Road Trippin’ to Denver! New M1L Install + 23” Brown Trout | Westbound & Wild Ep.2
Westbound & Wild: Episode 2 – The Road to Colorado
Somewhere in Kansas
We were deep into the plains, somewhere in Kansas. Drake was glued to his phone, scrolling through every fishing app and forum he could find, hunting for a body of water that might hold brown trout.
“I’m in deep in the weeds,” he said. “I’ve checked every corner of the internet. I just need to be out of this car and near some fish.”
Seven hours remained between us and Denver. After countless fast food meals, the thought of Chipotle felt like fine dining. It had already been a long push, but excitement was starting to build. The West was finally within reach.
Welcome to Colorful Colorado
The moment we crossed the state line at a tiny town called Kanorado, we pulled off to take photos beside the "Welcome to Colorful Colorado" sign. We were low on gas but high on anticipation. Two hours later, the mountains began to rise in the distance, and we rolled into Denver.
After months of waiting, the next morning we pulled into Tune Outdoor to pick up my brand-new M1L camper. The install went perfectly. It was surreal seeing the setup complete after so much planning. Before heading for the mountains, we stopped for my first ever In-N-Out Burger. Simple, classic, and somehow the perfect meal for the moment. Although, this might be a hot take, but I didn't see what the hype was about.
Into the Mountains
With the new camper ready, we pushed deeper into the Rockies. Cold air, clear water, and the promise of trout were finally ahead of us.
The first creek we explored looked like something out of a dream: rocks, riffles, and deep pockets of slow current. The kind of water that feels alive. I crept down to the edge, casting across slick stones that felt far different from the riverbeds back in Georgia.
Drake moved downstream and, within minutes, hooked up on a beautiful brown. The light was golden, the net forgotten back at the truck, and the fish glowed against the mountain water. About twenty-two inches of pure Western redemption.
It was the first real payoff of the trip.
New Waters, New Lessons
I kept working my way upstream, getting bumped by a few fish but unable to connect. Back in Georgia, I usually move against the current, sneaking up behind the fish. Drake prefers the opposite, walking downstream and swinging his flies ahead of him. After watching him land that fish, I started to think he might be onto something.
As the sun dropped behind the ridgeline, we wrapped the day with tired legs and full hearts.
A Song for the Road
“The fish that bite and the friends we know,
May the good Lord guide every cast we throw,
And keep our hearts where the waters flow.”
The road to Colorado was long, but this was the day the Westbound & Wild journey truly began.
Watch the Episode
Driving from Georgia to Colorado, picking up the new M1L camper, and landing our first Western brown trout.