Stoner, CO 81360
Stoner Fly Fishing operates from the small community of Stoner in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, serving as the primary outfitter for one of Colorado's most scenic and underutilized trout fisheries — the Dolores River drainage. The Dolores River, fed by snowmelt from the San Juan Mountains above 10,000 feet and supplemented by the cold tailwater below McPhee Reservoir, supports excellent populations of wild brown and rainbow trout in a canyon setting of red sandstone walls, ponderosa pine forests, and near-total solitude compared to the more crowded northern Colorado fisheries. The operation covers everything from the tailwater section below McPhee to the wild upper Dolores and its tributaries threading through the Rico and Stoner areas.
The guide service specializes in both wade-fishing the pocket water of the upper Dolores and float-fishing the canyon sections through Box Canyon and Ponderosa Gorge during optimal spring and early summer flows. The staff possess an intimate knowledge of the Dolores's highly variable character — the river's fishing quality shifts dramatically with reservoir releases and seasonal runoff, and the shop's guides navigate that variability with experience accumulated over many seasons on the same water. Fly selection focuses on the attractor dry flies, stonefly nymphs, and streamers that dominate the San Juan Mountains' high-desert rivers, and the shop's tying materials section caters to the serious tiers who make up a significant portion of the Dolores fishing community.
Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout
Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout
Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout
Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout
Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout
“The Dolores River is everything that's good about Colorado fly fishing without the crowds that have made places like Cheesman Canyon nearly unworkable on weekends. Our guide had intimate knowledge of the canyon sections and put us into multiple runs that held stacked brown trout. The red rock canyon scenery is extraordinary and the fishing matched it. This operation knows their river.”
“Southwestern Colorado is underrated for fly fishing and this shop is why. Booked a full-day float through the lower canyon and it was one of the finest drift boat days I've had in the state. Big brown trout, gorgeous canyon walls, attentive guide who knew every transition and feeding lane. The shop had us rigged perfectly before we launched.”
“Excellent local guide service for the Dolores drainage. The staff understand that this river fishes differently depending on McPhee releases and seasonal conditions, and they're upfront about what to expect on any given day. I appreciated the honesty — they suggested we fish a tributary instead of the main stem on a high-water day and it was the right call. Good guides, beautiful country.”
