Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Thursday November 19, 2009

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at 100thmeridian.org.

Pecos River 30 cfs below Terrero; Slow to Fair
The upper Pecos is fishing fairly well if your willing to go small and throw nymphs. These fish aren't the gullible ones of early summer. Use fluorocarbon tippets and fish small baetis nymphs and midges. Yes, take your San Jaun box to the Pecos. Dalton and Windy Bridge have warmer water and are fishing better than most of the river upstream. Best times are from 11 am to 4 pm. Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

San Juan River 475 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Fish midges upstream from the upper flats to the cable hole. The upper flats has good sight fishing with midges most of the day. Size 24 to 26 for the midges and size 20-22 for the baetis in an olive or gray, RS2's, johnny flash, or foam wings. If you are willing to change frequently, the fish will eat. Time to go to the small stuff and 6X or even 7X fluorocarbon tippets. Bunny leech type streamers in the deeper runs can be incredible. There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st of 2008. Also, the Special Trout Water section is all no kill as of September 15th. If you see someone in violation, turn them into Game and Fish. Officers have been checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!

Rio Grande 129 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 371 cfs at Pilar; Good for pike, Good for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is somewhat clear at 3 feet of visibility. For trout, show them a crane fly larvae, stonelfy nymphs, or work streamers around structure. If you see some brown trout paired up or see a redd, please avoid them. A redd is their spawning bed and is marked by an area of clean gravel compared to the rest of the stream, and can usually be found in the tailouts. The low flows we are currently seeing should make casting to pike alot easier. Pike hunt by feel and they'll take large streamers that move water regardless of water clarity, just be sure to cover the water thoroughly. Cover the deep, slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.

Cimarron River .11 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Slow to Fair
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. The release is near ZERO and fishing is slow. Once again, I'll say it, but it needs to be said to the right people and by more people. This is a river that can offer year round angling and is a big economic draw for this part of New Mexico. WE NEED YEAR ROUND INSTREAM FLOWS! As winter progresses, fishing will slow even more and you'll have top go elsewhere. The lower river is more open and downstream of a few small tributaries and can offer easier casting and more water than the brushy stuff on the upper end. Midges are in the bug in the biggest numbers. Flies for the Cimarron are scuds, hares ear nymphs, miracle nymphs, UV midge emergers, and BLM's.

Jemez Mountain Streams 30 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
The lower streams like the East Fork above Battleship Rock and the main stem Jemez have more water and are fishing well from mid-day on. Forest Road 376 is closed limiting access on the Guadalupe.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 59 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair to Good: 150 cfs below El Vado Dam; Good: and 178 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Fair to Good
I hoping that major releases are done out of both dams. We should be in stable winter flows and therefore better fishing. I'd still check the flows before you make that drive to one of the tailwaters. The fishing is good below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. The release out of Abiquiu is also down and fishing is good. Baetis nymphs, midges, and crane fly larva are the usual flies for the Chama below Abiquiu. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The tailwater sections usually fish best below 300 cfs. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 7.9 cfs below Platoro, 52 cfs at Mogote; Fair to Good
November 12, 2009. "Did a guide trip a couple of days ago with a never ever and even he caught fish! On days where the water temps bump fish are eating hard. Most days water temps are reaching 42 degrees or so but the fish now are in almost complete solitude. I will try a few more times to land one of the fish I have seen in the 25 to 30" that have been haunting me. Some days you can tell yourself "OK today I am not even going to make a cast until I see a really large fish to cast to!" Well a couple of hours later I had only seen a few fish and they were not large and my timeframe for screwing around was coming to an end fast and I end up making a few casts to some of the smaller fish and land a few fat healthy fish in the 14" to 17" range and end the day never making "that cast". Later in the day Tr0y tells me they came out after I left!!!!!!!!!!!!! That he had hooked a couple fish in the 24 or 25" range!! Yahhhhh! Anyway today it is snowing and cold and maybe a day when a guy should be out there but a Ski Parka with thick gloves may be required which begs you at 43 to ask is "Maybe another cup of coffee and actually working today would b a better call???!" Anyway the Culebra, Wild Trout Waters of the Rio, the Red, The Taos, and Pike just east of us are on the agenda for the next month. Thursday Frank Smethurst and Cody are coming from Scott rods and Frank is dying to put his new Boulder Boat Works boat in the water and float the Rio just east of us for big Pike. As always he never listens to me about not enough water or maybe there is a better section. So you can bet we will be out there flailing 8 weight rods around on thursday and as usual having a great time and hoping I was wrong!" Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report.

Arkansas River 330 cfs at Granite; Slow to Fair: 496 cfs at Salida; Fair to Good
The release out of Twin Lakes is up, limiting your wading, however fishing is good near Salida. The brown trout spawn is mostly done and fish are holding in their winter lies in the deeper pools. They tend to feed harder with the warmer weather, and seem to be rather selective. Big stone fly nymphs with a size 20 black midge pupa has been the most productive set up.

Animas River 180 cfs at Durango; Fair to Good
The Animas is fairly clear and fishing well. A weighted nymphs with a trailing midge or pheasant tail drifted and swung along the banks will pick up some fish. Some good streamer fishing early morning or at dusk.


Please see our announcements page for more news and upcoming events!

Call us at the shop for conditions on waters not listed here. 888-988-7688 out of Santa Fe or 988-7688 in Santa Fe.

It's late summer in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions change frequently! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.

For the most current stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Saturday November 7, 2009

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at 100thmeridian.org.

