Copyright 2009 James Marsh
Fly Fishing the Rio Grande River
Colorado
Rio Grande means Big River in the Spanish language. It
is a big river for sure. It is 1885 miles long and the
second longest river in the United States. Well over half
of the river is in a desert environment and doesn't get
knee deep anywhere. However, that is a completely
different picture of the Rio Grande than the one you
would capture in the San Juan Mountains of Southern
Colorado. There, it is a small mountain stream with a
beautiful background of above timberline terrain.
The stream flows down from the San Juan Mountains
into the huge San Luis Valley. It quickly becomes too
warm for trout to exist as it crosses the almost flat valley.
It crosses the Colorado state line into New Mexico where
it drastically changes again. There it cuts a huge gorge
through the earth, and once again becomes the home of
cold water loving trout. Not far north of Santa Fe it
becomes so dry at times it disappears. This section of
our Perfect Fly website covers only the portion of the
stream in Colorado. The section in Northern New Mexico
is under a separate section.
The Rio Grande starts from melting snow in the rough
and tough San Juan mountains. The area is one of the
most remote and uninhibited areas there are. It is
surrounded by peaks that reach up to 13,000 feet.
Throughout its course down to the valley, it changes
character several times. You can fish a wide variety of
different types of water. It ranges from hike in waters
that you can roll cast across to wide waters big enough
to float in a drift boat.
Seasons:
The season is fairly short for the portions of the stream
in the higher elevations.
Spring:
May to mid-June is runoff time.
Summer:
Summer is the best time to fish the river.
Fall:
Early fall can provide some excellent fishing
Fly Fishing Gear, Tackle and Trout Flies
Colorado
Rio Grande means Big River in the Spanish language. It
is a big river for sure. It is 1885 miles long and the
second longest river in the United States. Well over half
of the river is in a desert environment and doesn't get
knee deep anywhere. However, that is a completely
different picture of the Rio Grande than the one you
would capture in the San Juan Mountains of Southern
Colorado. There, it is a small mountain stream with a
beautiful background of above timberline terrain.
The stream flows down from the San Juan Mountains
into the huge San Luis Valley. It quickly becomes too
warm for trout to exist as it crosses the almost flat valley.
It crosses the Colorado state line into New Mexico where
it drastically changes again. There it cuts a huge gorge
through the earth, and once again becomes the home of
cold water loving trout. Not far north of Santa Fe it
becomes so dry at times it disappears. This section of
our Perfect Fly website covers only the portion of the
stream in Colorado. The section in Northern New Mexico
is under a separate section.
The Rio Grande starts from melting snow in the rough
and tough San Juan mountains. The area is one of the
most remote and uninhibited areas there are. It is
surrounded by peaks that reach up to 13,000 feet.
Throughout its course down to the valley, it changes
character several times. You can fish a wide variety of
different types of water. It ranges from hike in waters
that you can roll cast across to wide waters big enough
to float in a drift boat.
Seasons:
The season is fairly short for the portions of the stream
in the higher elevations.
Spring:
May to mid-June is runoff time.
Summer:
Summer is the best time to fish the river.
Fall:
Early fall can provide some excellent fishing
Fly Fishing Gear, Tackle and Trout Flies
| Type of Stream Freestone Species Brown Trout Rainbow Trout Size Small to Medium Location South Central Colorado Nearest Towns Creede Season Ye Access: Fair amount/some tough to access Non-Resident License State of Colorado Weather National Weather Service Link Fly Fishing Gear, Tackle and Trout Flies |
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Rio Grande
River Colorado
River Colorado
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Photo Courtesy of David Knapp Photography
| Options For Selecting Flies: 1. Email us with the dates you will be fishing this stream and we will send you a list of our fly suggestions. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response. 2. Call us 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide which flies you need. 3. Call or email us with a budget for flies and we will select them and get them to you in time for your trip. Shipping is free in the U. S. Orders over $50 are shipped Priority Mail. |