Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Monday May 3, 2010
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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.
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.
posted by High Desert Angler at Monday, May 03, 2010
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