Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday May 30, 2014
Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.100thmeridian.org/emersion.asp
The warm weather coupled with the rain that we had over the past week has made many rivers and streams high and murky. This weekend's weather may accelerate the melt off of what little snow remains in the high country. Conditions are changing daily! Expect to see higher flows for a little while longer. You can check on current flows before you go by clicking on New Mexico Stream Flows from our links page. The good news is that the stoneflies are off on the lower Jemez and Guadalupe, and on the lower Pecos.
San Juan River 310 cfs below Navajo Dam; Very Good
Higher flows on the Animas River means lower releases out of Navajo Dam. Expect to see these lower flows for a while until runoff recedes on the Animas. Despite the reduction in the release, I am still getting very good reports on the Juan. As a result, the fish are turning their attention to midges and baetis and are more reluctant to eat eggs and worms. A little flash in your flies is still a good thing. Dry fly fishing is coming back with good morning midge hatches and some afternoon baetis hatches below Texas Hole, especially on the overcast days. Black and olive midge larvae and pupa are the top producers near the dam especially in the mornings. Move down river after lunch to get the baetis hatch. Chocolate and olive have been the best baetis colors. Johnny flash and foam wing emergers are among the favorites. 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 205 cfs near Pecos; Fair to Good
The fishing is good but the wading is getting a little tougher with the increase in flow. There is less water the higher upriver you go. Stoneflies are off on the lower river. Many of the fish on the lower Pecos are stocked rainbows that haven't been introduced to stoneflies yet. Be patient and try animating your dry fly imitation during it's drift much like hopper fishing. Baetis are still active and a lot of the fish above Terrero are looking for that smaller bug. All of the Santa Fe National Forest Service and Game and Fish public accesses are open below Terrero. Game and Fish has planted fish from Terrero downstream and many of the areas devoid of fish are now stocked. The river looks great after the ton of rain we had in September flushed a lot of the ash and sediment from the streambed. Please respect the landowners out there and stay out of any private property along the river. The National Park Service has suspended the 2014 fishing program on Pecos National Historical Park and the three miles of river inside the park boundaries will be closed to public access. The NPS will evaluate fish populations and allow it to recover from last season's extreme fire and flooding impacts. See the Park's website at http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm for more info. This is ONLY on Pecos NHP downstream from the village of Pecos and not on Forest Service Lands UPSTREAM of the village of Pecos.
Rio Grande 430 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 887 cfs at Pilar; Slow to fair trout, Slow for pike, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio is high and murky with warmer weather and higher dam releases in Colorado. Clearer water can be found in the gorge in the Wild and Scenic stretch. Most of the fish are eating underwater. Fishing with big crane flies or stoneflies and streamers.and larvae should be among the fly choices. Pike fishing is slow. Gauge your success by how many you see, if you got a follow or not and of course an eat. Some days you get'em and some days a follow is as good as it gets. 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; Fair to Good
The Jemez mountain streams are showing virtually no signs of snowmelt and have largely been un-affected by the recent rains we've had. There are stoneflies coming off on the lower Jemez and Guadalupe.Fish the edgewater and obvious pockets and skitter or skate your dry fly stone imitation. If the fish aren't keying in on stoneflies, try baetis nymphs. Micromays, small HDA Favorites, and Anato-mays were reported to be working. Attractor style dries like humpies nad stimulators are bringing fish to the surface on the upper reaches of the San Antonio, East Fork, and Cebolla. Try a dry dropper rig on those streams if your dry fly isn't getting the love. The Fishing Program on the Valles Caldera National Preserve has resumed on Friday May 16th. Fishing has been very good depending on the reach you've been assigned. Please see their website for details or to make a reservation for the 2014 season at http://www.vallescaldera.gov/comevisit/fish/index.aspx
Chama River 662 cfs above El Vado Reservoir; Slow: 598 cfs below El Vado Dam; Fair to Good: and 302 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The river below Abiquiu is murky even though the release out of the dam has been reduced. The release below El Vado has been somewhat steady for awhile. I like flows of around 150 to 400 cfs below El Vado. The extra water however, aids your drift and increases the opportunities downstream from Coopers. Streamers, stonefly nymphs and cranefly larvae have been the top flies. The river flowing into El Vado is still in high. It'll be a couple of weeks or more before that stretch becomes wadeable. 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.
Cimarron River 7 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Fair to Good: 23 cfs at Cimarron; Fair to Good
The release out of Eagle Nest Dam has been reduced earlier this week. The last remaining snow is melting and adding to the flow towards the eastern end of the state park. Consider fishing lower down on the Cimarron to take advantage of better water and better fishing. Get it while you can before the water managers reduce the flow again. Look for a release in the high teens before fishing to the Cimarron below Eagle Nest dam. Scuds, red midge larvae, baetis nymphs, and golden stonefly nymphs have been reported to be working on the river. This place will provide somewhere to fish now that runoff seems to be affecting most of the other local waters.
In Southern Colorado:
Animas River 4350 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas is in spring runoff. WAy into spring runoff with the higher temps we've seen late this week. The water is high and murky. Fishing with streamers and big nymphs like stoneflies with some flash will still get the trout's attention just take caution while wading. .
Arkansas River 2420 cfs at Granite; Slow to Fair: 3370 cfs at Salida; Slow to Fair
The fishing is tough with spring runoff affecting the Ark. The best fishing will be above the Lake Creek flowing out of Twin Lakes towards Hayden Meadows. You can fish downstream of Salida into Big Horn Sheep Canyon although the flows there make fishing out of a boat your best option. Fish in the deeper runs mid-channel in the and cover the shallow riffles from mid-day on if you see active surface feeding. .
