Fishing Conditions
Red Hot
Water flow: 579cfs
Visibility: 48 inches
Water temperature at mid-day: 42 Degrees F
Water condition: Clear
Best time of day to fish: Sun up until around 10:00am then 2:00pm till dark
Best stretch: Most of the shallow slow water is holding fish looking for midges
Best access point: Texas Hole
Fly fishing hatches in order of importance:
Fish are eating midges great all day long!!! Fish above Texas hole with dark grey, cream and olive midges size 24 and 26. Have lots of variations on your midges as fish will get wise to your patterns. Midges, midges, midges!!!
Blue winged olives from noon to about 5:00pm. Grey and olive have been good!
Streamer fishing has been good at night or first thing in the morning!
The fish are eating moss trying to get the bugs living in their. Try different color dark bunny leeches as an attractor, you will get some fish to eat it.
Have I mentioned Midges?
“Must-have” fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:
Fly Name: Fly Color: Fly Size(s):
Midge Selection Grey, olive, cream, 22, 24, 26
Midge cream, brown 22 to 26
M And M Midge Pupa Grey, olive, cream 22 to 26
Wd-40 Grey or olive 20 to 24
Red Hot Nymph Red? 20 to 24
Cdc Mayfly Emerger grey, olive or brown 22 and 24
Bunny leeches brown, green, natura 4, 6
Midges all day! Grey, olive and crea 22,24,26
cartoon hopper Yellow, olive, cream 6 and 8
Streamers brown, olive, black 4, 6
Recommended fly fishing leader: 9 Foot Leader
Recommended fly fishing tippet: 6X Tippet Size
Best fly fishing rod: 10′ 5 Weight Fly Rod
Best floating fly line: Trout WF
The best fishing right now will be with midges, have lots of different patterns and colors. You will catch fish on both larvae and pupa size 22 to 26. You will find lots of fish in shallow water, use a small indicator a foot or two above a #8 or #9 weight. I find this kind of sight nymphing as much fun as dry fly fishing. There are thousands of small rainbow trout in the river that were recently stocked. Try stripping streamers at night in the upper flats or Texas hole. Big fish are eating the stockers, a much bigger meal than a size 26 midge. Try a tan colored baetis nymph with a dun colored emerging wing! Fish it in the riffles and faster water when you see the blue winged olives coming off, it has been deadly! The PMD’s are gone for another year 
Fish are starting to eat moss, looking for the insects hiding inside. Try different color bunny leaches (olive, brown, natural) as your top fly. Twitch them once in a while. They have been working well early in the morning!
Best Fly Fishing Techniques & Tips
The fish are eating well in the morning from sun up to about 11:00am on the midge hatch. They will get tricky to catch as the sun gets higher in the sky, they can see our line and hooks better. The fish are concentrating in shallow water over weed beds where the bugs are hatching. The trick is to find the correct color midge. Some days it has been olive and the next cream the only thing consistent is the size, 24 and 26. I know and I’m sorry but it is what it is, use 6X fluorocarbon as well. This hatch is going on all day but has been most productive from sun up to about 11:00am and then in the evening when the sun gets off the water. There are still some baetis hatching from lunch to about 4:00 or 5:00. It is coming off from the bottom of upper flats all the way down river. Baetis live in fast water so look for them in the riffles at the top of holes and at the bottom of holes in the tail out. Fish are eating grey, olive and brown nymphs in these places, again it just depends on the day so have them all. You may have the chance to see fish on top during this time as well. A parachute adams or comparadun should do the job. I have mentioned that fish are eating moss. I know this sounds strange but our fish will tear at chunks of moss to get food hiding inside. Fishing bunny leeches on a dead drift will get some fish interested. Give it a try.
7-Day Fly Fishing Forecast
I would like to give you some new information this week but nothing has changed. Just make sure you have a midge pattern on at all times, all colors are working at different times of the day. This is an excellent time of the year to catch big fish, there isn’t anything to eat other than midges which causes the fish to eat all day trying to get enough food. Take advantage! We are finally getting some monsoons so have your rain jacket and please get off the water when the lightning starts. It is the number one killer on the San Juan. You will still find a few mosquitoes in the bushes so don’t put away the spray yet. In the end of August and the beginning of September the river becomes a midge fishery for almost a month. It is the best time of year for sight nymphing which is great. Good luck, its a tricky game. Good luck to all the Fisheads out there, Chris
San Juan River Fishing Fisheads – Only ORVIS endorsed san juan river guide service
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Chris Taylor
Fisheads of the San Juan
www.fisheadsofthesanjuan.com