The San Miguel starts above Telluride and works it’s way through the town and out west before it drains into the Dolores River.  It holds some ample fishing opportunities for both the beginner angler and the expert.  You can catch all four kinds of trout in these waters and fish are small with the occasional larger trout being found amongst the eager trout.  There is a good mix of techinical water and easy access.  The river is filled with caddis and stoneflies making the fish willing to eat nymphs and dries with only a little encouragement.  The river is gorgeous and flows right through the town of Telluride making it a great place to fish while in the area.  It’s fishable from late March to October most years making it possible to ski and fly fish in the same day.  With the opportunity to cast and shred in the same day plus find some sizeable fish, this is a great destination for any angler.

When I fished the San Miguel and its forks and feeder creeks making my way around the san juans the river was running a bit higher than optimal and I was only able to fish the pocket water on the edges of the river.  I did catch the grand slam from behind 1 rock euro nymphing in about 8 casts.  It showed me there are a lot of trout in that river and if I came back a month later I’d be in some prime dry fly fishing opportunities.  I fished further upstream near and around Telluride and it was better fishing. The high water is better in the meadow section just below telluride vs the canyon off Hwy 145.  If you’re in the area, I would not overlook an afternoon or morning on this river as it’s a lot of fun and hosts many trout of varying sizes and species.  If you like catching variety, you’re gonna like this river.