Abell River Ranch

Abell River Ranch is split into three, 1-mile long beats, each of which has more fishable water than could ever be explored in a day. As recently as 2022, an immense amount of stream improvements and habitat restoration have been conducted on the Abell River Ranch property to help mitigate bank erosion and maximize the amount of holding water for fish. This stream work combined with Abell’s high aquatic insect biomass has translated into some unbelievable fishing opportunities. Abell River Ranch benefits from some of the most dense insect hatches we’ve come across anywhere, and this stretch is a dry-fly fisherman’s paradise when conditions are right. The large Brown and Rainbow trout that frequent Abell River Ranch are notoriously wary, testing the wits of novice and experienced anglers alike. There’s nothing more rewarding here than working together with your guide to adjust your setup, casting, drift, and techniques until you finally see a big nose break the surface and realize you’ve fooled the fish of the day!

Browns and Rainbows 8-16 inches are the most frequent catch at Abell River Ranch, although larger fish 18-22 inches are not uncommon and fish as large as 26 inches have been caught on the property. The larger Brown Trout tend to lurk beneath grassy undercut banks where they can effectively ambush terrestrials falling off the bank and smaller baitfish passing by. Meanwhile, the larger Rainbows tend to reside in the deeper runs where they can be targeted by anglers using nymph rigs and streamers. All in all, Abell River Ranch is truly a fly fisherman's paradise!