The idea behind Colter Backcountry was born after brothers Patrick and Daniel Bauman discovered a need for more backcountry-friendly fly-fishing gear while trekking the 3,000-mile Continental Divide Trail.
“My brother and I hiked the Continental Divide Trail a few years ago, but even prior to that we were super into fly-fishing,” Patrick said. “Our favorite flavor of fly-fishing is fishing watersheds that are really hard to get to and often include a lot of miles, multiple days on a trail and those kinds of things.”
He said during the five-month quest to complete the Continental Divide Trail it became obvious that a lot of fly-fishing gear traditionally used in the “frontcountry” is inappropriate for those seeking to practice the craft of fly-fishing in more remote, off-the-beaten-path lakes and rivers.
“There are companies making all sorts of amazing products, but when it comes to trying to fish in areas that are far from a road, where you’re doing a 10- to 20-mile day hike to get to a lake or your traveling multiple days into a backcountry setting, that gear doesn’t always work,” Patrick said. “You’re not going to pack a full-size hip belt or chest rig into your backpack if you’re backpacking or bring your waders along or a net that’s getting snagged in branches.”
That’s when the two brothers came up with the idea for Colter Backcountry in 2022. The company is named in honor of American John Colter, a member of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. The brothers wanted to identify, develop and create lightweight, portable fishing equipment for those who wanted to explore — and fish — the backcountry.
Right now, Colter Backcountry is offering a couple of products with plans to expand as the company grows.
Colter Backcountry is currently offering two backcountry fly-fishing products, including this collapsible fly-fishing net, which is both lightweight and durable.John F. Russell/Steamboat Pilot & Today
The business is featuring the Thorofare Net ($114.99), a collapsible fly-fishing net that easily fits into a backpack. Weighing just 13.3 ounces, it’s one of lightest packable fly-fishing nets on the market and is tough enough to handle the weight of a cutthroat pulled from a remote alpine lake or a brown trout caught in an isolated canyon.
More importantly, the net breaks down in seconds and can be stowed in a mesh bag before it is packed in a daypack, backpack or even in luggage for a long trip home. Customers can purchase the net in olive green or matte black on the Colter Backcountry website.
Colter Backcountry is currently offering two backcountry fly-fishing products, including a minimalist fishing pack that helps the angler organize needed equipment including nippers, forceps, tippet, floatant, leaders weight and indicators. It can also be folded to the size of a wallet, making it perfect to fit into a suitcase or backpack.Colter Backcountry/Courtesy photo
In addition to the net, Colter Backcountry is also offering the Thorofare Clip Kit ($64.99). The clip kit is a minimalist fishing pack that helps anglers organize the equipment they will need including nippers, forceps, tippet, floatant, leaders weight and indicators. The clip kit folds to the size of a wallet for easy packing and has a sheepskin fly patch large enough for big flies, streamers and dropper rigs.
The products are made in the U.S. and Patrick said the nets are assembled in Steamboat Springs.
The company was just approved by the Colorado Economic Development Commission to participate in the Rural Jump-Start Program. The state program incentivizes businesses to establish operations in one of Colorado’s 12 designated Rural Jump-Start Zones, including Routt County.
“So the program comes with a handful of tax incentives and then also some matching grant funds that we can use for various buckets of expenses, but we’ll be using those primarily for product development, to help build the product catalog out,” Patrick said.
The Bauman brothers grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and fell in love with fishing and exploring the backcountry. Patrick graduated from the University of Arizona in 2019 with degrees in English, economics and entrepreneurship. Daniel is currently attending graduate school at Stanford University in Northern California. Patrick said he had always wanted to live in Colorado and after getting the opportunity to move to Steamboat Springs, he decided to bring the company with him.
“I came here last fall, so we had the company running for a year or two in the very early, preliminary product stage,” Patrick said. “Running a company is something I’ve always been interested in, and I love getting to explore, and build new products for pain points that we experienced. This melds my hobbies and my passions with business interests, which has been awesome.”
Colter Backcountry is currently offering a collapsible fly-fishing net that is both lightweight and durable.Colter Backcountry/Courtesy photo
John F. Russell is the business reporter at the Steamboat Pilot & Today. To reach him, call 970-871-4209, email jrussell@SteamboatPilot.com or follow him on Twitter @Framp1966.