Pecos River 42 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good
The Pecos is fishing fairly well if your willing to go small and throw nymphs. These fish aren't the gullible ones of early summer. Use fluorocarbon tippets and fish small baetis nymphs and midges. Yes, take your San Jaun box to the Pecos. Dalton and Windy Bridge have warmer water and are fishing better than most of the river upstream. Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

San Juan River 487 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Fish midges upstream from the upper flats to the cable hole. The upper flats has good sight fishing with midges all day. Size 24 to 26 for the midges and size 20-22 for the baetis in an olive or gray, RS2's, johnny flash, or foam wings. If you are willing to go small, the fish will eat. Time to go to the small stuff and 6X or even 7X fluorocarbon tippets. Bunny leech type streamers in the deeper runs can be incredible. There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st of 2008. Also, the Special Trout Water section is all no kill as of September 15th. If you see someone in violation, turn them into Game and Fish. Officers have been checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!

Rio Grande 188 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 405 cfs at Pilar; Good for pike, Good for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is somewhat clear at 3 feet of visibility. For trout, show them a crane fly larvae, stonelfy nymph, or work streamers around structure. If you see some brown trout paired up or see a redd, please avoid them. A redd is their spawning bed and is marked by an area of clean gravel compared to the rest of the stream, and can usually be found in the tailouts. The low flows we are currently seeing should make casting to pike alot easier. Pike hunt by feel and they'll take large streamers that move water regardless of water clarity, just be sure to cover the water thoroughly. Cover the deep, slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike. The Del Norte Canal in Colorado has had a reduction in flow and we should see anothe 100 cfs in the river this weekend.

Cimarron River 26 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Very Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. The release is near perfect and fishing is good. The lower river is more open and can offer easier casting than the brushy stuff on the upper end. Midges are in the bug in the biggest numbers. Flies for the Cimarron are scuds, hares ear nymphs, miracle nymphs, UV midge emergers, and BLM's.

Jemez Mountain Streams 27 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
The lower streams like the East Fork above Battleship Rock and the main stem Jemez have more water and are fishing well from mid-day on. Forest Road 376 is scheduled to close on November 15th, limiting access on the Guadalupe.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair: 51 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair to Good: 150 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 182 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Fair to Good
I hoping that major releases are done out of both dams. We should be in stable winter flows and therefore better fishing. I'd still check the flows before you make that drive to one of the tailwaters. The fishing is good below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. The release out of Abiquiu is also down and fishing is good. Baetis nymphs, midges, and crane fly larva are the usual flies for the Chama below Abiquiu. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The tailwater sections usually fish best below 300 cfs. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 58 cfs below Platoro, 124 cfs at Mogote; Fair to Good
November 3, 2009. "The beautiful October that never showed up is now here. Spent some time up high today and the fish were eating hard. Some very large fish now exposed by the lower water and relaxed by the absense of people are showing themselves. The long range weather looks great and the water temps that were so low last week are now bumping nicely. The high water temp today was 43.1 and the high temp was 62. Cant make a November any better than that. Some fish eating dries but mostly nymphing and expect to fish some small midge stuff behind an attractor bigger nymph. As long as the weather stays nice and the water temps dont drop back to 33 for long time it will be good. Very weird to feel like you and Troy and maybe another or so have an entire drainage to yourself. The Pike fishing (on the Rio Grande east of Antonito) in this weather is also very good so a few options." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report.

Arkansas River 142 cfs at Granite; Fair to Good: 345 cfs at Salida; Fair to Good
The brown trout spawn is mostly done and fish are holding in theire winter lies in the deeper pools. They tend to feed harder with the warmer weather, and seem to be rather selective. Big stone fly nymphs with a size 20 black midge pupa has been the most productive set up. Warmer weather has also melted some of the lower elevation snows around Salida and adds some color to the river.

Animas River 181 cfs at Durango; Fair to Good
The Animas is fairly clear and fishing well. A weighted nymphs with a trailing midge or pheasant tail drifted and swung along the banks will pick up some fish. Some good streamer fishing early morning or at dusk.


Please see our announcements page for more news and upcoming events!

Call us at the shop for conditions on waters not listed here. 888-988-7688 out of Santa Fe or 988-7688 in Santa Fe.

It's late summer in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions change frequently! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.

For the most current stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Monday October 12, 2009

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at 100thmeridian.org.

Pecos River 37 cfs below Terrero; Good
The Pecos is fishing fairly well with a few hatches of Blue Winged Olives and small caddis. Fishing is slow until mid-day, and dry dropper rigs work better than dries during that period. Fish the riffled water, pocket water, and places where the water is deeper. These fish aren't the gullible ones of early summer. Use fluorocarbon tippets and fish small baetis nymphs and midges. Yes, take your San Jaun box to the Pecos. Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

San Juan River 645 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
In order to maintain sufficient flows in the critical reach habitat for native fishes downstream of Farmington, the release was increased out of Navajo Dam. No word on how long we'll see the higher flows so take advantage of this. Fish cream, gray, or olive midge emergers and larvae in the morning below Texas Hole, then switch to baetis from lunch time til 5:00 pm. Fish midges upstream from the upper flats to the cable hole. The upper flats has good sight fishing with midges all day. Size 24 to 26 for the midges and size 20-22 for the baetis in an olive or gray, RS2's, johnny flash, or foam wings. If you are willing to go small, the fish will eat. Time to go to the small stuff and 6X or even 7X fluorocarbon tippets. Bunny leech type streamers in the deeper runs can be incredible. There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st of 2008. Also, the Special Trout Water section is all no kill as of September 15th. If you see someone in violation, turn them into Game and Fish. Officers have been checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!

Rio Grande 84 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 247 cfs at Pilar; Fair for pike, Good for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is somewhat clear at 3 feet of visibility. For trout, show them a crane fly larvae, stonelfy nymph, or work streamers around structure. If you see some brown trout paired up or see a redd, please avoid them. A redd is their spawning bed and is marked by an area of clean gravel compared to the rest of the stream, and can usually be found in the tailouts. The low flows we are currently seeing should make casting to pike alot easier. Pike hunt by feel and they'll take large streamers that move water regardless of water clarity, just be sure to cover the water thoroughly. Cover the deep, slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.

