Summer Trip to Colorado

[dainw]

I know this is a ways off but I'm pretty excited about this trip and have been counting down the days. I'm headed to Durango at the beginning of August with my Dad for 4 days of fishing with the Duranglers guide service. We plan to spend 1 day fishing the San Juan in New Mexico, 1 day fishing a larger river in the area like the Animas, Piedra, or Dolores (whatever is fishing best at the time), and 2 days fishing small creeks in the San Juan mountains. I've only been fly fishing for about a year or so and this will be my first trip to Colorado. I've been to the White River system in Arkansas a couple times and that was a blast, but I'm told Colorado is a whole different experience altogether. I'll be sure and take lots of pictures and post them when I'm back. 

In the meantime, has anyone fished this area before? If so anything I need to be prepared for? I plan on picking up a new 2 or 3 weight rod for the creeks before I leave. 

Also, anyone have any recommendations on cheap hotels in Durango?

Thanks

[golferjeff]

I have fished the area the last 3 summers. The SJ mountains are spectacular for Brookies and 2-3 types of cutts. Get a 3wt, preferably shorter (7.5ft?) that can be broken down to carry in a backpack. Take stimulators and hoppers in all colors and sizes. Drop a baetis off the dry for better results. Colorado is a very different experience. Take lots of advil for headaches and altitude sickness. The creeks are often crystal clear and still cold in August. Be ready for a thunderstorm every afternoon.

Several guys on here travel up that way every summer. Peter guides in Lake City, not too awful far away. Good luck with your preparation. I will be on the other side of the rockies in late July and late August.

[wardw]

You're going to have a great trip - enjoy! 4 guided full days will get you into a lot of great water. 

The animas is a lot of fun when its not blown out in the summer




have some fun with the tubers (it wasnt that bad)




didn't get around to checking out this church - don't know if i could sit through a service without laughing




When the animas was blown out I spent a lot of time fishing in purgatory - really fun small water






loaded with colorful cuts



its great area to fish - lots of wildlife around





you'll have a great time - looking forward to the report when you get back
-ward

[dainw]

Ward...man those pictures sure aren't making the time pass any faster. I was pumped about this trip before but I'm really excited now. If you don't mind me asking, what's purgatory? Is that one of the smaller streams, or is that a specific area or what?

Also Jeff thanks for advice on the advil. I was kind of wondering how the altitude would come into play.

I'm pretty excited to fish the San Juan as well. From what I've heard it can be a circus. People have described it to me as a "trout themed amusement park." But apparently it's loaded with big rainbows that average around 16"

[underhillsbill]

Ward, were you fishing upper Hermosa Creek on the backside of Purgatory/Durango Mountain Resort? I've been eyeing that area for a while. Go skiing there every winter, just need to get back there in the summer. Have read their are native cutthroat there too. Dainw, have a great trip, sounds incredible. San Juan river is a great trip by itself, adding in the Animas and San Juan mountain creeks is just added bonus.

[wardw]

dainw purgatory is the ski area and yes underhillsbill it is hermosa creek and the co river cutties are aggressive (although spooky).

i know a few on the board have fished the piedra - looks like fun water but the slot canyons have been blown out everytime I've been around

go see breeden3 (peter) in lake city if you run into blown out water!

[dainw]

Anyone have any suggestions on a reasonably priced 3 weight? I'd like to keep it around $200 or so. I've been looking at a couple, the TFO Finesse and the Orvis Clearwater are both in this price range, but anyone else know of any other rods in that price range that they'd recommend?

[cord]

Redington Classic Trout 7'6"

[golferjeff]

If youre gonna rarely use it..... Bass Pro (White river) rod, reel, line only $99. I have one specifically for backcountry tributary trips.

[dainw]

Almost finished packing and ready to go. Leaving early Saturday morning and driving to Durango. We hope to fish the Animas on our own Saturday evening. Sunday we're floating the San Juan. After that the next 3 days are kind of up in the air as to what we're going to do. One of my main goals is to catch a (native?) cutthroat trout in the San Juan mountains/Weminuche Wilderness area, so I can mark that species of my list.

I'll post a full report next week when I get back, if I come back at all

[Fenwick]

Friends and I drove to Pagosa Springs the last week of August 2010, renting a log home on the east fork of the San Juan off 160 about 8 miles northeast of town. Other homes are nearby but not a soul was seen or heard and no one else was on the water at all so we had it all to ourselves. Step off the back deck and right into the river. We were north of town and away from the crowds that fish in town just above the actual hot springs. The river was about 25 feet wide and knee to hip deep where we stayed and full of rainbows 15 to 20 inches. Very productive sunset hatches. Any small size 18 white or off white dry fly will get you a trout. They were hungry, not picky. One afternoon I went up 667 towards what sort of appeared to be it's headwaters, gravel bed puddles of water bubbling out of the ground in an open area surround by forest but then there are many feeder brooks to it too. We did the two hour drive from Pagosa Springs to the San Juan below the dam. We did better on an overcast drizzly day drifting nymphs than we did a few days later when it was hot brilliant sunshine. The rainbows below the dam were 20's but for some reason awfully sluggish and easily gave up the fight. Must've been overfished. I took some old nymphs out of a few rainbows jaws when I landed them. Another day we did the Piedra in a slot canyon just outside of Pagosa Springs. It was a bit of a walk in from the parking area but worth it. The further you walk the less other fishermen you see. The usual nymphs worked again but so did woollys. No specialized techniques or unusual patterns were required. You've already done your research so enjoy! The scenery is of course amazing. We took a day or two off from fishing to drive up to and hike along the Continental Divide. Wow.

[mirvc17]

Have a great trip! My dad is itching to get the San Juan and I too have yet to fish there...