Stream Report for Thursday December 13, 2007
Stream Report for Thursday December 13, 2007
WE'VE MOVED, AGAIN! This time we're a lot easier to find as we've only moved next door in the space formerly occupied by Wild Mountain Outfitters. We are gaining a bigger and brighter space with better visibility on Cerrillos Road.
Please be aware that there are still populations of brown trout and cutbows that are into their spawn on many rivers and streams throughout the state. Wade carefully, don't cast at spawning fish and look out for their spawning beds known as redds. A redd is a circular area of clean gravel usually found at the tail of a pool. Sometimes the spawning pair can be seen over their redd. Do not wade through or over a redd and please leave these fish alone as the clearly have something very important to do.
San Juan River 730 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good to Fair
Releases out of Navajo Dam went back up last week should be holding around 750 cfs. The water is incredibly clear but fishing is fair. Some anglers haven't had the best fishing as it is quite technical at this clarity and flow. Midge nymphing has been the most productive and expect to use flies as small as #24's and 26's.The hottetst flies are a small red midge. Think disco midge, red hot, or desert storms. Other flies for the San Juan include UFO's, chocolate johnny flash, chocoalte RS2's, UV flash midge emergers, hatching midges, griffith's gnats, dead chickens, parachute baetis, CDC BWO comparaduns, and black or olive bunny leeches.
Rio Grande 460 cfs at Cerro; Good: 588 cfs at Pilar; Fair for pike, Fair for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is getting clearer and fisshing is picking up.There have been a few riser coming up to blue winged olives, but light line nymphing with pheasant tails and RS2's is more productive. Large streamers that move water and contrast to the murky water are still picking up a handful of pike. A friend and I found quite a few laid up pike this past weekend even though water visibility was almost zero. New Mexico Game and Fish stocked Rio Grande Cutthroats in the Rio last week. Please respect this imperiled fish and consider leaving them in the river instead of taking them home. Current regulations only allow an anlger to harvest two cutthroat per day. Please report any violators to Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. Trout flies for the Rio Grande are olive RS2's, softhackle pheasant tail, black, brown or olive woolly buggers, autumn splendors, zoo cougars, conehead madonna’s, double hackle peacocks, poundmeisters, and caddis nymphs. The confluence has been fishing well just be careful to avoid redds and leave the spawners alone. For pike, show them big rabbit strip flies, large deceivers, or any other large streamer. Best colors have been red and white, yellow, and chartreuse.
Pecos River 49 cfs below Terrero; Slow
The Pecos is fishing slow. The river above the village of Pecos is probably going to fish slow at best until the warmer days of spring. New mexico Game and Fish has not stocked Villanueva State Park as of this writing, and I suspect that the fishing is slow there as well. If you do go upstream of the village of Pecos, the water is clear and low making the fish quite spooky. Use longer leaders, finer tippets, and make longer casts to fool these sluggish fish. Flies for the Pecos include baetis emergers, small stimulators, Barr's PMD emerger, fluttering caddis, spent partridge caddis, and adams. The river adjacent to Monastery Lake and all the way up to and behind the fish hatchery is private. Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. The FIRST PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. Dalton is approximately 6 miles upstream of the village of Pecos. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.
Cimarron River Poor
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Releases out of the dam are below 1 cfs today. Fish elsewhere until spring.
Jemez Mountain Streams Slow
The Jemez streams are a little high and murky with runoff from this weekend's storms. Fishing will be slow until flows and clarity returns to normal. Expect the headwater streams to be snowbound and fishing poor. The lower Jemez below Jemez Springs does get stocked for winter trout fishing but has yet to receive any plantings of fish.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: 115 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow: 307 cfs below El Vado Dam; Fair: and 407 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers. The Chama River above the village of Chama is high, murky and quite cold as the snow that fell last weekend melts. Streamers are the general fly choices below both dams. Releases out of both dams went up. While the river may bne murked up a bit, both sections usually fish better at about 150 cfs. The first access to the Chama in the Rio Chama Wildlife Area, off of NM Highway 112 has been closed by the landowner. The better acces is off of NM Highway 95 near the Heron Dam outlet. 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:
The Conejos River 66 cfs at Magote; Poor
The fishing on the Conejos is slow. Fishing will probably remain slow until March bring warmer weather and water. The river immediately below Platoro Resevoir is currently flowing at 7 cfs. Nymph fishing on a heavily weighted leader is the most productive. Also, try dry fly dropper rigs and nymphing the edges.
Arkansas River; Slow to Fair
The Arkansas River is fishing slow above Salida. The river downstream of Salida is fishing fair towards Canon City. Streamers, midges and baetis are the flies for the Ark.
Rio Grande near Creede; Slow
The upper Rio Grande is fishing slow and will remain so until spring. Warmer water and shots at big carp and pike are possible from Alamosa to Antonito.
The San Juan River 105 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Poor; Piedra River 149 cfs at Arboles; Fair
The San Juan River is fishing very slow. The Piedra can fish fair below Highway 160 on the warmer days. Apermit from the Southern Ute Nation is required to fish there. The best bet in the Pagosa area is the the Animas in Durango. Afternoons offer the best fishing and warmer water.
Animas River 308 cfs at Durango; Good
The Animas River near Durango is getting clearer and fishing is better. Big browns are prowling and will take streamers especially if it's overcast. Winter is a great time to fish the Animas on the Southern Ute Reservation. Permits can be obtained at the Durango fly shops, Zia Sporting Goods in Farmington, or Float-n-Fish in Navajo Dam. It makes for a nice diversion from the San Juan River about 45 minutes away.
Water and fishing condtitions are changing daily! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.
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.
