Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Monday May 31, 2010

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

No High Spring Peak Release this year on the San Juan River. The latest Water Supply Forecast for Water Year 2010 has been issued and the April through July inflow into Navajo Lake is forecasted to be at 89% of normal. Given this forecast, there will not be a spring peak release this year. It's a little unfortunate that the river won't see a scouring this year and flush out some of the accumulated sand and silt. The upside is that there shouldn't be a dip in business for the San Juan guides. The high spring release often keeps anglers away despite the fact that fishing is very good during the event.

Pecos River 431 cfs below Terrero; Slow to Fair: At Villanueva State Park; Poor:
The water is high making wading difficult, however the water does have some clarity to it and the fish are eating. Fish dry dropper rigs along the banks where there is some soft water with samll stonefly nymphs. Another strategy is to fish the deeper holes that don't get blown out with higher water with a longer nymph rig and bigger bugs. Fly choices would be red and orange San Juan worms, green caddis nymphs, or weighted stonefly nymphs. Holy Ghost Creek was reported to be the trib with the better fishing and least amount of water. The summer fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park begins on June 24th. To get a fishing day on Pecos NHP, see their website at http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm or call 505-757-7272. 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 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Visibilty is improving to 4 feet. The suspended moss in the current is still a problem, especially in the afternoons. Make sure to clean off your rig so the fish can see your flies. Fishing is good on #20-22 olive midge larva, #22-24 black zebra midges. I like them in tandem with a SJ Worm or red midge larva. Chocolate baetis emergers like a #22-24 foam wing or RS2 have been working in the afternoons.There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. Also, the Special Trout Water section is all catch and release. If you see someone in violation, turn them into Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. Officers have been 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 1370 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 2250 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande has come up again and that means whitewater. Raft it, kayak it, but I wouldn't fish it until flows are down towards the end of June. Once runoff is over, trout fishing will probably be slow in the warmer water temps of the Rio. Smallmouth however will eat and can be picked up on small streamers and crayfish patterns. If you're going to go for trout, try a crane fly larvae or stonelfy nymphs with a trailing caddis pupa or flashback pheasant tail. A streamer fished deep in the pockets could get you a nice trout or even a smallie or a pike!

Jemez Mountain Streams 180 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
Stoneflies are off on the lower Jemez and just started making their way up the Guadalupe. The water is still a little high and stained on the Guad, but they are eating nymphs and may start looking up as the hatch progresses. The upper streams like the East Fork just west of the Caldera, the upper San Antonio, or the upper Cebolla have the best water clarity. We've had good reports from each over the past two weeks. There is alot of truck traffic on Forest Road 376 from Jemez Springs to almost Porter's Landing, so be careful. The upper end of 376 off of NM Highway 126 won't open till June 1. The Valles Caldera opened up to fishing on May 22nd. Fishing has been very good on the Caldera. Go with a black beatle or cricket in the morning and swith to hopper once things warm up. They no longer have the lottery system in place there. To reserve a space, you can call, visit the website, or take a chance and walk-on before 7:00 am: See the Caldera's website at http://vallescaldera.gov/ for more details.

Cimarron River 6.3 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 55 cfs at Cimarron
Even though the dam release is barely above zero, Tolby Creek and a few others are keeping the Cimarron flowing. It's brushier on the upper end, but there is more water the further east you go especially below Clear Creek. Scuds, golden stone nymphs, caddis pupa, and black WD40's were reported to be the hot flies. Hit this stream now that the others are in runoff and before the summer crowds decend upon it.

Jicarilla Nation Lakes
Mundo Lake has been excellent this week. Flies reported include Hares Ear nymphs, Pheasant Tail Nymphs, and Woolly Buggers in olive, brown, or black. Enbom Lake has also been excellent this week. Most of the fly action was on wooly buggers, but I suspect that beadhead nymphs, renegades, and chironomidae patterns will turn fish also. Anglers can expect to pick up some large fish along with the standard 8-12 inch rainbows. Stone Lake has been very slow. The few reports we received suggested multiple hours with very few hits and no fish landed. The water quality is great and the hatch of chironomidae midges is in full effect. The wind has contributed to the low pressure, but mornings and evenings offer a chance to catch the really big one at Stone Lake. Anglers can fish from the shore, float tube, or boat right now. Have a great Holiday Weekend!!! The preceeeding report was excerpted from the Jicarilla Nation weblog fishing report by Kevin Terry.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: 1070 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Poor: 598 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 843 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
Runoff is still upon the Chama, but it looks like it's waning. The river flowing into El Vado is still high and murky. Below El Vado, you can use big nymphs with flash and sparkle, but your better off with streamers in the murky water coming out of the dam. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. The stretch below Abiquiu typically doesn't fish well over the summer. Currently the release is high and wading is difficult. The clarity is decent however. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. 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 297 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Slow: 1640 cfs at Mogote; Slow
May 26, 2010. "Flows today have come back down today to just about perfect. We can only hope they stay at these levels for a while longer. That might make most of the 70 miles of Conejos fishable again. Right now 157 out of the dam. (Currently the release out of Platoro is 297 cfs.) Compared to 450 a few days ago I love it. The lower river should clear some and drop below 1000 or so and the fish will spend most of the day on the edges so should be plenty of places to throw a fly this weekend if we can keep the releases in the range they are in today. Headed out for a pm guide so we'll see." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceeding report.

Rio Grande 1120 cfs below Thirty Mile Bridge; Slow: 2690 cfs below Windy Gap Slow
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir have really brought the flows up on the upper river above Creede. This has made the fishing below Creede really tough even though the river is floatable. The South Fork is blown out completely. Beaver Reservoir is being drained and is murking up the South Fork and consequently the lower Rio below South Fork.

Pagosa Area Piedra River 1630 cfs at Arboles; Poor: San Juan at Pagosa 1880 cfs; Poor
Lots of snow and runoff around here. The Piedra and San Juan are big water, and most of the smaller tribs are running high and muddy as well. Williams Creek below the reservoir is the best bet in this neighborhood.

Arkansas River 1970 cfs at Granite; Slow: 3130 cfs at Salida; Poor
The river murked up. Runoff has finally hit the Arkansas. Most of the tributaries are running high. Streamers in some deeper runs may produce a fish, but it may be wiser to go somewhere else. THat is until the water subsides and the stoneflies strat coming off later in June. Antero Reservoir sounds like the hot spot up there.

Animas River 2450 cfs at Durango; Poor
Wow! The Animas is ripping and would make for some hairy whitewater boating right now. The water is murky and fishing is slow. Wait till runoff ends.

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 spring in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions can change with the weather! 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 Wedneday May 26, 2010

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

No High Spring Peak Release this year on the San Juan River. The latest Water Supply Forecast for Water Year 2010 has been issued and the April through July inflow into Navajo Lake is forecasted to be at 89% of normal. Given this forecast, there will not be a spring peak release this year. It's a little unfortunate that the river won't see a scouring this year and flush out some of the accumulated sand and silt. The upside is that there shouldn't be a dip in business for the San Juan guides. The high spring release often keeps anglers away despite the fact that fishing is very good during the event.

