Trout Fishing in Colorado
- Thread starter Grouseman
- Start date
durangodds
Adventurer
Where in CO are you going to be?
Darren
Adventurer
I don't do any fishing to speak of any more, and even then my stream fishing history is extremely limited. That being said, here is a link to our Gold Medal waters. One glaring omission is the Taylor River, which runs between Almont and Taylor Park northeast of Gunnison. I'm not sure why that isn't listed, but that usually seems to be at the top of the list. In the San Juans, the Rio Grande headwaters would be pretty cool. I think Crawler Mark did that a few years back. The Taylor and Rio would probably be my top two, and there are some great scenic roads next to each if the fishing isn't going too well.
crawler#976
Expedition Leader
The upper sections of the Rio Grande were great - we fished the Rio Grande Reservoir north west of Creede, and several sections of the Rio Grande near Creed and South Fork with good sucsess. We used both fly's and spinners depending on time of day and results.
Mark
Mark
durangodds
Adventurer
Grouseman said:
When you talk about the San Juans, there's really the north & south San Juans. I live in Durango, so I'm familiar with the south. If you want to fish high, there are all kinds of good little streams. Lime and Hermosa Creeks are good. The Piedra is a great hike in spot with solitude. The Animas in Durango can be awesome, and the San Juan just over the border in New Mexico is always good.
Some people will send you into the Upper Pine, but that's just where they send the tourists. It really isn't worth the walk.
durangodds
Adventurer
Fly Fishing Southern Colorado by Knopik and Flick is a great guide for the southern San Juan mountains. It's out of print now, but I just checked Amazon and there is two copies available there. Most of the places I mentioned in my previous post are accessible by car.
Ridgewalker
Adventurer
You'll find trout in virtually every stream in the San Juans. I grew up fishing the Creede area and lived for 2 years in Lake City. I learned to flyfish for trout at age 14 (1960) on the Rio Grande. For July and August I would have nymphs (Goldribbed Hare's Ear #12-16; Pheasant Tail and beadhead version #16-18; Prince Nymph and beadhead version #10-14), grasshopper patterns (Joe's Hopper, Muddler Minnow #6-10), streamers (weighted Muddler Minnow, Black Nose Dace, Black and Olive Woolly Bugger #6-10), and of course drys (Parachute Adams #12-14, Goofus Bug or Humpy #12-16, Royal Wulff #10-14, Griffith's Gnat #18-20).
Start using a double fly rig either a large dry or grasshopper pattern with a nymph 18-24" below during morning till evening, then switch to a streamer in the late evening once the hatches stop. Then it is time for the biggest browns to come out...be ready in the bigger rivers (Rio Grande, Gunnison, Conejos ) for a good fish. The smaller streams are usually less crowded that time of year (Henson Creek, the Blue, Los Pinos, Rat Creek, small head waters of bigger rivers, tributaries of all the bigger rivers).
Your rig should be something like a #5-6 weight forward floating line and 9' rod with 9' tapered leader and 5x tippet. Anything will work but some rigs are just easier to use than others.
In the lakes I'd use a spinning rod with a fly and bubble. You might want to have a few spinners as well (yellow Mepps with red dots and hair on hook, blue and silver Kastmaster, various color spoons).
You'll have a great time in the San Juans whether you catch fish or not. Lots of big game...deer, elk, bear, bighorn, mountain goat, etc.
They are beautiful! Enjoy! I am jealous!:wings:
Ooops I forgot one of the best dry flies...Elk Hair Caddis #14.
Start using a double fly rig either a large dry or grasshopper pattern with a nymph 18-24" below during morning till evening, then switch to a streamer in the late evening once the hatches stop. Then it is time for the biggest browns to come out...be ready in the bigger rivers (Rio Grande, Gunnison, Conejos ) for a good fish. The smaller streams are usually less crowded that time of year (Henson Creek, the Blue, Los Pinos, Rat Creek, small head waters of bigger rivers, tributaries of all the bigger rivers).
Your rig should be something like a #5-6 weight forward floating line and 9' rod with 9' tapered leader and 5x tippet. Anything will work but some rigs are just easier to use than others.
In the lakes I'd use a spinning rod with a fly and bubble. You might want to have a few spinners as well (yellow Mepps with red dots and hair on hook, blue and silver Kastmaster, various color spoons).
You'll have a great time in the San Juans whether you catch fish or not. Lots of big game...deer, elk, bear, bighorn, mountain goat, etc.
They are beautiful! Enjoy! I am jealous!:wings:
Ooops I forgot one of the best dry flies...Elk Hair Caddis #14.
