Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Saturday October 19, 2013
Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.100thmeridian.org/emersion.asp
San Juan River 258 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Fishing is great. Midges are hatching up and down the whole quality water section. Fish above Texas Hole up to the dam in the morning for midging fish. Pay attention to the behavior of the fish. They are working mid-column and are not on the bottom. The best colors are a black larvae or pupa, or gray or olive larvae and pupa.The BWO hatch is still coming off below Texas Hole around 12:30. The hatch is anywhere from lower Texas hole down to the end of bait water. Foam wings and Johnny flash are working while the baetis are active. Watch out for moss on your flies. The fish will not take them if your rig isn't clean. With lower flows the bites will be lighter and you will have to fish shallow rigs to avoid hanging up on the bottom of the river. Whenever there is a change in water flows, the fish will start eating! San Juan worms, leaches, red or orange larvae or egg patterns become more useful. 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 near Pecos; Fair to Good
All of the public accesses to the Pecos are now open along NM Highway 63! Game and Fish has not re-stocked the lower sections below Jamie Koch day use area, but some fish may have moved downstream over the course of the last few weeks. Better fish density and I suspect better fishing is still above Terrero. The river looks great after the ton of rain we had in September flushed a lot of the ash and sediment from the streambed. We have seen some bug life as far down as Windy Bridge and are seeing some fish down here as well. The outlook for the Pecos for next year is looking more promising everyday. Keep your fingers crossed that we don't get a lot of flooding with next summer's rains. Dry dropper rigs are the top producers. For dries, use #10-12 grasshoppers, or other large attractor dries. 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 .53 cfs below Costilla Reservoir; Poor
The release has been lowered to an awfully low flow and will reamain at this level for the rest of the year, Basically the window for decent fishing, especially above Commanche Creek has closed until next year. 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 225 cfs at Cerro; Fair to Good: 428 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The river is murky but fishable especially in Pilar where the river is broader and less deep then the box. The river has slowly decreased in flow and is fairly clear and fishable using nymphs and streamers. Trout fishing is better 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 mid-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 24 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
The forest service has lifted their closures on the East Fork of the Jemez. As far as the streams go, small attractor dries and terrestrials are getting the fish's attention. Try suspending a small beadhead nymph under your dry. The fish are more likely to take the nymph early in the day than a dry which is typical 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 22 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Slow to Fair
The release out of Eagle Nest Dam is up for the moment. Fish it now while the release is up. The fish are a little less spooky. Some small baetis hatches are bringing some fish to the surface, otherwise it's going to be mostly nymphing. The water is fairly clear and low, so dry dropper rigs make a great way to present your nymphs. Scuds are always a good choice in gray or olive as are red midge larva and baetis nymphs. For dry flies use small midge patterns, parachute adams, and blue winged olives. Nearby Red River over Bobcat Pass is also fishing fair.
Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 97 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair to Good: 120 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 253 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow to Fair
The Chama in the Sargent Wildlife Area is fishing fairly well, although the cold mornings are making for a slow start. Dry dropper rigs, or single hopper or attractor dry up top is the way to go. The Chama flowing into El Vado Reservoir is up and fishing better with more water in this section. Avoid any redds or spawning beds while wading! The water clarity below Abiquiu isn't great but it is fishable with about a foot of visibility. The release is steady and we should see some clearing of the water soon. Bigger flashier nymphs or streamers would be the way to go. The release below El Vado is down. I like a little more water here, but at least it's 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. Please report anyone over harvesting there to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.
In Southern Colorado:
Animas River 462 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. Dry fly fishing is waning, but nymphing and throwing srtreamers is a good tactic this time of year.
Arkansas River 187 cfs at Granite; Fair to Good: 387 cfs at Salida; Fair to 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 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 with some blue winged olive hatches occuring in the afternoons. There is less traffic below Salida. Look for fish in the deeper runs mid-channel in the mornings and cover the shallow riffles from mid-day on. .
Conejos River 32 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair to Good: 120 cfs at Mogote; Fair to Good
The Conejos has had a lot of rainfall like a lot of southern Colorado. The lower river has great flows. Some of the tribs are also fishing fairly well. On the river as a whole, it's pretty much big attractor dries with a suspended beadhead dropper. 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 baetis nymphs are the best producers down low.
Rio Grande 81 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge above Creede; Fair to Good: 485 cfs below Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good
The Rio can get murky after a rain storm from Thirty Mile Bridge downstean though Creede. The river looks pretty good despite the runoff from this summer's fires. Stoneflies or craneflies with a trailing baetis nymph unbder an indicator has been a good tactic. The tribs up around Creede are also fishing well with the influx of more water thanks to the rain.
San Juan River 196 at Pagosa Springs; Fair to Good: the Piedra River 296 cfs at Arboles; Fair to Good
The Pagosa area streams are fishing well. Most streams are seeing more water at this time of year than normal with all of the rainfall that fell here over the past two months. Some of the tribs like the East Fork, Turkey Creek or the upper forks of the Piedra are also fishing well and may offer easier wading. 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 and attractor dries with a beadhead dropper are the top producers.
