Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Tuesday June 30, 2009

Learn more about Aquatic Invasive Species at www.protectyourwaters.net

Rio Costilla 62 cfs below Costilla Reservoir Good
The Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal will open tomorrow, Wednesday July 1st. It is absolutely the most beautiful trout stream in the state and a place where you can reliably catch a Rio Grande Cutthroat. Shuree Ponds also located within the Valle Vidal will also open up tomorrow giving anglers a shot at catching a lunker over 20 inches. High riding and visible dry flies cast tigh to the banks will be the tactics for the Rio Costilla and diving caddis or damsel on a long leader and floating line for Shuree Ponds. Remember that all of the Valle Vidal is No Kill, Catch and Release only.

Pecos River approximately 105 cfs below Terrero; Good
The river is fishing well and does clear rapidly between thundershowers. The giant stonefly hatch is waning and the fish are getting harder to fool on the big bugs. The good news is that every thing else is hatching and providing for great dry fly fishing. Gray Drakes, Red Quills, Blue Winged Olives, PMD's, yellow sallies, and a small cream colored caddis have made an appearance over the past week. Game and Fish put some Rio Grande Cutthroats in the Pecos last week. Go catch and RELEASE one of these beauties. Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

San Juan River 475 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The High Spring Release for the San Juan has ended and the release is down to the 500 cfs flow we'll see over the next year. Fishing above Texas Hole has slowed some. Fishing brown, cream, or olive midges in the morning can pick up a few fish, however the better fishing is on baetis patterns from lunch time til 4 pm. Mdge fishing will pick back up in the evenings. Caddis and PMD's have been coming off on the lower river if you can float or arrange for a guide. Time to go back to the small stuff and fluorocarbon tippets. Streamers in the deeper runs can be incredible. There was already one ant fall and we could see more with the summer rains upon us. There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st. Game and Fish officers have been heavy handed and are checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!

Jicarilla Nation Lakes; Fair for trout
Fishing at Stone Lake is slow but still your best bet at fish over twenty inches. Clarity in some places is diminished because of a green algae bloom. Damsel nymphs seem to be the ticket right. Takes are very light so try a slow hand twist retrieve to remain in constant contact with your flies. Take caution on the windy days if you are in a boat. Both Mundo and Enbom received stocking of 16-18" fish recently. Enbom is more protected from wind than Stone. Catching in general has been better here. There have been good calibaetis hatches there as well mid-day. Damsel nymphs are producing very well. The weeds are getting worse at Enbom and fishing from the bank is getting tough so bring your float tube. On Mundo, it's all about catfish and bass lately, although some of the newly planted fish are getting caught as well.

Rio Grande 1300 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 1600 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is murky. Not the greatest summer fishing unless you want to catch some river smallies. Smallmouth eat crayfish patterns and wooly buggers in the eddies and you can pick out some trout in the tailouts of larger runs or in the pockets. Game and Fish stocked some Rio Grande Cutthroats into the gorge. Kinda cool to have the river's namesake fish swimming in it's waters again. Please treat these fish as no kill. 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. Cover the deeper slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.

Cimarron River 42 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Although the release is high, fishing is good. The lower river is more open and can fish better than the brushy stuff on the upper end. There are golden stone and baetis hatches and the PMD's or Ginger duns are just starting to show themselves. Flies for the Cimarron are PMD's caddis, yellow sallies, scuds, hares ear nymphs, and Barr's PMD emergers.

Jemez Mountain Streams 28 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
The Cebolla, the East Fork, and the San Antonio are fishing well with a dries or a dry with a small dropper. Some of the more open stretches of water do fish slower mid-day. Genereally the more shaded water or the higher you go will beat that mid-day slump. It's the perfect place for light tackle, so take your onie and go high. Other hatches are little yellow sallies, cream caddis, and red quills.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Good: 291 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair to Good: 193 cfs below El Vado Dam; Fair: and 503 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The Chama River upstream of Tierra Amarilla is fishing well, except the river can murk up after a thunder shower. The Chama can take a day or two to clear up, so keep checking the reports. Also, check the flows before you make that drive to one of the tailwaters. The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers. The release is down for the week and offering some wading friendly flows. The release usually goes up on Friday morning and comes back down on Sunday afternoon. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. Releases from Abiquiu Dam are a little high for optimum fishing and the water is very murky. The release out of Abiquiu fluctuates greatly depending on irrigation need and municipal water supplies so it's best to find someplace else to fish most of the summer. Baetis nymphs, midges, and crane fly larva are the usual flies for the Chama below Abiquiu. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The tailwater sections usually fish best below 300 cfs. The best fishing here is up on the lake for smallmouth and walleye from the shore. 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:

Conejos River 354 cfs below Platoro, 788 cfs at Mogote; Fair to Good
June 30, 2009. "Ok were back online here in Conejos County! Flows cut in half on the upper river and water clarity and bug life is pointing towards what we were hoping for. Almost all of the tribs look great and fishing from Elk to the La Jara has been very good this week. Alot of fish on the dry on the tribs. Reports of big Cutts and Browns hooked and sometimes landed on the tribs the past few days. Expect to see Drakes on the lower river very soon, the caddis and Goldens are already in full swing." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report. The Pinnacles won't be wadeable till the flows come back down below 200 cfs.

Arkansas River 2380 cfs at Granite; Good: 2960 cfs at Salida; Slow to Fair
Flows are going up with higher releases out of Twin Lakes and Clear creek Reservoirs. The best fishing is going to be from Hayden Meadows down to the Lake Creek confluence. Fishing from Brown's Canyon to Buena Vista has been great on big dries and stonefly droppers or double nymph rigs fished tight to the banks or in the deeper holes. Caddis continue to hatch each afternoon from Granite upstream. Visibility is better the further upstream you go.

Animas River 2030 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas can get murky after the typical summer thunder shower. It may take a day or three to come down and clear up. Stonefly and caddis nymphs with a trailing midge or pheasant tail drifted and swung along the banks will pick up some fish. The release on the Delores below McPhee has been reduced futher to 69 cfs. While not as perfect of a flow for the "D", fish it now before the aquatic vegetation grows too high.

Pagosa Area: Piedra River 396 cfs at Arboles; Fair to Good: San Juan River 575 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Fair
The San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado can really produce some very heavy local rainfall as is evident by the recent spikes in flow on the Animas and the Chama. While the flows didn't come up as much here, the streams can come up and murk up. The Pagosa area streams are a little high, but come down and clear quick. Streamers fished in the softer water may pick you up a few fish on the main stem San Juan and lower Piedra. Good reports on Williams Creek below the dam and some stoneflies on the Piedra just below Williams Creek confluence.

Rio Grande 405 cfs at Creede; Slow to Fair: 939 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir are all over the place, but fortunattely for the moment have been reduced to the current flow of 405 cfs. That and waning runoff has made much of the river more fishable to the wading angler. This is another place to put on your radar as the salmon fly hatch is just beginning. There are caddis everywhere and the Green Drake hatch is also just beginnng. We'll keep you posted so keep checking the
reports.
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.

It's summer time in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions change frequently! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.

For the most current stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report Friday June 26, 2009

Learn more about Aquatic Invasive Species at www.protectyourwaters.net

Pecos River approximately 116 cfs below Terrero; Good
The river is fishing well and does clear rapidly between thundershowers. The giant stonefly hatch is waning and the fish are getting harder to fool on the big bugs. The good news is that every thing else is hatching and providing for great dry flyt fishing. Gray Drakes, Red Quills, Blue Winged Olives, PMD's, yellow sallies, and a small cream colored caddis have made an appearance over the past week. Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

San Juan River 522 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The High Spring Release for the San Juan has ended and the release is down to the 500 cfs flow we'll see over the next year. Fishing above Texas Hole has slowed some. Fishing brown, cream, or olive midges in the morning can pick up a few fish, however the better fishing is on baetis patterns from lunch time til 4 pm. Mdge fishing will pick back up in the evenings. Caddis and PMD's have been coming off on the lower river if you can float or arrange for a guide. Time to go back to the small stuff and fluorocarbon tippets. Streamers in the deeper runs can be incredible. There was already one ant fall and we could see more with the summer rains upon us. There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st. Game and Fish officers have been heavy handed and are checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!

