Ed's Fly Fishing Report for April 11, 2015
Spring is a season of much change. I try to be a lot quicker to update this page, however flows and dam releases can change overnight. Be sure to check out stream flows at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nm/nwis/current/?type=flow. Contact the fly shop directly for the most accurate information.
Become a Clean Angler! Learn how at http://cleananglingpledge.org/
San Juan River 366 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The lake turned over earlier this year and the clarity still isn't great but the fishing is pretty good. Egg patterns, worms, and streamers make great attractors, but the fish are actually eating. Use a bigger midge or baetis pattern that has a little flash and you'll do better .Midges are still hatching from 10:00 am till noon and baetis are still hatching in the afternoon below Texas Hole. Black, gray, brown, 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 fishing downstream of Simon Canyon is slowly improving as the sand has moved downstream. 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 Pecos; 149 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good: at Villanueva State Park; Slow
We've seen an reduction in flows since most of the lower than 10,000-feet-in-elevation-snowpack is gone.The water is a little higher than we would normally see for this time of year, however it is clear enough to fish and the fish are eating well. Expect higher more murky water below Terrero and clear water and easier wading upstream. AS far as flies go, the bigger darker stonefliy nymphs are the top producers.I like twenty inchers and biot stoneflies. Look for a little depth as the fish have not made it out of their winter lies just yet. Villanueva State Park really only fishes after it's stocked. Ti will not be stocked again until next December.
Rio Grande 176 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 458 cfs at Pilar; Slow for trout, Slow for pike, Poor for smallmouth bass
The Rio went up like everything else locally whne it got warm enough to melt our lower elevation snow[ack. It was triple the flows last week before irrigators staring pulling off volumes of water. Despite the lower flows, the Rio is still murky. Barring any more increase in flows, it should get clearer and fish better. No reports of caddis yet. They'll still hatch, it's just a mater of how wadeable and clear it will be when the event happens. IT is very wade friendly right now. Streamers, caddis pupa and larvae, and cranefly larvae should get you into fish.
Jemez Mountain Streams 129 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
All of the streams in the Jemez are a bit high, some higher and more murky than others. The lower sections of the Guadalupe, Jemez, and East Fork are for sure. The San Antonio and Cebolla are fishing better. Stonefly nymphs and bigger attractors like tungsten salvations are great for high water. Tactics are similar to the Pecos; look for deeper pockets and use bigger bugs to counter the current. .
Chama River 646 cfs at La Puente; Poor: 98 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 236 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Fair to Good
The river flowing into El Vado Reservoir is very high and murky. Runoff has hit the upper Chama and may remain until late May The San Juans always get a lot of snow even in low snow pack years. The release below El Vado dam has been increased. This and warmer weather and water temps have increased the amount of fishable area, but the reports are fair at best. I think the fish are still in their winter lies and haven't dispersed as much. Streamers, stonefly nymphs and cranefly larvae are still the top fly choices. The release below Abiquiu has increased also. It's still wadeable at this level just not as easy as it has been all winter. Bigger flies are doing better than midges and baetis. San Juan worms, big stonefly nymphs and cranefly larvae are what's for dinner. Poaching has been rampant below Abiquiu dam. Game and Fish officers have been making visits, however it can be bad and even flagrant some days. Please report it to New Mexico Game and Fish or to the Army Corps of Engineers ranger who also patrols the river. There is only a three fish limit on the Chama below Abiquiu dam. 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:
The Conejos River 53 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair: 191 cfs at Mogote Fair to Good.
The Conejos has been much like the Pecos. It went up and got murky with the warmer weather but has been getting clearer and the flows trending downward. Big stones and San Juan worms, g-strings and the like are the rule here. Look for them in the deeper part of the runs.
Arkansas River 179 cfs at Granite; Fair: 304 cfs at Salida; Fair to Good
The upper river above Granite including Hayden Meadows is cold and not fishing as well as the lower river from Buena Vista on down past Salida. Blue winged olives are still the name of the game throughout the river system. Caddis may pop any day now with the warmer water temps on the downstream end closer to Canon City Fish ar still in winter lies for the most part. Look for them in the deeper runs and pools.
Animas River 597 cfs at Durango; Slow to Poor
The Animas is high and murky and cold. Fishing hasn't picked up on the Animas. The Pagosa area streams are also high and cold. It may be awhile until fishable clarity and wadeable flows return. Much like the upper Chama, there is more snow than we have farther south and it' could be late May before it's worht going. Fishing with streamers and big nymphs like stoneflies with some flash may get the trout's attention in the softer water. The best fishing is going to be while the sun is on the water.
