Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday July 5, 2013
Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.100thmeridian.org/emersion.asp
The entire Santa Fe National Forest is closed to any entry. No hiking, fishing, camping, or picnicing is permitted until we get enough rainfall to relax these restrictions. The Rio Grande near Pilar and all of the Carson National Forest to the north of Santa Fe remain open. We still have access to our private leases along the Pecos. They are available for a fee and only with a guide. Please inquire with the shop for availability.
San Juan River 1030 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
On the upside of a drought, declining flows on the Animas means more release out of Navajo Dam into the San Juan. The first good rainfall on the San Juan gets a good carpenter ant fall on the river and the fish are looking for them. Midges have been hatching late morning with some lingering 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 especially below Texas Hole. Some 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 28 cfs near Pecos; CLOSED to all public access!
The recent rains hasn't adversely affected the Pecos River. There has been some ash and sediment that have made it into the river, but no reports of fish kills. Keep your fingers crossed. Please check our Facebook page or here for more information as it becomes available. We still are able to access our leases on the lower Pecos. They are ONLY available for a fee and with a guide. Please contact the fly shop if you'd like to get out on our private waters. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Summer Fishing has been suspended until further notice. To check for current fire closures or dates and availablity for the fall fishing season see the Park's website at http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm for more info.
Rio Grande 69 cfs at Cerro; Good: 215 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Good for smallmouth bass
Lots of water is being diverted for agriculture in Colorado and we are seeing very low flows for this time of year. The Rio is fairly clear with visibilty around three feet. Nymphing with big stonefly nymphs or crane fly larvae with a trailing caddis larvae or baetis nymph will pick up trout sub surface. Trout fishing is better earlier or later in the day. Dry flies like a caddis drifted along the banks in the last hour of daylight will also pick up fish. The smallmouth will still eat during the brightest part of the day. They take nymphs like trout, but are most reliably caught on streamers and crayfish patterns. 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 15 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
New Mexico Highway 4 is open to traffic, however all forest lands and Fenton Lake are all closed until further notice due to extreme fire danger. The fishing program on the Valles Caldera will resume on Thursday July 11th. Please see their website for details or to make a reservation at http://www.vallescaldera.gov/comevisit/fish/index.aspx
Cimarron River 12 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The release out of Eagle Nest Dam is way down. This makes the fishing tougher as the fish get spooky with very little water going over their backs. The water is fairly clear. There is a little more water below Clear Creek on down. PMD's are just starting to show up. Scuds are always a good choice in gray or olive. Yellow Sallies are the most abundant and small golden stone nymphs are all producing. Nearby Red River over Bobcat Pass is also fishing well.
Chama River above the village of Chama; Good: 22 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow: 605 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 445 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The Chama in the Sargent Wildlife Area is perfect right now. Dry dropper rigs, or single caddis or a hopper up top is the way to go. The Chama flowing into El Vado Reservoir is low and getting warm especially mid-day. Bigger stonefly nymphs with a trailing baetis nymph was the best producer. The water clarity below Abiquiu is poor but the flows are good. Bigger flashier nymphs or streamers would be the way to go. The release below El Vado is also down making the river more wadeable. Same flies and tactics as below Abiquiu. 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:
Fires and smoke are affecting fishing around Pagosa Springs and Creede. Please check for closures, smoke outlook and restrictions before you go!
Animas River 230 cfs at Durango; Fair to Good
The Animas is fishing fair especially from Durango upstream. Fishing the deeper runs and pools with big stonefly nymphs and streamers are getting some fish. PMD's and drakes have been coming off and caddis are always abundant this time of year.
Arkansas River 425 cfs at Granite; Good: 652 cfs at Salida; Good
Flows are coming down daily on the Ark offering easier wading and good clarity. The fishing is good on the upper river at Hayden Meadows, fishing mostly caddis and terrestrials. The middle river from Buena Vista on down to Salida is also fishing well. Bugs for that section are stoneflies. Blue-winged olives and dark bodied midges are also the name of the game. Trail them behind caddis nymphs, or golden stones. Some hatches of blue winged olives are still happening. Reports of stoneflies hatching below River Bend.
