Whitewater Rafting
our most popular trip - ideal for the whole family!
Experience this untamed section of continuous rapids (II-III) on the Uncompahgre River! This 9 mile stretch is the perfect choice for those looking for a fun paddle boat run.
Private access to the narrows section of the Uncompahgre River provides a unique and remote experience for paddlers. We are the only outfitter on this un-crowded river, providing paddlers with this rare opportunity to get off the beaten path. Our put-in is 2 miles below Ridgway State Park, and minutes from the RIGS shop.
The majestic San Juan Mountains and mesas fill the back drop for the entire run as we float through State Wildlife Areas, historic ranchlands, and the unique Uncompahgre river canyon.
PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE TAXES & FEES
This trip is perfect for those who wish to see more of the region without having to rent a car! An excellent option for the whole family that includes roundtrip transpotation from Telluride to the Ouray region in comfortable 4x4 15 passanger van or luxury SUV, Ouray Hot Springs Pool passes, Box Canyon Falls, plenty of photo stops and a driving tour of Red Mountain Pass named for the surrounding mountains which have a high content of iron oxide (red color), and offer uncompromising views of the surrounding area including of the valley floor, which is often 1,000 feet below the road.
Ouray, refered to as "The Switzerland of America," offers spectacular scenery, hiking and shopping within a wonderful historic downtown area surrounded by natural wonders. Included are passes to one of the many hot springs pools, perhaps the best in Colorado! However, if you choose to skip the soak, there are many additional opportunities in Ouray so you won't be disapointed. A short hike can lead you to several beautiful waterfalls while a stroll along the main streetshops provide a chance to see galleries, jewelry and unique gifts. No matter what, Ouray promises to provide you true Colorado-style relaxation.
As we return to your hotel, there will be one final chance to relive the day, where hopefully you have learned something new about Colorado and where you will agree that this experience is one you will never forget!
*Tours are booked for Private Parties only. Customized itineraries available upon request. Tours are low impact in nature and designed to accomidate all age groups and ability levels. Tours are offered in conjunction with TELLURIDES.com, a lisenced PUC transportation provider.
Instructed by a "Senior Guide"
This 2 hour course is designed to provide the novice or experienced anglers with the essential skills to advance their fly fishing technique.
Beginner:
We begin with hour of classroom introduction to equipment and casting. The second hour is spent on the Uncompahgre River, practicing what we've learned and allowing our Professional Guides to encourage our newly acquired skills.
Advanced to Expert:
This 2 hour clinic will specifically focus on "On the Water Techniques." You will spend two hours with the instructor learning the necessary techniques associated with catching trout; streamers, line mending, reading the water, advanced nymphing and casting techniques.
Class availablility is on a walk-in; first come, first served basis. Class size is limited to 5. Age restrictions may apply. Students are responsible for the following items: Rod & Reel, Waders & Boots - these items can be rented from RIGS, Fishing License, hat, sunscreen, water bottle, rain jacket and transportation.
Year-Round, Tailwaters
Walk and wade the Uncompahgre River and its tributaries in Ridgway State Park, (just 10 minutes from the shop!) Southern Colorado's newest tail water fishery below Ridgway Reservoir, offers anglers a chance to discover an unparalleled fishing experience year-round. Extensive rehabilitation has resulted in prime habitat for Rainbow, Brown and Cutthroat trout with catch and release waters revealing deep runs and large pools. Whether you are a veteran or novice, our certified professional guides will provide you with a quality angling experience. This stretch of river lies within Ridgway State Park. A park pass is required on all vehicles.
PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE TAXES AND FEES
Exclusive Private Waters
The crown jewel of still water fishing!
Spring Valley Ranch is the crown jewel of the Uncompahgre Valley. This historical sixty-one acre ranch is pocketed with numerous spring fed ponds and a private spring creek which meanders through this beautiful setting. With two National Conservation Awards for habitat restoration and enhancement, Spring Valley is a haven for gigantic trout. With our exclusive access, we are able to guarantee you an unsurpassed fishing experience.
