Day Six: San Juan River

June 27, 2019

In the middle of the night I felt tiny droplets water coming through the mesh walls of my tent.  Having left the rain fly off for the night I got up heard Kelly shuffling around in his tent and I asked him is it raining?  It was and having also left his fly off he was moving his tent under the canopy of the bench and cooking area.  Not wanting to move my tent I took my fly out of the sack and got out to put it on.

When I awoke again in the morning I realized it was unnecessary as it only sprinkled slightly and only briefly. It's always better to be safe than sorry.  I wasn't felling like making breakfast and we head into town for breakfast.  Feeling like something sweet I changed my mind and decided to try the carne adovada after the waitress told us it was a New Mexico pork dish marinated in red chilies.  It wasn't bad but I was slightly disappointed.  Again I was hoping to get a great New Mexican dish only to be let down.

We took off this time to fish some of the famed portions of the San Juan having forgotten where Curtis told us to fish.  I didn't want to bother him again so I decided to check out the Texas Hole.  I figured being our first time here we'd really need to experience the world famous sections of the river.

Once we reached the parking lot, it was evident how popular this section is with anglers.  It was already hot by 7:45am and I really wanted to wet wade but on the advise of both Curtis and the employees at Abe's I choose against it.  Despite the heat in the air the water was freezing.  I was ready before Kelly and I made my way to the water.  While crossing the river I caught up to a guide and his elderly client.  I wished the guide a good morning and since we were headed to the same direction asked him where he planned to fish so I could stay out of his way.  He looked at me with a bit of shock and then appreciated the gesture.  He then asked me if I ever fished here I told hi it was my first time ever.  He told me to go to a particular hole up ahead and fish there as it is loaded with fish and few people actually fishes it.  He then asked to see my rig.  He told me my split shot was too big (which I thought it might be) and looked at the fly I had on and said it it might work but it might be too big.  It was a larvae fly I bought at Abe's the day before.  We split ways and I headed to the hole he suggested.

After changing for a smaller split shot I started fishing.  Within a few handful of casts I managed my first San Juan trout.  The fish was in the 16-17 inch range.  I moved upstream and made a cast upstream stripping the line in and was on once again.  This time after a brief fight my tippet broke at the knot. Some cursing ensued as I rerigged my leaders system.  Not long after that I managed another fish and actually had him in the net for just a brief second before he escaped and headed downstream on me to break off again.  I'd break off on fish multiple times in the morning.  Not sure if it was bad knots or bad tippet.  May have been tippet as I actually broke off multiple times day before when fishing with Curtis.

I finally found Kelly and he was frustrated so I tried to help him out.  We changed out his flies for smaller ones.  For the nest hour or so we'd see multiple fish but couldn't get any to take.  These fish will hover downstream of you collect all the aquatics you dislodge.  Eventually I'd meet up with the guide I saw earlier.  After exchanging pleasantries we began talking again I told him we were headed toward Colorado.  This guide was actual guiding out or Durango, for Duranglers, and his client also from Colorado, they both told me that it would be better to stay in New Mexico.  All the rivers and creeks are blown out in Colorado.  "Unfishable" they said.  Well we had no choice but to carry on.  The entire trip was based around seeing Ouray.  We talked some more and found out the guide is a SoCal native from the San Bernardino mountains.  We wished each other luck before leaving.

Around lunchtime we set off to Colorado stopping in at Durangler's fly shop to get our CO licenses and some intel.  One of agendas was to get a Colorado River Cutthroat and after speaking with the pro staff our best bet was to try a lake.  Saying I was slightly disappointed is an understatement.  I really hate fishing for trout in lakes especially from shore.  But we had no choice and we set off to to Mola Lake to give it  a try.  After onlhy a few minutes I was already bored but I circled the lake looking for my cuttie.  It wouldn't happen though and headed back to the car in defeat.