Cimarron River 17cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Very Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. The release is down, but fishing is good. The lower river is more open and can offer easier casting than the brushy stuff on the upper end. There are some caddis, but blue winged olives are in the biggest numbers. Flies for the Cimarron are scuds, hares ear nymphs, miracle nymphs, BNWO's, and BLM's.

Jemez Mountain Streams 19 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
The Cebolla, the East Fork, and the San Antonio are fishing well with a dries or a dry with a small dropper. The lower streams like the Guadalupe and the main stem Jemez have more water and are fishing well from mid-day on. October 24th is the last day to fish the Valles Caldera. If you are interested, see their website at VallesCaldera.gov.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 43 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 391 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 330 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
Currently, the Sargent Wildlife Area or the Chama above El Vado are the places to fish. Fish Red Quills and Blue Winged Olives in the Sargent and large nymphs like craneflies and stoneflies or streamers like slumpbusters for the river above El Vado. Check the flows before you make that drive to one of the tailwaters. The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. The release out of Abiquiu fluctuates greatly depending on irrigation need and municipal water supplies so it's best to find someplace else to fish until realeases stabilize for the winter. Baetis nymphs, midges, and crane fly larva are the usual flies for the Chama below Abiquiu. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The tailwater sections usually fish best below 300 cfs. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 58 cfs below Platoro, 124 cfs at Mogote; Good
Rocktober 9, 2009. "Found some bugs that had some magic to them today. Flows bumped up as well as the lower river is now at a pretty choice 168 cfs. Biot Stone was magic today. Fish in deeper runs. Water color slightly colored. The lake at Platoro is turning over putting some color and dendritis (JUNK) in the water and as those of you who know often makes the Conejos a little more friendly to fish. Saw a few pictures of an angler this morning that landed in a day a 24" mutant brown with a huge girth and a bow that was maybe 26 or so that was obsene. Very impressive and makes going to the river with a fly that much more interesting. Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report.

Arkansas River 210 cfs at Granite; Good: 345 cfs at Salida; Good
Releases for the summer flow augmentation program have ended, but the Bureau of Rec, is begining to make room in some of the upstream reservoirs in the Arkansas Basin, so flows are back up for a month or more. At these levels, fish have been holding in deeper runs until the baetis hatch starts around 1:00 pm. At that time fish move into the rifles to eat emerging Blue Winged Olives,especially in the Salida area. From Brown's Canyon to Granite, try dry dropper rigs with a small micro may or BLM as a dropper and swith to small caddis or Blue Winged Olives.

Animas River 194 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas is fairly clear and fishing better with the cooler nights lately. Caddis nymphs with a trailing midge or pheasant tail drifted and swung along the banks will pick up some fish. The release on the Delores below McPhee is currenlty at 36 cfs. The fish here are very skittish making for some technical presentations.

Rio Grande 30 cfs at Creede; Slow to Fair: 174 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir have been stable and has made for easy wading and good fishing from Creede downstream. The box canyon and the oxbows above Creede are fishing slower than the lower river with the cooler temps of fall. The South Fork of the Rio has fishing well on small attractors, BWO's, caddis and small adams.

Please see our announcements page for more news and upcoming events!

Call us at the shop for conditions on waters not listed here. 888-988-7688 out of Santa Fe or 988-7688 in Santa Fe.

It's late summer in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions change frequently! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.

For the most current stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Thursday October 8, 2009

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at 100thmeridian.org.

Rio Costilla .29 cfs below Costilla Reservoir Slow to Fair
The Rio Costilla is absolutely the most beautiful trout stream in the state and a place where you can reliably catch a Rio Grande Cutthroat. Unfortunately, once this year's irrigation season ended, the release out of Costilla Reservoir is virtually at ZERO cfs! Shuree Ponds also located within the Valle Vidal, is your best bet at fishing over the Costilla, and can give you a shot at catching a lunker over 20 inches. Diving caddis or damsel nymphs on a long leader and floating line for Shuree Ponds. Remember that all streams of the Valle Vidal is No Kill, Catch and Release only.

Pecos River 56 cfs below Terrero; Good
This weeks rain did not murk up the river but did bring up the river levels, and that is a good thing. The Pecos is fishing fairly well with a few hatches of Blue Winged Olives and small caddis. Fishing is slow until mid-day, and dry dropper rigs work better than dries during that period. Fish the riffled water, pocket water and places where the water is deeper. These fish aren't the gullible ones of early summer. Use fluorocarbon tippets and fish small baetis nymphs and midges. Yes, take your San Jaun box to the Pecos. Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

San Juan River 645 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
In order to maintain sufficient flows in the critical reach habitat for native fishes downstream of Farmington, the release was increased out of Navajo Dam. No word on how long we'll see the higher flows so take advantage of this. Fish cream, gray, or olive midge emergers and larvae in the morning below Texas Hole, then switch to baetis from lunch time til 5:00 pm. Midges upstream from the cable hole to the upper flats has good sight fishing with midges all day. Size 24 to 26 for the midgesa and size 20 -22 for the baetis in an olive or gray RS2', johnny flash, or foam wings. If you are willing to go small, the fish will eat. Time to go to the small stuff and 6X or even 7X fluorocarbon tippets. Bunny leech type streamers in the deeper runs can be incredible. There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st of 2008. Also, the Special Trout Water section is all no kill as of September 15th. If you see someone in violation, turn them into Game and Fish. Officers have been checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!

