 |
Fishing Reports
San Juan River from customflys.com
April 27, 2004
Posted by Jude Duran-- San Juan Guide
Email: customflies@msn.com
Current Report
Water Flow------353 cfs
The water clarity is
getting better (whether this
is a permanent change or
not, we'll have to wait and
see), and is about 1.5 feet
which makes spotting fish
easier. It's not the crystal
clear water we're used to,
but it's better than it was
the last few weeks. The
reason for the murky water
is the high volume of muddy,
run-off water flowing into
the lake from the feeder
streams. This will probably
last until the end of run-
off. The murky water makes
the fishing harder, but all
you have to do is change
your technique to still keep
catching fish.
I have written this
paragraph in my past four
reports, but I think it's
important to re-state. The
lower flows mean that there
is less water to fish. This
means we all need to be
aware and considerate of
each other when on the
water. If you're standing
closer than 15ft from a
person while fishing,
generally you're too close.
Spread out, and give your
self and other fly fishers
some room. With the lower
flows, I have seen more and
more people fish too close
to one another, and the
frustration and anger that
is attributed to doing this
is not worth the hassle. We
go fishing for peace and
quiet, not for river rage.
The fishing has picked
up lately because of the
consistent mayfly hatches.
It has been good for some,
but fair-to-good for most
people. I am not the type of
guide who will give you
glorified reports to get you
to book a trip. I try to
give you an honest report.
Before I was a guide, I was
a fly fisherman who depended
on the up-to-date advice of
guides and fly shops to plan
my fishing trips, so I know
how important it is to get
accurate information. I say
fair-to-good because many of
the people I talk to on the
river, and in the parking
lot are disappointed with
the fishing because they
fished the San Juan years
ago when 30-fish days were
common. Now, most people are
catching 3-8 fish a day.
Under these tougher
conditions, that is a very
respectable total, but there
are things you can do to
make your fishing day more
enjoyable and successful.
The fish are still in
the popular holes in large
numbers, but once those
holes are taken up (this
happens quickly), you'll
have to break habit and move
around the river to find
other pods of fish. The
fishing has been best for us
in the early mornings before
everyone has trampled across
the river making the fish
spooky, and leading them to
feed at your feet. On a few
trips last week, my clients
landed 10-12 fish before
9am, then as people began
moving into the holes,
fishing slowed a bit, so we
simply moved out of the
popular holes to sight fish
to trout people had walked
over earlier that morning.
It's important to fish every
piece of water that
looks "fishy." I know it's
tempting to rush to the
river to hold your favorite
spot (I used to do this for
months when I started
fishing the San Juan), but
you'll be more successful
and have a more peaceful and
less crowded day if you move
around looking for fish.
Another key is to use
brighter red larva patterns
as attractors. This is why I
developed my Duran's Red
larva. It's a size 20, and
it uses the Daiichi 1273 red
hook, so the fish really key
in on it as an attractor. My
clients have been catching
most of their fish on the
Duran's Red Larva in size
20, but a chocolate foam-
wing Rs2 is catching up
quickly. Just this Monday, a
client of mine caught a
MONSTER 21.5 inch Cutbow
from the main channel. It
took 15 minutes to land, and
was over 6 inches deep!!
That fish took a size 20
foam-wing Rs2. I can tell
you for certain, no one
would have ever thought of
fishing where my client
landed that fish. Most
people would have walked
right by that monster
looking for better water.
That is a classic example of
breaking habit and fishing
the water VERY thoroughly.
The spring hatches of
baetis parvus, or Blue Wing
Olive hatches are here
consistently!! The fish
aren't feeding on them
exclusively like they have
done in past years because
the water is so murky, but
the little mayflies have
improved the nymph fishing.
At around noon, I'll switch
to a tiny p-tail, mercury
BWO, or foam wing Rs2 as my
point fly and drop a midge
pupa off them. The swallows
are a good sign that the
mayflies are going to hatch.
Watch them overhead. If they
are flying high, they are
waiting for the hatch. When
they begin to fly low, the
hatch is starting, so switch
to a size 22 sparkle dun and
a CDC wing Rs2 trailed
behind it if you see fish
rising with their white
mouths completely breaking
the surface. If you see just
their backs, or their dorsal
fins, don't fish a dry.
They're taking emergers
under the surface. The
olives are bigger this year
than past years. Most are a
size 20 with some 18's mixed
in. Your best chances for
fishing mayflies on top are
to fish with 7x tippet and a
size 22 Rs2 trailed behind
it.
Top Producing Flies (in
order of importance):
#20 Duran's Red Larva
#22 Foam-wing Rs2 in gray
and chocolate
#20 M&M
#22 Duran's Scud
#20 Copper Juan
Guide's Advice:
With the drought, increased
fishing pressure, and lower
flows, the fishing is tough,
but there are still more
fish per mile in the San
Juan than almost any other
stream in the US period.
It's a great fishery that we
simply took for granted in
previous years. Now, the
fish are smarter, the water
is less clear, and we have
to move around to find
actively feeding rainbows.
It's important to be
thorough when you cover
water. I tell my clients to
move only a step for every
10 casts when fishing a run.
That way they cover every
single inch of that riffle
or pool with their flies
before moving out to fish
the faster, more "fishy"
looking water.
Another thing you'll need to
do more often is change your
indicator placement. Even as
a guide who knows the water
very well, I am changing
flies, weight, and indicator
placement about 2 times an
hour. The optimal set-up
places your flies drifting
directly beneath your
indicators. This takes a lot
of experimentation, but it's
worth the work. If the fish
are actively feeding and
you're using the standard
fly patterns and not
catching fish. The problem
is your set-up, and not the
fly pattern.
-Jude Duran
|
|
Email this link to a friend
Log In