PICNIC PERFECTION 4 | WATER SAFETY 11 | TITLE IX 12 | CROSSWORD 25 | EVENTS 27
Vol. 1 No. 4
JUNE 24, 2022
• DIG DEEPER •
Hooked on Pueblo
Prime fishing spots attract anglers of all types
By Luke Lyons Special to the Pueblo Star Journal
ueblo’s prime fishing spots weren’t the deciding factor for Sam Ebersole when he took a job at the then-University of Southern Colorado in 1990 – but they certainly helped. Ebersole, a longtime professor and faculty in the mass communications department at Colorado State University Pueblo, took a drive to explore some of the nearby scenery after his interview that June. While exploring Bighorn Sheep Canyon between Salida and Parkdale, something caught his eye in the Arkansas River below. “I actually saw some fish rising,” he said. “I thought, ‘Oh my, this looks like a great trout river.’ And that kind of sealed the deal when they came back with an offer.” It wasn’t the biggest reason he took the job, but he said the prospect of good trout fishing “definitely sweetened the pot.” Ebersole has fished since he was 12 years old. He’s an avid fly fisherman who has angled in Pueblo, across the state and region for more than 30 years. He’s one of the millions of Coloradans and nonresidents who trek to rivers, streams, ponds and lakes each year to fish. The Steel City is home to two prominent fishing locales: Lake Pueblo State Park and the Arkansas River. Other fishing spots in Pueblo include creeks and streams off the lake near Pueblo West, Runyon Lake off Locust Street near the Runyon Sports Complex, and the St. Charles River on the Mesa. Whether a novice or experienced angler, Pueblo is accessible to all. Fishing continued on page 8
Photo by Luke Lyons
P
| COMMUNITY | ACCOUNTABILITY | CURIOSITY | CONNECTION |
Erica Thornton (foreground) casts her reel into the Arkansas River near the Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center in south Pueblo as Charles Stamey ventures deeper into the water on June 12.