Arizona Wanderings

San Juan River: Day 4

March 22nd, 2011

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On the last morning of my trip I woke to colder temperatures and ice on the tent. The temperatures had noticeably dropped and as quickly fumbled in the dark to pack up the tent, I felt a twinge of sadness knowing this was going to be my last day on the water. My goal at this point was to get into a couple of fish in the morning and be off the water by noon to make it home to see my lovely wife.

I stopped by the Back Cast Cafe and had myself one more breakfast and a half a pot of coffee before pulling on my wet waders and half frozen boots. After thanking Peggy and the staff for their hospitality while I was there, I drove to the Texas Hole parking lot. I waded into the water and with only a couple of cars in the parking lot, I had the river mostly to myself. My original goal and thought of the morning was that I would catch a couple of good fish and then take off, but lady luck had other things in mind.

Throughout the morning, I hooked 10 or 11 fish and a few of them were of very good size. Many I lost through a poor hook set, but there were a few that I had almost to the net that decided to pull some acrobatic move and taunt me as they swam slowly away. It was extremely frustrating and I quickly became discouraged thinking that I was going to have to drive 7 hours home having gotten skunked on my last day. Finally, I saw the indicator dip and I set the line only to feel the small head shake of a fresh stocker. Game and Fish had stopped by as I was leaving the night before and supposedly had emptied thousands of freshly stocked rainbows into the river.

Fresh Stocker - These things were everywhere on the last day...

I continued to work the areas that I had fished the days before and made a loop to find myself in the main channel of the river. Drifting my rig through a slow spot on the side, the unmistakable flash of a feeding fish instinctively caused me to raise the rod tip and fish on. With great care, I played the fish to some shallow water and ultimately the net. Kneeling in the water, cradling the fish in my hands I was ecstatic having seen my hard work through the morning finally pay off. I reveled in the moment and said a quick thank you prayer as I watched the powerful fish fin its way back into the strong current of the San Juan River.

With the heaviness gone from my shoulders and the crushing thought of getting skunked now out of my mind, I headed for the truck. Storing gear away safely, I fueled up on PB and huckleberry jam along with a spicy elk jerky that one of my students had gifted me on the last day of school. The weather was perfect and I rolled the windows down as I pointed to truck south and then ultimately west.

Taxes, yardwork, and other miscillensous spring break projects had been put off long enough and the closer I got to home the more my thoughts turned to these chores. The time that I spent on the San Juan River was definitely a different style of fly fishing then my normal small stream outings, but at the same time extremely rewarding and enlightening. With 3/4 of a school year under my belt, this trip was much needed in order compose myself and offer a bit of relaxation before the final quarter and general madness.

Thanks to everyone who gave me insight and helpful tips for my trip. It would not have been possible without you. Here’s to the next time I can get back to the San Juan.

San Juan River: Day 3

March 20th, 2011

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I started the morning as usual, dragging my weary bones out of the tent into the cold morning air. The truck heater had mostly thawed me out by the time I pulled into Fisheads and the Back Cast Cafe for a warm breakfast and a steaming cup of coffee. As I cleaned the plate free of any morsel of food and burned my mouth gulping coffee, I realized that I was going to need to replenish my box before I got back on the water. I had originally tied up 4 of every bug (two #24s and two #22s), not really knowing what was going to work or what I was going to need. A Red Hot combined with either a zebra midge or a KF emerger was my go-to rig so far and had picked up most of my fish in the first two days on the water. Fisheads was all out of hooks so I headed over to Float and Fish and Ray, the gentleman behind the counter, was all kinds of helpful showing me hooks and talking about the river. I tied on the tailgate for a little while, but once my hands were too cold to work, I called it quits and hit the water.

Fish started coming to the net with regularity and I fished all the likely looking water I could find. The crowds from the weekend were gone and I was able to fish just about anywhere I wanted.

Ultimately these pictures do not do these fish justice as many of these rainbows show off some spectacular colors in the sun.

San Juan Rainbow Trout — Rainbow taken out of a deep San Juan run

I continued walking and found myself in an area known as the Upper Flats which was being heavily fished at the time. I watched other fishermen cast for a while and as I turned to head back to the truck for lunch, I saw a nose and mouth come out of the water for dries in one of the side channels. I clipped off my nymph rig and tied on a long line of tippet and a Griffiths Gnat and fished to rising trout. After several refusals, one rainbow did take my fly, but a poor hook set allowed him off without much of a fight. I fished to these risers for almost an hour and realized that the situation was hopeless. I headed back to the truck to tie up some more midges and smaller Griffiths for the afternoon.

