The Animas River is falling, and fishing is picking up on the iconic, free-flowing river that runs through Durango.
The Gold Medal Water fly-fishing sections of the Animas are producing large brown and rainbow trout. The river is running around 800 cubic feet per second and falling.
Sculpin streamers are the best way to catch big brown trout. Caddis are the best bet in the evenings, while pale morning duns have been effective in the early morning hours. Fishing is slow in the middle hours of the day, with warm water temperatures sending the fish for hiding spots.
Fishing is open south of 32nd Street down to Rivera Bridge to those with a Colorado fishing license. Below Rivera Bridge, there are several great holes running along La Posta Road, but a Southern Ute Tribal permit is required.
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The native trout restoration project will continue near Durango, as Colorado Parks and Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service and Tout Unlimited aim to restore the native Colorado river cutthroat population.
Work is being done at Hermosa Creek 30 miles north of Durango. The project has continued since 1992 when it began on the East Fork of Hermosa Creek. Cutthroat trout now thrive in the area.
The work includes building rock barriers to prevent non-native trout from migrating into the restored sections of the stream. According to a news release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the project should be complete by 2018.
Crews will begin to apply organic piscicide to a two-mile long section of East Hermosa Creek below Sig Creek Falls from Aug. 4-5. The piscicide is used to eliminate non-native fish species, including brook trout. The piscicide poses no threat to terrestrial wildlife or humans. It produces a rust-like color that may be noticed downstream.
Work also will be done on sections of Relay Creek and Sig Creek. The work areas will be closed to the public during operation. Signs will mark the closed areas.
Anglers will have full access to Hermosa Creek and the upper section of East Hermosa Creek. Cutthroats caught must be released.
“This project is widely important because it connects several streams in a large, complex watershed,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s aquatic biologist Jim White said in a news release. “The connectivity provides what biologists call ‘resiliency’ to the system. There are more stream miles available to the fish, which allows for more genetic exchange. It also makes the fish less susceptible to disease and to large sedimentation evens such as fires, mudslides or avalanches.”
