Generation was mostly one unit on Sunday. Productive set-ups were the red San Juans with a dropper of a #18 black Serendipity. Most of the fish took the dropper. Good fish were also caught on dry flies, hoppers, terrestrials, etc. When we fished the trophy area, we eliminated the dropper, of course. This Cutthroat took an orange
Stimulator close to the bank. He was just shy of twenty-one inches.

Greg

Thanks for the report and the pic, Greg! That’s an awesome Cutt, and on a dry fly no less!

Theresa and I spent five days on the San Juan recently as part of our southern Colorado, northern New Mexico tour this summer, and the dry-fly fishing was spectacular! We caught rainbows and browns in a high-mountain lake and brilliantly colored little brookies in a high-mountain stream on hoppers, ants and Elk Hair Caddis with our two nephews near Creede, Colorado. Then we fished the East Fork of Hermosa Creek near Durango, Colorado and hooked lots of beautiful little Colorado River Cutthroats on hoppers and various caddis patterns.







Our last stop was the San Juan where we probably caught ninety-percent of our fish on dries! By late morning, the trout were looking up and readily taking our hopper and ant imitations, and by mid-afternoon, a nice Blue Winged Olive Mayfly hatch got started, and the trout would sip in our size twenty-two BWO Parachutes as long as our presentation was correct!





On our third day on the Juan, a thunderstorm rolled in around noon, so we donned our raincoats, left our lightning rods in the boat and climbed up in the rocks of the surrounding mesas to seek shelter and have lunch. After a couple of sandwiches and a couple of beers, the rain stopped and the lightning moved downriver. However, as we pushed our way through the willows to climb back in the boat, the surface of the river looked like it was still raining—it was boiling with trout noses! As is often the case in foul weather, the BWO hatch had exploded, and the trout were gorging on the tiny little mayflies! In fact, there were so many bugs on the water at first, our imitations had a tough time competing for the trout’s attention. After, the naturals thinned a little, the dry fly fishing was incredible—we hooked one trout after another on our tiny parachute dries!


This brown was the last fish of the trip. He sipped in my size twenty-two dry and promptly swam up inside a beaver lodge! I thought he was gone for sure, but thanks to Theresa’s rowing skills, I was able to pull him out without getting tangled in all of the sticks and twigs! Nice work, Theresa! Maybe you’ll have to jump on the oars more often!

Another great trip to the Juan!

Michael

Is my Clouser hung on the bottom? No wait, that's a
15" smallmouth!

Chris

Thanks for the pic, Chris! Looks like you had a good trip on the Buffalo!

Just a note to let you know that I made the trip to Alaska and my new Simms waders worked very well. We did do a lot of hiking with waders and it was wise to be properly fitted for 6 days of hiking and fishing (6 miles on the first day). The weather was rainy most of the time and I was very comfortable.



The new reel worked great and I had several rainbows take me into the backing which was entirely new for me. It was a great trip and we were fortunate that the sockeye run was late and we hammered the trout on dries. It was great and I had no trouble with the bears. Thanks for your help!

Gary



Thanks for the pics and the report, Gary! Sounds like an awesome Alaska adventure! Glad to hear all the new gear worked out well!

Even if you’re not heading to Alaska this year, be sure to stop by the shop and check out our Alaska fly selection—so many big, bright, sparkly flies!

Went to the Illinois Friday evening. The water is in much better shape, lower and much clearer. However, there was some debris and moss when the generators started. We may get back to "normal" conditions before the striper season is over for the year. This one is eight-and-a-half pounds on the Boga.

Matt

Thanks for the pic and the report, Matt, and congrats on a very nice fly rod striper! I hope you're right about this year's striper season! My fingers are crossed!

This report from long-time customer and friend Ben Levin:



Fished the Henry's Fork in Idaho with my dad and brother back during the last week of June. We fished up and down the whole river, through the Box Canyon, Harriman Ranch, and the Lower River. The fishing was spectacular and we caught tons of big ones. All of the fish are extremely healthy, fat, and very strong. Most of them make a huge leap when they are hooked and then take off as fast as they can and don't stop, sometimes until backing...they are all hard to land but extremely rewarding.



We had great hatches, with the gray drakes being the highlight. The water would be carpeted with size 12 to 14 drakes in the evening and there were so many fish rising that we didn't know where to cast sometimes! Needless to say, fantastic dry fly fishing. The Ranch also fished good on morning spinner falls and Pale Morning Duns.



It was a great trip and the Henry's Fork, as well as the main Snake, should fish great all summer. Thanks again for the great new gear (chestpack and rainjacket)! Visit www.henrysforkanglers.com or www.southforkoutfitters.com for info on fishing southeastern Idaho. Also be sure to get into McLellan's Flyshop...they have lots of great stuff!

You're killin' us back here in Fayetteville, Ben. Thanks for the report-- and the plug!

--Todd

Did very well with the Bronze Beauties before this last rain. We seem to be in a summer pattern now, with best fishing mornings and evenings. But even with high afternoon sun, I've been able to catch plenty of fish along deep banks that are in shade. Minnow and crawfish patterns have done equally well. I've also had some heart-stopping takes on the Taco Pescado (topwater).

P.S. If you find yourself near a field with high grass along the bank some hot afternoon, toss a hopper pattern out and make it splat! You won't regret it...

--Todd

On Sunday, Matt and I fished the White River from Gaston’s down to Wildcat and hooked fat, quality rainbows and browns all day long. This twenty-one-inch brown took an orange San Juan Worm in a deep run out of the main current. With all of the high water, every trout we caught was well fed and hard pulling, and this big brown was no exception—we drifted several hundred yards downstream before getting him in the net!


Matt hooked this twenty-inch brown on a wine colored San Juan Worm in a pot hole just outside of the main current. After setting the hook, Matt’s reel immediately started screaming as the big brown surged up stream!


All of the rainbows we hooked were shaped like footballs from stuffing themselves in the high water! When this bow finally came to the net, it regurgitated several worms and scuds—it was stuffed full but tried to fit one more!

The high water fly fishing on the White River below Bull Shoals Dam continues to be excellent. When drifted in the current seams along the edge of the river or over grass beds, San Juan Worms, various egg patterns, and large flashback scuds fished below a large strike indicator and heavy split shot have been hooking plenty of quality trout.

If you're new to high water fly fishing, be sure to stop by the shop and let us show you how we rig up for the big water.

Our good friend and occasional customer Tom Rainey moved to Florida a while back and bought himself a fancy new boat. Looks like he's figuring out the fishing down there. Nice King, Tom!

--Todd

Another update from our American-Estonian friend, Scott Diel:



Fished a little-known river on Russia's Kola Peninsula called the Bulonga
which runs into the White Sea. Two pics attached. That's a bearded me in the
first with a ten-pounder, about the biggest we caught this trip (high temps,
low water). The second is of my friend Agu. He hiked six miles in waders
over rough terrain to catch these fish, and then he packed them back (you
guess the weight--the largest are 10 pounds each) on this stick over the
same terrain.



If you happen to be in Northern Europe any time in summer let me know. This
year's dry fly season in Estonia was a let down, but the sea trout (sea-run
browns) was very productive with fish from too-small-to-keep to up to 20+
pounds.

Excellent report as always, Scott. The beard looks good-- I really like the gray highlights...


--Todd