Fly Fishing Report for Northern New Mexico

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Thursday December 29, 2011

2011-12-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

Yes, it's that time of year when a cutbows fancy turns to spawning. While it's not a secret that big fish can be caught during their spawn, it' is rather unethical to fish for them while they are on their redds. For some anglers, they really wouldn't be able to match wits with a big trout at any other time than the spawn. Shame on them. Please, do not wade through redds, or fish over spawning fish! And absolutely, express your displeasure to anglers who do. Treat them well, avoid their redds, and don't cast over the spawners. The future of better fishing depends on you!

San Juan River 475 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The habitat improvements and silt remediation project on the San Juan was completed last week. The work in “The Braids,” has been very productive as fish have moved into this new habitat where they previously weren't. Good midge fishing and midge hatches during the mornings and good blue winged olive hatches in the afternoons. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black, olive, or gray midge pupa. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. 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 ICE cfs below Terrero; Slow: at Villanueva State Park; Fair to Good
The upper river is under ice especially any of the shaded stretches because of the bitter cold weather we've had lately. Fish the afternoon hours, especially while the sun is on the water. The water is very clear and low so go to long leaders, fine tippets and a smaller nymph. Try flashback pheasant tails, oops fly, or a tungsten micro mays. Villanueva State Park was stocked for the first time this season on November 10th. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the fall ended Monday November 7th.

Rio Grande ICE cfs at Cerro; Slow: 428 cfs at Pilar; Fair for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Poor for smallmouth bass
Trout still seem to prefer the faster aeriated water. Nymph the pocket water or chunk some streamers for the fiestier browns. First reports on pike! One angler had a few follows from some larger (30 inch) fish but ended up catching two hammer handles; the smaller males in the 20 inch range. Pike fishing will pick up any day now. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves 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 27 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Poor or Fair, depending on the watershed.
The lower Guadalupe can be accessed below Gilman tunnels and is fishing fair in the warmer part of the day. The lower Jemez river was stocked on November 11th and may be worth fishing for rainbows. The Valles Caldera National Preserve has closed the fishing program until next spring.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: ICE cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow: 101 cfs below El Vado Dam; Fair: and 157 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Fair
The Chama below Abiquiu dam has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir is slow. The release out of El Vado is murky although, fishable. Big nymphs dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam is fishing good. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Animas River 176 at Durango; Slow to Fair Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some baetis, but if your not finding the bugs or rising fish, nymph the pockets or throw streamers.

Arkansas River 235 cfs at Granite; Slow: 373 cfs at Salida; Slow
The best fishing on the Ark is below Pueblo reservoir. Fishing from Salida downstream into Bighorn Sheep Canyon has been pretty slow with slush and ice especially in the mornings. The fish move from their deeper winter lies in the afternoons to feed on midges and baetis mid-day. Nymphing with golden stonefly nymphs, caddis larvae, baeties, and midges have been the most productive.

It's winter 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 or closures.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Thursday December 8, 2011

2011-12-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

Yes, it's that time of year when a brown trout's (and cutbows) fancy turns to spawning. I have had numerous reports of people catching and sometimes keeping browns, especially big browns from the Chama River. While it's not a secret that big browns inhabit the Chama, it is rather unethical to fish for them while they are on their redds. For some anglers, they really wouldn't be able to match wits with a big brown there at any other time than the spawn. Shame on them. Please, do not wade through redds, or fish over spawning fish! And absolutely, express your displeasure to anglers who do. Fish are also pairing up on the Rio Grande and the same goes for those fish as well. Treat them well, avoid their redds, and don't cast over the spawners. The future of better fishing depends on you!

San Juan River 475 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The habitat improvements and silt remediation project on the San Juan was completed last week. The work in “The Braids,” has been very productive as fish have moved into this new habitat where they previously weren't. Good midge fishing and midge hatches during the mornings and good blue winged olive hatches in the afternoons. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black, olive, or gray midge pupa. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. 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 ICE cfs below Terrero; Slow: at Villanueva State Park; Fair to Good
The upper river is under ice especially any of the shaded stretches because of the bitter cold weather we've had lately. Fish the afternoon hours, especially while the sun is on the water. The water is very clear and low so go to long leaders, fine tippets and a smaller nymph. Try flashback pheasant tails, oops fly, or a tungsten micro mays. Villanueva State Park was stocked for the first time this season on November 10th. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the fall ended Monday November 7th.

Rio Grande ICE cfs at Cerro; Slow: 464 cfs at Pilar; Fair for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
Trout still seem to prefer the faster aeriated water. Nymph the pocket water or chunk some streamers for the fiestier browns. First reports on pike! One angler had a few follows from some larger (30 inch) fish but ended up catching two hammer handles; the smaller males in the 20 inch range. Pike fishing will pick up any day now. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves 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 26 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Poor or Fair, depending on the watershed.
The lower Guadalupe can be accessed below Gilman tunnels and is fishing fair in the warmer part of the day. The lower Jemez river was stocked on November 11th and may be worth fishing fro rainbows. The Valles Caldera National Preserve has closed the fishing program until next spring.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: ICE cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow: 104 cfs below El Vado Dam; Good: and 503 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Good
The Chama below Abiquiu dam has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir is slow. The release out of El Vado is murky although, fishable. Big nymphs dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam is fishing good. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Animas River 181 at Durango; Slow to Fair Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some baetis, but if your not finding the bugs or rising fish, nymph the pockets or throw streamers.

Arkansas River 194 cfs at Granite; Slow: 352 cfs at Salida; Slow
The best fishing on the Ark is below Pueblo reservoir. Fishing from Salida downstream into Bighorn Sheep Canyon has been pretty slow with slush and ice especially in the mornings. The fish move from their deeper winter lies in the afternoons to feed on midges and baetis mid-day. Nymphing with golden stonefly nymphs, caddis larvae, baeties, and midges have been the most productive.

It's winter 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 or closures.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Thursday December 8, 2011

2011-12-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

Yes, it's that time of year when a brown trout's (and cutbows) fancy turns to spawning. I have had numerous reports of people catching and sometimes keeping browns, especially big browns from the Chama River. While it's not a secret that big browns inhabit the Chama, it is rather unethical to fish for them while they are on their redds. For some anglers, they really wouldn't be able to match wits with a big brown there at any other time than the spawn. Shame on them. Please, do not wade through redds, or fish over spawning fish! And absolutely, express your displeasure to anglers who do. Fish are also pairing up on the Rio Grande and the same goes for those fish as well. Treat them well, avoid their redds, and don't cast over the spawners. The future of better fishing depends on you!

San Juan River 493 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The habitat improvements and silt remediation project on the San Juan was completed last week. The work in “The Braids,” has been very productive as fish have moved into this new habitat where they previously weren't. Good midge fishing and midge hatches during the mornings and good blue winged olive hatches in the afternoons. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black or gray midge pupa. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. 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 ICE cfs below Terrero; Slow: at Villanueva State Park; Fair to Good
The upper river is under ice especially any of the shaded stretches because of the bitter cold weather we've had lately. Fish the afternoon hours, especially while the sun is on the water. The water is very clear and low so go to long leaders, fine tippets and a smaller nymph. Try flashback pheasant tails, oops fly, or a tungsten micro mays. Villanueva State Park was stocked for the first time this season on November 10th. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the fall ended Monday November 7th.

Rio Grande ICE cfs at Cerro; Slow: 405 cfs at Pilar; Fair for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
Trout still seem to prefer the faster aeriated water. Nymph the pocket water or chunk some streamers for the fiestier browns. First reports on pike! One angler had a few follows from some larger (30 inch) fish but ended up catching two hammer handles; the smaller males in the 20 inch range. Pike fishing will pick up any day now. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves 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 20 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Poor or Fair, depending on the watershed.
The lower Guadalupe can be accessed below Gilman tunnels and is fishing fair in the warmer part of the day. The lower Jemez river was stocked on November 11th and may be worht fishing fro rainbows. The Valles Caldera National Preserve has closed the fishing program until next spring.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: ICE cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow: 388 cfs below El Vado Dam; Good: and 316 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Good
The Chama below El Vado dam has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir is slowing down. The release out of El Vado is murky although, fishable. Big nymphs dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam is fishing ok despite the water clarity which is actually getting better. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 8.3 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Slow: 106 cfs at Magote; Fair
The release out of Platoro Reservoir has been reduced to it's winter flow. The lower river may be fishable, but expect the water to be cold and the fish to be sluggish.

Animas River 194 at Durango; Slow to Fair Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some baetis, but if your not finding the bugs or rising fish, nymph the pockets or throw streamers.

Arkansas River 194 cfs at Granite; Slow: 352 cfs at Salida; Slow
The best fishing on the Ark is below Pueblo reservoir. Fishing from Salida downstream into Bighorn Sheep Canyon has been pretty slow with slush and ice especially in the mornings. The fish move from their deeper winter lies in the afternoons to feed on midges and baetis mid-day. Nymphing with golden stonefly nymphs, caddis larvae, baeties, and midges have been the most productive.

It's winter 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 or closures.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Wednesday November 23, 2011

2011-11-23T17:18:00.000-07:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

Yes, it's that time of year when a brown trout's (and cutbows) fancy turns to spawning. I have had numerous reports of people catching and sometimes keeping browns, especially big browns from the Chama River. While it's not a secret that big browns inhabit the Chama, it is rather unethical to fish for them while they are on their redds. For some anglers, they really wouldn't be able to match wits with a big brown there at any other time than the spawn. Shame on them. Please, do not wade through redds, or fish over spawning fish! And absolutely, express your displeasure to anglers who do. Fish are also pairing up on the Rio Grande and the same goes for those fish as well. Treat them well, avoid their redds, and don't cast over the spawners. The future of better fishing depends on you!

San Juan River 323 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The release has been reduced so Game and Fish and NM State Parks can proceed with some sediment remediation and habitat improvements to the upper river. The affected area is from above Texas Hole to the upper braids. This area will be closed to fishing while the work commences. The good news is that the work will probably be completed next week. See the San Juan River forum page at http://www.fishthesanjuan.com/phpBB2/ for more information. Good midge fishing and midge hatches during the mornings and good blue winged olive hatches in the afternoons. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black or gray midge pupa. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. 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 23 cfs below Terrero; Slow: at Villanueva State Park; Fair to Good
The upper river is slowing down quite a bit. Water temps have been in the high thirties in the morning and the fish are tight lipped. Fish the afternoon hours, especially while the sun is on the water. The water is very clear and low so go to long leaders, fine tippets and a smaller fly. Some midges have been coming off, and really blue winged olives are waning on the Pecos. Nymphing with a dry dropper rig can end your slump if they aren't coming up on your dry fly. Try flashback pheasant tails, oops fly, or a tungsten micro mays. Villanueva State Park was stocked for the first time this season on the 10th. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the fall ended Monday November 7th.

Rio Grande 475 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 633 cfs at Pilar; Fair for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
Trout still seem to prefer the faster aeriated water. Nymph the pocket water or chunk some streamers for the fiestier pre-spawn browns. Cover the deeper slower runs for the bass with streamers or crayfish patterns. First report on pike! One angler had a few follows from some larger (30 inch) fish but ended up catching two hammer handles; the smaller males in the 20 inch range. Pike fishing will pick up any day now. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves 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 23 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Poor or Fair, depending on the watershed.
The only water worth fishing is the Cebolla or the de las Vacas/Guadalupe watershed. Ash runoff from the Las Conchas fire has killed quite a lot of fish on the East Fork and Rio San Antonio, and the streambed is covered in it. The Valles Caldera National Preserve has closed the fishing program until next spring.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 63 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 382 cfs below El Vado Dam; Good: and 311 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Good
The Chama below El Vado dam has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir is slowing down. The release out of El Vado is murky although, fishable. Big nymphs dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam is fishing ok despite the water clarity which is actually getting better. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 18 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Slow: 83 cfs at Magote; Fair
The release out of Platoro Reservoir has been reduced and may go down even further. Last winter it was only 8 cfs! Take advantage and hit the Conejos one (at least) more time before the release is reduced to the winter flow!

Animas River 245 at Durango; Fair
Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some baetis, but if your not finding the bugs or rising fish, nymph the pockets or throw streamers.

Arkansas River 194 cfs at Granite; Slow to Fair: 338 cfs at Salida; Good
Good fishing from Salida downstream into Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The fish move from thier deeper winter lies in the afternoons to feed on midges and baetis mid-day. Nymphing with golden stonefly nymphs, caddis larvae, baeties, and midges have been the most productive.

It's autumn 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 or closures.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Tuesday November 15, 2011

2011-11-15T12:58:00.001-07:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

Yes, it's that time of year when a brown trout's fancy turns to spawning. I have had numerous reports of people catching and sometimes keeping browns, especially big browns from the Chama River. While it's not a secret that big browns inhabit the Chama, it is rather unethical to fish for them while they are on their redds. For some anglers, they really wouldn't be able to match wits with a big brown there at any other time than the spawn. Shame on them. Please, do not wade through redds, or fish over spawning fish! And absolutely, express your displeasure to anglers who do. Fish are also pairing up on the Rio Grande and the same goes for those fish as well. Treat them well, avoid their redds, and don't cast over the spawners. The future of better fishing depends on you!

San Juan River 331 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The release has been reduced so Game and Fish and NM State Parks can proceed with some sediment remediation and habitat improvements to the upper river. The affected area is from above Texas Hole to the upper braids. This area will be closed to fishing while the work commences. See the San Juan River forum page at http://www.fishthesanjuan.com/phpBB2/ for more information. Good midge fishing a nd midge hatches during the mornings and good blue winged olive hatches in the afternoons. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black or gray midge pupa. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. 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 below Terrero; Fair:
The river is continues to fish well. The water is very clear and low so go to long leaders, fine tippets and a smaller fly. Some midges have been coming off, but really blue winged olives are the only dry fly game left on the Pecos. Nymphing with a dry dropper rig can end your slump if they aren't coming up on your dry fly. Try flashback pheasant tails, oops fly, or a tungsten micro mays. Villanueva State Park was stocked for the first time this season on the 10th. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the fall ended Monday November 7th.

Rio Grande 485 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 679 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
Trout still seem to prefer the faster aeriated water. Nymph the pocket water or chunk some streamers for the fiestier pre-spawn browns. Cover the deeper slower runs for the bass with streamers or crayfish patterns. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 27 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Poor or Fair, depending on the watershed.
The only water worth fishing is the Cebolla or the de las Vacas/Guadalupe watershed. Ash runoff from the Las Conchas fire has killed quite a lot of fish on the East Fork and Rio San Antonio, and the streambed is covered in it. The Valles Caldera National Preserve has closed the fishing program until next spring.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair: 80 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 300 cfs below El Vado Dam; Good: and 154 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow to Fair
The Chama below El Vado dam has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir has come up with some recent rain and snowfall. It is a little murky. There are a few Kokanee left in this stretch although they aren't really eating flies. A few trout taking egg patterns around the salmon. The release out of El Vado is low although, fishable. Big nymphs dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam is fishing ok despite the water clarity which is actually getting better. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 34 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair: 78 cfs at Magote; Fair
The release out of Platoro Reservoir has been reduced and may go down even further. Last winter it was onl;y 8 cfs! Take advantage and hit the Conejos one (at least) more time before the release is reduced to the winter flow!

Animas River 276 at Durango; Fair
Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some baetis, but if your not finding the bugs or rising fish, nymph the pockets or throw streamers.

Arkansas River 170 cfs at Granite; Good: 415 cfs at Salida; Good
Good fishing from Salida downstream into Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The fish move from thier deeper winter lies in the afternoons to feed on midges and baetis mid-day. Nymphing with golden stonefly nymphs, caddis larvae, baeties, and midges have been the most productive.

It's autumn 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 or closures.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Wednesday November 2, 2011

2011-11-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 326 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The release has been reduced so Game and Fish and NM State Parks can proceed with some sediment remediation and habitat improvements to the upper river. The affected area is from above Texas Hole to the upper braids. This area will be closed to fishing while the work commences. See the San Juan River forum page at http://www.fishthesanjuan.com/phpBB2/ for more information. Good midge fishing a nd midge hatches during the mornings and good blue winged olive hatches in the afternoons. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black or gray midge pupa. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. 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 15 cfs below Terrero; Fair:
The river is continues to fish well. The water is very clear and low so go to long leaders, fine tippets and a smaller fly. Some midges have been coming off, but really blue winged olives are the only dry fly game left on the Pecos. Nymphing with a dry dropper rig can end your slump if they aren't coming up on your dry fly. Try flashback pheasant tails, oops fly, or a tungsten micro mays. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the fall ended Monday November 7th.

Rio Grande 575 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 801 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
Trout still seem to prefer the faster aeriated water. Nymph the pocket water or chunk some streamers for the fiestier pre-spawn browns. Cover the deeper slower runs for the bass with streamers or crayfish patterns. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 20 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Poor or Fair, depending on the watershed.
The only water worth fishing is the Cebolla or the de las Vacas/Guadalupe watershed. Ash runoff from the Las Conchas fire has killed quite a lot of fish on the East Fork and Rio San Antonio, and the streambed is covered in it. The Valles Caldera National Preserve has closed the fishing program until next spring.

Cimarron River 2.7 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Poor: 8.2 cfs at Cimarron
The release out of Eagle's Nest Dam has dropped significantly and is really not worth fishing at these low levels. Check the flows before you go. Releases below 25 cfs makes for slow fishing. If the release doesn't go back up, wait until spring next year to fly fish. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the Red River all the way to Questa is fishing well.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair: 68 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 127 cfs below El Vado Dam; Good: and 154 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow to Fair
The Chama below El Vado dam has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir has come up with some recent rain and snowfall. It is a little murky. There are a few Kokanee left in this stretch although they aren't really eating flies. A few trout taking egg patterns around the salmon. The release out of El Vado is low although, fishable. Big nymphs dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam is fishing ok despite the water clarity. Expect the fishing to only get better when the water clears. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 131 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair: 194 cfs at Magote; Fair
October 31, 2011. "So a little Conejos scoop today. We have been guiding and fishing all this last week. Fishing has been good and both browns and bows eating egg, stonefly, baetis and some attractor nymph patterns. Had a group of 6 guys in the last several days and they just were a blast to guide and hang out with. They brought a suitcase full of fine cigars and I think that it went home empty! Came home the other night and noticed that the tv in cabin 4 was sticking in the window facing out! Looking closer were 6 guys sitting outside sipping whisky and offering up giant plumes of cigar smoke watching the World Series! For anyone else out there you need to either find a group of guys like that, join a group, create a group, or take the group you have and start some fun like these guys were into. It must have been 35 degrees and they watched the whole game outside! Tonight the guides leave for the San Juan and we will be doing our best to get in some of the same laughs! Our cigars will be much cheaper but fun and fishing none the less! The flows and weather have stayed perfect. Much more water than normal in the river and that has kept the fishing less spooky than normal. I am still booking guide trips thru the middle of November and if the weather holds up the fishing should be very good. If you get a chance to come would love to fish with you. Troy and I are still here working. The shop will not have any regular hours for November. If you have some fishing needs we will still be blowing out some items in the shop. Give me a call and I will see if I can help. The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers. The release out of Platoro Reservoir is higher than normal by about 120 cfs! Take advantage and hit the Conejos one (at least) more time before the release is reuced to the winter flow!

Animas River 292 at Durango; Fair
Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some baetis, but if your not finding the bugs or rising fish, nymph the pockets or throw streamers.

San Juan River 132 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Fair
Winter has come pretty much on time to this part of the San Juan Mountains, IF I find myself in Pagosa at this time of year, I'll always take my fly rod. Not much fishing above town or on the tribs. Blue winged olives are most prevalent.

Arkansas River 218 cfs at Granite; Good: 415 cfs at Salida; Good
Good fishing from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The canyons on either side of Buena Vista has good pocket water fishing. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Fish move off on the banks and into the main channel mid-day. Tricos, blue winged olives, and midges are the bugs to choose.

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions or closures.

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.

It's autumn 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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Wednesday November 2, 2011

2011-11-02T12:07:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 350 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The release has been reduced so Game and Fish and NM State Parrks can proceed with some sediment remediation and habitat improvements to the upper river. The affected area is from above Texas Hole to the upper braids. This area will be closed to fishing while the work commences. See the San Juan River forum page at http://www.fishthesanjuan.com/phpBB2/ for more information. Good midge fishing a nd midge hatches during the mornings and good blue winged olive hatches in the afternoons. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black or gray midge pupa. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. 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 34 cfs below Terrero; Good:
The river is continues to fish well. The water is very clear so go to long leaders, fine tippets and a smaller fly.Some midges but really blue winged olives are the only dry fly game left on the Pecos. Nymphing with a dry dropper rig can end your slump if they aren't coming up on your dry fly. Try flashback pheasant tails, oops fly, or a tungsten micro mays. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the fall ends Monday November 7th. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program".

Rio Grande 307 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 452 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
Trout still seem to prefer the faster aeriated water. Nymph the pocket water or chunk some streamers for the fiestier pre-spawn browns. Cover the deeper slower runs for the bass with streamers or crayfish patterns. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes 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; Slow or Good, depending on the watershed.
The only water worth fishing is the Cebolla or the de las Vacas/Guadalupe watershed. Ash runoff from the Las Conchas fire has killed quite a lot of fish on the East Fork and Rio San Antonio, and the streambed is covered in it. The Valles Caldera National Preserve has closed the fishing program until next spring.

Cimarron River 2.7 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 8.2 cfs at Cimarron
The release out of Eagle's Nest Dam has dropped significantly and is really not worth fishing at these low levels. Check the flows before you go. Releases below 25 cfs makes for slow fishing. If the release doesn't go back up, wait until spring next year to fly fish. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the Red River all the way to Questa is fishing well.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair: 83 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 123 cfs below El Vado Dam; Good: and 154 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The Chama below El Vado dam has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir has come up with some recent rain and snowfall. It is a little murky. There are a few Kokanee left in this stretch although they are really eating flies. A few trout taking egg patterns around the salmon. The release out of El Vado is low although, fishable. Big nymphs dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam is fishing ok despite the water clarity. Expect the fishing to only get better when the water clears. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 138 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 207 cfs at Magote; Good
October 17, 2011. "I just wanted to let you know that the shop will be closed tomorrow. I am sorry for this but the guides are going fishing. We will be bringing video and digital cameras and looking for some big fish. If we are successful we will post a few. Don’t be surprised if they are not trout! I did have the chance to fish a few hours today and caught some beautiful fat browns and a couple large bows. Buckskin Cone, Barr’s Emergers, and a small Golden seemed to be the best bugs for me." The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers. The release out of Platoro Reservoir is high than normal by about 120 cfs! Take advantage and hit the Conejos one (at least) more time before the release is reuced to the winter flow!

Rio Grande 4.4 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 223 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the fishing on the upper river above 4 UR Ranch quite tough. Better fishing and warmer water can be found below South Fork. Baetis hatches have been sporadic but if you find one you'll see fish coming up to the surface.

Animas River 286 at Durango; Fair to Good
Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some baetis, but if your not finding the bugs or rising fish, nymph the pockets or throw streamers.

Piedra River 200 cfs at Arboles; Good
The Piedra is fishing better on the lower river. Nymphs are better producers than dries unless you see fish coming up to blu winged olives.

San Juan River 209 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Good
Winter has come pretty much on time to this part of the San Juan Mountains, IF I find myself in Pagosa at this time of year, I'll always take my fly rod. Not much fishing above town or on the tribs. Blue winged olives are most prevalent.

Arkansas River 246 cfs at Granite; Good: 444 cfs at Salida; Good
Good fishing from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The canyons on either side of Buena Vista has good pocket water fishing. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Fish move off on the banks and into the main channel mid-day. Tricos, blue winged olives, and midges are the bugs to choose.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions or closures.

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.

It's autumn 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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday October 28, 2011

2011-10-28T14:17:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
It looks like the release has been reduced to the winter (low) level around 500 cfs. The good news is that the blue winged olives are on the move and the hatches are getting better. Use smaller flies especially near the dam as the water is clear. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black or gray midge pupa like a UV flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. 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 37 cfs below Terrero; Good:
The river is continues to fish well. The warmer days we've been experiencing are certainly helping. Blue winged olives are really the only dry fly game left on the Pecos. Nymphing with a dry dropper rig can end your slump if they aren't coming up on your dry fly. Try flashback pheasant tails, oops fly, or a tungsten micro mays. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the fall runs from through November 7th. The fall season Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program".

Rio Grande 327 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 476 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow to Fair for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
I expect to see rising flows on the Rio as irrigators in Colorado finish the growing season. Trout still seem to prefer the faster aeriated water. Some of the best fly fishing on the Rio is for smallmouth bass on streamers. Cover the deeper slower runs for the bass. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 34 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Slow or Good, depending on the watershed.
The only water worth fishing is the Cebolla or the de las Vacas/Guadalupe watershed. Ash runoff from the Las Conchas fire has killed quite a lot of fish on the East Fork and Rio San Antonio, and the streambed is covered in it. The Valles Caldera National Preserve has closed the fishing program until next spring.

Cimarron River 3.9 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 9.6 cfs at Cimarron
The release out of Eagle's Nest Dam has dropped significantly and is really not worth fishing at these low levels. Check the flows before you go. Releases below 25 cfs makes for slow fishing. If the release doesn't go back up, wait until spring next year to fly fish. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the Red River all the way to Questa is fishing well.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 103 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 95 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 87 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The Chama below El Vado dam has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir has come up with some recent rain and snowfall. It may be murky, but should fish really well as it clears and might be some of the better fishing as we get into winter. The release out of El Vado is low although, fishable. Big nymphs dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam is fishing ok despite the water clarity. Expect the fishing to only get better when the water clears. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 139 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 211 cfs at Magote; Good
October 17, 2011. "I just wanted to let you know that the shop will be closed tomorrow. I am sorry for this but the guides are going fishing. We will be bringing video and digital cameras and looking for some big fish. If we are successful we will post a few. Don’t be surprised if they are not trout! I did have the chance to fish a few hours today and caught some beautiful fat browns and a couple large bows. Buckskin Cone, Barr’s Emergers, and a small Golden seemed to be the best bugs for me." The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 48 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 237 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable especially the box canyon above Creede. Fishing below South Fork has been a little more consistent, probably from having a warmer water temp. Baetis hatches have been sporadic but if you find one you'll see fish coming up to the surface.

Animas River 325 at Durango; Fair to Good
Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some baetis, but if your not finding the bugs, nymph the pockets or throw streamers.

Piedra River 242 cfs at Arboles; Good
The Piedra is fishing better with cooler water temps. Nymphs are better producers than dries on the lower river. The upper forks continue to fish well. Blue winged olives, nymphs and dries.

San Juan River 219 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Good
THe San Juan has also come up and is fishing well with some recent rainfall and cooler water. Upstream of Pagosa, check out the East Fork or Turkey or Four Mile for some late season dry fly fishing. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is also fishing well. Blue winged olives are most prevalent.

Arkansas River 228 cfs at Granite; Good: 408 cfs at Salida; Good
Good fishing from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The canyons on either side of Buena Vista has good pocket water fishing. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Fish move off on the banks and into the main channel mid-day. Tricos, blue winged olives, and midges are the bugs to choose.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions or closures.

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.

