The fishing has been great! With some recent rains the local high country streams have turned back on after lower warm waters of August. A few of the trips last week it was a bit cool wet wadding. The dry / dropper rig was slamming the fish, they haven't been too picky, but most of the fish have hit the dropper. I have been using a brass bead head for a little weight. If you fish a tungsten bead your dry will be sinking all day. My dry has been either a foam ant or foam hopper. If I found fish actively rising, I would throw a parachute Adams above them.
Down on the San Juan we have had some killer days in the last two weeks on wade trips. Some of the mornings we nailed them on size 26 desert storms (also tied in black and dark brown), size 26 and 28 midge larvas in tan, black, and olive. Mid- morning size 26 chocolate kf emerger. Then we would switch to grey foam, brown foams, fluffy's and CDC rs2 in grey. The flow all week was at 900 cfs, this morning they dropped to 815 cfs. The flows are great right now.
Don't forget all of our new areas that we are fishing in the San Juan National Forest.
The streams of the upper San Juan are not at ALL like the San Juan in New Mexico. These unspoiled rivers and creeks start just miles above where we will be fishing. The 10,000-foot peaks that are still packed with snow in July feed these intimate rivers on their way to the Navajo Reservoir and then the Tail water section of the San Juan that everyone knows. Some of the many streams that we are permitted on through the San Juan National Forest are the West Fork and East Fork of the San Juan, Quartz Creek, Wolf Creek, Turkey Creek, The Upper Piedra, and the Rio Blanco. These streams are great for beginners and experienced anglers alike. We will access most of the fishing areas on foot or on a 4 wheeler. The fish average 8 – 15 inches and are eager for dry flies and dropper rigs. Small steams will often give the beginner fly fisherman many more opportunities to hook fish on the dry fly.
