Six months of planning fell apart in a matter of moments, leaving us with a choice. Force the original itinerary or throw it out entirely and see what southern Colorado had to offer. What followed was four days of almost entirely improvised fly fishing across the San Juan Mountains, where quick research, local rumors, and a little curiosity became our only real guide. With no reservations, no carefully mapped-out destinations, and very little time to prepare, Sam and I set out to make the most of a trip that almost never happened.
From remote mountain streams and sprawling river valleys to alpine lakes tucked high above the timberline, we spent four days exploring some of the most rugged country in the Southern Rockies. Along the way, we encountered wild brown trout, rainbow trout, alpine brook trout, and two remarkable native cutthroat trout lineages. Beyond the fishing, we dive into the fascinating history of the San Juan cutthroat trout, a fish once believed lost to history, and explore the complicated work of restoring native trout to Colorado’s watersheds.
This is a DIY fly fishing road trip through southern Colorado, filled with unexpected discoveries, questionable decisions, beautiful country, and the kind of fishing you can’t always plan for. Sometimes the best adventures aren’t the ones you’ve spent months preparing for, but the ones that happen when everything goes wrong. Welcome to the San Juan Mountains, and another FLY ALL SZN story.
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Research Links:
https://cpw.cvlcollections.org/items/show/544
https://cpw.state.co.us/species/colorado-river-cutthroat-trout
https://colorado-trout-unlimited.squarespace.com/blog/2018/9/extinct-no-more-cpw-discovers-remnant-san-juan-trout
https://fiveriverstu.org/san-juan-lineage-cutthroat
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13373317/
https://spl.cde.state.co.us/artemis/nrserials/nr141513internet/nr1415132022internet.pdf
https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/southwest-life/newly-discovered-trout-to-be-restored-in-wolf-creek-headwaters/
https://cpw.state.co.us/sites/default/files/dam/nctjj218hl/18.fishing_final_main.pdf
https://fishhabitat.org/images/files/projectlist2025.pdf
https://onland.westernlandowners.org/2026/stewardship-in-action/stream-restoration-on-the-knight-ranch-to-improve-san-juan-cutthroat-trout-habitat/
https://uppersanjuanwep.com/project/echo-ditch-infrastructure-improvement-project/
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd894634.pdf
https://sjma.org/explore/weminuche-wilderness/
https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10165545
https://www.durangoflyfishing.net/fishing-near-durango-colorado/fly-fishing-pine-river-los-pinos-colorado
https://thesanjuanangler.com/the-los-pinos-river/
https://www.usbr.gov/projects/index.php?id=383
https://fiveriverstu.org/hermosa-creek-restoration
https://swcoforests.org/portfolio-items/hermosa-creek-edna-sample-collection-and-stocking-of-native-cutthroat-trout-supporting-a-native-species-san-juan-national-forest/
https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/news/hermosa-creek-project-improves-habitat-for-cutthroat-trout/
https://www.the-journal.com/articles/colorado-cutthroat-restored-to-23-miles-of-hermosa-creek/
https://ocs.fortlewis.edu/riverprotection/pdf/Hermosa%20Creek%20WorkgroupFINALCOPYREVREVjune2010.pdf
https://hermes.cde.state.co.us/islandora/object/co%3A3397/datastream/OBJ/view