It's autumn 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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Sunday October 16, 2011

2011-10-16T10:33:00.002-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

The Save Bristol Bay Road Show come to Santa Fe! Please join us for food, drinks, and a screening of "Red Gold" on Tuesday October 25th, as you learn more about the fight to save Bristol Bay. The event starts at 7 pm. at the Center for Contemporary Artrs Cinamateque at 1050 Old Pecos Trail. Please support efforts to stop the mining threats to the greatest salmon fishery on Earth. See SaveBristoBay.org or RedGoldFilm.com for more information.

San Juan River 489 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
It looks like the release has been reduced to the winter (low) level around 500 cfs. The good news is that the blue winged olives are on the move nad the hatches are getting better. Use smaller flies especially near the dam as the water is clear. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black or gray midge pupa like a UV flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. 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!

Rio Costilla 7.4 cfs below Costilla Reservoir; Slow: Shuree Ponds; Slow to Fair
The release has lowered to near zero and unless you are fishing below the Valle Vidal boundary, the Costilla is done. Put this palce on your list for next summer when the Valle Vidal will reopen on July 1st.

Pecos River 49 cfs below Terrero; Good:
The river is continues to fish well. The warmer days we've been experinceing are certainly helping. Blue winged olives are really the only dry fly game left on the Pecos. Nymphing with a dry dropper rig can end your slump if they aren't coming up on your dry fly. Try flashback pheasant tails, oops fly, or a tungsten micro mays. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the fall runs from through November 7th. The fall season Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program".

Rio Grande 203 cfs at Cerro; Fair: 328 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
I expect to see rising flows on the Rio as irrigators in Colorado finish the growing season here pretty soon. Trout still seem to prefer the faster aeriated water. Some of the best fly fishing on the Rio is for smallmouth bass on streamers. Cover the deeper slower runs for the bass. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 15 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Slow or Good, depending on the watershed.
The only water worth fishing is the Cebolla or the de las Vacas/Guadalupe watershed. Ash runoff from the Las Conchas fire has killed quite a lot of fish on the East Fork and Rio San Antonio, and the streambed is covered in it. The Valles Caldera National Preserve has closed the fishing program until next spring.

Cimarron River 34 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 30 cfs at Cimarron
The release out of Eagle's Nest Dam is back up for now. Take advantage of the extra water while you can. the release will go back down for the winter soon. Check the flows before you go. Releases below 25 cfs makes for slow fishing. If the release goes back down, wait until spring next year to fly fish. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the Red River all the way to Questa is fishing well.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 106 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 202 cfs below El Vado Dam; Fair to Good: and 132 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The Chama below El Vado dam has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir has come up with some recent rain and snowfall in the San Juans. It may be murky, but should fish really well as it clears and might be some of the better fishing as we get into winter. The release out of El Vado is fishable. Big nymphs dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam is fishing fair despite the water clarity. Expect the fishing to only get better when the water clears. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 128 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 225 cfs at Magote; Good

October 12, 2011. "I know it is the end of the season but a lot to say. I may not be able to post it all now but everything from some end of year blow outs and deals to a trip to S. Patagonia to some great fall fishing.
Did I say Fall already! Yes it is. And it was cold and snowy last week. This week! Sixties and perfect. I have seen and heard reports of the fishing from outrageous to difficult . Some of the higher tribs seems like the Browns are almost done with the spawn, on the Conejos, they are thinking about it, staging, or spawning. We have had a very nice boost of water from the snows up high and the increase in flows out of Platoro. I have seen the fish eat a variety of bugs but small baetis and nymph patterns have been consistent. At times and in certain sections of the river more fish are looking for eggs, worms, and even some big stonefly patterns. I have not seen them in numbers but the October Caddis is out. It is a large bug with an orange body, about a #12. There are also some very large midge hatches especially up high as well as some sparse baetis. Last week I had a guy that was more of a dry fly purist and I was shocked to see that of all the bugs we tried that day the old Jim Fulton #12 House and Lots were the best! He must have been watching and laughing! I did try them the next day thinking hmm maybe we got something here but the Conejos gave a simple NO!" The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 87 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 359 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable especially the box canyon above Creede. Fishing below South Fork has been a little more consistent, probably from having a warmer water temp. Baetis hatches have been sporadic but if you find one you'll see fish coming up to the surface.

Animas River 348 at Durango; Fair to Good
Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some baetis, but if your not finding the bugs, nymph the pockets or throw streamers.

Piedra River 359 cfs at Arboles; Slow to Fair
The San Juan mountains of Colorado got hammered with snow last week. Melting sows have made the Piedra come up on flow. I haven't had any reports for over a week from the Piedra. Blue winged olives, nymphs and dries.

San Juan River 363 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Slow to Fair
THe San Juan has also come up from melting snows. Nearby Wolf Crrek Pass Ski Area opened last weekend fro a 36 inch dump in one storm. The Animas or Rio Grande may offer better fishing and is fishing well with some recent rainfall and cooler water. Blue winged olives are most prevalent.

Arkansas River 132 cfs at Granite; Good: 265 cfs at Salida; Good
Good fishing from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The canyons on either side of Buena Vista has good pocket water fishing. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Fish move off on the banks and into the main channel mid-day. Tricos, blue winged olives, and midges are the bugs to choose.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions or closures.

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.

It's autumn 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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Tuesday October 11, 2011

2011-10-11T12:06:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 547 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
It looks like the release has been reduced to the winter (low) level around 500 cfs. The good news is that the blue winged olives are on the move nad the hatches are getting better. Use smaller flies especially near the dam as the water is clear. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black or gray midge pupa like a UV flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. 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!

Rio Costilla 7.4 cfs below Costilla Reservoir; Slow: Shuree Ponds; Slow to Fair
The release has lowered to near zero and unless you are fishing below the Valle Vidal boundary, the Costilla is done. Put this palce on your list for next summer when the Valle Vidal will reopen on July 1st.

Pecos River 58 cfs below Terrero; Good:
The river is fishing well and the water is clear even though we've been getting some rainfal somewhere over the Pecos watershed lately. If you see murky water down low, consider driving upriver to find clearer water. Use small flies during clear water and switch to a bigger more flashy fly if the water is murky. Blue winged olives are really the only dry fly game left on the Pecos. Nymphing with a dry dropper rig can end your slump if they aren't coming up on your dry fly. Try flashback pheasant tails, oops fly, or a tungsten micro mays. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the fall runs from through November 7th. The fall season Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program".

Rio Grande 231 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 382 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow to Fair for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
I expect to see rising flows on the Rio as irrigators in Colorado finish the growing season. Trout still seem to prefer the faster aeriated water. Some of the best fly fishing on the Rio is for smallmouth bass on streamers. Cover the deeper slower runs for the bass. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes 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; Slow or Good, depending on the watershed.
The only water worth fishing is the Cebolla or the de las Vacas/Guadalupe watershed. Ash runoff from the Las Conchas fire has killed quite a lot of fish on the East Fork and Rio San Antonio, and the streambed is covered in it. The Valles Caldera National Preserve has closed the fishing program until next spring.

Cimarron River 12 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 13 cfs at Cimarron
The release out of Eagle's Nest Dam has dropped significantly and is really not worth fishing at these low levels. Check the flows before you go. Releases below 25 cfs makes for slow fishing. If the release doesn't go back up, wait until spring next year to fly fish. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the Red River all the way to Questa is fishing well.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 91 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 202 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 132 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The Chama below El Vado dam has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir has come up with some recent rainfall. It may be murky, but should fish really well as it clears and might be some of the better fishing as we get into winter. The release out of El Vado is fishable. Big nymphs dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam is fishing fairly well despite the water clarity. Expect the fishing to only get better when the water clears. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 128 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 225 cfs at Magote; Good
September 27, 2011. "Fall and all of the beauty that goes with it is here in force. Cool nights, colors on fire, clear cold water, and fish with all sorts of thoughts. Yesterday I had a guide trip that did half a day on the upper sections of Mogote CG and the other half at Rainbow Trout Ranch. (Yes if you want to fish it you can this fall with one of our guides) We caught a lot of fish and the fish at Mogote wanted stonefly nymphs and up higher most of the fish wanted a pink G String. There were a lot of fish in some of the deeper slower water up high down low seemed like there were fish hanging in some fast water. The other guides have had a chance to fish some and have all had stories of some pretty incredible days on the water. I took the family up to Kerr Lake this weekend for a family camping trip and got to fish some with my kids and had a great time. Felt for a while when the fish got on miniscule midges on the surface that I needed 8x tippet. I could see the 6x tippet sitting on the glassy water from 40’! The kids spent hours digging thru the rocks on the lakes edges catching tons of scuds and a very strange looking Tiger Salamander. Looked in my box for some scuds and of course nothing but the scuds were thick and olive in about a size #12. We will be tweaking our shop hours soon, October 1, closing at 5:30 and opening at 8:00. Sundays 8:00 to 12:00. The flows and weather seem to be more consistent now and each of the trips I have been going out on lately I have really looked forward to. Love the fall fishing and we seem to bring out a lot of good anglers to fish with in the fall and we get a chance to see some of the fish that spend the year under cutbanks but now have “other” things in mind and so I hope you get a chance to come out a few more times to get in some fishing. I also want to thank all of you for helping us in Mogote to Colorado to somehow have another great year. Thank you from all of us!" The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 69 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Good: 290 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable especially the box canyon above Creede. Fishing below South Fork has been a little more consistent, probably from having a warmer water temp. Baetis hatches have been sporadic but if you find one you'll see fish coming up to the surface.

Animas River 314 at Durango; Fair to Good
Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some baetis, but if your not finding the bugs, nymph the pockets or throw streamers.

Piedra River 281 cfs at Arboles; Good
The Piedra is fishing better with cooler water temps. Nymphs are better producers than dries on the lower river. The upper forks continue to fish well. Blue winged olives, nymphs and dries.

San Juan River 287 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Good
THe San Juan has also come up and is fishing well with some recent rainfall and cooler water. Upstream of Pagosa, check out the East Fork or Turkey or Four Mile for some dry fly fishing. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is also fishing well. Blue winged olives are most prevalent.

Arkansas River 139 cfs at Granite; Good: 291 cfs at Salida; Good
Good fishing from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The canyons on either side of Buena Vista has good pocket water fishing. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Fish move off on the banks and into the main channel mid-day. Tricos, blue winged olives, and midges are the bugs to choose.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions or closures.

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.

It's autumn 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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Thursday September 22, 2011

2011-09-22T17:33:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 499 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
It looks like the release has been reduced to the winter (low) level of 499 cfs. The good news is that the blue winged olives are on the move nad the hatches are getting better. Use smaller flies especially near the dam as the water is clear. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black or gray midge pupa like a UV flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. Small #16-18 ants fished along the banks are also bringing up fish. 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!

Rio Costilla 7.4 cfs below Costilla Reservoir; Slow: Shuree Ponds; Slow to Fair
The release has lowered to a point where the fishing is going to be tough, at least above Commanche Creek anyway. Check the flows before you go. I anticipate that the release is actually going to be reduced to zero for the winter. The upper pond at Shuree Ponds is quite low and weedy. Better reports from the lower pond.

Pecos River 44 cfs below Terrero; Good:
The river is fishing well and the water is clear even though we've been getting some rainfal somewhere over the Pecos watershed lately. If you see murky water down low, consider driving upriver to find clearer water. Use small flies during clear water and switch to a bigger more flashy fly if the water is murky. Blue winged olives, yellow sallies, hoppers, ants, and beetles have been the best producers dry fly wise. Nymphing with a dry dropper rig can end your slump if they aren't coming up on your dry fly. Try flashback pheasant tails, oops fly, or a nitro caddis. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the fall started September 8th. The fall season runs from September 8th through November 7th. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program".

Rio Grande 133 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 266 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow to Fair for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
How low can the Rio go? I guess we'll be finding that out here soon. This is some of the lowest water levels I've seen on the Rio in a long time. Low current velocity has made trout fishing slow. Best fly fishing on the Rio is for smallmouth bass on streamers. Cover the deeper slower runs for the bass. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 14 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Slow or Good, depending on the watershed.
Low water is plaguing the streams of the Jemez. The only really water worth fishing is the Cebolla or the de las Vacas/Guadalupe watershed. Ash runoff from the Las Conchas fire has killed quite a lot of fish on the East Fork and Rio San Antonio, and the streambed is covered in it. The Valles Caldera National Preserve is open but with limited access on the East Fork only. My personal opinion is to leave those fish alone this year and look at visiting the Caldera next spring. The visitor center is open and the Valles Caldera will resume normal summer activities excluding those which normally occur in the burned areas. The Rio San Antonio fishing program on the Preserve is suspended for the remainder of this year. The limited fishing progam on the East Fork runs through October 9th. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov for more information.

Cimarron River 5.6 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 5.8 cfs at Cimarron
The release out of Eagle's Nest Dam has dropped significantly and is really not worth fishing at these low levels. Check the flows before you go. Releases below 25 cfs makes for slow fishing. If the release doesn't go back up, wait until spring next year to fly fish. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the Red River all the way to Questa is fishing well.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 46 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 591 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 257 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama in the Sargent Wildlife area has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir is fishing better everday. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch. The release out of El Vado is fishable. Big nymphs dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam typically won't really fish well until autumn when the water clears. The release here is low for this time of year, probabably as Albuquerque has stopped diverting water from the Rio Grande until November 1st. The water here is at a fishable level for now, but I haven't had any reports. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 27 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 124 cfs at Magote; Good
"Right now the river is a bit lower than average but the fish seem to really love the cooler temps and we have been into fish all day when we are doing a good job at shifting quickly with the change in holding water and bugs. Sometimes it is a little frustrating when you are fruitlessly attempting to figure out what mood the fish just went into but I suppose that is the reason I love the river so much and why we sell so many bugs!!! These flows have opened up the Pinnacles water up to the meadow in a way that makes it much easier to get around and concentrates the fish more. You could find fish anywhere up there right. On the edges in the slower water, hiding I the pockets, or in the faster riffles. It will change all day but the water is clear and you should be able to dial in the water they are holding in pretty quickly. We will hope that the moisture continues and keeps rivers like the La Jara, Los Pinos, Lake Fork etc. healthy. The rest of the year looks like we will have enough water even if it will be less than average. The fish look good and are healthy. The huge push of anglers in July in the drainage has now gone and seems like life back to normal on the Conejos. Seems like the fish like the withdrawal of the human occupation that happened this in July. The other interesting thing and I will just have to keep an eye on the catch rate this fall but seems like the shoulder seasons to summer are much better fishing. I remember last November doing my last guide of the year with Bill Long and just killing it. This March Wayne Suggs came and fished with me for the first time and put a hurtin’ on the Conejos. I can tell you it was not 74 degrees and we were not surrounded by flowers but the fishing early and late here is way better then I had ever thought it would be. For some reason these fish don’t seem to have feeding patterns that mimick the water temps like I do at other rivers. I have seen the fish feed like mad at 34 degrees and last week the temp was in the upper 60’s and I thought I am finally going to be able to go home but the the fish just kept eating. (missed dinner!) Anyway good to write for a moment and I hope you all get a chance to see the colors this fall and make some casts. We appreciate all of your support!
The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 59 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Good: 227 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable especially the box canyon above Creede. Fishing below South Fork is slower than the upper river. Baetis hatches have been sporadic but if you find one you'll see fish coming up to the surface. Still some caddis, PMD's, and golden stones fly around although terrestrials seem to be getting alot of attention.

Animas River 297 at Durango; Fair to Good
Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some caddis and stoneflies, but if your not finding the bugs, nymph the pockets or throw streamers.

Piedra River 127 cfs at Arboles; Good
The Piedra is fishing better with cooler water temps. Nymphs are better producers than dries on the lower river. The upper forks continue to fish well on dry flies. The Williams Creek below the Williams Creek Reservoir is also fishing better. Blue winged olives, caddis, yellow sallies, beetles and hoppers round out the summer fare.

San Juan River 122 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Good
THe San Juan is also doing better with some recent rainfall and cooler water. The San Juan below Pagosa is warm and fishing is slow. Upstream of Pagosa, check out the East Fork or Turkey or Four Mile for good dry fly fishing. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is also fishing well. Yellow sallies, blue winged olives, and caddis are most prevalent.

Arkansas River 159 cfs at Granite; Good: 331 cfs at Salida; Good
Good fishing from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The canyons on either side of Buena Vista has good pocket water fishing. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Fish move off on the banks and into the main channel mid-day. Tricos, blue winged olives, and red quills are the bugs to choose.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions or closures.

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.

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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Saturday September 3, 2011

2011-09-03T11:23:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 792 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Declining flows on the Animas means more release out of Navajo Dam into the San Juan River. The extra water makes fishing the upper and lower flats better and your float downstream doesn't have as much bump and grind. Use smaller flies especially near the dam as the water is clear. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black or gray midge pupa like a UV flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. Small #16-18 ants fished along the banks are also bringing up fish. 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!

Rio Costilla 29 cfs below Costilla Reservoir; Good: Shuree Ponds; Slow to Fair
The release is lower than I'd like to see, but this special stream is defintely worth visiting at least once a summer. Expect the fish to utilize whatever cover is avaiable which in most cases is right up against the bank. The upper pond at Shuree Ponds is quite low and weedy. Better reports from the lower pond.

Pecos River 37 cfs below Terrero; Good:
The river is fishing well and the water is clear even though we've been getting some rainfal somewhere over the Pecos watershed everyday. If you see murky water down low, consider driving upriver to find clearer water. Use small flies during clear water and switch to a bigger more flashy fly if the water is murky. Caddis, yellow sallies, hoppers, ants, and beetles have been the best producers dry fly wise. Nymphing with a dry dropper rig can end your slump if they aren't coming up on your dry fly. Try flashback pheasant tails, oops fly, or a nitro caddis. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the summer ended August 8th. You can make a reservation for the fall season starting August 8th. The fall season runs from September 8th through November 7th. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program".

Rio Grande 109 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 247 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow to Fair for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
How low can the Rio go? I guess we'll be finding that out here soon. This is some of the lowest water levels I've seen on the Rio in a long time. Low current velocity and warmer water temps have made trout fishing slow. Best fly fishing on the Rio is for smallmouth bass on streamers. Cover the deeper slower runs for the bass. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 18 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Slow or Good, depending on the watershed.
Low and warm water is plaguing the streams of the Jemez. The only really water worth fishing is the Cebolla or the de las Vacas/Guadalupe watershed. Ash runoff from the Las Conchas fire has killed quite a lot of fish on the East Fork and Rio San Antonio, and the streambed is covered in it. The Valles Caldera National Preserve is open but with limited access on the East Fork only. MY personal opinion is to leave those fish alone this year and look at visiting the Caldera next spring. The visitor center is open and the Valles Caldera will resume normal summer activities excluding those which normally occur in the burned areas. The Rio San Antonio fishing program on the Preserve is suspended for the remainder of this year. The limited fishing progam on the East Fork runs through October 9th. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov for more information.

Cimarron River 25 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 24 cfs at Cimarron
The release out of Eagle's Nest Dam has dropped but is still within a good range to fly fish. The slightly lower flows amke the upper river a little easier to fish. Golden stones, scuds, and baetis nymphs have all been working. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the Red River all the way to Questa is fishing well.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 32 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 497 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 464 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama in the Sargent Wildlife area has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir is low and the water temps are high making fishing very slow. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch. The release out of El Vado is very fishable. Big nymphs dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam typically won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren't calling for water. The release here is low for this time of year, probabably as Albuquerque has stopped diverting water from the Rio Grande until November 1st. The water here is a t a fishable level for now, but I haven't had any reports. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 36 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 131 cfs at Magote; Good
"Right now the river is a bit lower than average but the fish seem to really love the cooler temps and we have been into fish all day when we are doing a good job at shifting quickly with the change in holding water and bugs. Sometimes it is a little frustrating when you are fruitlessly attempting to figure out what mood the fish just went into but I suppose that is the reason I love the river so much and why we sell so many bugs!!! These flows have opened up the Pinnacles water up to the meadow in a way that makes it much easier to get around and concentrates the fish more. You could find fish anywhere up there right. On the edges in the slower water, hiding I the pockets, or in the faster riffles. It will change all day but the water is clear and you should be able to dial in the water they are holding in pretty quickly. We will hope that the moisture continues and keeps rivers like the La Jara, Los Pinos, Lake Fork etc. healthy. The rest of the year looks like we will have enough water even if it will be less than average. The fish look good and are healthy. The huge push of anglers in July in the drainage has now gone and seems like life back to normal on the Conejos. Seems like the fish like the withdrawal of the human occupation that happened this in July. The other interesting thing and I will just have to keep an eye on the catch rate this fall but seems like the shoulder seasons to summer are much better fishing. I remember last November doing my last guide of the year with Bill Long and just killing it. This March Wayne Suggs came and fished with me for the first time and put a hurtin’ on the Conejos. I can tell you it was not 74 degrees and we were not surrounded by flowers but the fishing early and late here is way better then I had ever thought it would be. For some reason these fish don’t seem to have feeding patterns that mimick the water temps like I do at other rivers. I have seen the fish feed like mad at 34 degrees and last week the temp was in the upper 60’s and I thought I am finally going to be able to go home but the the fish just kept eating. (missed dinner!) Anyway good to write for a moment and I hope you all get a chance to see the colors this fall and make some casts. We appreciate all of your support!
The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 68 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Good: 230 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable especially the box canyon above Creede. Fishing below South Fork is slower than the upper river. Baetis hatches have been sporadic but if you find one you'll see fish coming up to the surface. Still some caddis, PMD's, and golden stones fly arounf although terrestrials seem to be getting alot of attention.

Animas River 314 at Durango; Fair to Good
Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some caddis and stoneflies, but if your not finding the bugs, nymph the pockets. The tribs like Hermosa Creek may offer cooler water and better fishing especially on dry flies.

Piedra River 92 cfs at Arboles; Good
The Piedra is fishing better with cooler water temps. Nymphs are better producers than dries on the lower river. The upper forks continue to fish well on dry flies. The Williams Creek below the Williams Creek Reservoir has also cooled off some anfd is fishing better. Caddis, yellow salliies, beetles and hoppers round out the summer fare.

San Juan River 94 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Good
THe San Juan is also doing better with some recent rainfall and cooler water. The San Juan below Pagosa is warm and fishing is slow. Upstream of Pagosa, check out the East Fork or Turkey or Four Mile for good dry fly fishing. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is also fishing well. Yellow sallies and caddis are most prevalent, but there are more still some golden stones and PMD's.

Arkansas River 475 cfs at Granite; Good: 557 cfs at Salida; Good
Good fishing from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The canyons on either side of Buena Vista has good pocket water fishing. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Fish move off on the banks and into the main channel mid-day. Yellow Sallies, caddis and red quills are the bugs to choose.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions or closures.

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.

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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Saturday August 27, 2011

2011-08-27T12:59:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 905 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Declining flows on the Animas means more release out of Navajo Dam into the San Juan River. The extra water makes fishing the upper and lower flats better and your float downstream doesn't have as much bump and grind. Use smaller flies especially near the dam as the water is clear. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black or gray midge pupa like a UV flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. Small #16-18 ants fished along the banks are also bringing up fish. 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!

Rio Costilla 38 cfs below Costilla Reservoir; Good: Shuree Ponds; Slow to Fair
The release is at a good level. Expect the fish to utilize whatever cover is avaiable which in most cases is right up against the bank. The upper pond at Shuree Ponds is quite low and weedy. Better reports from the lower pond.

Pecos River 49 cfs below Terrero; Good:
The river is at a great level and the fish are happier with a little more water over their backs. We are getting some rainfal somewhere over the Pecos watershed everyday. If you see murky water down low, consider driving upriver to find clearer water. Use small flies during clear water and switch to a bigger more flashy fly if the water is murky. Caddis, yellow sallies, hoppers ants, and beetles have been the best producers dry fly wise. Nymphing with a dry dropper rig can end your slump. Try flashback pheasant tails, oops fly, or a nitro caddis. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the summer ended August 8th. You can make a reservation for the fall season starting August 8th. The fall season runs from September 8th through November 7th. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program".

Rio Grande 87 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 219 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow to Fair for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
How low can the Rio go? I guess we'll be finding that out here soon. This is some of the lowest water levels I've seen on the Rio in a long time. Low current velocity and warmer water temps have made trout fishing slow. Best fly fishing on the Rio is for smallmouth bass on streamers. Cover the deeper slower runs for the bass. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 19 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Slow to Good
Low and warm water is plaguing the streams of the Jemez. The only really water worth fishing is the Cebolla or the de las Vacas/Guadalupe watershed. Ash runoff from the Las Conchas fire has killed quite a lot of fish on the East Fork and Rio San Antonio, and the streambed is covered in it. The Valles Caldera National Preserve is open but with limied access on the East Fork only. The visitor center is open and the Valles Caldera will resume normal summer activities excluding those which normally occur in the burned areas. The Rio San Antonio fishing program on the Preserve is suspended for the remainder of this year. The limited fishing progam on the East Fork runs through October 9th. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov for more information.

Cimarron River 36 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 252 cfs at Cimarron
The release out of Eagle's Nest Dam is still within a good range to fly fish. The slightly lower flows amke the upper river a little easier to fish. Golden stones, scuds, and baetis nymphs have all been working. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the Red River all the way to Questa is fishing well.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 35 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 1000 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 456 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama in the Sargent Wildlife area has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir is low and the water temps are high making fishing very slow. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch, but the release is too high to wade. If you can find a spot, big nymphs dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam typically won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren't calling for water. The release here is also too high to wade safely. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 36 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 131 cfs at Magote; Good
August 10, 2011. "Troy and I had both guided a group of 4 today (All Californian’s, I love them, they are gregarious, fun, I can spot them from from a great distance!) and decided to stay low and fish the lower river and see what we could figure out. A great day. I netted about 40 fish and saw 60 or so fish hooked. Fun to watch. The flows are down just under 200 which makes it very easy to get around but still plenty of water to not have to sneak around to much. Troy’s group did about the same and both of us had fish eat a fly called a Robin really hard early. I don’t fish it much but Josh Curtis told me this am that I should have one (or 6)! Thank you! By 11:00 they were off of it and we took a while to find some other flies that worked. The worm, chironocone, and a golden Jimmy Leg was good in the afternoon as well as 6 or 8 fish eating a hopper. By 6:00 pm the water was about 69 degrees and the bright sun was in the fishes eyes and I thought we were done but we hooked another 10 fish in the last run of the day. Devan went up to watch some friends fish the on the upper river just below the Pinnacles fish a couple of evenings ago and saw an incredible caddis hatch the last hour of light and the fish were up on them and fed like mad into the dark. Maybe we get need to sell a day and a half guide trip and start at 5:00 am and end at 9:00 pm! I think we would see some amazing stuff. I think the fish know when we humans like to drink coffee and cocktails! Those beverages might be costing us some fish! Anyway the Conejos has some huge stoneflies coming out and leaving huge cases on the rocks at night and some caddis late and during the day hoppers and some huge stones have worked well as dries. The tribs right now are low and the ones up high (at 10,000’ elevation) are very good right now while tribs like the La Jara and Los Pinos and can be tough. When landing fish right now in the afternoons please be additionally careful and don’t take them out of the water because they can get pretty stressed. A couple of days ago I guide on one of the higher tribs and it was fantastic. There were some mayflies coming off and when they were out the fish seemed very interested but for most of the day we caught most of the fish on droppers. Because of the consistent rains we have had the worm has been back on the menu and I don’t fish a day on any river here without it on for a part of the day. The number of people here has dropped dramatically and the pressure on the river has let up. Nice to see the fish get a break and I would suspect that that should stay that way from here on out. Thank you all for your support!"
The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 102 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Good: 261 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable especially the box canyon above Creede. The upper Rio and the streams around Pagosa Springs have the best fishing going! Still good reports of caddis on this section with afew golden stones and hoppers in the mix. Baetis hatches have been sporadic but if you find one you'll see fish coming up to the surface. The water is fairly clear and fishing is very good, with most action on dry flies.

