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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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 457 cfs | Steady | Flows are just above average for winter which is good to see. Though the water has been off color, fishing has still been very solid. The classic Bunny Leech/Annelid combo is the goto, but the Juan has seen good dry fly and streamer fishing lately too! Right now, a trout spey rod is a fantastic tool to fish streamers on the San Juan. | Midges 20-26: Black Midge Pupa, Sidewinder Midge Pupa, Tav’s Big Mac, Tav’s Big Mac.
Bunny Leeches in white, gray or black. Simi seal leeches in olive or black San Juan Worms: Red, Wine, Orange. Red and Orange Annelids, and Chamois leeches. Egg Patterns. Kreelex Minnows, Buggers, Dirty Hippy, Sheila Sculpin are all good streamers to throw too.
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 146 cfs | Steady | Though the flows are low, ice has shown, and the temps colder; fishing has remained suprisingly good. Heavy nymph rigs with your favorite attractor nymph followed closely by a small mayfly or midge nymph has been most productive, but streamers have also been taking lots of fish, fished deep and slow. This is also a great time of hone your Euro Nymphing skills: it has proven great on the Animas. | Nymph rigs featuring Prince nymphs, Copper John, Hare’s Ear size 12-18 with a caddis larva such as a Czechmate Caddis, Pheasant Tails, Rainbow Warriors, Juan’s Sniper Baetis, or Killer Mayfly, dropped behind.
Euro Rigs with Jigged Frenchie, Hares Ear, Perdigon, or Prince as a point fly. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55.5 cfs | Steady | Low flows, some ice, but good water temps in town to catch fish. Nymph rigs are always the right choice in winter, but it wouldn’t hurt t to run a streamer deep. | Pat’s Rubberlegs, 20 Incher, Sparkle Stone, Atomic Stone, Brown Wired Stone in sizes #8-12.
Copper johns, Rainbow warrior, Micro stones, pheasant tails. Streamers: Buggers, Mini Dungeon, Josh’s Ziwi, Lunch Money.
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICE | Cold | River will be icy and very cold on all but the warmest days. | 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.
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27.7 below Vallecito/ Ice above | Flows have been shut down drastically below the dam, and above the reservoir the river will be cold and icy. Deep runs with stonefly nymphs will still produce below the reservoir. | Low Flows, cold water, and spooky fish. | Nymphs: Prince Nymphs 12-16, Brown Wired Stone 10, Copper John 12-18, Pats Rubberlegs.
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40.9 cfs | Steady | The Gate is closed 3 miles from the dam. If you go, hike up by the dam and nymph the deeper runs. Streamers have also been suprisingly effective through winter. |
Mayfly Nymphs 16-20: Tav’s Fluff Baetis, Tungsten CDC FB Pheasant Tail, Two Bit Hooker, Juan’s Sniper Baetis. Midges 18-22: Black Flash Midge Pupa, Disco Midge, Big Mac Pupa Streamers: Buggers, Mini Dungeon, Lunch Money. |
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 iced up for the winter. Fishing will be tough. | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.35 cfs(30 Mile)
Ice cfs (Wagon Wheel) |
Cold and Icy | Winter is tough on the Rio Grande as it gets very cold and the river freezes over. Nymph deeper runs on warmer days if any open water. | Pat’s Rubberlegs, Twenty Inchers, Micro stone, Prince nymphs, Copper johns.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice (Above Lemon)
9.53 cfs (Below Lemon) |
Mostly Frozen | Fishing will be very tough as most of the river is iced over. | 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 | Mostly frozen over. | 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.
| ICE | Winter | Fish the afternoon or the warmest days. Nymphing will be the best bet. | Nymphs: Bitch creek nymph, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Copper Johns, Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ear, and Prince Nymphs, Two Bit Hooker.
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice | Frozen | Most lakes have started to ice up this week. | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1060 cfs | Steady | Nymphing will be the best bet through winter with small bugs, but as stated…never discount a streamer either | Pats Rubberlegs, Twenty inchers, micro stones, Pheasant Tails.
BH Copper John, Psycho Prince, Prince Nymph, #14-18 Juan’s Sniper Baetis, Juju Baetis, Micro Mayfly,and Rainbow Warrior in #18-22. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43.3 cfs | Low and Steady | Small bugs, light fluro tippet, and perfect drifts: it’s technical winter fishing at it’s finest. Getting your weight and fly size right will be key, and every hole may be different. Hard work and problem solving will pay off. | 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. RS-2 Foam Wing Emerger #20-24, Killer Mayfly #22-24, Brown Baetis Nymph #20-24 |
