Tis the Season… Finally!!!

CARE & Fishing Report, New Donor Drive, & Much More... July 11th 2019

Tis the Season to be fishing! Hope you all had a Fun & Safe July 4th Holiday.

What a strange contrast between 2018 & 2019.  We had one of the worst droughts in recorded history in 2018.  This year we have the highest water & snowpack since I’ve been here. Extreme flooding with high, cold, muddy waters till just a few days ago. We’re getting more and more hatches and insect activity, and safer more fishable conditions all around the area. It is on!

​Fishing Report:
We did a quick scouting float trip down the San Juan Proper below town (Mesa Canyon/Bass Ranch) when it started to get close to fishable levels.  It’s a little over 1000 CFS and fairly good color. It was a quick trip but good fishing and is improving daily. Nymph rigs and streamer fishing produced best. There are some PMD’s & PED’s and their spinners on the river and a few fish were eating dries in the back eddies. The dry fly fishing has continued to improve as the flows subside and the water clears more and more each day. Within the last few days we have booked up all this week and most all of next week’s available float trips. We only have Tuesday 7/16 & Friday 7/19 for float trips, with the possibility of the weekend if it holds past Fri. We do have our regularly scheduled Monsoons forecasted everyday for the next two weeks so. Hopefully that will help keep the waters high enough for a while longer and we may be able to get some of you on floats trips the weekend of 7/19-21. That may be the end of the float trip season. Anyone interested in Float Trips it is most likely now or never for 2019 season. Please contact ASAP if interested.

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Finally got in the first guided wade trip with good conditions and excellent fishing this week. Oddly enough Salmonflies were all over the creek 6-8 weeks later than normal for those waters. Some caddis, PMD/PED’s and midges were hatching too. Dry fly and nymph fishing are both producing in some smaller streams higher up as they are starting to finally settle down and clear up.  Another Awesome Day with All Day Alison! One of our favorite flygals! 
Love this lady angler no matter what bruised, bloody, muddy, wet, cold, hot, knee surgeries, blisters she's in it for the long haul physically have to drag her off the water every trip. Great Day!

​Last but definitely not least… Had a group of the next generation learning the art of fly-fishing on our -W4 Ranch Lake. Amazing group of youngsters. 4-6-year-old kiddos caught on quickly. All making great casts and fishing well within minutes of instruction by our Professional Anglers. Love these kinds of trips! Fostering a love of our natural world and the outdoors in our youth. So much Fun! I wish the conditions and fishing were better. Each kid missed, rolled, hooked, snapped off, and caught fish.  The conditions were tough that day calm. Hot, bluebird sunny skies with murky water. Even with the head gate closed & backflow gate wide open for weeks, the river water that feeds the pond was still high. It was spilling over the head gate muddying up the lake. Now that the river is clearing up daily, so is the lake and fishing is getting better.

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Insect Activity/Hatches: 
Everything is a little behind average. We still have Salmonflies in the headwater creeks and upper reaches of the San Juan & Piedra Rivers. Some lower elevation sections of our local waters are getting to be a little closer to normal for this time of year with PMD’s/PED’s, a few species of Caddis, Yellow Sallies, and green drakes hatching.  Nymph and Streamer fishing is still most productive, especially in the lower reaches and larger rivers. Dry fly fishing is improving daily. ​

Weather Report:
As expected,  just as the snowpack run-off is starting to settle down, the weather decided not to. We are in our regular Monsoon cycle as normal.  Fortunately, it has not really affected the water flows or clarity too much. Other than the late start of the fishing opportunities, we couldn’t ask for a better year. Not only awesome fishing but also the recovery of our fisheries after a few low water drought years.  If it all stays the same as forecasted this should be a great season of full, cool streams and happy, healthy fish. The forecasts for the next two weeks are normal average for this time of year. Mid-high 80’s in the day & comfortable low 50’s at night around Pagosa Springs. Cooler up higher with possibilities of isolated rains and thunderstorms in the afternoon. 

Click Links Below for 2 week Local Weather Forecast & Climate Outlooks:
https://www.nws.noaa.gov/wtf/MapClick.php?CityName=Pagosa+Springs&state=CO&site=GJT&textField1=37.24&textField2=-107.03&e=0&lg=ep
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https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/814day/

We are getting booked up on Guided trips and everything is fishing better daily. Please keep a look out for more reports via this newsletter & blog posts. As always, follow us on Facebook & Instagram for the most up to date information posted almost every day. Thanks, Enjoy…

Charity Events on the Books so far for 2019:
At present we have 3 Veterans Charity Fishing Events already on schedule for 2019.

The Dark Horse Group, 5-6 Combat Marines who were the frontline in Fallujah, Iraq. These Marines are from all over the country. It is scheduled for Sept. 5th -9th 2019. **(With this group, any volunteers or donations, housing options, cooking/food, or money to help with travel expenses would be greatly appreciated.  Please feel free to contact me to discuss details, make donations, or to volunteer. Thank You!)**

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Group of Fort Hood, TX. 6 Veterans Scheduled for Sept. 18th -23rd, 2019. (PHWFF is a national nonprofit group we have worked with for 5-6 yrs). Prior to and after starting SWCO we hosted chapters from Dallas, Ft. Hood, & Colorado Springs over the years. *(Of course, any volunteers and/or donations are welcome and appreciated. Housing is already booked, but monetary, fishing gear, and/or food/cooks always welcome and helpful.)*

