Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday April 12, 2013
Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais
San Juan River 535 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Pretty much the same as it has been over the last month or so. Midges have been hatching late morning with stronger baetis hatches from noon or so, then back to midges late afternons. For the morning, try drifting a pupa in the middle of the water column, This has been good pretty much from Texas Hole up to the cable. 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. Make sure to clean off any moss that accumulates on your rig. 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 14 cfs below Terrero; Fair, 60 cfs near Pecos
Decent fishing can be had on most of the Pecos. Best when the sun is on the water from 10:00 am until 4:30-5:00 There is warmer water and better fishing in the lower public accesses than there is above Terrerro first thing in the morning. This is the time to throw a bigger nymph. A dry dropper will work at these flows with a 3 foot plus long dropper, otherwise go with a nymph rig. Stonefly nymphs and baetis nymphs have been the best producers. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Spring Fishing season will resume in late June. To check for the dates or to make a reservation for their summer season, see the Park's website at: http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm for more info.
Rio Grande 207 cfs at Cerro; Fair to Good: 428 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Poor for smallmouth bass
Some caddis about although it's not the blanket hatch we've been awaiting! The Rio has a little murk with some of the lower elevation snows that are melting off. Fishing has picked up and should improve as we see more of these warmer days. With the change in clarity, think big and flashy. Nymphing with big stonefly nymphs or crane fly larvae with a trailing caddis larvae or baetis nymph will pick up trout sub surface. Pike fishing is slow. 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 38 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair
The mainstem Jemez and lower Guadalupe have been fishing fairly well lately. The headwater streams will picjk up later in the day than the lower sections. Fishing is a slow early in the morning before the sun has a chance to warm things up. The better runs are below Battleship Rock on down to the Guadalupe confluence. A dry fly dropper rig will present your flies better than fishing under a typical indicator. Use a bouyant dry fly small and suspend a #12-14 stonefly nymph or small caddis larva. The darker flies are the top producers.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow to Fair: 153 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 246 cfs below El Vado Dam; Fair to Good: and 552 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Fair
The Chama in the Sargent Wildlife Area is cold. Consider fishing lower down. There are better choices for fishing lower down. The Chama flowing into El Vado Reservoir is fast and murky, but fishable. The water is cold and has to be covered thoroughly to catch fish. Bigger stonefly nymphs with a trailing baetis nymph is the way to go. The water clarity below Abiquiu is getting better as the flows stabilize, but it's not great. Bigger flashier nymphs or streamers will pick up some fish. The release below El Vado is down and wadeable. The water there is murky. The top fly choices are bigger flies, especially with flash, like cranefly larvae, #10-12 hares ears, HDA Favorites, with a trailing midge or baetis nymph. Streamers are a good choice. 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:
Animas River 221 cfs at Durango; Fair to Good
The Animas is fishing fair on wamer days. The blue winged olive hatches are getting a little better as are the midge hatches. Nymphing with with big stonefly nymphs and a trailing baetis or throwing streamers has been the best tactics.
Arkansas River 74 cfs at Granite; Slow to Fair: 184 cfs at Salida; Good
The fishing here is fair on the middle river and better on the lower river. The mornings are a little slow, but things pick up in the afternoons. Hayden Meadows down to Buena Vista has been the slowest section of river due to cooler water temps and low water. Warmer water and better fishing can be had from Salida down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon. Blue-winged olives and midges are the name of the game. Trail them behind caddis nymphs, or golden stones.
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 and closures.
San Juan River 535 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Pretty much the same as it has been over the last month or so. Midges have been hatching late morning with stronger baetis hatches from noon or so, then back to midges late afternons. For the morning, try drifting a pupa in the middle of the water column, This has been good pretty much from Texas Hole up to the cable. 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. Make sure to clean off any moss that accumulates on your rig. 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 14 cfs below Terrero; Fair, 60 cfs near Pecos
Decent fishing can be had on most of the Pecos. Best when the sun is on the water from 10:00 am until 4:30-5:00 There is warmer water and better fishing in the lower public accesses than there is above Terrerro first thing in the morning. This is the time to throw a bigger nymph. A dry dropper will work at these flows with a 3 foot plus long dropper, otherwise go with a nymph rig. Stonefly nymphs and baetis nymphs have been the best producers. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Spring Fishing season will resume in late June. To check for the dates or to make a reservation for their summer season, see the Park's website at: http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm for more info.
Rio Grande 207 cfs at Cerro; Fair to Good: 428 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Poor for smallmouth bass
Some caddis about although it's not the blanket hatch we've been awaiting! The Rio has a little murk with some of the lower elevation snows that are melting off. Fishing has picked up and should improve as we see more of these warmer days. With the change in clarity, think big and flashy. Nymphing with big stonefly nymphs or crane fly larvae with a trailing caddis larvae or baetis nymph will pick up trout sub surface. Pike fishing is slow. 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 38 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair
The mainstem Jemez and lower Guadalupe have been fishing fairly well lately. The headwater streams will picjk up later in the day than the lower sections. Fishing is a slow early in the morning before the sun has a chance to warm things up. The better runs are below Battleship Rock on down to the Guadalupe confluence. A dry fly dropper rig will present your flies better than fishing under a typical indicator. Use a bouyant dry fly small and suspend a #12-14 stonefly nymph or small caddis larva. The darker flies are the top producers.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow to Fair: 153 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 246 cfs below El Vado Dam; Fair to Good: and 552 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Fair
The Chama in the Sargent Wildlife Area is cold. Consider fishing lower down. There are better choices for fishing lower down. The Chama flowing into El Vado Reservoir is fast and murky, but fishable. The water is cold and has to be covered thoroughly to catch fish. Bigger stonefly nymphs with a trailing baetis nymph is the way to go. The water clarity below Abiquiu is getting better as the flows stabilize, but it's not great. Bigger flashier nymphs or streamers will pick up some fish. The release below El Vado is down and wadeable. The water there is murky. The top fly choices are bigger flies, especially with flash, like cranefly larvae, #10-12 hares ears, HDA Favorites, with a trailing midge or baetis nymph. Streamers are a good choice. 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:
Animas River 221 cfs at Durango; Fair to Good
The Animas is fishing fair on wamer days. The blue winged olive hatches are getting a little better as are the midge hatches. Nymphing with with big stonefly nymphs and a trailing baetis or throwing streamers has been the best tactics.
Arkansas River 74 cfs at Granite; Slow to Fair: 184 cfs at Salida; Good
The fishing here is fair on the middle river and better on the lower river. The mornings are a little slow, but things pick up in the afternoons. Hayden Meadows down to Buena Vista has been the slowest section of river due to cooler water temps and low water. Warmer water and better fishing can be had from Salida down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon. Blue-winged olives and midges are the name of the game. Trail them behind caddis nymphs, or golden stones.
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 and closures.
posted by High Desert Angler at Thursday, April 11, 2013
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