Pecos River 431 cfs below Terrero; Slow to Fair: At Villanueva State Park; Poor:
The water is high making wading difficult, however the water does have some clarity to it and the fish are eating. Look for them near the edges and the deeper pools where the holding water isn't blown out. Use red and orange San Juan worms, green caddis larva or pupa, or weighted stonefly nymphs. Holy Ghost Creek was reported to be the trib with the better fishing and least amount of water. The summer fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park begins on June 24th. To get a fishing day on Pecos NHP, see their website at http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm or call 505-757-7272. 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 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Visibilty is improving to 4 feet. The suspended moss in the current is still a problem, especially in the afternoons. Make sure to clean off your rig so the fish can see your flies. Fishing is good on #20-22 olive midge larva, #22-24 black zebra midges. I like them in tandem with a SJ Worm or red midge larva. Chocolate baetis emergers like a #22-24 foam wing or RS2 have been working in the afternoons.There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. Also, the Special Trout Water section is all catch and release. If you see someone in violation, turn them into Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. Officers have been 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 932 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 1670 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande has come up over the past week and is stirred up. There is still a ton of snow that hasn't melted off yet so hopefully we'll see higher flows. This means we won't be able to fish it for a while, but the rafters need the money and the health of the river will be better. If you're going to go, try a crane fly larvae or stonelfy nymphs with a trailing caddis pupa or flashback pheasant tail. A streamer fished deep in the pockets could get you a nice trout or even a smallie or a pike!

Jemez Mountain Streams 180 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
Stoneflies are off on the lower Jemez and just started making their way up the Guadalupe. The water is a little high and stained on the Guad, but they are eating nymphs and may start looking up as the hatch progresses. The upper streams like the East Fork just west of the Caldera, the upper San Antonio, or the upper Cebolla have the best water clarity. We've had good reports from each over the past two weeks. There is alot of truck traffic on Forest Road 376 from Jemez Springs to almost Porter's Landing, so be careful. The upper end of 376 off of NM Highway 126 won't open till June 1. The Valles Caldera opened up to fishing on May 22nd. Fishing has been very good on the Caldera. They no longer have the lottery system in place. To reserve a space, you can call, visit the website, or take a chance and walk-on before 7:00 am: See the Caldera's website at http://vallescaldera.gov/ for more details.

Cimarron River 5.9 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 51 cfs at Cimarron
Even though the dam release is barely above zero, Tolby Creek and a few others are keeping the Cimarron flowing. It's brushier on the upper end, but there is more water the further east you go especially below Clear Creek. Scuds, golden stone nymphs, caddis pupa, and black WD40's we reported to be the hot flies. Hit this stream now that the others are in runoff and before the summer crowds decend upon it.

Jicarilla Nation Lakes
Fishing has been good to excellent this week at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. Most of the pressure and action has been split between Mundo Lake and Enbom Lake, but we did hear of a Lunker that was caught at Stone Lake on Saturday. The water is clearing up at both Enbom Lake and Mundo Lake and Stone remains crystal clear. The year’s first Bass reports have come in and folks are catching Bluegill as well. Enbom Lake was far and away the hot spot this week at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. Most of the success was on flies like wooly buggers and damsel nymphs. Approximately half of the Rainbows caught at 8-10 inches and half of them at 14 inches or better. Enbom was also stocked with 750 lbs. of 16-22 inch trophy Rainbow Trout. The Chironomidae hatch is substantially active at Enbom right now. There should be a possibility for dry fly fishing early mornings and in the evenings. Stone lake is still giving folks a hard time. Consequently, the fishing pressure is extremely low and therefore we have fewer and fewer reports. Finally, I have a fish caught at Stone Lake to report. The water is in excellent condition and the Midge hatch is going off big time. Don’t forget that camping is free with a valid Jicarilla Fishing Permit. Consider the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes for your next aquatic adventure!
The preceeeding report was excerpted from the Jicarilla Nation weblog fishing report by Kevin Terry.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: 1670 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Poor: 101 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1670 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
Runoff is still upon the Chama. The river flowing into El Vado is high and murky. Below El Vado, you can use big nymphs with flash and sparkle, but your better off with streamers. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. The stretch below Abiquiu typically doesn't fish well over the summer. Currently the release is very high and unwadeable. The clarity is decent however. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. 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.

One of our guides continues to refine his loch style stillwater techniques on Santa Cruz Lake. He's been using small tech buggers as we call them, and seems to out fish the standard woolly bugger. Think small, in different colors than the standard. My favorites are a Hale Bopp Leech in wine or brown, and a Pop's bugger in olive. Eagle's Nest Lake is still quite good with a fly rod from the shore. Bluewater Lake opened on April 24th. Trout fishing is still slow here and, the tiger muskies are hard to target in the very muddy water. Quemado Lake could be a better spot for both species. As with any of these lakes, use caution if your in a boat with these spring winds. If any one goes, let me know what the conditions are and how you did.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 157 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 1130 cfs at Mogote; Slow to Fair
May 26, 2010. "Flows today have come back down today to just about perfect. We can only hope they stay at these levels for a while longer. That might make most of the 70 miles of Conejos fishable again. Right now 157 out of the dam. Compared to 450 a few days ago I love it. The lower river should clear some and drop below 1000 or so and the fish will spend most of the day on the edges so should be plenty of places to throw a fly this weekend if we can keep the releases in the range they are in today. Headed out for a pm guide so we'll see." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceeding report.

Rio Grande 368 cfs below Thirty Mile Bridge; Slow: 1400 cfs below Windy Gap Slow
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir have really brought the flows up on the upper river above Creede. This has made the fishing below Creede really tough even though the river is floatable. The South Fork is blown out completely. Beaver Reservoir is being drained and is murking up the South Fork and consequently the lower Rio below South Fork.

Pagosa Area Piedra River 1230 cfs at Arboles; Poor: San Juan at Pagosa 1300 cfs; Poor
Lots of snow and runoff around here. The Piedra and San Juan are big water, and most of the smaller tribs are running high and muddy as well. Williams Creek below the reservoir is the best bet in this neighborhood.

Arkansas River 750 cfs at Granite; Fair: 1250 cfs at Salida; Fair
The river murked up with higher releases out of Clear Creek Reservoir and Twin Lakes. Most of the tributaries are down however and the visibility should improve if the flows remain stable. On the upper river, golden stonefly nymphs with a trailing caddis or baetis is good choice, as are attractors like hot wire princes and tungstones. Dry fly dropper rigs especially with a trailing stonefly nymph seem to be the best tactic fished along the softer edges or a heavy nymph rig off of the shelves.

