Best Fly Fishing Techniques & Tips
If you are fishing quality water, start early and wade the upper flats. The fish are stacked up in the riffles and eating midges. Fish size 22 to 26 olive and grey midges in the shallows to the fish you can see. I have been using light weights, size 8 and 9, with a pinch on indicator about two feet above the weight. 6X fluorocarbon is a must! Work your way down to the riffles between baetis bend and Texas hole for the BWO hatch after lunch. Grey and olive have been my best colors, the mayflies are small, fish size 22 or 24 nymphs. With the water up to 1000cfs you will need more weight to get to these fish, start with a number 4 weight and increase until you get in front of the fish. You can play with the depth to your indicator, 3 to 4 feet seems to work best. The water is very clear so use your summer techniques with light weights, sizes 4,6 and 8, and fluorocarbon tippets, 5x and 6x. You should be moving your strike indicator up and down your line as you move to different depth waters, keeping your flies at the same level as your fish. If you like to throw dry flies, fish the lower river from noon till dark. Have plenty of caddis and PMD’s, watch the banks and under the overhanging trees!
7-Day Fly Fishing Forecast |
ITS HOT!!! The temperatures are between 90 and 95 so stay cool and drink lots of water. I saw a PMD in 3 island run yesterday. They are moving up river, we will start catching fish on them this week so make sure you have some on you. There have been thunder showers almost every afternoon. Have a rain jacket and get off the water if you see lightning, it is the biggest killer on the San Juan. Don’t forget your bug spray, the mosquitoes and deer flies are awful. Orvis buzz off stuff works great!
Good luck to all the Fisheads out there, Chris