MONTHLY MEETING
Wednesday - October 15, 2025
MICHELE WHITE
Exploring Colorado's "South Park"
PRESENTATION
It is hard to hear the name South Park without thinking of the adult-orientated comedy sitcom. South Park, the TV show, does reference fly fishing. One character mentions fly fishing in Montana. The area features trophy trout waters and Gold Medal Waters, including spots like Eleven Mile Canyon. These locations offer excellent fishing opportunities, drawing many anglers to Park County for a memorable experience with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
ABOUT MICHELE
Michele White, a professional guide in Lake George, Colorado, has extensively explored, fished and documented the tributaries of the South Platte River in South Park. South Park is home to Lake George, the Tarryall River, Lost Creek, Tomahawk, Badger Basin and the headwaters of the South Platte River. Listen in to this podcast if you're looking for fishing locations that are less pressured than the South Platte River but still in easy reach of the Denver metro area.
Michele White is a prominent figure in the Colorado fly fishing scene, known for her expertise as a certified professional fly fishing guide, author, and original owner / outfitter of Tumbling Trout Fly Shop in Lake George, Colorado. She is also actively involved in conservation efforts as the Vice President of Financial Development for the Pikes Peak Chapter of Trout Unlimited and participates in numerous regional river conservation and educational events.
Michele has a diverse background: she initially pursued a degree in music, specializing in performance on the bassoon, but ultimately shifted her focus to geology after meeting professional geologists during her studies in New York City. She holds a master's degree in Geochemistry of Hydrothermal Ore Deposits with a minor in Biology from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Michele discovered her passion for fly fishing after moving back home to Colorado through the fly fishing tutelage of her future husband, Doug White. Together, they have been fly fishing and rowing their dory on the Great Rivers of the West for over 20 years. They are both certified boat handlers.
Publications: As an author, Michele White (nee Murray) was a contributing editor/writer for Mountain Gazette literary journal. Her often humorous outdoors and traveling essays have been published in Discover the Outdoors, EQUUS, Fly Fishing World, Native People's Magazine, New Tribal Dawn, and The Aquarian (as Michele Murray). Her fly fishing books (as Michele White) include:
"Subaru-able Brookie Venues in South Park, Colorado:
Easily Drive, Park, and Fly Fish the High Country", (2021)
“Joe Schmo Can Catch a Big Fish”, (2020)
“Between the Rivers”, fly fishing stories with co-authors,
Al Marlowe and Karen Christopherson, (2019)
“Lesser Known Fly Fishing Venues of South Park”, (2017)
“Eulogies and Dead Horses”, (2016)
Tenkara guiding: Michele is also a certified Tenkara guide, a traditional Japanese method of fly fishing without a reel using soft hackle flies, which she finds particularly suitable for senior citizens, or people with joint or mobility issues (she enjoys guiding older anglers).
Fly Tying: Michele is an expert fly tyer and has participated in several fly tying clinics as a Featured Tyer, tying her personal patterns, such as the “Cancan Girl”.
In summary, Michele White combines her scientific background and passion for the outdoors to share her knowledge and love of fly fishing, especially in the lesser-known waters of South Park, Colorado.