Animas River 2450 cfs at Durango; Poor
The Animas has come up alot this past week. The water is murky and fishing has slowed. Weighted stonefly nymphs with a trailing pheasant tail or caddis pupa drifted along the banks or in the deeper holes may get you some fish, or wait till runoff ends.

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 spring in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions can change with the weather! 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 May 21, 2010

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

No High Spring Peak Release this year on the San Juan River. The latest Water Supply Forecast for Water Year 2010 has been issued and the April through July inflow into Navajo Lake is forecasted to be at 89% of normal. Given this forecast, there will not be a spring peak release this year. It's a little unfortunate that the river won't see a scouring this year and flush out some of the accumulated sand and silt. The upside is that there shouldn't be a dip in business for the San Juan guides. The high spring release often keeps anglers away despite the fact that fishing is very good during the event.

Pecos River 435 cfs below Terrero; Slow to Fair: At Villanueva State Park; Poor:
The water is high making wading difficult, however the water does have some clarity to it and the fish are eating. Look for them near the edges and the deeper pools where the holding water isn't blown out. Use red and orange San Juan worms, green caddis larva or pupa, or weighted stonefly nymphs. Holy Ghost Creek was reported to be the trib with the better fishing and least amount of water. The summer fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park begins on June 24th. To get a fishing day on Pecos NHP, see their website at http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm or call 505-757-7272. 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 453 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Visibilty is improving to 4 feet. The suspended moss in the current is still a problem, especially in the afternoons. Make sure to clean off your rig so the fish can see your flies. Fishing is good on #20-22 olive midge larva, #22-24 black zebra midges. I like them in tandem with a SJ Worm or red midge larva. Chocolate baetis emergers like a #22-24 foam wing or RS2 have been working in the afternoons.There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. Also, the Special Trout Water section is all catch and release. If you see someone in violation, turn them into Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. Officers have been 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 523 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 1160 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande has remained fairly steady lately, and the water clarity is improving. I did receive a decent report on catching trout at Pilar. The river continues to drop making me think that there is alot of withdrawls on the Colorado side. There is still a ton of snow that hasn't melted off yet so hopefully we'll see higher flows. This means we won't be able to fish it for a while, but the rafters need the noney and the health of the river will be better. If you're going to go, try a crane fly larvae or stonelfy nymphs with a trailing caddis pupa or flashback pheasant tail. A streamer fished deep in the pockets could get you a nice trout or even a smallie or a pike!

Jemez Mountain Streams 224 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
Runoff is waning on the streams of the Jemez Mountains. The upper streams like the East Fork just west of the Caldera, the upper San Antonio, or the upper Cebolla have the best water clarity. We've had good reports from each over the past two weeks. The Guadalupe and lower Jemez are definitely still a little high but clearing and wadeable. On of our guides scouted the Guad yesterday and did well nymphing. He was using big stone fly nymphs. He did not see any adult stones. It 'll be about a week away historically, but could happen any day now. There is alot of truck traffic on Forest Road 376 from Jemez Springs to almost Porter's Landing, so be careful. The upper end of 376 off of NM Highway 126 won't open till June 1. The Valles Caldera opens up to fishing on May 22nd. They no longer have the lottery system in place. To reserve a space, you can call, visit the website, or take a chance and walk-on before 7:00 am: See the Caldera's website at http://vallescaldera.gov/ for more details.

Cimarron River .5 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 54 cfs at Cimarron
Even though the dam release is near zero, Tolby Creek and a few others are keeping the Cimarron flowing. It's brushier on the upper end, but there is more water the further east you go especially below Clear Creek. Scuds, golden stone nymphs, caddis pupa, and black WD40's we reported to be the hot flies. Hit this stream now that the others are in runoff and before the summer crowds decend upon it.

Jicarilla Nation Lakes
Fishing has been good to excellent this week at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. Most of the pressure and action has been split between Mundo Lake and Enbom Lake, but we did hear of a Lunker that was caught at Stone Lake on Saturday. The water is clearing up at both Enbom Lake and Mundo Lake and Stone remains crystal clear. The year’s first Bass reports have come in and folks are catching Bluegill as well. Enbom Lake was far and away the hot spot this week at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. Most of the success was on flies like wooly buggers and damsel nymphs. Approximately half of the Rainbows caught at 8-10 inches and half of them at 14 inches or better. Enbom was also stocked with 750 lbs. of 16-22 inch trophy Rainbow Trout. The Chironomidae hatch is substantially active at Enbom right now. There should be a possibility for dry fly fishing early mornings and in the evenings. Stone lake is still giving folks a hard time. Consequently, the fishing pressure is extremely low and therefore we have fewer and fewer reports. Finally, I have a fish caught at Stone Lake to report. The water is in excellent condition and the Midge hatch is going off big time. Don’t forget that camping is free with a valid Jicarilla Fishing Permit. Consider the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes for your next aquatic adventure!
The preceeeding report was excerpted from the Jicarilla Nation weblog fishing report by Kevin Terry.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: 1570 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Poor: 394 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1620 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
Runoff is still upon the Chama. The river flowing into El Vado is high and muddy. Below El Vado, you can use big nymphs with flash and sparkle, but your better off with streamers. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. The stretch below Abiquiu typically doesn't fish well over the summer. Currently the release is very high and unwadeable. The clarity is decent however. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The release below Abiquiu Dam is high and not really fishable. It will probably remain this way for the summer. 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.

One of our guides is doing quite well at Santa Cruz Lake. Small tech buggers as we call them, seem to out fish the standard woolly bugger. Think small, in different colors than the standard. My favorites are a Hale Bopp Leech in wine or brown, and a Pop's bugger in grizzly. Eagle's Nest Lake can be quite good with a fly rod from the shore. Bluewater Lake opened on April 24th. Trout fishing is still slow here and, the tiger muskies are hard to target in the very muddy water. Quemado Lake could be a better spot for both species. As with any of these lakes, use caution if your in a boat with these spring winds. If any one goes, let me know what the conditions are and how you did.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 303 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Slow: 1160 cfs at Mogote; Slow to Fair
May 20, 2010. "Interesting week behind us and before we know it we will be out at night watching Stoneflies crawl out and enter a different world. Floated the Rio Grande yesterday searching for the big pike and for whatever reason there were few out. Alot of fun though and if you asked me again today to go I might say yes. Really big flow change 1000 to 500 before we went in and maybe too much of a change to be really good. Anyway we did see a few beasts eat so they are there. The Conejos and La Jara are the game right now for trout as well as some really neat Cutthroat trout lakes that I will allow to remain anonymous but we fished them on Monday and had a great time. Still mostly nymph fishing on the Conejos and we will talk to Troy tonight who is fishing on the La Jara today what type of bugs are the best over there and how the fish look after winter. Great time to explore the high country as well with all of the lakes around and ice just off a few weeks ago the fish are much easier to catch now than they will be in August. Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceeding report.

