Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Thursday August 5, 2010
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The Rio Costilla 68 cfs below Costilla Reservoir; Very Good
The Valle Vidal unit of the Carson National Forest opened Thursday July 1st. This area is truly a scenic gem for New Mexico. It's loaded with elk, bison, and turkey, but it usually draws people for the fishing. The Rio Costilla is one place you can reliably catch a Rio Grande Cutthroat and Shuree Ponds are known for it's large rainbows. The stream is dry fly fishing at it's best. High riding attractor like PMX's and Aerial Assault's, and yellow sallies and caddis flies work very well on those quick striking cutties. Take damsel nymphs, diving caddis, and some aquatic snail patterns for the lunkers at Shuree. All of the streams in the Valle Vidal are no kill. The bag limit for Shuree is only 2 fish over 15 inches. Please report anyone breaking thes rules to New Mexico Game and Fish at 800-432-4263 or the Forest Service at 575-586-0520.
San Juan River 638 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Ah, the bittersweet vagaries of the San Juan. We definitely need the rain, especially in the four corners, and it also brings a good ant fall to the river. The downside, lower flows out of Navajo Dam. The release is down below Navajo Dam as rainfall has brought up the Animas. From Texas Hole up to the Cable, fishing is good on #22-26 olive, gray, black, or brown midge pupa and larva in the morning and up towards the dam all day. Afternoons below Texas Hole have been best with chocolate, olive, or gray baetis emergers like a #22-24 foam wing, RS2, or WD40. The baetis are active from 11:00 am to about 5:00 pm. It's back to the olive, brown, or black midge larva after 5. The mosquitoes are out, so be prepared! 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!
Pecos River 231 cfs below Terrero; Good: At Pecos National Historical Park; Slow:
A ton of rain here over the weekend made for some big water. The good news is that the river is coming down and clearing above Dalton Canyon and the fishing is good. Caddis hatches, yellow sallies, and western March Browns, are still coming off in good numbers. Ants either drowned or dry seem to fool the pickier fish. Remember, the first public access is at Dalton Day Use. Fly choices would be anato-mays, hares ears, red quills, headlight sallies, neversink caddis, and parachute pheasant tails. The summer fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park ended on Monday August 2nd. The fall season begins on Thursday September 2nd and runs through October 25th. 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.
Rio Grande 79 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 307 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The recent rainfall has murked up the Rio, but the stream guage doesn't provide that detail. It will take a week or so of rainless days for the Rio to get to a decent clarity. Trout fishing at Pilar is fair early or late in the day or better most of the day up in the gorge where there is more spring inflow and cooler water. Smallmouth, however will eat during the heat of the day 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 stonefly 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 39 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
If any place benefited with all of the rain it is here. The upper streams like the East Fork just west of the Caldera, the San Antonio, the Guadalupe, and the Cebolla are fishing well. Fish are taking dries early and late in the day. If it starts to get hot out, shaded ares like the East Fork from the East Fork Trailhead down to Battleship should fish most of the day. Some of the more open streams slow during mid-day. As far as flies go, try a black cricket, small neversink caddis, headlight sallies, or go to a red legged hopper in the afternoons. The Valles Caldera is open to fishing. 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 17 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 36 cfs at Cimarron
The release is down. The river has more water the further east you go especially below Clear Creek. PMD's are waning. but still worth throwing. Golden stones, tricos, and caddis round out the current fare. The Red River around the corner is also fishing well on pretty much the same flies.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Good: 157 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow: 621 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 474 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The best fishing on the Chama is the stretch above the town of Chama. Access can be had through the Sargent Wildlife Area. Good dry fly fishing on PMD's, green drakes, caddis, and red quills. The river flowing into El Vado is getting warm and trout fishing is slow. This section of river warms alot in mid summer from irrigation return. 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 and be careful with the higher flows. The stretch below Abiquiu typically doesn't typically fish well over the summer. Currently the release is low and water calls downstream may increase the release at any time. 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 128 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 211 cfs at Mogote; Good
August 3, 2010. "The last several days we have seen another emergence of stoneflies and both Devan, Josh and Troy both have all been saying the fishing has been silly. They have all been fishing nymphs but this lower river has been on fire the past few days. Seems like on some sections of the river the fish have made a truce and the small medium and large fish have been sharing feeding lanes. Some nice rains have kept daytime temps from 70 to 85 and also boosted some of the flows. Fish seem to like it." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceeding report.
