San Juan River, January 2018

[mcnerney]

I just got back home after fishing the San Juan river with Scoutm and his buddy Dan for three days. We stayed at Abs while we were there. The weather was gorgeous, low 20's at night and high 40's during the day with no wind, perfect fishing weather. The down side was that the report we got prior to going down there was that the lake was turning over and the river visibility was down to about a foot. It is a little deceiving as you can be standing in 6-8 inches of water and see the bottom just fine, but none of my GoPro underwater videos turned out, on most you couldn't even see the fish. We found the fishing very tough as a result, but still had a blast and caught some very nice trout, it sure was nice getting out fishing, my last outing was the middle of November. I was surprised to see so many fishermen, considering it was the first part of January, but I guess everyone has cabin fever and wanted to take advantage of the nice weather.

I have fished the San Juan 5-6 times in the past, but it was always in late May or early June, so this was an interesting experience. The last time I was down there was 2010, and I was surprised to see all the work they are doing to improve the river, while we were there they had a big excavator in the river with a dump truck. They have improved the parking access points and put in picnic tables and park style benches but now they charge a daily parking fee of $5.

We primarily nymphed fish using small midge patterns, but Scoutm and Dan did do some streamer fishing with some success. Scoutm hooked a huge rainbow that did 3-4 jumps before spitting the hook.

On Friday after fishing we made a run into Aztec to buy new batteries for Scoutm's truck, Ouch! That was expensive, but the upside was that we found an excellent place for dinner called Rubia's, don't pass that place up if your ever in the area!

We caught primarily rainbows, but Scoutm did land two very nice browns.

Dan is fishing in the foreground and Scoutm in the background:


Here's another shot of Dan concentrating hard on his fishing:


A nice rainbow:

and another:

and another:

Here is a big rainbow:

Here is another nice rainbow:

One of Scoutm's browns:

Another nice rainbow:

This is the only underwater photo that I could actually see the fish due to the clarity issue:

 

[karstopo]

Looks like fun. Nice fish for sure!

I have elk hunt about an hour and half from there and may do so this next season. While I’m so close for the hunt, I really need to make a point of fishing the San Juan below the dam. I was always under the impression that only little midges normally work there or maybe the San Juan worm, but it sounds like streamers can work, too.

It looks like easy wading, too. Thanks for sharing. Maybe I’ll get over there and give it a go.

 

[mcnerney]

I think Scoutm told me the flow was at 450 cfs, so it was pretty easy wading, but he said he had never been down there when it was that low.
We did try some small egg patterns (no luck) and sjw's (we took a few on those). If you go be sure to take two rods so you can switch back and forth. We saw several fishermen using streamers.

Here is a pretty good map of the river showing the access points, but with all the improvements down there, they have renamed some of the access points>
Duranglers San Juan River Fishing Map

 

[scoutm]

Larry we had a great time too. As you stated the fishing was tough and those batteries really hurt but it was well worth getting out and wetting a line. I'm looking forward to getting your way sometime this spring.

 

[jeep.ster]

Looks like y'all had a great time on the juan.

 

[darwin]

I almost went there last week, but I stayed home to finish a few projects... Fishing would have been more productive.
Looks like ya'll had fun. Nice fish!

 

[el jefe]

Those pictures are from Wyoming. Mcnerney just photoshopped some New Mexico stuff, and threw in some obligatory mentions about Abe's and the San Juan to keep you out of Wyoming. Don't fall for it.

 

[mka]

Nice going, guys...it's never as easy on the Juan in the winter as it is in the other seasons of the year. You guys looked like you did just fine to me!!!

Construction on the lower part of the Juan (below T-Hole) is scheduled to be completed by March 1. It will be interesting to see how that section fishes with the improvements.

 

[mcnerney]

Its well known that there are no trout in Wyoming!

 

[rangerrich99]

Oh, I wish I could've made it out there. Too busy right now. Glad you guys had a great trip.

 

[lacanadio]

Looks like a great trip! Nice fish! Glad the weather cooperated, even if the lake didn't .

 

[myt1]

Sounds like a great trip.

I always thought Aztec would be a great place to live. It is close to the San Juan and Durango.

Last night I attended a lecture at the Bass Pro Shop in Phoenix. I thought I would be the only one there seeing how the lecture coincided with the championship football game, but the place was packed.

The lecture was given by Chris Taylor of Fishheads San Juan River Lodge.

He said they are doing a ton of stuff to improve the San Juan, on a lot of different levels.

They are building a new campground that should be completed in a few months, and, if I understood correctly, they are dredging a channel down the center of the river below Simon Canyon.

Apparently, when they built the Simon Canyon parking lot they changed the course of the wash in that area and when it is running it flows directly into the San Juan rather than taking a more circuitous course. This makes for a lot of silt flowing into the river.

The river below Simon Canyon has been very sandy and sterile of late and the channel they are digging will improve this.

 

[cerec_cat]

I have been told that the San Juan is not a very good streamer fishery, if that is true why would it be?

 

[lacanadio]

Sounds like a great trip.
They are building a new campground that should be completed in a few months, and, if I understood correctly, they are dredging a channel down the center of the river below Simon Canyon.

Did he say who's building the campground and where? Is it NM State Parks or Fisheads?

Thanks,
Bob

 

[jpbfly]

Simple.....fish with Larry and you're assured of having a great time

 

[mka]

The San Juan biologist gave a report on the project to improve habitat and stream flows through the Simon's Canyon at our last trout meeting...sounds like it will help disperse anglers throughout more of the river more efficiently. You can get a report of the project also from Jay (Abe's) in his December Fishing Report on his site...it's a pretty good summary of the project:

Abe's Motel & Fly Shop - San Juan River Fly Fishing

 

[myt1]

Did he say who's building the campground and where? Is it NM State Parks or Fisheads?

Thanks,
Bob

It's not Fishheads.

I'm pretty sure it is NM State Parks.

He said the San Juan is one of the largest tourist attractions in the state.

 

[karstopo]

I have been told that the San Juan is not a very good streamer fishery, if that is true why would it be?

I'd be the guy out there throwing woolly buggers or bucktail streamers and wondering why I wasn't getting any fish when everyone else around me was.

 

[mka]

I'd be the guy out there throwing woolly buggers or bucktail streamers and wondering why I wasn't getting any fish when everyone else around me was.

I have stood downstream from guys fishing with streamers who have pulled in so many trout, that I quit counting. I watched a guy stripping a bunny leech once pull in a trout in what seemed like every other cast...they do work on the Juan. I'm not much of a streamer angler but am determined to learn this year. Last September, JeepsterII caught a monster rainbow on a streamer...it was so big, he decided then that he needed a bigger net for the Juan (he just bought a new Tailwater Net).

 

[jeep.ster]

I can't wait to use that new net. Last trip that woolly bugger caught some fish that day. Used it all day until we nailed them on top with pats rubber legs. Great day on the juan. There's more than san juan rigs working sometimes.