Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Saturday August 8, 2009
Learn more about Aquatic Invasive Species at www.protectyourwaters.net
Rio Costilla 84 cfs below Costilla Reservoir Good
The Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal opened on 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 are now open giving anglers a shot at catching a lunker over 20 inches. The release out of Costilla Reservoir is a little high for optimum fishing, so high riding and visible dry flies cast tigh to the banks will be the tactics for the Rio Costilla. Diving caddis or damsel nymphs on a long leader and floating line for Shuree Ponds. Remember that all streams of the Valle Vidal is No Kill, Catch and Release only.
Pecos River approximately 43 cfs below Terrero; Good
The river is fishing well with hatches of all kinds. Blue Winged Olives, PMD's, yellow sallies, and small caddis have been fooling quite a few fish lately. Dry dropper rigs in the deeper water below Terrero have been the most productive. Fishing does slow some mid-day, and dry dropper rigs work better than dries. Once you get above Mora Creek, it's a dry fly game. Game and Fish put some Rio Grande Cutthroats in the Pecos a month ago. 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 1120 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The release below Navajo Dam went up as flows declined on the Animas. In order to maintain sufficient flows in the critical reach habitat for native fishes downstream of Farmington, the release was increased out of Navajo Dam. No word on how long we'll see the higher flows so take advantage of this. There is a midge hatch early morining till 10 or 11 am. Fish cream, gray, or olive midge emergers and larvae before 11 am. Below Texas Hole, the baetis hatch starts from lunch time til 4 pm. Olive or gray RS2's, johnny flashes, or foam wings seem to be the colors for the emergers and small 22-24 BWO dries. Midge fishing will pick back up in the evenings on black or gray emergers. Time to go back to the small stuff and fluorocarbon tippets. Streamers in the deeper runs can be incredible. Pale Morning Duns have made it to just below Texas Hole. Dry fly fishing with PMD's and hoppers has been good on the lower river float if you arrange for a guide. Remember to take your sunscreen and insect repellent with you!There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st of 2008. 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!
Rio Grande 91 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 286 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is somewhat clear at 3 feet of vivbility. Hurry, it usually doesn't last long. 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. For trout, show them a crane fly larvae, stonelfy nymph, or work streamers around structure. Th ebest trout fishing is from 4 pm until dusk. 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. The low flows we are currently seeing should make casting to pike alot easier. Pike hunt by feel and they'll take large streamers that move water regardless of water clarity, just be sure to cover the water thoroughly. Cover the deep, slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.
Cimarron River 32 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. The release is up and fishing is good. The lower river is more open and can offer easier casting than the brushy stuff on the upper end. There are caddis, yellow sallies, baetis, and PMD hatches over the river. Flies for the Cimarron are yellow stimulators, PMD's, caddis, yellow sallies, scuds, hares ear nymphs, and Barr's PMD emergers.
Jemez Mountain Streams 12 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. The more open stretches of meadow water are fishing slower mid-day. Generally 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. There are hatches of little yellow sallies, caddis, and lots of grasshoppers andm beetles.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Good: 61 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair: 1160 cfs below El Vado Dam; Fair: and 1110 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. Currently, the Sargent Wildlife Area is the place to fish with caddis, PMD's and Golden stones. I've had mixed reports from the section above El Vado Reservoir. Large nymphs like craneflies and stoneflies or streamers like slumpbusters are best there. 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 high. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. 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 202 cfs below Platoro, 266 cfs at Mogote; Good
August 6, 2009. "First things first here. Devan Ence who is such a big part of the team here is very sick. He has been in the hospital for a while with a very low white blood cell and platelet count. After a gazillion tests we are still not sure what is wrong but we are hoping it is the Rocky Mt. Spotted Tick Fever which is not good but better then the other options. He is out of the hospital now and home but not out of the woods yet. He will be out of commision for a while and a month out from his wedding is a tough time. Your prayers and support will mean alot. If you want to send some money you can mail it to the shop and write it to his name. Now to the fishing. Seems like the fish on the upper river get fatter and fatter by the day. Brown trout with incredible girth are impressive. The Drake hatch seems like the longest in history. We have seen Drakes below Platoro for weeks, how long will they last I dont know but amazing. There has been other mayflies popping to fill the gap of the smaller Drake hatch. Nymphing on the lower river still very good. Had the chance to fish with the head guide at Wolf Creek Anglers and the owner Mike McCormick last night for a little bit and since these guys hang out with the guys of the US Fly Fishing Team so much, I wanted to see the new Czech and French nymphing techniques first hand. Very interesting and I had a chance to watch up close for a while. The browns on the Conejos River must not have the same appreciation for the Czech nymphs as other fish but I can see why it is so effective. A little Zen like and maybe difficult for some to catch on but I will take what I can from this method and add it to what we do already to make it more effective. We did stick some very large browns just before we left but only when we cut the Czech nymphs off." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report.