A $50 per-person fee applies to all 1/2 Day Private Water Trips
Perfect Family Trip
Raft the Uncompahgre River from the town of Ridgway to the Ridgway Reservoir on this 2 hour guided rafting trip! (Class II to III rapids.)
Family Orientated - This stretch of river is mild enough for the younger crowd, yet offers enough excitement to keep the more seasoned rafters engaged!
Easy Access - Our private put-in location is less than a mile from RIGS Fly Shop, while the take out is less than 5 miles away! This keeps transportation time to a minimum and maximizes fun on the water.
Great Scenery - The majestic San Juan Mountains fill the back drop for the entire run! Float through prime wildlife habitat for an up-close look at songbirds, deer, and birds of prey!
A unique arrow in the RIGS quiver of private waters on the Uncompahgre River. This section is located between the Town of Ridgway and Ridgway Reservoir and is often overlooked, but offers exception angling opportunities.
Typically, this offering produces great results in the fall and early winter as large brown trout move into this section to spawn. Before the fall run, these large browns spend the year in Ridgway reservoir where they grow as large as 20 lbs.
Take control of your own inflatable kayak on Colorado's Uncompahgre River, and enjoy a guided 4.5 mile paddle from the Town of Ridgway to Ridgway Reservoir. (Single person and tandem kayaks are available for this adventure.)
Our guides will teach you how to control and maneuver your kayak on flat water, and then take you down the class II-III Uncompahgre River from our private put-in just down from the RIGS shop. There are opportunities to practice kayaking skills on the river, and fantastic scenery for photography.
The majestic San Juan Mountains and mesas fill the back drop for the entire run as we float through Wildlife areas popular with deer, eagles, and water ouzels.
Premier Float-Fishing
The ideal way to see the Gunnison Gorge and Black Canyon - from the inside! A true wilderness experience, this 14 mile river section combines incredible wildlife and scenery, with class III-IV whitewater through one of the most spectacular canyons in Colorado. Join us on a hike to the put-in from the canyon rim, 800 feet above the Gunnison River. From there, enjoy the pool-drop rapids below the Black Canyon National Park as we float the river through the Gunnison Gorge Wilderness. The "Gold Medal Waters" of the Gunnison Gorge are famous for its world-class Rainbow and Brown trout fishing, insect hatches, geology, and wildlife, but sees moderate use because of its remote location, and challenging access.
Wilderness Rafting
The ideal way to see the Gunnison Gorge and Black Canyon - from the inside! A true wilderness experience, this 14 mile river section combines incredible wildlife and scenery with class III-IV whitewater through one of the most spectacular canyons in Colorado.
Join us on a hike to the put-in from the canyon rim, 600 feet above the Gunnison River. From there, enjoy the pool-drop rapids below the Black Canyon National Park as we float the river through the Gunnison Gorge Wilderness.
The Gunnison Gorge is famous for its world-class fishing, geology, and wildlife but sees moderate use because of its remote location, and challenging access.
Advanced reservations are required due to the restrictions placed on the number of people allowed on the river at any given time.
Classic River Canyon
Enjoy a guided 1 day kayaking/raft trip through the impressive sandstone walls of Dominguez Canyon. Soak up the surroundings from your raft and/or command your own kayak, while support rafts carry all the amenities for a day on the river. Single person and tandem kayaks are available for this adventure, ideal for novice kayakers.
Named for the Spanish Jesuits that first explored the area in 1777, Dominguez and Escalante Canyons are rich in history, wildlife, and scenery. The class II Gunnison River gently carves its way through Dominguez canyon creating a wilderness feeling. Cottonwood stands along the river provide nesting habitat for herons and songbirds, while deer, desert bighorn sheep, and large game can be seen along the banks.
Native American rock-art, and spectacular desert flora and fauna can be found on numerous side-hikes making for a rich experience on the edge of canyon country.
