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Post by turfdawg on Jun 10, 2017 13:46:00 GMT -6
and anyone else that wants to chime in.
We rented "Macs Place" in Pagosa like you recommended August 17-20th for a long weekend get away. My cousin and I want one day for fishing only what does everyone recommend that time of year? Drive to Durango, stay in Pagosa, guides, ect...?
Can I wake up and take my coffee to the river for an hour right outside the door?
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Post by golferjeff on Jun 10, 2017 20:49:38 GMT -6
I highly recommend the forks of the San Juan about 10 miles north of town. West fork is small stream cutties and browns. east fork has all 4, a little bigger. East has easier access, but the good fishing needs a 1-2 mile hike. The west is walk up the middle, hit the pools type. West is harder to access. The SJ thru town has nice stocked fish too. Very reminiscent of old spillway creek with small waterfalls, pools, and runs. Lots of traffic on the river though (tubers, swimmers, and kayakers). The scenery (both mountains and the human kind) can be outstanding.
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Post by Fenwick on Jun 11, 2017 11:12:29 GMT -6
Bill: All of what Jeff said. You can drive only so far upriver towards the headwaters of the San Juan before you encounter signage that declares "four wheel drive required beyond this point" and for good reason. Why break a wheel off the axle or rip out the undercarriage of your vehicle. Besides, when you get that far upriver the water isn't even shin deep.
You can indeed step out the back door of Macs Hideaway onto the back deck and then take another step down to the bank and wade right in and fish. Any closer the water would be running through the log home itself. Managing your morning coffee mug or afternoon beer while also wading and casting flies might be a trick but it CAN be done! Recall the photos included in the online ad for the place. What you see is what you get. The river right out the back is maybe 30ft. wide and shin to knee deep. Since you are going in August you'll find it easy to wet wade, chest waders need not be worn while fishing around the log home stretch. Going upstream it is pretty much the same. There is a photo on the ad site that shows a downstream view where the water curves out of sight to the left. There is a deeper hole on the right bank beyond the rapids there though you'll find rainbows any and everywhere in that entire stretch of your "neighborhood". Since it is a freestone stream appropriately enough stoneflies work well as will the same flies you already have for the LMF. There were routine sunset hatches there and any size 16,18 or 20 dry that is predominantly white or beige will readily be taken, the rainbows weren't very particular as they were noisily tearing up the surface gulping everything in sight. Macs Hideaway is in a private development, if you can even call it a development that lies within the San Juan National Forest and so John Q. Public fishermen are not found there. In fact we were the only fishermen on 'our" stretch the entire week we were there. Sweet!
It is a two hour drive from Macs Hideaway to the popular stretch below the dam. Let your GPS guide the way. You will at some point leave the usual customary roadways and find yourself on packed dirt and gravel ranch roads that'll make you think you are trespassing on private property when the herd of goats / sheep / cows are occupying the roadway but you are on the correct legal route. Less of a drive to Durango. An hour to the slot canyons of the Piedra. It's a Kodak moment every where up there.
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Post by turfdawg on Jun 11, 2017 20:03:00 GMT -6
Mama's car would be better on fuel but we will definitely be taking my "Pavement Princess" up. I love going through some uneven terrain as long as there are no branches and things to scratch. Sounds like I will for sure need to take my old Orvis glass rod [Phillipson Eponite Blank] for some dry fishing. I believe Grant and I would agree that 7' old glass is great! Do we need a guide for a day? Attachments:
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Post by Fenwick on Jun 11, 2017 21:20:31 GMT -6
Bill: Seeing that you are there for only four days you are not going to be able to cover all the water Jeff or I did so yeah, get a guide and have him/her take you someplace nearby where long drives and long hike ins are not required. It's allll good up there. Be sure to dedicate a day of R&R walking around the small town of Pagosa Springs and enjoy the back deck at Macs hideaway. Heck, even the drive there and back is nice. During my driving shift on the way up I wanted to take our vehicle off 40 and onto some of the old decrepit stretches of the original route 66 that 40 parallels so I could say I drove on the legendary Mother Road but my too-young-to-know-about-66 companions had no interest. See America first! as the old travel slogan goes. Just beware of the speed traps in every small Texan town along 287 where the posted speed limit drops from 70 to 55 to 35 to 15 in about a 1/4 mile with the cop parked on the shoulder waiting for you to help fill the community coffer.
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