I spent a nearly perfect week in Durango last week, but unfortunately I missed seeing Donny aka Paveglass, and couldn’t get over to NM to fish with Aurelio.
The Animas is fishing very nicely right now. I landed many and lost many more, catching fish 5 out of 7 days. Mostly fished on the Animas River, right in town or just south of downtown. Lots of young rainbows, but a few 18” and up, and a few sweet browns, too.
I hooked up and fought a really beautiful mature brown who ate this nymph
like a champ then I lost him right at the net.
Planned to hit the cascade and Los Pinos this week, too. Didn’t get to either, but consolation prize was a fantastic few hours fishing for big trout on a private piece of the Florida that was worth the whole trip.
I brought my Scott F6634 that day and thought I’d brought a knife to a gunfight but it handled the fatties like a champ.
I also got to fish with a beautiful Winston BIIIx built for me by the great Steve Van Winkle aka Shopkeeper Rods aka Reverend Struble. My first trout on a Winston ever and a total dream of a 905 western trout rod if there ever was one.
Fall color in the southern Rockies is just coming in. We had a spectacular drive on the Million Dollar Highway, 550 from Durango to Ouray to Ridgway (fun visit to Rig’s Fly Shop, highly recommend), and back.
Fall is a special season, especially in Durango.