Last edited:
riverfever
Adventurer
Grouseman,
Ridgewalker covered some good info there for sure. I spend my time on the South Platte and the Taylor mostly. Cheesman Canyon sounds like it would be out due to the hiking required to get in and out. Spinney Mountain Ranch would be a good spot to hit if you're coming from or going to the Durango area. The wind can be a real problem up there at times. Some times I have luck up there in the afternoons using a hopper dropper combo but mostly I use midge patterns. Anything in the #20-24 range is good. My go to flies up there are Buckskins, Flashback PT's, Black Beauties, Mercury Black Beauties, Blood Midge, Rainbow Warrior, Shuckin' Midge.
Even though I do prefer moving water, Spinney Reservoir can be tough to beat. I fish right off the damn with either a streamer (usually a Meat Whistle) or a nymph rig. Right now they are slammin' Chironomid patterns. A week ago, they were hitting it with the lead fly 3' under the indicator but a few days before that they wanted it 9' down. The cast is a PITA due to the dam behind you so my wife uses a spinning rod with a Panther Martin. The black body with the yellow spots always does well and that's usually all I have for "regular" tackle.
Above Spinney Reservoir you've got a bunch of good water at Badger Basin and Tomohawk. It's skinny water but you can get into trouble if you hook into one of the browns that lurk in the DEEP undercuts. I usually throw that Panther Martin up there and then in the low light conditions I'll lay low and bomb those undercuts with fat streamers.
I don't know your itinerary but you coulkd put together a nice trip through Denver hit all the water I just said and then make your way southwest. You can head to Buena Vista and go over Cottonwood Pass and be right at the Taylor River Catch and Release section (right below the dam). There are HUGE fish in that stretch and you will probably break off 6 before you net 1. Small flies are key and Mysis Shrimp patterns are a must. If you're interested, I can let you know of a high altitude lake (about 11,000') where you can catch as many of the native Greenback Cutthroat as you'd like. A beautiful fish. You can drive to within a 400 yards of the lake and the hike is above treeline and easy (other than the altitude).
I have summers off so I could literally go on for days about fishing. There is so much water here and it's ALL GOOD. Let me know if I can be of any help.
-Chris
Ridgewalker covered some good info there for sure. I spend my time on the South Platte and the Taylor mostly. Cheesman Canyon sounds like it would be out due to the hiking required to get in and out. Spinney Mountain Ranch would be a good spot to hit if you're coming from or going to the Durango area. The wind can be a real problem up there at times. Some times I have luck up there in the afternoons using a hopper dropper combo but mostly I use midge patterns. Anything in the #20-24 range is good. My go to flies up there are Buckskins, Flashback PT's, Black Beauties, Mercury Black Beauties, Blood Midge, Rainbow Warrior, Shuckin' Midge.
Even though I do prefer moving water, Spinney Reservoir can be tough to beat. I fish right off the damn with either a streamer (usually a Meat Whistle) or a nymph rig. Right now they are slammin' Chironomid patterns. A week ago, they were hitting it with the lead fly 3' under the indicator but a few days before that they wanted it 9' down. The cast is a PITA due to the dam behind you so my wife uses a spinning rod with a Panther Martin. The black body with the yellow spots always does well and that's usually all I have for "regular" tackle.
Above Spinney Reservoir you've got a bunch of good water at Badger Basin and Tomohawk. It's skinny water but you can get into trouble if you hook into one of the browns that lurk in the DEEP undercuts. I usually throw that Panther Martin up there and then in the low light conditions I'll lay low and bomb those undercuts with fat streamers.
I don't know your itinerary but you coulkd put together a nice trip through Denver hit all the water I just said and then make your way southwest. You can head to Buena Vista and go over Cottonwood Pass and be right at the Taylor River Catch and Release section (right below the dam). There are HUGE fish in that stretch and you will probably break off 6 before you net 1. Small flies are key and Mysis Shrimp patterns are a must. If you're interested, I can let you know of a high altitude lake (about 11,000') where you can catch as many of the native Greenback Cutthroat as you'd like. A beautiful fish. You can drive to within a 400 yards of the lake and the hike is above treeline and easy (other than the altitude).
I have summers off so I could literally go on for days about fishing. There is so much water here and it's ALL GOOD. Let me know if I can be of any help.
-Chris
Bergger
Explorer
If you want a great place not too far from Denver hit the South Park area. You have the Middle and South forks of the South Platte not to mention the Dream Stream section and 11 mile Canyon. My favorite little secret is the Tomohawk State Wildlife Area. I hit that last friday and hopper dropper combo is in full swing. In 3 hours I landed 14 fish up to 21" and lost a few dozen more. If you drive in the north most entrance on route 9 and drive down until the road stops walk down a little ways you will see very few if any other people. It was so good I'm going back this friday. It's the Middle fork which is smaller water and flows through a meadow so the walking/fishing is easy. If you come in August the Dream Stream has a fantastic trico hatch but be prepared for crowds. 11 Canyon can be driven into and is worth it just for the scenery. Not to mention my largest fly rod fish ever, 26" cutbow, came out of there. Lots of good fly fishing here in CO.
