Conejos River Anglers Current News

Shop This Week

2011-10-17T15:23:00.000-07:00

Conejos River Angler will be Closed on Tuesday October 18th.

We have to do a little "Hook and Line Research" that day.

We will be back in the shop on Wednesday at 8:00am

Thank You

CRA Staff

October Store Hours + A Short River Report

2011-10-04T13:55:00.001-07:00

October Stores Hours

8:00am - 4:30pm

Monday thru Friday

8:00am - 4:00pm

Saturday

8:00am - 12:00pm

Sunday

The fishing on the Conejos has been pretty good lately. Troy and Jon were both out on half day trips today and they both had productive days on the water. Troy guided this lower river and caught most of his fish on nymphs. While Jon guided the upper river and they caught most of there fish on dry flies (big old school Jim Fulton style H&L Variants) who knew.

NEW FALL HOURS!!

2011-09-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

We have new fall hours.

Monday - Saturday

7:45am - 5:30pm

Sunday

7:45am - 1:30pm

Please feel free to stop by and say hello and get the fresh info on the river.

Guide Trips the Past Few Days

2011-09-20T14:36:00.001-07:00

The leaves are starting to change color and fall is in the air. We have had a great couple of days guiding this last week and we are hoping to keep the momentum going right into the later part of this fall. The trout have really started to get happy in the past week and the Pike have started to turn on with this cooler weather. Below are a couple of the pics from the guide trips we had this last week. I hope that you all enjoy and get pumped for fishing this fall.

Nice Rainbow Headshot

Eugene with a Great Rainbow

Fat Rainbow

Eugene with another nice Rainbow

Eugene Percell with a Monster 28+ inch Rainbow

Landed on 5x

Nice work BROTHA!!!

Gotta Love Pike in the Fall

Bill with a Nice Browny

A Good Day for Elijah

2011-08-17T16:45:00.001-07:00

Elijah hit the water this morning with his Dad and his sister River and well needless to say he began his slayfest of these Conejos River fish. Lookin good buddy keep it up!!

Elijah and River Heading down to the Water

Elijah Hooked up with a Good Fish

Nice work Buddy!!

What can we say the kid is a natural

Elijah with another nice Rainbow

A Day with the Duke's

2011-08-17T14:13:00.000-07:00

Jasmine got to spend the day on the water with the Jerry and Anna on Monday. Here are a few of there pics from the day of fishing I hope that you all enjoy and I hope to see you on the water soon.

Nice Work!! The Kids are the Future!!

2011-08-11T16:43:00.001-07:00

Jon Harp got to spend a day with an amazing young angler late this last month and I just thought that I would share a couple of pictures from there day on the water together.

River Update August 7th

2011-08-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give everyone out there a quick river update. We have been getting some good rains in the afternoons which are loving. The river this morning looked great and from the reports I have been getting from my guides is that the fish have been happy. Josh fished the meadow yesterday and said that he was moving a lot of fish on the surface with big attractor flies. Neversink Trudes, Hippy Stompers, Royal Stimulators, Royal Humpy, ect... Troy guided the pocket water below the meadow yesterday and gave a report a lot like Josh's except they caught a good number of fish on the dropper. We had some guys in the one of the cabins this last week that fished mainly on the lower river and they said that they had most of there luck nymphing. They told me that there best flies were the Hot Spot Worm, Jimmy Legs, Salvations, Chartreuse Copper Johns and Hot Wire Caddis. Troy is guiding today on the upper river and Jasmine and Josh are fishing the fly water this morning so I should have another fresh report for all of you in the morning.

Below are some pictures from one of Jasmine's guide trips this last week I just wanted to give you a taste of some of the fish being caught.

Thank you reading and stay tuned for more.

P.S. The date on the pics is off all of these were caught on Thursday Aug 4th.

River Update

2011-07-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

Just thought that I would throw out a quick Conejos River report. I am sorry that it has been so long since the last post (have been out the water a lot).

