Barnes and Noble Booksigning

We had a great booksigning at Barnes and Noble -- sold out all the Colorado Fly Fishing and most of the Top 30. 

ESPN radio interview by Chip Howard

ESPN Interview, part one and ESPN interview, part two

We visited for twenty minutes the other day with our buddy and ESPN radio personality, Chip Howard. We threw together some so-so video over it to give you something to look at while you laughed at our radio hilarity.

reader checks in

Got this email on Facebook. It's bound to happen --- restaurants and flyshops close or move or whatever. Still, you gotta include them

Bob PowellJanuary 30, 2011 at 7:38pm

Subject: Colorado Flyfishing

Mr. Williams,
Picked up your book, CO Flyfishing, while in Durango a few weekends ago. Very nice. A quick update for you: Darwin's in El Jebel is no longer open. Imagine our displeasure. My wife and I drove up from Palisade for a quick Sun. trip (she shops, I fish). We were craving Mac and cheese and crab. Not only did I get skunked on the Fork, but for lunch too. Ended up with the beer cheese soup in Glenwood; very good as well. At any rate keep up the good work. Your book has inspired me to plan a shorter version of your trip with my grown sons from Dallas. Thanks again. Bob Powell
P.S. If your interested you can find a fishing piece I wrote a few years back for Texas Magazine/Houston Chronicle/State Lines. Entitled 'It's Not Always About the Fish' RD Powell. Thanks for your good work.

Flyishing the Upper Roaring Fork, Colorado

Going through some pics from two summers ago, the one where Mac and I spent traipsing across Colorado and I ran across a bunch of videos. We didn't take much care to video anything (it was more spur of the moment sort of a thing). Here's a nice wild trout Mac caught in the narrow upper waters of the Roaring Fork.

Radio interview (Amy and Mark)

Amy and I did an interview with Chip Howard (ESPN Radio). Here's the link: Radio

Mark and Mac, yes us, we will be doing the same show next week

From the Telluride Watch, A review of two books

Ridgway Publishing Company Puts Two New Guidebooks on Shelves

by Martinique Davis Watch Newspapers

Aug 13, 2009 | 832 views |

RIDGWAY – Wayfinder Press, Ridgway’s local book publishing company, has come out with two more opportunities for regional visitors to find their way while vacationing in the spectacular San Juans.

Top 30 Things to Do in Telluride and Top 30 Things to Do in Durango, two slim-but-packed guidebooks that are designed to give visitors a glimpse of the full spectrum of year-round activities, hit regional bookstore shelves in July. Wayfinder Press owner Marcus Wilson says the guidebooks, written by Pagosa Springs residents Mark D. Williams and Amy Becker Williams, offer a wealth of information compressed into two easy-to-carry, fun-to-read books that dip a toe into just about everything there is to do in Durango and Telluride.

“They have a handy format… they’re something I would look for if I were visiting one of these towns,” he says of the two new Wayfinder publications.

The Top 30 Things to Do concept represents a new branch for Wayfinder Press’s family tree, which includes nearly 20 local-interest history and guidebooks including Exploring the Historic San Juan Triangle, The Telluride Story, Ouray Chief of the Utes, and the Telluride Hiking Guide. Rather than focusing on just one aspect or activity found in Telluride or Durango, like fly-fishing, biking, or hiking, the two new books deliver the full monty – outdoor activities, dining, shopping, and nightlife, historic interests, annual events, what to do with the kids, and even boast helpful hints like where to find public restrooms and fun tidbits like “How to look like a local” and “Best places to people watch.”

The Williams’ exploration of Durango includes thorough descriptions and helpful information about such popular local activities as “Riding the Rails” on the famous Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (#1,) “Hitting the Slopes” at Durango Mountain Resort (#4,) and “Cliffside,” exploring the Mesa Verde National Park (#19.) Descriptions of these Durango-area tourist standards are enhanced with practical tips and tidbits, like asking for the canyon side of the train and getting to Mesa Verde early to get tickets for high-demand tours.

Yet the Top 30 also boasts highlights that wouldn’t necessarily be on every Durango visitor’s agenda, like visiting the Durango Soda Company (#16,) taking a trip to all the area Microbreweries (#15,) or Picnicking at one of the area’s 32 parks (#9.) These more off-the-beaten-path Things to Do round out the Durango’s Top 30, offering a more in-depth exploration of the area and its unique vibe.

Telluride’s Top 30 also includes some of the more obscure alongside the tourist classics; the Williams delve into the popular Festival Scene (#11,) High Altitude Golfing (#12,) and Historic Walking Tour (#30,) but also share advice about “How to Spot a Celebrity” at the annual Telluride Film Festival (#38) or “Digging for Treasure” at the infamous Free Box (#10.)

Both Telluride and Durango Top 30 also include hiking, skiing, off-road, and biking highlights, with especially in-depth descriptions of local fishing opportunities.

The two new books add to Wayfinder Press’s extensive collection of tourist-oriented publications, which offer windows into the four corners region’s most popular things to do and explore. Wayfinder has been printing books locally since 1980, with its current owner Wilson operating the full-spectrum publishing company and Country Graphics graphic design business since 1993. The two new Top 30 books may be the first in a series of Wayfinder-published Top 30 guidebooks, Wilson says, which could include Top 30 explorations of places like Crested Butte, Albuquerque, or Ouray.

Top 30 Things to Do in Telluride and Durango are currently on the shelves at regional bookstores; or, contact Wayfinder Press at 626-5452 or graphics@ouraynet.com.

Copyright 2011 Watch Newspapers. All rights reserved.

