Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Saturday August 24, 2013
Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.100thmeridian.org/emersion.asp
San Juan River 665 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Other than an increase in the release out of Navajo Dam, there is not much change here. Midges have been hatching late morning with some lingering baetis hatches from noon or so, then back to midges late afternoons. 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. Gray, olive, and cream larvae in size #22-24, and #22 black zebra or gray pupa have been the best producers. 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. From Baetis Bend downstream, PMD's are showing up late afternoons and fish are also taking #16-18 hares ears and #20-22 pheasant tails. 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 27 cfs near Pecos; Good
The upper Pecos River above Terrero is open from Willow Creek Day Use upstream. Please be aware of trail closures leading into areas burned by the Jaroso Fire. They include trails leading to Panchuela Creek, Jack's Creek, and Pecos Baldy Lake. Heavy rainfall over the past month has completely devastated the Pecos River below Terrrero. A lot of ash and sediment have made it into the river, and there has been widespread fish kills. Our fishing leases on the Pecos aren't in the best shape and we are having to fish elsewhere. Please consider keeping your bookings as we do have other places to fish. Dry dropper rigs are the top producers. For dries, use #10-12 grasshoppers, #14-16 caddis and little yellow sallies. For the nymphs, use #16-18 HDA Favorites, anato mays, cased caddis larva, #16 tungsten salvations, and microstones. Currently the fishing program is suspended at Pecos National Historical Park, south of Pecos. To check for dates and availability for the fall fishing season see the Park's website at http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm for more info.
Rio Costilla 13 cfs below Costilla Reservoir; Fair to Good
The low release here makes the fish a little more skittish. Get your flies close to the bank and strike fast if you see an eat on your fly. These cutthroat are extremely fast on the take, even more so in low water. The best fishing is when the release is up from about 25 cfs to around 50 cfs. It's one of the most beautiful streams in New Mexico and a place where you can catch a Rio Grande Cutthroat, one of New Mexico's native trout. High riding attractors and terrestrials with a beadhead dropper in the deeper runs is the way to go.
Rio Grande 88 cfs at Cerro; Good: 216 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Good for smallmouth bass
The river is murky but fishable especially in the Wild and Scenic Area. The river has dropped in flow and is fairly clear and fishable using nymphs and streamers. 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 21 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
Most of the streams of the Jemez are open to fishing except the East Fork of the Jemez. It will remain closed due to concerns over flooding from the areas burned by the Thompson Ridge Fire. The closure affects the East Fork from it's boundary with the Valles Caldera all the way down to Battleship Rock where it joins the San Antonio. As far as the other streams go, small attractor dries and terrestrials are getting the fish's attention. Try suspending a small beadhead nymph under your dry to counter the mid-day slump that is typicall this time of year. The fishing program on the Valles Caldera has resumed as of 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 18 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Fair to 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. Scuds are always a good choice in gray or olive as are red midge larva. PMD's and yellow sallies are the most abundant and small golden stone nymphs are all producing. Nearby Red River over Bobcat Pass is also fishing better with more water in the stream.
Chama River above the village of Chama; Good: 53 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow: 612 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 456 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The Chama in the Sargent Wildlife Area is offering the best fishing on the Chama. Look at flows before you go as it can get high and murky due to rainfall up there. Dry dropper rigs, or single caddis or a hopper up top is the way to go. The Chama flowing into El Vado Reservoir is up and may fish better with more, cooler water in this section. The water clarity below Abiquiu isn't great but it is fishable with about a foot of visibilty. The release is up from 200 cfs a week ago so use more caution wading the river. Bigger flashier nymphs or streamers would be the way to go. The release below El Vado will go up on Friday afternoons to accommodate river rafters and will drop back down to 300 cfs during the week. Same flies and tactics as below Abiquiu. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. Please report anyone over harvesting there to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.
In Southern Colorado:
Animas River 281 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 are waning, but caddis are always abundant this time of year.
Arkansas River 142 cfs at Granite; Good: 311 cfs at Salida; Good
The summer augmentation program (extra water being releases from Twin Lakes for summer rafting) is over and we are seeing somewhat a more natural flow regime on the Ark. The fishing is good on the upper river at Hayden Meadows, fishing mostly PMD's, caddis and terrestrials. expect periods of murky water from some stream work taking place above Hayden Meadows. The middle river from Buena Vista on down to Salida is also fishing well on the same flies , but there is some rafting traffic on this section. Less rafting below Salida. PMD's mid-day or caddis in the evening along with terrestrials are the fly choices here as well.
Conejos River 38 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 111 cfs at Mogote; Good
The Conejos has had alot of rainfall like alot of southern Colorado. The lower river has been murky, but you can find clearer water on the tribs or upriver towards Platoro. On the river as a whole, it's pretty much terrestrials and caddis. The current release out of Platoro makes fishing the meadows tougher to fish but makes the Pinnacles accessible. 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. Fishing with golden stone nymphs and caddis pupa are the best producers down low.
Rio Grande 91 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge above Creede; Fair to Good: 341 cfs below Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good
The Rio can get murky after a rain storm from Thirty Mile Bridge downstean though Creede. There are some local road and trail closures. Check with the Rio Grande National Forest for any closures. The tribs up above Creede are fishing very well with the influx of cooler water thanks to the rain.
San Juan River 132 at Pagosa Springs; Good: the Piedra River 116 cfs at Arboles; Good
The Pagosa area streams are fishing well especially with some cooler weather and rainfall.. Some of the tribs like the East Fork, Turkey Creek or the upper forks of the Piedra are also fishing weel and may offer clearer water if the main stems are murky. There are some local road and trail closures due to this summer's fires. Check with the San Juan National Forest for the closures. Like every other stream locally, hoppers, PMD's, and caddis 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.