The upper river has been on fire and what I mean by that is that from the bottom of the pinnacles to the dam the fish have been eating dries really hard. We are still seeing a really good number of Grey Drakes, Red Quills, PMD's, Yellow Sally's, Trico's, and Midge's coming off. As well as a few scattered Green Drakes. We have been seeing some good afternoon showers which means more bugs popping off in the evening. Our water levels could not be any better then they are right now, you can fish anywhere.

All of the tribs have been producing really well so there are a few other options if you want to get off of the Conejos for the day. I guess all in all what I am trying to tell everyone is come get your dry fly on! I hope to see you on the river soon.

On the Water Photo Journal

2011-07-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

This is a photo journal post. For the past five days I was out on the water with a great fisherman and good friend Shad Goldston. We had a lot of fun as you can see from the photos below.

Day 1

First fish of the trip it was a great way to start things off

This fish was slurping dries off the surface in some nice slow water

This fish was sipping dries in a really tough spot so Shad made a great Long down stream drift and fed this fish a size 16 Adams. It was fishing a spring creek the way we caught this fish. Great job brotha!

Day 2

Heavy Bodied Rainbow caught on the G-String Worm

Look at the Colors on this fish it looks like a South American Brown

Beautiful Brown Taken on the Pink G-String Worm

Green Drake Dry... YES!!

Brown on the Dry

Streamer Eater Number 1

23 inch Rainbow taken on a 6 inch long Streamer

(Streamer Eater Number 2)

Head shot of a great Bow

Some Trout have Wings Too

Day 3

20 inch Brown on a Mahogany Dry

Beautiful Brown taken on a

Nice Browny taken on a Dry

Day 4

23 inch Female Brown caught on a #8 Tung. Salvation Nymph

Nice Head Shot

Day 5

We had a bit of a tougher day on the water on day 5. We hooked into an incredible fish on a CDC Mahogany Dry that really did not want his photo taken. Oh well that is part of the game sometimes.

Overall we had a great time on the water together and got into some great fish. Shad made the book of 20 4 times during his time here. Congrats Brotha you deserve it.

Insane Fishing Right Now!!!!

2011-07-10T09:25:00.001-07:00

I wanted to let everyone out there know that the Conejos River is fishing amazing right now. I have been out on the water the past two days guiding and I tell you what these fish are eating dries hard. Yesterday I guided two awesome fisherman through one of the most public stretches on the Conejos. I have to say one of my top five most productive days ever while guiding this great river. If I told you how many big browns we landed you probably wouldn't believe me, what I will say is that we land a couple of brown trout in the 18"-19" range and a good number in the 16"-17" range. Oh I forgot to mention that ever fish was on a DRY FLY!

The overall report from all of the guides has been just that "Outrageous! These fish are eating hard". There are a bunch of grey drakes coming off, red quills, yellow sally's, midges and a few green drakes. I would have to say that it is time to be on the Conejos River.

Today's Guide Trip Highlight!!

2011-07-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

Well one today's guides came back with one heck of a fish tale and I said lets see the pics. Well it wasn't just a fish story it was the truth. Look at this pig of a Conejos River Brown Trout.

Two of the Sherwood brothers came down and spent half a day on the water with Guide Jon Harp and they just killed it. I just want to say congrats fellas and that is one heck of a fish.

One of the Sherwood Brothers and Jon harp with a Fantastic Conejos River Brown Trout

One of the Sherwood Brother and Jon Harp

Eye Candy

2011-07-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

This river has really been giving up some great fish lately. The Grey Drakes are popping off really hard mid morning and then coming back in the evening around 7:00pm to lay there eggs. I can not believe the numbers of fish being landed during guide trips. If I told you you may not believe me. If you have not been down to the Conejos River during this time of year you really need to see it. The flows right now on the lower river are just above 600 cfs and falling. I just want to give everyone a quick update and give you a little eye candy to get the blood flowing.

Jason Landing a nice Bow

Jason with a good Bow

Fun Days

2011-07-04T11:12:00.001-07:00

Mike and Hugh spent a couple of days on the water with Guide Jasmine Ence this last week and here are a few of the highlight pics from those days.