Jicarilla Nation Lakes; Fair for trout
Fishing at Stone Lake is slow to fair, but still your best bet at fish over twenty inches. Clarity is diminished because of a green algae bloom. Damsel nymphs seem to be the ticket right. Takes are very light so try a slow hand twist retrieve to remain in constant contact with your flies. Take caution on the windy days if you are in a boat. Both Mundo and Enbom received stocking of 16-18" fish recently. Enbom is more protected from wind than Stone. Catching in general has been better here. There have been good calibaetis hatches there as well mid-day. Damsel nymphs are producing very well. The weeds are getting worse at Enbom and fishing from the bank is getting tough so bring your float tube. On Mundo, it's all about catfish and bass lately, although some of the newly planted fish are getting caught as well.

Rio Grande 513 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 826 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is murky. Not the greatest summer fishing unless you want to catch some river smallies. Smallmouth eat crayfish patterns and wooly buggers in the eddies and you can pick out some trout in the tailouts of larger runs or in the pockets. The rafting and kayaking traffic is dimishing. 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. Cover the deeper slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.

Cimarron River 31 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Although the release is high, fishing is good. The lower river is more open and can fish better than the brushy stuff on the upper end. There are golden stone and baetis hatches and the PMD's or Ginger duns are just starting to show themselves. Flies for the Cimarron are PMD's caddis, yellow sallies, scuds, hares ear nymphs, and Barr's PMD emergers.

Jemez Mountain Streams 74 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
The rains may affect the streams of the Jemez, they clear quickly the flows are near summer levels and they are fishing well. The Cebolla, the East Fork, and the San Antonio are nymphing well with a dries and a dry with a dropper with size 14-18 prince nymphs, pheasant tails, and black or blue copper johns are the tactics. Forest Road 376 to the San Antonio hot springs is open. Fishing in the Jemez can be very good the higher you go. It's the perfect place for light tackle, so take your onie and go high. Other hatches are little yellow sallies, cream caddis, and red quills.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 638 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 826 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 503 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The Chama River upstream of Tierra Amarilla is fishing fair, except the flows are high from the recent rains we've had. The Chama can take a few days to clear up, so keep checking the reports. Also, check the flows before you make that drive to one of the tailwaters. The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers. The release is back up for the weekend rafting scene. The release usually goes up on Friday afternoon and come back down on Sunday afternoon. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. Releases from Abiquiu Dam are a little high for optimum fishing and the water is very murky. The release out of Abiquiu fluctuates greatly depending on irrigation need and municipal water supplies so it's best to find someplace else to fish most of the summer. Baetis nymphs, midges, and crane fly larva are the usual flies for the Chama below Abiquiu. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The tailwater sections usually fish best below 300 cfs. The best fishing here is up on the lake for smallmouth and walleye from the shore. 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:

Conejos River 657 cfs below Platoro, 1530 cfs at Mogote; Fair to Good
June 19, 2009 "The big bugs have sputtered seemingly haphazardly on the lower river and the fishing reports have varied wildly the last few days. The exception is the tribs which have been good to fantastic. Very good dry fly fishing on most of the tributaries and the Conejos has had a couple of days that have been very good on top but today was not one of those for some bizzare Conejos type reason. The outrageous caddis hatch has begun alongside the big bugs and fish have suprisingly been eating some small stuff alongside the Salmon/Willow/Pteronarcys. Golden Stones and caddis emergers have been some of the best nymphs. The Salmonfly the best dry. Expect it to get buggier and buggier each day and the fish will begin to look up more and more each day. Great time to be here. Still nymphing in the meadow but our guide trips up there have been good to great." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report. The release out of Platoro Reservior went up again this morning, once again making the meadows tough to fish as well as the Pinnacles. The Pinnacles won't be wadeable till the flows come back down below 200 cfs.

Arkansas River 2880 cfs below Granite; Good: 2940 cfs at Salida; Fair
Flows are going up with higher releases out of Twin Lakes and Clear creek Reservoirs. The best fishing is going to be from Hayden Meadows down to the Lake Creek confluence. Fishing from Brown's Canyon to Buena Vista has been great on big dries and stonefly droppers or double nymph rigs fished tight to the banks or in the deeper holes. Caddis continue to hatch each afternoon from Granite upstream. Visibility is better the further upstream you go.

Animas River 3500 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas is very murky and way up after some heavy local rainfall. It may take a day ar three to come down and clear up. Stonefly nymphs with a trailing midge or pheasant tail drifted and swung along the banks will pick up some fish. The release on the Delores below McPhee has been reduced futher to 71 cfs. While not as perfect of a flow for the "D", fish it now before the aquatic vegetation grows too high.

Pagosa Area: Piedra River 446 cfs at Arboles; Fair to Good: San Juan River 890 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Fair
The San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado can really produce some very heavy local rainfall as is evident by the higher flows on the Animas and the Chama. While the flows didn't come up as much here, the streams did come up and murk up. The Pagosa area streams are high, but come down and clear quick. Streamers fished in the softer water may pick you up a few fish on the main stem San Juan and lower Piedra. Good reports on Williams Creek below the dam and some stoneflies on the Piedra just below Williams Creek confluence.

Rio Grande 670 cfs at Creede; Slow to Fair: 1450 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir are all over the place, but despite that, waning runoff has made much of the river more fishable to the wading angler. The flows are high so do be careful. This is another place to put on your radar as the salmon fly hatch is just beginning below South Fork. The South Fork of the Rio Grande seems to have the areas best fishing right now. There are caddis everywhere and the Green Drake hatch is just beginnng. We'll keep you posted so keep checking the
reports.
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.

It's summer time in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions change frequently! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.

For the most current stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Monday June 15, 2009

Learn more about Aquatic Invasive Species at www.protectyourwaters.net

Pecos River approximately 147 cfs below Terrero; Good
The river is coming down in flow more and more every day signaling the end of runoff. Fish the edges next to the bank or any obvious seams or pockets. Smaller or unweighted stonefly patterns and a trailing hares ear drifted then fished on the swing at the end of your drift is what's working. Stonelies have been out for a couple of weeks already and are up to Terrero. Work your dry fly. Skate it, hop it,swing it, smack it, to get them to come up top. Rogue foam stones, Candy Corns, Clarks Slamon Fly will do as well as a buggy stone or peacock biot stone nymph as a dropper. Lots of yellow sallies are flying around with Blue Winged Olives and Gray Drakes making an appearance too. Don't be a poacher! See my announcements page about new laws governing trespassing. Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

San Juan River 493 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The High Spring Release for the San Juan has ended and the release is down to 500 cfs today. Fishing is great on the way down. Some fish remain in spots that were more comfortable during high flows making for great sight fishing in very clear water. Time to go back to the small stuff and fluorocarbon tippets. Streamers in the deeper runs, especially the ones that weren't accessable by boat or wading anglers can be incredible. Fishing after the high release is the best time as the trout seem to be hungry and gullible, for a little while at least. There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st. Game and Fish officers have been heavy handed and are checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!

Jicarilla Nation Lakes; Fair for trout
Fishing at Stone Lake is slow to fair, but still your best bet at fish over twenty inches. Clarity is diminished because of a green algae bloom. Damsel nymphs seem to be the ticket right. Takes are very light so try a slow hand twist retrieve to remain in constant contact with your flies. Take caution on the windy days if you are in a boat. Both Mundo and Enbom received stocking of 16-18" fish recently. Enbom is more protected from wind than Stone. Catching in general has been better here. There have been good calibaetis hatches there as well mid-day. Damsel nymphs are producing very well. The weeds are getting worse at Enbom and fishing from the bank is getting tough so bring your float tube. On Mundo, it's all about catfish and bass lately, although some of the newly planted fish are getting caught as well.

Rio Grande 579 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 9760 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is murky. Not the greatest summer fishing unlees you want to catch some river smallies. Smallmouth eat crayfish patterns and wooly buggers in the eddies and you can pick out some trout in the tailouts of larger runs or in the pockets. The rafting and kayaking traffic is dimishing. 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. Cover the deeper slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.

Cimarron River 14 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Although the release is low, the tributaries are still flowing well so there is enough water in the Cimarron. There are golden stone and baetis hatches. PMD's or Ginger duns will be adding to the mix soon. Flies for the Cimarron are PMD's caddis, yellow sallies, scuds, hares ear nymphs, and Barr's PMD emergers.