Rio Grande 185 cfs below Thirty Mile Bridge; Fair: 524 cfs below Windy Gap; Fair
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir are up a little for the moment. Currently the flows are low and the upper river like the box cayon is very fishable. It' sounds like the best fishing is from Rio Grande Reservoir down to Wagon Wheel Gap. Lots of caddis river wide and PMD's and green drakes and red quills also are working.
Pagosa Area Piedra River 482 cfs at Arboles; Slow: San Juan at Pagosa 503 cfs; Slow
It's time to play the rain game as flows are increasing on alot of waters of the San Juan Mountains and the Pagosa area is no different. Flows are currently high on the main stems. Some of the tribs may be more fishable. The cooler weather and water should improve fishing on the Piedra below Williams Creek and on Williams. The upper forks of the Piedra as well as The San Juan and trubutaries above Pagosa are fishing good. On the upper forks, use caddis, golden stones, and PMD's. On the San Juan there are lots of caddis and some PMD's, and Red Quills. The East Fork of the San Juan as well as Turkey and Fourmile are also fishing well. Take a box full of PMD's, golden stones, neversink caddis, and a few nitro caddis pupa and double bead golden nymphs for a droppper set up. Or swing that caddis dropper at the end of your drift and hang on!
Arkansas River 450 cfs at Granite; Good: 860 cfs at Salida; Good
The river is at it's summer flows and fishing is great, barring any more deluges. Around Buena Vista, fish are taking caddis early and late in the day and are eating PMD's and yellow sallies mid-day. Look for them right off of the shelves or along the edges in the soft water. At Hayden Meadows, try hoppers, yellow sallies, and small caddis. The water is low and clear so use some stealth. Around Salida, PMD's and lots of caddis with the best action in the afternoons. Antero Reservoir continues to fish very well.
Animas River 865 cfs at Durango; Good
Some heavy rainfall over the past weekend has brought the flows way up on the Animas. Fishing is going to depend on clarity. I think the river needs to come down and clear more before wetting a line. IT's pouring up there as of report time. Lots of caddis around as well as golden stones and PMD's. Best fishing is in the afternoons, especially for dry fly action. Don't forget to try a swinging caddis pupa!
Please see our announcements page for more news and upcoming events!
Call us at the shop for conditions on waters not listed here. 888-988-7688 out of Santa Fe or 988-7688 in Santa Fe.
It's summer 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.
For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/
Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.
The Rio Costilla 68 cfs below Costilla Reservoir; Very Good
The Valle Vidal unit of the Carson National Forest opened Thursday July 1st. This area is truly a scenic gem for New Mexico. It's loaded with elk, bison, and turkey, but it usually draws people for the fishing. The Rio Costilla is one place you can reliably catch a Rio Grande Cutthroat and Shuree Ponds are known for it's large rainbows. The stream is dry fly fishing at it's best. High riding attractor like PMX's and Aerial Assault's, and yellow sallies and caddis flies work very well on those quick striking cutties. Take damsel nymphs, diving caddis, and some aquatic snail patterns for the lunkers at Shuree. All of the streams in the Valle Vidal are no kill. The bag limit for Shuree is only 2 fish over 15 inches. Please report anyone breaking thes rules to New Mexico Game and Fish at 800-432-4263 or the Forest Service at 575-586-0520.
San Juan River 638 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Ah, the bittersweet vagaries of the San Juan. We definitely need the rain, especially in the four corners, and it also brings a good ant fall to the river. The downside, lower flows out of Navajo Dam. The release is down below Navajo Dam as rainfall has brought up the Animas. From Texas Hole up to the Cable, fishing is good on #22-26 olive, gray, black, or brown midge pupa and larva in the morning and up towards the dam all day. Afternoons below Texas Hole have been best with chocolate, olive, or gray baetis emergers like a #22-24 foam wing, RS2, or WD40. The baetis are active from 11:00 am to about 5:00 pm. It's back to the olive, brown, or black midge larva after 5. The mosquitoes are out, so be prepared! 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!
Pecos River 231 cfs below Terrero; Good: At Pecos National Historical Park; Slow:
A ton of rain here over the weekend made for some big water. The good news is that the river is coming down and clearing above Dalton Canyon and the fishing is good. Caddis hatches, yellow sallies, and western March Browns, are still coming off in good numbers. Ants either drowned or dry seem to fool the pickier fish. Remember, the first public access is at Dalton Day Use. Fly choices would be anato-mays, hares ears, red quills, headlight sallies, neversink caddis, and parachute pheasant tails. The summer fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park ended on Monday August 2nd. The fall season begins on Thursday September 2nd and runs through October 25th. 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.