Conejos River 39 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 124 cfs at Mogote; Good
Green and brown drakes are starting to come off on the lower river below the fly water, while PMD's and stoneflies are off from the fly water to Horca. Nymph fishing has also been very good lately. The current release out of Platoro makes fishing the meadows tougher to fish but makes the Pinnacles accessible. Stonefly nymphs, baetis nymphs and PMD nymphs are what's for dinner below the meadows. Red worms and midges, and dark bodied midges and baetis nymphs are the better producers in the meadow section. Some short lived localized hatches of blue winged olives are bring some fish to the surface in the faster water.
Rio Grande 60 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge above Creede; Good: 215 cfs below Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good
Lots of smoke from the fires around Pagosa is filling up the upper Rio Grande valley in the evening throught the morning until the winds send it away. There are some local road and trail closures. Check with the Rio Grande National Forest for any closures. The Rio is a fishing well in the mornings until the sun heats things up. Stoneflies are out as well as caddis and green and brown drakes. The lower river is floatable and will probably be the best way to fish it. Highway 160 is closed from South Fork to Lake City. If you are able to get there, the upper river around Creede is fishing well on stonefly nymphs and baetis patterns. Changing release upstream of Creede are displacing fish and the habitat changes with the flows. Don't hesitate to move to find fish.
San Juan River 76 at Pagosa Springs; Slow: the Piedra River 49 cfs at Arboles; Slow
The Pagosa area streams are fishing well and accessible except near the fires, Lots of smoke in and around Pagosa until the afternoon winds blow them out. There are some local road and trail closures with the active fires. Check with the San Juan National Forest for the closures. Like every other stream locally, stoneflies, drakes, PMD's, and cadds are all over the place.
It's summer 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.
The entire Santa Fe National Forest is closed to any entry. No hiking, fishing, camping, or picnicing is permitted until we get enough rainfall to relax these restrictions. The Rio Grande near Pilar and all of the Carson National Forest to the north of Santa Fe remain open. We still have access to our private leases along the Pecos. They are available for a fee and only with a guide. Please inquire with the shop for availability.
San Juan River 1030 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
On the upside of a drought, declining flows on the Animas means more release out of Navajo Dam into the San Juan. The first good rainfall on the San Juan gets a good carpenter ant fall on the river and the fish are looking for them. Midges have been hatching late morning with some lingering 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 especially below Texas Hole. Some 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 28 cfs near Pecos; CLOSED to all public access!
The recent rains hasn't adversely affected the Pecos River. There has been some ash and sediment that have made it into the river, but no reports of fish kills. Keep your fingers crossed. Please check our Facebook page or here for more information as it becomes available. We still are able to access our leases on the lower Pecos. They are ONLY available for a fee and with a guide. Please contact the fly shop if you'd like to get out on our private waters. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Summer Fishing has been suspended until further notice. To check for current fire closures or dates and availablity for the fall fishing season see the Park's website at http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm for more info.
Rio Grande 69 cfs at Cerro; Good: 215 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Good for smallmouth bass
Lots of water is being diverted for agriculture in Colorado and we are seeing very low flows for this time of year. The Rio is fairly clear with visibilty around three feet. Nymphing with big stonefly nymphs or crane fly larvae with a trailing caddis larvae or baetis nymph will pick up trout sub surface. Trout fishing is better earlier or later in the day. Dry flies like a caddis drifted along the banks in the last hour of daylight will also pick up fish. The smallmouth will still eat during the brightest part of the day. They take nymphs like trout, but are most reliably caught on streamers and crayfish patterns. 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 15 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
New Mexico Highway 4 is open to traffic, however all forest lands and Fenton Lake are all closed until further notice due to extreme fire danger. The fishing program on the Valles Caldera will resume on Thursday July 11th. Please see their website for details or to make a reservation at http://www.vallescaldera.gov/comevisit/fish/index.aspx
Cimarron River 12 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The release out of Eagle Nest Dam is way down. This makes the fishing tougher as the fish get spooky with very little water going over their backs. The water is fairly clear. There is a little more water below Clear Creek on down. PMD's are just starting to show up. Scuds are always a good choice in gray or olive. Yellow Sallies are the most abundant and small golden stone nymphs are all producing. Nearby Red River over Bobcat Pass is also fishing well.
