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Not sure what to bring for your trip? Well take the guesswork out of what flies you will need on our local waters with a custom fly assortment for our local rivers. Custom assembled for where and when you will be fishing!
The Quality Water section of the San Juan River below Navajo Reservoir is arguably the best trout river in the world. The San Juan offers big fish…lots of them, and you can catch them 365 days a year! Need a guide?
| CFS | Rising/Falling | Fishing Conditions | Patterns/Bug |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 cfs | Steady | Flows are steady and lower than average. Annelids and midges are standard, and have been producing fish earlier in the day, and in the evenings we have seen big baetis hatches in the evenings below Texas Hole. | Midges 20-26: Black Midge Pupa, Sidewinder Midge Pupa, Tav’s Big Mac, Tav’s Big Mac. Griffith Gnats 16-24 as a dry.
San Juan Worms: Red, Wine, Orange. Red and Orange Annelids, and Chamois leeches. Egg Patterns. Thread Baetis, Juan’s Sniper Baetis, Splitback BWO, Jujubaetis, Foam Wing RS-2.
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One of the last free-flowing rivers in the state of Colorado, the Animas is a unique and rare treasure. With the newest and one of the best Gold Medal Water sections in Colorado, the Animas is a river that should be on your list of places to fish. Need a guide?
| CFS | Rising/Falling | Fishing Conditions | Patterns/Bug |
|---|---|---|---|
| 251 cfs | Steady | Flows have dropped into a fall rhythm and the wade fishing is good. Standard nymph rigs have been picking up lots of fish, but there have been some good BWO and midge hatches that have had fish suspended and eating near the surface. A small mayfly dry with a beatis emerger below can lead to a very fun day on the Animas this time of year | Nymph rigs with stones, caddis pupa, and mayflies. Pat’s Rubberlegs, Wired Stonefly, 20 Incher for stones. McPhail Caddis, Caddistrophic Pupa for Caddis. Rainbow Warriors, Juan’s Sniper Baetis, Killer Mayflies, Pheasant Tails.
Caddis dries such as Peacock Caddis, Elk Hair Caddis, Skating Caddis, Baetis dries such as Parachute Adams, Bunny Duns, and Comparaduns as well as emergers like the RS2, BWO film critic, or smoke jumper baetis Streamers: Triple Double Rainbow, Mini Dungeon, Cheech Leech, Lunch Money
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Flowing through Pagosa Springs on its way to Navajo Reservoir, the “upper” San Juan is a good freestone river with good caddis and stonefly hatches.
| CFS | Rising/Falling | Fishing Conditions | Patterns/Bug |
|---|---|---|---|
| 46.8 | Steady | Holding steady at fall flows. Look for baetis and midge hatches, and nymphing should be done with smaller mayfly and midge nymphs, and it never hurts to throw a stonefly at them. Try prospecting deeper runs with a streamer if fish are not suspended eating dries and emergers. | Pat’s Rubberlegs, 20 Incher, Sparkle Stone, Atomic Stone, Brown Wired Stone in sizes #8-12.
Mayfly Dries: Parachute Adams, Comparadun, Purple Haze Mayfly Emergers: BWO film critic, RS2, Smoke Jumper. Streamers: Buggers, Mini Dungeon, Josh’s Ziwi, Lunch Money. |
Spilling out of the Weimunuche wilderness, this classic trout stream offer good dry fly opportunities and a surprising diversity of fishing opportunities and a surprising diversity of fish. Duranglers also has some outstanding guided private water on the Piedra!
| CFS | Rising/Falling | Fishing Conditions | Patterns/Bug |
|---|---|---|---|
| 66.2 CFS | Steady | With lower flows and dropping Temps, the fishing can be pretty slow this time of year. Try deep dredging big stonefly nymphs or streamers for some big takes, and look baetis hatches and fish feeding on the surface. | Pat’s Rubberlegs, Trout Retreiver, Sparkle Stone, Atomic Stone, Brown Wired Stone, Sofa Pillow, Chubbies in sizes #12-16.
