Rio
Grande float trips
Animas Valley Anglers
offers float trips on the legendary Rio Grande River in the Creede and South
Fork Colorado areas. This is a larger river with mostly mellow waters making
it a comfortable float from the raft or drift boat. This river flows through
some incredible country and its simply a blast to fish with lots of fish to the
fly and massive insect hatches.
We
offer float trips on several sections of river near Creede,
Colorado. We float over 50 plus miles of the Rio. We are
one of the few outfitters who is legally permitted to guide
the upper Rio north of Creede. These sections include Texas
Creek, Rio Ox Bows, Hog Mountain, Rio Grande Campground,
Marshall Park, Antlers, Broad Acres, Deep Creek, Wason
Ranch, La Garita and Wagon Wheel Esates.
The
trout
On any given day an angler can expect to see several of the Rio's plentiful
mid-sized brown trout move to the fly. The average fish is around 14 inches
while fish in the 16 to 18 inch range are not uncommon. There are also some
very nice bows that live in the Rio. Check out Bob's Rio Grande rainbow.
The Rio does have some monsters lurking about, but this river is really about
the sheer number of fish to the fly. When the hatch is thick and the fish are
on, each angler can see well over 40 or 50 fish to the fly.
Do
you like casting dries? Good, because the Rio is primarily
a dry fly river, but the streamer fishing can be excellent
early and late season. There are a couple guides (mostly
Will) who fishes bass-style poppers when the Rio brownies
are high in the water column aggressively pounding streamers.
The
day
Many of our fishing guests will stay in
historic Creede Colorado. This small mining town
has not changed much in the past hundred years and
is the hub for most of our trips on the Rio. Most
guide days start around 8 and after we run the
shuttle, we fish from 8:30 or 9:30 to 4, 5 or 6 in
the evening. After a long day on the water we'll
clean
up and head for dinner at the Creede Hotel were Dave
Toole and his staff put on a five star meal. After
dinner some guests will turn in, while others like
to check out the Creede Repertory Theater or enjoy
spirits at one of the watering holes were tales of
the days fishing can be heard over a game of billiards.
The
season
The float season on
the Rio is in full swing by early June and can last
well into July. Of course this window depends largely
on the area snow pack and releases from 30 Mile Reservoir.
There are also early season float opportunities in
March and April. Early season fishing can be unpredictable
when it comes to weather, but the fishing with streamers
nymphs and poppers can be out of sight.
Getting
there
The Rio is 2 hours east of Durango. We meet our clients in Durango, South Fork,
Creede or Pagosa Springs and then head to the river. Often times we prefer
to meet in Creede or South Fork since we like to set up camp in the area while
the fishing is hot. We prefer to book our Rio Grande trips as a two day minimum
trip due to the distance of the river from our home-base in Durango. However,
if you only have one day and your dying to fish the Rio, it may be possible
for us to arrange a meet in that area and make it happen.
Booking
trips and lodging
This is an amazing place and dates fill up fast, so book know for the true
Colorado experience. There is plenty of lodging for our guests in and around
the Creede/South Fork area. Some have a bit more character than others so just
ask and we'll put you in touch with our favorites. Feeling lazy or too busy?
Let us book a place for you for a small additional fee. This is a fantastic
trip for any level of angling experience. |