Rio Grande 803 cfs below Thirty Mile Bridge; Slow: 1790 cfs below Windy Gap Slow
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir have really brought the flows up on the upper river above Creede. This has made the fishing below Creede really tough even though the river is floatable. The South Fork is blown out completely. Beaver Reservoir is being drained and is murking up the South Fork.

Pagosa Area Piedra River 1150 cfs at Arboles; Poor: San Juan at Pagosa 986 cfs; Slow
Lots of snow and runoff around here. The Piedra is big water. Williams Creek below the reservoir is the best bet in this neighborhood. The upper forks of the San Juan have decent clarity, but they are high and will go higher with warmer weather.

Arkansas River 282 cfs at Granite; Good: 415 cfs at Salida; Good
The river is a deep green with 2 feet of visibility good condition for the weekend. The caddis hatch is mainly above Howard now. There are still plenty of bugs further down but these are egg-layers and are most accessible to the fish from 5:00 or so until dark. Blue wing olive mayfly hatches are waning on the lower river and their numbers are dwindling. On the upper river, golden stonefly nymphs with a trailing caddis or baetis is good choice. Attractors like hot wire princes and tungstones. Upstream, caddis are and blue winged olives are active from Browns Canyon to Granite. I've had good reports from the Salida area all the way to Hayden Meadows. There is clearer water and less of it at Hayden meadows making smaller flies and a stealthier approach a neccessity.

Animas River 1800 cfs at Durango; Slow to Poor
The Animas has come up alot this past week. The water is murky and fishing has slowed. Weighted stonefly nymphs with a trailing pheasant tail or caddis pupa drifted along the banks or in the deeper holes may get you some fish.

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 spring in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions can change with the weather! 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'd Fly Fishing Report for Monday May 17, 2010

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

No High Spring Peak Release this year on the San Juan River. The latest Water Supply Forecast for Water Year 2010 has been issued and the April through July inflow into Navajo Lake is forecasted to be at 89% of normal. Given this forecast, there will not be a spring peak release this year. It's a little unfortunate that the river won't see a scouring this year and flush out some of the accumulated sand and silt. The upside is that there shouldn't be a dip in business for the San Juan guides. The high spring release often keeps anglers away despite the fact that fishing is very good during the event.

Pecos River 375 cfs below Terrero; Slow to Fair: At Villanueva State Park; Poor:
The water is high making wading difficult, however the water does have some clarity to it and the fish are eating. Look for them near the edges of the deeper pools where the holding water isn't blown out and consider fishing from the bank. Use red and orange San Juan worms, green caddis larva or pupa, or weighted stonefly nymphs. Holy Ghost Creek was reported to be the trib with the better fishing and least amount of water. To get a future fishing day on Pecos National Historical Park, see their website at http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm or call 505-757-7272. 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 447 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Visibilty is still around 3-4 feet and the suspended moss in the current is still a problem, especially in the afternoons. Make sure to clean off your rig so the fish can see your flies. Fishing is good on #20-22 olive midge larva, #22-24 black zebra midges. I like them in tandem with a SJ Worm or red midge larva. Gray baetis emergers like a #22-24 foam wing or RS2 have been working in the afternoons.There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. Also, the Special Trout Water section is all catch and release. If you see someone in violation, turn them into Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. Officers have been 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 556 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 1040 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande has remained fairly steady lately, but the water is murked up with 12" of visibility or less. The river continues to drop making me think that there is alot of withdrawls on the Colorado side. There is still a ton of snow that hasn't melted off yet so hopefully we'll see higher flows. This means we won't be able to fish it for a while, but the rafters need the noney and the health of the river will be better. If you're going to go, try a crane fly larvae or stonelfy nymphs with a trailing caddis pupa or flashback pheasant tail. A streamer fished deep in the pockets could get you a nice trout or even a smallie or a pike!

Jemez Mountain Streams 240 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
Runoff is waning on the streams of the Jemez Mountains. The upper streams like the East Fork just west of the Caldera, the upper San Antonio, or the upper Cebolla are the places to fish. The Guadalupe and lower Jemez are definitely still out of the question. It'll be later into May before the Guad comes down. Dry dropper rigs with small beadheaded nymphs worked along the banks where there is some slow water is the tactic. Forest Road 376 up from Gilman Tunnels has opened on April 15th. The upper end of 376 off of NM Highway 126 won't open till the end of May. The Valles Caldera opens up to fishing on May 22nd. They no longer have the lottery system in place. To reserve a space, you can call, visit the website, or take a chance and walk-on before 7:00 am: See the Caldera's website at http://vallescaldera.gov/ for more details.

Cimarron River 4. cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Fair to Good: 48 cfs at Cimarron
Even though the dam release is near zero, Tolby Creek and a few others are keeping the Cimarron flowing. It's brushier on the upper end, but there is more water the further east you go especially below Clear Creek. Scuds, golden stone nymphs, caddis pupa, and black WD40's we reported to be the hot flies. Hit this stream now that the others are in runoff and before the summer crowds decend upon it.

Jicarilla Nation Lakes
The Jicarilla Fishing Lakes are shaping up, with good fishing reported at both Mundo and Enbom Lakes. Stone Lake has had a little pressure but very few reports have come in, and most of those have been hearsay. Mundo Lake is fishing fair to good this week. Visibility is improving at 3-4 feet and the water temps are in the mid 50’s. Enbom Lake is fishing well with flies. Anglers are catching the big trophy fish with quite a few Rainbows in the 14 to 18 inch range reported this week. The water clarity is improving but the visibility is still limited to 2-3 feet. The Chironomidae midges are beginning to hatch and dry fly action has been possible on calm evenings. The pupae (emerger) of this large midge are black with whitish stripes and a light colored head and wing casing. Stone Lake has yet to produce a single fish as far as I know. I have received a few second hand reports of boat activity over the weekend but I didn’t hear any news on success. I have found that I get more reports from anglers who didn’t get a bite than I do from anglers turning fish all day. Maybe the fish are biting after all. Everything is really starting to happen at the Jicarilla Lakes. We are one stocking (5/17) away from completing the spring stocking regime. The insects are beginning to hatch and the weather is getting better. It’s a late start, but a start nonetheless. I will see you out there. The preceeeding report was excerpted from the Jicarilla Nation weblog fishing report by Kevin Terry.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: 1760 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Poor: 394 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1020 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
Runoff is still upon the Chama. High releases below both dams have slowed fishing and really made wading dangerous. The river flowing into El Vado is high and muddy. Below El Vado, you can use big nymphs with flash and sparkle, but your better off with streamers. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The release below Abiquiu Dam is high and not really fishable. It will probably remain this way for the summer. 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.

