Stream Report for Friday September 15, 2006

Stream Report for Friday September 15, 2006

 

San Juan River      594 cfs below Navajo Dam    Very Good

The San Juan is fishing very well. Baetis hatches have been bringing some fish to the surface, but long line nymphing remains the most productive way to fish. Flies for the San Juan are baetis emergers in chocolate and gray, small pheasant tails, disco midges, desert storms, ufo’s, grasshoppers and blue wing olive dries.

 

Rio Grande       440 cfs at Pilar     Fair

The Rio Grande is starting to clear again and fish better. Some fly fishers are catching some smallmouth bass in the bigger eddies and slower runs. Trout fishing is a little fickle as our scattered cloud cover is producing intermittent baetis hatches. I expect trout fishing to improve as the monsoons taper off and September brings fairer weather.

 

The Rio Costilla      32 cfs below Costilla Reservoir    Good

The Costilla is starting to slow a bit with cooler weather. Good dry fly fishing mid-day while the sun is out. Little yellow sallies, hoppers. small elk hair caddis, humpies, and royal wulffs seem to be among the better catching flies. The entire Valle Vidal is no kill and all catch and release. Please report violators to New Mexico Game and Fish or the US Forest Service. The number of Cutthroats here is very small.

 

The Cimarron River     1.0 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam    Fair

The Cimarron got tough to fish once the flows started to fluctuate over week ago. There is a little more water at the east end of the state park below the confluence of the Cimarron and Clear Creek but not much. Flies for the Cimarron are ginger duns, pink cahills, small yellow stimulators, and yellow elk hair caddis. Other area streams are fishing better.

 

Pecos River   42 cfs below Terrero       Good

Barring any more deluges, the Pecos should start to get even better by as we head into September. Lots of caddis have been out in the evening in spite of the recent conditions. Caddis larvae and pupa, small light bodied caddis dries, small pheasant tails, baetis emergers and parachute adams have all produced recently. The Pecos was heavily stocked two weeks ago. More of the fall colors are showing on the entire Pecos.

 

Jemez Mountain Streams     41 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo     Fair (only due to last night’s rain)

The Jemez streams have been clearing and fishing well, but last nights rain did cause most streams to come up a little. The higher elevation waters are a little cooler and slower in the mornings but, because of the varying topography and geology of the Jemez there is usually some place to fish, although it requires some scouting. Hoppers, dark bodied caddis, little yellow sallies, and parachute adams are some top fly choices.

 

The Chama River     144 cfs below El Vado Dam   Fair                and 170 cfs below Abiquiu Dam      Poor

The fishing should good below El Vado as the releases have been reduced to the optimum flow. Big nymphs like double hackle peacocks and hares ears and streamers like woolly buggers work best here as the water may still be off color. The flows below Abiquiu are down as well but the water is murky and fishing is slow.

 

Rio Pueblo and Santa Barbara       Good

Flows are fairly normal on these two streams and it looks like they didn’t get as much rain as the Pecos watershed. Fishing has been good, although the mornings have been a slow. More of the fall colors are showing on the Santa Barbara and the Pueblo. Royal wullfs, hoppers, red humpies, and little yellow sallies were the better catching flies.