New Angler’s Covey going into the ground... and water

       The new Angler's Covey is starting to take shape. Stream consultant Pete Gallagher stands beside a V-shaped
drainage structure he and his crew built in Fountain Creek 
behind the under-construction Angler’s Covey fly fishing store.
       The new building frame that began to be hammered together last week is visible to thousands of motorists a day passing by on Highway 24 or 21st Street. Less visible - but just as key to the Westside fly fishing store's future - is the recent work in adjacent Fountain Creek.
       Pete Gallagher, a stream consultant who formerly worked for the U.S. Forest Service, installed boulders in strategic creek locations this month under the watchful eye of city inspectors.
       According to Dave Leinweber, owner of Angler's Covey, “The goal is to meet city requirements (for the creek) but to do it in such a way that it improves the habitat.”
       The store itself is “on schedule to open in mid-May,” he added.
       A privately owned business, Angler's Covey had operated in a 1,200-square-foot space on West Colorado Avenue for 18 years. But in the face of increasing major-chain-store competition, Leinweber decided to get big. His custom-built store - which he believes will be the largest of its kind in the Rocky Mountain region - will provide more than 5,000 square feet of space and a 33-foot-high ceiling so that prospective rod purchasers can practice casting indoors.
       Another potential Angler's Covey feature will be to provide fishing opportunities for customers in Fountain Creek along Angler's Covey's northern boundary. That's where Gallagher comes in.
       Contacted recently in the creek, the drainage specialist explained the V-shaped alignment of the large rocks (called a “cross- vane structure”) that a specialized backhoe was placing at strategic points. The rocks are anchored into the creek sides to prevent the structure from being washed away, their height and positioning help slow the flow, and the way the V points downstream forces the water to the center of the creek, he explained. Along with a tamer creek, the structures will create pools that could attract fish, Gallagher said.
       Leinweber said he appreciated that the city has been “flexible” in allowing the specialized stream work. “I didn't come into this deal with a lot of money,” he said. “But I decided we've got one opportunity to get it right.”

Westside Pioneer article