Stream Report for Wednesday December 27, 2007

 

It looks like our stream report keeps getting hijacked. We are trying to come up with a fix so you won’t have to weed through the junk. In the interim, we will be updating more frequently to get the spam off.

 

Cutbows are 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      477 cfs below Navajo Dam    Good

Flows on the San Juan are back up after as New Mexico State Parks cleaned up all of the silt in the kiddie pool and above Texas Hole. The best fishing is upstream of Texas Hole to the cable, although there are some fish holding around the instream structure Game and Fish have placed below Simon Canyon. 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       580cfs at Pilar     Fair

The Rio Grande is down from last week and a little less 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      Slow above Pecos

The Pecos River above the village of Pecos is way too cold and probably will remain so until March. The Pecos at Villanueva was heavily stocked on the 18^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     49 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo    Slow

Most of the Jemez streams are fishing slow except the lower Jemez, lower 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     227 cfs below El Vado Dam   Fair                and 49 cfs below Abiquiu Dam   Fair

The fishing is now rated as fair below El Vado as the releases out of the dam are quite murky. Expect clarity to go down further when the lake turns over. Big nymphs like double hackle peacocks and had favorites and streamers like woolly buggers, zoo cougars, and autumn splendors work best. The flows below Abiquiu are a little low now for optimum fishing but quite clear. 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.

 

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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