Jemez Mountain Streams 50 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
Lat night's rains did not affect the streams of the Jemez, flows are near summer levels and they are fishing well. The Cebolla, the East Fork, and the San Antonio are nymphing well with a dries and a dry with a dropper with size 14-18 prince nymphs, pheasant tails, and black or blue copper johns are the tactics. Forest Road 376 to the San Antonio hot springs is open. Fishing in the Jemez can be very good the higher you go. It's the perfect place for light tackle, so take your onie and go high. The Guadalupe is wadeable and the stonefly hatch is up on the de las Vacas above Porter's Landing. Other hatches are little yellow sallies, cream caddis, and red quills.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow to Fair: 357 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 193 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1610 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The Chama River upstream of Tierra Amarilla is fishing slow and the flows are still high. Runoff is waning but it'll be a week or two to be wadeable, so keep checking the reports. Stoneflies are off upstream of El Vado. Wading is very tough but flows are dropping rapidly and it should be on fire this next week. Also, check the flows before you make that drive to one of the tailwaters. The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers. The release is back down for the week. The release usually goes up on Friday's and come back down on Sunday afternoon. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. Releases from Abiquiu Dam are quite high for safe wading, and the water looks like liquid sand. Releases here fluctuate greatly depending on irrigation need and municipal water supplies so it's best to find someplace else to fish most of the summer. Baetis nymphs, midges, and crane fly larva are the usual flies for the Chama below Abiquiu. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The tailwater sections usually fish best below 300 cfs. The best fishing here is up on the lake for smallmouth and walleye from the shore. 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:

Conejos River 345 cfs below Platoro, 951 cfs at Mogote; Fair to Good
June 10, 2009. "The mass exodus of Pteronarcys (GIANT BUGS) began last night and we now have big orange bugs flying around and should really change how we fish on the Conejos and births the beginning of the end for the Thingamabobber for a while. The other tribs are experiencing a more active bug life as well and should open up alot of water for us to fish. The flows continue to dip right now and with storage at Platoro as high as I have ever seen it expect flows out of Platoro to be in the 200 to 400 range for a while which will make the meadow a great place to fish and the lower river with all the stoneflies the place to be for throwing dries. Releases today Platoro 220, Lower River 800, Los Pinos 200, La Jara perfect! Expect the next couple of weeks to be stellar in alot of areas. Guides still have availality and the cabins still have some slots. Hope you can make it to throw one of the biggest dries of all!" Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report. The release out of Platoro Reservior went back up yesterday afternoon, once again making the meadows tough to fish as well as the Pinnacles. The Pinnacles won't be wadeable till the flows come back down below 200 cfs.

Arkansas River 1420 cfs below Granite; Good: 1650 cfs at Salida; Fair
Flows are going up with higher releases out of Twin Lakes and Clear creek Reservoirs. The best fishing is going to be from Hayden Meadows down to the Lake Creek confluence. Prior to today's releases, fishing from Brown's Canyon to Buena Vista has been great on big dries and stonefly droppers or double nymph rigs fished tight to the banks or in the deeper holes. Caddis continue to hatch each afternoon from Granite upstream. Visibility is better the further upstream you go.

Animas River 1270 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas is coming down slowly and we'll see better fishing conditions here soon. Stonefly nymphs with a trailing midge or pheasant tail drifted and swung along the banks will pick up some fish. The release on the Delores below McPhee has been reduced futher to 71 cfs. While not as perfect of a flow for the "D", fish it now before the aquatic vegetation grows too high.

Pagosa Area: Piedra River 509 cfs at Arboles; Fair to Good: San Juan River 726 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Fair
There is generally a two to three week longer duration of runoff in southern Colorado than we see here locally in New Mexico. The Pagosa area streams are still high, but coming down quick. Streamers fished in the softer water may pick you up a few fish on the main stem San Juan and lower Piedra. Good reports on Williams Creek below the dam and some stoneflies on the Piedra just below Williams Creek confluence, even though it is still a little high.

Rio Grande 658 cfs at Creede; Slow to Fair: 1370 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir are all over the place, but despite that, waning runoff has made much of the river more fishable to the wading angler. The flows are high so do be careful. This is another place to put on your radar as the salmon fly hatch is just beginning below South Fork. The South Fork of the Rio Grande seems to have the areas best fishing right now. The PMD hatch and Green Drake hatch will be a couple of weeks away. We'll keep you posted so keep checking the reports.

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.

It's summer time in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions change frequently! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.

For the most current stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday June 12, 2009

Learn more about Aquatic Invasive Species at www.protectyourwaters.net

Pecos River approximately 152 cfs below Terrero; Good
The river is coming down in flow more and more every day signaling the end of runoff. Fish the edges next to the bank or any obvious seams or pockets. Smaller or unweighted stonefly patterns and a trailing pheasant tail drifted then fished on the swing at the end of your drift is what's working. Stonelies have been out for a couple of weeks already and are up to Terrero. Work your dry fly. Skate it, hop it,swing it, smack it, to get them to come up top. Rogue foam stones, Candy Corns, Clarks Slamon Fly will do as well as a buggy stone or peacock biot stone nymph as a dropper. Lots of yellow sallies are flying around too. Don't be a poacher! See my announcements page about new laws governing trespassing. Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

San Juan River 716 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The High Spring Release for the San Juan has ended and the release is on it's way down to 500 cfs today. Fishing is great on the way down. Some fish remain in spots that were more comfortable during high flows making for great sight fishing in very clear water. Time to go back to the small stuff and fluorocarbon tippets. Streamers in the deeper runs, especially the ones that weren't accessable by boat or wading anglers can be incredible. Fishing after the high release is the best time as the trout seem to be hungry and gullible, for a little while at least. There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st. Game and Fish officers have been heavy handed and are checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!

Jicarilla Nation Lakes; Good for trout
Fishing at Stone Lake is slow to fair, but still your best bet at fish over twenty inches. Damsel nymphs seem to be the ticket right now as well as some dry fly action on calibaetis. Takes are very light so try a slow hand twist retrieve to remain in constant contact with your flies. Take caution on the windy days if you are in a boat. Both Mundo and Enbom received stocking of 16-18" fish recently. Enbom is more protected from wind than Stone. Catching in general has been better here. There have been good calibaetis hatches there as well mid-day. Damsel nymphs are producing very well. The weeds are getting worse at Enbom and fishing from the bank is getting tough so bring your float tube. On Mundo, it's all about catfish and bass lately, although some of the newly planted fish are getting caught as well.

Rio Grande 704 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 1100 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is murky. Not the greatest summer fishing unlees you want to catch some river smallies. Smallmouth eat crayfish patterns and wooly buggers in the eddies and you can pick out some trout in the tailouts of larger runs or in the pockets. The rafting and kayaking traffic is dimishing. 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. Cover the deeper slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.

Cimarron River 14 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Although the release is low, the tributaries are still flowing well so there is enough water in the Cimarron. There are golden stone and baetis hatches. PMD's or Ginger duns will be adding to the mix soon. Flies for the Cimarron are PMD's caddis, yellow sallies, scuds, hares ear nymphs, and Barr's PMD emergers. Coyote Creek State Park, somewhat near the Cimarron continues to fish well.

Jemez Mountain Streams 61 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
While Wednesday's rains did bring up most streams of the Jemez, flows are near summer levels and they are fishing well. The Cebolla, the East Fork, and the San Antonio are nymphing well with a dry and a dropper with size 14-18 prince nymphs, pheasant tails, and black or blue copper johns are the tactics. Forest Road 376 to the San Antonio hot springs is open. Fishing in the Jemez can be very good the higher you go. It's the perfect place for light tackle, so take your onie and go high. The Guadalupe is wadeable and the stonefly hatch is up on the de las Vacas above Porter's Landing. Other hatches are little yellow sallies, cream caddis, and red quills.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow to Fair: 417 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 643 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1630 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The Chama River upstream of Tierra Amarilla is fishing slow and the flows are still high. Runoff is waning but it'll be a week or two to be wadeable, so keep checking the reports. Stoneflies are off upstream of El Vado. Wading is very tough but flows are dropping rapidly and it should be on fire this next week. Also, check the flows before you make that drive to one of the tailwaters. The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers. The release is back up for the weekend and will generally top ouot at 850 cfs on Friday afternoon. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. Releases from Abiquiu Dam are quite high for safe wading, and the water looks like liquid sand. Releases here fluctuate greatly depending on irrigation need and municipal water supplies so it's best to find someplace else to fish most of the summer. Baetis nymphs, midges, and crane fly larva are the usual flies for the Chama below Abiquiu. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The tailwater sections usually fish best below 300 cfs. The best fishing here is up on the lake for smallmouth and walleye from the shore. 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:

Conejos River 136 cfs below Platoro, 733 cfs at Mogote; Fair to Good
June 10, 2009. "The mass exodus of Pteronarcys (GIANT BUGS) began last night and we now have big orange bugs flying around and should really change how we fish on the Conejos and births the beginning of the end for the Thingamabobber for a while. The other tribs are experiencing a more active bug life as well and should open up alot of water for us to fish. The flows continue to dip right now and with storage at Platoro as high as I have ever seen it expect flows out of Platoro to be in the 200 to 400 range for a while which will make the meadow a great place to fish and the lower river with all the stoneflies the place to be for throwing dries. Releases today Platoro 220, Lower River 800, Los Pinos 200, La Jara perfect! Expect the next couple of weeks to be stellar in alot of areas. Guides still have availality and the cabins still have some slots. Hope you can make it to throw one of the biggest dries of all!" Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report.

