Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Saturday June 21, 2014
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San Juan River 293 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. Good fishing continues on the Juan even with the low release. These low flows might explain the consistency of the fishing. Midges are hatching from 10:00 am till noon. The baetis are still hatching in the afternoon below Texas Hole. Black and olive midge larvae and pupa are the top producers near the dam especially in the mornings.Black and olive midge larvae and pupa are the top producers near the dam especially in the mornings.. 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 86 cfs near Pecos; Fair to Good
The Pecos river is dropping in flows every day. Stoneflies are off on the public accesses all the way to Terrero. 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 417 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 711 cfs at Pilar; Slow to fair trout, Slow for pike, Fair 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 6.5 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. Mid-day is the slowest time for fishing. Mornings and afternoons have been best. 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 and 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 80 cfs above El Vado Reservoir; Good: 605 cfs below El Vado Dam; Fair to Good: and 649 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The river flowing into El Vado is about perfect. Get it now because the fishing really diminishes here over the summer. Stoneflies are off. Use your big ugly dry as an indicator and suspend a stonefly nymph from it. The release below El Vado goes up on Friday afternoons and gets reduced on Sunday afternoons. Plan your trip here on the weekdays to avoid the higher water and tougher wading. I like flows of around 150 to 400 cfs below El Vado. From Coopers. Streamers, stonefly nymphs and cranefly larvae have been the top flies. The river below Abiquiu is murky even though the release out of the dam has been reduced. 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 14 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Slow to Fair: 10 cfs at Cimarron; Slow to Fair
The release out of Eagle Nest Dam is back up slightly to a whopping 7 cubic feet per second. Better than earlier in the wee when the release was nearly ZERO!! Check those flows before you go. Avoid the Cimarron when the release out of Eagle Nest dam is below 10 cfs. The fish get really stressed and the available fishing ares are greatly reduced. Consider fishing lower down on the Cimarron to take advantage of increase water from tributary flow and better fishing. Scuds, red midge larvae, baetis nymphs, and golden stonefly nymphs have been reported to be working on the river.
In Southern Colorado:
Conejos River 277 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 523 cfs at Mogote; Good
Stoneflies are out on the lower river up to Mogote Campground. The hatch will move upriver and we should see them in the fly water by week's end. The meadow section is at a great level and should fish better with a reduction in dam release. The Pinnacles are still out of play at these flows. Look for a release out of Platoro below 150 to fish the Pinnacles. Big stimulators and chubby chernobyls for the dries and tungsten twenty inchers, pats rubber legs, and wardens worries for your nymph selection.
Rio Grande 1150 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge; Fair to Good: 1610 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good
Stoneflies are making their annual appearance on the Rio. They are currently from Del Norte to South Fork. It's still early and the fish are just starting to look up. The release out of Rio Grande Reservoir is high and perfect for floatiing the Rio but it makes for difficult wading. Look for a reduction in flows if you are wading and concentrate on the soft water against the banks. Drakes should be off here in a week or two.
Pagosa Area: 202 cfs on the Piedra at Arboles; Good: 365 cfs on the San Juan at Pogosa Springs; Fair
The upper forks of the Piedra and Williams Creek are all fishing very well. Stoneflies are out on on the whole drainage and flows have finally come down to a wadeable level. The flows are still high for easy wading on the San Juan, but float fishing has been good. No reports of stoneflies here yet but the hatch is imminent.
Animas River 1850 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas is in it's waning days of spring runoff, but it is still big water. Look at fishing the tribs around Durango rather than the Animas. Fishing with streamers and big nymphs like stoneflies with some flash will still get the trout's attention in the softer waer just take caution while wading. .
Arkansas River 1530 cfs at Granite; Slow to Fair: 2030 cfs at Salida; Slow to Fair
The fishing is tough with spring runoff affecting the Ark. The best fishing will be above 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 summer 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.
San Juan River 293 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. Good fishing continues on the Juan even with the low release. These low flows might explain the consistency of the fishing. Midges are hatching from 10:00 am till noon. The baetis are still hatching in the afternoon below Texas Hole. Black and olive midge larvae and pupa are the top producers near the dam especially in the mornings.Black and olive midge larvae and pupa are the top producers near the dam especially in the mornings.. 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 86 cfs near Pecos; Fair to Good
The Pecos river is dropping in flows every day. Stoneflies are off on the public accesses all the way to Terrero. 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 417 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 711 cfs at Pilar; Slow to fair trout, Slow for pike, Fair 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 6.5 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. Mid-day is the slowest time for fishing. Mornings and afternoons have been best. 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 and 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 80 cfs above El Vado Reservoir; Good: 605 cfs below El Vado Dam; Fair to Good: and 649 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The river flowing into El Vado is about perfect. Get it now because the fishing really diminishes here over the summer. Stoneflies are off. Use your big ugly dry as an indicator and suspend a stonefly nymph from it. The release below El Vado goes up on Friday afternoons and gets reduced on Sunday afternoons. Plan your trip here on the weekdays to avoid the higher water and tougher wading. I like flows of around 150 to 400 cfs below El Vado. From Coopers. Streamers, stonefly nymphs and cranefly larvae have been the top flies. The river below Abiquiu is murky even though the release out of the dam has been reduced. 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 14 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Slow to Fair: 10 cfs at Cimarron; Slow to Fair
The release out of Eagle Nest Dam is back up slightly to a whopping 7 cubic feet per second. Better than earlier in the wee when the release was nearly ZERO!! Check those flows before you go. Avoid the Cimarron when the release out of Eagle Nest dam is below 10 cfs. The fish get really stressed and the available fishing ares are greatly reduced. Consider fishing lower down on the Cimarron to take advantage of increase water from tributary flow and better fishing. Scuds, red midge larvae, baetis nymphs, and golden stonefly nymphs have been reported to be working on the river.
In Southern Colorado:
Conejos River 277 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 523 cfs at Mogote; Good
Stoneflies are out on the lower river up to Mogote Campground. The hatch will move upriver and we should see them in the fly water by week's end. The meadow section is at a great level and should fish better with a reduction in dam release. The Pinnacles are still out of play at these flows. Look for a release out of Platoro below 150 to fish the Pinnacles. Big stimulators and chubby chernobyls for the dries and tungsten twenty inchers, pats rubber legs, and wardens worries for your nymph selection.
Rio Grande 1150 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge; Fair to Good: 1610 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good
Stoneflies are making their annual appearance on the Rio. They are currently from Del Norte to South Fork. It's still early and the fish are just starting to look up. The release out of Rio Grande Reservoir is high and perfect for floatiing the Rio but it makes for difficult wading. Look for a reduction in flows if you are wading and concentrate on the soft water against the banks. Drakes should be off here in a week or two.
Pagosa Area: 202 cfs on the Piedra at Arboles; Good: 365 cfs on the San Juan at Pogosa Springs; Fair
The upper forks of the Piedra and Williams Creek are all fishing very well. Stoneflies are out on on the whole drainage and flows have finally come down to a wadeable level. The flows are still high for easy wading on the San Juan, but float fishing has been good. No reports of stoneflies here yet but the hatch is imminent.
Animas River 1850 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair
The Animas is in it's waning days of spring runoff, but it is still big water. Look at fishing the tribs around Durango rather than the Animas. Fishing with streamers and big nymphs like stoneflies with some flash will still get the trout's attention in the softer waer just take caution while wading. .
Arkansas River 1530 cfs at Granite; Slow to Fair: 2030 cfs at Salida; Slow to Fair
The fishing is tough with spring runoff affecting the Ark. The best fishing will be above 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 summer 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 Saturday, June 21, 2014
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