Learn from some of the best in Colorado!

Private Water

Ski & Bow partners with local landowners to provide some of the finest fishing opportunities in southwest Colorado. We lease more than five miles of private water on the upper San Juan River; this stretch offers a variety of both natural and man-made structure, giving anglers an opportunity to catch trophy rainbows, browns, & cutthroats, Spring through Fall! We also lease several private ponds, perfect for beginners and still-water junkies alike. These ponds are typically ice-free from late March through late November, and provide ample opportunities for catching bows, browns, & brookies in the 20-24" range. *These trips fill up fast!

San Juan National Forest

Ski & Bow is permitted to guide some of the best public waters in the SJNF, the largest national forest in Colorado. It boasts a wide variety of fishing opportunities, from small creeks brimming with eager 6-14" wild trout, to larger streams home to trophy fish over 20". Clients will have a chance of catching the "Colorado Grand Slam" - rainbow, brook, brown, & cutthroat trout in a single day. Many of these fisheries are easily accessible by vehicle, but there are also some excellent options for the more adventurous anglers who are looking to push into the backcountry.

San Juan River, Pagosa Springs, CO

The San Juan River in downtown Pagosa Springs consists of two miles of public water with lots of habitat restoration work and a great pool-to-pool ratio. You can expect to hook rainbows & browns averaging 12"-20" with good numbers of wild & holdover fish mixed in. A few 10-15lb. fish are caught each year in the downtown stretch. While this river sees more angling pressure during the summer months, it can still be an excellent option for anglers with limited mobility or those who are short on time. Plus, it is one of the few rivers in the area that is fishable year-round!

Yeah, we know. "Ski and Bow Rack" doesn't exactly sound like the full service fly shop that it is. But don't panic. Name or not, we've got you covered for all your fishing needs in the beautiful San Juan Mountains. Certainly, there's a whole lot of fishable water here. So where do you start? Ha. At the Ski and Bow Rack, of course!

We've got up-to-date fishing reports color-coded to the fly bins for a quick, at-a-glance pickup of the flies hatching in the area. And if you want to spend some time talking with our friendly, helpful guides, they'll happily talk your ear off about where to fish, what to use, and the latest and greatest gear we have in the shop.

Not a fly-fisherman? Got your back, too. Our selection of spinning rods, reels, and lures for trout are second to none in the area--and we know just how to target trout throughout the year. Perhaps you've found that trout, while they're nice and all, aren't really your cup of southern sweet tea and it's time to get back to a baitcaster, slopping frogs over the weeds for Largemouth, don't scramble back home just yet. We have some of the best Largemouth and Smallmouth fishing in Colorado right out our back doors and we have the equipment to get you on them.

From St. Croix casting rods, and Shimano and Lew's baitcasting reels, to crankbaits, spooks, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, swimbaits, hair jigs, and a whole host of plastic baits, our bass offerings are like nothing else around.

And if you happen to hail from the midwest and feel like ice-fishing in NICE weather, get ready to have an experience on the ice like never before, but stop in to get the latest 13 Fishing, ice combos, jig heads, and finesse plastics first. Then go fish in a t-shirt. You'd never know you could ice fish without an expensive shelter so comfortably.

What this all really boils down to is that if you like to fish (doesn't really matter how--unless you're of the dynamite camp), don't you dare drive by without stopping (imagine your grandfather wagging his finger at you when we say that; it'll help).

13 Fishing, Anglers Accessories, Beaulah Rods, Berkley, Black's Flies, Blue Fox, Bosstin, Daiwa, Echo, Gamakatsu, Heddon, Kastmaster, Lew's, Loon, Luhr Jensen, Orvis, P-Line, Pacific Fly, Panther Martin, Power Pro, R.L.Winston Rods, Rapala, Rebel, Rooster Tail, Ross Reels USA, Scientific Anglers, Seaguar, Shakespeare, Shimano, SIMMS, Solitude Fly, St. Criox, The MEASURE NET, Trout Hunter, WilletteWorks, Z-Ray, Zebco, Zoom and many others.

Stay up to date on all the local fishing activity by coming into the shop or calling us at 970-264-2370.

For information regarding guided fly fishing trips and fly fishing classes, click the links below.