Southwest Colorado: mountains, rivers, hiking, biking, skiing, sight seeing, hunting and fishing. Wow, what a place to call home. The diversity is spellbinding and offers something for most everyone. From the forgotten mining camps high in the mountains to the modern and booming city of Durango, you are never at a loss to find a new adventure. Whether it be on your private ranch or the National forest, The beauty of the green forests, sparkling rivers, streams and lakes, and wildlife will take your breath away. It is little wonder why the area is so popular.
For the fisherman, there is access to some of the premier trout waters anywhere. Whether you are after the many small cutthroat and brooke trout in the small high mountain lakes and streams or the monsters that lurk in rivers such as the Animas, San Juan, Rio Grande, Dolores, and Piedra, It is just a matter of which direction you want to go. All this within less that 2 hours of home. Rainbow and brown trout are abundant in all the major waters in the area. Each season presents it's opportunity and challenges as to how to catch these fish. Nymphing the deep runs in the winter after snowshoeing to the river or matching the hatch with dry flies spring, summer or fall, the fish are always there. All these waters are wadeable and floatable depending on the water flow. If your preference is to float and use the expertise of a guide, they are readily available at all the towns along the rivers. For the do-it-yourselfer, the choices are unlimited.For the flyfisherman, rods in the 3-6 weight category will suffice for all the trout waters in the area. Floating flyline with 7 1/2 to 10 foot leaders in 3X to 5X will cover just about every situation. An assortment of streamers, nymphs, preferably rubber legged bead heads, size 18-12, and dryflies, same size, should adorn your flybox. Some popular patterns are prince nymph, haresear, copperjohn, Adams dry, parachute and upwing, elkhair caddis, stimulator, lime trude, and grasshopper, preferably Schroeders parachute hopper, tan, in size 12. Any of the local fly shops can fill your flybox with the current popular patterns. For the most part, you will be able to wade wet in the warm summer months, but a good pair of waders will make your day more enjoyable.
Those fortunate enough to have access to private waters can count themselves fortunate, indeed. Home water where you know most all the fish by name is very special. Having the water to yourself to enjoy the serenity or to teach a family member the art can never be overrated. Sword of Truth Ranch at the base of the LaPlata mountains, Banded Peaks Ranch near the Colorado/New Mexico border, and Paradise Peak ranch 16 miles south of Pagosa Springs all offer that pristine, unspoiled , private water. Sword of Truth Ranch surrounds one mile of the LaPlata river that is home to an ever growing population of rainbow, brooke, and cutthroat trout. It is easily accessable from your own private ranch site. Banded Peaks ranch, one of the truly wild and glorious ranches in southern Colorado is home to 1 1/2 miles of the untouched Navajo river. You just never know what might appear at the end of your flyline. While the Paradise peaks Ranch sits on the ever popular Upper San Juan river, There is no end to the quality of fish that come from this section of river each year. Those fortunate enough to catch the salmon fly hatch will have a best of lifetime fishing experience. Here you have 1/4 mile of private water.
Craig Deeds
