Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday October 28, 2011
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San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
It looks like the release has been reduced to the winter (low) level around 500 cfs. The good news is that the blue winged olives are on the move and the hatches are getting better. Use smaller flies especially near the dam as the water is clear. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black or gray midge pupa like a UV flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. 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 37 cfs below Terrero; Good:
The river is continues to fish well. The warmer days we've been experiencing are certainly helping. Blue winged olives are really the only dry fly game left on the Pecos. Nymphing with a dry dropper rig can end your slump if they aren't coming up on your dry fly. Try flashback pheasant tails, oops fly, or a tungsten micro mays. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the fall runs from through November 7th. The fall season Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program".
Rio Grande 327 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 476 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow to Fair for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
I expect to see rising flows on the Rio as irrigators in Colorado finish the growing season. Trout still seem to prefer the faster aeriated water. Some of the best fly fishing on the Rio is for smallmouth bass on streamers. Cover the deeper slower runs for the bass. 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 34 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Slow or Good, depending on the watershed.
The only water worth fishing is the Cebolla or the de las Vacas/Guadalupe watershed. Ash runoff from the Las Conchas fire has killed quite a lot of fish on the East Fork and Rio San Antonio, and the streambed is covered in it. The Valles Caldera National Preserve has closed the fishing program until next spring.
Cimarron River 3.9 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 9.6 cfs at Cimarron
The release out of Eagle's Nest Dam has dropped significantly and is really not worth fishing at these low levels. Check the flows before you go. Releases below 25 cfs makes for slow fishing. If the release doesn't go back up, wait until spring next year to fly fish. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the Red River all the way to Questa is fishing well.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 103 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 95 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 87 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The Chama below El Vado dam has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir has come up with some recent rain and snowfall. It may be murky, but should fish really well as it clears and might be some of the better fishing as we get into winter. The release out of El Vado is low although, fishable. Big nymphs dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam is fishing ok despite the water clarity. Expect the fishing to only get better when the water clears. 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 139 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 211 cfs at Magote; Good
October 17, 2011. "I just wanted to let you know that the shop will be closed tomorrow. I am sorry for this but the guides are going fishing. We will be bringing video and digital cameras and looking for some big fish. If we are successful we will post a few. Don’t be surprised if they are not trout! I did have the chance to fish a few hours today and caught some beautiful fat browns and a couple large bows. Buckskin Cone, Barr’s Emergers, and a small Golden seemed to be the best bugs for me." The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.
Rio Grande 48 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 237 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable especially the box canyon above Creede. Fishing below South Fork has been a little more consistent, probably from having a warmer water temp. Baetis hatches have been sporadic but if you find one you'll see fish coming up to the surface.
Animas River 325 at Durango; Fair to Good
Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some baetis, but if your not finding the bugs, nymph the pockets or throw streamers.
Piedra River 242 cfs at Arboles; Good
The Piedra is fishing better with cooler water temps. Nymphs are better producers than dries on the lower river. The upper forks continue to fish well. Blue winged olives, nymphs and dries.
San Juan River 219 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Good
THe San Juan has also come up and is fishing well with some recent rainfall and cooler water. Upstream of Pagosa, check out the East Fork or Turkey or Four Mile for some late season dry fly fishing. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is also fishing well. Blue winged olives are most prevalent.
Arkansas River 228 cfs at Granite; Good: 408 cfs at Salida; Good
Good fishing from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The canyons on either side of Buena Vista has good pocket water fishing. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Fish move off on the banks and into the main channel mid-day. Tricos, blue winged olives, and midges are the bugs to choose.
For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/
Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions or closures.
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 autumn 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
It looks like the release has been reduced to the winter (low) level around 500 cfs. The good news is that the blue winged olives are on the move and the hatches are getting better. Use smaller flies especially near the dam as the water is clear. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black or gray midge pupa like a UV flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. 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 37 cfs below Terrero; Good:
The river is continues to fish well. The warmer days we've been experiencing are certainly helping. Blue winged olives are really the only dry fly game left on the Pecos. Nymphing with a dry dropper rig can end your slump if they aren't coming up on your dry fly. Try flashback pheasant tails, oops fly, or a tungsten micro mays. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the fall runs from through November 7th. The fall season Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program".
Rio Grande 327 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 476 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow to Fair for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
I expect to see rising flows on the Rio as irrigators in Colorado finish the growing season. Trout still seem to prefer the faster aeriated water. Some of the best fly fishing on the Rio is for smallmouth bass on streamers. Cover the deeper slower runs for the bass. 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 34 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Slow or Good, depending on the watershed.
The only water worth fishing is the Cebolla or the de las Vacas/Guadalupe watershed. Ash runoff from the Las Conchas fire has killed quite a lot of fish on the East Fork and Rio San Antonio, and the streambed is covered in it. The Valles Caldera National Preserve has closed the fishing program until next spring.
Cimarron River 3.9 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 9.6 cfs at Cimarron
The release out of Eagle's Nest Dam has dropped significantly and is really not worth fishing at these low levels. Check the flows before you go. Releases below 25 cfs makes for slow fishing. If the release doesn't go back up, wait until spring next year to fly fish. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the Red River all the way to Questa is fishing well.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 103 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 95 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 87 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The Chama below El Vado dam has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir has come up with some recent rain and snowfall. It may be murky, but should fish really well as it clears and might be some of the better fishing as we get into winter. The release out of El Vado is low although, fishable. Big nymphs dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam is fishing ok despite the water clarity. Expect the fishing to only get better when the water clears. 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 139 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 211 cfs at Magote; Good
October 17, 2011. "I just wanted to let you know that the shop will be closed tomorrow. I am sorry for this but the guides are going fishing. We will be bringing video and digital cameras and looking for some big fish. If we are successful we will post a few. Don’t be surprised if they are not trout! I did have the chance to fish a few hours today and caught some beautiful fat browns and a couple large bows. Buckskin Cone, Barr’s Emergers, and a small Golden seemed to be the best bugs for me." The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.
Rio Grande 48 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 237 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable especially the box canyon above Creede. Fishing below South Fork has been a little more consistent, probably from having a warmer water temp. Baetis hatches have been sporadic but if you find one you'll see fish coming up to the surface.
Animas River 325 at Durango; Fair to Good
Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some baetis, but if your not finding the bugs, nymph the pockets or throw streamers.
Piedra River 242 cfs at Arboles; Good
The Piedra is fishing better with cooler water temps. Nymphs are better producers than dries on the lower river. The upper forks continue to fish well. Blue winged olives, nymphs and dries.
San Juan River 219 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Good
THe San Juan has also come up and is fishing well with some recent rainfall and cooler water. Upstream of Pagosa, check out the East Fork or Turkey or Four Mile for some late season dry fly fishing. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is also fishing well. Blue winged olives are most prevalent.
Arkansas River 228 cfs at Granite; Good: 408 cfs at Salida; Good
Good fishing from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The canyons on either side of Buena Vista has good pocket water fishing. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Fish move off on the banks and into the main channel mid-day. Tricos, blue winged olives, and midges are the bugs to choose.
For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/
Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions or closures.
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 autumn 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 Friday, October 28, 2011