Animas River 281 at Durango; Fair to Good
Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some caddis and stoneflies, but if your not finding the bugs, nymph the pockets. The tribs like Hermosa Creek may offer cooler water and better fishing especially on dry flies.

Piedra River 152 cfs at Arboles; Good
The lower Piedra is high and muddy. More muddy than high. The upper forks have cooler, clearer water and better fishing. The Piedra and WWilliams Creek below the Williams Creek confluence can get warm and fish slow. It seems that there has been some rain lately which would help the fishing. Caddis, yellow salliies, beetles and hoppers round out the summer fare. Williams Creek below the reservoir is sslow and the water is warm. Same for the reservoir.

San Juan River 177 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Good
THe San Juan has come up in flow with some recent rainfall. The San Juan below Pagosa is warm and fishing is slow. Upstream of Pagosa, check out the East Fork or Turkey or Four Mile for clear water if something blows out from a rain storm. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is also fishing well. Yellow sallies and caddis are most prevalent, but there are more still some golden stones and PMD's.

Arkansas River 475 cfs at Granite; Good: 557 cfs at Salida; Good
Good fishing from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The canyon on either side of Buena Vista has good pocket water fishing. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Fish move off on the banks and into the main channel mid-day. Yellow Sallies, caddis and red quills are the bugs to choose.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions or closures.

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.

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.

Ed'd Fly Fishing Report for Sunday August 21, 2010

2011-08-21T16:19:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 905 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Declining flows on the Animas means more release out of Navajo Dam into the San Juan River. The extra water makes fishing the upper and lower flats better and your float downstream doesn't have as much bump and grind. Use smaller flies especially near the dam as the water is clear. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black or gray midge pupa like a UV flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. Small #16-18 ants fished along the banks are also bringing up fish. The PMD hatch on the lower river is waning but, there are some still around from Simon 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!

Rio Costilla 40 cfs below Costilla Reservoir; Good: Shuree Ponds; Slow to Fair
The release is at a good level. Expect the fish to utilize whatever cover is avaiable which in some cases is right up against the bank. the upper pond at Shuree Ponds is quite low and weedy. Better reports from the lower pond.

Pecos River 106 cfs below Terrero; Good:
The heavy rainfall we have had over the Santa Fe/Pecos are has made the river high and muddy. Barring anymore heavy rain, the river should come down and clear enough to be fishable over night. Sometimes you can find a little clearer water the higher you go. Use small flies during clear water and switch to a bigger more flashy fly if the water is murky. Caddis, yellow sallies, hoppers ants, and beetles have been the best producers. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the summer ended August 8th. You can make a reservation for the fall season starting August 8th. The fall season runs from September 8th through November 7th. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program".

Rio Grande 113 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 252 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow to Fair for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
This is some of the lowest water levels I've seen on the Rio in a long time. Low current velocity and warmer water temps have made trout fishing slow. Best fly fishing on the Rio is for smallmouth bass on streamers. Cover the deeper slower runs for the bass. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes 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
Low and warm water is plaguing the streams of the Jemez. They usually don't fish well except early or late in the day or when things start to cool off come Septmeber. The recent rainfall we've had has helped cool things off and puts a little more water into the streams. The Valles Caldera National Preserve is open but with limied access. The visitor center is open and the Valles Caldera will resume normal summer activities excluding those which normally occur in the burned areas. The Rio San Antonio fishing program on the Preserve is suspended for the remainder of this year. They will resume a limited fishing progam on the East Fork starting August 17th and it runs through October 9th. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov for more information.

Cimarron River 45 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 34 cfs at Cimarron
The release out of Eagle's Nest Dam has come up to the perfect level for fishing and has been very consistent for a week now. Golden stones, scuds, and baetis nymphs have all been working. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the Red River all the way to Questa is fishing well.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 34 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 1020 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 783 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama in the Sargent Wildlife area has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir is low and the water temps are high making fishing very slow. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch, but the release is too high to wade. If you can find a spot, big nympsh dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam typically won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren't calling for water. The release here is also too high to wade safely. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 135 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 194 cfs at Magote; Good
August 10, 2011. "Troy and I had both guided a group of 4 today (All Californian’s, I love them, they are gregarious, fun, I can spot them from from a great distance!) and decided to stay low and fish the lower river and see what we could figure out. A great day. I netted about 40 fish and saw 60 or so fish hooked. Fun to watch. The flows are down just under 200 which makes it very easy to get around but still plenty of water to not have to sneak around to much. Troy’s group did about the same and both of us had fish eat a fly called a Robin really hard early. I don’t fish it much but Josh Curtis told me this am that I should have one (or 6)! Thank you! By 11:00 they were off of it and we took a while to find some other flies that worked. The worm, chironocone, and a golden Jimmy Leg was good in the afternoon as well as 6 or 8 fish eating a hopper. By 6:00 pm the water was about 69 degrees and the bright sun was in the fishes eyes and I thought we were done but we hooked another 10 fish in the last run of the day. Devan went up to watch some friends fish the on the upper river just below the Pinnacles fish a couple of evenings ago and saw an incredible caddis hatch the last hour of light and the fish were up on them and fed like mad into the dark. Maybe we get need to sell a day and a half guide trip and start at 5:00 am and end at 9:00 pm! I think we would see some amazing stuff. I think the fish know when we humans like to drink coffee and cocktails! Those beverages might be costing us some fish! Anyway the Conejos has some huge stoneflies coming out and leaving huge cases on the rocks at night and some caddis late and during the day hoppers and some huge stones have worked well as dries. The tribs right now are low and the ones up high (at 10,000’ elevation) are very good right now while tribs like the La Jara and Los Pinos and can be tough. When landing fish right now in the afternoons please be additionally careful and don’t take them out of the water because they can get pretty stressed. A couple of days ago I guide on one of the higher tribs and it was fantastic. There were some mayflies coming off and when they were out the fish seemed very interested but for most of the day we caught most of the fish on droppers. Because of the consistent rains we have had the worm has been back on the menu and I don’t fish a day on any river here without it on for a part of the day. The number of people here has dropped dramatically and the pressure on the river has let up. Nice to see the fish get a break and I would suspect that that should stay that way from here on out. Thank you all for your support!"
The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 75 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Good: 238 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable especially the box canyon above Creede. The upper Rio and the streams around Pagosa Springs have the best fishing going! Still good reports of caddis on this section. Green and gray drakes are waning as are the PMD's, but some good baetis hatches have been bringing fish up to the surface. The water is fairly clear and fishing is very good, with most action on dry flies.

Animas River 286 at Durango; Fair to Good
Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some caddis and stoneflies, but if your not finding the bugs, nymph the pockets. Watch out for the river runners.

Piedra River 61 cfs at Arboles; Good
The lower sections below Williams Ceek can get warm and fish slow. It seems that there has been some rain lately which would help the fishing. Better reports on the upper forks above Williams Creek. Caddis, yellow salliies, beetles and hoppers round out the summer fare. Williams Creek below the reservoir is sslow and the water is warm. Same for the reservoir.

San Juan River 44 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Good
Flows have finally come down to where the town stretch can now be waded. Nymphing around town has been more productive than dry flies. Check out Turkey, or Four Mile for clear water if something blows out from a rain storm. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is also fishing well. Yellow sallies and caddis are most prevalent, but there are more still some more drakes and PMD's.

Arkansas River 386 cfs at Granite; Good: 481 cfs at Salida; Good
Good fishing from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Focus on the banks as most fish aren't in the main channel. A big bug like a size #8 PMX with a golden stone dropper cast tight to the banks has been the most productive. Be careful wading from Brown's Canyon upstream, You'll be confined to one bank or the other. Yellow Sallies, caddis and PMD's are the bugs to choose.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions or closures.

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.

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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday August 5, 2011

2011-08-05T16:18:00.002-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

ALL FIRE CLOSURES FOR NORTHERN NEW MEXICO HAVE BEEN LIFTED. OUR SUMMER RAINS HAVE COOLED OFF THE STREAMS AND THE FISH ARE HAPPY!!!

San Juan River 499 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Fishing is good but fly choices have become smaller with the lower and clear water. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size #24-26 black or gray midge pupa like a UV flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. Small #16-18 ants fished along the banks are also bringing up fish. The PMD hatch on the lower river is waning but, there are some still around from Simon 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!

Rio Costilla 57 cfs below Costilla Reservoir; Good: Shurree Ponds; Slow to Fair
The release out of Costilla Reservoir was unbelievably high last weekend through Wednesday. Finally the flows have come down to the perfect level for the Costilla High riding attractors cast tight to the banks is the way to go. Shuree Ponds are quite low and weedy. Fishing from the bank is tough with the weed growth except for the dam side.

Pecos River 43 cfs below Terrero; Good:
ALL OF THE PUBLIC ACCESSES IN THE PECOS CANYON ARE OPEN!!!! The river has come up a little, but is clear especially the higher you go. Use small flies during clear water and switch to a bigger more flashy fly if the water is murky. Caddis, yellow sallies, hoppers ants, and beetles have been the best producers. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. The Pecos National Historical Park's Fishing Program for the summer ends August 8th. You have a chance at a walk-on beat until then. You can make a reservation for the fall season starting August 8th. The fall season runs from September 8th through November 7th. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program".

Rio Grande 333 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 452 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow to Fair for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
The best fishing is on the lower Red or the Hondo as the mainstem Rio Grande has had some fluctuations in flow and is murked up. Not much for hatching bugs on the Rio right now. Trout need oxygen and the faster churning water is the place to find those fish. Fish big bugs like golden stonefly nymphs, cranefly larvae, or buggers. Remember to finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes 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 Las Conchas Fire area will off limits and Paliza and Jemez Falls Campgrounds also will remain closed for fire suppression activities. The Valles Caldera National Preserve is open but with limied access. The visitor center is open and the Valles Caldera will resume normal summer activities excluding those which normally occur in the burned areas. The Rio San Antonio fishing program on the Preserve is suspended for the remainder of this year. They will resume the fishing progam on the East Fork starting August 17th and it runs through October 9th. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov for more information.

Cimarron River 15 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 12 cfs at Cimarron
Cimarron Canyon State Park is now open!. The release out of Eagle's Nest Dam is a little low for optimum fishing. Look for flows around 30-50 cfs for a better experience. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the Red River all the way to Questa is open. Eagle Nest State Park is also open to camping and fishing .

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: 46 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 605 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 509 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama in the Sargent Wildlife area has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir is low and the water temps are high making fishing very slow. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch. Big nympsh dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam typically won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren't calling for water. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 168 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 381 cfs at Magote; Good
August 3, 2011. "Oh Boy! Sorry for the 17 day guide coma/lapse in reports! It has been blur and I must say thank you to all of you for supporting such a small business in the middle of nowhere! All of the guides have worked every day for many weeks and we all thank you. The Conejos in the last several weeks has changed from a diverse and prolific bug factory to summer with a more mixed bag of fishing. We have spent a lot of time on the tributaries lately and they have been good to great. The Conejos has been tricky on some days and some days just fantastic. When the browns come out it can be really really good right now and when they don’t it can be more tricky than you were hoping for. Both Jasmine and I guided the Hamilton several times in the last week and it has been very good for larger fish. Many on the dry some on a streamer some on Jimmy Legs, tan chenille worms, Salvation’s, and some small stuff! Meadow has had some great hatches and the flows still perfect but very complex some days trying to figure out which but they want. Pocket water below the meadows more predictable with a lot of good days. I will post more later but wanted to check in. The guides schedules now have some slots open so for those of you wanting to spend a day with us we would love to see you! We will be posting some of the pics from the last week on the blog soon!" The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 206 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Good: 445 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable. The upper Rio and the streams around Pagosa Springs have the best fishing going! Still good reports of stoneflies and caddis on this section. Green and gray drakes are in the mix and we are seeing more PMD's everyday. The water is fairly clear and fishing is very good, with most action on dry flies.

Animas River 664 at Durango; Fair to Good
Raw sewage has spilled into the Animas a couple of weeks ago. You might want to fish elsewhere or above the town of Durango. Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some caddis and stoneflies, but if your not finding the bugs, nymph the pockets. Watch out for the river runners and the afore mentioned sewage.

Piedra River 186 cfs at Arboles; Good
The lower sections below Williams Ceek can get warm and fish slow. It seems that there has been some rain lately which would help the fishing. Better reports on the upper forks above Willims Creek. Caddis, yellow salliies, beetles and hoppers round out the summer fare. Williams Creek below the reservoir is sslow and the water is warm. Same for the reservoir.

San Juan River 127 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Good
Flows have finally come down to where the town stretch can now be waded. Nymphing around town has been more productive than dry flies. Check out Turkey, or Four Mile for clear water if something blows out from a rain storm. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is also fishing well. Yellow sallies and caddis are most prevalent, but there are more still some more drakes and PMD's.

Arkansas River 822 cfs at Granite; Good: 1250 cfs at Salida; Good
Good fishing from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Focus on the banks as most fish aren't in the main channel. A big bug like a size #8 PMX with a golden stone dropper cast tight to the banks has been the most productive. Be careful wading from Brown's Canyon upstream, You'll be confined to one bank or the other. Yellow Sallies, caddis and PMD's are the bugs to choose.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions or closures.

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.

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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Saturday July 30, 2011

2011-07-30T18:40:00.001-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

Fire closures affecting the Pecos River and it's tribs within the Santa Fe National Forest have been lifted today, Saturday June 30th!!! The fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park is still suspended until further notice. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Last week, the Carson National Forest opened up their forest Stage I fire restrictions. Please see our announcements page for a list of what's closed and what is open.

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions or closures.

San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Fishing is good but fly choices have become smaller with the lower and clear water. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a black or gray midge pupa like a UV flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, chang your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. I had one report of an ant fall that happened earlier this week. More rain could bring on another fall. Small #16-18 ants fished along the banks are also bringing up fish. The caddis hatch on the lower river is waning but, PMD's are starting to show up. From Rainbow Lodge on down all river access is private. If you can, a stay at Soaring Eagle or a float from one of the guide services can put you in the middle of the hatch. 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!

Rio Costilla 191 cfs below Costilla Reservoir, Slow to Poor, except Shurree Ponds; Good
No it's not a joke or an error. The release out of Costilla Reservoir was raised and it is way too much water for the size of channel to even begin to fish worth a damn. I've never seen a release this high on the Costilla. Shurre ponds received a planting of big fish last week. Shuree is the only viable option in the Valle Vidal until the release comes down below 75 cfs.

Pecos River 43 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
ALL OF THE PUBLIC ACCESSES IN THE PECOS CANYON ARE OPEN!!!! The river has come up a little and is a little off color, which is a good thing for the fish and fishers. Fishing from the bridge crossings in Pecos is technically trespassing and many riverside landowners are starting to post their properties. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. We will call State Police or Game and Fish if we catch you on our waters! Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. See our Announcements Page for more details. The Pecos National Historical Park is still closed to fishing until further notice. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program".

Rio Grande 253 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 388 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande and it's tributaies like The Pueblo de Taos, Rio Hondo, and the lower Red River accessed through the Wild and Scenic Rivers area are open. The Red River Fish Hatchery campgrounds and parking area will reopen on Friday July 29th. The best fishing is on the lower Red or the Hondo. Not much for hatching bugs on the Rio right now. The flows have been fairly steady and the water clarity is around 1 to 2 feet. Trout need oxygen and the faster churning water is the place to find those fish. Fish big bugs like golden stonefly nymphs, cranefly larvae, or buggers. Remember to finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 37 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
All national forest lands in the Jemez Mountains as well as Fenton Lake State Park are open. The Las Conchas Fire area will remain in Stage III Fire Closures. Paliza and Jemez Falls Campgrounds also will remain closed for fire suppression activities. The Valles Caldera National Preserve has implemented Stage I Fire Restrictions. The visitor center is open and the Valles Caldera will resume normal summer activities excluding those which normally occur in the burned areas. The fishing programs on the Preserve remain suspended until further notice. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov for more information.

Cimarron River 28 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 19 cfs at Cimarron
Cimarron Canyon State Park is now open!. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the Red River all the way to Questa is open. Eagle Nest State Park is open to camping and fishing at this time under stage 2 fire restrictions.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 32 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 621 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 739 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The Rio Chama Wildlife Area will reopen to fishing, camping, hiking and horseback-riding on Friday July 29th. This includes all accesses off of NM Highway 112. The Heron Lake State Park access off of NM Highway 95 to the Chama is also open. The Sargent Wildlife Area opened to fishing, hiking and horseback-riding area near Chama on July 1st under Stage 2 fire restrictions. The other fire restrictions being lifted Saturday affecting the Chama is through the Chama Canyon Wilderness below El Vado Reservoir to Christ of the Desert Monastery. This affects the river rafters more than the fisherman. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam within the Santa Fe NF will also repoen Saturday. Typically it won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren't calling for water. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

The Rio de los Pinos Fishing Area northwest of Tres Piedras will reopen tomorrow, Friday July 29th.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 139 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 258 cfs at Magote; Good
July 7, 2011. "I just took a few moments to look over Devan’s blog (button on the home page) and he is doing a great job. It made me realize how much better we could share with you some fun parts of our days on the water. Me and the rest of the guides have had some people landing really nice fish but yesterday Devan captured the image in seconds and minutes later is was “live” online! We will try and continue to use photography to share life here in Conejos County. If the rivershed here was a ski area we would post in our ski report 15” new, powder/packed powder conditions and 90% open! Perfect weather on the way! The only streams that are still a little high right now are the ones above 10,000 feet. The others are good and all but the Pinnacles section (to high to safely fish) of the Conejos is fishing really good. In a week I switched from catching 99% of the fish on nymphs to 70% of the fish on dries. Very buggy with Drakes, pmd’s, Mahoganies, Caddis, and some Golden’s up higher. I am sure there are hatches going on on every stream in the whole county and to be honest we don’t know what they all are but armed with a nice box of flies you should have a chance to see fish feed on the surface or near on about 200 miles of water. The water level on the lower river is around 600 cfs and the fish are loving the lower water for feeding on the surface. Seems like some days we have had some very selective fish on the surface and other days like today Troy said they ate several different dries. Josh had a 1 person half day today and hooked 40 fish (browns) on dries this morning about 2 miles from the shop. I had a good morning yesterday with two of the Sherwood’s and we had some really big fish eating early and landed some nice fish had others straighten hooks and then landed a really nice brown in the 21 to 22” range. Devan posted the photo on the blog. My best flies have been the Meaty Drake, Oops, Salvations, Superfly, Caddis emergers, Frenchies, and a #14 red bodied attractor fly when the hatches are sparse. We have not been on the tribs as much the last few days but last week guided some of them and they were pretty special." The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 188 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Very Good: 480 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Very Good
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable. The upper Rio and the streams around Pagosa Springs have the best fishing going! Still good reports of stoneflies and caddis on this section. Green and gray drakes are in the mix and we are seeing more PMD's everyday. The water is fairly clear and fishing is very good, with most action on dry flies.

Animas River 664 at Durango; Fair to Good
Raw sewage has spilled into the Animas over the last week. You might want to fish elsewhere or above the town of Durango. Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some caddis and stoneflies, but if your not finding the bugs, nymph the pockets. Watch out for the river runners and the afore mentioned sewage.

Piedra River 94 cfs at Arboles; Very Good
I've had good reports through the box cayons all the way up into the forks. Lots of stoneflies caddis, and yellow salliies. Williams Creek below the reservoir is still fishing well. Lot's of options have just opened up around Pagosa.

San Juan River 102 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Very Good
Flows have finally come down to where the town stretch can now be waded. Nymphing around town has been more productive than dry flies. Check out Turkey, or Four Mile for easier wading and dry fly fishing. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is down and fishing well. Stones and caddis are most prevalent, but there are more and more green drakes and PMD's showing up also.

Arkansas River 942 cfs at Granite; Slow: 1460 cfs at Salida; Slow
Good hatches of stoneflies and caddis from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Focus on the banks as most fish aren't in the main channel. A big bug like a size #8 PMX with a golden stone dropper cast tight to the banks has been the most productive. Be careful wading from Brown's Canyon upstream, You'll be confined to one bank or the other. Yellow Sallies, caddis and stonelies are the bugs to choose.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

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.

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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday July 29, 2011

2011-07-29T15:13:00.001-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

Fire closures affecting the Pecos River and it's tribs within the Santa Fe National Forest will be lifted at 8:00 am on Saturday June 30th!!! The fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park is still suspended until further notice. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". The Pacheco Fire area will remain closed for public safety. Last week, the Carson National Forest opened up their forest Stage I fire restrictions. I will be in contact with forest service officials to find out if there will be other areas where the closures will be lifted. I will post that information as soon as it becomes available. Please see the rest of our announcements page below for a list of what's closed and what is open. Remember there are other places to fish. Plan a little bit and venture someplace new. The Valle Vidal is open. The Wheeler Peak area near Taos Ski Valley is a great place to backpack. Cooper's Ranch below El Vado dam is open to camping and fishing. So, be willing to try something different, you might just be glad you did!

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions or closures.

San Juan River 499 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Fishing is good but fly choices have become smaller with the lower and clear water. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a black or gray midge pupa like a UV flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, chang your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. I had one report of an ant fall that happened earlier this week. More rain could bring on another fall. Small #16-18 ants fished along the banks are also bringing up fish. The caddis hatch on the lower river is waning but, PMD's are starting to show up. From Rainbow Lodge on down all river access is private. If you can, a stay at Soaring Eagle or a float from one of the guide services can put you in the middle of the hatch. 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!

Rio Costilla 42 cfs below Costilla Reservoir, Good
The Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal is officially open since the Carson National Forest lifted some of their closures last week. Im' not sure if the lower portion in the RCCLA Park is closed or not. Please contact the office for more information at 575-586-0542. High riding dries cast tight to banks is the usual tactic to catch them super fast cutthroats. No reports as it has been closed since last December, but I'm guessing with the lack of pressure those fish are unbelievably gullible.

Pecos River 38 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
The Department of Game and Fish will lift the fire closures on State Game Commission properties in Pecos Canyon tomorrow Friday July 29th. All national forest lands surrounding the Pecos River WILL NOT OPEN UNTIL SATURDAY. Fishing from the bridge crossings in Pecos is technically trespassing and many riverside landowners are starting to post their properties. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. We will call State Police or Game and Fish if we catch you on our waters! Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. See our Announcements Page for more details. The Pecos National Historical Park is also closed to fishing until further notice. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Monastery Lake will reopen tomorrow Friday July 29th.

Rio Grande 215 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 344 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande and it's tributaies like The Pueblo de Taos, Rio Hondo, and the lower Red River accessed through the Wild and Scenic Rivers area are open. The Red River Fish Hatchery campgrounds and parking area will reopen on Friday July 29th. The best fishing is on the lower Red or the Hondo. Not much for hatching bugs on the Rio right now. The flows have been fairly steady and the water clarity is around 1 to 2 feet. Trout need oxygen and the faster churning water is the place to find those fish. Fish big bugs like golden stonefly nymphs, cranefly larvae, or buggers. Remember to finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 14 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
All national forest lands in the Jemez Mountains will reopen tomorrow Saturday July 30th. The Las Conchas Fire area will remain in Stage III Fire Closures. The remainder of the Jemez Ranger District will be open under stage I restrictions. Paliza and Jemez Falls Campgrounds will remain closed for fire suppression activities. The Valles Caldera National Preserve has also implemented Stage I Fire Restrictions. The visitor center is open and the Valles Caldera will resume normal summer activities excluding those which normally occur in the burned areas. The fishing programs on the Preserve remain suspended until further notice. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov for more information.

Cimarron River 24 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 17 cfs at Cimarron
Cimarron Canyon State Park is now open!. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the Red River all the way to Questa is open. Eagle Nest State Park is open to camping and fishing at this time under stage 2 fire restrictions.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 30 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 648 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 732 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The Rio Chama Wildlife Area will reopen to fishing, camping, hiking and horseback-riding on Friday July 29th. This includes all accesses off of NM Highway 112. The Heron Lake State Park access off of NM Highway 95 to the Chama is also open. The Sargent Wildlife Area opened to fishing, hiking and horseback-riding area near Chama on July 1st under Stage 2 fire restrictions. The other fire restrictions being lifted Saturday affecting the Chama is through the Chama Canyon Wilderness below El Vado Reservoir to Christ of the Desert Monastery. This affects the river rafters more than the fisherman. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam within the Santa Fe NF will also repoen Saturday. Typically it won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren't calling for water. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

The Rio de los Pinos Fishing Area northwest of Tres Piedras will reopen tomorrow, Friday July 29th.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 139 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 258 cfs at Magote; Good
July 7, 2011. "I just took a few moments to look over Devan’s blog (button on the home page) and he is doing a great job. It made me realize how much better we could share with you some fun parts of our days on the water. Me and the rest of the guides have had some people landing really nice fish but yesterday Devan captured the image in seconds and minutes later is was “live” online! We will try and continue to use photography to share life here in Conejos County. If the rivershed here was a ski area we would post in our ski report 15” new, powder/packed powder conditions and 90% open! Perfect weather on the way! The only streams that are still a little high right now are the ones above 10,000 feet. The others are good and all but the Pinnacles section (to high to safely fish) of the Conejos is fishing really good. In a week I switched from catching 99% of the fish on nymphs to 70% of the fish on dries. Very buggy with Drakes, pmd’s, Mahoganies, Caddis, and some Golden’s up higher. I am sure there are hatches going on on every stream in the whole county and to be honest we don’t know what they all are but armed with a nice box of flies you should have a chance to see fish feed on the surface or near on about 200 miles of water. The water level on the lower river is around 600 cfs and the fish are loving the lower water for feeding on the surface. Seems like some days we have had some very selective fish on the surface and other days like today Troy said they ate several different dries. Josh had a 1 person half day today and hooked 40 fish (browns) on dries this morning about 2 miles from the shop. I had a good morning yesterday with two of the Sherwood’s and we had some really big fish eating early and landed some nice fish had others straighten hooks and then landed a really nice brown in the 21 to 22” range. Devan posted the photo on the blog. My best flies have been the Meaty Drake, Oops, Salvations, Superfly, Caddis emergers, Frenchies, and a #14 red bodied attractor fly when the hatches are sparse. We have not been on the tribs as much the last few days but last week guided some of them and they were pretty special." The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 188 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Very Good: 480 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Very Good
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable. The upper Rio and the streams around Pagosa Springs have the best fishing going! Still good reports of stoneflies and caddis on this section. Green and gray drakes are in the mix and we are seeing more PMD's everyday. The water is fairly clear and fishing is very good, with most action on dry flies.

Animas River 664 at Durango; Fair to Good
Raw sewage has spilled into the Animas over the last week. You might want to fish elsewhere or above the town of Durango. Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some caddis and stoneflies, but if your not finding the bugs, nymph the pockets. Watch out for the river runners and the afore mentioned sewage.

Piedra River 94 cfs at Arboles; Very Good
I've had good reports through the box cayons all the way up into the forks. Lots of stoneflies caddis, and yellow salliies. Williams Creek below the reservoir is still fishing well. Lot's of options have just opened up around Pagosa.