Rio Grande 70 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 247 cfs at Pilar; Fair for pike, Good for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is somewhat clear at 3 feet of visibility. For trout, show them a crane fly larvae, stonelfy nymph, or work streamers around structure. If you see some brown trout paired up or see a redd, please avoid them. A redd is their spawning bed and is marked by an area of clean gravel compared to the rest of the stream, and can usually be found in the tailouts. The low flows we are currently seeing should make casting to pike alot easier. Pike hunt by feel and they'll take large streamers that move water regardless of water clarity, just be sure to cover the water thoroughly. Cover the deep, slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.

Cimarron River 17cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Very Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. The release is down, but fishing is good. The lower river is more open and can offer easier casting than the brushy stuff on the upper end. There are some caddis, but blue winged olives are in the biggest numbers. Flies for the Cimarron are scuds, hares ear nymphs, miracle nymphs, BNWO's, and BLM's.

Jemez Mountain Streams 14 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
The Cebolla, the East Fork, and the San Antonio are fishing well with a dries or a dry with a small dropper. The lower streams like the Guadalupe and the main stem Jemez have more water and are fishing well from mid-day on. October 24th is the last day to fish the Valles Caldera. If you are interested, see their website at VallesCaldera.gov.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 52 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 492 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 629 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
Currently, the Sargent Wildlife Area or the Chama above El Vado are the places to fish. Red Quills and Blue Winged Olives in the Sargent and large nymphs like craneflies and stoneflies or streamers like slumpbusters for the river above El Vado. Check the flows before you make that drive to one of the tailwaters. The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. The release out of Abiquiu fluctuates greatly depending on irrigation need and municipal water supplies so it's best to find someplace else to fish until realeases stabilize for the winter. Baetis nymphs, midges, and crane fly larva are the usual flies for the Chama below Abiquiu. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The tailwater sections usually fish best below 300 cfs. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 117 cfs below Platoro, 177 cfs at Mogote; Good
Rocktober 5, 2009. "Here in Colorado we Rockie fans are hoping it is Rocktober, regardless this wednesday night you can bet we will be stuck in front of the tube. Flows have come up to about 80 out of the reservoir and that should be a good thing. The bad thing is the moon. Some say it does not matter much but I can track some of my worst trips of the year and the other guides will chime in that it does matter. Today was tough. If the river was chalked full of Rainbow's that just like to gorge than maybe not but Browns are a different animal. We spent the last half hour arguing if the spawn was mostly done and I can say there was no aggreement. Not that it would have mattered because we are not sure. Some have some have not yet would be my guess. I will say that there are alot of nice browns of all sizes in the tribs right now. Another interesting story is that last week there were a couple of professional photographers here fishing and taking pictures and were in the Pinnacles late and found a bluff overlooking a big hole and located a very large brown about 25" eating hard in a nice foam line and were having fun just watching when a much larger brown about 28" pushed the other brown out of his feeding position. They were dumbfounded and had a great time watching the hogs spend the last minutes of daylight eating hard. There are not that many but there are dozens of very large fish that would be trophies on any continent. Degree of difficulty to hook and land = off the charts. We have been trying for a while to catch some very large fish that we have located and it is hard to even get your rod in the air to make a cast. I have asked many a client out of jest what do large browns hate more than anything? My answer - Anything out of the ordinary. Well the larger they get the more keen they become at knowing what out of the ordinary is." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report. I was up there on the 5th and found fishing a little tough, but the fall colors start in Mogote and were good all the way to Platoro.

Arkansas River 214 cfs at Granite; Good: 359 cfs at Salida; Good
Releases for the summer flow augmentation program have ended, but the Bureau of Rec, is begining to make room in some of the upstream reservoir in the Arkansas Basin, so flows are back up for a month or more. At these levels, fish have been holding in deeper runs until the baetis hatch starts around 1:00 pm. At that time fish move into the rifles to eat emerging Blue Winged Olives in the Salida area. From Brown's Canyon to Granite, try dry dropper rigs with a small micro may or BLM as a dropper and swith to small caddis or Blue Winged Olives.

Animas River 221 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas is fairly clear and fishing better with the cooler nights lately. Caddis nymphs with a trailing midge or pheasant tail drifted and swung along the banks will pick up some fish. The release on the Delores below McPhee is currenlty at 36 cfs. The fish here are very skittish making for some technical presentations.

Pagosa Area: Piedra River 77 cfs at Arboles; Fair: San Juan River 105 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Fair to Good
The Pagosa area streams are also fishing bettre with cooler night time temps and a bump in water levels from this week's rain. There are still some Pale Evening Duns, but BWO's are the most abundant hatch. I've had great reports from South Fork of the Rio Grande, Turkey Creek, Fourmile Creek, and the East Fork of the San Juan. Much like everywhere else, fishing is bettter mid-day to evening.

Rio Grande 52 cfs at Creede; Slow to Fair: 227 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir have been stable and has made for easy wading and good fishing from Creede downstream. The box canyon and the oxbows above Creede are fishing slower than the lower river with the cooler temps of fall. The South Fork of the Rio has fishing well on small attractors, caddis and small adams.

Please see our announcements page for more news and upcoming events!

Call us at the shop for conditions on waters not listed here. 888-988-7688 out of Santa Fe or 988-7688 in Santa Fe.

It's late summer in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions change frequently! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.

For the most current stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report Friday September 4, 2009

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at 100thmeridian.org.

Rio Costilla 91 cfs below Costilla Reservoir Fair to Good
The Rio Costilla is absolutely the most beautiful trout stream in the state and a place where you can reliably catch a Rio Grande Cutthroat. Shuree Ponds also located within the Valle Vidal are giving anglers a shot at catching a lunker over 20 inches. The release out of Costilla Reservoir is a little high for optimum fishing, so high riding and visible dry flies cast tight to the banks, or single nymphs worked along the edges and cutbanks will be the tactics for the Rio Costilla. Diving caddis or damsel nymphs on a long leader and floating line for Shuree Ponds. Remember that all streams of the Valle Vidal is No Kill, Catch and Release only.

