Spring is in full swing here in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado and conditions are shaping up for a great summer fishing season. We have had an amazing amount of rain and late snow storms over the last few weeks which are truly a blessing. The precipitation levels for the month of May are already well above average, with the chance of a couple of more rains over the next few days. This, coupled with the higher snow pack we had this winter, should mean that our rivers, streams and lakes will be in great shape throughout most of the summer. Right now many rivers are in run-off but this should subside within the next week or two, depending on the location. Look out then - the trout will be on it.

The fishing has been very good so far this year and we are optimistic that the fishing should be excellent this late spring and throughout the summer. Right now the San Juan River is fishing really well as are the lakes on the Quinlan, the Bar X Bar and the Spear U ranches. Before the run-off started, we had some terrific fishing on both the Conejos and the Chama rivers with lots of really large fish being landed. By early June many of our higher altitude spots will be fishable for the first time this year. The fish haven’t seen a fisherman or a fly since last fall and we can’t wait to get to these locations.

We hope you all had a good winter and are ready for a great fishing season. For more up to date information please check out our most recent Fishing Report and Facebook and Instagram pages (there are links to them at the bottom of the newsletter). As well, don't hesitate to contact us at anytime if you have any questions and/or would like to book a trip.

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Dry/Dropper fishing (this is where you use a dry fly as an indicator above a nymph) can be a blast in the summer and early fall. The “Set-up for Dry-Dropper Rigs and/or Dry Flies” is a good system to start with. You can try many different lengths of tippets until you find what works best for the location and the size of flies you are using. Also, this leader set-up will work well for a single dry fly (just remove the dropper) or two dry flies (change the nymph to a second dry fly and shorten the tippet between them).

The illustrations above show two types of set-ups or techniques that are typically used with a dead drift. The Nymphing/Indictor Set-up is probably the most common and productive technique for fishing nymphs and wet flies. In the illustration to the left, notice how the flies are suspended right off the bottom, down where the fish is. Also the leader below the indicator is almost straight up and down, drifting along with just a slight angle. This will only occur if you have the right amount of weight and, more importantly, a good dead drift. As soon as the line drags, the flies will move faster than the current and rise up, out of the fish’s feeding area. The same concept of dead drift fishing technique applies to the Dry/Hopper-Dropper Set-up. The only real difference is that often you will fish your dropper higher up in the water column than you would with a nymphing or wet fly set-up. When fishing just a dry fly, you will also want no drag on the water’s surface.

As with all fly fishing rigs, set-ups and techniques, everything is open to change. All of the above rigging techniques are just a general guideline to start from. Each fishing day and body of water is different so if something isn’t working change your set-up a little bit until you find something that will work for you. This is the challenge and fun of fishing.

For more fly fishing tips and skills, please check out the Fishing Tips & Skills page on our website. It is primarily excerpts from the literature we use in the fly fishing classes we give. Hopefully you will find some things that will help to make your time on the water more productive and enjoyable.