Hugh and Jasmine Ence with a nice Brown

The Customary Thank You Kiss for the Fish

Mike and Hugh with nice Conejos Browns

Congrats guys it looks like you had some fun!

Look for another post with some more pics of those couple of days.

It's Alive

2011-07-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

The Conejos has really become a living river over the past few days. There are Goldenstones coming off from the fly shop to the bottom of the pinnacles. We have also been seeing Red Quills and PMD's coming off on multiple parts of the river and three days ago the Grey Drakes started coming off. Jon, Troy and Jasmine have all been guiding the lower Conejos and have come back with similar reports. "The dry fly fishing was insane... at one point through out the day we fished double dies". Well there you have it, the river is on the way down and the fish have started eating on top. We're looking forward to what is on the horizon.

Hatch Preview: Yellow Sally's, Green Drakes, Slate Drakes, Callibeatis, Ect...

See You on the Water!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rio Grande National Forest Info

2011-06-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

I have had a lot of questions about fire restrictions in this area. I spoke with the forest service earlier today and they told me that the Rio Grande National Forest is only at a Stage 1 fire restriction. So as far as having a campfire the only places that you are allowed is in the forest service campgrounds in there fire pits. That is just for safety reasons. If you have any questions about what is going on in the national forest please feel free to give the Forest Service Office in La Jara a call I have posted there number at the bottom of the blog. You can also go on the website for the Rio Grande National for other information I have also posted that link at the bottom of the blog.

They told me that there is not a threat of the forest being closed down especially considering that we are about to head into the rainy season.

Forest Service Office- La Jara, CO

719-274-5193

http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6BdkOyoCAPkATlA!/?ss=110209&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=FSE_003853&navid=091000000000000&pnavid=null&position=BROWSEBYS

Water Coming Down

2011-06-22T13:53:00.000-07:00

Jasmine and Josh both guided the lower river yesterday and they both gave me the same report... The fishing is off the hook right now! Josh caught a few fish on Salmonfly dries but mostly nymphs and Jasmine said that they caught all of there fish on big Stonefly nymphs and Caddis patterns.

This lower river is now below 1000 cfs and is continuing to fall. If i had to guess our Goldenstone hatch this year should be something to see. I am looking forward to throwing some big dries this next week.

Jon guided the upper river yesterday and said that the fishing was good but a bit tough due to the falling level out of the dam. He did a one person half day in the upper meadow in the morning and a two person half day in the lower meadow in the afternoon. On both trips the guys caught the biggest fish of there lives.

Troy guided two people on one of the smaller tribs yesterday and they had an amazing day on dry flies.

Paul just came back from a half day on the lower river and said that they amazing. They were picking up fish int he deeper/fatser water with flashy flies and along the edges with stonefly nymphs.

I guess what I am trying to get at is the water in Conejos County is fishing good and it is time to start thinking about get on the water. I also want to say thank you to all of our hard working guides. You guys do a great job.

From the River to You

2011-06-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

I just want to update everyone on what the guide trips lately have been like so that you all have an idea of what is happening on the water. Jon was in the meadows below Platoro with two young men (about 14 years old) yesterday. One of them had never held a fly rod before and the other had fly fished very little. The days end result was amazing to say the least... they netted 55 fish!! The meadows are on fire right now. Jon is out the water again today so we will see what he has to say when he gets back this afternoon.

I also wanted to let everyone out there know that during the weekend of the 4th that we have still have 2 cabins open and a bunch of open days for guided fishing. I am a little surprised that that weekend has not filled up yet. So if you want to fish the Conejos it looks like there will be plenty of water open to you.

If your plans for the 4th are still open you should consider a trip this way.

Conejos River Anglers Guide Staff

2011-06-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

Jon Harp

Devan Ence

Troy Smith

Jasmine Ence

Josh Curtis

Rob Scott

Just wanted to put up a post so that everyone could put a face with the name. We are currently working on putting together a "Meet the Guides" page for the CRA website. It will have a photo and bio of each of our guides so that you can get to know them better.

