Some guide services exist to fill a calendar. Gone Fishing Colorado exists because the people behind it genuinely can’t imagine doing anything else. We’ve been on these rivers for over ten years now, watching the seasons change, learning the water in ways that only come with time, and sharing that knowledge with anglers from all over the world. What started as a passion project has grown into one of the most trusted guide services in the Roaring Fork Valley, and the reason is pretty simple. We care about your experience on the water the same way we care about our own.
Gone Fishing Colorado has called the Roaring Fork Valley home since the beginning. The business was founded on a belief that fly fishing is one of those rare things in life that’s worth doing right, and worth sharing with as many people as possible. Over the years we’ve guided beginners who had never held a fly rod and experienced anglers looking to push their skills on new water. We’ve had clients come back season after season, some of whom have become friends along the way. The rivers here, the Roaring Fork, the Frying pan, the Crystal, have a way of doing that to people. Once you’ve spent a day wading through a riffle with a good fish in front of you and nothing else on your mind, it’s hard to stay away.
Owner Evan Sale took the helm in 2017 and has poured his energy into building a team and a reputation that reflects what this valley and this sport deserve. The guides at GFC aren’t here to clock in and clock out. They fish on their days off. They tie their own flies. They track hatches the way some people track the weather, obsessively and constantly. That level of investment in the craft is what separates a good guide service from a great one, and it’s something we take seriously every single day.
The Roaring Fork Valley sits at the intersection of some of the finest trout water in the Rocky Mountain West. The Roaring Fork River runs through the heart of the valley, offering both wade and float opportunities depending on the season and conditions. The Fryingpan River, a Gold Medal tailwater fishery below Ruedi Reservoir, is widely considered one of the premier wild trout streams in the country, holding an extraordinary density of large rainbow and brown trout that demand both patience and precision. The Crystal River adds another dimension to what’s available in the area, a smaller, more intimate freestone stream that fishes beautifully under the right conditions.
Knowing these rivers takes years. Understanding how they respond to runoff, how their hatches shift from month to month, which sections hold fish in low water versus high, where the big browns drop into during pre-spawn, all of that knowledge accumulates over a long time spent paying attention. Our guides have put in that time, and every client who fishes with us benefits from it directly.
We guide everyone. That’s not a marketing line, it’s just the truth. Some of our most memorable days on the water have been with first-timers who had never touched a fly rod before showing up to the put-in. There’s something genuinely rewarding about watching someone make their first good cast, feel the weight of a trout on the line for the first time, and land a fish they weren’t sure they’d ever catch. We also love guiding anglers who’ve been at it for decades and are looking for something specific, a technical challenge, a new stretch of water, or a chance to sharpen skills they’ve been working on for years.
No matter where you’re coming from, our guides will meet you there. We adjust our approach based on your experience, your goals, and honestly, the kind of day you want to have. Some people want to fish hard from first light to last. Others want to ease into it, take in the scenery, and let the river set the pace. Both are completely valid and we’re here for all of it.
Fly fishing in the Roaring Fork Valley is a privilege, and we don’t take that lightly. We practice strict catch and release on every trip and handle fish with care, keeping them in the water as much as possible and making sure they swim away strong. We follow all Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulations and support the conservation efforts that keep these rivers healthy and productive for future generations of anglers. Several members of our team are directly involved in river conservation work outside of guiding, because healthy rivers aren’t just good for fishing. They’re worth protecting in their own right.
When you book a trip with us, you’re supporting a business that genuinely invests in the resource it depends on. We plan on being here for another decade and beyond, and that means the rivers have to be just as good then as they are today.
We’re based in Basalt, Colorado, right in the middle of the Roaring Fork Valley between Aspen and Glenwood Springs. It’s one of those places that doesn’t take long to fall in love with, especially if you arrive with a fly rod. If you’re planning a trip to the area and want to spend a day on the water with people who know it well, we’d love to hear from you.