Pecos River 38 cfs below Terrero; Good
This weeks rain did not murk up the river but did cool it off somewhat, and that is a good thing. The Pecos is fishing fairly well with a few hatches of late summer bugs. Blue Winged Olives, yellow sallies, and small caddis have been on the trout's menu lately. Fishing does slow some mid-day, and dry dropper rigs work better than dries during that period. Fish the riffled water, pocket water and places whrere it's shaded. Once you get above Mora Creek, it's a dry fly game. Game and Fish put some Rio Grande Cutthroats in the Pecos earlier this summer. Go catch and RELEASE one of these beauties. Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

San Juan River 761 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The release below Navajo Dam went up amonth ago as flows declined on the Animas. In order to maintain sufficient flows in the critical reach habitat for native fishes downstream of Farmington, the release was increased out of Navajo Dam. No word on how long we'll see the higher flows so take advantage of this. There is a midge hatch early morning till 10 or 11 am. Fish cream, gray, or olive midge emergers and larvae in the morning. Below Texas Hole, the baetis hatch starts from lunch time til 5:00 pm. Size 24 to 26 olive or gray RS2's, johnny flashes, or foam wings seem to be the colors for the emergers and small 22-24 BWO dries. If you are willing to go small, the fish will eat. I as there a week and a half ago and foam wings up near the Cable Hole in a 26 was all they would take, but we did catch alot of fish. Midge fishing will pick back up in the evenings on black or gray emergers. Time to go to the small stuff and 6X or even 7X fluorocarbon tippets. Streamers in the deeper runs can be incredible. Pale Morning Duns have made it to just below Texas Hole. The hatch is from 2 pm to 6 pm. Dry fly fishing with PMD's and hoppers has been good on the lower river float if you arrange for a guide. Remember to take your sunscreen and insect repellent with you!There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st of 2008. Game and Fish officers have been heavy handed and are checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!

Rio Grande 66 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 224 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Good for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is somewhat clear at 3 feet of visibility. Hurry, it usually doesn't last long. Smallmouth eat crayfish patterns and wooly buggers in the eddies and you can pick out some trout in the tailouts of larger runs or in the pockets. For trout, show them a crane fly larvae, stonelfy nymph, or work streamers around structure. The best trout fishing is from 4:20 until dusk. Game and Fish stocked some Rio Grande Cutthroats into the gorge. Kinda cool to have the river's namesake fish swimming in it's waters again. Please treat these fish as no kill. The low flows we are currently seeing should make casting to pike alot easier. Pike hunt by feel and they'll take large streamers that move water regardless of water clarity, just be sure to cover the water thoroughly. Cover the deep, slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.

Cimarron River 33 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Very Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. The release is up and fishing is good. The lower river is more open and can offer easier casting than the brushy stuff on the upper end. There are caddis, yellow sallies, baetis, and PMD hatches over the river. Flies for the Cimarron are yellow stimulators, PMD's, caddis, yellow sallies, scuds, hares ear nymphs, and Barr's PMD emergers.

Jemez Mountain Streams 14 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
The Cebolla, the East Fork, and the San Antonio are fishing well with a dries or a dry with a small dropper. The more open stretches of meadow water are fishing slower mid-day. Generally the more shaded water or the higher you go will beat that mid-day slump. It's the perfect place for light tackle, so take your onie and go high. There are hatches of little yellow sallies, caddis, and lots of grasshoppers and beetles.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 32 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 884 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1010 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
Currently, the Sargent Wildlife Area is the place to fish with caddis, Red Quills and little yellow sallies. I've had mixed reports from the section above El Vado Reservoir. Large nymphs like craneflies and stoneflies or streamers like slumpbusters are best there. Check the flows before you make that drive to one of the tailwaters. The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. The release out of Abiquiu fluctuates greatly depending on irrigation need and municipal water supplies so it's best to find someplace else to fish most of the summer. Baetis nymphs, midges, and crane fly larva are the usual flies for the Chama below Abiquiu. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The tailwater sections usually fish best below 300 cfs. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 124 cfs below Platoro, 140 cfs at Mogote; Good
August 27, 2009. "Flows dropped dramatically this week out of the reservoir and that has made every mile of the Conejos fishable. And it has fished good this week for me and the other guides. The Chironocone and some dries has been my hero the past several days. Expect the dry fly fishing to get one or two notches better with the drop in the flows. Also expect them to get that much spookier as well. Go to 6x to your dry if you have to and lengthen the leader and improve the presentation. But if you do there are a lot of nice fish to be caught right now. I saw a fish just under 24" eat a big dry yesterday on a soft edge that was pretty awesome. August was wonderful with mild temps and expect more of the same in September. Incredible number of exoskelatons on the rocks upriver. I have seen a few adults during the day but mostly I understand they are nocturnal, we are trying to find out more about this stone." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report.

Arkansas River 90 cfs at Granite; Good: 214 cfs at Salida; Good
Releases for the summer flow augmentation program have ended and flows are returning to more natural levels. At these lower flow levels, stealth and presentation become more important even as more of the river becomes fishable. Lighter tippets, smaller flies, and a strategic approach to the river will help you catch fish. Caddis on either ends of the day or dry dropper rigs mid-day are working in the Salida area. From Brown's Canyon to Granite, try caddis, Blue Winged Olives, Red Quills and attractor dries with a dropper or full nymph rig for the mid-day slump. From Granite upstream to Hayden Meadows, it's hoppers, BWO's, caddis, and Red Quills.