Once on the road we stopped in the town of Silverton and decided to have dinner and stay the night here.  We were told that we'd want to make our drive to Ouray in the light of day.  You don't want to miss the views of the Million Dollar Highway the pro staffer told us.  At the motel while unpacking our neighbor told us that there was a moose sighted down the road toward the mines.  So we decided to take a look.  Never did find that moose but did have a nice view of the surrounding area.

Day Five: Rio Grande Cutts

June 26,2019

Having failed at documenting my first Rio Grande Cutthroat we planned a return to the small tiny water the following morning.  This time we would pass the landmark that Curtis told us about and begin fishing from there.

We got up and drove to the water with the intention of only fishing a couple hours before we started to head north to the San Juan River.  This water is tiny and at the widest section maybe three feet in length.  Most of it maybe only 18 inches in some areas.  Despite the narrowness of it Curtis did tell us there are sections that were deep.  Several feet deep.  So there are opportunities for fish in the 18 inch range but most would be dinks with a 12 incher being a very special fish.

I really wanted the small fish stage of the trip to end but since this was the closest and most convenient area to get a cuttie I would just have to suck it up.  We started hiking down the trail past the landmark and began fishing almost immediately.  It wasn't long before we were on some Rio Grandes. For the next few hours a combination of cutts and browns would take our dries.  Fishing wasn't hard but it was challenging to make some of the casts when the wind began picking up.  Most of the time the fly would land along the bank in the grass and all you would do is slowly yank it out so it would land in the water.  Kelly would get the biggest fish out of the both of us in the 10 inch range.

By around lunchtime we started to head out and make our way to the truck.  We  would make our way northwest toward the San Juan River.

We drove from elevation to the desert watching the landscape change as we past it by 75 miles an hour.  After a pitstop in Farmington we headed toward the Navajo Dam to Abe's fly shop for so supplies and intel. 

I picked up some flies and the shop suggested we fish the BLM section of the river to avoid some of the crowds.  To do so though required a $6 fee which we gladly paid.  Afterwards we went to the campgrounds along the way to secure a site before heading to the parking lot to rig up.  We would only have a couple hours or less of light to fish.  I got on the river and almost instantly I was attacked by mosquitoes.  I was trying Euro-Indicator nymphing.  Not Euro nymphing.  Euro-Indicator nymphing uses a dacron section as the indicator and is primarily used to fish in the shallow waters of the San Juan although it can be set up for deeper water as well.  This is a fishing technique I saw on YouTube and decided to try it out.  It wasn't long before I got a hit but lost it after the first run.  Not sure if the micro hook was at fault of what but I lost my first chance at getting my first San Juan fish.  I moved up with no luck and started to see fish rise but had no luck in getting any of them interested in my fly. 

Just before dark I quit and headed back to the truck.  Kelly had given up early frustrated by all the mossies eating him alive.  I was wearing insect repellent clothing from head to ankles which included a buff but still got hammered on the hands where I was unprotected.  We made camp and dinner before calling it a day.

Day Three: Gila Trout

June 24, 2019

When nightfall arrived we were amazed on how bright the stars were.  All the constellations could be seen quite vividly.  We later found out that we actually camped in a site that was considered one of the darkest places in the states.  It's a common site for those interested in astronomy.  There are even telescope platforms installed for stargazing.  I had no clue about this when I looked for suitable campgrounds in fact we debated even camping here at all since there was a closer campsite to the fishing destination but decided to stay here as we were tired of driving and still had over an hour away from the water.

I awoke early around 2 or 3am thinking someone was snooping around my tent.  My hand instinctively reached for my snubnose and I groggily looked through the mesh panels of my tent to see if anyone was near but there was nothing.  I couldn't go back to sleep after that and stayed up watching the sunrise from my foam sleeping pad.  After breakfast it was time to make our journey to our next fishing destination.