Canyon County Overnight
Enjoy a guided 2 day overnight kayaking/raft trip through the impressive sandstone walls of Dominguez Canyon. Soak up the surroundings from your raft and/or command your own kayak, while support rafts carry all the amenities for a night on the river. Single person and tandem kayaks are available for this adventure, ideal for novice kayakers.
Deluxe Float n' Fish
A step- up from our standard 2 day trip, the 2 day DELUXE provides a more intimate experience with the Gunnison River fishery. Smaller group size, additional amenities and services, and lighter rafts allow you to spend more time exploring the pools and runs of the Gunnison River Gorge.
You won't be rushed to set up camp after chasing big fish all day. Our guides will set-up camp and prepare meals for you! Sit back, tell stories, and rest-up for another day in this spectacular setting.
A true wilderness experience, this 14 mile river section combines incredible wildlife and scenery with class III-IV whitewater through one of the most spectacular canyons in Colorado.
Black Canyon Overnight
Join us on a hike to the put-in from the canyon rim, 800 feet above the Gunnison River. From there, enjoy the pool-drop rapids below the Black Canyon National Park as we float the river through the Gunnison Gorge Wilderness.
The "Gold Medal Waters" of the Gunnison Gorge are famous for its world-class Rainbow and Brown trout fishing, insect hatches, geology, and wildlife, but sees moderate use because of its remote location, and challenging access.
Canyon County Multi-Day
Enjoy a guided 3 day overnight kayaking/raft trip through the impressive sandstone walls of Dominguez Canyon. Soak up the surroundings from your raft and/or command your own kayak, while support rafts carry all the amenities for a night on the river. Single person and tandem kayaks are available for this adventure, ideal for novice kayakers.
Deluxe Float n' Fish Multi-Day
The Deluxe Trip format is designed with one thing in mind, you - the client. Due to excellent customer feedback and our desire to provide the most comprehensive high end product available, we are pleased to anounce the lastest additions to the Gunnison Gorge Deluxe format including:
Our Deluxe trip also provides a more intimate experience with smaller client group sizes, additional amenities and services, and a dedecated gear boat allows for lighter rafts and inturn you to spend more time exploring the pools and runs of the Gunnison River Gorge. Our gear boat goes ahead to set-up camp and prepare for our arrival! Both you and your guide can now focus on fishing as there is no rush to set up camp, why not chase big fish all day?
Join us for the ideal way to see the Black Canyon of the Gunnison Gorge- from the inside! a true wilderness experience, this 14 mile river section combines wildlife and scenery with class 111-1V whitewater through one of the most spectacular canyons in North America. We drive from the RIGS fly shop in Ridgway to the trail head at the canyon rim. From there, we hike the 1.1 mile trail to the river. After gearing up and reviewing trip considerations, we start floating and fishing the pools and runs of the Gunnison Gorge.
The "Gold Medal Waters" of the Gunnison Gorge are famous for it's world class Rainbow and Brown trout fishing. This fishery comands serious respect as the CDOW conducts population census on a annual basis. There are 8,700 catchable fish per mile and over 200 fish per mile over 18", add 425 lbs per sample acre and you have something special. World renowned for the "Stone Fly Hatch", the Gunny also plays host to many "other" fine insect hatches making for a true bug factory. While the Gunnison River sees moderate use, the Gorge, because of it's remote location and chalenging access recieves the least angling presure of all the floatable sections.
This unique desert environment also plays host to a diverse array of wildlife including Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Elk and although seldom seen many preditors inhabit the canyon as well as a wide variety of birds of prey inluding Golden Eagles and Osprey. If you can take your eye off the fly for a moment, you'll witness breath taking geology as some of the oldest rock in North America is exsposed making for stunning scenery. Don't forget your camera as you join us for a unforgetable experience.
Standard Float n' Fish Muti-Day
Join us for the ideal way to see the Black Canyon of the Gunnison Gorge - from the inside! A true wilderness experience, this 14 mile river section combines wildlife and scenery with class III-IV whitewater through one of the most spectacular canyons in Colorado.
