Tips & techniques
In late September, we visited the San Juan for our annual float trip. We were delighted by the cool weather and the clear water. Recent rains have washed out the muck and slime from the flats, and fish were easily visible to up to four foot depths. The trees were just beginning to turn and the evenings were crisp, but there were bugs aplenty. The river improvements made have cleared up the Chutes section and Last Chance Riffle. These were completed two years ago, and include rock structures and large boulders to keep the river water churning which helps scour ... Read More
By Larry Trussell I just returned from one of the most enjoyable fishing trips that I have experienced. At the NMT Conclave in March, I put all of my raffle tickets into the guided trip offerings, and was fortunate enough to win an all day, guided trip for two on the San Juan provided by Rainbow Lodge & Resolution Guide Service. I talked my brother into going with me and when we started making arrangements, our first inclination was to drive to Aztec, NM and spend the night at a motel. Then, in the morning, drive to the river and ... Read More
by Larry Ydens An email is all it took. I needed a reason to go fishing. I had been busy at work, and I had even worked 2 of the previous 3 Saturdays. So Pat's email about the Salmon Flies on the Guadalupe was all it took. So I loaded up the car with my gear and headed to work (some habits are hard to completely break I guess). I planned to head for the Guadalupe for the afternoon. It was midweek (Thursday) just before a holiday (Labor Day), so I figured it would not be crowded. Although there were ... Read More
by Pat Mileshosky Sure, why not, I'm retired with time on my hands and a few bucks in my pocket. I've been there before, several times in fact. Okay, I'll do it. I'll take Mike Maurer up on his invitation to return to the Green River. The Green is a tail water fishery below Flaming Gorge Dam in the far northeast corner of Utah. Walt Ratcliff picked me up early Saturday morning and we were off... next stop Vernal, Utah where we would meet several of the other fellows making the trek. A few, like Mike Maurer, Walt Ratcliff and ... Read More
By Taylor Streit The best fly fishing in late summer is to be found at the high elevations and on the tail waters. Avoid lakes (except those at very high elevations) as the trout will have gone very deep and be sluggish. The Rio Grande will usually be muddy from summer cloud bursts. Streams below irrigation ditches may be too low and warm for decent fishing. Tail waters usually fish well in hot weather. Excellent hatches and reliable flows make the San Juan a good choice during August and September. Although there will be plenty of folks that’s not so ... Read More
With the growing popularity of fishing in America, more and more people are out there to catch a few fish. If everyone kept every fish caught, pretty soon we wouldn't have any fish left. The population of humans has far outpaced the ability of nature to produce enough fish for all of us. We must therefore share our fish. A well handled fish can be revived and released to fight another day. Many guides know the fish in their streams personally, and can catch the same fish over and over through the years, if the fish are well cared for ... Read More
In Webster’s New World Dictionary, the word etiquette is defined as follows: "The forms, manners, and ceremonies established by convention as acceptable or required in society, or in a profession." After reading this definition you would hope that fly fishers would have no problems with each other, that acceptable manner comes very natural to most fly fishers and, therefore, seldom would there be any clash between them. Fly fishing etiquette should be nothing more than common sense, and that the best way to define etiquette is: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." All anglers should ... Read More
Fly fishing for trout can look like a rather imposing and complicated endeavor at first. What do I need? Where do I go? It can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are many avenues open to the beginner to help with gear, destinations, and techniques. It helps if you have a friend or family member to be your mentor, but we now have many other sources of information. Most fly shops have very helpful staff and a variety of instructional courses, from rank beginner level to advanced specialty casting. There are many good educational videos, and too many books to count. Many ... Read More