Arkansas River 1480 cfs below Granite; Good: 1420 cfs at Salida; Fair
Flows are going up with higher releases out of Twin Lakes and Clear creek Reservoirs. The best fishing is going to be from Hayden Meadows down to the Lake Creek confluence. Prior to today's releases, fishing from Brown's Canyon to Buena Vista has been great on big dries and stonefly droppers or double nymph rigs fished tight to the banks or in the deeper holes. Caddis continue to hatch each afternoon from Granite upstream. Visibility is better the further upstream.

Animas River 1220 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas is coming down slowly and we'll see better fishing conditions here soon. Stonefly nymphs with a trailing midge or pheasant tail drifted and swung along the banks will pick up some fish. The release on the Delores below McPhee has been reduced futher to 75 cfs. While not as perfect of a flow for the "D", fish it now before the aquatic vegetation grows too high.

Pagosa Area: Piedra River 548 cfs at Arboles; Slow to Good: San Juan River 624 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Fair
There is generally a two to three week longer duration of runoff in southern Colorado than we see here locally in New Mexico. The Pagosa area streams are still high, but coming down quick. Streamers fished in the softer water may pick you up a few fish on the main stem San Juan and lower Piedra. Good reports on Williams Creek below the dam and some stoneflies on the Piedra just below Williams Creek confluence, even though it is still a little high.

Rio Grande 658 cfs at Creede; Slow to Fair: 1370 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir are all over the place, but despite that, waning runoff has made much of the river more fishable to the wading angler. The flows are high so do be careful. This is another place to put on your radar as the salmon fly hatch is just beginning below South Fork. The South Fork of the Rio Grande seems to have the areas best fishing right now. The PMD hatch and Green Drake hatch will be a couple of weeks away. We'll keep you posted so keep checking the reports.

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.

It's summer time in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions change frequently! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.

For the most current stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday June 12, 2009

Learn more about Aquatic Invasive Species at www.protectyourwaters.net

Pecos River approximately 152 cfs below Terrero; Good
The river is coming down in flow more and more every day signaling the end of runoff. Fish the edges next to the bank or any obvious seams or pockets. Smaller or unweighted stonefly patterns and a trailing pheasant tail drifted then fished on the swing at the end of your drift is what's working. Stonelies have been out for a couple of weeks already and are up to Terrero. Work your dry fly. Skate it, hop it,swing it, smack it, to get them to come up top. Rogue foam stones, Candy Corns, Clarks Slamon Fly will do as well as a buggy stone or peacock biot stone nymph as a dropper. Don't be a poacher! See my announcements page about new laws governing trespassing. Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

San Juan River 1050 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The High Spring Release for the San Juan has ended and the release is on it's way down to 500 cfs today. Fishing is great on the way down. Generally it's time to fish junk. We're talking worms, eggs, and leeches; anything that is big enough to get the fish's attention when the water is turbid. Bump up the size of your trailing midge and baetis nymphs as well. Streamers fished in the beaver ponds has also saved me a skunking when I couldn't hit the more productive water during the high release. Fishing the drop can be very good as well and I find the river near perfect at 2000 cfs. There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st. Game and Fish officers have been heavy handed and are checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!

Jicarilla Nation Lakes; Good for trout
Fishing at Stone Lake is slow to fair, but still your best bet at fish over twenty inches. Damsel nymphs seem to be the ticket right now as well as some dry dly action on calibaetis. Takes are very light so try a slow hand twist retrieve to remain in constant contact with your flies. Take caution on the windy days if you are in a boat. Both Mundo and Enbom received stocking of 16-18" fish recently. Enbom is more protected from wind than Stone. Catching in general has been better here. There have been good calibaetis hatches there as well mid-day. Damsel nymphs are producing very well here also. On Mundo, it's all about catfish and bass lately, although some of the newly planted fish are getting caught as well.

Rio Grande 971 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 1460 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is murky and the flows are going up again. It's most likely from a two day high release out of Platoro Reservoir but should trend downward as the release was lowered this morning. Smallmouth eat crayfish patterns and wooly buggers in the eddies and you can pick out some trout in the tailouts of larger runs or in the pockets. The rafting and kayaking traffic is dimishing. 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. Cover the deeper slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.

Cimarron River 7.4 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Although the release is low, the tributaries are still flowing well so there is enough water in the Cimarron. There are golden stone and baetis hatches. PMD's or Ginger duns will be adding to the mix soon. Flies for the Cimarron are PMD's caddis, yellow sallies, scuds, hares ear nymphs, and Barr's PMD emergers. Coyote Creek State Park, somewhat near the Cimarron continues to fish well.

Jemez Mountain Streams 30 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
The bottom dropped out of the smaller streams of the Jemez Mountains. Flows are near summer levels and they are fishing well. The Cebolla, the East Fork, and the San Antonio are nymphing well with a dry and a dropper with size 14-18 prince nymphs, pheasant tails, and black or blue copper johns are the tactics. Forest Road 376 to the San Antonio hot springs is open. Fishing in the Jemez can be very good the higher you go. It's the perfect place for light tackle, so take your onie and go high. The Guadalupe is wadeable and the stonefly hatch is up on the de las Vacas above Porter's Landing.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow to Fair: 430 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 200 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1630 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The Chama River upstream of Tierra Amarilla is fishing slow and the flows are still high. Runoff is waning but it'll be a week or two to be wadeable, so keep checking the reports. Stoneflies are off upstream of El Vado. Wading is very tough but flows are dropping rapidly and it should be on fire this next week. Also, check the flows before you make that drive to one of the tailwaters. The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers. The release is back down for the next several days and will go back up to about 850 cfs on Friday afternoon. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. Releases from Abiquiu Dam are quite high for safe wading, and the water looks like liquid sand. Releases here fluctuate greatly depending on irrigation need and municipal water supplies so it's best to find someplace else to fish most of the summer. Baetis nymphs, midges, and crane fly larva are the usual flies for the Chama below Abiquiu. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The tailwater sections usually fish best below 300 cfs. The best fishing here is up on the lake for smallmouth and walleye from the shore. 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:

Conejos River 280 cfs below Platoro, 1010 cfs at Mogote; Fair to Good
June 7, 2009. "Plenty of changing conditions to try and keep up with here in Conejos County. Some good some not. The flows have been increased out of Platoro to about 350 cfs which bodes well for fishing up really high but the Pinnacles and canyon sections are off the grid for a while. The Lower River is high but we should see adult salmonfies beginning in about a week and that should change everything. Hopefully the lower river will continue to taper down and we will be able to fish the adult salmonflies for the first time in a while. Los Pinos is now back on (284 CFS) and the La Jara (48), Elk Creek, Lake Fork, and alot of other smaller tribs are now looking good and are loaded with fish. I am heading out now to drive alot and take a look myself at the different rivers to see if we have big bugs flying around anywhere. I suspect La Jara and the Los Pinos have adult stones flying around. For those looking for solitude this is going to be a fantastic couple of weeks. We have room in the cabins and there will be very few people here." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report.

Arkansas River 1370 cfs below Granite; Good: 1700 cfs at Salida; Fair
Flows are down with the cooler weather. Fishing from Brown's Canyon to Buena Vista has been great on big dries and stonefly droppers or double nymph rigs fished tight to the banks or in the deeper holes. Caddis continue to hatch each afternoon from Granite upstream. Visibility is better the further upstream, but fishing the edges around Salida can pick you up some fish.

Animas River 1530 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas is coming down slowly and we'll see better fishing conditions here soon. Stonefly nymphs with a trailing midge or pheasant tail drifted and swung along the banks will pick up some fish. The release on the Delores below McPhee has been reduced futher to 77 cfs. While not as perfect of a flow for the "D", fish it now before the aquatic vegetation grows too high.

