LOVELAND — Some come into Elkhorn Rod & Reel with fear in their eyes, wondering where the magic has gone and whether it can be recaptured.
Others can barely contain their glee — for they have found a spot on some local lake or stream where fat trout are easily duped by glistening rubber-legged bead heads or a tempting hopper.
Elkhorn owner Brian Chavet ministers to all anglers in his shop, especially those desperate for the one fly that will end their dry spell.
“A good fly-fisherman can catch anything,” Chavet says, “as long as he presents it the right way.”
Chavet — a high-tech industry dropout — is convinced he’s smack in the middle of some of the best fly-fishing on the continent, and now the international Federation of Fly Fishers agrees with him.
It’s planning to move its headquarters from Livingston, Mont., to Loveland.
From Loveland, anglers can test lakes and streams at Rocky Mountain National Park, as well as the waters of the Poudre and Big Thompson rivers. Also don’t forget the opportunities all the way north to southern Wyoming and south to the Deckers area, Chavet said.
“The wild fish population here, in this area, is amazing,” he said. “Anybody, if they are willing to walk a little bit, can catch fish.”
The federation — with more than 52,000 members and affiliate members — also hopes to relocate its fly-fishing museum to Loveland and have the city host its annual conclave of anglers from all over the country.
The five-day gathering is likely to draw more than 5,000 people, said Peter Van Gytenbeek, chief executive and president of the federation.
He’s looking forward to giving the 43-year-old nonprofit organization more visibility, something it now lacks in Montana.
“It’s just more exposure in Loveland,” Gytenbeek said. “Nobody is peeling off I-90 in Montana to come see our museum.”
Loveland boasts its own airport and relatively quick access to Denver International Airport, Gytenbeek said.
The annual conclave can also attract a bigger population of anglers from all over the Intermountain West and Midwest, he said.
“There is also more access to services,” he adds. “We’ve got the Yellowstone River running in front of our headquarters now, but we don’t have a lot of computer geeks running in front of our door if we have computer problems.”
An arrangement may be cemented between the city and the federation by this spring that will allow for the relocation, Gytenbeek said. Loveland can hardly wait, said city senior planner Andy Smith.
“It will draw plenty of tourism, which is a clean industry,” Smith said. “Besides, everyone up here, it seems, fly-fishes. It’s a perfect fit for us.”
Livingston, meanwhile, with its population of nearly 7,000, will be hurt if the federation leaves, said Alan Hearn, president of the Livingston Area Chamber of Commerce.
“People move here for the fly-fishing,” Hearn said, “so it will be a blow to our small community.”
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com
