Sight Fishing – Trophy Trout

Our sight fishing trout trips are for the single angler with a singular mission; to catch the trout of a lifetime.

This is not a trip for the beginner or even an intermediate angler; patient, experienced anglers only.  This trip’s focus is to pursue trout measured in pounds, not inches or numbers.  If you want to put a lot of fish in the net this is not your game, but if you are that angler that can watch a run for hours waiting for the fish of a lifetime to give you that perfect shot, then this trip is in your wheelhouse.

Sight Fishing with RIGS head guide Matt McCannel at PaCoChuPuk

Sight Fishing trip RIGS head guide Matt McCannel at PaCoChuPuk with Gene

99% of the trip is sight fishing. The primary method for fishing to this size fish is with a nymphing rig or dead drifted streamers. “Sorry, no dry fly fishing”. Your four and five weight setups will not do for this trip, a seven or eight weight is the required rod on this trip. This may sound crazy in the trout world until you lay your eyes on a 15-pound ghost of a fish. This is an extremely technical game with no margin for error.

Matt McCannel with RIGS client on sight fishing trip on the Uncompahgre River at Paco

RIGS client Bill O. on sight fishing trip on the Uncompahgre River at PaCoChuPuk with head guide Matt McCannel

All trips are conducted on the Uncompahgre River at the tailwater section of Pa Co Chu Puk.  This is an amazingly beautiful stretch of water that flows out of Ridgway Reservoir in Southwest Colorado.  This is a full day trip; that includes lunch, beverages, rods, terminal tackle, and flies.  Start times will vary seasonally with the fish’s mood and light conditions.

Matt McCannel, RIGS Fly Shop head guide, and a SAGE Elite Pro will conduct all of sight fishing trips.  Matt has developed a sixth sense for understanding these unreal fish.  Matt has consistently put clients into these fish of a lifetime with his unorthodox tactics and rigging.
Call the shop for more details about booking a sight fishing trip of a lifetime! 970-626-4460 or BOOK NOW

I have fished with fly fishing guides from Alaska to Mexico to Belize and Matt can read water and see fish as good or better than anyone I have ever fished with.
The days that I have spent on the river with Matt have been the most rewarding and challenging experiences and I always look forward to my next opportunity to fish with him.
If you like hunting for and catching big trout I highly recommend Matt, you are in for a great day.
Matt has put me on great fish culminating with us landing a once in a lifetime 31-inch brown trout.
You won’t always land a trout that size but you have a better chance with a guide with the expertise that Matt brings to the river.
If you truly want to catch large trout, fish with Matt, but make sure you have the patience to devote to the task and you will be rewarded.
Best trout fishing guide I have ever had the opportunity to fish with. If you like to saltwater fly fish you will love fishing the river with Matt.
~ Gene SMatt stopped and I thought he was going to jump out of his waders. He asked me if I was willing to get wet for a once in a lifetime fish. I told him I was. He then pointed out a big fish below us. We had seen and caught some nice fish all morning, but this was big. I just had no idea how big.
Matt surveyed the area and then explained how we were going after this fish. He changed my flies and then put me in a position to catch that fish, which I did, but then it got away after running down river like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I had let it get around a rock and off the hook. Hell, I was satisfied at even getting a chance to have that fish on my line. What an incredible thrill, but it gets better. Matt explained what I could have done to keep that fish on. That proved to be some great knowledge. We prepared to head upriver when Matt saw it again. This time the backpack, jacket, and chest pack come off. I was ready for a battle and had the right guy to get me there.
We set up again, made a few casts that didn’t pan out (operator error), then bam! Game on.  Matt instructed “set the hook”  I did and that damn fish jerked, then came out of the water.  Now, I’ve had Rainbows do their thing before, but this was the size of a tuna in a Colorado stream.  I just about lost it having no idea how big and strong this fish was.  I knew it now and it was on the end of my line.
It jumped clear out of the water twice again then started running downstream, exactly where Matt said it would go.  This time I followed.  Then it made the biggest mistake in its 10-year life.  It turned and jumped towards us.  Matt was ready with the net.  Fish caught!  In mid-air!
We both looked at each other for a moment just trying to figure out what had just happened.  This was not only a once in a lifetime fish, but a once in a lifetime experience.  Absolutely incredible!
So, If you want to go after some serious fish or just enjoy a great day on the river catching large Cuts, Bows, and Brownies, you can’t find anyone better to get you there. Truly an unfair advantage.
~Bill O

RIGS head guide Matt McCannel with First huge brown trout caught at Paco 2012

RIGS head guide Matt McCannel with First huge brown trout caught at Paco 2012