It's still winter 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.
Become a Clean Angler! Learn how at http://cleananglingpledge.org/
San Juan River 366 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The lake turned over earlier this year and the clarity still isn't great but the fishing is pretty good. Egg patterns, worms, and streamers make great attractors, but the fish are actually eating. Use a bigger midge or baetis pattern that has a little flash and you'll do better .Midges are still hatching from 10:00 am till noon and baetis are still hatching in the afternoon below Texas Hole. Black, gray, brown, 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 fishing downstream of Simon Canyon is slowly improving as the sand has moved downstream. 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 Pecos; 149 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good: at Villanueva State Park; Slow
We've seen an reduction in flows since most of the lower than 10,000-feet-in-elevation-snowpack is gone.The water is a little higher than we would normally see for this time of year, however it is clear enough to fish and the fish are eating well. Expect higher more murky water below Terrero and clear water and easier wading upstream. AS far as flies go, the bigger darker stonefliy nymphs are the top producers.I like twenty inchers and biot stoneflies. Look for a little depth as the fish have not made it out of their winter lies just yet. Villanueva State Park really only fishes after it's stocked. Ti will not be stocked again until next December.
Rio Grande 176 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 458 cfs at Pilar; Slow for trout, Slow for pike, Poor for smallmouth bass
The Rio went up like everything else locally whne it got warm enough to melt our lower elevation snow[ack. It was triple the flows last week before irrigators staring pulling off volumes of water. Despite the lower flows, the Rio is still murky. Barring any more increase in flows, it should get clearer and fish better. No reports of caddis yet. They'll still hatch, it's just a mater of how wadeable and clear it will be when the event happens. IT is very wade friendly right now. Streamers, caddis pupa and larvae, and cranefly larvae should get you into fish.
Jemez Mountain Streams 129 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
All of the streams in the Jemez are a bit high, some higher and more murky than others. The lower sections of the Guadalupe, Jemez, and East Fork are for sure. The San Antonio and Cebolla are fishing better. Stonefly nymphs and bigger attractors like tungsten salvations are great for high water. Tactics are similar to the Pecos; look for deeper pockets and use bigger bugs to counter the current. .
Chama River 646 cfs at La Puente; Poor: 98 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 236 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Fair to Good
The river flowing into El Vado Reservoir is very high and murky. Runoff has hit the upper Chama and may remain until late May The San Juans always get a lot of snow even in low snow pack years. The release below El Vado dam has been increased. This and warmer weather and water temps have increased the amount of fishable area, but the reports are fair at best. I think the fish are still in their winter lies and haven't dispersed as much. Streamers, stonefly nymphs and cranefly larvae are still the top fly choices. The release below Abiquiu has increased also. It's still wadeable at this level just not as easy as it has been all winter. Bigger flies are doing better than midges and baetis. San Juan worms, big stonefly nymphs and cranefly larvae are what's for dinner. Poaching has been rampant below Abiquiu dam. Game and Fish officers have been making visits, however it can be bad and even flagrant some days. Please report it to New Mexico Game and Fish or to the Army Corps of Engineers ranger who also patrols the river. There is only a three fish limit on the Chama below Abiquiu dam. 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:
The Conejos River 53 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair: 191 cfs at Mogote Fair to Good.
The Conejos has been much like the Pecos. It went up and got murky with the warmer weather but has been getting clearer and the flows trending downward. Big stones and San Juan worms, g-strings and the like are the rule here. Look for them in the deeper part of the runs.
Arkansas River 179 cfs at Granite; Fair: 304 cfs at Salida; Fair to Good
The upper river above Granite including Hayden Meadows is cold and not fishing as well as the lower river from Buena Vista on down past Salida. Blue winged olives are still the name of the game throughout the river system. Caddis may pop any day now with the warmer water temps on the downstream end closer to Canon City Fish ar still in winter lies for the most part. Look for them in the deeper runs and pools.
Animas River 597 cfs at Durango; Slow to Poor
The Animas is high and murky and cold. Fishing hasn't picked up on the Animas. The Pagosa area streams are also high and cold. It may be awhile until fishable clarity and wadeable flows return. Much like the upper Chama, there is more snow than we have farther south and it' could be late May before it's worht going. Fishing with streamers and big nymphs like stoneflies with some flash may get the trout's attention in the softer water. The best fishing is going to be while the sun is on the water.
It's still winter 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, April 11, 2015
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