San Juan River 102 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Very Good
Flows have finally come down to where the town stretch can now be waded. Nymphing around town has been more productive than dry flies. Check out Turkey, or Four Mile for easier wading and dry fly fishing. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is down and fishing well. Stones and caddis are most prevalent, but there are more and more green drakes and PMD's showing up also.

Arkansas River 942 cfs at Granite; Slow: 1460 cfs at Salida; Slow
Good hatches of stoneflies and caddis from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Focus on the banks as most fish aren't in the main channel. A big bug like a size #8 PMX with a golden stone dropper cast tight to the banks has been the most productive. Be careful wading from Brown's Canyon upstream, You'll be confined to one bank or the other. Yellow Sallies, caddis and stonelies are the bugs to choose.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

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.

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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Thursday July 28, 2011

2011-07-28T16:08:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

Fire closures affecting the Pecos River and it's tribs within the Santa Fe National Forest will be lifted at 8:00 am on Saturday June 30th!!! The fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park is still suspended until further notice. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". The Pacheco Fire area will remain closed for public safety. Last week, the Carson National Forest opened up some of their Ranger Districts under Stage II fire restrictions. I will be in contact with forest service officials to find out if there will be other areas where the closures will be lifted. I will post that information as soon as it becomes available. Please see the rest of our announcements page below for a list of what's closed and what is open. Remember there are other places to fish. Plan a little bit and venture someplace new. The Valle Vidal is open. The Wheeler Peak area near Taos Ski Valley is a great place to backpack. Cooper's Ranch below El Vado dam is open to camping and fishing. So, be willing to try something different, you might just be glad you did!

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions or closures.

San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Fishing is good but fly choices have become smaller with the lower and clear water. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a black or gray midge pupa like a UV flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, chang your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. I had one report of an ant fall that happened earlier this week. More rain could bring on another fall. Small #16-18 ants fished along the banks are also bringing up fish. The caddis hatch on the lower river is waning but, PMD's are starting to show up. From Rainbow Lodge on down all river access is private. If you can, a stay at Soaring Eagle or a float from one of the guide services can put you in the middle of the hatch. 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!

Rio Costilla 45 cfs below Costilla Reservoir, Good
The Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal is officially open since the Carson National Forest lifted some of their closures last week. Im' not sure if the lower portion in the RCCLA Park is closed or not. Please contact the office for more information at 575-586-0542. High riding dries cast tight to banks is the usual tactic to catch them super fast cutthroats. No reports as it has been closed since last December, but I'm guessing with the lack of pressure those fish are unbelievably gullible.

Pecos River 30 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
The Department of Game and Fish will lift the fire closures on State Game Commission properties in Pecos Canyon tomorrow Friday July 29th. All national forest lands surrounding the Pecos River WILL NOT OPEN UNTIL SATURDAY. Fishing from the bridge crossings in Pecos is technically trespassing and many riverside landowners are starting to post their properties. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. We will call State Police or Game and Fish if we catch you on our waters! Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. See our Announcements Page for more details. The Pecos National Historical Park is also closed to fishing until further notice. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Monastery Lake will reopen tomorrow Friday July 29th.

Rio Grande 222 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 365 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande and it's tributaies like The Pueblo de Taos, Rio Hondo, and the lower Red River accessed through the Wild and Scenic Rivers area are open. The Red River Fish Hatchery campgrounds and parking area will reopen on Friday July 29th. The best fishing is on the lower Red or the Hondo. Not much for hatching bugs on the Rio right now. The flows have been fairly steady and the water clarity is around 1 to 2 feet. Trout need oxygen and the faster churning water is the place to find those fish. Fish big bugs like golden stonefly nymphs, cranefly larvae, or buggers. Remember to finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 15 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
All national forest roads in the Jemez Mountains will reopen tomorrow Saturday July 30th. The Las Conchas Fire area will remain in Stage III Fire Closures. The remainder of the Jemez Ranger District will be open under stage I restrictions. Paliza and Jemez Falls Campgrounds will remain closed for fire suppression activities. The Valles Caldera National Preserve has also implemented Stage I Fire Restrictions. The visitor center is open and the Valles Caldera will resume normal summer activities excluding those which normally occur in the burned areas. The fishing programs on the Preserve remain suspended until further notice. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov for more information.

Cimarron River 24 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 17 cfs at Cimarron
AS OF THIS WRITING, THE CIMARRON CANYON STATE PARK WILL REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, AS IS COYOTE CREEK STATE PARK. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the Red River all the way to Questa is open. Eagle Nest State Park is open to camping and fishing at this time under stage 2 fire restrictions.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 35 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 534 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 683 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The Rio Chama Wildlife Area will reopen to fishing, camping, hiking and horseback-riding beginning tomorrow July 29th. This includes all accesses off of NM Highway 112. The Heron Lake State Park access off of NM Highway 95 to the Chama is also open. The Sargent Wildlife Area opened to fishing, hiking and horseback-riding area near Chama on July 1st under Stage 2 fire restrictions. The other fire restrictions being lifted Saturday affecting the Chama is through the Chama Canyon Wilderness below El Vado Reservoir to Christ of the Desert Monastery. This affects the river rafters more than the fisherman. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam within the Santa Fe NF will also repoen Saturday. Typically it won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren't calling for water. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

The Rio de los Pinos Fishing Area northwest of Tres Piedras will reopen tomorrow, Friday July 29th.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 139 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 269 cfs at Magote; Good
July 7, 2011. "I just took a few moments to look over Devan’s blog (button on the home page) and he is doing a great job. It made me realize how much better we could share with you some fun parts of our days on the water. Me and the rest of the guides have had some people landing really nice fish but yesterday Devan captured the image in seconds and minutes later is was “live” online! We will try and continue to use photography to share life here in Conejos County. If the rivershed here was a ski area we would post in our ski report 15” new, powder/packed powder conditions and 90% open! Perfect weather on the way! The only streams that are still a little high right now are the ones above 10,000 feet. The others are good and all but the Pinnacles section (to high to safely fish) of the Conejos is fishing really good. In a week I switched from catching 99% of the fish on nymphs to 70% of the fish on dries. Very buggy with Drakes, pmd’s, Mahoganies, Caddis, and some Golden’s up higher. I am sure there are hatches going on on every stream in the whole county and to be honest we don’t know what they all are but armed with a nice box of flies you should have a chance to see fish feed on the surface or near on about 200 miles of water. The water level on the lower river is around 600 cfs and the fish are loving the lower water for feeding on the surface. Seems like some days we have had some very selective fish on the surface and other days like today Troy said they ate several different dries. Josh had a 1 person half day today and hooked 40 fish (browns) on dries this morning about 2 miles from the shop. I had a good morning yesterday with two of the Sherwood’s and we had some really big fish eating early and landed some nice fish had others straighten hooks and then landed a really nice brown in the 21 to 22” range. Devan posted the photo on the blog. My best flies have been the Meaty Drake, Oops, Salvations, Superfly, Caddis emergers, Frenchies, and a #14 red bodied attractor fly when the hatches are sparse. We have not been on the tribs as much the last few days but last week guided some of them and they were pretty special." The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 222 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Very Good: 547 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Very Good
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable. The upper Rio and the streams around Pagosa Springs have the best fishing going! Still good reports of stoneflies and caddis on this section. Green and gray drakes are in the mix and we are seeing more PMD's everyday. The water is fairly clear and fishing is very good, with most action on dry flies.

Animas River 766 at Durango; Fair to Good
Raw sewage has spilled into the Animas over the last week. You might want to fish elsewhere or above the town of Durango. Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some caddis and stoneflies, but if your not finding the bugs, nymph the pockets. Watch out for the river runners and the afore mentioned sewage.

Piedra River 124 cfs at Arboles; Very Good
I've had good reports through the box cayons all the way up into the forks. Lots of stoneflies caddis, and yellow salliies. Williams Creek below the reservoir is still fishing well. Lot's of options have just opened up around Pagosa.

San Juan River 130 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Very Good
Flows have finally come down to where the town stretch can now be waded. Nymphing around town has been more productive than dry flies. Check out Turkey, or Four Mile for easier wading and dry fly fishing. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is down and fishing well. Stones and caddis are most prevalent, but there are more and more green drakes and PMD's showing up also.

Arkansas River 1150 cfs at Granite; Slow: 1490 cfs at Salida; Slow
Good hatches of stoneflies and caddis from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Focus on the banks as most fish aren't in the main channel. A big bug like a size #8 PMX with a golden stone dropper cast tight to the banks has been the most productive. Be careful wading from Brown's Canyon upstream, You'll be confined to one bank or the other. Yellow Sallies, caddis and stonelies are the bugs to choose.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

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.

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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Saturday July 23, 2011

2011-07-23T09:00:00.003-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

Some good news!!! The Carson National Forest has opened up some of their Ranger Districts under Stage II fire restrictions. See the details below. As far as the Santa Fe National Forest goes, the rainfall we've had over the last two weeks has been too sporadic to affect fuel mosture levels for the forests to reopen. It will take more consistent and steady rains to mitigate our current fire danger of extreme. I will be in contact with forest service officials next week to find out when the closures might be lifted. I will post that information as soon as it becomes available. Please see the rest of our announcements page below for a list of what's closed and what is open. There are places to fish. Plan a little bit and venture someplace new. The Valle Vidal is now open. The Wheeler Peak area near Taos Ski Valley is a great place to backpack. Cooper's Ranch below El Vado dam is open to camping and fishing. So, be willing to try something different, you might just be glad you did!!!
For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.

San Juan River 499 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Fishing is good but fly choices have become smaller with the lower and clear water. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a black or gray midge pupa like a UV flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, chang your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. I had one report of an ant fall that happened earlier this week. More rain could bring on another fall. Small #16-18 ants fished along the banks are also bringing up fish. The caddis hatch on the lower river is waning but, PMD's are starting to show up. From Rainbow Lodge on down all river access is private. If you can, a stay at Soaring Eagle or a float from one of the guide services can put you in the middle of the hatch. 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!

Rio Costilla 42 cfs below Costilla Reservoir, Good
The Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal is officially open since the Carson National Forest lifted some of their closures today. Im' not sure if the lower portion in the RCCLA Park is closed or not. Please contact the office for more information at 575-586-0542. High riding dries cast tight to banks is the usual tactic to catch them super fast cutthroats. No reports as it has been closed since last December, but I'm guessing with the lack of pressure those fish are unbelievably gullible.

Pecos River 24 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
PECOS CANYON CAMPGROUNDS, DAY USE AREAS, HIKING TRAILS, AND FISHING ACCESSES ARE STILL CLOSED.
The Department of Game and Fish imposed strict fire closures on State Game Commission properties in Pecos Canyon beginning Thursday, June 30th banning all camping and fishing. All forest lands surrounding the Pecos River are also closed. I'll post any information on closures being lifted as soon as it becomes available. Fishing from the bridge crossings in Pecos is technically trespassing and many riverside landowners are starting to post their properties. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use and it is CLOSED. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. We will call State Police or Game and Fish if we catch you on our waters! Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. See our Announcements Page for more details. The Pecos National Historical Park is also closed to fishing. They will let anyone with a reservation on the river throught the 4th. Currently there is no walk on fishing at the park. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Monastery Lake is also closed.

Rio Grande 304 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 464 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande and it's tributaies like The Pueblo de Taos, Rio Hondo, and the lower Red River accessed through the Wild and Scenic Rivers area are open. The Red River Fish Hatchery campgrounds and parking area are closed, with no fishing access. The best fishing is on the lower Red or the Hondo. Not much for hatching bugs on the Rio right now. The flows have been fairly steady and the water clarity is around 1 to 2 feet. Trout need oxygen and the faster churning water is the place to find those fish. Fish big bugs like golden stonefly nymphs, cranefly larvae, or buggers. Remember to finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 10 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
ALL FISHING ACCESS IN THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS INCLUDING FENTON LAKE STATE PARK ARE CLOSED. New Mexico Highway 4 is now open from Los Alamos to La Cueva. All forest roads are closed however, even FR 376 along the Guadalupe and up to the San Antonio Hot Springs. For more details on fire restrictions and closures go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com. The Valles Caldera Natioanal Preserve has cancelled all fishing reservations until further notice. The Valles Caldera has reopened it's Staging Area on July 13th. The staging area, located in the Valle Grande, off NM 4 near mile marker 39. The preserve is being opened for visitors to come to the staging area to view the aftermath of the fire on the Preserve. There will be no tours or fishing programs nor actual contact with the fire zone. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov for more information.

Cimarron River 34 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 20 cfs at Cimarron
THE CIMARRON CANYON STATE PARK IS CLOSED. ALL SURROUNDING CARSON NATIONAL FOREST LANDS ARE ALSO CLOSED AS IS COYOTE CREEK STATE PARK. See the Carson NF website at www.fs.fed.us/r3/carson/ for more info. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the upper Red River all the way to Questa is closed. Eagle Nest State Park is open to camping and fishing at this time under stage 2 fire restrictions.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 48 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 766 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 783 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH HAS ANNOUNCED SOME CLOSURES AFFECTING THE CHAMA RIVER. The Rio Chama Wildlife Area is closed to fishing, camping, hiking and horseback-riding. All accesses off of NM Highway 112 are closed to public entry. The Heron Lake State Park access off of NM Highway 95 to the Chama is open. There must have been a half dozen cars there on Monday morning, so get an early start and realize that you are not the only one with that idea. The Sargent Wildlife Area opened to fishing, hiking and horseback-riding area near Chama on July 1st under Stage 2 fire restrictions. The other fire closures affecting the Chama is through the Chama Canyon Wilderness below El Vado Reservoir to Christ of the Desert Monastery. This affects the river rafters more than the fisherman. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam within the Santa Fe NF is closed. Typically it won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren't calling for water. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Be aware that the Rio de los Pinos Fishing Area northwest of Tres Piedras is closed to public entry as well as the Carson National Forest stretch.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 186 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 334 cfs at Magote; Good
July 7, 2011. "I just took a few moments to look over Devan’s blog (button on the home page) and he is doing a great job. It made me realize how much better we could share with you some fun parts of our days on the water. Me and the rest of the guides have had some people landing really nice fish but yesterday Devan captured the image in seconds and minutes later is was “live” online! We will try and continue to use photography to share life here in Conejos County. If the rivershed here was a ski area we would post in our ski report 15” new, powder/packed powder conditions and 90% open! Perfect weather on the way! The only streams that are still a little high right now are the ones above 10,000 feet. The others are good and all but the Pinnacles section (to high to safely fish) of the Conejos is fishing really good. In a week I switched from catching 99% of the fish on nymphs to 70% of the fish on dries. Very buggy with Drakes, pmd’s, Mahoganies, Caddis, and some Golden’s up higher. I am sure there are hatches going on on every stream in the whole county and to be honest we don’t know what they all are but armed with a nice box of flies you should have a chance to see fish feed on the surface or near on about 200 miles of water. The water level on the lower river is around 600 cfs and the fish are loving the lower water for feeding on the surface. Seems like some days we have had some very selective fish on the surface and other days like today Troy said they ate several different dries. Josh had a 1 person half day today and hooked 40 fish (browns) on dries this morning about 2 miles from the shop. I had a good morning yesterday with two of the Sherwood’s and we had some really big fish eating early and landed some nice fish had others straighten hooks and then landed a really nice brown in the 21 to 22” range. Devan posted the photo on the blog. My best flies have been the Meaty Drake, Oops, Salvations, Superfly, Caddis emergers, Frenchies, and a #14 red bodied attractor fly when the hatches are sparse. We have not been on the tribs as much the last few days but last week guided some of them and they were pretty special." The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 306 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Very Good: 590 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Very Good
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable. The upper Rio and the streams around Pagosa Springs have the best fishing going! Still good reports of stoneflies and caddis on this section. Green and gray drakes are in the mix and we are seeing more PMD's everyday. The water is fairly clear and fishing is very good, with most action on dry flies.

Animas River 1170 at Durango; Fair to Good
Raw sewage has spilled into the Animas over the last two days. You might want to fish elsewhere or above the town of Durango. Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some caddis and stoneflies, but if your not finding the bugs, nymph the pockets. Watch out for the river runners and the afore mentioned sewage.

Piedra River 124 cfs at Arboles; Very Good
I've had good reports through the box cayons all the way up into the forks. Lots of stoneflies caddis, and yellow salliies. Williams Creek below the reservoir is still fishing well. Lot's of options have just opened up around Pagosa.

San Juan River 182 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Very Good
Flows have finally come down to where the town stretch can now be waded. Nymphing around town has been more productive than dry flies. Check out Turkey, or Four Mile for easier wading and dry fly fishing. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is down and fishing well. Stones and caddis are most prevalent, but there are more and more green drakes and PMD's showing up also.

Arkansas River 1620 cfs at Granite; Slow: 2220 cfs at Salida; Slow
Good hatches of stoneflies and caddis from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Focus on the banks as most fish aren't in the main channel. A big bug like a size #8 PMX with a golden stone dropper cast tight to the banks has been the most productive. Be careful wading from Brown's Canyon upstream, You'll be confined to one bank or the other. Yellow Sallies, caddis and stonelies are the bugs to choose.

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.

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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday July 22, 2011

2011-07-22T18:02:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

Some good news!!! The Carson National Forest has opened up some of their Ranger Districts under Stage II fire restrictions. See the details below. As far as the Santa Fe National Forest goes, the rainfall we've had over the last two weeks has been too sporadic to affect fuel mosture levels for the forests to reopen. It will take more consistent and steady rains to mitigate our current fire danger of extreme. I will be in contact with forest service officials next week to find out when the closures might be lifted. I will post that information as soon as it becomes available. Please see the rest of our announcements page below for a list of what's closed and what is open. There are places to fish. Plan a little bit and venture someplace new. The Valle Vidal is now open. The Wheeler Peak area near Taos Ski Valley is a great place to backpack. Cooper's Ranch below El Vado dam is open to camping and fishing. So, be willing to try something different, you might just be glad you did! !

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.

San Juan River 499 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Fishing is good but fly choices have become smaller with the lower and clear water. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a black or gray midge pupa like a no flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. I had one report of an ant fall that happened near the damon the 13th. Another good rain shoould produce another fall downstream. Small #16-18 ants fished along the banks are also bringing up fish. The caddis hatch on the lower river is done, but PMD's are starting to show up. From Rainbow Lodge on down all river access is private. If you can, a stay at Soaring Eagle or a float from one of the guide services can put you in the middle of the hatch. 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 below Terrero; Fair to Good:
PECOS CANYON CAMPGROUNDS, DAY USE AREAS, HIKING TRAILS, AND FISHING ACCESSES ARE STILL CLOSED.
The Department of Game and Fish imposed strict fire closures on State Game Commission properties in Pecos Canyon beginning Thursday, June 30th banning all camping and fishing. All forest lands surrounding the Pecos River are also closed. I'll post any information on closures being lifted as soon as it becomes available. Fishing from the bridge crossings in Pecos is technically trespassing and many riverside landowners are starting to post their properties. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use and it is CLOSED. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. We will call State Police or Game and Fish if we catch you on our waters! Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. See our Announcements Page for more details. The Pecos National Historical Park is also closed to fishing. They will let anyone with a reservation on the river throught the 4th. Currently there is no walk on fishing at the park. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Monastery Lake is also closed.

Rio Grande 281 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 434 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande and it's tributaies like The Pueblo de Taos, Rio Hondo, and the lower Red River in the Wild and Scenic Rivers area are open. The Red River Fish Hatchery campgrounds and parking area are closed, with no fishing access. The best fishing is on the lower or upper Red or the Hondo. Not much for hatching bugs on the Rio right now. The flows have been fairly steady and the water clarity is around 1 to 2 feet. Trout need oxygen and the faster churning water is the place to find those fish. Fish big bugs like golden stonefly nymphs, cranefly larvae, or buggers. Remember to finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Rio Costilla 42 cfs below Costilla Reservoir, Good
The Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal is officially open since the Carson National Forest lifted some of their closures today. Im' not sure if the lower portion in the RCCLA Park is closed or not. High riding dries cast tight to banks is the usual tactic to catch them super fast cutthroats. No reports as it has been closed since last December, but I'm guessing with the lack of pressure those fish are unbelievably gullible.

Jemez Mountain Streams 13 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
ALL FISHING ACCESS IN THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS INCLUDING FENTON LAKE STATE PARK ARE CLOSED. New Mexico Highway 4 is now open from Los Alamos to La Cueva. All forest roads are closed however, even FR 376 along the Guadalupe and up to the San Antonio Hot Springs. For more details on fire restrictions and closures go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com. The Valles Caldera Natioanal Preserve has cancelled all fishing reservations until further notice. The Valles Caldera has reopened it's Staging Area on July 13th. The staging area, located in the Valle Grande, off NM 4 near mile marker 39. The preserve is being opened for visitors to come to the staging area to view the aftermath of the fire on the Preserve. There will be no tours or fishing programs nor actual contact with the fire zone. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov for more information.

Cimarron River 34 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 20 cfs at Cimarron THE CIMARRON CANYON STATE PARK IS CLOSED. ALL SURROUNDING CARSON NATIONAL FOREST LANDS ARE ALSO CLOSED AS IS COYOTE CREEK STATE PARK. Nearby Red River over Bobcat Pass Red River all the way to Questa is openas of noon today! Eagle Nest State Park is open to camping and fishing at this time under stage 2 fire restrictions.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 41 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 751 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 890 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH HAS ANNOUNCED SOME CLOSURES AFFECTING THE CHAMA RIVER. The Rio Chama Wildlife Area is closed to fishing, camping, hiking and horseback-riding. All accesses off of NM Highway 112 are closed to public entry. The Heron Lake State Park access off of NM Highway 95 to the Chama is open. There must have been a half dozen cars there on Monday morning, so get an early start and realize that you are not the only one with that idea. The Sargent Wildlife Area opened to fishing, hiking and horseback-riding area near Chama on July 1st under Stage 2 fire restrictions. The other fire closures affecting the Chama is through the Chama Canyon Wilderness below El Vado Reservoir to Christ of the Desert Monastery. This affects the river rafters more than the fisherman. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam within the Santa Fe NF is closed. Typically it won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren't calling for water. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 152 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 285 cfs at Magote; Good
July 7, 2011. "I just took a few moments to look over Devan’s blog (button on the home page) and he is doing a great job. It made me realize how much better we could share with you some fun parts of our days on the water. Me and the rest of the guides have had some people landing really nice fish but yesterday Devan captured the image in seconds and minutes later is was “live” online! We will try and continue to use photography to share life here in Conejos County. If the rivershed here was a ski area we would post in our ski report 15” new, powder/packed powder conditions and 90% open! Perfect weather on the way! The only streams that are still a little high right now are the ones above 10,000 feet. The others are good and all but the Pinnacles section (to high to safely fish) of the Conejos is fishing really good. In a week I switched from catching 99% of the fish on nymphs to 70% of the fish on dries. Very buggy with Drakes, pmd’s, Mahoganies, Caddis, and some Golden’s up higher. I am sure there are hatches going on on every stream in the whole county and to be honest we don’t know what they all are but armed with a nice box of flies you should have a chance to see fish feed on the surface or near on about 200 miles of water. The water level on the lower river is around 600 cfs and the fish are loving the lower water for feeding on the surface. Seems like some days we have had some very selective fish on the surface and other days like today Troy said they ate several different dries. Josh had a 1 person half day today and hooked 40 fish (browns) on dries this morning about 2 miles from the shop. I had a good morning yesterday with two of the Sherwood’s and we had some really big fish eating early and landed some nice fish had others straighten hooks and then landed a really nice brown in the 21 to 22” range. Devan posted the photo on the blog. My best flies have been the Meaty Drake, Oops, Salvations, Superfly, Caddis emergers, Frenchies, and a #14 red bodied attractor fly when the hatches are sparse. We have not been on the tribs as much the last few days but last week guided some of them and they were pretty special." The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 217 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Very Good: 553 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Very Good
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable. The upper Rio and the streams around Pagosa Springs have the best fishing going! Still good reports of stoneflies and caddis on this section. Green and gray drakes are in the mix and we are seeing more PMD's everyday. The water is fairly clear and fishing is very good, with most action on dry flies.

Animas River 874 at Durango; Fair to Good
Raw sewage has spilled into the Animas in the past week. You might want to fish elsewhere or above the town of Durango. Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some caddis and stoneflies, but if your not finding the bugs, nymph the pockets. Watch out for the river runners and the afore mentioned sewage.

Piedra River 124 cfs at Arboles; Very Good
I've had good reports through the box canyons all the way up into the forks. Lots of stoneflies caddis, and yellow salliies. Williams Creek below the reservoir is still fishing well. Lot's of options have just opened up around Pagosa.

San Juan River 182 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Very Good
Flows have finally come down to where the town stretch can now be waded. Nymphing around town has been more productive than dry flies. Check out Turkey, or Four Mile for easier wading and dry fly fishing. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is down and fishing well. Stones and caddis are most prevalent, but there are more and more green drakes and PMD's showing up also.

Arkansas River 1620 cfs at Granite; Slow: 2220 cfs at Salida; Slow
Good hatches of stoneflies and caddis from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Focus on the banks as most fish aren't in the main channel. A big bug like a size #8 PMX with a golden stone dropper cast tight to the banks has been the most productive. Be careful wading from Brown's Canyon upstream, You'll be confined to one bank or the other. Yellow Sallies, caddis and stonelies are the bugs to choose.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

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.

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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Wednesday July 20, 2011

2011-07-20T09:07:00.002-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

According to Forest Service officials, we haven't had a significant amount of rainfall to reopen the forests. It will take more consistent and steady rains to mitigate our current fire danger of extreme. I am in contact with forest service officials nearly every day to find out when the closures might be lifted. I will post that information as soon as it becomes available. Please see our announcements page for a list of what's closed and what is open. There are places to fish. Plan a little bit and venture someplace new. The Pagosa area continues to fish very well. The Conejos high country is a great place to backpack. Cooper's Ranch below El Vado dam is open to camping and fishing. So, be willing to try something different, you might just be glad you did!

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.

San Juan River 499 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Fishing is good but fly choices have become smaller with the lower and clear water. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a black or gray midge pupa like a UV flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, chang your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. I had one report of an ant fall that happened earlier this week. More rain could bring on another fall. Small #16-18 ants fished along the banks are also bringing up fish. The caddis hatch on the lower river is waning but, PMD's are starting to show up. From Rainbow Lodge on down all river access is private. If you can, a stay at Soaring Eagle or a float from one of the guide services can put you in the middle of the hatch. 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 24 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
PECOS CANYON CAMPGROUNDS, DAY USE AREAS, HIKING TRAILS, AND FISHING ACCESSES ARE STILL CLOSED.
The Department of Game and Fish imposed strict fire closures on State Game Commission properties in Pecos Canyon beginning Thursday, June 30th banning all camping and fishing. All forest lands surrounding the Pecos River are also closed. I'll post any information on closures being lifted as soon as it becomes available. Fishing from the bridge crossings in Pecos is technically trespassing and many riverside landowners are starting to post their properties. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use and it is CLOSED. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. We will call State Police or Game and Fish if we catch you on our waters! Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. See our Announcements Page for more details. The Pecos National Historical Park is also closed to fishing. They will let anyone with a reservation on the river throught the 4th. Currently there is no walk on fishing at the park. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Monastery Lake is also closed.