One of our guides is doing quite well at Santa Cruz Lake. Small tech buggers as we call them, seem to out fish the standard woolly bugger. Think small, in different colors than the standard. My favorites are a Hale Bopp Leech in wine or brown, and a Pop's bugger in grizzly. Eagle's Nest Lake can be quite good with a fly rod from the shore. Bluewater Lake opened on April 24th. Trout fishing is still slow here and, the tiger muskies are hard to target in the very muddy water. Quemado Lake could be a better spot for both species. As with any of these lakes, use caution if your in a boat with these spring winds. If any one goes, let me know what the conditions are and how you did.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 230 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Slow: 958 cfs at Mogote; Slow to Fair
May 13, 2010. "Just another spring of fishing with no one here looks like. Guided the past few days and it was really good. Had a couple of really great older gentleman from AZ and they really caugt some nice fish. Mostly nymphing or fishing shallows and side channels with dry dropper rigs. Two tone worms, Rainbow Warriors, Red Ass, and a biot peacock stonefly nymph were the best flies. Still not seeing the Skwala much and not sure what to think of that. Are they late like everything else this spring? Or not coming to town this year? Or did we miss them? Anyway the fish are eating hard and almost out of know where I am seeing alot of wild rainbow trout. We caught about 50% bows the first day and yesterday even up in the meadow we caught beautiful wild bows. For those of you wanting to really learn how to nymph this next several weeks will be really good. Flows on the upper river have been raised to about 180 (currently at 230 cfs) which is a perfect flow for the upper river. The lower river color is not bad but flow is biggish. I would fish it but I would not guide it! Anything within 5 miles of the dam should be good. Also the South Fork and Lake Fork looked great to me but did not have a chance to fish them." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceeding report.

Rio Grande 1090 cfs below Thirty Mile Bridge; Slow: 1500 cfs below Windy Gap Slow to Fair
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir have really brought the flows up on the upper river above Creede. Below Creede, the river is floatable and fishable. I'd try big stonefly nymphs and a trailing caddis or prince. The South Fork is blown out completely. Beaver Reservoir is being drained and is murking up South Fork.

Pagosa Area Piedra River 1150 cfs at Arboles; Poor: San Juan at Pagosa 986 cfs; Slow
Lots of snow and runoff around here. The Piedra is big water. Williams Creek below the reservoir is the best bet in this neighborhood. The upper forks of the San Juan have decent clarity, but they are high and will go higher with warmer weather.

Arkansas River 306 cfs at Granite; Good: 430 cfs at Salida; Good
The river is a deep green with 2 feet of visibility good condition for the weekend. The caddis hatch is mainly above Howard now. There are still plenty of bugs further down but these are egg-layers and are most accessible to the fish from 5:00 or so until dark. Blue wing olive mayfly hatches are waning on the lower river and their numbers are dwindling. On the upper river, golden stonefly nymphs with a trailing caddis or baetis is good choice. Attractors like hot wire princes and tungstones. Upstream, caddis are and blue winged olives are active from Browns Canyon to Granite. I've had good reports from the Salida area all the way to Hayden Meadows. There is clearer water and less of it at Hayden meadows making smaller flies and a stealthier approach a neccessity.

Animas River 1800 cfs at Durango; Slow to Poor
The Animas has come up alot, but dropped and has been steady for a week or so. The water is murky and fishing has slowed. Weighted stonefly nymphs with a trailing pheasant tail or caddis pupa drifted along the banks or in the deeper holes may get you some fish. Baetis could be coming off during cloudy weather. Look for them in the riffles.

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 spring in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions can change with the weather! 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 Wednesday May 12, 2010

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at 100thmeridian.org.

The new fishing year began on April 1st. We have licenses available for sale here at the shop.

No High Spring Peak Release this year on the San Juan River. The latest Water Supply Forecast for Water Year 2010 has been issued and the April through July inflow into Navajo Lake is forecasted to be at 89% of normal. Given this forecast, there will not be a spring peak release this year. It's a little unfortunate that the river won't see a scouring this year and flush out some of the accumulated sand and silt. The upside is that there shouldn't be a dip in business for the San Juan guides. The high spring release often keeps anglers away despite the fact that fishing is very good during the event.

Pecos River 439 cfs below Terrero; Slow to Fair: At Villanueva State Park; Poor:
The Pecos has come up alot in flow over the past week. The water is murky and high making wading difficult to impossible. Look for them near the edges of the deeper pools where the holding water isn't blown out and consider fishing from the bank. Use red and orange San Juan worms, green caddis larva or pupa, or weighted stonefly nymphs. Holy Ghost Creek was reported to be the trib with the better fishing and least amount of water. To get a future fishing day on Pecos National Historical Park, see their website at http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm or call 505-757-7272. 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 453 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Not much change here. I do hear however, that the suspended moss in the current is still a problem. Make sure to clean off your rig so the fish can see your flies. Visibilty on the river is still around to 2-3 feet. Fishing is good on the usual midge fare. Red, cream, orange, gray and olive larva size 18-24, midge pupa in olive and gray size 22-24, along with black or olive bunny leeches. Blue winged olives have been coming off with the stormy weather. Gray, olive or chocolate RS2's, johnny flashes and foam wing emergers size 22-24 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm have been producing. Some of the smaller fish have been eating blue wings off of the surface. Gray CDC biot BWO's and Furimsky's BWO BDE's were the hot surface flies. There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. Also, the Special Trout Water section is all catch and release. If you see someone in violation, turn them into Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. Officers have been 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 825 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 1440 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande has remained fairly steady lately. The water is murked up with 12" of visibility or less, but may clear up somewhat before hot weather sends more snowmelt down the Rio. Crane fly larvae, stonelfy nymphs, and caddis larva on a long nymph rig in the runs, or a dry dropper caddis rig along the banks should be the way to go, or maybe a streamer fished deep in the pockets. Still The famed Caddis Hatch just didn't materialize this year. The hatch is rather spotty and even my rafting guide friends haven't seen very much in the way of caddis. Pike fishing, or I should say catching, has been a little slow. I think it may be due to pressure and it might be time to explore and find a new honey hole. The increase in flow does change things, so also try the usual spots and see if you still have willing fish. 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.

Jemez Mountain Streams 274 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Slow
Runoff is starting to wane a little on the streams of the Jemez Mountains. The upper streams like the East Fork just west of the Caldera, the upper San Antonio, or the upper Cebolla are the places to fish. The Guadalupe and lower Jemez are definitely still out of the question. It'll be later into May before the Guad comes down. Dry dropper rigs with small beadheaded nymphs worked along the banks where there is some slow water is the tactic. Forest Road 376 up from Gilman Tunnels has opened on April 15th. The upper end of 376 off of NM Highway 126 won't open till the end of May. The Valles Caldera opens up to fishing on May 22nd. They no longer have the lottery system in place. To reserve a space, you can call, visit the website, or take a chance and walk-on before 7:00 am: See the Caldera's website at http://vallescaldera.gov/ for more details.