Read more: Watch Newspapers - News, Local Events, Classifieds and Businesses in Telluride, Mountain Village, Ridgway, Ouray, and Norwood Colorado, as well as the Communities of the Western San Juans

one reader's view of the new book

Kyle McAdamsJanuary 14, 2011 at 11:02am

Subject: Colorado Fly Fishing...

Well.... I finished C.F.F. last night and I have to tell you guys that I was a little sad when I flipped the final page over only to realized it was over.
For this half illiterate, red neck, wanna be fly fisherman to be so engulfed and looking forward to reading every sentence, paragraph, page and chapter is a true testament to what a great book C.F.F. is! I can't wait for your next installment to come out! I'd be willing to bet I told Ronna at least 100 times how badly I wanted to jump in the Yukon and test my skills at finding just one of the streams you mentioned as I read.
Until then, I think I may read it again! So much great info, and the stories of your travels past and present... Good Stuff! Well done!
KMc

Strater Hotel in the snow

day before New Year's Eve in Durango.

Digging out

The holidays at the cabin in Durango saw us get hit by a big snowstorm. Amy is doing her part to clear the way.

Colorado Flyfishing: Where to Eat, Sleep and Fish

Always fun to see your books on the shelf. We saw two copies of Colorado Fly Fishing: Where to Eat, Sleep and Fish on the fishing shelves at Maria's Bookstore in Durango, Colorado.

North Heights students strike again

Riverfields signing

Our first booksigning with the new book, Colorado Flyfishing: Where to Eat, Sleep and Fish. We had a great day at Riverfields in Amarillo.

iPad in the classroom , my classroom

the book is due out any day now

Colorado Fly Fishing: Where to Eat, Sleep, Fish

Colorado Fly Fishing: Where to Eat, Sleep, Fish

Fly fishing in Colorado is huge. As one would expect, there are no shortage of fly fishing guides. But whereas other guides focus on particular waters, Colorado Home Bases, Fishing Places is organized by region, centering on locations out of which fly fishers can home base. In other words, this book is organized the same way that people organize their fly fishing trips.

Authors and fishing buddies Mark and Mac take us on a whirlwind summer tour of Colorado s prime fly fishing grounds, imparting wit and insight to the journey and the sport. They share with us what fishing Colorado means to them, and they also share where to find the best fishing and amenities in the state. Features luminous full color photography.

List Price: $ 19.95

Price: $ 14.96

Tags: Colorado, Fish, Fishing, Sleep

Day on the Saguache

The Saguache is one of our favorite places to fish. Wide open, long casts, stealth, wild browns, stark beautiful scenery. This is the Cochetopa.




This is Pauline Creek.

the colorado flyfishing book will be out before the end of july

Happy early 50th Birthday

One great thing about being an outdoors writer? Gifts I'll actually use. Thanks to Kenny and Betsy and Megan for my FishPond fanny pack. Happy Birthday to me.

The book

We are sending back the last page edits tomorrow. The book looks great and we're happy with the job Johnson Books has done.

the book will be on the shelves in a month or so

the book comes out in a month or so

the cover of the book

We like it. Due out late May or early June of this year.

Status of the book

The book is done. The manuscript is turned in, the photos sent and now the editing begins for Johnson Books and the mac/mark show. Due out in May.

one month left

Mac and I are in full swing, finishing chapters, considering photos, adding directories, and putting the final touches on the book.

Top Home Bases for Fishing in Colorado

We are hesitant to list our favorite home bases because the book is for readers not us and we all have different criteria and needs and wants. But we do think these five are head and shoulders above other home bases (at least for us):

Estes Park
Steamboat Springs
Durango
Vail
Breckenridge
Crested Butte

Okay, that's six. Oh well.

South Fork Elk River, Colorado

No trail so we bushwhacked and there were Kenny sticks and fallen logs and deep grassy holes everywhere. We waded up the river all we could but huge trees (dead from mountain pine beetles) fell on the river and we couldn't climb them or the pools were deep deep. Caught only brookies (and a cutt.)

Lawn Lake and Roaring River

We'll have pics in the next few days but the last leg of the journey is over. In the last ten days, we ended up fishing Salida, Cochetopa (second time this summer), Beaver Creek near South Fork, Steamboat area, Rocky Mountain National Park. It's late and we drove from RMNP this morning to Durango tonight so I might have forgotten one.

We paid for three nights camping at Timber Creek CG then another backpacking permit fee then another bit of money for the bears.

I didn't bring my good solid dependable backpack this summer and we decided during the summer to go in search of greenback cutthroats in the backcountry ---- so, I borrowed an inexpensive 4000 cu in pack I bought Amy a couple of years ago. Mac and I packed them with about 40+ pounds of stuff made heavier by the new regs of RMNP --- you must carry a bearproof canister and these things weigh about 5 pounds. We found the river and lake combo we wanted -- Lawn Lake on the Roaring River in the northern section of the park. Six miles of challenging trail, gaining 2500 feet elevation along the way. Tough but if it wasn't, everyone would be fishing Lawn Lake for big cutts.

A mile into the hike, a steep mile at that, the right shoulder strap popped off while I was just hiking, nothing else. We had to tie it to another strap so it fit even worse than it did at the start and that was nothing to brag about. Two miles later, a buckle buckled and I had no chest strap. Four hours from beginning, we made camp. We couldn't get Lawn Lake so we had to camp a mile southeast, at Tilestone Meadows, a mountain lion haven if there ever was one.

We left camp about 5 to fish Roaring River, a stream famous for it's 1982 flood as Lawn Lake's dam broke, flooding the river and it roared to another drainage then onto Estes Park. Two campers lost their lives in the catastrophe (where the river reached crazy heights of 40+ feet.) First cast, Mac caught a 10-inch greenback cutthroat trout, a thing of green and red beauty.

But more about all this adventure later.