Rio Grande 304 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 464 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair to Good for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande and it's tributaies like The Pueblo de Taos, Rio Hondo, and the lower Red River accessed through the Wild and Scenic Rivers area are open. The Red River Fish Hatchery campgrounds and parking area are closed, with no fishing access. The best fishing is on the lower Red or the Hondo. Not much for hatching bugs on the Rio right now. The flows have been fairly steady and the water clarity is around 1 to 2 feet. Trout need oxygen and the faster churning water is the place to find those fish. Fish big bugs like golden stonefly nymphs, cranefly larvae, or buggers. Remember to finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

The Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal as well as the lower portion in the RCCLA Park is closed. Due to extreme fire danger the RCCLA and the Rio Costilla Park, including Latir Creek and Latir Lakes are closed until further notice. Please contact the office for more information at 575-586-0542.

Jemez Mountain Streams 10 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
ALL FISHING ACCESS IN THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS INCLUDING FENTON LAKE STATE PARK ARE CLOSED. New Mexico Highway 4 is now open from Los Alamos to La Cueva. All forest roads are closed however, even FR 376 along the Guadalupe and up to the San Antonio Hot Springs. For more details on fire restrictions and closures go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com. The Valles Caldera Natioanal Preserve has cancelled all fishing reservations until further notice. The Valles Caldera has reopened it's Staging Area on July 13th. The staging area, located in the Valle Grande, off NM 4 near mile marker 39. The preserve is being opened for visitors to come to the staging area to view the aftermath of the fire on the Preserve. There will be no tours or fishing programs nor actual contact with the fire zone. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov for more information.

Cimarron River 34 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 20 cfs at Cimarron THE CIMARRON CANYON STATE PARK IS CLOSED. ALL SURROUNDING CARSON NATIONAL FOREST LANDS ARE ALSO CLOSED AS IS COYOTE CREEK STATE PARK. See the Carson NF website at www.fs.fed.us/r3/carson/ for more info. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the upper Red River all the way to Questa is closed. Eagle Nest State Park is open to camping and fishing at this time under stage 2 fire restrictions.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 48 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 766 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 783 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH HAS ANNOUNCED SOME CLOSURES AFFECTING THE CHAMA RIVER. The Rio Chama Wildlife Area is closed to fishing, camping, hiking and horseback-riding. All accesses off of NM Highway 112 are closed to public entry. The Heron Lake State Park access off of NM Highway 95 to the Chama is open. There must have been a half dozen cars there on Monday morning, so get an early start and realize that you are not the only one with that idea. The Sargent Wildlife Area opened to fishing, hiking and horseback-riding area near Chama on July 1st under Stage 2 fire restrictions. The other fire closures affecting the Chama is through the Chama Canyon Wilderness below El Vado Reservoir to Christ of the Desert Monastery. This affects the river rafters more than the fisherman. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam within the Santa Fe NF is closed. Typically it won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren't calling for water. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Be aware that the Rio de los Pinos Fishing Area northwest of Tres Piedras is closed to public entry as well as the Carson National Forest stretch.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 186 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 334 cfs at Magote; Good
July 7, 2011. "I just took a few moments to look over Devan’s blog (button on the home page) and he is doing a great job. It made me realize how much better we could share with you some fun parts of our days on the water. Me and the rest of the guides have had some people landing really nice fish but yesterday Devan captured the image in seconds and minutes later is was “live” online! We will try and continue to use photography to share life here in Conejos County. If the rivershed here was a ski area we would post in our ski report 15” new, powder/packed powder conditions and 90% open! Perfect weather on the way! The only streams that are still a little high right now are the ones above 10,000 feet. The others are good and all but the Pinnacles section (to high to safely fish) of the Conejos is fishing really good. In a week I switched from catching 99% of the fish on nymphs to 70% of the fish on dries. Very buggy with Drakes, pmd’s, Mahoganies, Caddis, and some Golden’s up higher. I am sure there are hatches going on on every stream in the whole county and to be honest we don’t know what they all are but armed with a nice box of flies you should have a chance to see fish feed on the surface or near on about 200 miles of water. The water level on the lower river is around 600 cfs and the fish are loving the lower water for feeding on the surface. Seems like some days we have had some very selective fish on the surface and other days like today Troy said they ate several different dries. Josh had a 1 person half day today and hooked 40 fish (browns) on dries this morning about 2 miles from the shop. I had a good morning yesterday with two of the Sherwood’s and we had some really big fish eating early and landed some nice fish had others straighten hooks and then landed a really nice brown in the 21 to 22” range. Devan posted the photo on the blog. My best flies have been the Meaty Drake, Oops, Salvations, Superfly, Caddis emergers, Frenchies, and a #14 red bodied attractor fly when the hatches are sparse. We have not been on the tribs as much the last few days but last week guided some of them and they were pretty special." The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 306 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Very Good: 590 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Very Good
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable. The upper Rio and the streams around Pagosa Springs have the best fishing going! Still good reports of stoneflies and caddis on this section. Green and gray drakes are in the mix and we are seeing more PMD's everyday. The water is fairly clear and fishing is very good, with most action on dry flies.

Animas River 1170 at Durango; Fair to Good
Raw sewage has spilled into the Animas over the last two days. You might want to fish elsewhere or above the town of Durango. Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some caddis and stoneflies, but if your not finding the bugs, nymph the pockets. Watch out for the river runners and the afore mentioned sewage.

Piedra River 124 cfs at Arboles; Very Good
I've had good reports through the box cayons all the way up into the forks. Lots of stoneflies caddis, and yellow salliies. Williams Creek below the reservoir is still fishing well. Lot's of options have just opened up around Pagosa.

San Juan River 182 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Very Good
Flows have finally come down to where the town stretch can now be waded. Nymphing around town has been more productive than dry flies. Check out Turkey, or Four Mile for easier wading and dry fly fishing. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is down and fishing well. Stones and caddis are most prevalent, but there are more and more green drakes and PMD's showing up also.

Arkansas River 1620 cfs at Granite; Slow: 2220 cfs at Salida; Slow
Good hatches of stoneflies and caddis from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Focus on the banks as most fish aren't in the main channel. A big bug like a size #8 PMX with a golden stone dropper cast tight to the banks has been the most productive. Be careful wading from Brown's Canyon upstream, You'll be confined to one bank or the other. Yellow Sallies, caddis and stonelies are the bugs to choose.

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.

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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Saturday July 16, 2011

2011-07-16T12:03:00.002-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

The rainfall we've had over the last two weeks has been too sporadic to affect fuel mosture levels for the forests to reopen. It will take more consistent and steady rains to mitigate our current fire danger of extreme. I am in contact with forest service officials nearly every day to find out when the closures might be lifted. I will post that information as soon as it becomes available. Please see our announcements page for a list of what's closed and what is open. There are places to fish. Plan a little bit and venture someplace new. The Pagosa area is hot right now. The Conejos high country is a great place to backpack. Cooper's Ranch below El Vado dam is open to camping and fishing. So, be willing to try something different, you might just be glad you did!

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.

San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
There has been some rainfall here over the last week. I'm not sure if it's enough to produce an ant fall, but it does signal the start of our mosoons. Fishing is good but fly choices have become smaller with the lower and clear water. Black and grey bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working. Red midges like a disco midge above Texas Hole in the mornings is a good producer. For the beatis, try the ususal, chocolate foam wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, gray loop wing emergers, and gray RS2's. Fish start eating midges once the baetis are done from then until dusk. The caddis hatch on the lower river is waning but, PMD's are starting to show up. From Rainbow Lodge on down all river access is private. If you can, a stay at Soaring Eagle or a float from one of the guide services can put you in the middle of the hatch. You can sometimes find bugs all the way up to the Gravel Pit take out. 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 below Terrero; Fair to Good:
PECOS CANYON CAMPGROUNDS, DAY USE AREAS, HIKING TRAILS, AND FISHING ACCESSES ARE STILL CLOSED.
The Department of Game and Fish imposed strict fire closures on State Game Commission properties in Pecos Canyon beginning Thursday, June 30th banning all camping and fishing. All forest lands surrounding the Pecos River are also closed. I'll post any information on closures being lifted as soon as it becomes available. Fishing from the bridge crossings in Pecos is technically trespassing. The first PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use and it is CLOSED. I know we all want a place to fish, but don't be a poacher. We will call State Police or Game and Fish if we catch you on our waters! Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass. See our Announcements Page for more details. The Pecos National Historical Park is also closed to fishing. They will let anyone with a reservation on the river throught the 4th. Currently there is no walk on fishing at the park. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Monastery Lake is also closed.

Rio Grande 622 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 776 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande and it's tributaies like The Pueblo de Taos, Rio Hondo, and the lower Red River accessed through the Wild and Scenic Rivers area are open. The Red River Fish Hatchery campgrounds and parking area are closed, with no fishing access. The best fishing is on the lower Red or the Hondo. Not much for hatching bugs on the Rio right now. The flows have been fairly steady and the water clarity is around 1 to 2 feet. Trout need oxygen and the faster churning water is the place to fish. Fish big bugs like golden stonefly nymphs, cranefly larvae, or buggers. Remember to finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

The Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal as well as the lower portion in the RCCLA Park is closed. Due to extreme fire danger the RCCLA and the Rio Costilla Park, including Latir Creek and Latir Lakes are closed until further notice. Please contact the office for more information at 575-586-0542.

Jemez Mountain Streams 13 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
ALL FISHING ACCESS IN THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS INCLUDING FENTON LAKE STATE PARK ARE CLOSED. New Mexico Highway 4 is now open from Los Alamos to La Cueva. All forest roads are closed however, even FR 376 along the Guadalupe and up to the San Antonio Hot Springs. For more details on fire restrictions and closures go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com. The Valles Caldera Natioanal Preserve has cancelled all fishing reservations until further notice. The Valles Caldera will reopen it's Staging Area today, July 13th. The staging area, located in the Valle Grande, off NM 4 near mile marker 39. The preserve is being opened for visitors to come to the staging area to view the aftermath of the fire on the Preserve. There will be no tours or fishing programs nor actual contact with the fire zone. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov for more information.

Cimarron River 29 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 32 cfs at Cimarron THE CIMARRON CANYON STATE PARK IS CLOSED. ALL SURROUNDING CARSON NATIONAL FOREST LANDS ARE ALSO CLOSED AS IS COYOTE CREEK STATE PARK. See the Carson NF website at www.fs.fed.us/r3/carson/ for more info. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the upper Red River all the way to Questa is closed. Eagle Nest State Park is open to camping and fishing at this time under stage 2 fire restrictions.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 48 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair: 598 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 485 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH HAS ANNOUNCED SOME CLOSURES AFFECTING THE CHAMA RIVER. The Rio Chama Wildlife Area is closed to fishing, camping, hiking and horseback-riding. All accesses off of NM Highway 112 are closed to public entry. The Sargent Wildlife Area will be open to fishing, hiking and horseback-riding area near Chama beginning July 1 under Stage 2 fire restrictions. The other fire closures affecting the Chama is through the Chama Canyon Wilderness below El Vado Reservoir to Christ of the Desert Monastery. This affects the river rafters more than the fisherman. The upper Chama stretch flowing into El Vado is getting low and warmer every day. Don't delay fishing this especially while we are experiencing restrictions where we can fish around Santa Fe. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam within the Santa Fe NF is closed. Typically it won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren't calling for water. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Be aware that the Rio de los Pinos Fishing Area northwest of Tres Piedras is closed to public entry as well as the Carson National Forest stretch.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 176 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair: 433 cfs at Magote; Fair
July 7, 2011. "I just took a few moments to look over Devan’s blog (button on the home page) and he is doing a great job. It made me realize how much better we could share with you some fun parts of our days on the water. Me and the rest of the guides have had some people landing really nice fish but yesterday Devan captured the image in seconds and minutes later is was “live” online! We will try and continue to use photography to share life here in Conejos County. If the rivershed here was a ski area we would post in our ski report 15” new, powder/packed powder conditions and 90% open! Perfect weather on the way! The only streams that are still a little high right now are the ones above 10,000 feet. The others are good and all but the Pinnacles section (to high to safely fish) of the Conejos is fishing really good. In a week I switched from catching 99% of the fish on nymphs to 70% of the fish on dries. Very buggy with Drakes, pmd’s, Mahoganies, Caddis, and some Golden’s up higher. I am sure there are hatches going on on every stream in the whole county and to be honest we don’t know what they all are but armed with a nice box of flies you should have a chance to see fish feed on the surface or near on about 200 miles of water. The water level on the lower river is around 600 cfs and the fish are loving the lower water for feeding on the surface. Seems like some days we have had some very selective fish on the surface and other days like today Troy said they ate several different dries. Josh had a 1 person half day today and hooked 40 fish (browns) on dries this morning about 2 miles from the shop. I had a good morning yesterday with two of the Sherwood’s and we had some really big fish eating early and landed some nice fish had others straighten hooks and then landed a really nice brown in the 21 to 22” range. Devan posted the photo on the blog. My best flies have been the Meaty Drake, Oops, Salvations, Superfly, Caddis emergers, Frenchies, and a #14 red bodied attractor fly when the hatches are sparse. We have not been on the tribs as much the last few days but last week guided some of them and they were pretty special." The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 249 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Good: 636 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Dropping flows and a lower release have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable. Still good reports of stoneflies and caddis on this section. Green and gray drakes are showing up from South Fork to Del Norte. The water is fairly clear and fishing is good. Stoneflies and caddis are also down low and are the name of the game pretty much river wide.

Animas River 1220 at Durango; Slow to Fair
Dropping flows have made the Animas more fishable. Some caddis and stoneflies, but if your not finding the bugs, nymph the pockets. Watch out for the river runners.

Piedra River 127 cfs at Arboles; Good
I've had good reports through the box cayons all the way up into the forks. Lots of stoneflies caddis, and yellow salliies. Williams Creek below the reservoir is still fishing well. Lot's of options have just opened up around Pagosa.

San Juan River 189 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Good
Caddis are showing up on the main stem San Juan. Flows have finally come down to where the town stretch can now be waded. Nymphing in the higher water is more productive than dry flies. Check out Turkey, or Four Mile for easier wading and dry fly fishing. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is down and fishing well. Just like everywhere in southern Colorado, else, the peak flows seemd to have occurred and flows are trending downward. It's all about stones and caddis at this time of year.

Arkansas River 1890 cfs at Granite; Slow: 2460 cfs at Salida; Slow
Good hatches of stoneflies and caddis from Granite all the way to Swissvale. The broader sections of river around Salida and down into Bighorn Sheep Canyon offer easier wading. Focus on the banks as most fish aren't in the main channel. A big bug like a size #8 PMX with a golden stone dropper cast tight to the banks has been the most productive. Be careful wading from Brown's Canyon upstream, You'll be confined to one bank or the other. Yellow Sallies, caddis and stonelies are the bugs to choose.

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.

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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Wednesday July 13, 2011

2011-07-13T09:39:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

Even though we've seen the clouds build over the mountains every afternoon, there just hasn't been enough rain and widespread enough at that to lift the forest closures due to extreme fire danger. I will post that information as soon as it becomes available. Please see our announcements page for a list of what's closed and what is open. Just think outside of the box and be willing to try something different. Don't dismay if your usual go to fishing can't happen. You might just be delighted you went someplace else!

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.

San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
There has been some rainfall here over the last few days. I'm not sure if it's enough to produce an ant fall, but it does signal the start of our mosoons. Fishing is good but fly choices have become smaller with the lower and clear water. Black and grey bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working. Red midges like a disco midge above Texas Hole in the mornings is a good producer. For the beatis, try the ususal, chocolate foam wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, gray loop wing emergers, and gray RS2's. Fish start eating midges once the baetis are done from then until dusk. The caddis hatch on the lower river is waning but, PMD's are starting to show up. From Rainbow Lodge on down all river access is private. If you can, a stay at Soaring Eagle or a float from one of the guide services can put you in the middle of the hatch. You can sometimes find bugs all the way up to the Gravel Pit take out. 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 33 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
PECOS CANYON CAMPGROUNDS, DAY USE AREAS, HIKING TRAILS, AND FISHING ACCESSES ARE STILL CLOSED.
The Department of Game and Fish imposed strict fire closures on State Game Commission properties in Pecos Canyon beginning Thursday, June 30th banning all camping and fishing. All forest lands surrounding the Pecos River are also closed. I'll post any information on closures being lifted as soon as it becomes available. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass or poach. See our Announcements Page for more details. The Pecos National Historical Park is also closed to fishing. They will let anyone with a reservation on the river throught the 4th. Currently there is no walk on fishing at the park. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Monastery Lake is also closed.

Rio Grande 428 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 625 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande and it's tributaies like The Pueblo de Taos, Rio Hondo, and the lower Red River accessed through the Wild and Scenic Rivers area are open. The Red River Fish Hatchery campgrounds and parking area are closed, with no fishing access. The best fishing is on the lower Red or the Hondo. Not much for hatching bugs on the Rio right now. The flows have come up enough to the delight of the boaters, but the water is murky with about a foot of visibility. I do best fishing the pockets when nothing is going on hatch wise. Fish big bugs like golden stonefly nymphs, cranefly larvae, or buggers. Remember to finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

The Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal as well as the lower portion in the RCCLA Park is closed. Due to extreme fire danger the RCCLA and the Rio Costilla Park, including Latir Creek and Latir Lakes are closed until further notice. Please contact the office for more information at 575-586-0542.

Jemez Mountain Streams 11 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
ALL FISHING ACCESS IN THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS INCLUDING FENTON LAKE STATE PARK ARE CLOSED. New Mexico Highway 4 is now open from Los Alamos to La Cueva. All forest roads are closed however, even FR 376 along the Guadalupe and up to the San Antonio Hot Springs. For more details on fire restrictions and closures go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com. The Valles Caldera Natioanal Preserve has cancelled all fishing reservations until further notice. The Valles Caldera will reopen it's Staging Area today, July 13th. The staging area, located in the Valle Grande, off NM 4 near mile marker 39, has been closed due to the Las Conchas fire since June 26th, when staff and visitors were forced to evacuate. The preserve is being opened for visitors to come to the staging area to view the aftermath of the fire on the Preserve. There will be no tours or fishing programs nor actual contact with the fire zone. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov for more information.

Cimarron River 29 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 19 cfs at Cimarron THE CIMARRON CANYON STATE PARK IS CLOSED. ALL SURROUNDING CARSON NATIONAL FOREST LANDS ARE ALSO CLOSED AS IS COYOTE CREEK STATE PARK. See the Carson NF website at www.fs.fed.us/r3/carson/ for more info. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the upper Red River all the way to Questa is closed. Eagle Nest State Park is open to camping and fishing at this time under stage 2 fire restrictions.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 91 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair: 443 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 635 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH HAS ANNOUNCED SOME CLOSURES AFFECTING THE CHAMA RIVER. The Rio Chama Wildlife Area is closed to fishing, camping, hiking and horseback-riding. All accesses off of NM Highway 112 are closed to public entry. The Sargent Wildlife Area will be open to fishing, hiking and horseback-riding area near Chama beginning July 1 under Stage 2 fire restrictions. The other fire closures affecting the Chama is through the Chama Canyon Wilderness below El Vado Reservoir to Christ of the Desert Monastery. This affects the river rafters more than the fisherman. The upper Chama stretch flowing into El Vado is getting low and warmer every day. Don't delay fishing this especially while we are experiencing restrictions where we can fish around Santa Fe. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam within the Santa Fe NF is closed. Typically it won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren't calling for water. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Be aware that the Rio de los Pinos Fishing Area northwest of Tres Piedras is closed to public entry as well as the Carson National Forest stretch.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 462 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair: 697 cfs at Magote; Fair
July 7, 2011. "I just took a few moments to look over Devan’s blog (button on the home page) and he is doing a great job. It made me realize how much better we could share with you some fun parts of our days on the water. Me and the rest of the guides have had some people landing really nice fish but yesterday Devan captured the image in seconds and minutes later is was “live” online! We will try and continue to use photography to share life here in Conejos County. If the rivershed here was a ski area we would post in our ski report 15” new, powder/packed powder conditions and 90% open! Perfect weather on the way! The only streams that are still a little high right now are the ones above 10,000 feet. The others are good and all but the Pinnacles section (to high to safely fish) of the Conejos is fishing really good. In a week I switched from catching 99% of the fish on nymphs to 70% of the fish on dries. Very buggy with Drakes, pmd’s, Mahoganies, Caddis, and some Golden’s up higher. I am sure there are hatches going on on every stream in the whole county and to be honest we don’t know what they all are but armed with a nice box of flies you should have a chance to see fish feed on the surface or near on about 200 miles of water. The water level on the lower river is around 600 cfs and the fish are loving the lower water for feeding on the surface. Seems like some days we have had some very selective fish on the surface and other days like today Troy said they ate several different dries. Josh had a 1 person half day today and hooked 40 fish (browns) on dries this morning about 2 miles from the shop. I had a good morning yesterday with two of the Sherwood’s and we had some really big fish eating early and landed some nice fish had others straighten hooks and then landed a really nice brown in the 21 to 22” range. Devan posted the photo on the blog. My best flies have been the Meaty Drake, Oops, Salvations, Superfly, Caddis emergers, Frenchies, and a #14 red bodied attractor fly when the hatches are sparse. We have not been on the tribs as much the last few days but last week guided some of them and they were pretty special." The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 486 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Good: 782 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Dropping flows and a lower release may have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork more wadable. Still good reports of stoneflies and caddis on this section. Green and gray drakes are showing up from South Fork to Del Norte. The water is fairly clear and fishing is good. Stoneflies and caddis are also down low and are the name of the game pretty much river wide.

Animas River 2100 at Durango; Slow to Fair
Still some fairly big water on the Animas! The flows are on there way down, it's just taking awhile. If you can find a pocket that's not blown out; stoneflies and baetis. Watch out for the river runners.

Piedra River 239 cfs at Arboles; Good
The lower Piedra is muddy from a big rain the night before last. I've had good reports through the box cayons all the way up into the forks. Lots of stoneflies caddis, and yellow salliies. Williams Creek below the reservoir is still fishing well. Lot's of options have just opened up around Pagosa.

San Juan River 360 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Good
Caddis are showing up on the main stem San Juan. Nymphing in the higher water is more productive than dry flies. Check out Turkey, or Four Mile for easier wading and dry fly fishing. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is down and fishing well. Just like everywhere in southern Colorado, else, the peak flows seemd to have occurred and flows are trending downward. It's all about stones and caddis at this time of year.

Arkansas River 2690 cfs at Granite; Slow: 3760 cfs at Salida; Slow
High water pretty much river wide from melting snowpack and an increased release from Twin Lakes. Blue winged olive hatches, some caddis and stonelies are the nymphs to choose. Fish the edge water where the fish have moved to get out of the current. Much of the river is difficult to fish at these levels. Good fishing nearby is Antero Reservoir and the Dream Stream.

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.

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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Satursday July 9, 2011

2011-07-09T09:30:00.001-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

Even though we've seen the clouds build over the mountains every afternoon, there just hasn't been enough rain and widespread enough at that to lift the forest closures due to extreme fire danger. Please see our announcements page for a list of what's closed and what is open. Think outside the box and be willing to try something different. Lot's of stuff just into Colorado is fishing very well and is a short drive north. I've had great reports from the Conejos River Anglers on the Conejos and it's tribs. I just floated the upper Rio Grande from Creede to Del Norte over three days and had excellent fishing. It was tough to breathe with all of the stoneflies and caddis flying about! Get out to Abiquiu Lake at the crack of dawn and cast poppers for smallmouth bass. Carp are taking flies on the surface at El Vado. So don't dismay if your usual go to fishing can't happen. You might just be delighted you went someplace else!

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.

San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The high release is over. Fishing is good but fly choices have become smaller with the lower and clear water. Black and grey bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working. Red midges like a disco midge above Texas Hole in the mornings is a good producer. For the beatis, try the ususal, chocolate foam wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, gray loop wing emergers, and gray RS2's. Fish start eating midges once the baetis are done from then until dusk. The caddis hatch on the lower river is waning but, PMD's are starting to show up. From Rainbow Lodge on down all river access is private. If you can, a stay at Soaring Eagle or a float from one of the guide services can put you in the middle of the hatch. You can sometimes find bugs all the way up to the Gravel Pit take out. 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 28 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
PECOS CANYON CAMPGROUNDS, DAY USE AREAS, HIKING TRAILS, AND FISHING ACCESSES ARE CLOSED.
The Department of Game and Fish imposed strict fire closures on State Game Commission properties in Pecos Canyon beginning Thursday, June 30th banning all camping and fishing. All forest lands surrounding the Pecos River are also closed. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass or poach. See our Announcements Page for more details. The Pecos National Historical Park is also closed to fishing. They will let anyone with a reservation on the river throught the 4th. Currently there is no walk on fishing at the park. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Monastery Lake is also closed.

Rio Grande 448 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 595 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande and it's tributaies like The Pueblo de Taos, Rio Hondo, and the lower Red River accessed through the Wild and Scenic Rivers area are open. The Red River Fish Hatchery campgrounds and parking area are closed, with no fishing access. The best fishing is on the lower Red or the Hondo. Not much for hatching bugs on the Rio right now. The flows have come up enough to the delight of the boaters, but the water is quite murky. I do best fishing the pockets when nothing is going on hatch wise. Fish big bugs like golden stonefly nymphs, cranefly larvae, or buggers. Remember to finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

The Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal as well as the lower portion in the RCCLA Park is closed. Due to extreme fire danger the RCCLA and the Rio Costilla Park, including Latir Creek and Latir Lakes are closed until further notice. Please contact the office for more information at 575-586-0542.

Jemez Mountain Streams 10 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
ALL FISHING ACCESS IN THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS INCLUDING FENTON LAKE STATE PARK ARE CLOSED. New Mexico Highway 4 from Los Alamos to La Cueva and all forest roads are closed, even FR 376 along the Guadalupe and up to the San Antonio Hot Springs. For more details on fire restrictions and closures go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com. The Valles Caldera has cancelled all fishing reservations until further notice. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov for more information.

