Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Saturday September 29, 2012
Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais
San Juan River 800 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The release out of Navajo Dam will be reduced to 650 cfs on Tuesday October 9th. Fish the Jaun now if you like a little extra water up there. Midging in the morning especially up from Texas Hole has been very good. Try size #22-24 gray, olive, cream, brown, and black midge larvae and pupa in the mornings. There has been a consistent midge hatch from 11:00 till 2:00. Baetis start becoming more active from noon on. Good dry fly action, especially on cloudy days from 1:00 to 5:00 in the afternoons. Size #20-22 gray, olive, or chocolate baetis emergers and dries in the afternoons will pick up fish. The hatches are better below Texas Hole. Midges will again, become more relevant in late afternoons into the evening. Don't forget your mosquito repellent! September is one of the worst months for contracting West Nile! No reports of anyone getting it on the San Juan, but better to be safe than sorry. 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 26 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good
There is a Pecos River Canyon trash pick-up this Sunday. See our announcements page for the details. The river is low and clear. Use a long leader (nine foot 6x is fine), fine tippets and a longer cast to avoid spooking fish in these conditions. With the cooler weather, the better fishing starts late morning on into the late afternoons. A dry fly dropper rig fishes best in the cooler mornings before the water warms up. Try a tungsten zebra midge or a caddis larvae below your dry fly in the mornings. Blue winged olives will come off in the afternoons anywhere from 1:00 till 5:00. Small caddis dries are also working, especially when there aren't any blue winged olives hatching. Keep your fly choices small. Size #16-18 caddis and stimis, #18-20 BWO's, olive anato-mays, Barr's emergers, micro-mays, hotwire caddis, cased caddis larva, and ants have been the top producers. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fall season Fishing started on September 6th. The Fall Season will run through Monday November 5th. To make a reservation, see the Park's website at: http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm for more info.
Rio Costilla 0.0 cfs below Costilla Dam; Poor
The release has been reduced to zero, pretty much signaling an end to this season's fishing on the Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal. Just a sign of the times with our ongoing drought. Put this on your list of places to fish next year. The opening day on the Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal is July 1st.
Rio Grande 77 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 224 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
Trout fishing has improved some with cooler water temperatures. The better fishing seems to be in the afternoons. Nymphing with big stonefly nymphs or crane fly larvae with a trailing caddis larvae or baetis nymph are picking up trout sub surface. Smallmouth bass are biting pretty good and you can target them specifically. The smallies are taking woolly buggers and crayfish patterns dredged in the slower eddies. Pike fishing is slow, but will just get better as we move into fall. Large streamers that move 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 12 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
The streams of the Jemez Mountains are very low and clear. Stealth has to be practiced for you to catch fish. Long leaders, fine tippets, and smaller flies are in order. Fishing is a little slow early in the morning before the sun has a cjance to warm things up. A dry fly dropper rig will improve your until the sun gets higher. Small blue-winged olive dries and nymphs, small caddis dries and nymphs, well as hoppers, ants, and beetles are working for trout. The fishing program at the Valles Caldera National Preserve is continuing through the fall. See our announcements page or their website for more information. See their website at: http://www.vallescaldera.gov/comevisit/fish/index.aspx for the details.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Good: 26 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 300 cfs below El Vado Dam; Fair: and 257 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Fair
The Chama flowing into El Vado Reservoir is low and clear. The fishing there is starting to pick up with the cooler water temps. The Chama coming over the border from Colorado is also low and clear, and fishing well. The fishing access is from the Sargent Wildlife Area. Smaller attractors like stimis, royal wulffs, and hoppers are working the best. The release below both dams has been lowered over the past few days making wading alot easier and safer. The water below Abiquiu is murky but fishing is picking up. The water will get clearer as we move into winter. slow. The release below El Vado is at a great level. Craneflies, big golden stones, and streamers are the fly choices. 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 10 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair to Good: 41 cfs at Mogote; Fair to Good
The release out of Platoro Reservoir has been reduced down to what it usually is throughout the winter. The meadows surely won't fish well at this level, but the pocket water below the meadows, the pinaacles, and places where there is a faster gradient and riffles are still holding fish. Blue-winged olives are the name of the game here as well.