Patriot Anglers of N. TX & S. OK. 6-8 Disabled Combat Veterans scheduled for Oct. 21st -25th, 2019. This group is a nonprofit of disabled combat veterans from all around Northern Texas and Southern Oklahoma. We had worked with this group since their start as a PHWFF Chapter before branching out on their own. We hosted them on trips here at SWCO in 2017, 2018, as well as joining them in Texas, Oklahoma, other locals in Colorado for events, fundraisers and such. *(Of course, any volunteers and/or donations are welcome and appreciated housing is already booked, cooks & food already taken care of but monetary, or fishing gear always welcome and helpful.)*

*Anyone interested in volunteering &/or donating for any of our Charity Events please feel free to contact us anytime via telephone, email, or contact forms on our 2 websites. Those of you who may have a group interested in what SWCO can offer, feel free to contact us too. *

New or Renewing Donor Fishing Memberships: 

​Interested in #flyfishing #sacredwatersco or #fishing 🎣 in the @pagosasprings area all while Helping the Environment, Disabled Peoples, 🇺🇸 #veterans and #youth. Check out Sacred Waters CO, Inc. & Sacred Waters CO Charity Foundation. Donate, Join, receive Tax-Deductions, Free Gifts, and/Guided Fly-Fishing Trips on awesome waters with some of the best, most experienced Professional Anglers as your guides.

Donation amounts for 2017 Charter Donors are set for Life at the discounted rate if renewed annually as shown in your emails & member agreements/contracts packet that were mailed out with your Free Gifts. 
2017 Charter Donors that have not renewed annually will not get the 2017 discounts in the future.

For New/1st Time 2018 or 2019 Donors/Members their rate will be set for 3 years at discounted rates listed below. It is to your benefit to renew annually if we ever must raise the rates in the future.
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Thank You past & present Donors & Donor Fishing Members for making this all possible for the last 3 years… 

Discounted Rates for the late start of 2019: 
Rates for New Donor Levels for 2019:

Bronze Level #1: (Private Waters/Lands & Floats) Was $150.00. Now Only: $100.00 tax-deductible donation once annually to SWCO Foundation, Applicable Guide Fees Apply and less (-) $25.00 on total Guide Fee on Bronze Level Donor Trips for all your trips in 2019 up to December 31st of 2019.

 *(An Additional Discount -20% Off All Bronze Level Fees for Active Duty & Honorably Discharged US Military Members & Veterans with Military I.D. &/or DD-214 form.) *

Bronze Level #2: (Public Waters/Lands): Any donation amount of $25.00 or more tax-deductible donation once annually to SWCO Foundation and standard fair market Guide Trip fees per day/trip.

 *(An Additional Discount -15% Off All Bronze Level #2 Fees for Active Duty & Honorably Discharged US Military Members & Veterans with Military I.D. &/or DD-214 form.) *


Silver Level: Was $3500.00. Now Only: $3400.00, Less (-) $25.00 off for Guest Guide Fees for all trips in 2019. $2040.00 tax-deductible donation to SWCO Charity Foundation and $1360.00 Private Conservation Fly-fishing Club Membership fee to SWCO, Inc. 

Gold Level: Was $5500.00. Now Only: $5200.00, Less (-) $25.00 off for Guest/s Guide Fees per person per trip for all Trips in 2019. $3120.00 tax-deductible donation to SWCO Charity Foundation and $2080.00 Private Conservation Fly-fishing Club Membership fee to SWCO, Inc.

Platinum/Corporate Level: Was $10,000.00. Now Only: $9500.00. Less (-) $25.00 off for Guest/s Guide Fees per person per trip for all of 2019. $5700.00 tax-deductible donation to SWCO Charity Foundation and $3800.00 Private Conservation Fly-fishing Club Membership fee to SWCO, Inc. 

*(An Additional Discount -10% Off All Silver, Gold, & Platinum Level Fees for Active Duty & Honorably Discharged US Military Members & Veterans with Military I.D. &/or DD-214 form.) *

For more Details or to become a Donor Fishing Member please review SWCO Donor Contract, Rules, Regulations, and Procedures Booklet by Clicking this link or visiting our Join Us / Donate Pages.

*Please keep in mind if you do donate in 2019 this will also be your membership renewal level for up to 3 years if you consecutively renewed annually. *

(*After January 1st of 2020 all Donor Member Level Packages will go back up to Original Pricing, Guest/s Fees will also return to original pricing, and all level prices are subject to increase as we expand through the future. *)

Please​ review the FB & IG Social Media Pages and our Websites. I hope it can help show you all more easily and clearly the Efforts and Accomplishments SWCO has put forth with you and other donors’ generous donations. These Social Media Pages are updated with the most up to date need to information almost daily.

 Donate Today and help us protect our local fisheries and provide the healing benefits of outdoor therapy to as many people as possible. We can't really predict or control/change the weather, but we can provide the best fishing at the best times and protect our waters and fishes at the worst times. We can only accomplish this with your generous donations.


Thank You, Tight Lines;

Joseph Eichelberger   

Founder, President of Sacred Waters Co
Professional Angler, Custom Fly Tyer/Designer
Freelance Outdoors Writer, Photographer, & Fisheries Consultant

Contact Us:
​http://www.sacredwaters.co
http://www.sacred-waters.org 

(970)-444-2187
(970)731-1443

Sacred Waters CO, Inc. 
135 Country Center Dr F 166
Pagosa Springs, CO 81147

joe@sacredwaters.co
Sacred Waters CO Facebook
Sacred Waters CO Instagram 

(*Sacred Waters CO, Inc. 501(c)7 and Sacred Waters CO Foundation 501(c)3 Tax-Exempt Non-Profit Organizations are Equal Opportunity Employers and Service Providers working through Special Use Permits from USDA San Juan National Forest Pagosa District and the State of Colorado. Licensed/Permitted, Bonded & Insured Outfitter in Colorado #OUT.0003217 *)