Happy Holidays from the San Juan
I took a spin down to the San Juan with Travis from Fly Fish The San Juans on Saturday. You've likely heard me say things about the San Juan that send mixed signals. I don't know how I feel about strict catch and release fishing, because once you start seeing the fish with jaw infections, skin infections and everything else wrong with them, fighting like a wet rag, you start to ponder the wisdom of such a fishing practice. I'm not saying one should keep every fish they catch, but just that years of catch and release fishing on the same water can produce some results that would make Sally Struthers cry on a commercial. I really hate a crowd when I'm fishing, I kind of think it is the precise opposite of the thing I seek when I'm fishing. All these points aside, what keeps drawing me back to the San Juan? Is it the beautiful scenery? The big fish? The safe confidence of someone looking for a date at a brothel... No matter how ugly and boring you are, you're sure to find a nice girl who finds you very interesting. I don't know, but I keep going.. standing around with a buncha fat guys who are all self proclaimed experts and quick to tell you about it.
Saturday was as dead as I've seen it. We figured we'd go try the braids with some eggs as there is a lot of spawning, or attempted spawning going on. Never fish for fish on redds, but the deep water below the redds is typically filled with staging fish more than happy to take an egg pattern. We caught most of our fish on size 26 and 28 midges, and some really nice ones. There were fewer people than I've ever seen in that area, maybe because of the old Yogi Berra phrase "nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded..." or maybe because of the scary weather report forecasting a high of 32. Like every time I fish the Juan, my irritating "first world problems" of crowds and wounded fish go away leaving clear, cold water flowing around my legs full of food that keeps these fish fat. There are plenty of places to beat the crowds and plenty of places to find fish who don't respond to "Here boy! jump in the net!" Catching these elusive monsters requires all of those things we hear about fly fishing... a good presentation, the right fly, stealth. Sure, absolutely anyone can slap a little midge on and pull fish out of the kiddie pool, but they're gonna make you sad inside, I promise. Try walking the path less traveled. I am lucky to sneak along with Travis as often as I do, I've learned more from him than I would in a lifetime of slapping the water on my own. His understanding of entomology and fish feeding habits is almost scary. His ability to land the largest fish in 60 seconds on a 2 weight is also super-human but I'm sure the fish really appreciate it.
I like to eat fish, that's one of the main reasons I fish. I don't necessarily see anything noble about catching the same fish over and over for amusement, it can't be pleasant for the fish. The San Juan is a bag of mixed signals from me, but in the end, I keep going back. Try it for yourself and see. You'll want a good guide. You won't have to look any further than the Fly Fish The San Juans website.
Saturday was as dead as I've seen it. We figured we'd go try the braids with some eggs as there is a lot of spawning, or attempted spawning going on. Never fish for fish on redds, but the deep water below the redds is typically filled with staging fish more than happy to take an egg pattern. We caught most of our fish on size 26 and 28 midges, and some really nice ones. There were fewer people than I've ever seen in that area, maybe because of the old Yogi Berra phrase "nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded..." or maybe because of the scary weather report forecasting a high of 32. Like every time I fish the Juan, my irritating "first world problems" of crowds and wounded fish go away leaving clear, cold water flowing around my legs full of food that keeps these fish fat. There are plenty of places to beat the crowds and plenty of places to find fish who don't respond to "Here boy! jump in the net!" Catching these elusive monsters requires all of those things we hear about fly fishing... a good presentation, the right fly, stealth. Sure, absolutely anyone can slap a little midge on and pull fish out of the kiddie pool, but they're gonna make you sad inside, I promise. Try walking the path less traveled. I am lucky to sneak along with Travis as often as I do, I've learned more from him than I would in a lifetime of slapping the water on my own. His understanding of entomology and fish feeding habits is almost scary. His ability to land the largest fish in 60 seconds on a 2 weight is also super-human but I'm sure the fish really appreciate it.
I like to eat fish, that's one of the main reasons I fish. I don't necessarily see anything noble about catching the same fish over and over for amusement, it can't be pleasant for the fish. The San Juan is a bag of mixed signals from me, but in the end, I keep going back. Try it for yourself and see. You'll want a good guide. You won't have to look any further than the Fly Fish The San Juans website.
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