Best Qualities of a Western Fly Fishing Property
Would you like to fish at your own private oasis? When your favorite fishing spot gets overrun, it’s time to look for your own flyfishing property. And where better to look then out West. You’ll thank your lucky stars for leading you to your own private pond or lake river or stream.
If it’s about time to buy up a flyfishing property, know what you want. Better yet, enlist the help of a real estate expert in flyfishing–someone familiar with managing water, fish, wetlands, and acreage. Make it a reputable broker who has a keen eye for Western ranches. Then you’ll love owning a gorgeous slice of Rocky Mountain wilderness.
Top Assets of Mountain Fly Fishing Ranches
Experienced anglers often leap when they find fishing ranches with positive indicators. The mountain climate and geography often combine top assets into the grand fishing paradises found here in the Rocky Mountains. (See the listings at the end of this post.)
- Cool temperatures–trout like the water between 45 and 60 degrees
- Tailwaters produced by regulated lows into reservoirs
- Enough sunshine to stimulate hatches
- Variety of terrain and aquatic elements
Now, once you zero-in on fishing properties that fit your goals—for location, access, and other assets, you’ll need to dig into the next layer before investing your hard-earned cash. Do your due diligence.
Due Diligence
Thorough searches for ranch real estate necessarily involve multiple complex aspects. Buyers need to assess the fishery resources and find out how to keep a ranch in tiptop shape for fly fishing. Your ranch broker will share access to valuable information, point out any red flags or yellow flags, share historic details, and much more. Again, compelling reasons to work with experts from early on.
Deep Dives
Owning a large flyfishing ranch brings new skill sets and knowledge into your life. Or your employees will take care of the details. If you hire a ranch manager, you can share the responsibilities. By-and-by, well-managed ranches stay on top of natural and environmental issues. For example:
- The local stream access law
- Water diversity
- Flow impacts
- The type of ecosystem
- Fishery health
- Irrigation needs and impacts
Develop Specific Criteria
Developing specific criteria becomes a key responsibility for any buyer who dreams of hooking a big ranch. You’ve got to know what you want. For that matter, you’ll need to be sure your real estate agent gets the memo. Here are first questions to ask yourself:
- Do I want to live full-time on my ranch?
- If not, what travel time, by ground or air, am I willing to take to get to my ranch?
- In which state do I want to fish?
- What is my budget, including down payment, and allotment for running and improving the ranch?
- Do I want to hire employees?
- Am I looking to produce income?
- Am I trying to be near anything or anyone specific?
Hunting and Fishing Ranches for Sale in Rocky Mountains
Our ranch brokers at Harrigan Land Company will take your dreams and goals to heart. We will begin the search for right options to match your needs. This will include hunting and fishing ranches currently on the market, properties potentially available, multi-use acreage, recreational ranches with water features, and our Featured Listings.
Harrigan Land Co. – Featured Listings
Currently, our Featured Listings include large flyfishing properties in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. They are all great fishing properties with prices ranging from $9 million to $21 million. Let’s glance at the fishing attributes.
Point of Rocks Ranch in Laramie, Wyoming
Point of Rocks Ranch, a trophy hunting and fishing ranch in Wyoming, spans over 21 square miles at 7000-foot elevations. The ranch features 12 miles of cold streams, ponds, and two lakes. Brookies and monster rainbows, say 10 pounders, make this an exciting adventure. Abundant water resources support a remarkable fishery potential. The wildlife and trophy trout come in magazine cover proportions. Price: $17,000,000.
Broadacres Ranch in Creede, Colorado
Broadacres Ranch, a first-class resort, brings 130 years of stewardship forward. The 600-acre ranch features the 50-75 foot-wide Rio Grande River flowing through meadows and riparian woodlands. Excellent fishing also on a 1.2 mile channel of Shallow Creek, two large lakes, and 3 small ponds. This hunting and fishing ranch has consistently worked to enhance its naturally productive trout habitat. Browns, rainbows, cutthroats, cut bows! The insect population produces the “tackle-busting trout” that would add spark to anyone’s autobiography. The lengthy list of improvements includes a large lodge and guest cabins. Price: $11,450,000.
Brazos River Lodge in Taos, New Mexico
Brazos River Lodge features to miles the legendary Brazos River outside of Taos, New Mexico. This is one of the best trout streams in the state. On the ranch, the river is 20 to 30 feet wide, offering runs, ripples, pools, and cut banks for trout to thrive. Fat rainbows, brook trout, and browns supply quality flyfishing at this four season recreational paradise.
A hunting and fishing ranch, it spans 4097 deeded acres at 10,000-foot elevations. Also blessed by tributaries and two lakes, this marvelous fishing property spans a variety of ecosystems. The winter snowfall is a source of abundant water found in Springs, small creeks, ponds, and two primary forks of the Brazos River. A Lodge with eight suites, managers home and guest cabins turn this into a top fishing and hunting getaway. Price: $21,500,000.
Ridge Creek Ranch in Hotchkiss, Colorado
Ridge Creek Ranch features 1700 deeded (2700 total) acres in the Gunnison Valley of southwestern Colorado. Next to the Grand Mesa, the vegetation runs the gamut—fruit trees to tall pine. Fly fishers can explore two miles of Leroux Creek, a boulder and pocket water stream, and a rainbow and cutthroat trout fishery on the property. In addition, Cow Creek invites the short rod. A spectacular 11,000-square-foot lodge and heated shop make this turnkey ready for large gatherings. Price: $8,950,000.
The Quest for a Western Fly Fishing Property
When you own your own fishing property, you regulate the crowd. You decide the competition. You own the land and the rights to the streams on your beautiful Rocky Mountain fishing ranch. You’ve found the best qualities to suit your lifestyle.
Brokers – Flyfishing Properties for Sale
Call Harrigan Land Company at 303-908-1101. We’ll use our joint abilities to guide you through the ins and outs of wonderful flyfishing properties and ranches in Colorado and other Rocky Mountain states.