Cimarron River 49 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 39 cfs at Cimarron THE CIMARRON CANYON STATE PARK IS CLOSED. ALL SURROUNDING CARSON NATIONAL FOREST LANDS ARE ALSO CLOSED AS IS COYOTE CREEK STATE PARK. See the Carson NF website at www.fs.fed.us/r3/carson/ for more info. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the upper Red River all the way to Questa is closed. Eagle Nest State Park is open to camping and fishing at this time under stage 2 fire restrictions.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 94 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair: 897 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 937 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH HAS ANNOUNCED SOME CLOSURES AFFECTING THE CHAMA RIVER. The Rio Chama Wildlife Area is closed to fishing, camping, hiking and horseback-riding. All accesses off of NM Highway 112 are closed to public entry. The Sargent Wildlife Area will be open to fishing, hiking and horseback-riding area near Chama beginning July 1 under Stage 2 fire restrictions. The other fire closures affecting the Chama is through the Chama Canyon Wilderness below El Vado Reservoir to Christ of the Desert Monastery. This affects the river rafters more than the fisherman. The upper Chama stretch flowing into El Vado is getting low and warmer every day. Don't delay fishing this especially while we are experiencing restrictions where we can fish around Santa Fe. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam within the Santa Fe NF is closed. Typically it won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren't calling for water. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Be aware that the Rio de los Pinos Fishing Area northwest of Tres Piedras is closed to public entry as well as the Carson National Forest stretch.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 360 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair: 649 cfs at Magote; Fair
July 7, 2011. "I just took a few moments to look over Devan’s blog (button on the home page) and he is doing a great job. It made me realize how much better we could share with you some fun parts of our days on the water. Me and the rest of the guides have had some people landing really nice fish but yesterday Devan captured the image in seconds and minutes later is was “live” online! We will try and continue to use photography to share life here in Conejos County. If the rivershed here was a ski area we would post in our ski report 15” new, powder/packed powder conditions and 90% open! Perfect weather on the way! The only streams that are still a little high right now are the ones above 10,000 feet. The others are good and all but the Pinnacles section (to high to safely fish) of the Conejos is fishing really good. In a week I switched from catching 99% of the fish on nymphs to 70% of the fish on dries. Very buggy with Drakes, pmd’s, Mahoganies, Caddis, and some Golden’s up higher. I am sure there are hatches going on on every stream in the whole county and to be honest we don’t know what they all are but armed with a nice box of flies you should have a chance to see fish feed on the surface or near on about 200 miles of water. The water level on the lower river is around 600 cfs and the fish are loving the lower water for feeding on the surface. Seems like some days we have had some very selective fish on the surface and other days like today Troy said they ate several different dries. Josh had a 1 person half day today and hooked 40 fish (browns) on dries this morning about 2 miles from the shop. I had a good morning yesterday with two of the Sherwood’s and we had some really big fish eating early and landed some nice fish had others straighten hooks and then landed a really nice brown in the 21 to 22” range. Devan posted the photo on the blog. My best flies have been the Meaty Drake, Oops, Salvations, Superfly, Caddis emergers, Frenchies, and a #14 red bodied attractor fly when the hatches are sparse. We have not been on the tribs as much the last few days but last week guided some of them and they were pretty special." The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 463 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Good: 713 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
Dropping flows and a lower release may have made the upper river from Creede to South Fork unfloatable. Still good reports of stoneflies and caddis on this section. Green and gray drakes are showing up from South Fork to Del Norte. The water is fairly clear and fishing is good and the wading is even easier. Stoneflies and caddis are also down low and are the name of the game pretty much river wide.

Animas River 2080 at Durango; Slow to Fair
Still some fairly big water on the Animas! The flows are on there way down, it's just taking awhile. If you can find a pocket that's not blown out; stoneflies and baetis. Watch out for the river runners.

Piedra River 161 cfs at Arboles; Good
The lower Piedra is finally more fishable. The upper river all the way into the forks is fishing very well. I've had great reports from Williams Creek below the reservoir. Lot's of options have just opened up around Pagosa.

San Juan River 324 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Good
The San Juan is another river taking it's sweet time in coming down. Caddis are showing up on the main stem San Juan. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is down and fishing well. Check out Turkey, or Four Mile for easier wading and dry fly fishing. Just like everywhere in southern Colorado, else, the peak flows seemd to have occurred and flows are trending downward. It's all about stones and caddis at this time of year.

Arkansas River 2620 cfs at Granite; Slow: 3620 cfs at Salida; Slow
High water pretty much river wide from melting snowpack and an increased release from Twin Lakes. Blue winged olive hatches, some caddis and stonelies are the nymphs to choose. Fish the edge water where the fish have moved to get out of the current. Much of the river is difficult to fish at these levels. Good fishing nearby is Antero Reservoir and the Dream Stream.

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.

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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Wednesday July 6, 2011

2011-07-06T09:23:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

Even though we've seen the clouds build over the mountains every afternoon, there just hasn't been enough rain and widespread enough at that to lift the forest closures due to extreme fire danger. Please see our announcements page for a list of what's closed and what is open. Think outside the box and be willing to try something different. Lot's of stuff just into Colorado is fishing very well and is a short drive north. I've had great reports from the Conejos River Anglers on the Conejos and it's tribs. I just floated the upper Rio Grande from Creede to Del Norte over three days and had excellent fishing. It was tough to breathe with all of the stoneflies and caddis flying about! Get out to Abiquiu Lake at the crack of dawn and cast poppers for smallmouth bass. Carp are taking flies on the surface at El Vado. So don't dismay if your usual go to fishing can't happen. You might just be delighted you went someplace else!

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.

San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The high release is over. Fishing is good but fly choices have become smaller with the lower and clear water. Olive and grey bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working. For the beatis, try the ususal, chocolate foam wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails. Fish start eating midges once the baetis are done from then until dusk. The caddis hatch on the lower river is waning but, PMD's are starting to show up. From Rainbow Lodge on down all river access is private. If you can, a stay at Soaring Eagle or a float from one of the guide services can put you in the middle of the hatch. You can sometimes find bugs all the way up to the Gravel Pit take out. 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 28 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
PECOS CANYON CAMPGROUNDS, DAY USE AREAS, HIKING TRAILS, AND FISHING ACCESSES ARE CLOSED.
The Department of Game and Fish imposed strict fire closures on State Game Commission properties in Pecos Canyon beginning Thursday, June 30th banning all camping and fishing. All forest lands surrounding the Pecos River are also closed. Please respect the landowners along the Pecos and don't trespass or poach. See our Announcements Page for more details. The Pecos National Historical Park is also closed to fishing. They will let anyone with a reservation on the river throught the 4th. Currently there is no walk on fishing at the park. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Monastery Lake is also closed.

Rio Grande 460 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 625 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande and it's tributaies like The Pueblo de Taos, Rio Hondo, and the lower Red River accessed through the Wild and Scenic Rivers area are open. The Red River Fish Hatchery campgrounds and parking area are closed, with no fishing access. The best fishing is on the lower Red or the Hondo. Not much for hatching bugs on the Rio right now. The flows have come up enough to the delight of the boaters, but the water is quite murky. I do best fishing the pockets when nothing is going on hatch wise. Fish big bugs like golden stonefly nymphs, cranefly larvae, or buggers. Remember to finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

The Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal as well as the lower portion in the RCCLA Park is closed. Due to extreme fire danger the RCCLA and the Rio Costilla Park, including Latir Creek and Latir Lakes are closed until further notice. Please contact the office for more information at 575-586-0542.

Jemez Mountain Streams 10 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
ALL FISHING ACCESS IN THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS INCLUDING FENTON LAKE STATE PARK ARE CLOSED. New Mexico Highway 4 from Los Alamos to La Cueva and all forest roads are closed, even FR 376 along the Guadalupe and up to the San Antonio Hot Springs. For more details on fire restrictions and closures go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com. The Valles Caldera has cancelled all fishing reservations until further notice. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov for more information.

Cimarron River 46 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 38 cfs at Cimarron THE CIMARRON CANYON STATE PARK IS CLOSED. ALL SURROUNDING CARSON NATIONAL FOREST LANDS ARE ALSO CLOSED AS IS COYOTE CREEK STATE PARK. See the Carson NF website at www.fs.fed.us/r3/carson/ for more info. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the upper Red River all the way to Questa is closed. Eagle Nest State Park is open to camping and fishing at this time under stage 2 fire restrictions.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 115 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair: 295 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 428 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH HAS ANNOUNCED SOME CLOSURES AFFECTING THE CHAMA RIVER. The Rio Chama Wildlife Area is closed to fishing, camping, hiking and horseback-riding. All accesses off of NM Highway 112 are closed to public entry. The Sargent Wildlife Area will be open to fishing, hiking and horseback-riding area near Chama beginning July 1 under Stage 2 fire restrictions. The other fire closures affecting the Chama is through the Chama Canyon Wilderness below El Vado Reservoir to Christ of the Desert Monastery. This affects the river rafters more than the fisherman. The upper Chama stretch flowing into El Vado is getting low and warmer every day. Don't delay fishing this especially while we are experiencing restrictions where we can fish around Santa Fe. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam within the Santa Fe NF is closed. Typically it won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren't calling for water. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Be aware that the Rio de los Pinos Fishing Area northwest of Tres Piedras is closed to public entry as well as the Carson National Forest stretch.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 310 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair: 637 cfs at Magote; Fair
June 29, 2011. "***A couple of things for those concerned with the fire in New Mexico and smoke here. As of yesterday at midnight from what I understand all of the National Forest areas in New Mexico are closed. I only hope the people fighting the fire in NM got the rain we got today. I also hope that for the sake of the fisheries there that they get a wet summer and the fires go away and the fish have plenty of water to swim in. We have not had smoke issues here although occasionally if the wind is wrong we will see some but has not been an issue here. In this area we would love some more rain but are not in any fire ban or are any of the public properties here closed in any way. I fished one of the tribs today with Dr. Tom and had a wonderful day. Amazed at the health of the fish. Very buggy with PMD’s, Caddis, Stones, and a few Drakes. The easiest two guide days on record so far. Number of birds nest untangled in two days – 0! Fun! Most of our guides were not on the Conejos today but from what I heard when I got in it was very buggy. It depends on where you are on the river but everything from PMD’s, to Mahogonies,to Goldens, to Drakes. Clarity is good and flows have dropped to around 900."
The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 906 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Good: 1150 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
I had the good fortune of fishing the upper Rio for three days on guided floats. All business related of course! Tons of stoneflies on the water as well as lots of caddis. Green drakes are eminent and so are PMD's. The release out of Rio Grande Reservoir has been all over the place but never dropping below 1000 cfs until recently. The water is fairly clear and fishing is good and the wading is even easier. Stoneflies and caddis are flying about and are the name of the game pretty much river wide.

Animas River 2220 at Durango; Slow
Still big water on the Animas! The flows are on there way down, it's just taking awhile. If you can find a pocket that's not blown out; stoneflies and baetis. Watch out for the river runners.

Piedra River 206 cfs at Arboles; Fair to Good
The lower Piedra is finally more fishable. The upper river all the way into the forks is fishing very well. I've had great reports from Williams Creek below the reservoir. Lot's of options have just opened up around Pagosa.

San Juan River 423 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Fair to Good
The San Juan is another river taking it's sweet time in coming down. Caddis are showing up on the main stem San Juan. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is down and fishing well. Check out Turkey, Four Mile, or the East Fork of the San Juan for easier wading. Just like everywhere in southern Colorado, else, the peak flows seemd to have occurred and flows are trending downward. It's all about stones and caddis at this time of year.

Arkansas River 2160 cfs at Granite; Slow: 3000 cfs at Salida; Slow
High water pretty much river wide from melting snowpack and an increased release from Twin Lakes. Blue winged olive hatches, some caddis and stonelies are the nymphs to choose. Much of the river is difficult to fish at these levels. Good fishing nearby is Antero Reservoir and the Dream Stream.

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.

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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Saturday July 2, 2011

2011-07-02T10:09:00.002-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

There are numerous forest closures due to extreme fire danger. Please see our announcements page for a list of what's closed and what is open. There are places to fish this holiday weekend, just think outside the box and be willing to try something different. Lot's of stuff just into Colorado is fishing very well and is a short drive north. I've had great reports from the Conejos River Anglers on the Conejos and it's tribs. I just floated the upper Rio Grande from Creede to Del Norte over three days and had excellent fishing. It was tough to breathe with all of the stoneflies and caddis flying about! Get out to Abiquiu Lake at the crack of dawn and cast poppers for smallmouth bass. Carp are taking flies on the surface at El Vado. So don't dismay if your usual go to fishing can't happen. You might just be delighted you went someplace else!

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.

San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The high release is over. Fishing is good but fly choices have become smaller with the lower and clear water. Olive and grey bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working. For the beatis, try the ususal, chocolate foam wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails. Fish start eating midges once the baetis are done from then until dusk. The caddis hatch on the lower river is waning but, PMD's are starting to show up. From Rainbow Lodge on down all river access is private. If you can, a stay at Soaring Eagle or a float from one of the guide services can put you in the middle of the hatch. You can sometimes find bugs all the way up to the Gravel Pit take out. 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 30 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
PECOS CANYON CAMPGROUNDS, DAY USE AREAS, HIKING TRAILS, AND FISHING ACCESSES ARE CLOSED.
The Department of Game and Fish imposed strict fire closures on State Game Commission properties in Pecos Canyon beginning Thursday, June 30th banning all camping and fishing. All forest lands surrounding the Pecos River are also closed. See our Announcements Page for more details. The Pecos National Historical Park is also closed to fishing. They will let anyone with a reservation on the river throught the 4th. Currently there is no walk on fishing at the park. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Monastery Lake is also closed.

Rio Grande 531 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 679 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande and it's tributaies like The Pueblo de Taos, Rio Hondo, and the lower Red River accessed through the Wild and Scenic Rivers area are open. The Red River Fish Hatchery campgrounds and parking area are closed, with no fishing access. The best fishing is on the lower Red or the Hondo. Not much for hatching bugs on the Rio right now. The flows have come up enough to the delight of the boaters, but the water is quite murky. I do best fishing the pockets when nothing is going on hatch wise. Fish big bugs like golden stonefly nymphs, cranefly larvae, or buggers. Remember to finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

The Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal as well as the lower portion in the RCCLA Park is closed. Due to extreme fire danger the RCCLA and the Rio Costilla Park, including Latir Creek and Latir Lakes are closed until further notice. Please contact the office for more information at 575-586-0542.

Jemez Mountain Streams 8.5 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
ALL FISHING ACCESS IN THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS INCLUDING FENTON LAKE STATE PARK ARE CLOSED. New Mexico Highway 4 from Los Alamos to La Cueva and all forest roads are closed, even FR 376 along the Guadalupe and up to the San Antonio Hot Springs. For more details on fire restrictions and closures go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com. The Valles Caldera has cancelled all fishing reservations until further notice. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov for more information.

Cimarron River 79 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 65 cfs at Cimarron THE CIMARRON CANYON STATE PARK IS CLOSED. ALL SURROUNDING CARSON NATIONAL FOREST LANDS ARE ALSO CLOSED AS IS COYOTE CREEK STATE PARK. See the Carson NF website at www.fs.fed.us/r3/carson/ for more info. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the upper Red River all the way to Questa is closed. Eagle Nest State Park is open to camping and fishing at this time under stage 2 fire restrictions.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 201 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair: 699 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 874 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH HAS ANNOUNCED SOME CLOSURES AFFECTING THE CHAMA RIVER. The Rio Chama Wildlife Area is closed to fishing, camping, hiking and horseback-riding. All accesses off of NM Highway 112 are closed to public entry. The Sargent Wildlife Area will be open to fishing, hiking and horseback-riding area near Chama beginning July 1 under Stage 2 fire restrictions. The other fire closures affecting the Chama is through the Chama Canyon Wilderness below El Vado Reservoir to Christ of the Desert Monastery. This affects the river rafters more than the fisherman. The upper Chama stretch flowing into El Vado is getting low and warmer every day. Don't delay fishing this especially while we are experiencing restrictions where we can fish around Santa Fe. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam within the Santa Fe NF is closed. Typically it won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren't calling for water. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Be aware that the Rio de los Pinos Fishing Area northwest of Tres Piedras is closed to public entry as well as the Carson National Forest stretch.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 618 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair: 1590 cfs at Magote; Fair
June 28, 2011. "A couple of months ago everyone was lamenting the pitiful snowpack and what a short season it will be with no water. Tonight I had dinner with the guides and the conversation was the opposite. Where did all the water come from? We did get a chance to talk to someone from the water board here and they said we were at 95%. May was wet and cold and postponed the runoff so that seems to be what has made the flows higher than we guessed. I think it will make the Conejos have a normal season of water and if we can get some rain to keep the fire hazard down it should be a great year. Tomorrow morning I will be on a different stretch of water trying to figure it out all over again but I know that in my box will be some Drakes, Golden’s, Mahoganies, Caddis, and maybe a G-String or two! Hope you get a chance to make some casts soon! The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 1210 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Good: 1940 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
I had the good fortune of fishing the upper Rio for three days on guided floats. All business related of course! Tons of stoneflies on the water as well as lots of caddis. Green drakes are eminent and so are PMD's. The release out of Rio Grande Reservoir has been all over the place but never dropping below 1000 cfs. The water is fairly clear and fishing is good even though the wading is a little tough. Stoneflies and caddis are flying about and are the name of the game pretty much river wide.

Animas River 3450 at Durango; Slow
Still big water on the Animas! The flows are on there way down, it's just taking awhile. If you can find a pocket that's not blown out; stoneflies and baetis. Watch out for the river runners.

Piedra River 359 cfs at Arboles; Fair to Good
The lower Piedra is finally more fishable. The upper river all the way into the forks is fishing very well. I've had great reports from Williams Creek below the reservoir. Lot's of options have just opened up around Pagosa.

San Juan River 750 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Fair to Good
The San Juan is another river taking it's sweet time in coming down. Tough fishing at these flows on the main stem San Juan. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is down and fishing well. Check out Turkey, Four Mile, or the East Fork of the San Juan for easier wading. Just like everywhere in southern Colorado, else, the peak flows seemd to have occurred and flows are trending downward. It's all about stones and caddis at this time of year.

Arkansas River 2630 cfs at Granite; Slow: 3700 cfs at Salida; Slow
High water pretty much river wide from melting snowpack and an increased release from Twin Lakes. Blue winged olive hatches, some caddis and stonelies are the nymphs to choose. Much of the river is difficult to fish at these levels. Good fishing nearby is Antero Reservoir and the Dream Stream.

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.

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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Thursday June 30, 2011

2011-06-30T11:54:00.011-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

There are numerous forest closures due to extreme fire danger. Please see our announcements page for a list of what's closed and what is open. There are places to fish this holiday weekend, just think outside the box and be willing to try something different. Lot's of stuff just into Colorado is fishing very well and is a short drive north. I've had great reports from the Conejos River Anglers on the Conejos and it's tribs. I just floated the upper Rio Grande from Creede to Del Norte over three days and had excellent fishing. It was tough to breathe with all of the stoneflies and caddis flying about! Get out to Abiquiu Lake at the crack of dawn and cast poppers for smallmouth bass. Carp are taking flies on the surface at El Vado. So don't dismay if your usual go to fishing can't happen. You might just be delighted you went someplace else!

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.

San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The high release is over. Fishing is good but fly choices have become smaller with the lower and clear water. Olive and grey bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working. For the beatis, try the ususal, chocolate foam wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails. Fish start eating midges once the baetis are done from then until dusk. The caddis hatch on the lower river is waning but, PMD's are starting to show up. From Rainbow Lodge on down all river access is private. If you can, a stay at Soaring Eagle or a float from one of the guide services can put you in the middle of the hatch. You can sometimes find bugs all the way up to the Gravel Pit take out. 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 30 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
PECOS CANYON CAMPGROUNDS, DAY USE AREAS, HIKING TRAILS, AND FISHING ACCESSES ARE CLOSED.
The Department of Game and Fish imposed strict fire closures on State Game Commission properties in Pecos Canyon beginning Thursday, June 30th banning all camping and fishing. All forest lands surrounding the Pecos River are also closed. See our Announcements Page for more details. The Pecos National Historical Park is also closed to fishing. They will let anyone with a reservation on the river throught the 4th. Currently there is no walk on fishing at the park. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Monastery Lake is also closed.

Rio Grande 531 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 679 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande and it's tributaies like The Pueblo de Taos, Rio Hondo, and the lower Red River accessed through the Wild and Scenic Rivers area are open. The Red River Fish Hatchery campgrounds and parking area are closed, with no fishing access. The best fishing is on the lower Red or the Hondo. Not much for hatching bugs on the Rio right now. The flows have come up enough to the delight of the boaters, but the water is quite murky. I do best fishing the pockets when nothing is going on hatch wise. Fish big bugs like golden stonefly nymphs, cranefly larvae, or buggers. Remember to finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

The Rio Costilla within the Valle Vidal as well as the lower portion in the RCCLA Park is closed. Due to extreme fire danger the RCCLA and the Rio Costilla Park, including Latir Creek and Latir Lakes are closed until further notice. Please contact the office for more information at 575-586-0542.

Jemez Mountain Streams 8.5 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
ALL FISHING ACCESS IN THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS INCLUDING FENTON LAKE STATE PARK ARE CLOSED. New Mexico Highway 4 from Los Alamos to La Cueva and all forest roads are closed, even FR 376 along the Guadalupe and up to the San Antonio Hot Springs. For more details on fire restrictions and closures go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com. The Valles Caldera has cancelled all fishing reservations until further notice. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov for more information.

Cimarron River 79 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 65 cfs at Cimarron THE CIMARRON CANYON STATE PARK IS CLOSED. ALL SURROUNDING CARSON NATIONAL FOREST LANDS ARE ALSO CLOSED AS IS COYOTE CREEK STATE PARK. See the Carson NF website at www.fs.fed.us/r3/carson/ for more info. Nearby over Bobcat Pass, the upper Red River all the way to Questa is closed. Eagle Nest State Park is open to camping and fishing at this time under stage 2 fire restrictions.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 201 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair: 699 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 874 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH HAS ANNOUNCED SOME CLOSURES AFFECTING THE CHAMA RIVER. The Rio Chama Wildlife Area is closed to fishing, camping, hiking and horseback-riding. All accesses off of NM Highway 112 are closed to public entry. The Sargent Wildlife Area will be open to fishing, hiking and horseback-riding area near Chama beginning July 1 under Stage 2 fire restrictions. The other fire closures affecting the Chama is through the Chama Canyon Wilderness below El Vado Reservoir to Christ of the Desert Monastery. This affects the river rafters more than the fisherman. The upper Chama stretch flowing into El Vado is getting low and warmer every day. Don't delay fishing this especially while we are experiencing restrictions where we can fish around Santa Fe. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam within the Santa Fe NF is closed. Typically it won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren't calling for water. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Be aware that the Rio de los Pinos Fishing Area northwest of Tres Piedras is closed to public entry as well as the Carson National Forest stretch.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 618 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair: 1590 cfs at Magote; Fair
June 28, 2011. "A couple of months ago everyone was lamenting the pitiful snowpack and what a short season it will be with no water. Tonight I had dinner with the guides and the conversation was the opposite. Where did all the water come from? We did get a chance to talk to someone from the water board here and they said we were at 95%. May was wet and cold and postponed the runoff so that seems to be what has made the flows higher than we guessed. I think it will make the Conejos have a normal season of water and if we can get some rain to keep the fire hazard down it should be a great year. Tomorrow morning I will be on a different stretch of water trying to figure it out all over again but I know that in my box will be some Drakes, Golden’s, Mahoganies, Caddis, and maybe a G-String or two! Hope you get a chance to make some casts soon! The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 1210 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Good: 1940 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Good
I had the good fortune of fishing the upper Rio for three days on guided floats. All business related of course! Tons of stoneflies on the water as well as lots of caddis. Green drakes are eminent and so are PMD's. The release out of Rio Grande Reservoir has been all over the place but never dropping below 1000 cfs. The water is fairly clear and fishing is good even though the wading is a little tough. Stoneflies and caddis are flying about and are the name of the game pretty much river wide.

Animas River 3450 at Durango; Slow
Still big water on the Animas! The flows are on there way down, it's just taking awhile. If you can find a pocket that's not blown out; stoneflies and baetis. Watch out for the river runners.

Piedra River 359 cfs at Arboles; Fair to Good
The lower Piedra is finally more fishable. The upper river all the way into the forks is fishing very well. I've had great reports from Williams Creek below the reservoir. Lot's of options have just opened up around Pagosa.

San Juan River 750 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Fair to Good
The San Juan is another river taking it's sweet time in coming down. Tough fishing at these flows on the main stem San Juan. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is down and fishing well. Check out Turkey, Four Mile, or the East Fork of the San Juan for easier wading. Just like everywhere in southern Colorado, else, the peak flows seemd to have occurred and flows are trending downward. It's all about stones and caddis at this time of year.

Arkansas River 2630 cfs at Granite; Slow: 3700 cfs at Salida; Slow
High water pretty much river wide from melting snowpack and an increased release from Twin Lakes. Blue winged olive hatches, some caddis and stonelies are the nymphs to choose. Much of the river is difficult to fish at these levels. Good fishing nearby is Antero Reservoir and the Dream Stream.

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.

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.

Ed'd Fly Fishing Report for Sunday June 26, 2011

2011-06-26T11:52:00.003-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.

San Juan River 475 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The high release is over. Fishing is good but fly choices have become smaller with the lower and clear water. Olive and grey bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working. For the beatis, try the ususal, chocolate foam wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails. Fish start eating midges once the baetis are done from then until dusk. There are caddis on the lower river. From Rainbow Lodge on down all river access is private. If you can, a stay at Soaring Eagle or a float from one of the guide services can put you in the middle of the hatch. You can some time find bugs all the way up to the Gravel Pit take out. 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 30 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
PECOS CANYON CAMPGROUNDS REMAIN OPEN WITH STRICT FIRE RESTRICTIONS
The Department of Game and Fish imposed strict fire restrictions on State Game Commission properties in Pecos Canyon beginning Friday, June 24, banning all fires but allowing camping and fishing. The Bert Clancy, Terrero, Jamie Koch and Mora camping and fishing areas will remain open, but with sever fire restriction. See our Announcements Page for more details. The water levels are low and the fishing is good. Small to medium stonefly nymphs, small pheasant tails, baetis nymphs, caddis nymphs, and zebra midges are some of the fly choices. The spring fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park will resume again June 23rd. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Rio Grande 596 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 759 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
Not much for hatching bugs on the Rio right now. The flows have come up enough to the delight of the boaters, but the water is quite murky. I do best fishing the pockets when nothing is going on hatch wise. Fish big bugs like golden stonefly nymphs, cranefly larvae, or buggers. Remember to finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 5.9 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
There are some fishing opportunites in the Jemez, but they are on rather short stretches of stream along NM Highway 4. Any access deeper into the forest is absolutely restricted. All forest roads are closed, even FR 376 along the Guadalupe and up to the San Antonio Hot Springs. For more details on fire restrictions and closures go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com. The Valles Caldera has cancelled fishing reservations on the San Antonio until further notice. I have been told by a customer that the East Fork will remain open, but I have not been able to verify that. Please call the Valles Caldera or visit their website at www.vallescaldera.gov.

Cimarron River 16 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 15 cfs at Cimarron Cimarron Canyon State Park is open, but also with sever fire restriction. You have more access into the state park and the Carson Natioanl Forest. See their website at www.fs.fed.us/r3/carson/ for more info. The release out of the dam is a little high for optimum fishing. The upper reaches are brushy making casting difficault. Go below the Palisades and Clear Creek for easier fishing. PMD's are coming off as wellas golden and brown stoneflies. It seems that the browns here like a scud over the tiny offerings listed. Try that if all else fails.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 260 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow: 621 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 434 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama stretch flowing into El Vado is shall I say about perfect. The water is already warming quite a bit, so don't delay fishing this especially while we are experiencing restrictions where we can fish around Santa Fe. The river below El Vado is almost uncrossable. Strong waders maybe able to access the river below Cooper's. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing tough. Varying dam releases has made fishing here tough. Typically it won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren't calling for water. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. The nearby Brazos River is aslo running pretty high.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 618 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair: 1590 cfs at Magote; Fair
June 21, 2011. "A quick report tonight. Brain not coherent enough to get to creative but I have been guiding a lot lately and for the most part just incredible fishing up high, the La Jara, and some of the tribs. Today I caught the Meadow on a descending flow and that always seems to make things more tricky. Did a morning and afternoon guide and both caught nice fish but not the ridiculous fishing I was spoiled with earlier. It was hard this morning driving up the canyon to fish up high with the lower river looking so good. Tonight it dropped below 1000 cfs and should begin the start of some incredible fishing down lower on the river. Looking forward to see what she has to offer this week. Salmonfly adults should finally be tied to the end of your leader. Goldens should start soon and caddis are going crazy. Drakes today the lower La Jara and who knows what happened today on the Los Pinos but I know is was good! Wondered for a while if the Conejos would ever loose the full head of steam she had going for a while. Los Pinos hit 199 when I checked and so a lot of options and miles of river back on the option table. Seems only right to give the Meadow fish a break for a while! Hope to see you in the shop. For some more info and the scoop on some local stuff read the last couple of reports if you have time." The preceeding report was provided by Jon Harp of the Conejos River Anglers.