New Summer Hours

2011-06-13T07:54:00.000-07:00

Just letting everyone know that we have switched to our summer hours.

7:30am to 6:00pm

Monday- Saturday

7:30am to 2:00pm

Sunday

Make sure to stop by on your way to the river.

Nymphing the Conejos River

2011-06-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

Jasmine, Troy and Jon heading down to the Water

Jon Harp landing a beautiful Conejos River Brown

Jon Harp working on catching that next fish

Troy Smith choosing his next offering

Jasmine Ence landing a healthy Conejos River Brown

Troy Smith working a run during high water

Jasmine Ence throwing a double nymph rig with a 3/0 Split Shot

Over the years we have worked on developing a technique for nymphing that has proven successful all over the US as well as in all of the foreign destinations we has hosted trips to. It has really become an important component of day to day success on the Conejos River. Now don't get me wrong the dry fly fishing can be amazing here, but catching fish on nymphs is a lot more consistant. If you really want to dial in your nymphing spend a day on the water with one of the guides. It will be something you won't regret, I promise.

The Hatch is Happening NOW!!!!

2011-06-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

Salmonfly Adult

Salmonfly Hanging out on a Pair of G4 Waders

Well it is happening... The Salmonflies have started to pop on the Conejos River. Troy smith came by the shop yesterday and had three of these amazing bugs crawling on him when he walked thru the front door. It is one of the hatches that we all have been waiting for. If you haven't fished this hatch on the Conejos before, you need to get here and give it a try.

*Troy Just rolled into the shop a little bit ago to tell me how the fishing on the lower river was this morning... "It is crazy out there right now... I fished for about 25 minutes this morning and landed 15 fish. I only took a break to come in and let you know what was going on and now I am heading back to the water." Then he was gone. Well there you have it straight from the river.

Let The Production Tying Begin

2011-06-09T08:12:00.001-07:00

Prepped Material for Session

25 Dozen Pink G-String Worms

(Tuesday Tying Session)

51 Dozen G-String Worms

(Yesterday and Tuesdays Tying Session Together)

I have set a goal for the month of June to tie more flies in one month then I ever have before. In the past two days I have been able to put 51 dozen (612 flies) thru the vise and sense June 1st I have totaled 105 dozen (1,260 flies). This is to build a stock pile of the flies we use all season long. I will keep you updated on the total as the month goes on, with the final tally on June 30th. I really appreciate the support that everyone has given for the flies that we tie here at CRA.

Early June

2011-06-04T08:14:00.000-07:00

CRA Guides Jon Harp, Troy Smith and Jasmine Ence

talking with there clients about the plan of attack for the day.

Big Stonefly Dries

(GETTING EXCITED YET!!)

Got Jimmy's?

This morning we had our first real brush with summer. It is a beautiful blue bird day with no wind and a shop full of clients anticipating a great day on the water with the CRA Guides. The water level is up but the fishing has been great. These Conejos fish get extremley wormy this time of year. Yes, that means fish puking up worms in the net "I just couldn't help myself" says Mr. Brown Trout "It just looked to good to pass up" says Mrs. Brown Trout. Any way it is time to start really thinking about Southern Colorado.

I know that we are all looking forward to what is coming in the next couple of weeks.... SALMONFLIES!!!!! We are all ready to see those B-52's flying over the water and I know that you all are looking forward to making some casts to some hungry trout waiting to ambush a struggling stone. With the snow pack being what it was this year we are looking forward to some fantastic dry fly fishing this season.

Josh Curtis Makes the USA Fly Fishing Team

2011-05-27T17:08:00.000-07:00

Conejos River Anglers Guide Josh Curtis

I just wanted to spread some good news about one of our Conejos River Anglers Guides. Josh Curtis has made the US Fly Fishing Team for the 2011 Season. Josh qualified for the National Championships during a competition held in Durango during the summer of 2010. Earlier this May 60 anglers from around the United States then traveled to compete in Cherokee, NC for the chance to earn a spot on the team. During the three day competition Josh scored well enough to take 7th place over all earning one of the 12 coveted spots.