Pagosa Area: Piedra River 50 cfs at Arboles; Good: San Juan River 47 cfs at agosa Springs; Good
The Piedra is holding it's own as far as water levels are concerned. Early morning fishing is a little slow but gets better as the day warms. The San Juan River has similar conditions. Both rivers have clear water. Look for blue-winged olives and caddis especially in the evenings. Just over Wolf Creek Pass, the South Fork and it's tribs are also fishing well on the same flies.
Rio Grande 36 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge; Good: 157 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Blue-winged olives and caddis are what's for dinner. These fish really key in on dries more than nymphs when there are bugs on the water. Small #16-18 caddis, hoppers, and BWO's are bringing fish up. Work the riffle water for the BWO's especially during cloud cover. The river below South Fork is low and clear but fishing well. Look for pre-spawn browns.
Animas River 152 at Durango; Fair to Good
The Animas is has come up and cooled off with some recent rainfall. Caddis and blue winged olives are all about. Dry fly dropper rigs or streamers seem to be the better producers.
Arkansas River 94 cfs at Granite; Good: 239 cfs at Salida; Good
The fishing here is remains quite good. One of the benefits of the drought if you can look at it that way. Normally, the Arkansas would have much higher water and consequently tougher fishing. Hayden Meadows down to Buena Vista is fishing very well. Blue-winged olives and caddis nymphs and dries are making up the fare. Down around Salida bigger golden stones, nymphs and dries with blue-winged olives in the mix are still the top producers. Cooler water temps in Bighorn Sheep Canyon is making the fishing better. Look for fish on the edges early in the day and in the riffles mid-day.
It's early 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.
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 800 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The release out of Navajo Dam will be reduced to 650 cfs on Tuesday October 9th. Fish the Jaun now if you like a little extra water up there. Midging in the morning especially up from Texas Hole has been very good. Try size #22-24 gray, olive, cream, brown, and black midge larvae and pupa in the mornings. There has been a consistent midge hatch from 11:00 till 2:00. Baetis start becoming more active from noon on. Good dry fly action, especially on cloudy days from 1:00 to 5:00 in the afternoons. Size #20-22 gray, olive, or chocolate baetis emergers and dries in the afternoons will pick up fish. The hatches are better below Texas Hole. Midges will again, become more relevant in late afternoons into the evening. Don't forget your mosquito repellent! September is one of the worst months for contracting West Nile! No reports of anyone getting it on the San Juan, but better to be safe than sorry. 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 26 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good
There is a Pecos River Canyon trash pick-up this Sunday. See our announcements page for the details. The river is low and clear. Use a long leader (nine foot 6x is fine), fine tippets and a longer cast to avoid spooking fish in these conditions. With the cooler weather, the better fishing starts late morning on into the late afternoons. A dry fly dropper rig fishes best in the cooler mornings before the water warms up. Try a tungsten zebra midge or a caddis larvae below your dry fly in the mornings. Blue winged olives will come off in the afternoons anywhere from 1:00 till 5:00. Small caddis dries are also working, especially when there aren't any blue winged olives hatching. Keep your fly choices small. Size #16-18 caddis and stimis, #18-20 BWO's, olive anato-mays, Barr's emergers, micro-mays, hotwire caddis, cased caddis larva, and ants have been the top producers. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fall season Fishing started on September 6th. The Fall Season will run through Monday November 5th. To make a reservation, see the Park's website at: http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm for more info.
Rio Costilla 0.0 cfs below Costilla Dam; Poor
The release has been reduced to zero, pretty much signaling an end to this season's fishing on the Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal. Just a sign of the times with our ongoing drought. Put this on your list of places to fish next year. The opening day on the Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal is July 1st.