San Juan River 665 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Other than an increase in the release out of Navajo Dam, there is not much change here. Midges have been hatching late morning with some lingering baetis hatches from noon or so, then back to midges late afternoons. 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. Gray, olive, and cream larvae in size #22-24, and #22 black zebra or gray pupa have been the best producers. 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. From Baetis Bend downstream, PMD's are showing up late afternoons and fish are also taking #16-18 hares ears and #20-22 pheasant tails. 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 27 cfs near Pecos; Good
The upper Pecos River above Terrero is open from Willow Creek Day Use upstream. Please be aware of trail closures leading into areas burned by the Jaroso Fire. They include trails leading to Panchuela Creek, Jack's Creek, and Pecos Baldy Lake. Heavy rainfall over the past month has completely devastated the Pecos River below Terrrero. A lot of ash and sediment have made it into the river, and there has been widespread fish kills. Our fishing leases on the Pecos aren't in the best shape and we are having to fish elsewhere. Please consider keeping your bookings as we do have other places to fish. Dry dropper rigs are the top producers. For dries, use #10-12 grasshoppers, #14-16 caddis and little yellow sallies. For the nymphs, use #16-18 HDA Favorites, anato mays, cased caddis larva, #16 tungsten salvations, and microstones. Currently the fishing program is suspended at Pecos National Historical Park, south of Pecos. To check for dates and availability for the fall fishing season see the Park's website at http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm for more info.
Rio Costilla 13 cfs below Costilla Reservoir; Fair to Good
The low release here makes the fish a little more skittish. Get your flies close to the bank and strike fast if you see an eat on your fly. These cutthroat are extremely fast on the take, even more so in low water. The best fishing is when the release is up from about 25 cfs to around 50 cfs. It's one of the most beautiful streams in New Mexico and a place where you can catch a Rio Grande Cutthroat, one of New Mexico's native trout. High riding attractors and terrestrials with a beadhead dropper in the deeper runs is the way to go.
Rio Grande 88 cfs at Cerro; Good: 216 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Good for smallmouth bass
The river is murky but fishable especially in the Wild and Scenic Area. The river has dropped in flow and is fairly clear and fishable using nymphs and streamers. 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 21 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good
Most of the streams of the Jemez are open to fishing except the East Fork of the Jemez. It will remain closed due to concerns over flooding from the areas burned by the Thompson Ridge Fire. The closure affects the East Fork from it's boundary with the Valles Caldera all the way down to Battleship Rock where it joins the San Antonio. As far as the other streams go, small attractor dries and terrestrials are getting the fish's attention. Try suspending a small beadhead nymph under your dry to counter the mid-day slump that is typicall this time of year. The fishing program on the Valles Caldera has resumed as of 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 18 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Fair to 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. Scuds are always a good choice in gray or olive as are red midge larva. PMD's and yellow sallies are the most abundant and small golden stone nymphs are all producing. Nearby Red River over Bobcat Pass is also fishing better with more water in the stream.
Chama River above the village of Chama; Good: 53 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow: 612 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 456 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The Chama in the Sargent Wildlife Area is offering the best fishing on the Chama. Look at flows before you go as it can get high and murky due to rainfall up there. Dry dropper rigs, or single caddis or a hopper up top is the way to go. The Chama flowing into El Vado Reservoir is up and may fish better with more, cooler water in this section. The water clarity below Abiquiu isn't great but it is fishable with about a foot of visibilty. The release is up from 200 cfs a week ago so use more caution wading the river. Bigger flashier nymphs or streamers would be the way to go. The release below El Vado will go up on Friday afternoons to accommodate river rafters and will drop back down to 300 cfs during the week. Same flies and tactics as below Abiquiu. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. Please report anyone over harvesting there to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.
In Southern Colorado:
Animas River 281 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 are waning, but caddis are always abundant this time of year.
Arkansas River 142 cfs at Granite; Good: 311 cfs at Salida; Good
The summer augmentation program (extra water being releases from Twin Lakes for summer rafting) is over and we are seeing somewhat a more natural flow regime on the Ark. The fishing is good on the upper river at Hayden Meadows, fishing mostly PMD's, caddis and terrestrials. expect periods of murky water from some stream work taking place above Hayden Meadows. The middle river from Buena Vista on down to Salida is also fishing well on the same flies , but there is some rafting traffic on this section. Less rafting below Salida. PMD's mid-day or caddis in the evening along with terrestrials are the fly choices here as well.
Conejos River 38 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 111 cfs at Mogote; Good
The Conejos has had alot of rainfall like alot of southern Colorado. The lower river has been murky, but you can find clearer water on the tribs or upriver towards Platoro. On the river as a whole, it's pretty much terrestrials and caddis. The current release out of Platoro makes fishing the meadows tougher to fish but makes the Pinnacles accessible. 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. Fishing with golden stone nymphs and caddis pupa are the best producers down low.
Rio Grande 91 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge above Creede; Fair to Good: 341 cfs below Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good
The Rio can get murky after a rain storm from Thirty Mile Bridge downstean though Creede. There are some local road and trail closures. Check with the Rio Grande National Forest for any closures. The tribs up above Creede are fishing very well with the influx of cooler water thanks to the rain.
San Juan River 132 at Pagosa Springs; Good: the Piedra River 116 cfs at Arboles; Good
The Pagosa area streams are fishing well especially with some cooler weather and rainfall.. Some of the tribs like the East Fork, Turkey Creek or the upper forks of the Piedra are also fishing weel and may offer clearer water if the main stems are murky. There are some local road and trail closures due to this summer's fires. Check with the San Juan National Forest for the closures. Like every other stream locally, hoppers, PMD's, and caddis 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 Saturday, August 24, 2013
