Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Thursday April 26, 2012
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San Juan River 481 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
There has been still some midge hatches mid-morning and blue-winged olive hatches around 1 in the afternoon. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black, olive, black, or gray midge pupa. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. The Bureau of Reclamation held a meeting in Farmington on April 24th to discuss their plans for the Peak Spring Release. I will post informattion on the PSR when it becomes available. Typically the Peak Spring Release occurs around mi to late May. If you plan on going to the Juan in the next few weeks, I'd bet you're pretty safe to hold to your plans. 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 256 cfs below Terrero; Slow: at Villanueva State Park; Poor
I don't trust the guage as our own personal sense of streamflow is telling us that the river is more than likely 350 to 400 cfs. There was a little blip a couple of days ago when there shouldn't be. The river is quite stained and the water is moving. It's time to play the runoff game and check streamflows for just about everywhere. The river keeps rising with the warmer days and un-frozen nights. For those still wanting to try and wade, concentrate on the deeper holes and get your flies down. Think big like stonefly nymphs, or bright like egg patterns, San Juan worms, and big copper johns. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the spring has ended officially on April 9th. You can make reservations for their summer fishing program starting May 21st. The summer season runs from June 21st to August 6th. See our announcements page or the Park's website at: http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm for more info.
Rio Grande 247 cfs at Cerro; Slow to Fair: 530 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
There are still some caddis around, but the hatch is all the way up into Wild and Scenic. The flows on the Rio are coming up with more release and snowmelt, even up into Colorado. The water is with less than a foot of visibility. Not much for action on dry flies. Big flashy nymphs and bright green caddis pupa are the best color choices. Pike fishing is slow and the best pike fishing may be done for the season. Even though the water is murky and pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pike's attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.
Jemez Mountain Streams 152 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Slow to Fair, depending on the watershed.
Forest Road 376 is be open giving anglers more access to the Guadalupe. The Guadalupe howver has some pretty heavy flows and is not very wadeable. Going up higher on the smaller streams like the Cebolla or San Antonio gets you a little bit less flow. Fenton Lake semms to be the best bet for catching sake. The fishing program at the Valles Caldera National Preserve will not open as planned on May 12th. See their website at: http://www.vallescaldera.gov/comevisit/fish/index.aspx for the details or to get a refund if you have already made reservations for this year.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: 1220 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Poor: 507 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 642 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The Chama below El Vado dam now seems to have the most consistent good fishing on the Chama. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir is cold, murky, and very high. Fishing in this stretch upriver of El Vado is very slow. The release out of El Vado is murky and big bugs with flash and streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam is high and murky and is likely to get higher as releases pick up for irrigation. 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 332 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Slow to Fair: 1010 cfs at Mogote; Slow
The outflow to Platoro Reservoir is matching the inflow and the release is making much of the upper river unwadeable and fishing is tough. Except the meadow water. Red worms and variations like G-Strings work on those tough fish. It seems that runoff may have come earlier than expected to the Conejos and the tribs are flowing high.
Animas River 1880 at Durango; Poor
The Animas is better for a good raft trip than fishing right now. The diminishing clarity and influx of colder water has slowed the fishing. If you gotta give itr a go, try bigger bugs like stonefly nymphs or streamer have been getting more attention than the little stuff.
Arkansas River 263 cfs at Granite; Slow to Fair: 304 cfs at Salida; Fair to Good
The fishing on the Ark is still really good around Salida with good hatches of blue winged olives. The caddis hatch is mid-way in Bighorn Sheeep Canyon probably around Texas Creek. The fish are eating beatis hard especially in the afternoons above the caddis hatch. Best guess is that it will hit Salida nearer to the end of the month. Around Salida, look for pods of fish rising to BWO's. The river upstream of Salida is clear so practice stealthy approaches.
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.
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.
Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions or closures.
San Juan River 481 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
There has been still some midge hatches mid-morning and blue-winged olive hatches around 1 in the afternoon. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black, olive, black, or gray midge pupa. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. The Bureau of Reclamation held a meeting in Farmington on April 24th to discuss their plans for the Peak Spring Release. I will post informattion on the PSR when it becomes available. Typically the Peak Spring Release occurs around mi to late May. If you plan on going to the Juan in the next few weeks, I'd bet you're pretty safe to hold to your plans. 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 256 cfs below Terrero; Slow: at Villanueva State Park; Poor
I don't trust the guage as our own personal sense of streamflow is telling us that the river is more than likely 350 to 400 cfs. There was a little blip a couple of days ago when there shouldn't be. The river is quite stained and the water is moving. It's time to play the runoff game and check streamflows for just about everywhere. The river keeps rising with the warmer days and un-frozen nights. For those still wanting to try and wade, concentrate on the deeper holes and get your flies down. Think big like stonefly nymphs, or bright like egg patterns, San Juan worms, and big copper johns. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the spring has ended officially on April 9th. You can make reservations for their summer fishing program starting May 21st. The summer season runs from June 21st to August 6th. See our announcements page or the Park's website at: http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm for more info.
Rio Grande 247 cfs at Cerro; Slow to Fair: 530 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
There are still some caddis around, but the hatch is all the way up into Wild and Scenic. The flows on the Rio are coming up with more release and snowmelt, even up into Colorado. The water is with less than a foot of visibility. Not much for action on dry flies. Big flashy nymphs and bright green caddis pupa are the best color choices. Pike fishing is slow and the best pike fishing may be done for the season. Even though the water is murky and pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pike's attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.
Jemez Mountain Streams 152 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Slow to Fair, depending on the watershed.
Forest Road 376 is be open giving anglers more access to the Guadalupe. The Guadalupe howver has some pretty heavy flows and is not very wadeable. Going up higher on the smaller streams like the Cebolla or San Antonio gets you a little bit less flow. Fenton Lake semms to be the best bet for catching sake. The fishing program at the Valles Caldera National Preserve will not open as planned on May 12th. See their website at: http://www.vallescaldera.gov/comevisit/fish/index.aspx for the details or to get a refund if you have already made reservations for this year.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: 1220 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Poor: 507 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 642 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The Chama below El Vado dam now seems to have the most consistent good fishing on the Chama. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir is cold, murky, and very high. Fishing in this stretch upriver of El Vado is very slow. The release out of El Vado is murky and big bugs with flash and streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam is high and murky and is likely to get higher as releases pick up for irrigation. 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 332 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Slow to Fair: 1010 cfs at Mogote; Slow
The outflow to Platoro Reservoir is matching the inflow and the release is making much of the upper river unwadeable and fishing is tough. Except the meadow water. Red worms and variations like G-Strings work on those tough fish. It seems that runoff may have come earlier than expected to the Conejos and the tribs are flowing high.
Animas River 1880 at Durango; Poor
The Animas is better for a good raft trip than fishing right now. The diminishing clarity and influx of colder water has slowed the fishing. If you gotta give itr a go, try bigger bugs like stonefly nymphs or streamer have been getting more attention than the little stuff.
Arkansas River 263 cfs at Granite; Slow to Fair: 304 cfs at Salida; Fair to Good
The fishing on the Ark is still really good around Salida with good hatches of blue winged olives. The caddis hatch is mid-way in Bighorn Sheeep Canyon probably around Texas Creek. The fish are eating beatis hard especially in the afternoons above the caddis hatch. Best guess is that it will hit Salida nearer to the end of the month. Around Salida, look for pods of fish rising to BWO's. The river upstream of Salida is clear so practice stealthy approaches.
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.
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.
Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions or closures.
posted by High Desert Angler at Thursday, April 19, 2012
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