The RIGS Standard Trip is very popular with our customers, we might just as well call it the deluxe because it truely rivals anything else out there (Look @ "The 2009 Deluxe trip" for upgrades and format differences). On the Standard trip we combine two clients and a guide per boat and divide the gear up accordingly as there is no deadicated gear boat. The client group size is limited to 8 persons per launch (6 on the Deluxe format).
The "Gold Medal Waters" of the Gunnison Gorge are famous for its world-class Rainbow and Brown trout fishing. This fishery comands serious respect as there are 8700 catchable fish per mile and over 200 fish per mile over 18 inches, add 425 lbs per sample acre and you have something special. World Renowned for the "Stone Fly Hatch", the Gorge also plays host to many "other" fine insect hatches making for a true bug factory. While the Gunnison River sees moderate use, the Gorge, because of its remote location and challenging access recieves the least angling presure of all the floatable sections.
This unique desert environment also plays host to a diverse array of wildlife including Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Elk although seldom seen many prediators inhabit the Canyon as well as a wide variety of birds of prey including Golden Eagles and Osprey. If you can take your eye of the fly for a moment, you'll also get witnessing breathtaking geology as some of the oldest rock in North America is exposed making for stunning scenery. Don't forget your camera as you come join us for a unforgetable experience.
Cast & Blast
Exclusive Private Land, Guided Waterfowl Hunts in the heart of the Uncompahgre Valley through RIGS Fly Shop & Guide Service! All guided trips are conducted with the client in mind and offer the ultimate in private land access, experience/knowledgeable guides and premium waterfowl hunting.
*Trip Time: (5:30 am to 4:00 pm)
Our Guide Certification Class will begin at RIGS Fly Shop at 9 A.M., May 4th 2010. Your instructors have been training top quality river guides since 1991 and look forward to sharing their experience with you. Your Lead Instructor for this course will be (Tim Patterson, CO-Owner) and Jason Young, (RIGS Lead River Guide). Jason and Tim have over 19 years each of Professional River Rafting experience and have worked on the Arkansas River in Colorado since 1991. *Additional Instructors may join the staff through training dates.
On the first morning of training, you will be provided a River Guide Training Log Sheet, which must be signed by your Instructor and details the amount of training hours necessary to Commercially Guide River Trips in the State of Colorado. Once you have adequately completed the training, you will be "signed off" by us and be certified to guide commercial rafting trips throughout the State of Colorado. We limit the class to 12 people to ensure a great learning environment and plenty of personal attention. We will be on the river all day, every day, and cover all aspects of river running and commercial guiding. The course will cover all topics required by the State of Colorado for commercial guides including: Rigging and maneuvering, River currents, eddies & waves, River Hazards, Types and causes of rapids, Running & scouting rapids, River rescue & emergency procedures, Minimizing outdoor recreation resource impacts, Proper fit, wearing, and use of personal floatation devices, Certification in First Aid & C.P.R.
This is a physical course, running class I through IV rivers. You will be required to carry rafts, flip boats, swim in the river, and be generally active. We will provide all necessary equipment including P.F.D.'s, helmets, paddles, etc. We will provide transportation and take care of all shuttles. If you have personal boating gear, bring it with you and we will determine its suitability. You will need shorts, shoes suitable for rafting (Chaco's or wet shoes or booties) , and a lunch everyday. Dry clothes for the end of the day are also a must. While completing our course does not guarantee employment, we will be hiring for the upcoming season. Our company's goal is to provide the best customer safety and entertainment so we are looking for service oriented individuals.
Waterfowl: Duck & Geese
Exclusive Private Land, Guided Waterfowl Hunts in the heart of the Uncompahgre Valley are now available through RIGS Fly Shop & Guide Service! All guided trips are conducted with the client in mind and offer the ultimate in private land access, experience knowledgeable guides and premium waterfowl hunting.
High Alpine Trout Fishing
High alpine fishing at its best! With their headwaters protected in the Big Blue Wilderness, the three different forks of the Cimarron River offer endless fishing for rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout in the heart of the San Juan Mountains.
