October Durango Fly Fishing Forecast
October roughly translates to “streamers” in trout bum speak. With the shorter days and cooler nights, our local water temps have dropped and fish are one the move to fatten up before the deep cold of winter. Brown trout are also very active this time of year to get ready for the yearly spawn. October is the time for big, meat eating trout; not to mention one of the most beautiful times to be on the water. The streamer bite has been picking up on the Animas, San Juan, and upper San Juan River among others. Nymphing deep is also a great way to pick up plenty of fish on our other local waters such as the Piedra, Dolores, San Miguel, and Los Pinos. Check out our Guide to Streamer Fishing if you need some tips on how to make the big’uns eat.
Of course, the San Juan River has been fishing lights out with…dries? Yep, depending on the day one can have a lights out fishing midge dries to trout that seem to have abandoned all reservations. If the trout are not looking up on the Juan, sight fishing to suspended trout is the modus operandi for fish chowing on midge pupa and emergers. Don’t be intimidated to fish a bugger or leech pattern either. Kyle recently floated the San Juan and had this tidbit to say: “I was getting an eat on every cast through Death Row with an olive Simi-Seal Leech”.
Streamer time on the Rio Grande!
Insects and Natural Food Sources
If you have any questions on a specific river; please call the shop for more info. 970-385-4081
- · San Juan River, New Mexico – Blue Winged Olives, Midges, annelids, aquatic worms, scuds, eggs, Leeches.
- · Lower Animas – BWOs, Sculpins, Fingerling Rainbow Trout, Crayfish, Mice, Midges, Stonefly Nymphs, Mayfly Nymphs.
- · Upper San Juan – Stoneflies Blue Winged Olives, Sculpins, Midges
- · Rio Grande – Stonefly Nymphs, Midges, Blue Winged Olives, Streamers, Mice.
- · Piedra River & Williams Creek – Stonefly nymphs, Blue Winged Olives, Midges.
- · Los Pinos River – (Below Dam) – Midges, Blue Winged Olives, Baitfish & Leeches, Mice.
- · Dolores River Above Reservoir, Los Pinos Above Reservoir – Stonefly Nymphs, Mayfly Nympsh, Midges, Baitfish.
- · Dolores River (Below Dam) – Midges, BWO’s, Leeches, Mice.
- · High Country Lakes and Streams – Attractor dries and nymphs. Buggers and small streamers.
Recommended Fly Patterns
San Juan River:
- · Midges: Size 20-30 – Flash Midge Pupa, Red Big Mac, WD-40, Juju Midge
- · Baetis: Size 20-14 – Juju Baetis, Thread Body Baetis, Barr’s Baetis Vis-A-Dun, BWO CDC Emerger, RS2
- · Annelids: Red Sparkle Worm, Red annelids, Chamos Leech, SJ Worm in Red, Orange, Pink, and Tan
- · Scuds: Size 14-18 – Olive and Tan
- · Leeches and Streamers: Size 8-14 – Olive, Brown and Black Simi- Seal Leeches, Bunny Leeches, Buggers, Near Nuff Sculpin, Baby rainbow trout streamers.
Animas, Piedra, Upper San Juan, and SW CO rivers:
- · Stonefly Nymphs: Size 2-14 – 20 Incher Stone, Prince Nymph, Pats Rubberlegs, Little Black Sloan, Sparkle Stone
- · Caddis Nymphs: Size 12-18 – Caddisstrophic Pupa, , Hares Ear, Cased Caddis, Sparkle pupa and Sparkle emerger
- · BWOs: Size 16-20 – Snowshoe Dun, CDC Comparadun BWO, BWO Vis-a-Dun,
- · Mayfly Nymphs 14-20: Red and black Copper John, Pheasant Tail Nymph, Hare’s Ear, Thread Baetis. Juju Baetis, RS-2
- · Streamers: Autumn Splendor, Mr. Hankey Mouse, Josh’s Ziwi, Circus Peanut, Conehead Wool Sculpin, The One Sculpin, T.A. Rainbow, Dhali Lama Streamer.
- · Midges: Size 18-24 – Flash Midge Pupa, Disco Midge, WD-40, Zebra Midges,
Rio Grande:
- · Stonefly Nymphs: Size 2-14 – 20 Incher Stone, Pats Rubberlegs, Sparkle Stone.
- · Caddis Nymphs: Size 12-18 – Caddisstrophic Pupa, Cased Caddis, Sparkle pupa and Sparkle emerger
- · Midges: Size 18-24 – Flash Midge Pupa, Disco Midge, WD-40, Deep Poison Tung
- · Mayfly Nymphs 14-20: Red and black Copper John, Pheasant Tail Nymph, Hare’s Ear, Thread Baetis. Juju Baetis, RS-2
- · BWOs: Size 16-20 – Juju BWO, Snowshoe Dun, CDC Comparadun BWO, BWO Vis-a-Dun,
- · Mice: Mr. Hankey Mouse, Mouseketeer
- · Streamers: Circus Peanut, Conehead Wool Sculpin, The One Sculpin, Buggers, Josh’s Ziwi,
Lower Dolores:
- · Caddis Nymphs: Size 12-18 – Caddisstrophic Pupa, Cased Caddis, Sparkle pupa, and Sparkle emerger
- · BWOs: Pheasant Tail Nymph, Juju Baetis, BWO Vis-a-Dun, Snowshoe Dun, Brown Baetis Nymph
- · Midges: Size 18-24 – Flash Midge Pupa, Disco Midge, WD-40,
- · Streamers: Autumn Splendor, Magnum Super Bugger, Josh’s Ziwi
High Country:
We are coming to the end of our High Country Season. Attractor patterns will work. Have SMALL Humpies, Royal Wulffs, Stimulators, Elk Hair Caddis, Neversink Trude, and Parachute Adams on hand in sizes 14-20. If you must go under, a size 8-12 olive bugger; 16-20 Copper Johns, Pheasant Tails, and other bead head nymphs always work. For lakes fish Simi-Seal Leaches, Callebaetis nymphs, Leech Patterns, Ultra Damsel Nymphs, and dragonfly nymphs until the the ice takes over the lake.