During my lunch tying session, I whipped up enough midges to last me the remainder of my trip as well as had myself another unbelievable peanut butter and huckleberry jam sandwich to make it through the rest of the day. I met some fellow Arizonians who actually were friends of guys in my regular fly tying group. (Pleasure to meet you Tom and Paul.)Small world.

I got back on the water as the parking lot started to fill back up, and the Red Hot pattern continued to produce well into the evening. I was a little disappointed that I never made it back up to the Upper Flats to try out some of my smaller Griffiths, but that will give me a reason to go back.

The last fish to the net came out of the riffles above Kiddie Hole. I had been slowly stalking back through the current trying to use the last bit of sun with my polarized glasses to locate feeding fish. I could not actually see anything in this particular riffle but knew there had been fish there the day before. I plunked the flies at the top of the fast water and watched them drift through several times. The next drift brought a fish up and I lifted the rod to find the shaking head of a rainbow trout. After a good little run, the rainbow begrudgingly came to the net for a quick photo. As we both sat their looking at each other, I could not help but smile and thank God that I had the opportunity to fish and enjoy this wonderful creation.

I fished for another half an hour but was exhausted from the workout the few days of fishing had given me. Throughout the day, I had brought over a dozen fish to the net and had lost way more than that. I headed back to camp for dinner and heated up a tasty venison stew that I had made up just for my trip.

Venison Stew - I know it doesn't look like much, but it hits the spot after a day on the water

The Navajo State Park that I stayed in was a fantastic campground. For 10 bucks a night I had a campsite and a shower. It is pretty nice to clean up after a day of sweating in waders and handling fish. With one more day to fish, I passed out in the tent dreaming of big San Juan rainbow trout.

San Juan River: Day 2

March 18th, 2011

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I slept well after the long drive and few hours of fishing the day before, but I woke to the sound of a rumbling stomach that could only be satisfied by a hot breakfast. Breakfast is one of the most crucial meals of the day for me and trying to create an honorable meal in the cold morning darkness is not one of my strong suits. So I threw on some clothes and of course, my tie from https://johnhenric.com/uk/tie (checkout these linen loungewear for men & women) and headed down to the Back Cast Cafe for their “Good Morning Breakfast” special. I was not disappointed and would spend every morning of my trip their guzzling coffee and trying to thaw out my cold extremities while talking fishing with Peggy. On this particular morning I was headed to meet up with Mike, the author of one of my favorite blogs, Of Dry Flies and Fat Tires. Mike lives in Albuquerque and has spent considerable time combing the banks and braids of the San Juan and was going to show me some of his tactics and favorite spots.

Mike and San Juan Rainbow — Mike and a nice San Juan Rainbow

We met around 9 o’clock at the Texas Hole parking lot and from the get-go, Mike and I hit it off. Mike likes to fish like I do, constantly moving, stalking, and ambushing feeding trout. Within minutes of stepping into the cold water of the San Juan River, we hooked a double and were both fighting fish. This was the story most of the rest of the day although I seemed to lose most of my fish, while Mike showed his valuable experience at landing these hard fighting fish.

Mike was an extremely gracious host and guide, allowing me to fish all the good water. We spent most of our day combing the braids and pockets above Texas and Kiddie Holes searching for fish that had not been touched yet that day and they were in abundance. I picked up one of the nicer fish I landed on my trip, a gorgeous San Juan trout in the 17-18 inch range. Luckily Mike was there with the net or it would have been a disaster for me as this fish continued to run time and again.

Mike’s talent and wisdom was evident as he consistently hooked large fish and landed them with seemingly little trouble. Even the “smaller” fish in this river have the propensity to fight and put a serious bend in the rod. It never ceases to amaze me that the hair-thin 6x line can stand up to the workout of landing one of these big shouldered fish.

Mike showing me how it's done... — Mike showing me how it’s done…

We had success all morning and into the afternoon, taking turns fishing different runs and riffles. The rainbows were out to eat and continued to play all morning long.

One of the most memorable fish of the day was the beautiful pastel colored rainbow below. Mike and I saw her holding on the bottom of a short run of the river. After several great drifts through the area, Mike set the hook on this handsome fish and made short work of landing the beauty.