Congratulations Josh you earned it brotha!!

F1 Fly Reel From Ross Reels USA

2011-05-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

What CRA Says about the NEW F1 Reel Series:

" We have been looking forward to this new reel from Ross since we laid eyes on it this last fall. The new drag design has created a really smooth start up and has out of this world stopping power for the size of the reel. As a guide I can't imagine a more bullet proof piece of equipment that you can depend on day in and day out. The guide finish on this reel looks awesome."

What Ross has to Say about the NEW F1 Reel Series:

"After more than two years of design, development and testing, we are pleased to introduce the F1TM - a large arbor series that is destined to revolutionize modern fly reel design. The F1 is a complete departure from conventional thinking and incorporates the most innovative features found in any fly reel. The drag system utilizes eight independent contact points to produce the smoothest and most dependable drag system on the market today. Two square inches of carbon fiber drag surface results in unsurpassed stopping power and heat dissipation. The spool fits on a carbon fiber stabilizer with two fully sealed stainless steel ball bearings that provide precision fit and smooth rotation. The F1 employs a Ross original clutch bearing that is fully sealed and enables retrieve conversion without removing the bearing- an industry first! The extensive use of carbon fiber in the drag system, spool stabilizer, handle and spool release produce system strength and rigidity, while at the same time reducing overall weight. Ten separate o-rings completely seal the system, making it totally impervious to the drag-changing effects of water. The F1 employs a constant-torque drag knob with a 56:1 mechanical advantage; resulting in uniform drag knob rotation and infinite drag adjustment."

We Have A Winner!!!!

2011-05-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

WINNER

Johnny Pribyl with a Great Rainbow

(He is Rock'n A CRA Hat in the photo NICE!!)

Just wanted to let everyone know that we have a WINNER for this weeks hat contest. I just got a phone call from Johnny Pribyl with the correct answer. The name of the fly in the contest is Peterson's Tungsten Caddis Borealis. Congrats Johnny on winning a Conejos River Anglers Hat!!!!

Thank you to everyone for playing and keep watching for our next contest coming soon!

CRA Hat Contest #2

2011-05-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

Peterson's Tungsten Caddis Borealis

Umpqua Feather Merchants

Thanks to everyone who made some guesses on the last hat contest. I am going to save the answer to the last contest for later because I am going to re-use the video at a later date so be watching for that. This weeks hat contest is a bit different. What I want all of you fisherman out there to do is to name that fly. Who ever is the first to call with the correct answer wins Conejos River Anglers hat. I am going to give out a hint for everyone. It is an Umpqua fly in the photo. I want to wish everyone good luck.

Conejos River Anglers

719-376-5660

Showing Some Love

2011-05-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

Song of Despare

2011-05-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

una cancion desesperada or oncorhyncus mykiss

Art by Fujioka

by Aaron Abeyta

in my trout dream
you are twin to the dawn
the pearl of your belly
that is the sky in the

brief breaths the moments
of sunless light a wash of pink
guazing at the center of you
ghosting away at your caudal edges

and in the human chamber
of my heart where it
hilts up against the primal
and the uncharted

i assume that on the fifth day
God had grown weary and therefore
created you to perfect
the domes and orbits that preceded you

so that every possible
sky might be foretold
there upon
your wet body

this shadowless light
milks its white breath
against the river and there
in the riffles and the deep pools

the trout queue themselves
in a braid of shadows
they are the movement of dreams
what man looked upon when he created music

randomly
consistently as the slow dreams
where i hold you
i remember that the phoenicians

had an alphabet
the egyptians written words
but neither was blessed enough to
have written your name to have

held you in the God light of dawn
and what of that fourth chamber
the one whose room
has flooded and is yours

the dead trees along the river
have forgotten what they are
everything is part wish
part shadow this indescribable light

of madrugada rubbing itself
against this river and i should not have
touched you and because of you
dreamt of rain or a slope of trees or

a moonlit snowstorm or a ribbon
of stars landed and touchable
your body a constellation
to my wishes

spilling back into the river
toward the secret spot of the human body
the haunt of you
barely there in my hand

About the Author

Aaron Abeyta is a poet and a professor at Adams State College. http://www.aaronabeyta.com.