"You'll be amazed by the diversity of landscape, from alpine tundra to majestic spires, pinnacles and castles blocking the sun to dark, green forests carpeting steep mountains. And water, water everywhere."
Walk and wade the Uncompahgre River and its Tributaries in Ridgway State Park. Southern Colorado's newest tail water fishery below Ridgway Reservoir, offers anglers a chance to discover an unparalleled fishing experience year-round. Extensive rehabilitation has resulted in prime habitat for Rainbow, Brown, and Cut-throat trout with catch and release waters revealing deep runs and large pools. Whether you are a veteran or novice, our certified professional guides will provide you with a quality angling experience.
This stretch of river lies within Ridgway State Park. A park pass is required on all vehicles.
Remote Tailwaters
RIGS newest section of permitted water and a traditional Guides favorite, the lower sections of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River offers low pressure and a spectacular setting. Early Season Stonefly nymph fishing is exceptional, with a myriad of potential for additional late afternoon hatches. This section, from Red Bridge down river, turns into a classic granite canyon similar to the lower Gunnison River. Aggressive Brown and Rainbow Trout dominate over 5 miles of easily accessible water and opportunities for solitude are great.
Fall - Winter Favorite
A major tributary to the Gunnison River, the lower Cimarron harbors mostly Rainbow trout in late fall as fish seeking spawning habitat move up the confluence of the Cimarron and Gunnison River. This section is typically fished in conjunction with the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River, or Upper Cimarron River, on our full-day trips.
Spring Valley Ranch is the crown jewel of Colorado's Uncompahgre Valley. This historical and private sixty-one acre ranch is pocketed with numerous spring fed ponds and a private spring creek which meanders through this beautiful setting. With two National Conservation Awards for habitat restoration and enhancement, Spring Valley is a haven for gigantic trout. With our exclusive access, we are able to guarantee you an unsurpassed fishing experience.
A $75 fee applies to all Full Day Private Water Trips
Fish n' Camp
RIGS newest section of permitted water and a traditional Guides favorite, the lower sections of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River offers low pressure and a spectacular setting. Early Season Stonefly nymph fishing is exceptional, with a myriad of potential for additional late afternoon hatches. This section, from Red Bridge down river, turns into a classic granite canyon similar to the lower Gunnison River. Aggressive Brown and Rainbow Trout dominate over 5 miles of easily accessible water and opportunities for solitude are great. We provide all the camping gear, food and entertainment for this trip back in time, when fly fishing was a true back country experience!
Wilderness Fish n' Camp
Backcountry Anglers Multi-Day
A combination trip of two of our most popular resources equals "the best of the best" in high alpine fishing access and remote camping opportunities. Spend three full days fishing a diversity of waters in the heart of the Uncompahgre Wilderness. This trip includes a loop tour of both the Cimarron River and its tributaries as well the choice sections of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River. We provide all the camping gear, food and entertainment for this trip back in time, when fly fishing was a true back county experience!
The lower section of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River offers low pressure and a spectacular setting. Early Season Stonefly nymph fishing is exceptional, with a myriad of potential for additional late afternoon hatches. This section, from Red Bridge down river, turns into a classic granite canyon similar to the lower Gunnison River. Aggressive Brown and Rainbow Trout dominate over 5 miles of easily accessible water and opportunities for solitude are great.
With their headwaters protected in the Big Blue Wilderness, the three different forks of the Cimarron River offer endless fishing for rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout in the heart of the San Juan Mountains.
Co-instructed by: Bruegeman & Whiting
This clinic is designed for graduates from our 101 and Women's Clinic (prerequisite) and will specifically focus on "On the Water Techniques." Spend the day with Instructors learning the necessary techniques associated with catching trout! We begin at the shop for a brief orientation and then head to the water for instruction in casting technique, line mending, reading the water and entomology.
Register early as class size is limited. Age restrictions may apply. Students are responsible for the following items: Rod & Reel, Waders & Boots - these items can be rented from RIGS, Fishing License, hat, sunscreen, water bottle, rain jacket (available at RIGS) notebook & pen, snack or lunch and transportation.
