Fishing Outlook & Conditions
Water Temp:
40
Chris Taylor, Fisheads of the San Juan's Tip of the Week
The river is running at 300cfs, to meet demands for water downstream of the dam. It is turbid with about 3 feet of visibility throughout the quality water and fishing well. The nymph fishing has been excellent with midge patterns, olive, gray and brown have been best. Keep your flies out of the moss beds by fishing lighter weights and move your indicator closer to your flies. These flows have the fish eating well on the surface! Try to be sneaky. Use small midge patterns in the mornings and your best baetis patterns in the afternoons. The fish will still eat some leech patterns and San Juan Worms natural colors have been best. Egg Patterns are working well in all colors.
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Water Flow Data
Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby
Fisheads of the San Juan5-Day Outlook as of 3/14/23
The weather this week is looking partly cloudy to snowy with highs in the 40's. Fish have been eating all kinds of nymphs and streamers. Lots of fish are in only a couple feet of water so rig light and short below your strike indicators. The fish are spitting flies quickly so be ready to set the Hook! You can find some fish on the surface eating Midges and BWO's in the afternoons. Winter water on the Juan is off color due to lake turnover. This makes the fish less cautious as predators can't see them as easily. Often an attractor fly like and egg pattern, a San Juan worm or leach patterns are beneficial.
Techniques & Tips as of 3/14/23
Fish fluorocarbon tippets at the end of your mono-filament leader when nymph fishing. 5X to the first fly and 6X to the dropper. This will produce more strikes as the fish can't see the fluorocarbon. Fishing 22 to 24 midges in the slower waters has been great. The fish are eating lots of midges, fish short light rigs. 8-10 size weights with a strike indicator set at 2-3 ft. We are finding lots of baetis, especially on cloudy afternoons. Baetis live in fast water so look for them in the riffles at the top of holes and at the bottom of holes in the tail out. Fish are eating gray, olive and brown mayfly nymphs in these places, it just depends on the day so have them all. You may have the chance to see fish on top during this time. A parachute Adams or comparadun should do the job. The may flies are blue-gray and are about size 22. Use dark colored wings as the fish are turning away from white wings. If you can't see this try a marker fly about 12 inches above the baetis. You should fish mono-filament tippets when fishing on the surface as fluorocarbon sinks. Change back to midges when the fish stop eating your may flies. Try some bunny leaches if all else fails. Dead drift them like the rest of your nymphs. Fish are eating them for moss! They will shake the drifting moss to get the bugs out. All this goes out the door when fishing streamers. Get them on the bottom and fish 1X fluorocarbon.
Local Species Available Year Round
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Rainbow and Brown trout
Chris Taylor, Fisheads of the San Juan's Recommended Fly Patterns
"Must-have" fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:
Name: | Colors: | Size(s): |
---|---|---|
Vernille San Juan Worm | Brown, Black, Natura | 8, 14 |
Lynch's Double Dot Egg | Orange Blood Dot | 18 |
Griffith's Gnat | Black, Olive | 18 |
Rojo Midge | Gray, Olive, Brown, | 20 to 22 |
Midge Larvae | Gray, Red, Olive, Br | 18 to 24 |
Foam Wing RS2 | Brown, Black, Gray, | 18 to 24 |
Rosenbauer Parachute Beetle | Black | 10 to 24 |
Cartoon Hopper | Gray, Olive, Brown flash! | 4 to 8 |
Bunny Leaches | Black, Olive, Gray, Natural, White | 6 and 8 |
Ants | Black | 12 to 16 |
Chris Taylor, Fisheads of the San Juan's Recommended Gear
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Best Leader:
Super Strong Plus Leaders
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Best Tippet:
SuperStrong Plus Tippet in 30- and 100-meter spools
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Best Fly Fishing Rod:
5-Weight 10' Fly Rod
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Best Floating Fly Line:
PowerTaper WF Fly Line
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Best Sinking Fly Line:
Bank Shot Sink Tip Fly Line