Spring Time!!!

2011-05-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and the water is unbelievable. We have blue skies this morning, no wind and an overwhelming sense that we need to go fishing. Spring time on the Conejos is great for a lot of different things. For example; everything is turning green, all of the birds are chirping and doing the spring time dance, the fish start eating really hard after a long winter, ect... These are just a few of my favorite things about the spring down here. I have to tell you what I like most of all is the fact that these fish get super wormy. I mean they just start pounding the worms down. I guess a comparison to how these fish are eating would be, all of the guides from the shop here coming in off a long day on the water having not eaten all day and then cutting us lose on the all you can eat Chinese Buffet in Alamosa. We all would eat so much our stomachs would pop... and the we would try and eat some more.

Are You Ready?

2011-05-12T08:57:00.000-07:00

Spring time is here and the time is now. The nymph fishing on the Conejos right now is really good and what better way to complement your time on the water then with the "Sindicator" from Idylwilde Flies. This new indicator is fantastic for all of you nymphing needs. If you are coming through this neck of the woods anytime soon you should drop by and check this indicator out, it was made for you!

Conejos River Report

2011-05-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

The weather has been amazing for the past couple of days, sunny and blue bird. Jasmine has been out guiding on the upper river for the past couple of days and she says that they just had great time and that there were a lot of fish out sunning in the shallows. The bugs to have on the water right now are: Tung. Slavation Nymph #8-12, Jimmy Legs #8-10, G-string Worm #12, Tung. G-String Worms #10, Tung. Two Tone SJW #12, Double Digit Midge-Black #16-20, Chironocones #16, Flash Bang Midge-Red #16. Right now you can get away with 4x flouro to your flies. These fish are eating hard and right now is the time to be on the water.

I will be having another CRA Contest this next week so please stay tuned. I did have a good number of people try and answer the question but I didn't get the correct answer so I am going to save that one for later in the year and we will make the prize for that even bigger. Thank you to everyone who tried.

Conejos River Anglers Hat Contest

2011-05-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

How many fish are in this video? Call me with the right answer and win a Conejos River Anglers hat. Shop number 719-376-5660

***Bonus Today Only (05-07-20110) get a half dozen flies with the hat for the correct answer! Keeps trying.

New Flies for 2011 Season

2011-05-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

OG Worm Red/Pink #12

OG Worm Red/Brown #12

Tung. Salvation Nymph Purple #8-16

Tung. Salvation Nymph Golden Brown #8-16

Tung. Salvation Nymph Emerald #8-16

Flashbang Midge Red #16-20

Flashbang Midge Cream #16-20

Flashbang Midge Black #16-20

Double Digit Midge Red #16-20

Double Digit Midge Black #16-20

Double Digit Midge Rust #16-20

2011 Conejos Superfly Pics

2011-05-04T11:27:00.000-07:00

Fly Tying Materials

2011-05-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

This will be the first year that we offer fly tying materials by order. If you need anything please feel free to give us a call and we will be happy to take care of you.

Korkers Fisherman's Moc

2011-04-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

The New Korkers Fisherman's Moc has arrived and let me tell you they are awesome. All of us here at the shop have a pair and I am happy to say they are some of the most comfortable work shoes I have ever worn. Stop by the shop and see for yourself.