Chama River above the village of Chama; Good: 22 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow: 605 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 445 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The Chama in the Sargent Wildlife Area is perfect right now. Dry dropper rigs, or single caddis or a hopper up top is the way to go. The Chama flowing into El Vado Reservoir is low and getting warm especially mid-day. Bigger stonefly nymphs with a trailing baetis nymph was the best producer. The water clarity below Abiquiu is poor but the flows are good. Bigger flashier nymphs or streamers would be the way to go. The release below El Vado is also down making the river more wadeable. Same flies and tactics as below Abiquiu. 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:
Fires and smoke are affecting fishing around Pagosa Springs and Creede. Please check for closures, smoke outlook and restrictions before you go!
Animas River 230 cfs at Durango; Fair to Good
The Animas is fishing fair especially from Durango upstream. Fishing the deeper runs and pools with big stonefly nymphs and streamers are getting some fish. PMD's and drakes have been coming off and caddis are always abundant this time of year.
Arkansas River 425 cfs at Granite; Good: 652 cfs at Salida; Good
Flows are coming down daily on the Ark offering easier wading and good clarity. The fishing is good on the upper river at Hayden Meadows, fishing mostly caddis and terrestrials. The middle river from Buena Vista on down to Salida is also fishing well. Bugs for that section are stoneflies. Blue-winged olives and dark bodied midges are also the name of the game. Trail them behind caddis nymphs, or golden stones. Some hatches of blue winged olives are still happening. Reports of stoneflies hatching below River Bend.
Conejos River 39 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 124 cfs at Mogote; Good
Green and brown drakes are starting to come off on the lower river below the fly water, while PMD's and stoneflies are off from the fly water to Horca. Nymph fishing has also been very good lately. The current release out of Platoro makes fishing the meadows tougher to fish but makes the Pinnacles accessible. Stonefly nymphs, baetis nymphs and PMD nymphs are what's for dinner below the meadows. Red worms and midges, and dark bodied midges and baetis nymphs are the better producers in the meadow section. Some short lived localized hatches of blue winged olives are bring some fish to the surface in the faster water.
Rio Grande 60 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge above Creede; Good: 215 cfs below Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good
Lots of smoke from the fires around Pagosa is filling up the upper Rio Grande valley in the evening throught the morning until the winds send it away. There are some local road and trail closures. Check with the Rio Grande National Forest for any closures. The Rio is a fishing well in the mornings until the sun heats things up. Stoneflies are out as well as caddis and green and brown drakes. The lower river is floatable and will probably be the best way to fish it. Highway 160 is closed from South Fork to Lake City. If you are able to get there, the upper river around Creede is fishing well on stonefly nymphs and baetis patterns. Changing release upstream of Creede are displacing fish and the habitat changes with the flows. Don't hesitate to move to find fish.
San Juan River 76 at Pagosa Springs; Slow: the Piedra River 49 cfs at Arboles; Slow
The Pagosa area streams are fishing well and accessible except near the fires, Lots of smoke in and around Pagosa until the afternoon winds blow them out. There are some local road and trail closures with the active fires. Check with the San Juan National Forest for the closures. Like every other stream locally, stoneflies, drakes, PMD's, and cadds are all over the place.
It's summer 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 Friday, July 05, 2013
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