Angler’s Covey has been a pillar of the fly fishing community since opening its doors in 1981. Kent Brekke, the original owner, was passionate about fly fishing and wanted to provide quality gear with exceptional customer service. In 1991, after managing the store for three years, David Leinweber and his wife Becky purchased Angler’s Covey from Brekke.
In the early 2000s, the Leinwebers relocated Angler’s Covey from a charming Victorian home on West Colorado Avenue to a much larger and more convenient location on Highway 24. This 8500-square-foot location now houses three stores under one roof: Angler’s Covey, Pikes Peak Outfitters and Colorado Tackle Pro.
The Leinweber family, including daughter Rachel, owns and operates all three businesses.
“I grew up in the shop, playing upstairs in the little Victorian house on Colorado Avenue,” Rachel says. “In 2013, I opened Pikes Peak Outfitter, our water sports shop. A few years later as my love for fly fishing and retail continued to grow, I became the general manager of Angler’s Covey, as well. Most recently, I became a 49 percent owner, which has been an exciting chapter.”
Choose Your Own Adventure
With three water recreation stores under one roof, there is a sense of “choose your own adventure” as you step through the doors.
Pikes Peak Outfitters offers water sports supplies for purchase as well as for rent.
“We carry fishing kayaks, recreational kayaks, SUPs, paddleboards and water sport accessories for purchase,” Rachel says. “We also rent kayaks, SUPs, snowshoes, trekking pols, ice fishing equipment and more.”
If you love standard shore or boat fishing, Colorado Tackle Pro has you covered.
“CTP focuses on conventional spin and bait fishing and offers all equipment and gear and occasional seminars for traditional fishing,” she says. “This is for folks who don’t want to fly fish, but still want to have a great day on the water.”
Angler’s Covey, the flagship store, is a full-service fly-fishing outfitter. This ultimate one-stop shop for fly fishing enthusiasts offers classes, guided trips, fishing reports, location recommendations and events.
Classes + Guided Trips
When asked about the classes and guided trips offered at Angler’s Covey, Rachel shared the following information:
Classes
We offer a wide variety of classes for everyone—from beginners who have never fished before to experienced anglers looking to refine their skill and learn new techniques. A great place to start is our Discover Class Package, which includes our 101 class, 201 on-water class, Discover in-depth intro class, and one-hour private lesson. Our 101 classes run every Saturday all year long! We also have a variety of fly-fishing classes in the winter for beginners through experts, where you can learn to tie your own flies.
Each class is unique, but our beginner classes include all necessary gear and equipment. For advanced classes, we encourage anglers to bring their own gear to fine-tune their setup.
Guided Trips
We also offer several types of guided trips, including full-day, half-day, and corporate outings–all of which provide personalized, on-the-water-instruction. Every guided trip includes all gear and equipment. Full-day trips include lunch, which can also be added to half-day trips.
All of our guided trips are fully customized. We match guides with clients based on their personality and trip goals, and tailor meeting times, locations, and fishing spots accordingly.
Couples on the Water is a half-day, one-on-one (one guide per person) trip followed by a three-course meal cooked riverside. This trip is perfect for anniversaries, honeymoons, or just a break from the real world.
Fishing Reports & Location Recommendations
For experienced fly-fishing anglers, the Angler’s Covey website provides up-to-date information about various fishing locations in the area. Here, anglers can gather information about water conditions, bug hatches, tactics and weather conditions. The report also includes recommendations for nymphs, flies, and streamer patterns to encourage a successful fishing trip.
The Colorado Springs area offers a variety of fishing locations. In addition to providing locations online, the guides and experts at Angler’s Covey are happy to chat with you about your fishing goals and potential locations. When thinking about locations, one should first consider what types of fish they are looking to catch. Rachel shared the following information:
In the South Platte and Arkansas Rivers, the fish caught are almost always trout, including browns, rainbows, cutthroats, and cutbows. However, here inside the Colorado Springs city limits, we are fortunate to have several lakes and reservoirs such as Prospect Lake, Quail Lake, Monument Lake, Wolf Lake, and even Townsend Reservoir on Fort Carson. These have trout, but also have more warmwater species like bass, crappie, bluegill, carp, perch, and more, providing a fun way to catch more species close to home.
Tips and Additional Information
The right gear can make or break a day of fishing. Rachel provided a great list of seasonal gear tips:
- The two elements that tend to vary are your fly selection and clothing.
- To choose the right flies, aim to “match the hatch” – mimicking insects naturally present at your chosen location during that time of year. (Check the fishing reports.)
- Layering is key in all seasons.
- In summer, wear moisture-wicking synthetic materials and avoid cotton. Sun protection is also important.
- In winter, again avoid cotton and focus on wool or synthetic layers. Start with a thin base layer, add a thick mid-layer, and finish with an insulating layer to stay warm and stay fishing longer.
- Always bring a waterproof outer layer. Colorado weather is unpredictable, so be prepared for rain or snow.
- One thing that doesn’t change with the seasons is socks. Wear mid-weight wool blend socks to keep your feet warm and dry. Even in summer, the water is cold and keeping your feet warm is essential to enjoying your day on the water.
Websites: https://anglerscovey.com/ | https://www.pikespeakoutfitter.com/ | https://www.coloradotacklepro.com/
Instagram: @Anglers_Covey | @PikesPeakOutfitter
Facebook: @AnglersCovey | @PikesPeakOutfitter | @ColoradoTackleProCS