River Rebel: 83-Year-Old Angler Fights for Public Access in Colorado’s Waterways
Written By: Trent Jones
Roger Hill, an 83-year-old Colorado fisherman, has reignited his decade-long fight for public access to privately owned stretches of Colorado rivers. Hill, a retired physicist, returned to the Arkansas River last weekend, risking arrest in an attempt to gain legal standing in his ongoing battle for the right to fish in navigable rivers, which are public in other Western states like Montana and New Mexico. Although Hill didn’t catch any fish, he also wasn’t arrested, leaving his legal case in limbo.
Fly fisherman Roger Hill practices casting at a park near his home in Colorado Springs on Aug. 29, 2024. Hill is fighting for fishermen to have public access to private sections of Colorado rivers. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Hill’s struggle began in 2012 after a landowner assaulted him while fishing, followed by gunshots fired at his friend. After winning an initial lawsuit, Hill’s case was dismissed by the Colorado Supreme Court in 2023 on a technicality, stating he lacked legal standing to sue preemptively. This left Hill no option but to be arrested or ticketed for trespassing to continue his case. Despite his civil disobedience, local authorities have not intervened.
Fly fisherman Roger Hill, at his home in Colorado Springs, on Aug. 29, 2024. Hill is fighting for fishermen to have public access to private sections of Colorado rivers. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Colorado’s position on riverbed ownership stands in contrast to states where public access is guaranteed. As more riverside land is bought by wealthy landowners, the issue has become more contentious, with advocates like Hill and Don Holmstrom, co-chairman of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, calling for public access to Colorado's waterways. Meanwhile, landowners, such as James Gibson and Earl Pfeiffer, insist on their right to their property and prefer fishermen request permission before wading through privately owned river sections.
The fight, which has drawn both local and legal attention, highlights the broader clash between public interests in recreation and private landownership in Colorado. …read more at the Canyon City Daily Record
Roger Hill, right, fishes in the Arkansas River near Cotopaxi along with Don Holmstrom co-chair go backcountry, hunters, and anglers on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Cody Perry)