Cimarron River 4. cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Slow to Fair
Thankfully enough runoff is making it's way into the Cimarron to increase the flows. Unfortunately what runoff is coming in has reduced visibility with the poorest clarity and higher water below Clear Creek. If you go, use bigger than normal and flashy nymphs along the banks from Tolby CG downstream.

Jicarilla Nation Lakes
I received some positive news late yesterday that a local angler had a big hit at Stone Lake while trolling on Tuesday evening. I still believe that we lost a portion of the trout population over the unusually long winter, it's not as bad as first suspected. Things are just weird this year, but the bugs are beginning to fly and that is a good thing. Angler pressure has been very low so far this season and therefore we are lacking in fishing reports to share. The weather has been the primary culprit. Spring run-off is completely over for the year and the lakes are steadily clearing up. Stone Lake is ahead of the others and has excellent visibility right now. Mundo Lake is getting better with 2-3 feet of visibility, and Enbom is lagging behind with only 1-2 feet of visibility. The few fishing reports that we have received suggest that fishing is slow across the board. All three of the fishing lakes have been stocked. Stone Lake has been devoid of anglers lately. A few locals have been casting lures here and there but as far as I know, they are not catching fish. The typical spring cruisers are not around which is not that surprising considering that this year is anything but typical. Usually the Chironomidae midges would be hatching by the millions already, but so far there have only been a few coming off in the mornings. The water surface water temp is hovering around 55 degrees. Enbom Lake is still quite turbid with 1-2 feet of visibility. There were a few reports this week from anglers using bait and lures. The bite was slow, and except for a few follow ups, action was nonexistent. I tried Enbom this morning with a brown woolly bugger and a slow retrieve. I fished for 30 minutes without so much as a bump. Things are bound to turn around any day now. I hope to see you out there when it happens! The preceeeding report was excerpted from the Jicarilla Nation weblog fishing report by Kevin Terry.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: 1910 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Poor: 598 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1320 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
Runoff is also upon the Chama. Higher releases below both dams have slowed fishing and really made wading dangerous. The river flowing into El Vado is high and muddy. The release below both dams is way too high to wade and not worth casting into. You can use big nymphs with flash and sparkle, but your better off with streamers. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. 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 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.

One of our guides has been doing quite well at Santa Cruz Lake. Small tech buggers as we call them, seem to out fish the standard woolly bugger. Think small, in different colors than the standard. My favorites are a Hale Bopp Leech in wine or brown, and a Pop's bugger in grizzly. Bluewater Lake opened on April 24th. Trout fishing is still slow here and, the tiger muskies are hard to target in the very muddy water. Quemado Lake could be a better spot for both species. If any one goes, let me know what the conditions are and how you did.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 40 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Slow: 794 cfs at Mogote; Slow to Fair
April 26, 2010. "Flows on the Conejos out of Platoro have been dropped to 37 (currently at 40 cfs) and that really makes almost the entire river fishable. I guided 4 days last week and it was alot of fun. The first day we were out I had a 1 person trip with a great guy and he netted 40 fish. The following days were not quite that productive but we were only fishing about 5 hours a day. I would expect to see some adult Skwala's out this week. The lower river is at about 600 with a green color but should drop shortly with the adjustment upstream. Expect mostly nymph fishing with 4x leaders or fish a dry dropper on the edges and shallow riffles. Jimmy legs, biot stones, golden stones, rainbow warriors, and worms have been the best patterns for me." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceeding report.

Arkansas River 173 cfs at Granite; Fair to Good: 233 cfs at Salida; Fair to Good
It seems the place to fish is the Arkansas. I've had good reports from the Salida area all the way to Hayden Meadows below Leadville. Cool weather has once again stalled the caddis hatch around Salida, but should resume with a break in the weather. Around Buena Vista, Stonefly nymhs dredged in the deeper hjoles have been working. Bigger flies and maybe some lead will be rquired as the release out of Twin Lakes has been increased. The increase in flow has turned on fishing below the Lake Creek confluence. There is clearer water and less of it at Hayden meadows making smaller flies and a stealthier approach a neccessity. Green caddis larva and blue winged olive nymphs around Salida, stonefly nymphs from Brown's Canyon to Granite and small beadhead s under a dry fly for Hayden.

Animas River 1900 cfs at Durango; Slow to Poor
The Animas has come up alot, but dropped and has been steady for a few days or so. The water is murky and fishing has slowed. Weighted stonefly nymphs with a trailing pheasant tail or caddis pupa drifted along the banks may get you some fish. Baetis could be coming off during cloudy weather. Look for them in the riffles.

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 spring in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions can change with the weather! 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 May 10, 2010

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at 100thmeridian.org.

The new fishing year began on April 1st. We have licenses available for sale here at the shop.

No High Spring Peak Release this year on the San Juan River. The latest Water Supply Forecast for Water Year 2010 has been issued and the April through July inflow into Navajo Lake is forecasted to be at 89% of normal. Given this forecast, there will not be a spring peak release this year. It's a little unfortunate that the river won't see a scouring this year and flush out some of the accumulated sand and silt. The upside is that there shouldn't be a dip in business for the San Juan guides. The high spring release often keeps anglers away despite the fact that fishing is very good during the event.

Pecos River 412 cfs below Terrero; Slow to Fair: At Villanueva State Park; Poor:
The Pecos has come up alot in flow over the past week. The water is murky and high making wading difficult to impossible. Look for them near the edges of the deeper pools where the holding water isn't blown out and consider fishing from the bank. Use red and orange San Juan worms, green caddis larva or pupa, or weighted stonefly nymphs. Holy Ghost Creek was reported to be the trib with the better fishing and least amount of water. To get a future fishing day on Pecos National Historical Park, see their website at http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm or call 505-757-7272. 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 464 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Not much change here. I do hear however, that the suspended moss in the current is still a problem. Make sure to clean off your rig so the fish can see your flies. Visibilty on the river is still around to 2-3 feet. Fishing is good on the usual midge fare. Red, cream, orange, gray and olive larva size 18-24, midge pupa in olive and gray size 22-24, along with black or olive bunny leeches. Blue winged olives have been coming off with the stormy weather. Gray, olive or chocolate RS2's, johnny flashes and foam wing emergers size 22-24 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm have been producing. Some of the smaller fish have been eating blue wings off of the surface. Gray CDC biot BWO's and Furimsky's BWO BDE's were the hot surface flies. There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. Also, the Special Trout Water section is all catch and release. If you see someone in violation, turn them into Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. Officers have been 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 684 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 1280 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande has remained fairly steady lately. The water is murked up with 12" of visibility or less, but may clear up somewhat before hot weather sends more snowmelt down the Rio. Crane fly larvae, stonelfy nymphs, and caddis larva on a long nymph rig in the runs, or a dry dropper caddis rig along the banks should be the way to go, or maybe a streamer fished deep in the pockets. Still The famed Caddis Hatch just didn't materialize this year. The hatch is rather spotty and even my rafting guide friends haven't seen very much in the way of caddis. Pike fishing, or I should say catching, has been a little slow. I think it may be due to pressure and it might be time to explore and find a new honey hole. The increase in flow does change things, so also try the usual spots and see if you still have willing fish. 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.