For the latest in stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.
WE'VE MOVED, AGAIN! This time we're a lot easier to find as we've only moved next door in the space formerly occupied by Wild Mountain Outfitters. We are gaining a bigger and brighter space with better visibility on Cerrillos Road.
Please be aware that there are still populations of brown trout and cutbows that are into their spawn on many rivers and streams throughout the state. Wade carefully, don't cast at spawning fish and look out for their spawning beds known as redds. A redd is a circular area of clean gravel usually found at the tail of a pool. Sometimes the spawning pair can be seen over their redd. Do not wade through or over a redd and please leave these fish alone as the clearly have something very important to do.
San Juan River 730 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good to Fair
Releases out of Navajo Dam went back up last week should be holding around 750 cfs. The water is incredibly clear but fishing is fair. Some anglers haven't had the best fishing as it is quite technical at this clarity and flow. Midge nymphing has been the most productive and expect to use flies as small as #24's and 26's.The hottetst flies are a small red midge. Think disco midge, red hot, or desert storms. Other flies for the San Juan include UFO's, chocolate johnny flash, chocoalte RS2's, UV flash midge emergers, hatching midges, griffith's gnats, dead chickens, parachute baetis, CDC BWO comparaduns, and black or olive bunny leeches.
Rio Grande 460 cfs at Cerro; Good: 588 cfs at Pilar; Fair for pike, Fair for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is getting clearer and fisshing is picking up.There have been a few riser coming up to blue winged olives, but light line nymphing with pheasant tails and RS2's is more productive. Large streamers that move water and contrast to the murky water are still picking up a handful of pike. A friend and I found quite a few laid up pike this past weekend even though water visibility was almost zero. New Mexico Game and Fish stocked Rio Grande Cutthroats in the Rio last week. Please respect this imperiled fish and consider leaving them in the river instead of taking them home. Current regulations only allow an anlger to harvest two cutthroat per day. Please report any violators to Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. Trout flies for the Rio Grande are olive RS2's, softhackle pheasant tail, black, brown or olive woolly buggers, autumn splendors, zoo cougars, conehead madonna’s, double hackle peacocks, poundmeisters, and caddis nymphs. The confluence has been fishing well just be careful to avoid redds and leave the spawners alone. For pike, show them big rabbit strip flies, large deceivers, or any other large streamer. Best colors have been red and white, yellow, and chartreuse.
Pecos River 49 cfs below Terrero; Slow
The Pecos is fishing slow. The river above the village of Pecos is probably going to fish slow at best until the warmer days of spring. New mexico Game and Fish has not stocked Villanueva State Park as of this writing, and I suspect that the fishing is slow there as well. If you do go upstream of the village of Pecos, the water is clear and low making the fish quite spooky. Use longer leaders, finer tippets, and make longer casts to fool these sluggish fish. Flies for the Pecos include baetis emergers, small stimulators, Barr's PMD emerger, fluttering caddis, spent partridge caddis, and adams. The river adjacent to Monastery Lake and all the way up to and behind the fish hatchery is private. Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. The FIRST PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. Dalton is approximately 6 miles upstream of the village of Pecos. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.
Cimarron River Poor
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Releases out of the dam are below 1 cfs today. Fish elsewhere until spring.
Jemez Mountain Streams Slow
The Jemez streams are a little high and murky with runoff from this weekend's storms. Fishing will be slow until flows and clarity returns to normal. Expect the headwater streams to be snowbound and fishing poor. The lower Jemez below Jemez Springs does get stocked for winter trout fishing but has yet to receive any plantings of fish.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: 115 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow: 307 cfs below El Vado Dam; Fair: and 407 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers. The Chama River above the village of Chama is high, murky and quite cold as the snow that fell last weekend melts. Streamers are the general fly choices below both dams. Releases out of both dams went up. While the river may bne murked up a bit, both sections usually fish better at about 150 cfs. The first access to the Chama in the Rio Chama Wildlife Area, off of NM Highway 112 has been closed by the landowner. The better acces is off of NM Highway 95 near the Heron Dam outlet. 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:
The Conejos River 66 cfs at Magote; Poor
The fishing on the Conejos is slow. Fishing will probably remain slow until March bring warmer weather and water. The river immediately below Platoro Resevoir is currently flowing at 7 cfs. Nymph fishing on a heavily weighted leader is the most productive. Also, try dry fly dropper rigs and nymphing the edges.
Arkansas River; Slow to Fair
The Arkansas River is fishing slow above Salida. The river downstream of Salida is fishing fair towards Canon City. Streamers, midges and baetis are the flies for the Ark.
Rio Grande near Creede; Slow
The upper Rio Grande is fishing slow and will remain so until spring. Warmer water and shots at big carp and pike are possible from Alamosa to Antonito.
The San Juan River 105 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Poor; Piedra River 149 cfs at Arboles; Fair
The San Juan River is fishing very slow. The Piedra can fish fair below Highway 160 on the warmer days. Apermit from the Southern Ute Nation is required to fish there. The best bet in the Pagosa area is the the Animas in Durango. Afternoons offer the best fishing and warmer water.
Animas River 308 cfs at Durango; Good
The Animas River near Durango is getting clearer and fishing is better. Big browns are prowling and will take streamers especially if it's overcast. Winter is a great time to fish the Animas on the Southern Ute Reservation. Permits can be obtained at the Durango fly shops, Zia Sporting Goods in Farmington, or Float-n-Fish in Navajo Dam. It makes for a nice diversion from the San Juan River about 45 minutes away.
Water and fishing condtitions are changing daily! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.
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.
For the latest in stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.
posted by High Desert Angler at Thursday, December 13, 2007
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