Pagosa Area: Piedra River 612 cfs at Arboles; Slow to Good: San Juan River 825 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Fair
There is generally a two to three week longer duration of runoff in southern Colorado than we see here locally in New Mexico. The Pagosa area streams are still high, but coming down quick. Streamers fished in the softer water may pick you up a few fish on the main stem San Juan and lower Piedra. Good reports on Williams Creek below the dam and some stoneflies on the Piedra just below Williams Creek confluence, even though it is still a little high.

Rio Grande 501 cfs at Creede; Slow to Fair: 1480 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Slow to Fair
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir are all over the place, but despite that, waning runoff has made much of the river more fishable to the wading angler. The flows are high so do be careful. This is another place to put on your radar as the salmon fly hatch is just beginning below South Fork. The South Fork of the Rio Grande seems to have the areas best fishing right now. The PMD hatch and Green Drake hatch will be a couple of weeks away. We'll keep you posted so keep checking the reports.

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.

It's summer time in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions change frequently! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.

For the most current stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Monday June 8, 2009

Learn more about Aquatic Invasive Species at www.protectyourwaters.net

Pecos River approximately 172 cfs below Terrero; Good
The river is still a little high but coming down in flow more and more every day signaling the end of runoff. Fish the edges next to the bank or any obvious seams or pockets. Smaller or unweighted stonefly patterns and a trailing pheasant tail drifted then fished on the swing at the end of your drift is what's working. Stonelies have been out for a week already and are up to Terrero. Work your dry fly. Skate it, hop it,swing it, smack it, to get them to come up top. Rogue foam stones, Candy Corns, Clarks Slamon Fly will do as well as a buggy stone or peacock biot stone nymph as a dropper. Don't be a poacher! See my announcements page about new laws governing trespassing. Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

San Juan River 4850 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The High Spring Release for the San Juan is happening now. The river hit 5000 cfs on Monday June 1st. It will stay at 5000 for a week and ramp back down by 500 cfs per day starting tomorrow Monday June 8th. You can fish some places safely during the higher flows, just be smart and careful, and seek professional advice from the local San Juan shops and guides. At the time of this post, the release was 4850 cfs and should level off at 4500 today and go down by 500 cfs per day. Fishing is great on the way down. Generally it's time to fish junk. We're talking worms, eggs, and leeches; anything that is big enough to get the fish's attention when the water is turbid. Bump up the size of your trailing midge and baetis nymphs as well. Streamers fished in the beaver ponds has also saved me a skunking when I couldn't hit the more productive water during the high release. Fishing the drop can be very good as well and I find the river near perfect at 2000 cfs. There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st. Game and Fish officers have been heavy handed and are checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!

Jicarilla Nation Lakes; Good for trout
Fishing at Stone Lake is slow to fair, but still your best bet at fish over twenty inches. Damsel nymphs seem to be the ticket right now as well as some dry dly action on calibaetis. Takes are very light so try a slow hand twist retrieve to remain in constant contact with your flies. Take caution on the windy days if you are in a boat. Both Mundo and Enbom received stocking of 16-18" fish recently. Enbom is more protected from wind than Stone. Catching in general has been better here. There have been good calibaetis hatches there as well mid-day. Damsel nymphs are producing very well here also. On Mundo, it's all about catfish and bass lately, although some of the newly planted fish are getting caught as well.

Rio Grande 971 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 1460 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is murky and the flows are going up again. It's most likely from a two day high release out of Platoro Reservoir but should trend downward as the release was lowered this morning. Smallmouth eat crayfish patterns and wooly buggers in the eddies and you can pick out some trout in the tailouts of larger runs or in the pockets. The rafting and kayaking traffic is dimishing. 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. Cover the deeper slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.

Cimarron River 7.4 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Although the release is low, the tributaries are still flowing well so there is enough water in the Cimarron. There are golden stone and baetis hatches. PMD's or Ginger duns will be adding to the mix soon. Flies for the Cimarron are PMD's caddis, yellow sallies, scuds, hares ear nymphs, and Barr's PMD emergers. Coyote Creek State Park, somewhat near the Cimarron continues to fish well.

Jemez Mountain Streams 30 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
The bottom dropped out of the smaller streams of the Jemez Mountains. Flows are near summer levels and they are fishing well. The Cebolla, the East Fork, and the San Antonio are nymphing well with a dry and a dropper with size 14-18 prince nymphs, pheasant tails, and black or blue copper johns are the tactics. Forest Road 376 to the San Antonio hot springs is open. Fishing in the Jemez can be very good the higher you go. It's the perfect place for light tackle, so take your onie and go high. The Guadalupe is wadeable and the stonefly hatch is up on the de las Vacas above Porter's Landing.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow to Fair: 430 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 200 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1630 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The Chama River upstream of Tierra Amarilla is fishing slow and the flows are still high. Runoff is waning but it'll be a week or two to be wadeable, so keep checking the reports. Stoneflies are off upstream of El Vado. Wading is very tough but flows are dropping rapidly and it should be on fire this next week. Also, check the flows before you make that drive to one of the tailwaters. The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers. The release is back down for the next several days and will go back up to about 850 cfs on Friday afternoon. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. Releases from Abiquiu Dam are quite high for safe wading, and the water looks like liquid sand. Releases here fluctuate greatly depending on irrigation need and municipal water supplies so it's best to find someplace else to fish most of the summer. Baetis nymphs, midges, and crane fly larva are the usual flies for the Chama below Abiquiu. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The tailwater sections usually fish best below 300 cfs. The best fishing here is up on the lake for smallmouth and walleye from the shore. 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:

Conejos River 280 cfs below Platoro, 1010 cfs at Mogote; Fair to Good
June 7, 2009. "Plenty of changing conditions to try and keep up with here in Conejos County. Some good some not. The flows have been increased out of Platoro to about 350 cfs which bodes well for fishing up really high but the Pinnacles and canyon sections are off the grid for a while. The Lower River is high but we should see adult salmonfies beginning in about a week and that should change everything. Hopefully the lower river will continue to taper down and we will be able to fish the adult salmonflies for the first time in a while. Los Pinos is now back on (284 CFS) and the La Jara (48), Elk Creek, Lake Fork, and alot of other smaller tribs are now looking good and are loaded with fish. I am heading out now to drive alot and take a look myself at the different rivers to see if we have big bugs flying around anywhere. I suspect La Jara and the Los Pinos have adult stones flying around. For those looking for solitude this is going to be a fantastic couple of weeks. We have room in the cabins and there will be very few people here." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report.

Arkansas River 1370 cfs below Granite; Good: 1700 cfs at Salida; Fair
Flows are down with the cooler weather. Fishing from Brown's Canyon to Buena Vista has been great on big dries and stonefly droppers or double nymph rigs fished tight to the banks or in the deeper holes. Caddis continue to hatch each afternoon from Granite upstream. Visibility is better the further upstream, but fishing the edges around Salida can pick you up some fish.

Animas River 1530 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas is coming down slowly and we'll see better fishing conditions here soon. Stonefly nymphs with a trailing midge or pheasant tail drifted and swung along the banks will pick up some fish. The release on the Delores below McPhee has been reduced futher to 77 cfs. While not as perfect of a flow for the "D", fish it now before the aquatic vegetation grows too high.

Pagosa Area: Piedra River 612 cfs at Arboles; Slow to Good: San Juan River 825 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Fair
There is generally a two to three week longer duration of runoff in southern Colorado than we see here locally in New Mexico. The Pagosa area streams are still high, but coming down quick. Streamers fished in the softer water may pick you up a few fish on the main stem San Juan and lower Piedra. Good reports on Williams Creek below the dam and some stoneflies on the Piedra just below Williams Creek confluence, even though it is still a little high.

Rio Grande 501 cfs at Creede; Slow to Fair: 1480 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Slow to Fair
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir are all over the place, but despite that, waning runoff has made much of the river more fishable to the wading angler. The flows are high so do be careful. This is another place to put on your radar as the salmon fly hatch is just beginning below South Fork. The South Fork of the Rio Grande seems to have the areas best fishing right now. The PMD hatch and Green Drake hatch will be a couple of weeks away. We'll keep you posted so keep checking the reports.

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.

It's summer time in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions change frequently! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.

