The Sandstone Anglers Journal
Fall 2004 Edition

Fantastic fall fishing is here again!

Hello and welcome to the Fall 2004 edition of the Sandstone Anglers Journal. The Sandstone Anglers Journal is a quarterly newsletter that features news and techniques for fishing one of the greatest rivers in the world, the San Juan.
For those of you who are new to Sandstone Anglers Inc., we are a guide service and outfitter on the San Juan River in northwest corner of New Mexico. We offer guides, lodging packages, schools and flies for the San Juan. We have been featured on ESPN2 “Wal-Marts Great Outdoors” and will be featured in OLN’s “Fly Fish Television” early in 2005.
If you’re unfamiliar with the San Juan, our river has more than 10,000 fish per mile that average 2-4 pounds. It was named number one in the southwest by Field and Stream magazine in it’s “Top 25 fishing spots in the US”. The San Juan is also fish-able 365 days a year in the mild New Mexico climate.
The fall is a fantastic time to fish the San Juan. Starting about mid September and continuing through November, fall in this part of the country comes slowly. The weather slowly changing as the daylight gets shorter. Leaves slowly turning color and staying a little longer. But the fishing does the exact opposite, it gets better. Down right hot!
September starts out with traditionally warm weather, but change is in the air. The hatches in September really get the fish excited, as the cooler air arrives. Baetis mayflies love the cool weather of fall, and this hatch really gets going in September. The hatch continues to be great through the last weeks of November and even into the winter months.
Midges are always a staple on the San Juan, and the fall is no exception. October and November really sees a tremendous hatch of a large variety of midges. During these months, especially on overcast days, you can dry fly fish all day long. With midges in the morning and mayflies in the afternoon. Granted these fish are challenging for most fishermen, but they will still rise all day long.
Fall is also when are fish start to prepare for spawning. All the fish in the river , Rainbows and Browns, will start to spawn during the fall and continues through the winter. The fish use the abundant fall hatches to bulk up for the rigors of spawning. This is a great time to see the big fish on the prowl!
Speaking of seeing big fish, the fall is wonderful time to stalk fish feeding in shallow water. Sight fishing as well as dry fly fishing is our specialty at Sandstone Anglers. While other guide services row you around and around in the Texas Hole, we will do our best to sight fish any chance we get. There is nothing more fun than seeing 3+ pound rainbows feeding on tiny midges, and watch him eat your fly!
Fall weather can be unpredictable, so take our advice and be prepared. September should see day time temps in the 60’s to 80’s and lows in the 40’s to 50’s, with about a 10 degree change per month. We are at 5700 feet above sea level, so weather can change in a hurry. Dress in layers, and avoid cotton whenever possible. Polyester and fleece are good choices. Sunscreen is a must, even in the winter, with 30+spf a good choice.
Fall fishing on the San Juan is about as good as it gets. If you haven’t fished here in the fall, you’re missing some wonderful things. The beautiful scenery, abundant wildlife, as well as some of the best fly fishing for trout in the US. You owe it to yourself to fish the San Juan during the fall, you won’t regret it!

Tav’s Trout Lines “Try not to be a Drag”

Fishing the San Juan requires a different approach than on most streams. While it is very important to get a drag free presentation on a lot of streams, it can really make a difference here. Much of our fishing occurs on slow moving waters, much like spring creeks. And while it may appear that the surface is just moving at the same rate of speed, in most cases there is a multitude of different speeds of current. These different speeds of current require what I would call more “line manipulation” more so than an actual mend.
When fishing slower moving water an angler needs to be patient. There is no need to rush right out and throw a big upstream mend like you would need in faster moving waters. Give the line a chance to show you what you need to do. In some cases you might not need to mend at all, or even mend downstream, the line will show you what to do.
When you make a cast on the water, watch what happens to the line and leader versus the indicator or fly. Usually the first cast I make into a likely looking run or hole I simply watch the entire line I have from the rod tip to the indicator/fly as it floats downstream. I will see one of the following three things: either the line will move to the right of the indicator/fly, or to the left or it will become more of an “s” shape, going in both directions. At any rate the mend or manipulation is opposite of what the line does.
What you will see in most cases in slower water is the “s” shape in your line. This is where the line manipulation occurs. What is happening are multiple speeds of current, and so multiple loops are forming in your line, which in turn means drag. You must treat loops in your line as a potential point of drag, so instead of mending the whole line, I will mend each loop that is formed. Manipulating your line so that the top water currents are not pulling the flies.
In many cases you may simply need to lift some of the slack of the water by elevating the rod that can prevent the line closest to you from creating drag. Quite often the line that is closest to the fishermen that causes drag, usually due to slower currents that lie between you and the flies. Be flexible to moving the rod either up or down to not only mend but control slack.
This may sound difficult to do but with a little practice it can be easily mastered. You must first get out of making a mend as soon as possible, which is what most fishermen get programmed to do. Be more observant, and not just stare at the indicator/flies. This is a lot harder to do than most people think! Take the whole picture in, watching everything from the tip of your rod to the end of the line.
This situation can also occur while fishing faster water. Obstructions under the surface can cause different speeds of currents. You may have to manipulate your line under these circumstances, but once the fly gets close to the depth your trying to fish(when nymph fishing), you’ll probably have an upstream mend. In this situation it once again pays to be patient and observe what is happening with your line.
One may think that with the numbers of fish we have on the San Juan that presentation wouldn’t be that important. I can tell you from experience that it can make the difference between 5 fish a day and 25-30 fish a day. And there is a lot more to presentation than just mending. Practice these techniques the next time out and see if you don’t hook more fish. Good Luck and Tight Lines!

New for 2005

This coming year Sandstone Anglers, Inc. will be offering a fly fish/golf package based in Aztec. The fishing is of course on the San Juan River and the golf is at the famous Pinon Hill Golf Course in Farmington.
Package # 1 includes three nights lodging at the Step Back Inn in Aztec, dinners at local restaurants. At Pinon Hills you will get one free small bucket of range balls per person, green fees and cart, lunch and your guide/caddie to help club you and read the greens, as well as pick you up and drop you off at your hotel. Your guide will also show you the best fishing in the Southwest, the San Juan River, on either a wade or a float, your choice. With everything but waders supplied. Package # 2 is more of the same, four nights lodging and dinners one day of golf and two days of guided fishing. These packages can be tailored to fit any ones needs.
Pinon Hills is one of the top rated public course in the nation. It was #57 this year in Golf Magazine’s “Top 100 courses you can play for 2004-2005” and was # 6 on the ‘Top 50 for under $50 dollars” in the same issue. It offers the golfer wonderful views, plenty of wildlife as well as championship golf. This 7200+ yard Ken Dye layout is considered one of the finest challenges in the Southwest. The rolling hills, sandstone bluffs and pinon, juniper and cedar lined fairways are a must play for any one who enjoys the game of golf.
If you enjoy golfing and fly fishing there is no finer place to do both than here in the Four Corners of New Mexico. Many of you who enjoy both have probably fished the San Juan and not brought your clubs. Here’s a chance to check out the best of both worlds. Package # 1 is $425 a person and package # 2 is $625 a person based on double occupancy. Call our toll free number, 888-339-9789, and let Sandstone Anglers show you the best vacation ever!