2011 Conejos Superfly Am Edition

2011-04-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

After watching the Conejos Superfly this year my reaction was, "You cant make this stuff up!" We had Chamber of Commerce weather and flows and it was alot of fun to watch and not have to fish. There were plenty of moments of head scratching and moments that were so good they videotaped it in realtime just in case no one believed them! The team of Coontz and Drinnen came from 10 pts back and racked an incredible 95.5 pts the final day for a 2 day total of 160. The second highest ever one day score. The bugs that the fish seemed to love on the lower river were totally different than up high. The team of Pauly/Buchanan had the seins out and had identified what they found was the bug the first day and put themselves in second after day one primed for another win and they restocked for the last day. Only problem. Fish seemed to change meals and they had to scramble to figure it out again. Last years winner took a tough beat the first day and did well enough to stay close to the lead and drew RMAC the last day. We thought they might be in the drivers seat but as we watched they caught fish but we feared not fast enough. Up really high by Rocky Mt. Lodgea beat that scored a meager 33 pts the first day Drinnen and Coontz were starting the day with cheap domestic beer and a #20 Yong Special. Why??? But they did and they caught brown after brown and were quickly turning the tournament on its ear. Down low on the river the team that were the leaders after the first day, Beasley and McVay, and had turned our Upper Hamilton into a very impressive 75.5 pts were struggling to find the fish. At about 3:00 they were only 4 fish into the day and it all looked like both of the top 2 teams after the first day had been overcome. Meanwhile on RMAC the team of Troudt/Moran were rolling fish. Alot of them. The team father son team of miles and miles were steadily landing browns and turned Conejos C.G./Lower Rocky Mt. Lodge into a very nice 63 pts. By the end of the day when we were waiting for everyone alot of strong scores were coming in when Coontz/Drinnen walked into Conejos Ranch they were about 2' off the ground and when we saw the score sheet with ink all over it we knew it was over. Conejos Ranch did a great job with the food and beverages and the trout did there part. And just like we wanted to see is the champions were the ones that could catch brown trout! Here are the results of the final day

1. 160 - Coontz/Drinnen

2. 135.5 Troudt/Moran

3. 128.5 - Pauly/Buchanan

4. 120 - Miles/Miles

5. 119.5 - Beasley/McVay

6. 113 - Cooper/Stone

7. 110 - Herrara/Sanchez

8. 109 - Quintana/Collins

9. 105.5 - Gentry/Gentry

10. 102 - Lewis/Flores

11. 98.5 Eccleston/Torres

12. 96.5 Lewis/Barela

13. 95 Downey/Downey

14. 94.5 - Rosett/Rosett

15. 93.5 Goldston/Goldston

16. 90.5 - Silver/Sorenson

16. 90.5 - Trompler/Trompler

18. 89 - Bussey/Bussey

19. 82 - Blankenship/Schultz

20. 81-Bernal/Avery 2

0.81 - Arterburn/Sinster

Congratulations on everyone who made it to the final day!

Did Somebody Say Green Drakes?

2009-07-03T15:33:00.000-07:00

Well it is starting to happen the Green Drakes have started to emerge on the lower river. Most people know Green Drakes as an evening hatch but not here. Look for the Green Drakes to start coming off around 10:30 in the morning and lasting awhile. This is one of those great hatches we are so lucky to have down here fishing big size 10 dries and having big hungry brown trout feeding on them.....That just sends chills down the spine.
Fresh off the press for Troy Smith himself, he just came in from a guide trip an said. "We caught a couple of fish a piece....about fifty per client all on GREEN DRAKES! The fish were just boiling everywhere."
Well you heard it, it is time to get on the water.
Good Day and Good Fishing.

Conejos and the Tribs

2009-06-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

The Tribs have been fishing great there area couple that are still a bit high but for the most part they are fishing great. If you are looking for some solitude try the los pinos, lower la jara, lake fork of the conejos, south fork of the conejos, elk creek and la manga creek. The water is looking great on all of those tribs and the fish going to to be a bit more willing then the conejos fish will be.

If you are looking for some larger fish and a bit more of a challenge the conejos has been fishing really well you just have to be in tune with your depth control if you are nymphing. If you are trying to hit the salmonflies on the surface you need to plan on being on the water early in the morning that will be your best opportunity to do some serious dryfly fishing.