For the most current stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Sunday June 7, 2009

Learn more about Aquatic Invasive Species at www.protectyourwaters.net

Pecos River approximately 183 cfs below Terrero; Good
The river is still a little high but coming down in flow more and more every day signaling the end of runoff. Fish the edges next to the bank or any obvious seams or pockets. Smaller or unweighted stonefly patterns and a trailing pheasant tail drifted then fished on the swing at the end of your drift is what's working. Stonelies have been out for a week already and are up to Terrero. Work your dry fly. Skate it, hop it,swing it, smack it, to get them to come up top. Rogue foam stones, Candy Corns, Clarks Slamon Fly will do as well as a buggy stone or peacock biot stone nymph as a dropper. Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

San Juan River 5140 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The High Spring Release for the San Juan is happening now. The river hit 5000 cfs on Monday June 1st. It will stay at 5000 for a week and ramp back down by 500 cfs per day starting tomorrow Monday June 8th. You can fish some places safely during the higher flows, just be smart and careful, and seek professional advice from the local San Juan shops and guides. Generally it's time to fish junk. We're talking worms, eggs, and leeches; anything that is big enough to get the fish's attention when the water is turbid. Bump up the size of your trailing midge and baetis nymphs as well. Streamers fished in the beaver ponds has also saved me a skunking when I couldn't hit the more productive water during the high release. Fishing the drop can be very good as well and I find the river near perfect at 2000 cfs. There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st. Game and Fish officers have been heavy handed and are checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!

Jicarilla Nation Lakes; Good for trout
Fishing at Stone Lake is still your best bet at fish over twenty inches. Damsel nymphs seem to be the ticket right now as well as some dry dly action on calibaetis. Takes are very light so try a slow hand twist retrieve to remain in constant contact with your flies. Take caution on the windy days if you are in a boat. Enbom is more protected from wind than Stone. Catching in general has been better here. There have been good calibaetis hatches there as well mid-day. Damsel nymphs are producing very well here also.

Rio Grande 961 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 1410 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is murky and the flows are going up again. It's most likely from a two day high release out of Platoro Reservoir but should trend downward as the release was lowered this morning. Smallmouth eat crayfish patterns and wooly buggers in the eddies and you can pick out some trout in the tailouts of larger runs or in the pockets. The rafting and kayaking traffic is dimishing. 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. Cover the deeper slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.

Cimarron River 7.4 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Although the release is low, the tributaries are still flowing well so there is enough water in the Cimarron. There are golden stone and baetis hatches. PMD's or Ginger duns will be adding to the mix soon. Flies for the Cimarron are PMD's caddis, yellow sallies, scuds, hares ear nymphs, and Barr's PMD emergers. Coyote Creek State Park, somewhat near the Cimarron continues to fish well.

Jemez Mountain Streams 42 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
The bottom dropped out of the smaller streams of the Jemez Mountains. Flows are near summer levels and they are fishing well. The Cebolla, the East Fork, and the San Antonio are nymphing well with a dry and a dropper with size 14-18 prince nymphs, pheasant tails, and black or blue copper johns are the tactics. Forest Road 376 to the San Antonio hot springs is open. The Guadalupe is wadeable and the stonefly hatch is up on the de las Vacas above Porter's Landing.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow to Fair: 483 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 843 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1630 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The Chama River upstream of Tierra Amarilla is fishing slow and the flows are still high. Runoff is waning but it'll be a week or two to be wadeable, so keep checking the reports. Stoneflies are off upstream of El Vado. Wading is very tough but flows are dropping rapidly and it should be on fire this next week. Also, check the flows before you make that drive to one of the tailwaters. The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers. The release is back up for the moment, and the water is murky coming out of the dam. Wading is generally difficult at these flows. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. Releases from Abiquiu Dam are quite high for safe wading, and the water looks like liquid sand. Releases here fluctuate greatly depending on irrigation need and municipal water supplies so it's best to find someplace else to fish most of the summer. Baetis nymphs, midges, and crane fly larva are the usual flies for the Chama below Abiquiu. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The tailwater sections usually fish best below 300 cfs. The best fishing here is up on the lake for smallmouth and walleye from the shore. 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:

Conejos River 354 cfs below Platoro, 1260 cfs at Mogote; Fair to Good
May 28, 2009. "Wow the lower Conejos is now under 900 with excellent water clarity by the end of May?! Not sure what to take of that but for now it is good. No longer neccesary to drive all the way up unless you want a gorgeous drive. Flows out of the dam continue to be around 50 cfs and fishing on the entire upper river system is good. Stoneflies on the lower river with a #16 Hares ear or SJ Worm are a great option. The upper river sllightly different but fish some midge / annelid patterns close to the dam. The La Jara and Lake Fork are perfect right now and expect the Los Pinos to look good very soon. Sanchez, Trujillo Meadows, and La Jara Reservoir as well as the hike in lakes are great right now. Try something different and check them out." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report. The Los Pinos is still high, but clear. It's fishable but just barely. The release out of Platoro went up Friday only to come back down a little today. Anything over 175 cfs puts the Pinnacles and some portions of the meadows out of play. I'm guessing that stoneflies could become more abundant here this wee or early next. Keep checking.

Arkansas River 1580 cfs below Granite; Good: 1940 cfs at Salida; Fair
Flows are down with the cooler weather. Fishing from Brown's Canyon to Buena Vista has been great on big dries and stonefly droppers or double nymph rigs fished tight to the banks or in the deeper holes. Caddis continue to hatch each afternoon from Granite upstream. Visibility is better the further upstream, but fishing the edges around Salida can pick you up some fish.

Animas River 1730 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas is coming down slowly and we'll see better fishing conditions here soon. Stonefly nymphs with a trailing midge or pheasant tail drifted and swung along the banks will pick up some fish. The release on the Delores below McPhee has been reduced futher to 77 cfs. While not as perfect of a flow for the "D", fish it now before the aquatic vegetation grows too high.

Pagosa Area: Piedra River 699 cfs at Arboles; Slow to Good: San Juan River 966 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Fair
There is generally a two to three week longer duration of runoff in southern Colorado than we see here locally in New Mexico. The Pagosa area streams are still high, but coming down quick. Streamers fished in the softer water may pick you up a few fish on the mian stem San Juan and lower Piedra. Good reports on Williams Creek below the dam and some stoneflies on the Piedra just below Williams Creek confluence, even though it is still a little high.

Rio Grande 691 cfs at Creede; Slow to Fair: 1650 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Slow to Fair
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir are all over the place, but despite that, waning runoff has made much of the river more fishable to the wading angler. The flows are high so do be careful. This is another place to put on your radar as the salmon fly hatch is just beginning below South Fork. The South Fork of the Rio Grande seems to have the areas best fishing right now. The PMD hatch and Green Drake hatch will be a couple of weeks away. We'll keep you posted so keep checking the reports.

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.

It's runoff time in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions are changing frequently! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.

For the most current stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.

Fly Fishing Report for Friday June 5, 2009

Learn more about Aquatic Invasive Species at www.protectyourwaters.net

Pecos River approximately 194 cfs below Terrero; Good
The river is still a little high but coming down in flow more and more every day signaling the end of runoff. Fish the edges next to the bank or any obvious seams or pockets. Smaller or unweighted stonefly patterns and a trailing pheasant tail drifted then fished on the swing at the end of your drift is what's working. Stonelies have been out for a few days already and are up to Windy Bridge. Work your dry fly. Skate it, hop it,swing it, smack it, to get them to come up top. Rogue foam stones, Candy Corns, Clarks Slamon Fly will do as well as a buggy stone or peacock biot stone nymph as a dropper. Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

San Juan River 5140 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The High Spring Release for the San Juan is happening now. The river hit 5000 cfs on Monday June 1st. It will stay at 5000 for a week and ramp back down by 500 cfs per day. You can fish some places safely during the higher flows, just be smart and careful, and seek professional advice from the local San Juan shops and guides. Generally it's time to fish junk. We're talking worms, eggs, and leeches; anything that is big enough to get the fish's attention when the water is turbid. Bump up the size of your trailing midge and baetis nymphs as well. Streamers fished in the beaver ponds has also saved me a skunking when I couldn't hit the more productive water during the high release. There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st. Game and Fish officers have been heavy handed and are checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!

Jicarilla Nation Lakes; Good for trout
Fishing at Stone Lake is still your best bet at fish over twenty inches, but competing with the profuse calibaetis hatches is making fishing tough. The takes are very light and midges and calibaetis nymphs seemed to be the only thing that they wanted. Take caution on the windy days if you are in a boat. Enbom is more protected from wind than Stone. Catching has been better here. There have been good midge hatches there as well in the mornings followed by calibaetis around noon. Damsels should be moving about also.

