Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Wednesday April13, 2011
Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais
San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Big midge hatches continue to come off late mornings. Cluster patterns like griffith's gnats work on the gulping fish. Try a single black midge for the sippers. Dark bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working and more and more baetis are being seen. The ususal, chocolate faom wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails to mimick your baetis. The Special Trout Water section is all catch and release and has a two fly only rule. 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 58 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good: at Villanueva State Park; Slow to Fair
The fishing down at Villanueva State Park is rated slow to fair because it's received it's last stocking of the season and flows will be reduced as irrigators pull water off upstream. Above the village of Pecos, the fishing is picking up every day and fish are eating. Not much for dry fly fishing yet, so stick to nymphs. Golden stonefly nymphs, egg patterns, small pheasant tails, baetis nymphs and zebra midges were some of the latest hot flies. The spring fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park Monday the 11th, but will resume again in late June. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". 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 94 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 247 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow to Fair for smallmouth bass
The caddis hatch is here! Actually it's been at Pilar for several days. I haven't heard how far into the box it has progressed, but it should show up around John Dunn by the weekend. Be persistent and focus on the tailouts of pools and right below the gravel bars. Always, and I'll say it again, always finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. For trout, I like a big attractor like a crane fly or golden stone and then trail tour caddis larva/pupa off of that. Baetis have also been coming off so show them a trailing flashback pheasant tail or bat wing emerger. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.
Jemez Mountain Streams 48 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
There is a little bit of a runoff pattern on the stream guage with most of it coming from the de las Vacas/Guadalupe drainage. A dry fly dropper rig with #16-18 deep six caddis or a #18 psycho may in olive should pick up most of them. Stonefly nymphs on the lower Jemez and Guadalupe will also work. Some of the gullible fish are taking small dries like a parachute pheasant tail or adams. Good reports on the East Fork and San Antonio up from highway 126.
Cimarron River 17 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 18 cfs at Cimarron
Ahh! Thank goodness water and life are flowing once again in the Cimmaron. The flows are a little low making for easier casting and fishing in the upper reaches around Tolby campground. There is a little more tributary flow the further downstream you go. That could be a good thing if the upper river is clear and the fish are spooky. Dark midges and baetis nymphs like tungsten WD40's, black psycho mays, chocolate johnny flashes, and black zebra midges on a nymph rig or dry dropper would be my choices.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair to Good: 388 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 503 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama including the stretch flowing into El Vado is inn the begiining stages of runoff. The colder snowmelt has slowed the fishing somewhat, but the river isn't raging and muddy yet either. Stonefly nymphs and a smaller trailing caddis or baetis under an indicator would be the way to go. The river below El Vado is wadable still, but do take caution as it's hard to see the bottom, and a staff is good insurance here. Focus on the tailouts and hit the obvious seams. Crane fly larva and egg patterns and a trailing flashy beatis were reported to be the hot flies. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing tough. High dam release ha made wading here tough. The river is somewhat clear. If you can find a run or some pockets, run a cranefly or golden stone nymph with a midge dropper. 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:
Arkansas River 156 cfs at Granite; Fair: 233 cfs at Salida; Fair
Cold nights along the upper river are making for slow morning above BV. The better fishing is from Salida downstream through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The caddis haven't popped yet but a caddis larva imitation or baetis are working as well as stonefly nymphs.
Animas River 230 cfs at Durango; Fair
Streamers in the deep and dark as well as dark stone fly nympsh and baetis patterns have been fooling the feeders. Best fishing is in the afternoons giving the water time to warm up.
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 early 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.
San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Big midge hatches continue to come off late mornings. Cluster patterns like griffith's gnats work on the gulping fish. Try a single black midge for the sippers. Dark bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working and more and more baetis are being seen. The ususal, chocolate faom wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails to mimick your baetis. The Special Trout Water section is all catch and release and has a two fly only rule. 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 58 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good: at Villanueva State Park; Slow to Fair
The fishing down at Villanueva State Park is rated slow to fair because it's received it's last stocking of the season and flows will be reduced as irrigators pull water off upstream. Above the village of Pecos, the fishing is picking up every day and fish are eating. Not much for dry fly fishing yet, so stick to nymphs. Golden stonefly nymphs, egg patterns, small pheasant tails, baetis nymphs and zebra midges were some of the latest hot flies. The spring fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park Monday the 11th, but will resume again in late June. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". 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 94 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 247 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow to Fair for smallmouth bass
The caddis hatch is here! Actually it's been at Pilar for several days. I haven't heard how far into the box it has progressed, but it should show up around John Dunn by the weekend. Be persistent and focus on the tailouts of pools and right below the gravel bars. Always, and I'll say it again, always finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. For trout, I like a big attractor like a crane fly or golden stone and then trail tour caddis larva/pupa off of that. Baetis have also been coming off so show them a trailing flashback pheasant tail or bat wing emerger. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.
Jemez Mountain Streams 48 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
There is a little bit of a runoff pattern on the stream guage with most of it coming from the de las Vacas/Guadalupe drainage. A dry fly dropper rig with #16-18 deep six caddis or a #18 psycho may in olive should pick up most of them. Stonefly nymphs on the lower Jemez and Guadalupe will also work. Some of the gullible fish are taking small dries like a parachute pheasant tail or adams. Good reports on the East Fork and San Antonio up from highway 126.
Cimarron River 17 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 18 cfs at Cimarron
Ahh! Thank goodness water and life are flowing once again in the Cimmaron. The flows are a little low making for easier casting and fishing in the upper reaches around Tolby campground. There is a little more tributary flow the further downstream you go. That could be a good thing if the upper river is clear and the fish are spooky. Dark midges and baetis nymphs like tungsten WD40's, black psycho mays, chocolate johnny flashes, and black zebra midges on a nymph rig or dry dropper would be my choices.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair to Good: 388 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 503 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama including the stretch flowing into El Vado is inn the begiining stages of runoff. The colder snowmelt has slowed the fishing somewhat, but the river isn't raging and muddy yet either. Stonefly nymphs and a smaller trailing caddis or baetis under an indicator would be the way to go. The river below El Vado is wadable still, but do take caution as it's hard to see the bottom, and a staff is good insurance here. Focus on the tailouts and hit the obvious seams. Crane fly larva and egg patterns and a trailing flashy beatis were reported to be the hot flies. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing tough. High dam release ha made wading here tough. The river is somewhat clear. If you can find a run or some pockets, run a cranefly or golden stone nymph with a midge dropper. 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:
Arkansas River 156 cfs at Granite; Fair: 233 cfs at Salida; Fair
Cold nights along the upper river are making for slow morning above BV. The better fishing is from Salida downstream through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The caddis haven't popped yet but a caddis larva imitation or baetis are working as well as stonefly nymphs.
Animas River 230 cfs at Durango; Fair
Streamers in the deep and dark as well as dark stone fly nympsh and baetis patterns have been fooling the feeders. Best fishing is in the afternoons giving the water time to warm up.
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 early 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 Wednesday, April 13, 2011
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