It was a beautiful late September morning, cold enough to numb the fingers managing the fly line. Gary Moran and I were in for a two-day float with our About Trout guide, James Garrettson, and had just shoved off into the Texas Hole. By the afternoon, we were down to wearing a light shirt and slathering on more sunscreen. Such is September on the “Juan.”
The typical nymphing setup for the river is two flies fished close to the bottom beneath a strike indicator. Mending the fly line to avoid creating drag on the strike indicator and flies is the order of the day, as is keeping a keen eye for the slightest movement of the strike indicator to set the hook. Texas Hole is popular and often crowded with both boats and waders, but everyone will be catching fish.
After several netted fish, it’s time to head on downriver to escape the crowd and enjoy new runs and the beautiful scenery along the way. Fishing with a guide can be—and should be—much more than just having someone to provide and row the boat. A good guide will keep your spirits and interest up when the fishing is slow, and they are there to advise you when you are trying to land that 26” Rainbow on a size 26 midge. If you are willing to listen, learn, and practice on the float, they can help you refine your skills, improve your success, and provide you with knowledge that can only be gained by spending 200 days a year on the river.
Every day on the river is different. Some days the fish will be hard to come by, some days will be unforgettable, and some days will be in between. I try to fish at least two days on a trip to improve the odds of having one of those very good days.
Our first day, we worked hard on improving our techniques under the tutelage of James’s constant reminders and encouragement. We missed seeing many subtle takes but still managed a respectable day’s catch for the river, although all fish netted were under 14 inches. Larger fish tend to take the small midges with less movement to the strike indicator, and we simply had not dialed in on seeing the take and hooking them yet.
On our second day, all the effort put into improving our skills on the first day paid off with a double hookup immediately upon our entry into the Texas Hole. This was destined to be one of those days you always hope to have on the San Juan—numerous hookups and many fish over 14 inches, all the way up to 26 inches, were netted. It’s hard to overstate the contribution of our guide to our success that day. From fly and depth selection to boat handling while fighting and landing a large fish, James offered up one of those memorable days on the San Juan.
Fishing the San Juan often calls for midge nymphs, emergers, and dry flies, sizes 20 to 28. A larger streamer, leech, egg, worm, mop, or attractor pattern is often fished when the water is off-color or earlier in the day. Most important is getting your fly to the depth the fish are feeding at. Learn to recognize fish that are podding and eating midges, and adjust your depths if you are not getting takes before changing your fly. When searching for fish, if you are not occasionally tagging bottom, you are likely not fishing deep enough.
Fishing with a guide puts the odds in your favor since they will know what the fish are likely eating and what fly pattern, size, and color to fish for the current river conditions. Just as importantly, they will know where the fish are likely to be holding—and where they likely are not.
March and April can be challenging on the San Juan due to windy conditions, making boat and fly line management difficult. May and June can see large releases from Navajo Dam, raising water levels and spreading the fish out, making them more difficult to find. This is not to say the river does not fish well during this time, just that conditions are more challenging. The remainder of the year can provide more stable fishing conditions, and a warm winter day can be wonderful.
If you haven’t fished the Juan yet, give it a try—you will likely be going back again and again.
Tight Lines!
— Jeff