BH Copper John, Psycho Prince, Hot Wire Prince, Prince Nymph, #14-18. Pheasant Tails and BWO dries such as the Hairwing Dun and CDC Comparadun. |
The section below Vallecito Reservoir is bordered by private property on both sides for its entire length below the reservoir, you can only fish it if you are lucky enough to own property on it OR you take a guide trip with Duranglers! The section above the Vallecito requires a 3 mile hike into the Weminuche Wilderness.
| CFS | Rising/Falling | Fishing Conditions | Patterns/Bug |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28.5 below Vallecito/33.3 cfs above | Flows have been shut down drastically below the dam, and flows are low but steady above the reservoir. Deep runs with stonefly nymphs will still produce below the reservoir. Look for baetis and midge hatches above the reservoir. | Nymphs: Prince Nymphs 12-16, Brown Wired Stone 10, Copper John 12-18, Pats Rubberlegs.
Dries: Stimulators, Hippy Stomper, Parachute Adams, Gold and Peacock Chubbies 10-16.
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The Dolores River below McPhee Reservoir doesn’t get allocated enough water to blossom into the river it should be, but still remains a good river Keep an eye on the little water it is getting and remember every drop counts!
| CFS | Rising/Falling | Fishing Conditions | Patterns/Bug |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37.8 cfs | Steady | Fall fishing is in full effect and it is good. Watch for mayfly hatches on overcast days where trout will be looking up. Dry/dropper rigs is a good searching setup, but deeper runs may call for a nymph rig with small mayfly nymphs. |
Mayfly Nymphs 16-20: Tav’s Fluff Baetis, Tungsten CDC FB Pheasant Tail, Two Bit Hooker, Juan’s Sniper Baetis. BWOs: Barr’s Vis-A-Dun, Split Back BWO, BWO CDC Comparadun. Hoppers: Chubbies, Morrish Hopper, Panty Dropper Hopper. |
This freestone river spills out of the high country and through a beautiful forested canyon. The limited access on the river should not be a deterent in exploring this great river.
| CFS | Rising/Falling | Fishing Conditions | Patterns/Bug |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | Ice on the Gauges | The Upper Dolores has begun to ice up. Mayfly nymphs and emergers can still be effective for trout, but throw bright streamers and worms at any salmon you may find | Prince Nymphs, Hares Ear Nymphs, Pheasant Tails, Sniper Baetis, Split Case Baetis.
Parachute Adams, Chubbies, Little Hopper Juan, Stimis, and Grillos Hippy Stomper, Black CFO Ant for dries. |
The Rio Grande is a classic western river. It is a great dry fly river with one of the best Salmonfly hatches in Colorado. The flow is partially controlled by a dam, but the many tributaries add significant flow during spring and wet weather. Need a guide?
| CFS | Rising/Falling | Fishing Conditions | Patterns/Bug |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A(30 Mile)
137 cfs (Wagon Wheel) |
Low and Steady | Low winter flows mean the wading opportunities on the Rio are abundant. Like most of our rivers this time of year, baetis will do the job but nymphing stoneflies can be effective year round. And don’t forget the streamer box! | Peacock Caddis, Elk Hair Caddis, Skating Caddis, and Stimulators 12-16.
BWOs: Barr’s Vis-A-Dun, Parachute Adams, BWO CDC Comparadun. Streamers: Sheila’s Sculpin, Mini Dungeon, Cheech Leech, Flash Fry, Buggers. |
The difficult fly fishing on the Florida River will not be attractive to every angler, and beginners should take some time to hone their skills on other rivers before going there. Those who are willing to put in the necessary effort to discover its scenic wonders, as well as its secret trout holes, will be amply rewarded with much more than wild trout.
| CFS | Rising/Falling | Fishing Conditions | Patterns/Bug |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.9 (Above Lemon)
10.8 cfs (Below Lemon) |
Low and Steady both above and Below | Above, flows are very low and fishing will require a stealthy approach with smaller dries and nymphs. The salmon have begun their run and will eat “bacon and eggs” (worms and eggs) and bright streamers.
Below, while all private, has been dropped to winter flows. If you have access look for fish to be in deep holes and throw attractor nymphs and streamers at them |
Nymphs: Partridge and Peacock, Copper Johns, Hare’s Ear, San Juan Worms. Stupid Fast Caddis, tungsten golden stone.
