciting during the early part of the summer and fishing just gets better from there. However, nothing beats seeing a large brown come up and eat your salmon-fly in an explosive strike.
While Goose Creek and the Rio Grande River are a spectacular part of the ranch they wouldn’t be quite what they are if not for the guides. As a guide we spend countless hours on the water making sure we know which hatches are happening and when. In addition, we match flies to the hatches, in order to attract the fish . Not only do we as guides have knowledge of the hatches taking place, but we also have countless hours of experience learning where the fish hold. There is something breathtaking about fighting a 20-inch rainbow while in the midst of stunning untouched mountain peaks.” – Ben Christensen
Off Property Float Trips on the Rio Grande
If you’d like to have a broader experience of the fisheries of the upper Rio Grande we would be happy to arrange for a guided float trip with one of the great guide services in town. Just give us a call before you arrive and we’ll contact our neighbors at Rio Grande Anglers, Ramble House, or South Fork Anglers and make a reservation for you in advance of your visit.
More Than Fishing, It’s an Experience!
Whether you’re casting for the first time or you’re a seasoned angler, the private waters of 4UR Ranch offer an unforgettable fly fishing experience. Join us and discover the peace, challenge, and pure joy that only a day on the river can bring.
Want a glimpse of what’s waiting? Watch our video to see the experience in action.