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. 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.
Our Guide Program
We offer guided floats upstream of Creede and our lowest take-out is all the way downstream near Del Norte. We are one of a small handful of outfitters who are permitted to guide the upper Rio above Creede. We have nearly 60 miles of river to guide with our daily float distance ranging from six to a whopping 25 miles depending on flows. How do we pick a section with so many miles of river? Rio Epic guides are on the water every day during "Go Time!" and have post trip meetings every evening to help plan out the next day. Our focus is getting you on the best waters each day.
What to Expect
What makers the Rio so amazing is the action. Anglers make repeated casts to the banks and pockets hoping for an eager trout to blow-up your fly. The takes and action can be truly epic. We guide out of the comfort of our drift boats or decked-out rafts.
The Day
Most guide days start around 8 to 9 AM. Since there is very limited shuttle services (how we get trucks and trailers to the end location of the float) we typically ask the guests to help with the shuttle. To streamline the process the guides will drop off the boats at the put-in before meeting guests. Then rally down to meet the guests. Guest follow the guide to the take-out where our trucks and empty trailers will be waiting at the end of the day. We then jump in with the guests and head back up to the awaiting boats. When shuttles are available we will utilize them. Depending on when we launch we fish all day till 4 to 6 in the evening.
The Season
The float season on the Rio typically starts in April and can last into October. The dry fly season is in full swing by early June and can last well into July and August. Early season fishing can be unpredictable when it comes to weather, but fishing with streamers, nymphs and poppers can be crazy good! The float window for the Rio depends largely on the area snow pack and releases from 30 Mile Reservoir.
Getting There
The Rio is a little less than 2 hours east of Durango near Southfork Colorado. Many of our guide trips meet and fish near Creede that is located about 25 minutes upstream of Southfork. Some guests drive up from Sante Fe or drop down from Denver and other northern Colorado towns. We meet our clients in Durango, South Fork, Creede or Pagosa Springs. Meet locations during June and July will be based in Creede and Southfork.
Bookings
This is an amazing fishery and our guide trips fill up fast, especially during the peak float/hatch window of mid June to early July. And remember, shhhhhhh the fishing can be fantastic before and after that window. We do prefer to book our Rio Grande trips as consecutive days but if you only have one day to fish not a worry, we can make it happen.
Where to stay?
Many of our fishing guests will stay in or around Creede Colorado. There are small hotels, B & Bs, ranches, VRBOs and cabins. Some guests will also stay in Southfork. It is located downstream about 28 miles from Creede.
