Fly Fishing Report for Saturday May 31, 2008
It's spring time in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions are changing daily! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.
San Juan River 5070 cfs below Navajo Dam; Fair
The Bureau of Rec. has announced a revised release schedule for Navajo Dam. For the details and dates of the releases, please see our Announcements Page. The release today is up to 5270 cfs from 4000 earlier this week. The water is still a little murky but clearing with visibility of about 3 feet. The best reports are still coming from the upper flats, cable hole, and lower flats. Midge nymphing has been the most productive. Size 24 red midge larvae and size 24 pheasant tails, size 20 black and red midge larvae, chamois leeches, and chocolate foam wing emergers have been the better producers. The mosquitoes are out more and more every day, especailly at Texas hole so don't forget the bug repellent!
Rio Grande 1900 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 2830 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is very murky and will likely remain so until late June or July. Most of the tributaries have also started to come up dramatically in the past weeks. Even though the water is quite murky, you can pick up fish on the edges dry fly dropper style with caddis nymphs. Trout move into the shallows to feed when they can no longer see in deeper water and heavy currents. Smallmouth inhabit the eddies and can be picked up on crayfish patterns or woolly buggers on a sinking tip or sinking line. Pike hunt by feel and they'll take large streamers that move water regardless of water clarity, just be sure to cover the water more thoroughly. There is no rafting and kayaking and clearer water above John Dunn Bridge and further upstream into the gorge. Flies for the Rio are black or olive woolly buggers, autumn splendors, zoo cougars, conehead madonna’s, caddis nymphs, and pheasant tails. For pike, show them big rabbit strip flies, large streamers or diving flies in dark colors.
Pecos River 500 cfs below Terrero; Slow
The river above the village of Pecos has started to rise over the past week. Wading is almost impossible. While the flows are high, look for big rock outcroppings and shelves which slow the current. Fish move into these places during heavy current. They will eat your flies, so long as they are pasted tight to the bottom. The best producers have been a stonefly nymph with a trailing pheasant tail or black midge with lots of weight. The Pecos and most of it's tributaries were heavily stocked this past week and may offer an alternative to the Pecos if it gets too high to fish. Egg patterns, and red and chartreuse copper johns generally work on the stockers. 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 18 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Releases out of the dam are 18 cfs today. There is more water at the eastern end of the park below Clear Creek, but the river does get murkier. The least murky water is just below Tolby Creek. Flies for the Cimarron are golden stonefly nymphs, black midge larvae, hares ear nymphs, Barr's emergers, and gray and olive scuds.
Jemez Mountain Streams 116 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Very Good
Runoff on the Jemez streams is virtually over, but the Guadalupe and Rio de las Vacas are still high. The upper reaches of the East Fork, Cebolla, or the San Antonio above La Cueva are fishing very well. Dry fly fishing with size 12-14 yellow stimulators, red quills, and small parachute adams has been excellent mid-day. There have been reports of sporadic stonefly hatches on the Guadalupe and "the hatch" should be oming any day now. Forest Road 376 is open from Highway 126 to the Gilman Tunnels. Upper 376 to the San Antonio Hot Springs is scheduled to open on June 1st.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: 2380 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Poor: 2410 cfs below El Vado Dam; Poor: and 1760 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers, however the current flows make the river impossible to wade and the water is very murky. Fish the edges and obvious eddies. The Chama River above the village of Chama is in full runoff and is very high and quite cold. The tailwater sections usually fish best at about 150 cfs. The nearby Brazos is also in runoff. 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.
Jicarilla Nation Lakes Slow to Good Fishing has slowed considerably at Stone Lake. The false spawning behavior is gone and most of the fish have left the shallows. The opportunity for fly fishing has been in the early mornings during the midge hatch and before the wind kicks up. Midges and midge emergers in red and gray in a size 12, damsel nymphs, and calibaetis nymphs are in abundance. Stone Lake does have special regulations, but most people are keeping the bigger fish that they catch. Enbom and Mundo were both stocked with larger fish on Tuesday May 13th. Mundo is murky but fishing well. Mundo has bass and catfish as well as trout and can prevent a bust if the other lakes are tough. Enbom has had some pressure and as such a float tube is absolutely invaluable there.
