Colorado River Fly Fishing Photography in Peak Fall Foliage

There’s a short window on the Colorado River every year when the angling and the scenery hit their stride at the same time. The leaves go yellow overnight, the mornings get cold enough to make you second-guess your life choices, and the trout—rainbow and brown—decide that maybe eating one more bug isn’t the worst idea.

If you’re lucky enough to be on the river when this happens, you’ll never forget it. If you’re stubborn enough to be a photographer, you try to make a picture of it that holds onto the truth of the moment. That’s the part no one tells you: the trout aren’t the slippery ones—memory is.

Autumn Light, Golden Aspens, and the Rhythm of the Colorado River

Fall on the Colorado River has its own kind of math. The light comes in at an angle that makes every rock look older and every shadow more serious. The aspens flare up like they’ve been waiting all year for the chance, and the river—never shy—slows down just enough for the reflections to make sense.

Photographing fly fishing in this kind of light is a lot like fishing it: you show up early, stand in the cold, and wait for the thing you hope will happen. Sometimes it does.
Sometimes it doesn’t.
But the truth is, you’d be standing out there anyway.

The angler in these photographs isn’t a models—he’s the kind of person who know which seam holds fish and which one just looks good from the bank. He wades out on their own terms, cast with a little grace and a little grit, and don’t make a big deal out of any of it. That’s why they photograph so well.

The river gives you a backdrop. The anglers give you the story.

On this particular day in this particular location I had a specific shot in mind which involved sitting up on the hill about 100 yards from where the angler was casting, just hoping he would catch a fish. Some time later, sure enough his body language completely changed and it was obvious he connected with a big fish. He fought with that thing for some time while I made some photographs. Entertaining as hell to watch and all the more enjoyable knowing that he had forgotten his net in the truck. Luckily he was able to beach the fish on the side of the river, which was punctuated with a scream heard from 100 yards away! A scene and a fight neither of us will ever forget.

Real Anglers, Real Casting, and True Western Fly Fishing

There’s a difference between someone who’s “out fishing” and someone who’s actually fishing. The former drinks beer out of a can and tells the same stories louder every year. The latter ties knots by feel, argues with themselves about tippet size, and doesn’t mind getting skunked as long as the cast felt right.

These are the anglers in my frames:
the real ones.

Some of these shots are wide—an angler small against a big bend in the river. That’s how it really looks out there. The scale is tilted in the river’s favor, and the angler knows it. The other shots get closer to the action: the line tightening, the water breaking, the moment right before a fish decides whether it’s smarter than you.

If you’ve ever fished fall in Colorado, you know the feeling. If you haven’t, these images get pretty close.

Fine Art Prints and Licensing Options for Brands and Magazines

Every photograph in this series came from a real day on the river, watching for the way autumn light settles across a seam or how a cast runs parallel to a line of yellow trees.

For collectors, these images make strong fine art prints—color-rich landscapes with just enough human presence to pull you in without letting you forget where you are. They hang well in homes, offices, lodges, and cabins, especially among people who know a good drift when they see one.

For brands, outfitters, and magazines, the images are available for editorial and commercial licensing. They were made with real anglers, real rivers, and real weather, which seems to matter more and more these days. If you need authentic Western fly fishing photography for a campaign or feature, these frames will do the job without pretense.

Fall doesn’t last long out here, but the river runs all year.
The photography tries to keep pace.

Fine art prints are are available in my Fly Fishing Print Gallery

You can also view the full collection of fly fishing photographs HERE

For licensing options or custom assignments on the water, feel free to email me - rob@robhammerphotography.com

Photograph of a fly fisherman walking through trees full of fall foliage — Fall fly fishing lifestyle photograph

Photograph of a fly fisherman casting in a river surrounded by beautiful yellow fall foliage — Colorado fly fishing in fall foliage

Action shot of a fly fisherman on the Colorado River in fall foliage — A fly fisherman surrounded by yellow leaves

Fly fishing brand photography

Photograph of a fly fisherman on a river in a large Western landscape surrounded by fall foliage — Fall foliage fly fishing in a Western landscape

Wide angle shot of a fly fisherman on the Colorado River surrounded by trees with bight yellow leaves — Fly fisherman on the Colorado river in fall

Beautiful photograph of a fly fisherman walking through large trees covered in fall foliage. Available for editorial and commercial licensing. — Fly fisherman walking through fall foliage

Cheesman Canyon Fly Fishing Photography – Prints & Licensing

That old saying, “you get what you put in,” always seems to ring true with fly fishing — especially in Cheesman Canyon. Some folks only fish a couple of minutes from their truck, others hike deep into the canyon for solitude, but no matter how far you go, the river has a way of revealing something new.

The South Platte River in Cheesman Canyon, Colorado is a local favorite for anyone living in the Denver/Boulder area and a destination for people flying in from out of town, for good reason, it’s got great fishing and incredible views. As a photographer it’s one of my favorite places to shoot. The canyon walls, shifting light, and relentless water create a stage that’s never the same twice. These photographs are my attempt to capture that feeling — part of an ongoing collection that’s available as fine art prints and for licensing to magazines, brands, and editors.

Why Cheesman Canyon Inspires Me

Standing knee-deep in the South Platte, you start to feel the rhythm of the place. You have to work to get there and landing fish is never ever a given. A cast that feels ordinary in tamer water takes on a different kind of weight here. Photographing it is no easier — reflections, shadows, and current can ruin a frame in a second.

But that’s why it’s worth it. The challenge makes the images stronger, and the story behind them richer.

Moments from the River — Cast, Water, Light

Every frame I made here comes back to the thing I hold in the highest regard when it comes to fly fishing photography, and that’s authenticity. I photograph real people really fly fishing for real fish. None if it is posed or planned out. Each photograph is a reminder that Cheesman Canyon demands patience. Both from the fisherman, and from the photographer.

How These Images Work for Brands, Magazines & Editors

These aren’t just personal snapshots — they’re images built for storytelling.

They work especially well for:

Magazines & editorial features on fly fishing, conservation, or outdoor life.
Gear & apparel brands needing authentic lifestyle and environment shots.
Travel and adventure outlets highlighting Colorado’s rivers and landscapes.
Lodges, outfitters, and conservation groups looking for fine art displays.

Every client’s needs are different — usage territory, exclusivity, duration, and medium all shape licensing. If you’re building a feature, campaign, or branded content and need images from this series, just reach out.

Behind the Lens: Gear, Challenges & Intent

Cameras don’t like rushing water, and neither do tripods in slick current. But the mistakes — falling in, missing a cast — are part of why I keep coming back.

I look for the action, but just as important are the moments between action. The way light reflects off a canyon wall, or the way an angler waits with rod tip down. Sometimes the strongest images come after the catch, when the canyon quiets down again.

That’s what I try to photograph — not just the fish, but the entire experience of being there.