We looked in to Gila Trout fishing in Arizona but after communicating with Ben from AZ Wanderings, he let us know that despite an initial successful restocking of Gilas, the fish did not survive a massive fire a few years ago.  So we looked in New Mexico.  Originally when we planned the Gila portion of the trip I had us at another location, one that we would fish later in the day, but after contacting Curtis and under hiss advise we checked out another.  I'm sure glad we did.  Not only were the fish bigger but the scenery was simply stunning.  Also it is was much easier to get to which we later learned.  I had totally forgotten that Curtis had retired in New Mexico so I'm glad I remembered and also glad he was willing to help us out.

When we got to the parking lot, a park ranger was doing his chores and we chatted him up.  He let us know about the fishing and how there were fish up to 18 inches in this water but he doubted that any were left.  New Mexico allows you to harvest two Gilas in this water and many people do come here and take fish home.  It's a shame but as I'm learning the culture of catch and release in New Mexico is not very prevalent.  After our conversation while rigging our gear, a fly fishermen was coming out and heading toward his car.  We asked him how he did and he said he got a few on a bunny leech under the banks.

After rigging up we hiked in and not long after I took the first sizable hole and threw my fly out.  Again fishing my favorite dry fly.  On the very first cast I had a take and as set the hook and felt the fish he came off as easily as he came on.  I'd get four more rises before I'd get my first Gila trout to hand.   It would turn out to be the largest of the day, though not very large, and the least colorful.  It's blue parr marks now fading and little terms of spots.  I'd catch a few more in this hole all more vivid that the first before I took to the trail again looking for my buddy Kelly.

I'd stop at a few holes before I reached him though and each produced fish.  One run was in slot just wide enough for me to slip in if I wanted.  I would have crossed if it weren't for the fact that it was deep.  Beyond the slot was a big pool feed by a small waterfall.  There must have been big fish in there I thought.  Not only was it an ideal feeding location but also somewhat difficult to get into.   It also required you to get wet up to your chest which means those fish were likely unbothered by anglers.  I chose to stay dry and just fish the slot and caught several fish there but my mind kept thinking of the fish that likely awaited for any angler willing to go for  a swim.  I figured I'd try again on the way out as getting wet would keep me cool in the afternoon heat.  Unfortunately when I returned the small pool in front of the boulders were taken by a group of women and so I didn't even bother.

I finally reached Kelly he fishing a "big" pool in front of a small waterfall.  He'd caught a few and was rigging tippet as he'd just broken off.  As a typical A-Hole I took that to mean I could fish his hole.  I caught a few on my dry fly.  On one instance I caught a 6-7 incher and it was chased by a fish at least 15 inches.  Once Kelly was rerigged I gave him his hole back and he proceeded to catch a few more.

The hole died after that and we moved on upstream after climbing up some large boulders and squeezing through a small tunnel.  We'd catch a few more fish here and there hop scotching one another looking for the next fish.

At this point there was no trail and to get any further required some navigating through some nasty terrain and boulder hopping.  So we called it at one hole after it proved very fruitful.  I seemed to get a fish on every cast.  No longer wanting to fight our way upstream we started our way out.  On the way we would return to the hole with the big fish.  After getting a couple with my dry I decided to tie on a chartreuse balanced leech.  It was no long before that hog returned and hit my fly.  I set the hook felt his heft but came unglued not long after that.  Not sure why though. 

After eating our lunch at the parking lot we began our way to the next Gila spot.  In terms of mileage it wasn't far but the ranger had told us that it would be at least an hour and half drive to get there.  It may have actually been longer and we'd have to climb over the crest to the other side.  The road was not only windy but also narrow.  It was actually quite annoying and even more so when we had to navigate past a UPS truck coming the opposite direction.  We eventually made it to the little creek and fished it for an hour or so before heading out.  The water was skinny and so were the fish.  Most were so small we launched them out of the water as we set the hook.

We made our way out and toward Albuquerque.  One thing I discovered is very little cell phone coverage exists in New Mexico and Siri's directions are less than stellar.  I guess whoever does the mapping software for Apple hasn't put New Mexico as a priority.   When we reached a small town I was able to reach Curtis to see if he were free to fish the next day.  Luckily we were able to get a hold of each other as cell reception from there was hit or miss.