Jemez Mountain Streams 285 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Slow
Runoff is starting to wane a little on the streams of the Jemez Mountains. The upper streams like the East Fork just west of the Caldera, the upper San Antonio, or the upper Cebolla are the places to fish. The Guadalupe and lower Jemez are definitely still out of the question. It'll be later into May before the Guad comes down. Dry dropper rigs with small beadheaded nymphs worked along the banks where there is some slow water is the tactic. Forest Road 376 up from Gilman Tunnels has opened on April 15th. The upper end of 376 off of NM Highway 126 won't open till the end of May. The Valles Caldera opens up to fishing on May 22nd. They no longer have the lottery system in place. To reserve a space, you can call, visit the website, or take a chance and walk-on before 7:00 am: See the Caldera's website at http://vallescaldera.gov/ for more details.

Cimarron River 4.9 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Slow to Fair
Thankfully enough runoff is making it's way into the Cimarron to increase the flows. Unfortunately what runoff is coming in has reduced visibility with the poorest clarity and higher water below Clear Creek. If you go, use bigger than normal and flashy nymphs along the banks from Tolby CG downstream.

Jicarilla Nation Lakes
I received some positive news late yesterday that a local angler had a big hit at Stone Lake while trolling on Tuesday evening. I still believe that we lost a portion of the trout population over the unusually long winter, it's not as bad as first suspected. Things are just weird this year, but the bugs are beginning to fly and that is a good thing. Angler pressure has been very low so far this season and therefore we are lacking in fishing reports to share. The weather has been the primary culprit. Spring run-off is completely over for the year and the lakes are steadily clearing up. Stone Lake is ahead of the others and has excellent visibility right now. Mundo Lake is getting better with 2-3 feet of visibility, and Enbom is lagging behind with only 1-2 feet of visibility. The few fishing reports that we have received suggest that fishing is slow across the board. All three of the fishing lakes have been stocked. Stone Lake has been devoid of anglers lately. A few locals have been casting lures here and there but as far as I know, they are not catching fish. The typical spring cruisers are not around which is not that surprising considering that this year is anything but typical. Usually the Chironomidae midges would be hatching by the millions already, but so far there have only been a few coming off in the mornings. The water surface water temp is hovering around 55 degrees. Enbom Lake is still quite turbid with 1-2 feet of visibility. There were a few reports this week from anglers using bait and lures. The bite was slow, and except for a few follow ups, action was nonexistent. I tried Enbom this morning with a brown woolly bugger and a slow retrieve. I fished for 30 minutes without so much as a bump. Things are bound to turn around any day now. I hope to see you out there when it happens! The preceeeding report was excerpted from the Jicarilla Nation weblog fishing report by Kevin Terry.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: 2440 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Poor: 1070 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1860 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
Runoff is also upon the Chama. Higher releases below both dams have slowed fishing and really made wading dangerous. The river flowing into El Vado is high and muddy. The release below both dams is way too high to wade and not worth casting into. You can use big nymphs with flash and sparkle, but your better off with streamers. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. 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 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.

One of our guides has been doing quite well at Santa Cruz Lake. Small tech buggers as we call them, seem to out fish the standard woolly bugger. Think small, in different colors than the standard. My favorites are a Hale Bopp Leech in wine or brown, and a Pop's bugger in grizzly. Bluewater Lake opened on April 24th. Trout fishing is still slow here and, the tiger muskies are hard to target in the very muddy water. Quemado Lake could be a better spot for both species. If any one goes, let me know what the conditions are and how you did.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 40 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Slow: 794 cfs at Mogote; Slow to Fair
April 26, 2010. "Flows on the Conejos out of Platoro have been dropped to 37 (currently at 40 cfs) and that really makes almost the entire river fishable. I guided 4 days last week and it was alot of fun. The first day we were out I had a 1 person trip with a great guy and he netted 40 fish. The following days were not quite that productive but we were only fishing about 5 hours a day. I would expect to see some adult Skwala's out this week. The lower river is at about 600 with a green color but should drop shortly with the adjustment upstream. Expect mostly nymph fishing with 4x leaders or fish a dry dropper on the edges and shallow riffles. Jimmy legs, biot stones, golden stones, rainbow warriors, and worms have been the best patterns for me." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceeding report.

Arkansas River 173 cfs at Granite; Fair to Good: 233 cfs at Salida; Fair to Good
It seems the place to fish is the Arkansas. I've had good reports from the Salida area all the way to Hayden Meadows below Leadville. Cool weather has once again stalled the caddis hatch around Salida, but should resume with a break in the weather. Around Buena Vista, Stonefly nymhs dredged in the deeper hjoles have been working. Bigger flies and maybe some lead will be rquired as the release out of Twin Lakes has been increased. The increase in flow has turned on fishing below the Lake Creek confluence. There is clearer water and less of it at Hayden meadows making smaller flies and a stealthier approach a neccessity. Green caddis larva and blue winged olive nymphs around Salida, stonefly nymphs from Brown's Canyon to Granite and small beadhead s under a dry fly for Hayden.

Animas River 1900 cfs at Durango; Slow to Poor
The Animas has come up alot, but dropped and has been steady for a few days or so. The water is murky and fishing has slowed. Weighted stonefly nymphs with a trailing pheasant tail or caddis pupa drifted along the banks may get you some fish. Baetis could be coming off during cloudy weather. Look for them in the riffles.

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 spring in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions can change with the weather! 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 May 3, 2010

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at 100thmeridian.org.

The new fishing year began on April 1st. We have licenses available for sale here at the shop.

No High Spring Peak Release this year on the San Juan River. The latest Water Supply Forecast for Water Year 2010 has been issued and the April through July inflow into Navajo Lake is forecasted to be at 89% of normal. Given this forecast, there will not be a spring peak release this year. It's a little unfortunate that the river won't see a scouring this year and flush out some of the accumulated sand and silt. The upside is that there won't be a dip in business for the San Juan guides. The high spring release often keeps anglers away despite the fact that fishing is very good during the event.