Rio Grande 77 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 224 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
Trout fishing has improved some with cooler water temperatures. The better fishing seems to be in the afternoons. Nymphing with big stonefly nymphs or crane fly larvae with a trailing caddis larvae or baetis nymph are picking up trout sub surface. Smallmouth bass are biting pretty good and you can target them specifically. The smallies are taking woolly buggers and crayfish patterns dredged in the slower eddies. Pike fishing is slow, but will just get better as we move into fall. Large streamers that move 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 12 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
The streams of the Jemez Mountains are very low and clear. Stealth has to be practiced for you to catch fish. Long leaders, fine tippets, and smaller flies are in order. Fishing is a little slow early in the morning before the sun has a cjance to warm things up. A dry fly dropper rig will improve your until the sun gets higher. Small blue-winged olive dries and nymphs, small caddis dries and nymphs, well as hoppers, ants, and beetles are working for trout. The fishing program at the Valles Caldera National Preserve is continuing through the fall. See our announcements page or their website for more information. See their website at: http://www.vallescaldera.gov/comevisit/fish/index.aspx for the details.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Good: 26 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 300 cfs below El Vado Dam; Fair: and 257 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Fair
The Chama flowing into El Vado Reservoir is low and clear. The fishing there is starting to pick up with the cooler water temps. The Chama coming over the border from Colorado is also low and clear, and fishing well. The fishing access is from the Sargent Wildlife Area. Smaller attractors like stimis, royal wulffs, and hoppers are working the best. The release below both dams has been lowered over the past few days making wading alot easier and safer. The water below Abiquiu is murky but fishing is picking up. The water will get clearer as we move into winter. slow. The release below El Vado is at a great level. Craneflies, big golden stones, and streamers are the fly choices. 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 10 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair to Good: 41 cfs at Mogote; Fair to Good
The release out of Platoro Reservoir has been reduced down to what it usually is throughout the winter. The meadows surely won't fish well at this level, but the pocket water below the meadows, the pinaacles, and places where there is a faster gradient and riffles are still holding fish. Blue-winged olives are the name of the game here as well.
Pagosa Area: Piedra River 50 cfs at Arboles; Good: San Juan River 47 cfs at agosa Springs; Good
The Piedra is holding it's own as far as water levels are concerned. Early morning fishing is a little slow but gets better as the day warms. The San Juan River has similar conditions. Both rivers have clear water. Look for blue-winged olives and caddis especially in the evenings. Just over Wolf Creek Pass, the South Fork and it's tribs are also fishing well on the same flies.
Rio Grande 36 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge; Good: 157 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Blue-winged olives and caddis are what's for dinner. These fish really key in on dries more than nymphs when there are bugs on the water. Small #16-18 caddis, hoppers, and BWO's are bringing fish up. Work the riffle water for the BWO's especially during cloud cover. The river below South Fork is low and clear but fishing well. Look for pre-spawn browns.
Animas River 152 at Durango; Fair to Good
The Animas is has come up and cooled off with some recent rainfall. Caddis and blue winged olives are all about. Dry fly dropper rigs or streamers seem to be the better producers.
Arkansas River 94 cfs at Granite; Good: 239 cfs at Salida; Good
The fishing here is remains quite good. One of the benefits of the drought if you can look at it that way. Normally, the Arkansas would have much higher water and consequently tougher fishing. Hayden Meadows down to Buena Vista is fishing very well. Blue-winged olives and caddis nymphs and dries are making up the fare. Down around Salida bigger golden stones, nymphs and dries with blue-winged olives in the mix are still the top producers. Cooler water temps in Bighorn Sheep Canyon is making the fishing better. Look for fish on the edges early in the day and in the riffles mid-day.
It's early 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.
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 Saturday, September 29, 2012
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