Rio Grande 79 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 307 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The recent rainfall has murked up the Rio, but the stream guage doesn't provide that detail. It will take a week or so of rainless days for the Rio to get to a decent clarity. Trout fishing at Pilar is fair early or late in the day or better most of the day up in the gorge where there is more spring inflow and cooler water. Smallmouth, however will eat during the heat of the day 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 stonefly 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 39 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
If any place benefited with all of the rain it is here. The upper streams like the East Fork just west of the Caldera, the San Antonio, the Guadalupe, and the Cebolla are fishing well. Fish are taking dries early and late in the day. If it starts to get hot out, shaded ares like the East Fork from the East Fork Trailhead down to Battleship should fish most of the day. Some of the more open streams slow during mid-day. As far as flies go, try a black cricket, small neversink caddis, headlight sallies, or go to a red legged hopper in the afternoons. The Valles Caldera is open to fishing. 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 17 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 36 cfs at Cimarron
The release is down. The river has more water the further east you go especially below Clear Creek. PMD's are waning. but still worth throwing. Golden stones, tricos, and caddis round out the current fare. The Red River around the corner is also fishing well on pretty much the same flies.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Good: 157 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow: 621 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 474 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The best fishing on the Chama is the stretch above the town of Chama. Access can be had through the Sargent Wildlife Area. Good dry fly fishing on PMD's, green drakes, caddis, and red quills. The river flowing into El Vado is getting warm and trout fishing is slow. This section of river warms alot in mid summer from irrigation return. 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 and be careful with the higher flows. The stretch below Abiquiu typically doesn't typically fish well over the summer. Currently the release is low and water calls downstream may increase the release at any time. 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 128 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 211 cfs at Mogote; Good
August 3, 2010. "The last several days we have seen another emergence of stoneflies and both Devan, Josh and Troy both have all been saying the fishing has been silly. They have all been fishing nymphs but this lower river has been on fire the past few days. Seems like on some sections of the river the fish have made a truce and the small medium and large fish have been sharing feeding lanes. Some nice rains have kept daytime temps from 70 to 85 and also boosted some of the flows. Fish seem to like it." Jon Harp of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceeding report.
Rio Grande 185 cfs below Thirty Mile Bridge; Fair: 524 cfs below Windy Gap; Fair
Releases out of Rio Grande Reservoir are up a little for the moment. Currently the flows are low and the upper river like the box cayon is very fishable. It' sounds like the best fishing is from Rio Grande Reservoir down to Wagon Wheel Gap. Lots of caddis river wide and PMD's and green drakes and red quills also are working.
Pagosa Area Piedra River 482 cfs at Arboles; Slow: San Juan at Pagosa 503 cfs; Slow
It's time to play the rain game as flows are increasing on alot of waters of the San Juan Mountains and the Pagosa area is no different. Flows are currently high on the main stems. Some of the tribs may be more fishable. The cooler weather and water should improve fishing on the Piedra below Williams Creek and on Williams. The upper forks of the Piedra as well as The San Juan and trubutaries above Pagosa are fishing good. On the upper forks, use caddis, golden stones, and PMD's. On the San Juan there are lots of caddis and some PMD's, and Red Quills. The East Fork of the San Juan as well as Turkey and Fourmile are also fishing well. Take a box full of PMD's, golden stones, neversink caddis, and a few nitro caddis pupa and double bead golden nymphs for a droppper set up. Or swing that caddis dropper at the end of your drift and hang on!
Arkansas River 450 cfs at Granite; Good: 860 cfs at Salida; Good
The river is at it's summer flows and fishing is great, barring any more deluges. Around Buena Vista, fish are taking caddis early and late in the day and are eating PMD's and yellow sallies mid-day. Look for them right off of the shelves or along the edges in the soft water. At Hayden Meadows, try hoppers, yellow sallies, and small caddis. The water is low and clear so use some stealth. Around Salida, PMD's and lots of caddis with the best action in the afternoons. Antero Reservoir continues to fish very well.
Animas River 865 cfs at Durango; Good
Some heavy rainfall over the past weekend has brought the flows way up on the Animas. Fishing is going to depend on clarity. I think the river needs to come down and clear more before wetting a line. IT's pouring up there as of report time. Lots of caddis around as well as golden stones and PMD's. Best fishing is in the afternoons, especially for dry fly action. Don't forget to try a swinging caddis pupa!
Please see our announcements page for more news and upcoming events!
Call us at the shop for conditions on waters not listed here. 888-988-7688 out of Santa Fe or 988-7688 in Santa Fe.
It's summer 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.
For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/
Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.
posted by High Desert Angler at Thursday, August 05, 2010
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