Animas River 185 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas is fairly clear and fishing better with the cooler nights lately. Caddis nymphs with a trailing midge or pheasant tail drifted and swung along the banks will pick up some fish. The release on the Delores below McPhee is currenlty at 65 cfs. The fish here are very skittish making for some technical presentations.

Pagosa Area: Piedra River 47 cfs at Arboles; Fair: San Juan River 31 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Fair to Good
The Pagosa area streams are also fishing bettre with cooler night time temps. The upper Piedra is good on PMD's, caddis, and yellow sallies. Warmer water has slowed fishing on the lower San Juan below Trujillo bridge, the lower Piedra, and Williams Creek below the reservoir. Please don't fish these waters if they are anywhere near 70 degrees. Lots of caddis especially in the evening has made for great fishing on the San Juan near Pagosa. Pale Evening Duns are also starting to show up. I've had great reports from South Fork of the Rio Grande, Turkey Creek, Fourmile Creek, and the East Fork of the San Juan. Much like everywhere else, fishing is bettter in the mornings or evenings, than mid-day.

Rio Grande 49 cfs at Creede; Slow to Fair: 201 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir have been down for a few weeks now. The box canyon and the oxbows above Creede have been fishing well as has most of the river. Terrestrials, caddis, and BWO's are all over the place. The South Fork of the Rio has fishing well on hoppers, attractors, caddis and small adams.

Please see our announcements page for more news and upcoming events!

Call us at the shop for conditions on waters not listed here. 888-988-7688 out of Santa Fe or 988-7688 in Santa Fe.

It's late summer in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions change frequently! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.

For the most current stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Thursday August 27, 2009

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at 100thmeridian.org.

Rio Costilla 84 cfs below Costilla Reservoir Fair to Good
The Rio Costilla is absolutely the most beautiful trout stream in the state and a place where you can reliably catch a Rio Grande Cutthroat. Shuree Ponds also located within the Valle Vidal are giving anglers a shot at catching a lunker over 20 inches. The release out of Costilla Reservoir is a little high for optimum fishing, so high riding and visible dry flies cast tight to the banks, or single nymphs worked along the edges and cutbanks will be the tactics for the Rio Costilla. Diving caddis or damsel nymphs on a long leader and floating line for Shuree Ponds. Remember that all streams of the Valle Vidal is No Kill, Catch and Release only.

Pecos River 33 cfs below Terrero; Good
This weeks rain did not murk up the river but did cool it off somewhat, and that is a good thing. The Pecos is fishing fairly well with a few hatches of late summer bugs. Blue Winged Olives, yellow sallies, and small caddis have been on the trout's menu lately. Fishing does slow some mid-day, and dry dropper rigs work better than dries during that period. Fish the riffled water, pocket water and places whrere it's shaded. Once you get above Mora Creek, it's a dry fly game. Game and Fish put some Rio Grande Cutthroats in the Pecos earlier this summer. Go catch and RELEASE one of these beauties. Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

San Juan River 914 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The release below Navajo Dam went up amonth ago as flows declined on the Animas. In order to maintain sufficient flows in the critical reach habitat for native fishes downstream of Farmington, the release was increased out of Navajo Dam. No word on how long we'll see the higher flows so take advantage of this. There is a midge hatch early morning till 10 or 11 am. Fish cream, gray, or olive midge emergers and larvae in the morning. Below Texas Hole, the baetis hatch starts from lunch time til 5:00 pm. Size 24 to 26 olive or gray RS2's, johnny flashes, or foam wings seem to be the colors for the emergers and small 22-24 BWO dries. If you are willing to go small, the fish will eat. I as there on Sunday and foam wings up near the Cable Hole in a 26 was all they would take, but we did catch alot of fish. Midge fishing will pick back up in the evenings on black or gray emergers. Time to go to the small stuff and 6X or even 7X fluorocarbon tippets. Streamers in the deeper runs can be incredible. Pale Morning Duns have made it to just below Texas Hole. The hatch is from 2 pm to 6 pm. Dry fly fishing with PMD's and hoppers has been good on the lower river float if you arrange for a guide. Remember to take your sunscreen and insect repellent with you!There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st of 2008. Game and Fish officers have been heavy handed and are checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!

Rio Grande 78 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 242 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Good for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is somewhat clear at 3 feet of visibility. Hurry, it usually doesn't last long. Smallmouth eat crayfish patterns and wooly buggers in the eddies and you can pick out some trout in the tailouts of larger runs or in the pockets. For trout, show them a crane fly larvae, stonelfy nymph, or work streamers around structure. The best trout fishing is from 4:20 until dusk. Game and Fish stocked some Rio Grande Cutthroats into the gorge. Kinda cool to have the river's namesake fish swimming in it's waters again. Please treat these fish as no kill. The low flows we are currently seeing should make casting to pike alot easier. Pike hunt by feel and they'll take large streamers that move water regardless of water clarity, just be sure to cover the water thoroughly. Cover the deep, slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.

Cimarron River 46 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Very Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. The release is up and fishing is good. The lower river is more open and can offer easier casting than the brushy stuff on the upper end. There are caddis, yellow sallies, baetis, and PMD hatches over the river. Flies for the Cimarron are yellow stimulators, PMD's, caddis, yellow sallies, scuds, hares ear nymphs, and Barr's PMD emergers.