Rio Grande 786 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 1270 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is murky and the flows are going down. Smallmouth eat crayfish patterns and wooly buggers in the eddies and you can pick out some trout in the tailouts of larger runs, but it's all about kayaking and rafting well into June, although that traffic is dimishing. Streamers fished in the pockets or in the tailouts can also pick up some trout or show them a crane fly larvae with a trailing pheasant tail or caddis larvae. 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. Cover the deeper slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.

Cimarron River 7.8 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Although the release is low, the tributaries are still flowing well so there is enough water in the Cimarron. There are golden stone and baetis hatches. PMD's or Ginger duns will be adding to the mix in a cuople of weeks. Flies for the Cimarron are bwo's, scuds, hares ear nymphs, and Barr's emergers. Coyote Creek State Park, somewhat near the Cimarron continues to fish well.

Jemez Mountain Streams 45 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
The bottom dropped out of the smaller streams of the Jemez Mountains. Flows are near summer levels and they are fishing well. The Cebolla, the East Fork, and the San Antonio are nymphing well with a dry and a dropper with size 14-18 prince nymphs, pheasant tails, and black or blue copper johns are the tactics. Forest Road 376 to the Sana Antonio hot springs is open. The Guadalupe gets more wadeable by the day and the stonefly hatch is up on the de las Vacas above Porter's Landing.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 607 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 197 cfs below El Vado Dam; Fair: and 1480 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The Chama River upstream of Tierra Amarilla is fishing slow and the flows are still high. Runoff is waning but it'll be a couple of weeks to be wadeable, so keep checking the reports. Also, check the flows before you make that drive to one of the tailwaters. The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers. The release is down for the moment but the water is murky coming out of the dam. Wading is generally easy at these flows. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. Releases from Abiquiu Dam are quite high for safe wading, and the water looks like liquid sand. Releases here fluctuate greatly depending on irrigation need and municipal water supplies so it's best to find someplace else to fish most of the summer. Baetis nymphs, midges, and crane fly larva are the usual flies for the Chama below Abiquiu. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The tailwater sections usually fish best below 300 cfs. The best fishing here is up on the lake for smallmouth and walleye from the shore. 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:

Conejos River 480 cfs below Platoro, 1390 cfs at Mogote; Fair to Good
May 28, 2009. "Wow the lower Conejos is now under 900 with excellent water clarity by the end of May?! Not sure what to take of that but for now it is good. No longer neccesary to drive all the way up unless you want a gorgeous drive. Flows out of the dam continue to be around 50 cfs and fishing on the entire upper river system is good. Stoneflies on the lower river with a #16 Hares ear or SJ Worm are a great option. The upper river sllightly different but fish some midge / annelid patterns close to the dam. The La Jara and Lake Fork are perfect right now and expect the Los Pinos to look good very soon. Sanchez, Trujillo Meadows, and La Jara Reservoir as well as the hike in lakes are great right now. Try something different and check them out." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report. The Los Pinos is still high, but clear. It's fishable but just barely. The release out of Platoro went up and puts the Pinnacles and meadows out of play.

Arkansas River 1580 cfs below Granite; Fair: 1990 cfs at Salida; Slow
Flows are down with the cooler weather. Fishing on the upper river has been great on big dries and stonefly droppers or double nymph rigs fished tight to the banks or in the deeper holes. Caddis continue to hatch each afternoon around Granite. Stoneflies are out from Buena Vista downstream. Visibility is better the further upstream, but fishing the edges around Salida can pick you up some fish.

Animas River 2000 cfs at Durango; Poor
The Animas is coming down slowly and we'll see better fishing conditions here in a week or two. There is some rafting and kayaking traffic, so give it a couple of weeks. Stonefly nymphs with a trailing midge or pheasant tail drifted and swung along the banks may pick up some fish. The release on the Delores below McPhee has been reduced futher to 76 cfs. While not as perfect of a flow for the "D", fish it now before the aquatic vegetaion grows too high.

Pagosa Area: Piedra River 765 cfs at Arboles; Slow: San Juan River 1070 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Slow
There is generally a two to three week longer duration of runoff in southern Colorado than we see here locally in New Mexico. The Pagosa area streams are still high. Streamers fished in the softer water may pick you up a few fish. Good reports on Williams Creek, even though it is also a little high. Keep checking, good fishing is only a few weeks away.

Rio Grande 712 cfs at Creede; Poor: 1550 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Slow
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir are back up just as waning runoff have made much of the river more fishable to the wading angler. The flows are high so do be careful. This is another place to put on your radar as the giant stonefly hatch is coming soon only to be followed up by the PMD hatch and Green Drake hatch. We'll keep you posted so keep checking the reports.

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.

It's runoff time in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions are changing frequently! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.

For the most current stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.

Fly Fishing Report for Tuesday June 2, 2009

Learn more about Aquatic Invasive Species at www.protectyourwaters.net

Pecos River approximately 221 cfs below Terrero; Good
The river is still a little high but coming down in flow more and more every day signaling the end of runoff. Fish the edges next to the bank or any obvious seams or pockets. Smaller or unweighted stonefly patterns and a trailing pheasant tail drifted then fished on the swing at the end of your drift is what's working. No word on stoneflies coming off yet, but I'll post it as soon as it happens. Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

San Juan River 5200 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The High Spring Release for the San Juan is happening now. The river hit 5000 cfs on Monday June 1st. It will stay at 5000 for a week and ramp back down by 500 cfs per day. You can fish some places safely during the higher flows, just be smart and careful, and seek professional advice from the local San Juan shops and guides. Generally it's time to fish junk. We're talking worms, eggs, and leeches; anything that is big enough to get the fish's attention when the water is turbid. Bump up the size of your trailing midge and baetis nymphs as well. Streamers fished in the beaver ponds has also saved me a skunking when I couldn't hit the more productive water during the high release. There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st. Game and Fish officers have been heavy handed and are checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!

Jicarilla Nation Lakes; Good for trout
Fishing at Stone Lake is still your best bet at fish over twenty inches, but competing with the profuse calibaetis hatches is making fishing tough. The takes are very light and midges and calibaetis nymphs seemed to be the only thing that they wanted. Take caution on the windy days if you are in a boat. Enbom is more protected from wind than Stone. Catching has been better here. There have been good midge hatches there as well in the mornings followed by calibaetis around noon. Damsels should be moving about also.

Rio Grande 879 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 1430 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is clearing and the flows are going down. Smallmouth eat crayfish patterns and wooly buggers in the eddies and you can pick out some trout in the tailouts of larger runs, but it's all about kayaking and rafting well into June, although that traffic is dimishing. Streamers fished in the pockets or in the tailouts can also pick up some trout or show them a crane fly larvae with a trailing pheasant tail or caddis larvae. 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. Cover the deeper slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.

Cimarron River 7.4 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Although the release is low, the tributaries are still flowing well so there is enough water in the Cimarron. There are golden stone and baetis hatches. PMD's or Ginger duns will be adding to the mix in a cuople of weeks. Flies for the Cimarron are bwo's, scuds, hares ear nymphs, and Barr's emergers. Coyote Creek State Park, somewhat near the Cimarron continues to fish well.

Jemez Mountain Streams 51 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
The bottom dropped out of the smaller streams of the Jemez Mountains. Flows are near summer levels and they are fishing well. The Cebolla, the East Fork, and the San Antonio are nymphing well with a dry and a dropper with size 14-18 prince nymphs, pheasant tails, and black or blue copper johns are the tactics. The Guadalupe gets more wadeable by the day and the stonefly hatch is up on the de las Vacas above Porter's Landing.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 711 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 547 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1470 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The Chama River upstream of Tierra Amarilla is fishing slow and the flows are still high. Runoff is waning but it'll be a couple of weeks to be wadeable, so keep checking the reports. Also, check the flows before you make that drive to one of the tailwaters. The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers, but the release is a little high and the water is murky and wading is difficult. Releases from Abiquiu Dam are also up. The flows are quite high for safe wading, and the water looks like liquid sand. Releases here fluctuate greatly depending on irrigation need and municipal water supplies so it's best to find someplace else to fish most of the summer. Baetis nymphs, midges, and crane fly larva are the usual flies for the Chama below Abiquiu. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The tailwater sections usually fish best below 300 cfs. The best fishing here is up on the lake for smallmouth and walleye from the shore. 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:

Conejos River 309 cfs below Platoro, 958 cfs at Mogote; Fair to Good
May 28, 2009. "Wow the lower Conejos is now under 900 with excellent water clarity by the end of May?! Not sure what to take of that but for now it is good. No longer neccesary to drive all the way up unless you want a gorgeous drive. Flows out of the dam continue to be around 50 cfs and fishing on the entire upper river system is good. Stoneflies on the lower river with a #16 Hares ear or SJ Worm are a great option. The upper river sllightly different but fish some midge / annelid patterns close to the dam. The La Jara and Lake Fork are perfect right now and expect the Los Pinos to look good very soon. We still have 2 memberships available for the private ranches. If you are interested give us a call. Sanchez, Trujillo Meadows, and La Jara Reservoir as well as the hike in lakes are great right now. Try something different and check them out." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report. The Los Pinos is still high, but clear. It's fishable but just barely. The release out of Platoro went up and puts the Pinnacles out of play.