Arkansas River 614 cfs at Granite; Good: 675 cfs at Salida; Good
Flows are finally down and much more of the river is wadable and fishable from Hayden Meadows down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon. Caddis on either ends of the day or dry dropper rigs mid-day are working in the Salida area. From Brown's Canyon to Granite, try caddis, PMD,s and attractor dries with a dropper or full nymph rig for the mid-day slump. From Granite upstream to Hayden Meadows, it's hoppers, ants, caddis, and PMD's.
Animas River 348 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas can get murky after the typical summer thunder shower. 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 is currenlty at 71 cfs. The fish here are very skittish making for some technical presentations. The Delores above McPhee is seeing the big crowds of summer but better fishing.
Pagosa Area: Piedra River 79 cfs at Arboles; Fair to Good: San Juan River 75 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Fair
The Pagosa area streams are all fishing well. The upper Piedra is good on PMD's, caddis, and yellow sallies. Warmer water has slowed fishing on the lower San Juan below Trujillo bridge, the lower Piedra, and Williams Creek below the reservoir. Please don't fish these waters if they are anywhere near 70 degrees. Lots of caddis especially in the evening has made for great fishing on the San Juan near Pagosa. I've had great reports from South Fork of the Rio Grande, Turkey Creek, Fourmile Creek, and the East Fork of the San Juan. Much like everywhere else, fishing is bettter in the mornings or evenings, than mid-day.
Rio Grande 61 cfs at Creede; Slow to Fair: 249 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir have been down for about two weeks now. The oxbows below the reservor have been fishing very well as has most of the river. Terrestrials, caddis, stoneflies, and PMD's are all over the place. The South Fork of the Rio has fishing well on big cicadas, brownstones, hoppers, and big attractors.
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 84 cfs below Costilla Reservoir Good
The Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal opened on 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 are now open giving anglers a shot at catching a lunker over 20 inches. The release out of Costilla Reservoir is a little high for optimum fishing, so high riding and visible dry flies cast tigh to the banks will be the tactics for the Rio Costilla. Diving caddis or damsel nymphs on a long leader and floating line for Shuree Ponds. Remember that all streams of the Valle Vidal is No Kill, Catch and Release only.
Pecos River approximately 43 cfs below Terrero; Good
The river is fishing well with hatches of all kinds. Blue Winged Olives, PMD's, yellow sallies, and small caddis have been fooling quite a few fish lately. Dry dropper rigs in the deeper water below Terrero have been the most productive. Fishing does slow some mid-day, and dry dropper rigs work better than dries. Once you get above Mora Creek, it's a dry fly game. Game and Fish put some Rio Grande Cutthroats in the Pecos a month ago. 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 1120 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The release below Navajo Dam went up as flows declined on the Animas. In order to maintain sufficient flows in the critical reach habitat for native fishes downstream of Farmington, the release was increased out of Navajo Dam. No word on how long we'll see the higher flows so take advantage of this. There is a midge hatch early morining till 10 or 11 am. Fish cream, gray, or olive midge emergers and larvae before 11 am. Below Texas Hole, the baetis hatch starts from lunch time til 4 pm. Olive or gray RS2's, johnny flashes, or foam wings seem to be the colors for the emergers and small 22-24 BWO dries. Midge fishing will pick back up in the evenings on black or gray emergers. Time to go back to the small stuff and fluorocarbon tippets. Streamers in the deeper runs can be incredible. Pale Morning Duns have made it to just below Texas Hole. Dry fly fishing with PMD's and hoppers has been good on the lower river float if you arrange for a guide. Remember to take your sunscreen and insect repellent with you!There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. This rule went into effect on July 1st of 2008. 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!
Rio Grande 91 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 286 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is somewhat clear at 3 feet of vivbility. Hurry, it usually doesn't last long. 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. For trout, show them a crane fly larvae, stonelfy nymph, or work streamers around structure. Th ebest trout fishing is from 4 pm until dusk. 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. The low flows we are currently seeing should make casting to pike alot easier. Pike hunt by feel and they'll take large streamers that move water regardless of water clarity, just be sure to cover the water thoroughly. Cover the deep, slower runs and change flies frequently to see which ones trigger a strike.