The salmonflies are still very present on the lower river we have had some cooler nights which has slowed down the progression of the hatch but with these warmer days look for a powerful hatch to start moving its way up river.

Salmonfly Update and New Store Hours

2009-06-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

We are now open 7 days a week starting June 15th,

starting the 17th our new hours will be 7:30am to 5:00pm.

This years flow during this epic hatch has been amazing the fish are really starting to key in on the adults. The migration of bugs has begun you can flip over rocks along the edge on the lower river and just pick up hand fulls of Salmonfly nymphs. The best surface action is early in the morning and starts to slow down around noon and then the nymphing is the ticket. These fish are getting fat and greedy. We are also seeing alot of Golden Stones and Caddis flying around so there are some good choices on the water for the fish.

I look forward to seeing you on the water very soon.

Tight Lines.

SALMONFLIES!!!!! They Are Here

2009-06-11T10:43:00.001-07:00

Well the long awaited arrival of the great Salmonflies has finally come. The flows are looking great right now and we are looking forward to some killer dry fly fishing. The stones are on the lower river right now and will begin moving up the river slowly over the next couple of weeks. As an added bonus there are some Golden Stones around as well. If you have the chance you need to experience this epic hatch of large insects, in other words I would start planning my trip to the Conejos right away.
I look forward to seeing everyone real soon.
Tight Lines.

****We just got all of our new Simms logo shirts in yesterday so if you are looking for a new Core3 Fishing shirt we have what you need.***

Buffs Just Arrived

2009-06-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

This is a product that every hardcore angler should have at thier disposal aside from sunscreen this is the best proctection and angler can ask for. Buffs have many on top of the sun proctection like; they help to cut glare off the top of the water, keeping your neck cool on hot days and warm on cold ones and they have built in bug protection which can be a major bonus. All of us here at the shop have been using them for a long time and they are invaluable to us.

Buffs come in many different styles so find the one that fits your personality her at the shop.

Tight Lines

These are just a few examples of the 13 ways you can wear your Buff.

The Salmonflies Are Coming!!!!!!

2009-06-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

The stones are on the way and we are looking forward doing some serious dry fly fishing. Jon, Troy and I have a little bet going over the date the stoneflies are going to emerge. Any way plan on being here for this epic hatch it will be well worth it.

The Flies

(just a few to get your blood flowing)

Egg Laying Salmonfly

Totally Stoned

Putterbaugh's Foam Salmonfly

Henrys Fork RL Special

Pats Rubber Leg

Double Beaded Stonefly

CRA Salmonfly Survival Kit

We hope to see on the river in the up coming days!!

Conejos Superfly Winners

2009-04-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

Our 2009 Conejos Superfly Champions Reid Darnell and Brian Darnell

2009 Superfly Update

2009-04-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

We just finished our 2009 Conejos Superfly it was a great weekend with alot of fun and a very close competition. We had 50 teams show up this year with two days of qualifiers for sundays final. Here are the results of the 2009 Superfly.

1st Place Reid Darnell and Brian Darnell
2nd Place M. Sexton and J. Arnold
3rd Place T. Smith and M. Kennedy
4th Place E. Adams and R. Scott
5th Place B. Long and J. Schoonmaker
6th Place E. Pauly and J. Buchanan
7th Place J. Harp and T. Johnston
8th Place D. Ence and B. Turner
9th Place T. Caldwell and E. Wade
10th Place R. Mai and M. Vigil

Big Fish Winners
Friday Winner - Jerry Arnold
Saturday Winner - Fillipe Jaramillo
Sunday Winner - Joe Kerefkey

Casting Competition Winners
1st Place Leo Sanchez
2nd Place Matt Burton

Over all these were three great days of fun, food and some great people. We hope to see everyone at the 2010 Superfly. Next year the format will be tweaked and will probably go to a composite score for the two days of fishing to decide the winners. Your thoughts and feedback would be great to hear!

A special thanks to all of the people who supported this event and to the people who donated money to the river project.

Tight Lines