After ending up back in the parking lot around 2 o’clock for some lunch, we headed back out into the currents to chase some more fish. Although their were a few hookups early, the bite seemed to turn slow and nothing we were offering seemed productive.

After a wonderful day on the water with many fish brought to hand, Mike and I parted ways. I cannot say enough how great it was meeting up with a quality gentlemen and fisherman like Mike, and I can only hope it is not the last time we get to fish together. His knowledge and insight kept me into fish for the next couple of days and brought my “big river” game to a whole new level. Thanks Mike for a great time on the water.

Mike - of Dry Flies and Fat Tires — Mike – of Dry Flies and Fat Tires

San Juan River: Day 1

March 17th, 2011

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The sun crested the mountaintops as my trucked roared northward on the I-17 towards Flagstaff. Through the bug splattered windshield I could see the desert around me change as I climbed in altitude until the desert was swallowed up by the tall ponderosa pines. I made the turn onto I-40 heading east to the New Mexico state line and with a quart of coffee in my system, I was finally able to think through the next few days. I was headed for the blue ribbon trout fishery of the San Juan River.

The San Juan River is a tailwater that flows out of Navajo Dam right outside of Farmington, New Mexico. The ice cold water that runs out of the dam provides quality habitat for a few miles and sustains an amazing fishery that boasts ginormous rainbows and some beefy browns. The river is a destination fishery that pulls fisherman mainly from the “Four Corner” states (New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah), but also from around the United States. Because of its consistent flows it is said to fish very well all year round which means fisherman flock to it’s banks when the rivers back home are running high and muddy.

I pulled into the small cluster of buildings known as the community of Aztec right around 1:30 and stopped by Fishheads, a fly shop that had been recommended to me by some other Arizona fly fishermen. Peggy, the shop manager/guide sat down with me and went over maps, rigs, flies, and local camping accommodations with me. I was extremely happy with the level of service that the shop offered. I noticed the restaurant in the back and made a mental note of their hours of operations. I bought my New Mexico fishing license and made my way up to the campground to get my base of operations up and running.

With the tent set and ready to go, I rumbled my way down to the “Texas Hole” parking lot and could not find a spot. Trucks were there from every Southwestern state and beyond. Finally I found a spot, rigged up a two fly rig under an indicator (ironic, I know) and waded into the water. There were so many fisherman lined up at the Texas Hole and right above that run in what is known as the Kiddie Hole. Literally, it was shoulder to shoulder fisherman. I was amazed that they could actually cast while standing so close together.

I wandered around trying to find likely looking runs but everywhere I went there were other fisherman steadily flogging the water. I finally found a likely looking spot and positioned myself for the remaining few hours of daylight. While drifting my two #24 fly rig my indicator paused and I lifted the rod to find life on the other end. Awestruck that I had actually tricked one of these finicky rainbows, I fumbled to get the fish on the reel and safely brought the strong trout to the net.

As I released the fish back into the icy water, I was grinning ear to ear. I continued to fish until dark and surprisingly fishermen continued to leave as the fish started to porpoise and eat midge emergers near the surface. I left the river at dark with two more fish brought to the net and the satisfaction that I sort of knew what I was doing.

New Mexico Fly Fishing: San Juan River

March 16th, 2011

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I just returned from an action packed couple of days at the San Juan River right outside of Farmington, New Mexico. There will be a couple of posts detailing the few days I was able to spend on the water and one day in particular were I was able to meet up with Mike Heitman from the blog Of Dry Flies and Fat Tires. I put the Flying Fisherman Pago Sunglasses through a the paces as well, so expect to see a review coming for them in the near future.

Stay tuned and over the next few days I’ll share the journey with you…

The Indicator vs. the Hopper/Dropper

March 14th, 2011

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Indicator vs. the Hopper

I have always been told to never say never, so I will say instead that I rarely use an indicator when fly fishing small streams. Two main reasons keep me from threading my line through a bobber or a polypropylene indicator and neither of them are because I am an elitist. I generally reach for a hopper or buoyant dry fly instead for a couple of key reasons.

1. The “indicator” has a hook – After the first time I saw a 16 inch brown trout take a nip at my yarn indicator, all bets were off. Why waste an opportunity on an indicator when you can use an “indicator” with a hook. A big foam hopper is a great choice and has enough buoyancy to drift some of the large nymphs or streamer

2. Locating fish –Tandem fishing a hopper (or buoyant dry fly) and a nymph together can greatly increase your chances of finding where those fish are located in the water column. You can get extra fancy and throw a 2^nd dropper on your line in especially deep water.