Rio Grande 1210 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 1940 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good

The release out of Rio Grande Reservoir has been all over the place but never dropping below 1000 cfs. The water is clear and fishing is good even though the wading is tough. Stoneflies and caddis are flying about and are the name of the game pretty much river wide.

Animas River 3450 at Durango; Slow
Big water on the Animas! The good news is that the peak seemed to have hit three days ago. If you can find a pocket that's not blown out; stoneflies and baetis. Watch out for the river runners.

Piedra River 520 cfs at Arboles; Slow
The lower Piedra is finally more fishable. The upper river all the way into the forks is fishing very well. I've had great reports from Williams Creek below the reservoir. Lot's of options have just opened up around Pagosa.

San Juan River 915 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Slow to Fair
Tough fishing at these flows on the main stem San Juan. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is down and fishing well. Check out Turkey, Four Mile, or the East Fork of the San Juan for easier wading. Just like everywhere in southern Colorado, else, the peak flows seemd to have occurred 3 days ago. It's all about stones and caddis at this time of year.

Arkansas River 2630 cfs at Granite; Fair: 3700 cfs at Salida; Fair
High water pretty much river wide from melting snowpack and an increased release from Twin Lakes. Blue winged olive hatches, some caddis and stonelies are the nymphs to choose. Much of the river is difficult to fish at these levels. If natural flows come down, Hayden Meadows is about the only place to fish the Ark. Other good fishing nearby is Antero Reservoir and the Dream Stream.

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.

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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday June 10, 2011

2011-06-10T10:43:00.001-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 5360 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
No reports since the Bureau of Rec increased the release out of Navajo Dam. I would bet not much has changed, but I expect there to more suspended moss in the current and the fish may be keying in on annelids that become dislodged out of the vegetation being kicked up. Midge hatches continue to come off late mornings and some decent baetis hatches follow it up till about 3:00 pm. Olive and grey bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working. For the beatis, try the ususal, chocolate foam wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails. Fish start eating midges once the baetis are done from then until dusk. 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 64 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
Stoneflies!!! They're out just above town all the way to Terrero. The fish still want the nymph over the dry fly but that could change as the hatch progresses. Move that dry fly! Skate it, hop it, smack it a couple of times before you let it drift. The fish want that big bug in motion. The water levels are low and the fishing is good. Small to medium stonefly nymphs, small pheasant tails, baetis nymphs, caddis nymphs, and zebra midges are some of the fly choices. The spring fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park will resume again June 23rd. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Rio Grande 849 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 1220 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
Not much for hatching bugs on the Rio right now. The flows have doubled over the past week. The influx of cool water should be good for trout. I do best fishing the pockets when nothing is going on hatch wise. Fish big bugs like golden stonefly nymphs, cranefly larvae, or buggers. Remember to finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 17 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
The de las Vacas/Guadalupe drainage still has a little more water than the other streams, but everything else is at a low mid-summer level. Stoneflies are off on the Guadalupe, the Jemez River, and are all the way up into the de las Vacas. Good reports on the East Fork and San Antonio. The water on both streams is low and clear, perfect for dry fly fishing. Some of the more open water slows mid-day. Consider fishing the shaded ares during the afternoon. The Valles Caldera is also fishing very well. See their website at www.vallescaldera.gov to make a reservation.

Cimarron River 16 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 15 cfs at Cimarron Good steady flows out of the dam has made for good consistent fishing. The flows have come down making fishing easier in the upper reaches around Tolby campground. There is a little more room the further downstream you go. Dark midges and baetis nymphs like tungsten WD40's, black psycho mays, chocolate johnny flashes, and black zebra midges on a nymph rig or dry dropper would be my choices. It seems that the browns here like a scud over the tiny offerings listed. Try that if all else fails.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 834 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow: 797 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1280 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama including the stretch flowing into El Vado is still quite high. Flows are near normal for this time of year. The river below El Vado is almost unwadable. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing tough. High dam release has made wading here tough. The release out of the dams on the Chama make the fishing very tough until the fall when irrigators aren't calling for water. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. The nearby Brazos River is aslo running pretty high.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 618 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair: 1590 cfs at Magote; Fair

The Conejos and most of the San Juan Mountain rivers and streams are high with snowmelt. The peak seems to have hit 3 days ago and the flows are trending downward. I've had reports of stoneflies on the river around Conejos River Anglers fly shop. The lower river is pretty blown out with high water but there is some fishing in the meadows below Platoro. The water is high there as well but you can catch them on red worms and annelids. Lkae Fork seems to be one of the more fishable tributaries.

Rio Grande 1170 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 2610 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good

The release out of Rio Grande Reservoir has been ramped up and fishing is tough at the higher flows. Best bet would be a float on the lower river from South Fork to Del Norte. Stoneflies and baetis are the name of the game pretty much river wide.

Animas River 4710 at Durango; Slow
Big water on the Animas! The good news is that the peak seemed to have hit three days ago. If you can find a pocket that's not blown out; stoneflies and baetis. Watch out for the river runners.

Piedra River 1480 cfs at Arboles; Slow
The lower Piedra muddies rather easliy and is huge right now. Ther might be some fishable water in the upper river(s) above the forks. I did get some reports of stoneflies coming off on the Piedra below Williams Creek. Williams below the reservoir was reportedly fishing well and offers the easiest wading. Stoneflies and baetis. Maybe some San Juan worms.

San Juan River 1770 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Slow to Fair
Tough fishing at these flows on the main stem San Juan. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is also high but maybe more fishable than Turkey, Four Mile, or the East Fork of the San Juan. Locally the upper forks of the Piedra or Williams Creek beloa the reservoir is your best bets. Just like everywhere in southern Colorado, else, the peak flows seemd to have occurred 3 days ago. It's all about stones and baetis at this time of year.

Arkansas River 2160 cfs at Granite; Fair: 30400 cfs at Salida; Fair
High water pretty much river wide from melting snowpack and an increased release from Twin Lakes. Blue winged olive hatches, some caddis and stonelies are the nymphs to choose. Much of the river is difficult to fish at these levels. If natural flows come down, Hayden Meadows is about the only place to fish the Ark. Other good fishing nearby is Antero Reservoir and the Dream Stream.

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.

It's spring 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.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday June 3, 2011

2011-06-02T18:15:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Good midge hatches continue to come off late mornings and some decent baetis hatches follow it up till about 3:00 pm. Olive and grey bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working. Try the ususal, chocolate foam wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails to mimic your baetis. Fish start keying back in on midges once the baetis are done from then until dusk. The dates of the High Spring Peak Release for the San Juan has been revised. Please check our announcements page for the details. .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 89 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
Stoneflies!!! They're out just above town and are around Dalton. The fish still want the nymph over the dry fly but that could change as the hatch progresses. The water levels are low and the fishing is good. Small to medium stonefly nymphs, small pheasant tails, baetis nymphs, caddis nymphs, and zebra midges are some of the fly choices. The spring fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park will resume again in late June. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Rio Grande 275 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 522 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The caddis hatch is pretty well done except for some small black caddis inhabiting the willows. Without the hatching adults or egglayers, dry fly fishing has slowed, but nymph fishing is still good depending on clarity. Currently the visibility is about a foot and fishing has slowed but should resume with clearing flows. Best chance at dry fly fishing is in the evenings provided the wind isn't howling. Skate your dry fly for some of the pickier fish. If you're nymphing, always finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. For trout, I like a big attractor under an indicator like a crane fly or golden stone and then trail your caddis larva/pupa off of that. Baetis have also been coming off so show them a trailing flashback pheasant tail or bat wing emerger. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 30 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
Runoff is pretty much done over the Jemez as a whole. The de las Vacas/Guadalupe drainage still has a little more water than the other streams, but is at a wadeable level and fishing is good. Stoneflies are off on the Guadalupe, the Jemez River, and are all the way up into the de las Vacas. Good reports on the East Fork and San Antonio. The water on both streams ias low and clear, perfect for dry fly fishing. The Valles Caldera is also fishing very well. See their website at www.vallescaldera.gov to make a reservation.

Cimarron River 32 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 31 cfs at Cimarron Good steady flows out of the dam has made for good consistent fishing. The flows have come down making fishing easier in the upper reaches around Tolby campground. There is a little more room the further downstream you go. Dark midges and baetis nymphs like tungsten WD40's, black psycho mays, chocolate johnny flashes, and black zebra midges on a nymph rig or dry dropper would be my choices.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 1320 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow: 1470 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1270 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama including the stretch flowing into El Vado is way blown out. Flows are near normal and the river is in runoff. The river below El Vado is totally unwadable and quite stirred up. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing tough. High dam release has made wading here tough. The release out of the dams on the Chama make the fishing very tough until the fall when irrigators aren't calling for water. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. The nearby Brazos River is aslo running pretty high.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 389 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair: 1160 cfs at Magote; Fair

The Conejos and the Rio Grande drainages in Colorado are in almost the same shape snowpack wise as we are in New Mexico. We'll see some runoff here later, but it won't be big or last long like year's past. Right now the fishing is good. The release out of Platoro is low enough to be able to fish the Pinnacles and there should be some good water in the meadows now that the release is up. Up high, use worms along with your stonefly of choice or trail your favorite baetis pattern behind that.

Rio Grande 1170 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 2290 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good

The release out of Rio Grande Reservoir has been ramped up and fishing is tough until the river clears. There seems to be a general increase in flows region wide and I'm sure that the tribs are starting to swell with snowmelt. Best bet would be a float on the lower river from South Fork to Del Norte. Stoneflies and baetis are the name of the game pretty much river wide. The lower river is floatable.

Animas River 3430 at Durango; Slow
Holy Shiz! The Animas has come way up in two days and is definitely in spring runoff. I don't think we'll see a decline in flows for a few more weeks. if you can find a pocket that's not blown out; stoneflies and baetis. Nymphs.

Piedra River 1480 cfs at Arboles; Slow
The lower Piedra muddies rather easliy and is huge right now. Ther might be some fishable water in the upper river(s) above the forks. Williams Creek below the reservoir was reportedly fishing well before this weekend but I don't have any new reports. Stoneflies and baetis. Maybe some San Juan worms.

San Juan River 1710 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Slow to Fair
Tough fishing at these flows on the main stem San Juan. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass was fishing fair prior to this weekend. Just like everywhere else, especially southern Colorado, it's all about stones and baetis. If the main stems like the Piedra and the San Juan are flowing high, the tribs are probably blown out as well.

Arkansas River 942 cfs at Granite; Fair: 1270 cfs at Salida; Fair
Higher water from increased release from Twin Lakes. Good blue winged olive hatches all the way up into Brown's Canyon. The road to Hecla is open. The better fishing is from Salida downstream through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The caddis stalled near Salida but resume with some warmer weather. Good dry fly action on blue winged olives. Other than that a caddis larva imitation or baetis trailed behind a stonefly nymphs should work.

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.

It's spring 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.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday May 27, 2011

2011-05-27T18:20:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Good midge hatches continue to come off late mornings and some decent baetis hatches follow it up till about 3:00 pm. Olive and grey bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working. Try the ususal, chocolate foam wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails to mimick your baetis. Fish start keying back in on midges once the baetis are done from then until dusk. The dates of the High Spring Peak Release for the San Juan has been revised. Please check our announcements page for the details. .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 75 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
Stoneflies!!! They're out just above town and are around Dalton. The fish still want the nymph over the dry fly but that could change as the hatch progresses. The water levels are low and the fishing is good. Small to medium stonefly nymphs, small pheasant tails, baetis nymphs, caddis nymphs, and zebra midges are some of the fly choices. The spring fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park will resume again in late June. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Rio Grande 238 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 422 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow to Fair for smallmouth bass
The caddis hatch is pretty well done except for some small black caddis inhabiting the willows. Without the hatching adults or egglayers, dry fly fishing has slowed, but nymph fishing is still good depending on clarity. Currently the visibility is about a foot and fishing has slowed but should resume with clearing flows. Best chance at dry fly fishing is in the evenings provided the wind isn't howling. Skate your dry fly for some of the pickier fish. If you're nymphing, always finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. For trout, I like a big attractor under an indicator like a crane fly or golden stone and then trail your caddis larva/pupa off of that. Baetis have also been coming off so show them a trailing flashback pheasant tail or bat wing emerger. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 44 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
Runoff is pretty much done over the Jemez as a whole. The de las Vacas/Guadalupe drainage still has a little murk to the water, but is at a wadeable level and fishing is good. A few reports of hatching stoneflies on the lower Guad and Jemez River, but it looks like the hatch isn't in full swing. A dry fly dropper rig with #16-18 deep six caddis or a #18 psycho may in olive should pick up most of them. Stonefly nymphs on the lower Jemez and Guadalupe will also work. Some of the gullible fish are taking small dries like a parachute pheasant tail or adams. Good reports on the East Fork and San Antonio up from Highway 126.

Cimarron River 43 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 39 cfs at Cimarron Good steady flows out of the dam has made for good consistent fishing. The flows are a little high making for tougher fishing in the upper reaches around Tolby campground. There is a little more room the further downstream you go. Dark midges and baetis nymphs like tungsten WD40's, black psycho mays, chocolate johnny flashes, and black zebra midges on a nymph rig or dry dropper would be my choices.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 1470 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 995 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 992 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama including the stretch flowing into El Vado is way blown out. Flows are near normal and the river is in runoff. The river below El Vado is wadable still, but do take caution as it's hard to see the bottom. A staff is good insurance here. Focus on the tailouts and hit the obvious seams. Crane fly larva and egg patterns and a trailing flashy beatis were reported to be the hot flies. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing tough. High dam release has made wading here tough. If you can find a run or some pockets, run a cranefly or golden stone nymph with a midge dropper. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. The nearby Brazos River is aslo running pretty high.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 196 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair to Good: 608 cfs at Magote; Good

The Conejos and the Rio Grande drainages in Colorado are in almost the same shape snowpack wise as we are in New Mexico. We'll see some runoff here later, but it won't be big or last long like year's past. Right now the fishing is good. The release out of Platoro is low enough to be able to fish the Pinnacles and there should be some good water in the meadows now that the release is up. Up high, use worms along with your stonefly of choice or trail your favorite baetis pattern behind that.

Rio Grande 523 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 1030 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good

The release out of Rio Grande Reservoir has been ramped up and fishing is tough until the river clears. There seems to be a general increase in flows region wide and I'm sure that the tribs are starting to swell with snowmelt. Best bet would be a float on the lower river from South Fork to Del Norte. Stoneflies and baetis are the name of the game pretty much river wide. The lower river is floatable.

Animas River 1850 at Durango; Slow
Holy Shiz! The Animas has come way up in two days and is definitely in spring runoff. I don't think we'll see a decline in flows for a few more weeks. if you can find a pocket that's not blown out; stoneflies and baetis. Nymphs.

Piedra River 988 cfs at Arboles; Slow
The lower Piedra muddies rather easliy and is huge right now. Ther might be some fishable water in the upper river(s) above the forks. Williams Creek below the reservoir was reportedly fishing well before this weekend but I don't have any new reports. Stoneflies and baetis. Maybe some San Juan worms.

San Juan River 1100 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Slow to Fair
Tough fishing at these flows on the main stem San Juan. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass was fishing fair prior to this weekend. Just like everywhere else, especially southern Colorado, it's all about stones and baetis. If the main stems like the Piedra and the San Juan are flowing high, the tribs are probably blown out as well.

Arkansas River 672 cfs at Granite; Fair: 758 cfs at Salida; Fair
Higher water from increased release from Twin Lakes. Good blue winged olive hatches all the way up into Brown's Canyon. The road to Hecla is open. The better fishing is from Salida downstream through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The caddis stalled near Salida but resume with some warmer weather. Good dry fly action on blue winged olives. Other than that a caddis larva imitation or baetis trailed behind a stonefly nymphs should work.

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.

It's spring 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.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Tuesday May 24, 2011

2011-05-24T17:18:00.001-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Good midge hatches continue to come off late mornings and some decent baetis hatches follow it up till about 3:00 pm. Olive and grey bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working. Try the ususal, chocolate foam wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails to mimick your baetis. Fish start keying back in on midges once the baetis are done from then until dusk. The dates of the High Spring Peak Release for the San Juan has been revised. Please check our announcements page for the details. .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 75 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
Stoneflies!!! They're out just above town and are around Dalton. The fish still want the nymph over the dry fly but that could change as the hatch progresses. The water levels are low and the fishing is good. Small to medium stonefly nymphs, small pheasant tails, baetis nymphs, caddis nymphs, and zebra midges are some of the fly choices. The spring fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park will resume again in late June. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Rio Grande 238 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 422 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow to Fair for smallmouth bass
The caddis hatch is pretty well done except for some small black caddis inhabiting the willows. Without the hatching adults or egglayers, dry fly fishing has slowed, but nymph fishing is still good depending on clarity. Currently the visibility is about a foot and fishing has slowed but should resume with clearing flows. Best chance at dry fly fishing is in the evenings provided the wind isn't howling. Skate your dry fly for some of the pickier fish. If you're nymphing, always finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. For trout, I like a big attractor under an indicator like a crane fly or golden stone and then trail your caddis larva/pupa off of that. Baetis have also been coming off so show them a trailing flashback pheasant tail or bat wing emerger. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 44 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
Runoff is pretty much done over the Jemez as a whole. The de las Vacas/Guadalupe drainage still has a little murk to the water, but is at a wadeable level and fishing is good. A few reports of hatching stoneflies on the lower Guad and Jemez River, but it looks like the hatch isn't in full swing. A dry fly dropper rig with #16-18 deep six caddis or a #18 psycho may in olive should pick up most of them. Stonefly nymphs on the lower Jemez and Guadalupe will also work. Some of the gullible fish are taking small dries like a parachute pheasant tail or adams. Good reports on the East Fork and San Antonio up from Highway 126.

Cimarron River 43 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 47 cfs at Cimarron It is irrigation season and the releases out of Eagle's Nest Lake are proving it. The release has varied from 20 cfs to it's current level of 46 cfs. The flows are a little high making for tougher fishing in the upper reaches around Tolby campground. There is a little more room the further downstream you go. Dark midges and baetis nymphs like tungsten WD40's, black psycho mays, chocolate johnny flashes, and black zebra midges on a nymph rig or dry dropper would be my choices.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 1190 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 616 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 658 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama including the stretch flowing into El Vado is way blown out. Flows are near normal and the river is in runoff. The river below El Vado is wadable still, but do take caution as it's hard to see the bottom. A staff is good insurance here. Focus on the tailouts and hit the obvious seams. Crane fly larva and egg patterns and a trailing flashy beatis were reported to be the hot flies. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing tough. High dam release has made wading here tough. If you can find a run or some pockets, run a cranefly or golden stone nymph with a midge dropper. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. The nearby Brazos River is aslo running pretty high.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 119 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair to Good: 433 cfs at Magote; Good

The Conejos and the Rio Grande drainages in Colorado are in almost the same shape snowpack wise as we are in New Mexico. We'll see some runoff here later, but it won't be big or last long like year's past. Right now the fishing is good. The release out of Platoro is low enough to be able to fish the Pinnacles and there should be some good water in the meadows now that the release is up. Up high, use worms along with your stonefly of choice or trail your favorite baetis pattern behind that.

Rio Grande 312 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 830 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good

The release out of Rio Grande Reservoir has been ramped up and fishing is tough until the river clears. There seems to be a general increase in flows region wide and I'm sure that the tribs are starting to swell with snowmelt. Best bet would be a float on the lower river from South Fork to Del Norte. Stoneflies and baetis are the name of the game pretty much river wide. The lower river is floatable.

Animas River 1540 at Durango; Slow
Holy Shiz! The Animas has come way up in two days and is definitely in spring runoff. I don't think we'll see a decline in flows for a few more weeks. if you can find a pocket that's not blown out; stoneflies and baetis. Nymphs.

Piedra River 802 cfs at Arboles; Slow
The lower Piedra muddies rather easliy and is huge right now. Ther might be some fishable water in the upper river(s) above the forks. Williams Creek below the reservoir was reportedly fishing well before this weekend but I don't have any new reports. Stoneflies and baetis. Maybe some San Juan worms.

San Juan River 815 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Slow to Fair
Tough fishing at these flows on the main stem San Juan. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass was fishing fair prior to this weekend. Just like everywhere else, especially southern Colorado, it's all about stones and baetis. If the main stems like the Piedra and the San Juan are flowing high, the tribs are probably blown out as well.

Arkansas River 654 cfs at Granite; Fair: 758 cfs at Salida; Fair
Higher water from increased release from Twin Lakes. Good blue winged olive hatches all the way up into Brown's Canyon. The road to Hecla is open. The better fishing is from Salida downstream through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The caddis stalled near Salida but resume with some warmer weather. Good dry fly action on blue winged olives. Other than that a caddis larva imitation or baetis trailed behind a stonefly nymphs should work.

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.

It's spring 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.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday May 20, 2011

2011-05-19T18:11:00.001-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Good midge hatches continue to come off late mornings and some decent baetis hatches follow it up till about 3:00 pm. Olive and grey bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working. Try the ususal, chocolate foam wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails to mimick your baetis. Fish start keying back in on midges once the baetis are done from then until dusk. The dates of the High Spring Peak Release for the San Juan has been revised. Please check our announcements page for the details. .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 80 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
The dry winter we've had has resulted in some good May fishing. Normally we'd be in runoff right now, however the water levels are low and the fishing is good. No hatching stoneflies yey. It'll be another 10-14 days before we see the adults. Small to medium stonefly nymphs, small pheasant tails, baetis nymphs, caddis nymphs, and zebra midges are some of the fly choices. The spring fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park will resume again in late June. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Rio Grande 214 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 316 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow to Fair for smallmouth bass
The caddis hatch is pretty well done except for some small black caddis inhabiting the willows. Without the hatching adults or egglayers, dry fly fishing has slowed, but nymph fishing is still good depending on clarity. Currently the visibility is about a foot and fishing has slowed but should resume with clearing flows. Best chance at dry fly fishing is in the evenings provided the wind isn't howling. Skate your dry fly for some of the pickier fish. If you're nymphing, always finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. For trout, I like a big attractor under an indicator like a crane fly or golden stone and then trail your caddis larva/pupa off of that. Baetis have also been coming off so show them a trailing flashback pheasant tail or bat wing emerger. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 65 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
Runoff is pretty much done over the Jemez as a whole. The de las Vacas/Guadalupe drainage still has a little murk to the water, but is at a wadeable level and fishing is good. No reports of hatching stoneflies just yet, but it should start on the lower Guad and Jemez River in a week or so. Forest Road 376 is open from the Gilman Tunnels to Highway 126. Upper 376 to San Antonio Hot Springs is still closed. A dry fly dropper rig with #16-18 deep six caddis or a #18 psycho may in olive should pick up most of them. Stonefly nymphs on the lower Jemez and Guadalupe will also work. Some of the gullible fish are taking small dries like a parachute pheasant tail or adams. Good reports on the East Fork and San Antonio up from Highway 126.

Cimarron River 43 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 47 cfs at Cimarron It is irrigation season and the releases out of Eagle's Nest Lake are proving it. The release has varied from 20 cfs to it's current level of 46 cfs. The flows are a little high making for tougher fishing in the upper reaches around Tolby campground. There is a little more room the further downstream you go. Dark midges and baetis nymphs like tungsten WD40's, black psycho mays, chocolate johnny flashes, and black zebra midges on a nymph rig or dry dropper would be my choices.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 1190 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 616 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 658 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama including the stretch flowing into El Vado is way blown out. Flows are near normal and the river is in runoff. The river below El Vado is wadable still, but do take caution as it's hard to see the bottom. A staff is good insurance here. Focus on the tailouts and hit the obvious seams. Crane fly larva and egg patterns and a trailing flashy beatis were reported to be the hot flies. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing tough. High dam release has made wading here tough. If you can find a run or some pockets, run a cranefly or golden stone nymph with a midge dropper. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. The nearby Brazos River is aslo running pretty high.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 119 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair to Good: 433 cfs at Magote; Good

The Conejos and the Rio Grande drainages in Colorado are in almost the same shape snowpack wise as we are in New Mexico. We'll see some runoff here later, but it won't be big or last long like year's past. Right now the fishing is good. The release out of Platoro is low enough to be able to fish the Pinnacles and there should be some good water in the meadows now that the release is up. Up high, use worms along with your stonefly of choice or trail your favorite baetis pattern behind that.

Rio Grande 312 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 830 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good

The release out of Rio Grande Reservoir has been ramped up and fishing is tough until the river clears. There seems to be a general increase in flows region wide and I'm sure that the tribs are starting to swell with snowmelt. Best bet would be a float on the lower river from South Fork to Del Norte. Stoneflies and baetis are the name of the game pretty much river wide. The lower river is floatable.

Animas River 1540 at Durango; Slow
Holy Shiz! The Animas has come way up in two days and is definitely in spring runoff. I don't think we'll see a decline in flows for a few more weeks. if you can find a pocket that's not blown out; stoneflies and baetis. Nymphs.

Piedra River 802 cfs at Arboles; Slow
The lower Piedra muddies rather easliy and is huge right now. Ther might be some fishable water in the upper river(s) above the forks. Williams Creek below the reservoir was reportedly fishing well before this weekend but I don't have any new reports. Stoneflies and baetis. Maybe some San Juan worms.

San Juan River 815 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Slow to Fair
Tough fishing at these flows on the main stem San Juan. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass was fishing fair prior to this weekend. Just like everywhere else, especially southern Colorado, it's all about stones and baetis. If the main stems like the Piedra and the San Juan are flowing high, the tribs are probably blown out as well.

Arkansas River 654 cfs at Granite; Fair: 758 cfs at Salida; Fair
Higher water from increased release from Twin Lakes. Good blue winged olive hatches all the way up into Brown's Canyon. The road to Hecla is open. The better fishing is from Salida downstream through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The caddis stalled near Salida but resume with some warmer weather. Good dry fly action on blue winged olives. Other than that a caddis larva imitation or baetis trailed behind a stonefly nymphs should work.

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.