Cimarron River 32 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. The release is up and fishing is good. The lower river is more open and can offer easier casting than the brushy stuff on the upper end. There are caddis, yellow sallies, baetis, and PMD hatches over the river. Flies for the Cimarron are yellow stimulators, PMD's, caddis, yellow sallies, scuds, hares ear nymphs, and Barr's PMD emergers.
Jemez Mountain Streams 12 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. The more open stretches of meadow water are fishing slower mid-day. Generally 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. There are hatches of little yellow sallies, caddis, and lots of grasshoppers andm beetles.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Good: 61 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair: 1160 cfs below El Vado Dam; Fair: and 1110 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. Currently, the Sargent Wildlife Area is the place to fish with caddis, PMD's and Golden stones. I've had mixed reports from the section above El Vado Reservoir. Large nymphs like craneflies and stoneflies or streamers like slumpbusters are best there. 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 high. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. 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 202 cfs below Platoro, 266 cfs at Mogote; Good
August 6, 2009. "First things first here. Devan Ence who is such a big part of the team here is very sick. He has been in the hospital for a while with a very low white blood cell and platelet count. After a gazillion tests we are still not sure what is wrong but we are hoping it is the Rocky Mt. Spotted Tick Fever which is not good but better then the other options. He is out of the hospital now and home but not out of the woods yet. He will be out of commision for a while and a month out from his wedding is a tough time. Your prayers and support will mean alot. If you want to send some money you can mail it to the shop and write it to his name. Now to the fishing. Seems like the fish on the upper river get fatter and fatter by the day. Brown trout with incredible girth are impressive. The Drake hatch seems like the longest in history. We have seen Drakes below Platoro for weeks, how long will they last I dont know but amazing. There has been other mayflies popping to fill the gap of the smaller Drake hatch. Nymphing on the lower river still very good. Had the chance to fish with the head guide at Wolf Creek Anglers and the owner Mike McCormick last night for a little bit and since these guys hang out with the guys of the US Fly Fishing Team so much, I wanted to see the new Czech and French nymphing techniques first hand. Very interesting and I had a chance to watch up close for a while. The browns on the Conejos River must not have the same appreciation for the Czech nymphs as other fish but I can see why it is so effective. A little Zen like and maybe difficult for some to catch on but I will take what I can from this method and add it to what we do already to make it more effective. We did stick some very large browns just before we left but only when we cut the Czech nymphs off." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceding report.
Arkansas River 614 cfs at Granite; Good: 675 cfs at Salida; Good
Flows are finally down and much more of the river is wadable and fishable from Hayden Meadows down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon. Caddis on either ends of the day or dry dropper rigs mid-day are working in the Salida area. From Brown's Canyon to Granite, try caddis, PMD,s and attractor dries with a dropper or full nymph rig for the mid-day slump. From Granite upstream to Hayden Meadows, it's hoppers, ants, caddis, and PMD's.
Animas River 348 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas can get murky after the typical summer thunder shower. 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 is currenlty at 71 cfs. The fish here are very skittish making for some technical presentations. The Delores above McPhee is seeing the big crowds of summer but better fishing.
Pagosa Area: Piedra River 79 cfs at Arboles; Fair to Good: San Juan River 75 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Fair
The Pagosa area streams are all fishing well. The upper Piedra is good on PMD's, caddis, and yellow sallies. Warmer water has slowed fishing on the lower San Juan below Trujillo bridge, the lower Piedra, and Williams Creek below the reservoir. Please don't fish these waters if they are anywhere near 70 degrees. Lots of caddis especially in the evening has made for great fishing on the San Juan near Pagosa. I've had great reports from South Fork of the Rio Grande, Turkey Creek, Fourmile Creek, and the East Fork of the San Juan. Much like everywhere else, fishing is bettter in the mornings or evenings, than mid-day.
Rio Grande 61 cfs at Creede; Slow to Fair: 249 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir have been down for about two weeks now. The oxbows below the reservor have been fishing very well as has most of the river. Terrestrials, caddis, stoneflies, and PMD's are all over the place. The South Fork of the Rio has fishing well on big cicadas, brownstones, hoppers, and big attractors.
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 Friday, August 07, 2009
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