Arkansas River 2070 cfs below Granite; Fair: 2300 cfs at Salida; Slow
Flows are down with the cooler weather. Fishing on the upper river has been great on big dries and stonefly droppers or double nymph rigs fished tight to the banks or in the deeper holes. Caddis continue to hatch each afternoon around Granite. Stoneflies are out from Wellsville down. Visibility is better the further upstream, but fishing the edges around Salida can pick you up some fish.

Animas River 1960 cfs at Durango; Poor
The Animas is coming down slowly and we'll see better fishing conditions here in a week or two. There is some rafting and kayaking traffic, so give it a couple of weeks. Stonefly nymphs with a trailing midge or pheasant tail drifted and swung along the banks may pick up some fish. The release on the Delores below McPhee has been reduced futher 80 cfs. While not as perfect of a flow for the "D", fish it now before the aquatic vegetaion grows too high.

Pagosa Area: Piedra River 846 cfs at Arboles; Slow: San Juan River 1130 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Slow
There is generally a two to three week longer duration of runoff in southern Colorado than we see here locally in New Mexico. The Pagosa area streams are still high. Streamers fished in the softer water may pick you up a few fish. Good reports on Williams Creek, even though it is also a little high. It'll fish as long as they don't increase the release out of the dam. Keep checking, good fishing is only a few weeks away.

Rio Grande 501 cfs at Creede; Poor: 1650 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Slow
Declining releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir and waning runoff have made much of the river more fishable to the wading angler. The flows are high so do be careful. This is another place to put on your radar as the giant stonefly hatch is coming soon only to be followed up by the PMD hatch and Green Drake hatch. We'll keep you posted so keep checking the reports.

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.

It's runoff time in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions are changing frequently! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.

For the most current stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.

Fly Fishing Report for Monday June 1, 2009

Learn more about Aquatic Invasive Species at www.protectyourwaters.net

Pecos River approximately 231 cfs below Terrero; Good
The river is still a little high but coming down in flow more and more every day signaling the end of runoff. Fish the edges next to the bank or any obvious seams or pockets. Smaller or unweighted stonefly patterns and a trailing pheasant tail drifted then fished on the swing at the end of your drift is what's working. No word on stoneflies coming off yet, but I'll post it as soon as it happens. Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

San Juan River 4050 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The High Spring Release for the San Juan is happening now. Expect the river to rise by 1000 cfs per day until it hits 5000 on Monday June 1st. It will stay at 5000 for a week and ramp back down by 500 cfs per day. You can fish some places safely during the higher flows, just be smart and careful, and seek professional advice from the local San Juan shops and guides. Generally it's time to fish junk. We're talking worms, eggs, and leeches; anything that is big enough to get the fish's attention when the water is turbid. Bump up the size of your trailing midge and baetis nymphs as well. Streamers fished in the beaver ponds has also saved me a skunking when I couldn't hit the more productive water during the high release. There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st. Game and Fish officers have been heavy handed and are checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!

Jicarilla Nation Lakes; Good for trout
Fishing at Stone Lake is still your best bet at fish over twenty inches, but competing with the profuse calibaetis hatches is making fishing tough. The takes are very light and midges and calibaetis nymphs seemed to be the only thing that they wanted. Take caution on the windy days if you are in a boat. Enbom is more protected from wind than Stone. Catching has been better here. There have been good midge hatches there as well in the mornings followed by calibaetis around noon. Damsels should be moving about also.

Rio Grande 929 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 1470 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is clearing and the flows are going down. Smallmouth eat crayfish patterns and wooly buggers in the eddies and you can pick out some trout in the tailouts of larger runs, but it's all about kayaking and rafting well into June, although that traffic is dimishing. Streamers fished in the pockets or in the tailouts can also pick up some trout or show them a crane fly larvae with a trailing pheasant tail or caddis larvae. 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. Cover the deeper slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.

Cimarron River 7.4 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Although the release is low, the tributaries are still flowing well so there is enough water in the Cimarron. There are golden stone and baetis hatches. PMD's or Ginger duns will be adding to the mix in a cuople of weeks. Flies for the Cimarron are bwo's, scuds, hares ear nymphs, and Barr's emergers. Coyote Creek State Park, somewhat near the Cimarron continues to fish well.

Jemez Mountain Streams 55 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
The bottom dropped out of the smaller streams of the Jemez Mountains. Flows are near summer levels and they are fishing well. The Cebolla, the East Fork, and the San Antonio are nymphing well with a dry and a dropper with size 14-18 prince nymphs, pheasant tails, and black or blue copper johns are the tactics. The Guadalupe gets more wadeable by the day and the stonefly hatch is up on the de las Vacas above Porter's Landing.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 789 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 843 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1200 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The Chama River upstream of Tierra Amarilla is fishing slow and the flows are still high. Runoff is waning but it'll be a couple of weeks to be wadeable, so keep checking the reports. Also, check the flows before you make that drive to one of the tailwaters. The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers, but the release is a little high and the water is murky and wading is difficult. Releases from Abiquiu Dam are also up. The flows are quite high for safe wading, and the water looks like liquid sand. Releases here fluctuate greatly depending on irrigation need and municipal water supplies so it's best to find someplace else to fish most of the summer. Baetis nymphs, midges, and crane fly larva are the usual flies for the Chama below Abiquiu. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The tailwater sections usually fish best below 300 cfs. The best fishing here is up on the lake for smallmouth and walleye from the shore. 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:

Conejos River 51 cfs below Platoro, 965 cfs at Mogote; Fair to Good
May 28, 2009. "Wow the lower Conejos is now under 900 with excellent water clarity by the end of May?! Not sure what to take of that but for now it is good. No longer neccesary to drive all the way up unless you want a gorgeous drive. Flows out of the dam continue to be around 50 cfs and fishing on the entire upper river system is good. Stoneflies on the lower river with a #16 Hares ear or SJ Worm are a great option. The upper river sllightly different but fish some midge / annelid patterns close to the dam. The La Jara and Lake Fork are perfect right now and expect the Los Pinos to look good very soon. We still have 2 memberships available for the private ranches. If you are interested give us a call. Sanchez, Trujillo Meadows, and La Jara Reservoir as well as the hike in lakes are great right now. Try something different and check them out." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report. The Los Pinos is still high, but clear. It's fishable but just barely.

Arkansas River 1990 cfs below Granite; Fair: 2200 cfs at Salida; Slow
Flows are down with the cooler weather. Fishing on the upper river has been great on big dries and stonefly droppers or double nymph rigs fished tight to the banks or in the deeper holes. Caddis continue to hatch each afternoon around Granite. Visibility is better the further upstream, but fishing the edges around Salida can pick you up some fish.

Animas River 2140 cfs at Durango; Poor
The Animas is coming down slowly and we'll see better fishing conditions here in a week or two. There is some rafting and kayaking traffic, so give it a couple of weeks. Stonefly nymphs with a trailing midge or pheasant tail drifted and swung along the banks may pick up some fish. Hit the Delores below McPhee now! The release has been reduced to 135 cfs which is about as perfect of a flow for the "D" as you can ask for.

Pagosa Area: Piedra River 1000 cfs at Arboles; Slow: San Juan River 1320 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Slow
There is generally a two to three week longer duration of runoff in southern Colorado than we see here locally in New Mexico. The Pagosa area streams are still high. Streamers fished in the softer water may pick you up a few fish. Good reports on Williams Creek, even though it is also a little high. It'll fish as long as they don't increase the release out of the dam. Keep checking, good fishing is only a few weeks away.

Rio Grande 747 cfs at Creede; Poor: 1750 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Slow
Declining releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir and waning runoff have made much of the river more fishable to the wading angler. The flows are high so do be careful. This is another place to put on your radar as the giant stonefly hatch is coming soon only to be followed up by the PMD hatch and Green Drake hatch. We'll keep you posted so keep checking the reports.

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.

It's runoff time in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions are changing frequently! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.

For the most current stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.