Jemez Mountain Streams 17 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
The Cebolla, the East Fork, and the San Antonio are fishing well with a dries or a dry with a small dropper. The more open stretches of meadow water are fishing slower mid-day. Generally the more shaded water or the higher you go will beat that mid-day slump. It's the perfect place for light tackle, so take your onie and go high. There are hatches of little yellow sallies, caddis, and lots of grasshoppers and beetles.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 37 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 534 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 649 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
Currently, the Sargent Wildlife Area is the place to fish with caddis, Red Quills and little yellow sallies. I've had mixed reports from the section above El Vado Reservoir. Large nymphs like craneflies and stoneflies or streamers like slumpbusters are best there. Check the flows before you make that drive to one of the tailwaters. The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. The release out of Abiquiu fluctuates greatly depending on irrigation need and municipal water supplies so it's best to find someplace else to fish most of the summer. Baetis nymphs, midges, and crane fly larva are the usual flies for the Chama below Abiquiu. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The tailwater sections usually fish best below 300 cfs. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 106 cfs below Platoro, 160 cfs at Mogote; Good
August 27, 2009. "Flows dropped dramatically this week out of the reservoir and that has made every mile of the Conejos fishable. And it has fished good this week for me and the other guides. The Chironocone and some dries has been my hero the past several days. Expect the dry fly fishing to get one or two notches better with the drop in the flows. Also expect them to get that much spookier as well. Go to 6x to your dry if you have to and lengthen the leader and improve the presentation. But if you do there are a lot of nice fish to be caught right now. I saw a fish just under 24" eat a big dry yesterday on a soft edge that was pretty awesome. August was wonderful with mild temps and expect more of the same in September. Incredible number of exoskelatons on the rocks upriver. I have seen a few adults during the day but mostly I understand they are nocturnal, we are trying to find out more about this stone." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report.

Arkansas River 129 cfs at Granite; Good: 278 cfs at Salida; Good
Releases for the summer flow augmentation program have ended and flows are returning to more natural levels. At these lower flow levels, stealth and presentation become more important even as more of the river becomes fishable. Lighter tippets, smaller flies, and a strategic approach to the river will help you catch fish. Caddis on either ends of the day or dry dropper rigs mid-day are working in the Salida area. From Brown's Canyon to Granite, try caddis, Blue Winged Olives, Red Quills and attractor dries with a dropper or full nymph rig for the mid-day slump. From Granite upstream to Hayden Meadows, it's hoppers, BWO's, caddis, and Red Quills.

Animas River 226 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas is fairly clear and fishing better with the cooler nights lately. Caddis nymphs with a trailing midge or pheasant tail drifted and swung along the banks will pick up some fish. The release on the Delores below McPhee is currenlty at 64 cfs. The fish here are very skittish making for some technical presentations.

Pagosa Area: Piedra River 57 cfs at Arboles; Fair: San Juan River 39 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Fair to Good
The Pagosa area streams are also fishing bettre with cooler night time temps. The upper Piedra is good on PMD's, caddis, and yellow sallies. Warmer water has slowed fishing on the lower San Juan below Trujillo bridge, the lower Piedra, and Williams Creek below the reservoir. Please don't fish these waters if they are anywhere near 70 degrees. Lots of caddis especially in the evening has made for great fishing on the San Juan near Pagosa. Pale Evening Duns are also starting to show up. I've had great reports from South Fork of the Rio Grande, Turkey Creek, Fourmile Creek, and the East Fork of the San Juan. Much like everywhere else, fishing is bettter in the mornings or evenings, than mid-day.

Rio Grande 44 cfs at Creede; Slow to Fair: 277 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir have been down for a few weeks now. The box canyon and the oxbows above Creede have been fishing well as has most of the river. Terrestrials, caddis, and BWO's are all over the place. The South Fork of the Rio has fishing well on hoppers, attractors, caddis and small adams.

Please see our announcements page for more news and upcoming events!

Call us at the shop for conditions on waters not listed here. 888-988-7688 out of Santa Fe or 988-7688 in Santa Fe.

It's late summer in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions change frequently! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.

For the most current stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Saturday August 22, 2009

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at 100thmeridian.org.

Rio Costilla 94 cfs below Costilla Reservoir Fair to Good
The Rio Costilla is absolutely the most beautiful trout stream in the state and a place where you can reliably catch a Rio Grande Cutthroat. Shuree Ponds also located within the Valle Vidal are giving anglers a shot at catching a lunker over 20 inches. The release out of Costilla Reservoir is a little high for optimum fishing, so high riding and visible dry flies cast tigh to the banks will be the tactics for the Rio Costilla. Diving caddis or damsel nymphs on a long leader and floating line for Shuree Ponds. Remember that all streams of the Valle Vidal is No Kill, Catch and Release only.

Pecos River 32 cfs below Terrero; Good
The river is fishing fairly well with a few hatches of late summer bugs. Blue Winged Olives, yellow sallies, and small caddis have been on the trout's menu lately. Fishing does slow some mid-day, and dry dropper rigs work better than dries during that period. Once you get above Mora Creek, it's a dry fly game. Game and Fish put some Rio Grande Cutthroats in the Pecos earlier this summer. Go catch and RELEASE one of these beauties. Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

San Juan River 992 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The release below Navajo Dam went up as flows declined on the Animas. In order to maintain sufficient flows in the critical reach habitat for native fishes downstream of Farmington, the release was increased out of Navajo Dam. No word on how long we'll see the higher flows so take advantage of this. There is a midge hatch early morining till 10 or 11 am. Fish cream, gray, or olive midge emergers and larvae before 11 am. Below Texas Hole, the baetis hatch starts from lunch time til 5 pm. Olive or gray RS2's, johnny flashes, or foam wings seem to be the colors for the emergers and small 22-24 BWO dries. Midge fishing will pick back up in the evenings on black or gray emergers. Time to go to the small stuff and fluorocarbon tippets. Streamers in the deeper runs can be incredible. Pale Morning Duns have made it to just below Texas Hole. The hatch is from 2 pm to 6 pm. Dry fly fishing with PMD's and hoppers has been good on the lower river float if you arrange for a guide. Remember to take your sunscreen and insect repellent with you!There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st of 2008. Game and Fish officers have been heavy handed and are checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!

