Blog
Animas River – Gold Medal Designation
July 29, 2021
One of only 14 waters in the state of Colorado with Gold Medal designation and it flows only two blocks from Duranglers shop. Gold Medal waters are those offering the greatest potential for trophy trout fishing.
A great population of rainbows, huge predatory brown trout, and great water make this river a pleasure to fish.
Cream Midge Larva Variant – Duranglers
May 26, 2021
Cream Midge Larva Variant Tying Tutorial – This Fly Catches Fish
The cream midge larva was probably one of the first truly “Colorado” flies I learned about when I moved here in 2002. Coming from the world of midwest fly fishing, my familiarity with tying and fishing small bugs was limited to the Brassies and Griffith Gnats. Not that midges weren’t a primary food source on the spring creeks of the Driftless region in Iowa, but few anglers that I interacted with ever took a deep dive into representing and fishing them well.
After I moved to Denver for college and began to fish and learn about many of the Front Range tailwaters, a fly that often got mentioned from guide and angler friends alike was the Cream Midge Larva. Essentially a midge with a white abdomen and a black thorax, tied in a variety of ways with dubbings, threads, and even flash. The materials to me ended up not being important as I quickly came to realize the effectiveness of this pattern was in its contrast: black and white.
Around the same time, I picked up the book Tying Small Flies by Ed Engle, which hammered home the importance of profile in small flies. In the end, I settled on tying and fishing a thread midge with a slim profile: white, tan, or light grey thread for the abdomen and black thread for the thorax and head. Tied on a curved pupa hook in 20-26, this fly became a staple pattern for me (and still is).
Once I moved to the southwest corner of this wonderful state and began fishing the Animas and San Juan Rivers, it became apparent that some midge hatches don’t always call for the smallest hook you can find. All winter long, the Animas boasts midge hatches of bugs in the 16-20 size range, while the San Juan River has a great spring hatch of what we call gorilla midges. These gorilla midges come off in droves and are often represented on hook sizes 18-22, forsaking the typically tiny San Juan fare of 26-30s. A larger Cream Midge Larva design was in order.
I like tying the Cream Midge Larva Variant for the Animas a little slender but often build up the body a little bit more in the springtime when fishing the San Juan. Very often “thin to win” is the mantra, but for this bug in the springtime, beef it up just a touch. 70D or 8/0 thread is my favorite of choice to build up a little bulk. A little bulk, but don’t go to overboard.
Tie a few of the Cream Midge Larva variant with a white, tan, or grey abdomen. I would also tie a few without flash as well for spookier fish. I have found the Fulling Mill Czech Nymph Hook in size 20 to be about my favorite hook when tying these larger midges.
Duranglers Spring 2021 Virtual Fly Fishing Festival – Durango CO
April 9, 2021
duranglers-spring-2021-virtual-fly-fishing-festival
It’s coming… with a little different program this year, our annual fly fishing fest is going online and live with the Duranglers Spring 2021 Virtual Fly Fishing Festival! This time, we will be celebrating with a FULL WEEK of live streaming events, clinics, interviews, seminars, and of course…gear giveaways.
We will be kicking off our fest on April 5th and running through April 10th! Mark your calendars and plan to tune in to YouTube for daily videos and a 5pm live stream each weeknight, and get yourself prepared with new knowledge, techniques, fun, conservation, fly tying, and as always a healthy dose of gear giveaways.
Teaming up with our friends and partners from Sage, Rio, Simms, Patagonia, Orvis, Scientific Anglers, Ross Reels, Fishpond, Redington, Fulling Mill, Trout Unlimited, RepYourWater, G. Loomis, and Loon; we have a full week of videos we will be uploading as well as LIVESTREAMING where you can tune in, learn a few things, ask some questions, and get ready for the season.
We will also be giving away great gear from all our friends and partners. You will be able to sign up for our gear drawing giveaways from the 5th through the 10th (one entry per day) on any of our YouTube Fest videos or Fest Livestreams (signup links are in the video details). You will also get additional drawing entries into the pot with every $50 you spend in-store or online throughout our fest week.
Prize drawings will be held on YouTube and Instagram live on Saturday the 10th after our presentation. Winners will be announced live, but will also be contacted via phone or e-mail…so you don’t have to be present to win.
Sign up for a reminder for each of our live stream Fest videos on our YouTube channel!
Hollow Tie / Engler’s Pike Fly
February 23, 2021
Tying the Hollow Tie Engler Pike Fly – Pike Fly Tying Tutorial
Engler’s Pike fly is one of our all-time favorite pike flies developed by Duranglers guide and boat captain, Mark Engler. This is not that fly. This is the hollow tie variation. Little has been published of the original Engler Pike Fly, perhaps this is by design. Perhaps, there will be someday.
In the meantime, the hollow tie variation comes from the mind of Duranglers shop manager Rob Schmidt. With an east coast striped bass background, Rob has put his hollow tie spin on this classic pike catcher for when a larger profile and water-pushing ability is called for. Tie a few of these up in your favorite colors for this spring!
Duranglers Flies and Supplies
923 Main Ave.
Durango, CO 81301
(970) 385-4081
(888) 347-4346 (FISH DGO)
info@duranglers.com
Hello world!
June 30, 2020
We are excited to present you with current information related to water enhanced property in Southwest Colorado!