Pecos River 210 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good: At Villanueva State Park; Poor:
The Pecos has come up in flow over the past couple of weeks. The water is murky with the best clarity around 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The fish are feeding however, so look for them near the edges where there is clearer water, or just off the shelves. Red and orange San Juan worms, green caddis larva or pupa, or unweighted stonefly nymphs drifted and swung along the banks has been working for our guides. To get a fishing day on Pecos National Historical Park, see their website at http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm or call 505-757-7272. 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 464 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Not much change here. I do hear however, that the suspended moss in the current is still a problem. Make sure to clean off your rig so the fish can see your flies. Visibilty on the river is still around to 2-3 feet. Fishing is good on the usual midge fare. Red, cream, orange, gray and olive larva size 18-24, midge pupa in olive and gray size 22-24, along with black or olive bunny leeches. Blue winged olives have been coming off with the stormy weather. Gray, olive or chocolate RS2's, johnny flashes and foam wing emergers size 22-24 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm have been producing. Some of the smaller fish have been eating blue wings off of the surface. Gray CDC biot BWO's and Furimsky's BWO BDE's were the hot surface flies. There is a two fly only rule for the quality waters of the San Juan. Also, the Special Trout Water section is all catch and release. If you see someone in violation, turn them into Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. Officers have been 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 718 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 1150 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande has gone down in flow with the cooler weather we've seen lately. The water is a muked up with 12" of visibility or less, but may clear up somewhat before hot weather sends more snowmelt down the Rio. Crane fly larvae, stonelfy nymphs, and caddis larva on a long nymph rig in the runs, or a dry dropper caddis rig along the banks should be the way to go, or maybe a streamer fished deep in the pockets. Still The famed Caddis Hatch just didn't materialize this year. Even my rafting guide friends haven't seen very much in the way of caddis. Pike fishing, or I should say catching, has been a little slow. I think it may be due to pressure and it might be time to explore and find a new honey hole. The increase in flow does change things, so also try the usual spots and see if you still have willing fish. 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.

Jemez Mountain Streams 250 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Slow
Runoff is starting to wane a little on the streams of the Jemez Mountains. The upper streams like the East Fork just west of the Caldera, the upper San Antonio, or the upper Cebolla are the places to fish. The Guadalupe and lower Jemez are definitely still out of the question. It'll be later into May before the Guad comes down. Dry dropper rigs with small beadheaded nymphs worked along the banks where there is some slow water is the tactic. Forest Road 376 up from Gilman Tunnels has opened on April 15th. The upper end of 376 off of NM Highway 126 won't open till the end of May. The Valles Caldera opens up to fishing on May 22nd. They no longer have the lottery system in place. To reserve a space, you can call, visit the website, or take a chance and walk-on before 7:00 am: See the Caldera's website at http://vallescaldera.gov/ for more details.

Cimarron River 2.2 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Slow to Fair
Thankfully enough runoff is making it's way into the Cimarron to increase the flows. Unfortunately what runoff is coming in has reduced visibility with the poorest clarity and higher water below Clear Creek. If you go, use bigger than normal and flashy nymphs along the banks from Tolby CG downstream.

Jicarilla Nation Lakes
Spring stocking on the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes is almost complete. The mystery is still unraveling at Stone Lake where the water quality is in great shape with approximately 6-7 feet of visibility. Overall, fishing pressure has been way down so far at the Jicarilla Lakes. The muddy water and the uncertainty of over winter survival at Stone have made an impact for local anglers and out of towners alike. Stone Lake continues to give us problems. The gill nets have only captured one fish, which was a nice Bass. This is the case even after 55,000 fish were stocked last week. So far we have observed 2 large trout and 4-5 Bass near the shore at Stone which means that at least some fish made it through the winter. The fish finder sonar still feels that there are a lot of fish in Stone but they haven’t shown up in the nets, on the lines, or near the shore as is usually the case in the spring. I believe that we had a significant loss of fish over the unusually long winter, but I also believe that there are still quite a few holdovers and will soon be a crop of aggressive stockers fattening up and growing fast. Enbom Lake is still very turbid with less than a foot of visibility. The fish that were stocked last week should be on the bite by now and they will be hitting on leech patterns and dark colored woolly buggers. The roads at Enbom have dried out and the boat ramp is in working condition. Mundo Lake has finally stopped flowing and the parking lot is high and dry. Visibility is around 1-2 feet and it has been improving daily. There have been a few trout are showing up here and there with lures and flies. Expect the action at Mundo to pick up as the water clears. Let’s make up for a slow April with a great start to May. I hope to see you out there and can’t wait to get the year’s first good report. The preceeeding report was excerpted from the Jicarilla Nation weblog fishing report by Kevin Terry.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: 718 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Poor: 1230 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1810 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
Runoff is also upon the Chama. Higher releases below both dams have slowed fishing and really made wading dangerous. The river flowing into El Vado is high and muddy. The release below both dams is way too high to wade and not worth casting into. You can use big nymphs with flash and sparkle, but your better off with streamers. Cover the tailouts of pools and hit the obvious seams. 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 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.

One of our guides has been doing quite well at Santa Cruz Lake. Small tech buggers as we call them, seem to out fish the standard woolly bugger. Think small, in different colors than the standard. My favorites are a Hale Bopp Leech in wine or brown, and a Pop's bugger in grizzly. Bluewater Lake opened on April 24th. Trout fishing is still slow here and, the tiger muskies are hard to target in the very muddy water. Quemado Lake could be a better spot for both species. If any one goes, let me know what the conditions are and how you did.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 96 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Slow: 396 cfs at Mogote; Slow to Fair
April 26, 2010. "Flows on the Conejos out of Platoro have been dropped to 37 (currently at 96 cfs) and that really makes almost the entire river fishable. I guided 4 days last week and it was alot of fun. The first day we were out I had a 1 person trip with a great guy and he netted 40 fish. The following days were not quite that productive but we were only fishing about 5 hours a day. I would expect to see some adult Skwala's out this week. The lower river is at about 600 with a green color but should drop shortly with the adjustment upstream. Expect mostly nymph fishing with 4x leaders or fish a dry dropper on the edges and shallow riffles. Jimmy legs, biot stones, golden stones, rainbow warriors, and worms have been the best patterns for me." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceeding report.

Arkansas River 256 cfs at Granite; Fair to Good: 366 cfs at Salida; Fair to Good
It seems the place to fish is the Arkansas. I've had good reports from the Salida area all the way to Hayden Meadows below Leadville. Cool weather has stalled the caddis hatch in Bighorn Sheep Canyon, but should resume with a break in the weather. Around Buena Vista, Stonefly nymhs dredged in the deeper hjoles have been working. Bigger flies and maybe some lead will be rquired as the release out of Twin Lakes has been increased. The increase in flow has turned on fishing below the Lake Creek confluence. There is clearer water and less of it at Hayden meadows making smaller flies and a stealthier approach a neccessity. Green caddis larva and blue winged olive nymphs around Salida, stonefly nymphs from Brown's Canyon to Granite and small beadhead s under a dry fly for Hayden.

Animas River 1330 cfs at Durango; Slow to Poor
The Animas has come up alot, but dropped and has been steady for a few days or so. The water is murky and fishing has slowed. Unweighted stonefly nymphs with a trailing pheasant tail or caddis pupa drifted along the banks may get you some fish. Baetis could be coming off during cloudy weather. Look for them in the riffles.

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 spring in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions can change with the weather! 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.