It's autumn in New Mexico and water and fishing conditions 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 258 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Fishing is great. Midges are hatching up and down the whole quality water section. Fish above Texas Hole up to the dam in the morning for midging fish. Pay attention to the behavior of the fish. They are working mid-column and are not on the bottom. The best colors are a black larvae or pupa, or gray or olive larvae and pupa.The BWO hatch is still coming off below Texas Hole around 12:30. The hatch is anywhere from lower Texas hole down to the end of bait water. Foam wings and Johnny flash are working while the baetis are active. Watch out for moss on your flies. The fish will not take them if your rig isn't clean. With lower flows the bites will be lighter and you will have to fish shallow rigs to avoid hanging up on the bottom of the river. Whenever there is a change in water flows, the fish will start eating! San Juan worms, leaches, red or orange larvae or egg patterns become more useful. 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 near Pecos; Fair to Good
All of the public accesses to the Pecos are now open along NM Highway 63! Game and Fish has not re-stocked the lower sections below Jamie Koch day use area, but some fish may have moved downstream over the course of the last few weeks. Better fish density and I suspect better fishing is still above Terrero. The river looks great after the ton of rain we had in September flushed a lot of the ash and sediment from the streambed. We have seen some bug life as far down as Windy Bridge and are seeing some fish down here as well. The outlook for the Pecos for next year is looking more promising everyday. Keep your fingers crossed that we don't get a lot of flooding with next summer's rains. Dry dropper rigs are the top producers. For dries, use #10-12 grasshoppers, or other large attractor dries. 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 .53 cfs below Costilla Reservoir; Poor
The release has been lowered to an awfully low flow and will reamain at this level for the rest of the year, Basically the window for decent fishing, especially above Commanche Creek has closed until next year. 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 225 cfs at Cerro; Fair to Good: 428 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The river is murky but fishable especially in Pilar where the river is broader and less deep then the box. The river has slowly decreased in flow and is fairly clear and fishable using nymphs and streamers. Trout fishing is better 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 mid-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 24 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
The forest service has lifted their closures on the East Fork of the Jemez. As far as the streams go, small attractor dries and terrestrials are getting the fish's attention. Try suspending a small beadhead nymph under your dry. The fish are more likely to take the nymph early in the day than a dry which is typical 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 22 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Slow to Fair
The release out of Eagle Nest Dam is up for the moment. Fish it now while the release is up. The fish are a little less spooky. Some small baetis hatches are bringing some fish to the surface, otherwise it's going to be mostly nymphing. The water is fairly clear and low, so dry dropper rigs make a great way to present your nymphs. Scuds are always a good choice in gray or olive as are red midge larva and baetis nymphs. For dry flies use small midge patterns, parachute adams, and blue winged olives. Nearby Red River over Bobcat Pass is also fishing fair.
Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 97 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair to Good: 120 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 253 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow to Fair
The Chama in the Sargent Wildlife Area is fishing fairly well, although the cold mornings are making for a slow start. Dry dropper rigs, or single hopper or attractor dry up top is the way to go. The Chama flowing into El Vado Reservoir is up and fishing better with more water in this section. Avoid any redds or spawning beds while wading! The water clarity below Abiquiu isn't great but it is fishable with about a foot of visibility. The release is steady and we should see some clearing of the water soon. Bigger flashier nymphs or streamers would be the way to go. The release below El Vado is down. I like a little more water here, but at least it's 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. Please report anyone over harvesting there to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.
In Southern Colorado:
Animas River 462 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. Dry fly fishing is waning, but nymphing and throwing srtreamers is a good tactic this time of year.
Arkansas River 187 cfs at Granite; Fair to Good: 387 cfs at Salida; Fair to 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 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 with some blue winged olive hatches occuring in the afternoons. There is less traffic below Salida. Look for fish in the deeper runs mid-channel in the mornings and cover the shallow riffles from mid-day on. .
Conejos River 32 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair to Good: 120 cfs at Mogote; Fair to Good
The Conejos has had a lot of rainfall like a lot of southern Colorado. The lower river has great flows. Some of the tribs are also fishing fairly well. On the river as a whole, it's pretty much big attractor dries with a suspended beadhead dropper. 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 baetis nymphs are the best producers down low.
Rio Grande 81 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge above Creede; Fair to Good: 485 cfs below Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good
The Rio can get murky after a rain storm from Thirty Mile Bridge downstean though Creede. The river looks pretty good despite the runoff from this summer's fires. Stoneflies or craneflies with a trailing baetis nymph unbder an indicator has been a good tactic. The tribs up around Creede are also fishing well with the influx of more water thanks to the rain.
San Juan River 196 at Pagosa Springs; Fair to Good: the Piedra River 296 cfs at Arboles; Fair to Good
The Pagosa area streams are fishing well. Most streams are seeing more water at this time of year than normal with all of the rainfall that fell here over the past two months. Some of the tribs like the East Fork, Turkey Creek or the upper forks of the Piedra are also fishing well and may offer easier wading. 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 and attractor dries with a beadhead dropper are the top producers.
It's autumn in New Mexico and water and fishing conditions 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, October 19, 2013