Olive, Black, and Tan Streamers and Buggers: Lead Eye Bugger, Lunch Money, Sex Dungeon, Mini Dungeon, Dirty Hippy. Chubbies, Stimulators, and Para Madam X. |
Fishing Durango Colorado is very numerous and diverse. There is, of course, the famous San Juan River below Navajo Dam along with the larger freestone rivers like the Animas, Piedra, and Dolores. But there are also more small mountain streams than can be fished in a lifetime.
| CFS | Rising/Falling | Fishing Conditions | Patterns/Bug |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | low/cold | With snow in the high country creek fishing is basically done for the year. If you just can’t stay away, try small dries and droppers and possibly a small wooly bugger in the deeper runs. | Dries: Parachute Adams, Hairwing Dun, Comparadun
Nymphs: Prince Nymphs, Copper Johns, Pheasant tails, Hare’s Ears. Small White or Thin mint flavor wooly buggers. |
Flowing out of the “hip” town of Telluride, the San Miguel is a small river/ large stream that offers some great fishing and pretty good access.
| CFS | Rising/Falling | Fishing Conditions | Patterns/Bug |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51.2 cfs | Low and Steady | Fall fishing on the San Miguel is here and wade fishing is good. Small dries or stonefly nymphs have been picking up fish. | Nymphs: Bitch creek nymph, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Copper Johns, Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ear, and Prince Nymphs, Two Bit Hooker.
Dries: Parachute Adams, Stimulators, Hippy Stomper, Chubbies 12-16. |
Our local lakes and ponds hold an abundance of trout, pike, bass, and many other species of gamefish. Need a guide?
| CFS | Rising/Falling | Fishing Conditions | Patterns/Bug |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Open/High country frozen | Lakes are full and fishing great! Navajo, Vallecito, Totten, Puett, McPhee, and Nighthorse are wide open and will be fishing decent. Havaland is being drained but still fishing well. Andrews, Molas, and Little Molas are iced over, as are pack in high country lakes. | Trout: Buggers, Parachute Adams, Damselflies, Chronomids.
Pike: EP Pike Fly, Engler’s Pike Fly. Barry’s Pike Bunny. Smallmouth: White heavy streamers fished on drop-offs. Poppers. Carp: Large Hare’s Ears, Barry’s Carp Fly, Carp Bitters, Cicadas. |
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison River offers one of the greatest wilderness/fishing experiences in the lower 48. The river has a good population of rainbows and brown and some of the best hatches around. Every angler should put our three-day float on their “places to fish before I die” list! Need a guide?
| CFS | Rising/Falling | Fishing Conditions | Patterns/Bug |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1480 cfs | Steady | Flows are up, but fishing is still great with mayfly and caddis nymph rigs and dry droppers. Have Baetis nymphs and dries on hand. Fish will feed on top in the shade, but go deep with high sun. Don’t be afraid of the occasional streamer either. | Para Adams and Extended body BWO in #18-22, Yellow Sallies #12-14, Trico Spinner# 22, Elk Hair Caddis #16, Peacock Caddis #14-16
BH Copper John, Psycho Prince, Prince Nymph, #14-18. BWO Split Back in #20-22 |
The newest tailwater fishery in the state. The Unc. (we like to call it) has two faces. The overly manicured part of the river is a little like fishing at Disneyland. The “wild” section is a real river.
| CFS | Rising/Falling | Fishing Conditions | Patterns/Bug |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45.8 cfs | Low and Steady | Fall flows are here, so move slow. BWOs and PMDs have been hatching as well. Don’t leave the midges and leeches behind here, either. | Midges 18-24: Sidewinder Midge Pupa, Tav’s Big Mac, Jujubee Midge. Midge Dries: Duranglers Adult Midge, CDC Biot Midge, Midge Dry.
San Juan Worms, Red, Wine, Orange. Red and Orange Annelids, and Chamois leeches. Thread Baetis, Jujubaetis. Pink PMD Comparadun and Barrs PMD Vis-a-Dun 18-20. RS-2 Foam Wing Emerger #20-24, Killer Mayfly #22-24, Brown Baetis Nymph #20-24 |
