Stream Report for Monday December 11, 2006

New Mexico’s most abundant trout, brown trout and cutbows are still into their spawn on some rivers and streams. Please be careful to not wade into their spawning beds known as redds. A redd is a circular area of clean gravel usually located at the tail of a pool and the spawning pair can often be seen over the redd. These fish clearly have something more important to do so please leave them alone!

 

San Juan River      248 cfs below Navajo Dam    No Reports

Flows on the San Jaun are still low as New Mexico State Parks continues to clean up all of the silt in the kiddie pool and above Texas Hole. The lower river is pretty well murked up with the cleanup, although there are some fish holding around the instream structure Game and Fish have placed below Simon Canyon. The best fishing is upstream of Texas Hole to the cable. Baetis hatches have pretty much disappeared but midge hatches are still bringing some fish to the surface. Flies for the San Juan are RS2’s, Johnny flash in chocolate and grey, big bear emergers, small pheasant tails, red disco midges, red desert storms, black beauties, uv flash midge emergers, and black midges.

 

Rio Grande       640cfs at Pilar     Fair

The Rio Grande is up from a few days ago and still murky. Due to the low visibility, the best fishing is within 8 feet of the bank. Dry fly dropper rigs are ideal for searching this shallower water. Flies for the Rio Grande are black, brown or olive woolly buggers, autumn splendors, zoo cougars, conehead madonna’s, double hackle peacocks, poundmeisters, and midges. Quite a few people are catching pike on the Rio on big rabbit strip flies and deceivers   

  

Pecos River   45cfs below Terrero       Slow

The best fishing is from 12 pm until the sun leaves the water, but fishing is probably going to be tough with a little snowmelt above the village of Pecos. Midge larvae and pupa, small light bodied caddis dries, small pheasant tails, baetis emergers, have all produced recently. The Pecos at Villanueva was heavily stocked on the 5^th but, I’ve had no reports from there. Brightly colored flies like red, chartreuse, and blue copper johns, and purple prince nymphs usually work on the stockers. Fish Villanueva soon after a stocking as there is no resident self sustaining fish populations there. Please report anyone over harvesting fish to state park officials or better yet, to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

 

Jemez Mountain Streams     34 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo    Slow

Most of the Jemez streams are fishing slow except the lower Jemez, Guadalupe or downstream of the few hot springs that empty into nearby creeks. Snowmelt from the recent storms will have a negative impact for a little while anyway. Small crystal stimulators, elk hair caddis, and parachute adams are some top fly choices. Forest road 376 is closed just at Gillman Tunnels, but is still open on the top end off of NM 126 at least until significant snowfall. 

 

The Chama River     223 cfs below El Vado Dam   Good                and 212 cfs below Abiquiu Dam      Fair

The fishing is good below El Vado barring any more releases out of the dam. Big nymphs like double hackle peacocks and had favorites and streamers like woolly buggers, zoo cougars, and autumn splendors work best here as the water is off color. The flows below Abiquiu are a little high for optimum fishing but quite clear. We should see even lower flows here as we go into winter and fishing will improve. Streamers and midges are the fly choices for Abiquiu. The area below Abiquiu Dam is a Special Trout Water with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low here and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. Also, please be aware of spawning fish.

 

Albuquerque area Rio Grande riverside drains have been stocked recently. Most are reportedly fishing fair except for the Corrales Drain, which was dredged and now lacks the vegetation to hold fish.

  

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.

 

For the latest in stream flows bookmark the link below:

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nm/nwis/current/?type=flow

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