Stream Report for Sunday December 3, 2006

 

 The High Desert Angler invites anyone interested to fish with us on Sunday December 3^rd on the Rio Grande. This will be a pike fly fishing outing although, there should also be opportunity to catch trout. Bring your own heavy tackle, wading gear, and a lunch. This is an outing to bring anglers together and to try something new. There is no cost, consequently everyone is responsible for their own lunch, tackle, day use fees, flies, leaders etc. We are meeting at the fly shop at 9 am and then caravanning off to the Rio. We expect to return between 5-6 pm. Let’s go have fun!

 

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      513 cfs below Navajo Dam    Good

Fishing has been mixed for some anglers lately on the San Juan. The flats are seemingly fishing better than the channels. Baetis hatches have been tapering off 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, black midges, grasshoppers and blue wing olive dries.

 

Rio Grande       333cfs at Pilar     Fair

The Rio Grande is still murky even though the flows have come down dramatically over the past 24 hours. The gauge upstream of Pilar is indicating that the flows will come back up. We could see bigger than normal flows this winter on the Rio with all of the tributaries and springs having a greater input with the precipitation we had late this summer. The summer rains were a constant source of silt entering the Rio and any change in flow stirs up the sediment. 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.  

  

Pecos River   31cfs below Terrero       Slow

The best fishing is from 12 pm until the sun leaves the water. Midge larvae and pupa, small light bodied caddis dries, small pheasant tails, baetis emergers, parachute adams, parachute baetis, and cdc biot comparaduns have all produced recently. The Pecos at Villanueva was heavily stocked a couple of weeks ago 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     21 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo    Slow

Most of the Jemez streams were fishing fair especially while the sun is on the water. Hoppers, crystal stimulators, black beetles, and parachute adams are some top fly choices. Forest road 376 is closed just at Gillman Tunnels, but is open on the top end off of NM 126. 

 

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. 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.

 

For the latest in stream flows bookmark the link below:

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

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