In Southern Colorado:
Conejos River 345 cfs below Platoro Reservoir, 1520 cfs at Mogote; Slow
"May 27, 2008. Today we made first tracks to the Upper La Jara and it was beautiful. Elk, Deer, mud and some soft (enough) snow drifts. River was at a perfect level and we did not find any of the really big fish in the meadow but some nice fish and fish eating dries! We were all excited to break out the dry fly powder and 4 weights for the first time this year. Caught fish on dries and droppers for the afternoon and hiked out late by Braden's cabin. The Conejos even on the lower river looks great. Water clarity on the lower river is very good and the upper river is crystal clear water levels have dropped. Look for any drop in the release from Platoro Reservoir. The decending water levels below the dam can make fishing tough at times. I would be suprised to see the water levels come down any furthur for a while but we should haved some more off the charts fishing up high in the next couple of weeks and there will be no fisherman here for about three weeks. Is runoff over? No! There is still plenty of snow up high but the recent cool nights and coolish days up high have slowed it down. Just know that the next wave of warm air will get things cooking again but looks like we will fish right thru it on the upper river. Expect the La Jara to get better and better and the Los Pinos should drop and clear early as well so we should be throwing stonefly patterns (dries) on boths streams in the next couple of weeks. High mountain lakes should get very very good. Carp fishing, Pike fishing, Splake fishing, Trout fishing is all about to happen! Do yourself a favor and take out a great guide on your next fishing trip and take your fishing to the next level. Figuring this whole fly fishing thing out on your own can be tough. Jon Harp, of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceeding report. Keep looking at the releases out of Platoro Reservoir. If they drop below 200 cfs, the meadows below the dam will fish better.
Rio Grande 1080 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge near Creede; Slow
Releases have been changing out of Rio Grande Reservoir seemingly every other day. Today the release has been increased and is currently at 1080 cfs. There is decent water and the fish are feeding. Big stonefly nymphs and pheasant tails seem to be picking up the most fish on a heavily weighted leader in the deeper runs and pools. There is lots of water below Wagon Wheel Gap making the river floatable past South Fork.
Arkansas River 2680 cfs at Salida: Slow
Visibility is poor and there is a fair amount of debris in the water. Better to look for other options with warm weather forecast through the weekend. Expect the flows to get higher. Nymphing the deeper holding water and slow runs is probably the best option now. A big stone followed by a large (10-12) copper john is a good combo. Dredge the deeper holding water and seam lines - places that don't change too much with the addition of more water. Get your nymph to the bottom - if it isn't on the fish's nose, he won't take it
Animas River 3830 cfs at Durango; Poor
The Animas River near Durango is very high and roiling. The river is stirred up, the water is cold, and the kayak hatch is underway. The Delores below McPhee is also way up and currently flowing at 805 cfs! The upper forks of the Delores are in runoff. Closer to Pagosa Springs, the Piedra and San Juan have aslo risen dramatically since late last week. Williams Creek below the dam may be the only fishable water in the area. Spring fishing may be tough here as it seems as runoff has already started and is expected to last well into June.
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.
San Juan River 5070 cfs below Navajo Dam; Fair
The Bureau of Rec. has announced a revised release schedule for Navajo Dam. For the details and dates of the releases, please see our Announcements Page. The release today is up to 5270 cfs from 4000 earlier this week. The water is still a little murky but clearing with visibility of about 3 feet. The best reports are still coming from the upper flats, cable hole, and lower flats. Midge nymphing has been the most productive. Size 24 red midge larvae and size 24 pheasant tails, size 20 black and red midge larvae, chamois leeches, and chocolate foam wing emergers have been the better producers. The mosquitoes are out more and more every day, especailly at Texas hole so don't forget the bug repellent!
Rio Grande 1900 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 2830 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is very murky and will likely remain so until late June or July. Most of the tributaries have also started to come up dramatically in the past weeks. Even though the water is quite murky, you can pick up fish on the edges dry fly dropper style with caddis nymphs. Trout move into the shallows to feed when they can no longer see in deeper water and heavy currents. Smallmouth inhabit the eddies and can be picked up on crayfish patterns or woolly buggers on a sinking tip or sinking line. Pike hunt by feel and they'll take large streamers that move water regardless of water clarity, just be sure to cover the water more thoroughly. There is no rafting and kayaking and clearer water above John Dunn Bridge and further upstream into the gorge. Flies for the Rio are black or olive woolly buggers, autumn splendors, zoo cougars, conehead madonna’s, caddis nymphs, and pheasant tails. For pike, show them big rabbit strip flies, large streamers or diving flies in dark colors.
Pecos River 500 cfs below Terrero; Slow
The river above the village of Pecos has started to rise over the past week. Wading is almost impossible. While the flows are high, look for big rock outcroppings and shelves which slow the current. Fish move into these places during heavy current. They will eat your flies, so long as they are pasted tight to the bottom. The best producers have been a stonefly nymph with a trailing pheasant tail or black midge with lots of weight. The Pecos and most of it's tributaries were heavily stocked this past week and may offer an alternative to the Pecos if it gets too high to fish. Egg patterns, and red and chartreuse copper johns generally work on the stockers. 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 18 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Releases out of the dam are 18 cfs today. There is more water at the eastern end of the park below Clear Creek, but the river does get murkier. The least murky water is just below Tolby Creek. Flies for the Cimarron are golden stonefly nymphs, black midge larvae, hares ear nymphs, Barr's emergers, and gray and olive scuds.