3. Finding out what fish are eating – When fishing a new stretch of water, it can be tricky to figure out what fish are keyed in on. By increasing the number of flies you have on the water, you are exponentially increasing your chances of figuring out exactly what those trout are interested in. Often times a stimulator or a heavily hackled parachute can do the trick especially in an area not known for its terrestrial fishing.

At the end of the day, a Dry/Dropper setup is an extremely nice way to fish and something every fly fisherman should have in his bag of tricks. Although traditionally seen as a western style of fishing, this tactic can be productive in any moving water.

Some things to remember when getting ready to rig up your Dry/Dropper setup:

Bright Foam Flies — Beefy, Bright, Buoyant Bugs

** Foam flies – Big bright foam hoppers are a great choice when looking for a buoyant indicator fly. Foam floats all day and you can use neon colors to keep track of your fly in fast water.

** Extra hackle or hair – Don’t be afraid to add a few more wraps of hack to your Parachute Adams or a few more strands of hair to your Elk Hair Caddis. In some instances, less is not always more. I like to tie a few with a normal amount of material to be fished alone and a few with a little bit more for those days when I use a dry/dropper setup.

** “Hi-Vis” Posts – Sometimes tying in a “Hi-Vis” (High Visibility) post on a hopper or dry fly can make all the difference when trying to follow your fly on the drift.

** Fly Floatant – Don’t forget the fly floatant. Whether you use a goo or a dust, it is imperative that your hopper or dry fly be properly dressed so that it rides high on the water. An indicator fly does not do much good when you cannot see it.

Brook Trout — Brookie falls for the dropper

Fly boxes: A journey, a couple reviews, and a simple how-to

March 9th, 2011

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When I first happened upon the fly fishing scene, I read every book, watched every YouTube, and listened to every podcast. I wanted to know everything and have exactly the right gear for what I was going to do. An intricate part of the fly fishing get-up is the fly box. The fly box can tell a lot about the person holding it. Is it expensive or is it cheap? Is it battered or does it still have the sales sticker on it? Is it full of mangled flies or is it neatly laid out according to color and genus?

My journey started the same as many others. It began with an extremely nice Scientific Anglers waterproof fly box. This box is almost indestructible and it is airtight, which is a good thing considering the countless times I have dunked it in the creek and watched it float and keep all my flies dry. I really like this box, but as I tied more and more flies, logic led me to believe that I needed more and more boxes. The Scientific Anglers box is perfect and continues to be my standard small stream box, but it carries a hefty price tag.

Scientific Anglers Waterproof Box — Scientific Anglers Fly Box

So, in search of that inexpensive fly box I bought a generic Cabela’s box that has served me well. It has a unique studded bottom in which the angler wedges fly hooks. After buying it, I definitely went through some buyer’s remorse as I saw the box sit on my shelf at home, but ultimately I have filled it full of streamers and leeches and have been happy with its performance. It is a decent box that won’t break the bank, but certainly not of the highest quality material.

Over time, I really scaled back my fly selection to my favorites, some standards, and a few new creations to throw on the small streams where I normally wander. In anticipation for some upcoming trips to the larger tail-waters in the Southwest, I found myself searching for a new box in which to put my midges. I looked and surveyed the walls of the stores and finally decided that 25 dollars is not worth it. Frankly, 10 dollars is not worth it. I decided to keep things simple and landed on a tried and battle tested classic…an Altoids tin. I added a little foam and some magnetic tape and ended up with fresh breath and a nice little fly box. Enjoy.

The new line of fly boxes — Altoids - A classic fly box

Ingredients for your fly box:

1. magnetic tape (craft store /easily cut by scissors)

2. 2mm foam in whatever color you want (again, very cheap at the local craft store and you can use the rest for some foam mini-hoppers)

3. Altoids box – The bigger ones are very roomy, but the small ones will fit everything you need for a warm summer’s day.

San Juan Fly Tying: Chocolate Foam Emerger

March 8th, 2011

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Continuing on a tour through my Altoid box of San Juan flies is another classic that everyone I talked to made sure would be in my box. I tied up these Chocolate Foam Emergers in size #20-24, and I am crossing my fingers that these will do the trick.