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.
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.
posted by High Desert Angler at Tuesday, June 30, 2009
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