Fly Fishing Outfitters Celebrate 30 Years of Fly Fishing
Since 1992, Fly Fishing Outfitters has been serving the Vail Valley. We are a locally owned and operated, year-round, Orvis-endorsed guide service and retail location in Avon (In Westgate plaza). We are the only Orvis-endorsed guide service in the Vail Valley—including the only Orvis fly fishing schools in Colorado— Fly Fishing outfitters is a two-time winner of the Orvis Endorsed Outfitter of the Year.
Our passion is connecting people with nature through fly fishing. We provide every client with a top-notch experience. Whether they are a first-time fisherman or have been fishing for years, we will match them with a professional guide and guarantee a safe and fun day on the river. Our retail location provides all of the fishing gear that you need for fishing in Colorado and beyond.
Endorsements for Our Fly Fishing Guides
- Fly Fishing Outfitters is the Vail Valley’s only Orvis Endorsed Outfitter & Guide Service.
- Our guides are held to the highest standards in the industry and are required to complete a rigorous training program designed by FFO for the Orvis Company. Every client that fishes with us is surveyed by Orvis to ensure our guides meet the high standard of excellence and superb service that Orvis demands.
- Trout Unlimited Endorsed Guide Service.
- Member of the Eagle River Watershed council
Excellent Service for All Our Fly Fishing Customers
Since becoming Orvis-Endorsed Guides in 1992, Fly Fishing Outfitters has sought to provide unsurpassed customer satisfaction and has always set out to meet all the other high standards of excellence that Orvis, the world’s largest network of guides, has set forth. Our retail store and guide service was truly the first to be open year-round and is the longest-running in the area.
Fly Fishing Outfitters prides itself on attention to detail. We have completed over 12,000 trips, some as large as 800 people, and one of the most important reasons why we continue to succeed is that we care, both for our customers and our resource.
Why Fly Fishing?
- Connect with nature in spectacular surroundings
- While Fly- fishing is a sport that requires focus, attention. It doesn’t require physical strength. You enjoy either standing in a stream or floating down a larger river.
- Fly-fishing is an activity that can be enjoyed as a solitary moment, with the whole family or a large group of friends and colleagues.
- Let us teach about the incredible aspects of a Trout’s environment that make nature so astonishing.
- Learn about fish, aquatic insects, water, and plants.
- Teach yourself and your children patience and concentration.
- Learn to respect nature and riparian and aquatic creatures.
Where Do We Fish?
Fly Fishing Outfitters has access to world-renowned trout fisheries and a large variety of water all within 90 minutes of our shop in Avon. We float and wade the following waters:
- Eagle River and Gore Creek (approx. 15 min drive)
- Middle Park section of the Colorado River (approx. 30-min drive)
- The tailwater section of the Blue River (approx. 45-minute drive )
- Roaring Fork River below Aspen (approx. 1-hr drive)
- The world-famous Frying Pan River (approx 1-hour drive)
- We also have access to some great high mountain creeks and lakes (20-45 min drive)
All of our guides are whitewater and first aid/CPR certified. They are committed to giving their clients a safe, scenic float regardless of the river. Colorado State Law requires that any person participating in a guided trip must wear a Class V life jacket, no exceptions.
Colorado River
A true Rocky Mountain large river fly fishing experience. A tremendous year-round fishery that offers over 125 miles of fly fishing. This float offers anglers chances for sizable trout; throw dries and streamers from the boat or get out to nymph a secret riffle. Watch wild eagles soar, explore hot springs, and enjoy the unique geology of the canyons along the river. The Colorado River is the most remote river we float, and we have access to private put-ins and take-outs. Primarily a Rainbow and Brown trout river. The Colorado River is a favorite of many of our clients for its mid-summer Hooper fishing and great Fall Streamer action for large Trout.
Eagle River
Right out the back door of our fly shop lies our most popular float and/or wade trip. The Eagle River gives fly fishermen a chance to cover miles of private ranchland full of wild Rainbows and Browns. The Eagle River offers some of the best wild trout fishing in Colorado. Its proximity to the Vail area means you can be fishing minutes after leaving our shop. Mid-summer, half-day evening floats offer incredible dry-fly action. Many of our guides wish they could float this river year-round, and know it like the back of their hands. The Mother’s Day Caddis hatch prior to snowmelt and the post runoff Caddis hatch are not to be missed by anyone who loves dry fly fishing. Other prominent hatches include Golden Stoneflies, Pale Morning Duns, Terrestrials, Blue Winged Olives, and Midges.
Roaring Fork River
This river has over 2,500 trout per mile with an average fish of 15 inches. The possibilities of hooking a trout over 20 inches in a day’s float are high. The 13 miles of river between Carbondale and Glenwood Springs that we float are all under Gold Medal regulations. The Roaring Fork is perhaps the best freestone trout stream in Colorado. This river can be floated pretty much yea-round. Floating is the easiest way to fish this large quickly moving river. The Roaring Fork River also offers an excellent amount of year-round public wade fishing in a lower elevation that has a temperate climate. The Fork is famous for its July Green Drake hatch but is also an incredible dry Fly River with abundant hatches of Caddis, Stoneflies, Pale Morning Duns, Hoppers/Terrestrials, and Blue Winged Olives. Fall Streamer action is fantastic too.
