Duranglers Rio Grande River Guide Trips
There is really only one word that can be used to describe our Rio Grande River guide trips: epic. From roughly mid June to mid July (depending on snowpack), you can find the Duranglers crew floating the Rio Grande. In the height of this summer season, we see prolific hatches of stoneflies, salmonflies, caddis, PMDs and drakes. Because of this, the fishing is mostly a large dry fly game with lots of eager brown trout in the 12 to 18 inch range that are willing to crush well presented bug. There are even a few bigger browns and rainbows that lurk the depths of the Rio that venture to the surface when the hatches are strong. While streamer and nymph fishing can be very effective throughout the rest of the year; we journey to the Rio Grande for the dry fly action. It’s truly #dryordie fishing.
Float Trips
Duranglers has been float guiding the Rio Grande river since 1991 and we have learned the ins and outs this fantastic Colorado fishery. We are permitted to float just below the upper box canyon west of Creede all the way to the town of Del Norte. Within this 70 plus river miles lies some of the best dry fly fishing in the state and some have even called it the “Montana of Colorado”. While fantastic, the Rio should not be tackled by the beginner. Quick, one shot casts and precise line handling are a must as you may only get one opportunity at these fish. Again, depending on flows, we are usually floating the Rio Grande from mid June through mid July, but that season can change depending on snowpack and weather conditions.
We also have great early season float opportunities in Spring (depending on conditions) as well as a late fall float season in the Fall. These “shoulder season” floats can be unpredictable, but can also be a dream trip for the streamer junkie. The Rio will also see prolific hatches of BWOs in the Spring and Fall that can bring about fantastic dry fly days.
Our summer guide season on the Rio fills up quick, so it is important to book your trip well in advance. The Rio Grande River lies 2 hours east of Durango and our hub of operations for the season is Creede, CO where our guides lodge. There are many options for lodging in and around Creede as well as the town of South Fork. Along with booking your guide trip, it is important that you make arrangements for accommodations in advance as lodging can be full in June and July. If you are unsure about any location, give us a call and we can point you in the right direction.
Call at 1-888-FISH-DGO or e-mail us at [email protected] to book a trip on the epic Rio Grande River today!