Jemez Mountain Streams 116 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Very Good
Runoff on the Jemez streams is virtually over, but the Guadalupe and Rio de las Vacas are still high. The upper reaches of the East Fork, Cebolla, or the San Antonio above La Cueva are fishing very well. Dry fly fishing with size 12-14 yellow stimulators, red quills, and small parachute adams has been excellent mid-day. There have been reports of sporadic stonefly hatches on the Guadalupe and "the hatch" should be oming any day now. Forest Road 376 is open from Highway 126 to the Gilman Tunnels. Upper 376 to the San Antonio Hot Springs is scheduled to open on June 1st.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: 2380 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Poor: 2410 cfs below El Vado Dam; Poor: and 1760 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers, however the current flows make the river impossible to wade and the water is very murky. Fish the edges and obvious eddies. The Chama River above the village of Chama is in full runoff and is very high and quite cold. The tailwater sections usually fish best at about 150 cfs. The nearby Brazos is also in runoff. 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.
Jicarilla Nation Lakes Slow to Good Fishing has slowed considerably at Stone Lake. The false spawning behavior is gone and most of the fish have left the shallows. The opportunity for fly fishing has been in the early mornings during the midge hatch and before the wind kicks up. Midges and midge emergers in red and gray in a size 12, damsel nymphs, and calibaetis nymphs are in abundance. Stone Lake does have special regulations, but most people are keeping the bigger fish that they catch. Enbom and Mundo were both stocked with larger fish on Tuesday May 13th. Mundo is murky but fishing well. Mundo has bass and catfish as well as trout and can prevent a bust if the other lakes are tough. Enbom has had some pressure and as such a float tube is absolutely invaluable there.
In Southern Colorado:
Conejos River 345 cfs below Platoro Reservoir, 1520 cfs at Mogote; Slow
"May 27, 2008. Today we made first tracks to the Upper La Jara and it was beautiful. Elk, Deer, mud and some soft (enough) snow drifts. River was at a perfect level and we did not find any of the really big fish in the meadow but some nice fish and fish eating dries! We were all excited to break out the dry fly powder and 4 weights for the first time this year. Caught fish on dries and droppers for the afternoon and hiked out late by Braden's cabin. The Conejos even on the lower river looks great. Water clarity on the lower river is very good and the upper river is crystal clear water levels have dropped. Look for any drop in the release from Platoro Reservoir. The decending water levels below the dam can make fishing tough at times. I would be suprised to see the water levels come down any furthur for a while but we should haved some more off the charts fishing up high in the next couple of weeks and there will be no fisherman here for about three weeks. Is runoff over? No! There is still plenty of snow up high but the recent cool nights and coolish days up high have slowed it down. Just know that the next wave of warm air will get things cooking again but looks like we will fish right thru it on the upper river. Expect the La Jara to get better and better and the Los Pinos should drop and clear early as well so we should be throwing stonefly patterns (dries) on boths streams in the next couple of weeks. High mountain lakes should get very very good. Carp fishing, Pike fishing, Splake fishing, Trout fishing is all about to happen! Do yourself a favor and take out a great guide on your next fishing trip and take your fishing to the next level. Figuring this whole fly fishing thing out on your own can be tough. Jon Harp, of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceeding report. Keep looking at the releases out of Platoro Reservoir. If they drop below 200 cfs, the meadows below the dam will fish better.
Rio Grande 1080 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge near Creede; Slow
Releases have been changing out of Rio Grande Reservoir seemingly every other day. Today the release has been increased and is currently at 1080 cfs. There is decent water and the fish are feeding. Big stonefly nymphs and pheasant tails seem to be picking up the most fish on a heavily weighted leader in the deeper runs and pools. There is lots of water below Wagon Wheel Gap making the river floatable past South Fork.
Arkansas River 2680 cfs at Salida: Slow
Visibility is poor and there is a fair amount of debris in the water. Better to look for other options with warm weather forecast through the weekend. Expect the flows to get higher. Nymphing the deeper holding water and slow runs is probably the best option now. A big stone followed by a large (10-12) copper john is a good combo. Dredge the deeper holding water and seam lines - places that don't change too much with the addition of more water. Get your nymph to the bottom - if it isn't on the fish's nose, he won't take it
Animas River 3830 cfs at Durango; Poor
The Animas River near Durango is very high and roiling. The river is stirred up, the water is cold, and the kayak hatch is underway. The Delores below McPhee is also way up and currently flowing at 805 cfs! The upper forks of the Delores are in runoff. Closer to Pagosa Springs, the Piedra and San Juan have aslo risen dramatically since late last week. Williams Creek below the dam may be the only fishable water in the area. Spring fishing may be tough here as it seems as runoff has already started and is expected to last well into June.
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 Saturday, May 31, 2008
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