Rio Grande 73 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 238 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is somewhat clear at 3 feet of visibility. Hurry, it usually doesn't last long. Smallmouth eat crayfish patterns and wooly buggers in the eddies and you can pick out some trout in the tailouts of larger runs or in the pockets. For trout, show them a crane fly larvae, stonelfy nymph, or work streamers around structure. The best trout fishing is from 4 pm until dusk. Game and Fish stocked some Rio Grande Cutthroats into the gorge. Kinda cool to have the river's namesake fish swimming in it's waters again. Please treat these fish as no kill. The low flows we are currently seeing should make casting to pike alot easier. Pike hunt by feel and they'll take large streamers that move water regardless of water clarity, just be sure to cover the water thoroughly. Cover the deep, slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.

Cimarron River 47 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. The release is up and fishing is good. The lower river is more open and can offer easier casting than the brushy stuff on the upper end. There are caddis, yellow sallies, baetis, and PMD hatches over the river. Flies for the Cimarron are yellow stimulators, PMD's, caddis, yellow sallies, scuds, hares ear nymphs, and Barr's PMD emergers.

Jemez Mountain Streams 13 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
The Cebolla, the East Fork, and the San Antonio are fishing well with a dries or a dry with a small dropper. The more open stretches of meadow water are fishing slower mid-day. Generally the more shaded water or the higher you go will beat that mid-day slump. It's the perfect place for light tackle, so take your onie and go high. There are hatches of little yellow sallies, caddis, and lots of grasshoppers and beetles.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 32 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 1070 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1050 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The Chama River upstream of Tierra Amarilla is fishing well, except the river can murk up after a thunder shower. The Chama can take a day or two to clear up, so keep checking the reports. Currently, the Sargent Wildlife Area is the place to fish with caddis, PMD's and little yellow sallies. I've had mixed reports from the section above El Vado Reservoir. Large nymphs like craneflies and stoneflies or streamers like slumpbusters are best there. Check the flows before you make that drive to one of the tailwaters. The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers. The release is high. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. The release out of Abiquiu fluctuates greatly depending on irrigation need and municipal water supplies so it's best to find someplace else to fish most of the summer. Baetis nymphs, midges, and crane fly larva are the usual flies for the Chama below Abiquiu. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The tailwater sections usually fish best below 300 cfs. The best fishing here is up on the lake for smallmouth and walleye from the shore. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 210 cfs below Platoro, 254 cfs at Mogote; Good
August 19, 2009. "My personal best guide day of the year! Great young guys dying to learn and listen and they crushed the lower river. Probobly hooked 60 to 70 fish today and it was fun to watch. Fish were in fast water eating stonefly nymphs till about 1:00 and then added a FB PT #18 and they ate that till the guys were tired. For a few hours the big fish were out and we landed nothing but 14 to 19.5" trout mostly browns in the am. There were tons of stonefly exoskelotons on the rocks and a few adults but these adults are mostly nocturnal so dont expect to see many during the day. We did throw a few dries and did see some fish eat them for the short time we threw them but mostly fish were looking for the nymph. Flows were dropped a couple of days ago and that should make wading easier for all up and down the river. We somehow go lucky and never got the really hot days of August and that has helped fishing and kept the temps freindly for the fish. We'll see!" Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report.

Arkansas River 142 cfs at Granite; Good: 325 cfs at Salida; Good
Releases for the summer flow augmentation program have ended and flows are returning to more natural levels. At these lower flow levels, stealth and presentation become more important even as more of the river becomes fishable. Lighter tippets, smaller flies, and a strategic approach to the river will help you catch fish. Caddis on either ends of the day or dry dropper rigs mid-day are working in the Salida area. From Brown's Canyon to Granite, try caddis, Blue Winged Olives, Red Quills and attractor dries with a dropper or full nymph rig for the mid-day slump. From Granite upstream to Hayden Meadows, it's hoppers, ants, caddis, and PMD's.

Animas River 194 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas can get murky after the typical summer thunder shower. Caddis nymphs with a trailing midge or pheasant tail drifted and swung along the banks will pick up some fish. The release on the Delores below McPhee is currenlty at 62 cfs. The fish here are very skittish making for some technical presentations. The Delores above McPhee is seeing the big crowds of summer but better fishing.

Pagosa Area: Piedra River 42 cfs at Arboles; Fair: San Juan River 25 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Fair to Good
The Pagosa area streams are all fishing fairly well. The upper Piedra is good on PMD's, caddis, and yellow sallies. Warmer water has slowed fishing on the lower San Juan below Trujillo bridge, the lower Piedra, and Williams Creek below the reservoir. Please don't fish these waters if they are anywhere near 70 degrees. Lots of caddis especially in the evening has made for great fishing on the San Juan near Pagosa. I've had great reports from South Fork of the Rio Grande, Turkey Creek, Fourmile Creek, and the East Fork of the San Juan. Much like everywhere else, fishing is bettter in the mornings or evenings, than mid-day.

Rio Grande 64 cfs at Creede; Slow to Fair: 189 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir have been down for about two weeks now. The oxbows below the reservor have been fishing very well as has most of the river. Terrestrials, caddis, stoneflies, and PMD's are all over the place. The South Fork of the Rio has fishing well on big cicadas, brownstones, hoppers, and big attractors.

Please see our announcements page for more news and upcoming events!

Call us at the shop for conditions on waters not listed here. 888-988-7688 out of Santa Fe or 988-7688 in Santa Fe.

It's summer time in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions change frequently! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.

For the most current stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.