It's spring in New Mexico and water and fishing conditions and water flows 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 home 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 warm weather coupled with the rain that we had over the past week has made many rivers and streams high and murky. This weekend's weather may accelerate the melt off of what little snow remains in the high country. Conditions are changing daily! Expect to see higher flows for a little while longer. You can check on current flows before you go by clicking on New Mexico Stream Flows from our links page. The good news is that the stoneflies are off on the lower Jemez and Guadalupe, and on the lower Pecos.
San Juan River 310 cfs below Navajo Dam; Very Good
Higher flows on the Animas River means lower releases out of Navajo Dam. Expect to see these lower flows for a while until runoff recedes on the Animas. Despite the reduction in the release, I am still getting very good reports on the Juan. As a result, the fish are turning their attention to midges and baetis and are more reluctant to eat eggs and worms. A little flash in your flies is still a good thing. Dry fly fishing is coming back with good morning midge hatches and some afternoon baetis hatches below Texas Hole, especially on the overcast days. Black and olive midge larvae and pupa are the top producers near the dam especially in the mornings. Move down river after lunch to get the baetis hatch. Chocolate and olive have been the best baetis colors. Johnny flash and foam wing emergers are among the favorites. 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 205 cfs near Pecos; Fair to Good
The fishing is good but the wading is getting a little tougher with the increase in flow. There is less water the higher upriver you go. Stoneflies are off on the lower river. Many of the fish on the lower Pecos are stocked rainbows that haven't been introduced to stoneflies yet. Be patient and try animating your dry fly imitation during it's drift much like hopper fishing. Baetis are still active and a lot of the fish above Terrero are looking for that smaller bug. All of the Santa Fe National Forest Service and Game and Fish public accesses are open below Terrero. Game and Fish has planted fish from Terrero downstream and many of the areas devoid of fish are now stocked. The river looks great after the ton of rain we had in September flushed a lot of the ash and sediment from the streambed. Please respect the landowners out there and stay out of any private property along the river. The National Park Service has suspended the 2014 fishing program on Pecos National Historical Park and the three miles of river inside the park boundaries will be closed to public access. The NPS will evaluate fish populations and allow it to recover from last season's extreme fire and flooding impacts. See the Park's website at http://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/fishing.htm for more info. This is ONLY on Pecos NHP downstream from the village of Pecos and not on Forest Service Lands UPSTREAM of the village of Pecos.
Rio Grande 430 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 887 cfs at Pilar; Slow to fair trout, Slow for pike, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio is high and murky with warmer weather and higher dam releases in Colorado. Clearer water can be found in the gorge in the Wild and Scenic stretch. Most of the fish are eating underwater. Fishing with big crane flies or stoneflies and streamers.and larvae should be among the fly choices. Pike fishing is slow. Gauge your success by how many you see, if you got a follow or not and of course an eat. Some days you get'em and some days a follow is as good as it gets. 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; Fair to Good
The Jemez mountain streams are showing virtually no signs of snowmelt and have largely been un-affected by the recent rains we've had. There are stoneflies coming off on the lower Jemez and Guadalupe.Fish the edgewater and obvious pockets and skitter or skate your dry fly stone imitation. If the fish aren't keying in on stoneflies, try baetis nymphs. Micromays, small HDA Favorites, and Anato-mays were reported to be working. Attractor style dries like humpies nad stimulators are bringing fish to the surface on the upper reaches of the San Antonio, East Fork, and Cebolla. Try a dry dropper rig on those streams if your dry fly isn't getting the love. The Fishing Program on the Valles Caldera National Preserve has resumed on Friday May 16th. Fishing has been very good depending on the reach you've been assigned. Please see their website for details or to make a reservation for the 2014 season at http://www.vallescaldera.gov/comevisit/fish/index.aspx
Chama River 662 cfs above El Vado Reservoir; Slow: 598 cfs below El Vado Dam; Fair to Good: and 302 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The river below Abiquiu is murky even though the release out of the dam has been reduced. The release below El Vado has been somewhat steady for awhile. I like flows of around 150 to 400 cfs below El Vado. The extra water however, aids your drift and increases the opportunities downstream from Coopers. Streamers, stonefly nymphs and cranefly larvae have been the top flies. The river flowing into El Vado is still in high. It'll be a couple of weeks or more before that stretch becomes wadeable. 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.
Cimarron River 7 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Fair to Good: 23 cfs at Cimarron; Fair to Good
The release out of Eagle Nest Dam has been reduced earlier this week. The last remaining snow is melting and adding to the flow towards the eastern end of the state park. Consider fishing lower down on the Cimarron to take advantage of better water and better fishing. Get it while you can before the water managers reduce the flow again. Look for a release in the high teens before fishing to the Cimarron below Eagle Nest dam. Scuds, red midge larvae, baetis nymphs, and golden stonefly nymphs have been reported to be working on the river. This place will provide somewhere to fish now that runoff seems to be affecting most of the other local waters.
In Southern Colorado:
Animas River 4350 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas is in spring runoff. WAy into spring runoff with the higher temps we've seen late this week. The water is high and murky. Fishing with streamers and big nymphs like stoneflies with some flash will still get the trout's attention just take caution while wading. .
Arkansas River 2420 cfs at Granite; Slow to Fair: 3370 cfs at Salida; Slow to Fair
The fishing is tough with spring runoff affecting the Ark. The best fishing will be above the Lake Creek flowing out of Twin Lakes towards Hayden Meadows. You can fish downstream of Salida into Big Horn Sheep Canyon although the flows there make fishing out of a boat your best option. Fish in the deeper runs mid-channel in the and cover the shallow riffles from mid-day on if you see active surface feeding. .
It's spring in New Mexico and water and fishing conditions and water flows 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 home 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, May 30, 2014
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