PMD Hatch on the Dolores -- our best hatch of the year!

July 8, 2011

Dolores River: (150-200 cfs near Rico, 300-400 cfs at Dolores)  The Main Branch Upper Dolores is in beautiful condition from top to bottom.  Canyon sections are a little pushy and hard to wade, but water clarity is excellent, aquatic insects are hatching in tremendous number and fish are rising to dry flies.  An excellent PMD hatch occurs from approximately 10:30 pm -3:00 pm, during which you'll catch fish on any reasonable PMD patterns.  Our favorites include the Stalcup's Extended Body Parachute PMD, Harrop's Pink Albert Thorax, the Hatching PMD (Stalcup) and basic yellow or pink parachute patterns.  Caddis are also hatching in big numbers.  Try your favorite elk hair or turkey quill pattern, or catch every fish in the river with a Stalcup's Para Caddis Emerger.  Tributary creeks are all fishing well.  The water is still high enough to throw big, bushy dry flies, including Stimulator Patterns, the PMX and Bugmeister, large Wulff and Variant patterns, as well as foam-bodied caddis and stonefly patterns.

Lower Dolores River Water flows are at 75 cfs!  At present, this is one of the few clear water river fishing opportunities in the state.  The PMD hatch is in full effect, but rising fish come and go with wind and clouds.  Throw terrestrials, such as hopper and beetle patterns, when no heads are rising.  During the hatch (late afternoon), throw technical PMD patterns on 6X or 7X tippet.  Ak's Para Red Quill, Quigley's Film Critic and Harrop's Pink Albert patterns are particularly effective.  Watch for midging fish early in the day and pick them off with micro parachute midges.

Gunnison: (1,160 cfs) Salmonflies are still hatching intermittently throughout the gorge, but the great stonefly hatch is dwindling and now masked by golden stones, caddis and pale morning dun mayflies.  Overall, the fishing is really pretty strong, but explosive salmonfly action is in the rear view mirror.

Dry flies: Rogue Foam Stone, orange and golden (#4-#10), Sofa Pillow (#4-#8), Clark's Stone #8, Henry's Fork Stone #8, Orange Chernobyl Ant #4-6, True Stone #6 (orange and golden), Golden Stone dry fly patterns #6-#10, Thorax Pink Albert #16-18, Burk's Silhouette Dun #16-18, Bloom's Para Caddis #14-16, EH Caddis #14-16, Stalcup's Para Caddis Emerger #14-16.

Nymphs:  Pat's Rubber Leg Stone, brown or black, size #6-#8, Halfback #4-#8, Jumbo John orange/black #6-#8, Tungsten Bitch Creek, red or orange, #4-#8, Mayhem (yellow) #16-18, Barr's Emerger (PMD) #16-18, Pulsating Caddis #14-16, LaFontaine's Caddis Emerger #14-16.

Streamers:  Black Wooly Bugger (#6-10), Rubberlegs Bugger #4-6.

San Miguel: (700 - 900 cfs at Placerville) Runoff has peaked on the San Miguel, but it will be several weeks before the river is fishable.  Trout Lake, Woods Lake and Priest Lake are all quite fishable, but the main river will not clear for several weeks.  On the lakes, fish Wooly Buggers, soft hackles and other life-like streamers and nymphs.  In the evenings, fish will rise if the wind dies down.  Catch them on midge patterns and drab-colored general imitator dry flies such as the Griffiths Gnat and Parachute Adams.

Uncompahgre: (892 cfs below Ridgway Reservoir)  The lake is full and releases are now too high for effective fishing.  Check back in 1-2 weeks.