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Out of State License Fee

One Day License

$12.00
$5.00 Habitat Stamp
$4.00 Habitat Improvement Stamp
$5.00 Daily Parking Fee
$26.00 first time you go

if you keep your habitat stamps, every time after it will cost you $17.00

Annual License

$56.00
$5.00 Habitat Stamp
$4.00 Habitat Improvement Stamp
= $65.00
+ $40.00 Annual Parking Pass or $5.00 daily

$105/6 trips = $17

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The Upper River

Lot 1 – BLM Parking

Lot 2 – The Texas Hole (Float put in)

Lot 3 – Munoz Parking area or Baetis Bend

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Upper River

Most folks will wade here and go in through the Texas Hole
Midge fishing , nymphing and streamer technique
Numerous channels to fish
Hit all the holes and dips
Spawning season & warm water hit the skinny water runs
If it is crowded, pick your spot and hold it otherwise you will loose it

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Lower River

Lot 4 – Simon Canyon Parking or drive around to Simon Canyon

Lot 5 – Crusher Hole (Float Take Out)

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Lower River

Not as many will wade here and they go in through Munoz Parking/Baetis Bend
Midge nymphing, BWO dry and streamer technique
Few channels to fish
Hit all the holes and dips in flat water and main stem
Spawning season & warm water hit the skinny water runs
If it is crowded, pick your spot and hold it at Baetis Bend or keep moving up stream
Baetis Bend is more likely to have Mayfly’s so take Mayfly collection, including RS2’s (black, olive, gray)

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Internet Support

Website Fishing Report

http://www.sanjuanriver.com/ (Abe’s)
http://www.orvis.com/fishingreports (Fishhead’s)

Website Techniques & Flies

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Website Fishing Report

Orvis - http://www.orvis.com/fishingreports

Midges are hatching all day long. At the moment they are small, midge pupa and larvae, size 22 to 24, olive, gray, black, chocolate, cream and of course red have been my best. The hatch is strongest from 10:30 to 2:00. The midges are clustering so try fishing a cluster to a single dry midge. Black has been best. Try fishing BWO's from 1:00pm to about 5:00pm. The hatch is best on cloudy days. Dark or light gray, brown and olive have been the best colors in a size 20 and 22. Both dry and wet patterns. Bunny leeches and woolly buggers are working well either dead drifted or stripping them. Black, olive or cream have been best. Streamer fishing has been good. Small streamers size 10 or 12 in olive, black or brown. Fish are hitting egg patterns, peach and yellow have been best.

Abe’s - http://www.sanjuanriver.com/

The visibility is around two feet and hopefully we are seeing an trend toward the end of turnover in the lake. During the last couple of weeks we saw some decent midge and baetis hatches, which were helped by the overcast skies and inclement weather and produced some good dry fly activity. Those BWOs seem to favor bad weather, and generally the nastier it is, the better the hatch. I think these bluebird skies that we'll see this week may put a damper on things, in that department, but we'll have to wait and see. As for the nymphing and streamer department, things are still going strong. With the clearing of the water, the bite should be switching soon, back to small bug patterns, but we're not quite there yet, so the bigger, brighter stuff, like egg patterns and red larva are still the best fly choices. Woolly buggers and bunny leeches are still working in white, olive, and black and have been producing some bigger fish.

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The Flies

Attractors

Green/Black Variegated Bugger
Bunny Leach - White, Natural, Olive, Black
Egg - Peach, Apricot, Chartreuse
Renegade
Parachute Adams - Gray, Olive
San Juan Worm - Red, Tan, Sparkle Red and Purple
Beetle - Black
Carpenter Ant - Black
Chamois Leech

Remember it is a midge River

Larvae - Red, Cream, Gray, Olive
Princess Nymph
Black Zebra Midge - Silver, Red, or Clear Bead head
Red Zebra Midge – Red or Black Head
Black Midge
Fore N’ Aft - Gray, Black
Foam Wing Emerger - Chocolate, Black, Gray
Griffiths Gnat
Dead Chicken

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Nymphing is the Name of the Game

Your Rig

Rod, whatever you have, 3-6 wt., 8-10’, the more line off the water the better
9 ft, 5x leader (be ready to make it 12’)
4x, 5x, 6x tippet material (nylon & flourocarbon)
9’ leader tie on weighted attractor or 6” above attractor add split shot
Tie on 16-20” of 5x/6x tippet material
Tie on nymph or second fly to tippet
Attach strike indicator 1 ½ times depth of water above attractor fly or tight line it

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Equipment

Besides your rod, reel, waders:

Studded boots if you have them
Wading staff
Net
Good pair UV Polarized Sunglasses, so you can see the fish, I prefer the amber/yellow lens
Foot Warmer Pads
Back or hip pack, to put things in or carry snack/water (oh, I love a cup of tea at 10am)

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The Fish & Why You Wear Sun Glasses

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Techniques

DEAD DRIFT is vital when nymphing or dry flying, remember this is high stick time
MEND,MEND,MEND
If you are picking up moss you are to deep adjust your strike indicator
Keep your flies clean
LOOK, where are the fish feeding, heads, no heads, backs, tails, dimples in water
If dead drifting and getting no hits, give it some motion, start with short strips and wait, then vary
If your strike indicator slows down, barely stops or moves, you just missed a fish

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My first adjustments

If not getting hits, before I change flies

I concentrate on my dead drift & mend
Then I adjust depth,
Then motion,
Then angle,
Then I look around thoroughly,
Then flies

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When to go �

Fall – weekdays

Spring – weekdays

Winter – anytime

Summer – stand in line, picket fence fishing

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