It's spring 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.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Monday May 16, 2011

2011-05-16T17:57:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 510 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Good midge hatches continue to come off late mornings and some decent baetis hatches follow it up till about 3:00 pm. Olive and grey bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working. Try the ususal, chocolate foam wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails to mimick your baetis. Fish start keying back in on midges once the baetis are done from then until dusk. The High Spring Peak Release for the San Juan is scheduled to begin on May 23rd. The release should be around 500-650 until then. The projected increase will start May 23rd increase a 1000cfs a day up to 5000 cfs on May 27th. The river flow will remain at 5000 cfs until June 2nd and will drop to 500 cfs by June 7th.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 94 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
The dry winter we've had has resulted in some good May fishing. Normally we'd be in runoff right now, however the water levels are low and the fishing is good. No hatching stoneflies yey. It'll be another 10-14 days before we see the adults. Small to medium stonefly nymphs, small pheasant tails, baetis nymphs, caddis nymphs, and zebra midges are some of the fly choices. The spring fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park will resume again in late June. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Rio Grande 264 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 399 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow to Fair for smallmouth bass
The caddis hatch is pretty well done except for some small black caddis inhabiting the willows. Without the hatching adults or egglayers, dry fly fishing has slowed, but nymphh fishing is still good depending on clarity. Currently the visibility is about a foot and fishing has slowed but should resume with clearing flows. Best chance at dry fly fishing is in the evenings provided the wind isn't howling. Skate your dry fly for some of the pickier fish. If you're nymphing, always finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. For trout, I like a big attractor under an indicator like a crane fly or golden stone and then trail your caddis larva/pupa off of that. Baetis have also been coming off so show them a trailing flashback pheasant tail or bat wing emerger. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 63 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
Currently the Rio Fire hasn't officially closed any of the areas we typically fish except the Rio de las Vacas near the Chaparral Girl Scout Camp. The fire is located about one mile southwest of Chaparral. Runoff is pretty much done over the Jemez as a whole. The de las Vacas/Guadalupe drainage still has a little murk to the water, but is at a wadeable level and fishing is good. No reports of hatching stoneflies just yet, but it should start on the lower Guad and Jemez River in a week or so. Forest Road 376 is open from the Gilman Tunnels to Highway 126. Upper 376 to San Antonio Hot Springs is still closed. A dry fly dropper rig with #16-18 deep six caddis or a #18 psycho may in olive should pick up most of them. Stonefly nymphs on the lower Jemez and Guadalupe will also work. Some of the gullible fish are taking small dries like a parachute pheasant tail or adams. Good reports on the East Fork and San Antonio up from Highway 126.

Cimarron River 46 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 42 cfs at Cimarron It is irrigation season and the releases out of Eagle's Nest Lake ar proving it. The release has varied from 20 cfs to it's current level of 46 cfs. The flows are a little high making for tougher fishing in the upper reaches around Tolby campground. There is a little more room the further downstream you go. Dark midges and baetis nymphs like tungsten WD40's, black psycho mays, chocolate johnny flashes, and black zebra midges on a nymph rig or dry dropper would be my choices.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 1960 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 548 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 649 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama including the stretch flowing into El Vado is way blown out. Flows are near normal and the river is in runoff. The river below El Vado is wadable still, but do take caution as it's hard to see the bottom. A staff is good insurance here. Focus on the tailouts and hit the obvious seams. Crane fly larva and egg patterns and a trailing flashy beatis were reported to be the hot flies. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing tough. High dam release has made wading here tough. If you can find a run or some pockets, run a cranefly or golden stone nymph with a midge dropper. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. The nearby Brazos River is aslo running pretty high.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 202 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair to Good: 585 cfs at Magote; Good

The Conejos and the Rio Grande drainages in Colorado are in almost the same shape snowpack wise as we are in New Mexico. We'll see some runoff here later, but it won't be big or last long like year's past. Right now the fishing is good. Flows are up from a higher release out of Platoro. This puts the Pinnacles out of play but there should be some good water in the meadows now that the release is up. Up high, use worms along with your stonefly of choice or trail your favorite baetis pattern behind that. The road to Platoro is open.

Rio Grande 574 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 1260 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good

The release out of Rio Grande Reservoir has been ramped up and fishing is tough until the river clears. There seems to be a general increase in flows region wide and I'm sure that the tribs are starting to swell with snowmelt. Best bet would be a float on the lower river from South Fork to Del Norte. Stoneflies and baetis are the name of the game pretty much river wide. The lower river is floatable.

Animas River 1930 at Durango; Slow
Holy Shiz! The Animas has come way up in two days and is definitely in spring runoff. I don't think we'll see a decline in flows for a few more weeks. if you can find a pocket that's not blown out; stoneflies and baetis. Nymphs.

Piedra River 1230 cfs at Arboles; Slow
The lower Piedra muddies rather easliy and is huge right now. Ther might be some fishable water in the upper river(s) above the forks. Williams Creek below the reservoir was reportedly fishing well before this weekend but I don't have any new reports. Stoneflies and baetis. Maybe some San Juan worms.

San Juan River 1280 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Slow to Fair
Tough fishing at these flows on the main stem San Juan. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass was fishing fair prior to this weekend. Just like everywhere else, especially southern Colorado, it's all about stones and baetis. If the main stems like the Piedra and the San Juan are flowing high, the tribs are probably blown out as well.

Arkansas River 556 cfs at Granite; Fair: 684 cfs at Salida; Fair
Higher water from increased release from Twin Lakes. Good blue winged olive hatches all the way up into Brown's Canyon. The road to Hecla is open. The better fishing is from Salida downstream through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The caddis stalled near Salida but resume with some warmer weather. Good dry fly action on blue winged olives. Other than that a caddis larva imitation or baetis trailed behind a stonefly nymphs should work.

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.

It's spring 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.

For the most current fire information go to http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a list of fire restrictions or closures.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Saturday May 14, 2011

2011-05-14T13:55:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 510 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Good midge hatches continue to come off late mornings and some decent baetis hatches follow it up till about 3:00 pm. Olive and grey bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working. Try the ususal, chocolate foam wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails to mimick your baetis. Fish start keying back in on midges once the baetis are done from then until dusk. The High Spring Peak Release for the San Juan is scheduled to begin on May 23rd. The release should be around 500-650 until then. The projected increase will start May 23rd increase a 1000cfs a day up to 5000 cfs on May 27th. The river flow will remain at 5000 cfs until June 2nd and will drop to 500 cfs by June 7th.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 85 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
The dry winter we've had has resulted in some good May fishing. Normally we'd be in runoff right now, however the water levels are low and the fishing is good. No hatching stoneflies yey. It'll be another 10-14 days before we see the adults. Small to medium stonefly nymphs, small pheasant tails, baetis nymphs, caddis nymphs, and zebra midges are some of the fly choices. The spring fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park will resume again in late June. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Rio Grande 313 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 488 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow to Fair for smallmouth bass
The caddis hatch is pretty well done except for some small black caddis inhabiting the willows. Without the hatching adults or egglayers, dry fly fishing has slowed, but nymphh fishing is still good depending on clarity. Currently the visibility is about a foot and fishing has slowed but should resume with clearing flows. Best chance at dry fly fishing is in the evenings provided the wind isn't howling. Skate your dry fly for some of the pickier fish. If you're nymphing, always finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. For trout, I like a big attractor under an indicator like a crane fly or golden stone and then trail your caddis larva/pupa off of that. Baetis have also been coming off so show them a trailing flashback pheasant tail or bat wing emerger. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 61 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
Runoff is pretty much done over the Jemez as a whole. The de las Vacas/Guadalupe drainage still has a little murk to the water, but is at a wadeable level and fishing is good. No reports of hatching stoneflies just yet, but it should start on the lower Guad nad Jemez River in a week or so. Forest Road 376 is open from the Gilman Tunnels to Highway 126. Upper 376 to San Antonio Hot Springs is still closed. A dry fly dropper rig with #16-18 deep six caddis or a #18 psycho may in olive should pick up most of them. Stonefly nymphs on the lower Jemez and Guadalupe will also work. Some of the gullible fish are taking small dries like a parachute pheasant tail or adams. Good reports on the East Fork and San Antonio up from Highway 126.

Cimarron River 46 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 42 cfs at Cimarron It is irrigation season and the releases out of Eagle's Nest Lake ar proving it. The release has varied from 20 cfs to it's current level of 46 cfs. The flows are a little high making for tougher fishing in the upper reaches around Tolby campground. There is a little more room the further downstream you go. Dark midges and baetis nymphs like tungsten WD40's, black psycho mays, chocolate johnny flashes, and black zebra midges on a nymph rig or dry dropper would be my choices.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 1060 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 616 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 656 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama including the stretch flowing into El Vado is in runoff. The colder snowmelt has slowed the fishing somewhat. Stonefly nymphs and a smaller trailing caddis or baetis under an indicator would be the way to go. The river below El Vado is wadable still, but do take caution as it's hard to see the bottom. A staff is good insurance here. Focus on the tailouts and hit the obvious seams. Crane fly larva and egg patterns and a trailing flashy beatis were reported to be the hot flies. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing tough. High dam release has made wading here tough. The river is somewhat clear. If you can find a run or some pockets, run a cranefly or golden stone nymph with a midge dropper. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. The nearby Brazos River is aslo running pretty high.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 80 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair to Good: 334 cfs at Magote; Good

The Conejos and the Rio Grande drainages in Colorado are in almost the same shape snowpack wise as we are in New Mexico. We'll see some runoff here later, but it won't be big or last long like year's past. Right now the fishing is good. The bigger tribs like Elk Creek and the South Fork are also fishing well. Pick your stonefly of choice and trail your favorite baeitis pattern behind that. The road to Platoro is open.

Rio Grande 185 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 596 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good

The is alot of micro management conceerning the release out of Rio Grande Reservoir, but not enough of a swing to negatively influence the fishing. Stoneflies and baetis are the name of the game pretty much river wide. The lower river is floatable.

Animas River 970 at Durango; Slow
The Animas is pretty much in runoff and I don't think we'll see a decline in flows for a good month. Water is at a fishable clarity but wading might be difficult. Stoneflies and baetis. Nymphs.

Piedra River 724 cfs at Arboles; Slow
The lower Piedra muddies rather easliy but I've had good reports from the upper river(s) above the forks. Williams Creek below the reservoir is also fishing well. Stoneflies and baetis. Maybe some San Juan worms.

San Juan River 657 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Slow to Fair
Tough fishing at these flows on the main stem San Juan. Better reports have come from the tribs like Turkey and Fourmile Creek. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is also fishing fair to good now. Just like everywhere else, especially southern Colorado, it's all about stones and baetis.

Arkansas River 556 cfs at Granite; Fair: 684 cfs at Salida; Fair
Higher water from increased releases from Clear Creek Reservoir and Twin Lakes. Good blue winged olive hatches all the way up into Brown's Canyon. The road to Hecla is open. The better fishing is from Salida downstream through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The caddis are about ten days out in the Salida area but should come off any day around Canon City. Good dry fly action on blue winged olives. Other than that a caddis larva imitation or baetis trailed behind a stonefly nymphs should work.

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.

It's spring 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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday May 13, 2011

2011-05-13T18:14:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 510 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Good midge hatches continue to come off late mornings and some decent baetis hatches follow it up till about 3:00 pm. Olive and grey bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working. Try the ususal, chocolate foam wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails to mimick your baetis. Fish start keying back in on midges once the baetis are donefrom then until dusk. The High Spring Peak Release for the San Juan is scheduled to begin on May 23rd. The release should be around 500-650 until then. The projected increase will start May 23rd increase a 1000cfs a day up to 5000 cfs on May 27th. The river flow will remain at 5000 cfs until June 2nd and will drop to 500 cfs by June 7th.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 85 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
Above the village of Pecos, the fishing is good. Not much for dry fly fishing yet, so stick to nymphs. Golden stonefly nymphs, small pheasant tails, baetis nymphs and zebra midges were some of the latest hot flies. The spring fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park will resume again in late June. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Rio Grande 313 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 488 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow to Fair for smallmouth bass
The caddis hatch is waning but there is still some bugs bringing some fish to the surface. Best dry fly fishing is in the afternoons provided the wind isn't howling. Skate your dry fly for some of the pickier fish. If you're nymphing, always finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. For trout, I like a big attractor under an indicator like a crane fly or golden stone and then trail your caddis larva/pupa off of that. Baetis have also been coming off so show them a trailing flashback pheasant tail or bat wing emerger. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 61 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
A little more water is showing up on the stream guage with some warmer temps. Most of it is coming from the de las Vacas/Guadalupe drainage. Forest Road 376 is open from the Gilman Tunnels to Highway 126. Upper 376 to San Antonio Hot Springs is still closed. A dry fly dropper rig with #16-18 deep six caddis or a #18 psycho may in olive should pick up most of them. Stonefly nymphs on the lower Jemez and Guadalupe will also work. Some of the gullible fish are taking small dries like a parachute pheasant tail or adams. Good reports on the East Fork and San Antonio up from highway 126.

Cimarron River 46 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 42 cfs at CimarronAhh! Thank goodness water and life are flowing once again in the Cimmaron. The flows are a little high making for tougher fishing in the upper reaches around Tolby campground. There is a little more room the further downstream you go. Dark midges and baetis nymphs like tungsten WD40's, black psycho mays, chocolate johnny flashes, and black zebra midges on a nymph rig or dry dropper would be my choices.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 1060 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 616 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 656 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama including the stretch flowing into El Vado is in runoff. The colder snowmelt has slowed the fishing somewhat. Stonefly nymphs and a smaller trailing caddis or baetis under an indicator would be the way to go. The river below El Vado is wadable still, but do take caution as it's hard to see the bottom. A staff is good insurance here. Focus on the tailouts and hit the obvious seams. Crane fly larva and egg patterns and a trailing flashy beatis were reported to be the hot flies. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing tough. High dam release has made wading here tough. The river is somewhat clear. If you can find a run or some pockets, run a cranefly or golden stone nymph with a midge dropper. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. The nearby Brazos River is aslo running pretty high.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 80 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair to Good: 334 cfs at Magote; Good

The Conejos and the Rio Grande drainages in Colorado are in almost the same shape snowpack wise as we are in New Mexico. We'll see some runoff here later, but it won't be big or last long like year's past. Right now the fishing is good. The bigger tribs like Elk Creek and the South Fork are also fishing well. Pick your stonefly of choice and trail your favorite baeitis pattern behind that. The road to Platoro is open.

Rio Grande 185 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 596 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good

The is alot of micro management conceerning the release out of Rio Grande Reservoir, but not enough of a swing to negatively influence the fishing. Stoneflies and baetis are the name of the game pretty much river wide. The lower river is floatable.

Animas River 970 at Durango; Slow
The Animas is pretty much in runoff and I don't think we'll see a decline in flows for a good month. Water is at a fishable clarity but wading might be difficult. Stoneflies and baetis. Nymphs.

Piedra River 724 cfs at Arboles; Slow
The lower Piedra muddies rather easliy but I've had good reports from the upper river(s) above the forks. Williams Creek below the reservoir is also fishing well. Stoneflies and baetis. Maybe some San Juan worms.

San Juan River 657 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Slow to Fair
Tough fishing at these flows on the main stem San Juan. Better reports have come from the tribs like Turkey and Fourmile Creek. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is also fishing fair to good now. Just like everywhere else, especially southern Colorado, it's all about stones and baetis.

Arkansas River 556 cfs at Granite; Fair: 684 cfs at Salida; Fair
Higher water from increased releases from Clear Creek Reservoir and Twin Lakes. Good blue winged olive hatches all the way up into Brown's Canyon. The road to Hecla is open. The better fishing is from Salida downstream through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The caddis are about ten days out in the Salida area but should come off any day around Canon City. Good dry fly action on blue winged olives. Other than that a caddis larva imitation or baetis trailed behind a stonefly nymphs should work.

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.

It's spring 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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday May 6, 2011

2011-05-05T17:59:00.001-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 666 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Big midge hatches continue to come off late mornings. Dark bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working and more and more baetis are being seen. Try the ususal, chocolate faom wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails to mimick your baetis from 1:00 pm til about 5:00 pm. Fish start keying back in on midges from then until dusk. 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 75 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
Above the village of Pecos, the fishing is picking up every day and fish are eating. Not much for dry fly fishing yet, so stick to nymphs. Golden stonefly nymphs, small pheasant tails, baetis nymphs and zebra midges were some of the latest hot flies. The spring fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park Monday the 11th, but will resume again in late June. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Rio Grande 235 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 382 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow to Fair for smallmouth bass
The caddis hatch is waning but here is still some bugs bringing some fish to the surface. Best dry fly fishing is in the afternoons provided the wind isn't howling. Skate your dry fly for some of the pickier fish. If you're nymphing, always finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. For trout, I like a big attractor under an indicator like a crane fly or golden stone and then trail your caddis larva/pupa off of that. Baetis have also been coming off so show them a trailing flashback pheasant tail or bat wing emerger. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 63 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
A little more water is showing up on the stream guage with some warmer temps. Most of it is coming from the de las Vacas/Guadalupe drainage. Forest Road 376 is open from the Gilman Tunnels to Highway 126. Upper 376 to San Antonio Hot Springs is still closed. A dry fly dropper rig with #16-18 deep six caddis or a #18 psycho may in olive should pick up most of them. Stonefly nymphs on the lower Jemez and Guadalupe will also work. Some of the gullible fish are taking small dries like a parachute pheasant tail or adams. Good reports on the East Fork and San Antonio up from highway 126.

Cimarron River cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 23 cfs at CimarronAhh! Thank goodness water and life are flowing once again in the Cimmaron. The flows are a little low making for easier casting and fishing in the upper reaches around Tolby campground. There is a little more tributary flow the further downstream you go. That could be a good thing if the upper river is clear and the fish are spooky. Dark midges and baetis nymphs like tungsten WD40's, black psycho mays, chocolate johnny flashes, and black zebra midges on a nymph rig or dry dropper would be my choices.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 518 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 494 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 570 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama including the stretch flowing into El Vado is in runoff. The colder snowmelt has slowed the fishing somewhat. Stonefly nymphs and a smaller trailing caddis or baetis under an indicator would be the way to go. The river below El Vado is wadable still, but do take caution as it's hard to see the bottom. A staff is good insurance here. Focus on the tailouts and hit the obvious seams. Crane fly larva and egg patterns and a trailing flashy beatis were reported to be the hot flies. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing tough. High dam release has made wading here tough. The river is somewhat clear. If you can find a run or some pockets, run a cranefly or golden stone nymph with a midge dropper. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. The nearby Brazos River is aslo running pretty high.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 32 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair to Good: 163 cfs at Magote; Good

The Conejos and the Rio Grande drainages in Colorado are in almost the same shape snowpack wise as we are in New Mexico. We'll see some runoff here later, but it won't be big or last long like year's past. Right now the fishing is good. The bigger tribs like Elk Creek and the South Fork are also fishing well. Pick your stonefly of choice and trail your favorite baeitis pattern behind that. The road to Platoro is open.

Rio Grande 105 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 384 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good

The is alot of micro management conceerning the release out of Rio Grande Reservoir, but not enough of a swing to negatively influence the fishing. Stoneflies and baetis are the name of the game pretty much river wide. The lower river is floatable.

Animas River 640 at Durango; Slow
The Animas is pretty much in runoff and I don't think we'll see a decline in flows for a good month. Water is at a fishable clarity but wading might be difficult. Stoneflies and baetis. Nymphs.

Piedra River 514 cfs at Arboles; Slow
The lower Piedra muddies rather easliy but I've had good reports from the upper river(s) above the forks. Williams Creek below the reservoir is also fishing well. Stoneflies and baetis. Maybe some San Juan worms.

San Juan River 373 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Slow to Fair
Tough fishing at these flows on the main stem San Juan. Better reports have come from the tribs like Turkey and Fourmile Creek. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is also fishing fair to good now. Just like everywhere else, especially southern Colorado, it's all about stones and baetis.

Arkansas River 310 cfs at Granite; Fair: 459 cfs at Salida; Fair
Higher water from increased releases from Clear Creek Reservoir and Twin Lakes. Good blue winged olive hatches all the way up into Brown's Canyon. The road to Hecla is open. The better fishing is from Salida downstream through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The caddis are about ten days out in the Salida area but should come off any day around Canon City. Good dry fly action on blue winged olives. Other than that a caddis larva imitation or baetis trailed behind a stonefly nymphs should work.

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.

It's spring 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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday April 29, 2011

2011-04-29T17:51:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 493 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Big midge hatches continue to come off late mornings. Dark bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working and more and more baetis are being seen. Try the ususal, chocolate faom wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails to mimick your baetis from 1:00 pm til about 5:00 pm. Fish start keying back in on midges from then until dusk. 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 67 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
Above the village of Pecos, the fishing is picking up every day and fish are eating. Not much for dry fly fishing yet, so stick to nymphs. Golden stonefly nymphs, small pheasant tails, baetis nymphs and zebra midges were some of the latest hot flies. The spring fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park Monday the 11th, but will resume again in late June. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Rio Grande 154 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 317 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow to Fair for smallmouth bass
The caddis hatch is waning but here is still some bugs bringing some fish to the surface. Best dry fly fishing is in the afternoons provided the wind isn't howling. Skate your dry fly for some of the pickier fish. If you're nymphing, always finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. For trout, I like a big attractor under an indicator like a crane fly or golden stone and then trail your caddis larva/pupa off of that. Baetis have also been coming off so show them a trailing flashback pheasant tail or bat wing emerger. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 61 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
A little more water is showing up on the stream guage with some warmer temps. Most of it is coming from the de las Vacas/Guadalupe drainage. Forest Road 376 is open from the Gilman Tunnels to Highway 126. Upper 376 to San Antonio Hot Springs is still closed. A dry fly dropper rig with #16-18 deep six caddis or a #18 psycho may in olive should pick up most of them. Stonefly nymphs on the lower Jemez and Guadalupe will also work. Some of the gullible fish are taking small dries like a parachute pheasant tail or adams. Good reports on the East Fork and San Antonio up from highway 126.

Cimarron River 37 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 40 cfs at Cimarron
Ahh! Thank goodness water and life are flowing once again in the Cimmaron. The flows are a little low making for easier casting and fishing in the upper reaches around Tolby campground. There is a little more tributary flow the further downstream you go. That could be a good thing if the upper river is clear and the fish are spooky. Dark midges and baetis nymphs like tungsten WD40's, black psycho mays, chocolate johnny flashes, and black zebra midges on a nymph rig or dry dropper would be my choices.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 561 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 501 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 768 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama including the stretch flowing into El Vado is in runoff. The colder snowmelt has slowed the fishing somewhat. Stonefly nymphs and a smaller trailing caddis or baetis under an indicator would be the way to go. The river below El Vado is wadable still, but do take caution as it's hard to see the bottom. A staff is good insurance here. Focus on the tailouts and hit the obvious seams. Crane fly larva and egg patterns and a trailing flashy beatis were reported to be the hot flies. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing tough. High dam release has made wading here tough. The river is somewhat clear. If you can find a run or some pockets, run a cranefly or golden stone nymph with a midge dropper. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. The nearby Brazos River is aslo running pretty high.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 33 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair to Good: 188 cfs at Magote; Good

The Conejos and the Rio Grande drainages in Colorado are in almost the same shape snowpack wise as we are in New Mexico. We'll see some runoff here later, but it won't be big or last long like year's past. Right now the fishing is good. The bigger tribs like Elk Creek and the South Fork are also fishing well. Pick your stonefly of choice and trail your favorite baeitis pattern behind that. The road to Platoro is open.

Rio Grande 113 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 456 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good

The is alot of micro management conceerning the release out of Rio Grande Reservoir, but not enough of a swing to negatively influence the fishing. Stoneflies and baetis are the name of the game pretty much river wide. The lower river is floatable.

Animas River 766 at Durango; Slow
The Animas is pretty much in runoff and I don't think we'll see a decline in flows for a good month. Water is at a fishable clarity but wading might be difficult. Stoneflies and baetis. Nymphs.

Piedra River 642 cfs at Arboles; Slow
The lower Piedra muddies rather easliy but I've had good reports from the upper river(s) above the forks. Williams Creek below the reservoir is also fishing well. Stoneflies and baetis. Maybe some San Juan worms.

San Juan River 464 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Slow to Fair
Tough fishing at these flows on the main stem San Juan. Better reports have come from the tribs like Turkey and Fourmile Creek. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is also fishing fair to good now. Just like everywhere else, especially southern Colorado, it's all about stones and baetis.

Arkansas River 322 cfs at Granite; Fair: 373 cfs at Salida; Fair
Cold nights along the upper river are making for slow mornings above BV. Good blue winged olive hatches all the way up int Brown's Canyon. The road to Hecla is open. The better fishing is from Salida downstream through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The caddis are about ten days out in the Salida area but should come off any day around Canon City. Good dry fly action on blue winged olives. Other than that a caddis larva imitation or baetis trailed behind a stonefly nymphs should work.

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.

It's spring 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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Tuesday April 27, 2011

2011-04-27T18:03:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 499 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Big midge hatches continue to come off late mornings. Dark bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working and more and more baetis are being seen. The ususal, chocolate faom wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails to mimick your baetis. 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 66 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
Above the village of Pecos, the fishing is picking up every day and fish are eating. Not much for dry fly fishing yet, so stick to nymphs. Golden stonefly nymphs, egg patterns, small pheasant tails, baetis nymphs and zebra midges were some of the latest hot flies. The spring fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park Monday the 11th, but will resume again in late June. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Rio Grande 193 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 365 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow to Fair for smallmouth bass
The caddis hatch is here! Actually it's been at Pilar for a week now. Reports are that it hasn't made it's way up to John Dunn bridge, but it is definitely up into the lower box. Best dry fly fishing is in the afternoons provided the wind isn't howling. Skate your dry fly for some of the pickier fish. Always, and I'll say it again, always finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. For trout, I like a big attractor like a crane fly or golden stone and then trail your caddis larva/pupa off of that. Baetis have also been coming off so show them a trailing flashback pheasant tail or bat wing emerger. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 45 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
A little more water showed up on the stream guage with yesterday's and last night's warmer temps. Most of it is coming from the de las Vacas/Guadalupe drainage. Forest Road 376 is open from the Gilman Tunnels to Highway 126. Upper 376 to San Antonio Hot Springs is still closed. A dry fly dropper rig with #16-18 deep six caddis or a #18 psycho may in olive should pick up most of them. Stonefly nymphs on the lower Jemez and Guadalupe will also work. Some of the gullible fish are taking small dries like a parachute pheasant tail or adams. Good reports on the East Fork and San Antonio up from highway 126.

Cimarron River 40 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 42 cfs at Cimarron
Ahh! Thank goodness water and life are flowing once again in the Cimmaron. The flows are a little low making for easier casting and fishing in the upper reaches around Tolby campground. There is a little more tributary flow the further downstream you go. That could be a good thing if the upper river is clear and the fish are spooky. Dark midges and baetis nymphs like tungsten WD40's, black psycho mays, chocolate johnny flashes, and black zebra midges on a nymph rig or dry dropper would be my choices.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 554 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 503 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 583 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama including the stretch flowing into El Vado is in runoff. The colder snowmelt has slowed the fishing somewhat. Stonefly nymphs and a smaller trailing caddis or baetis under an indicator would be the way to go. The river below El Vado is wadable still, but do take caution as it's hard to see the bottom. A staff is good insurance here. Focus on the tailouts and hit the obvious seams. Crane fly larva and egg patterns and a trailing flashy beatis were reported to be the hot flies. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing tough. High dam release has made wading here tough. The river is somewhat clear. If you can find a run or some pockets, run a cranefly or golden stone nymph with a midge dropper. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. The nearby Brazos River is aslo running pretty high.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 50 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair to Good: 201 cfs at Magote; Good

The Conejos and the Rio Grande drainages in Colorado are in almost the same shape snowpack wise as we are in New Mexico. We'll see some runoff here later, but it won't be big or last long like year's past. Right now the fishing is good. The bigger tribs like Elk Creek and the South Fork are also fishing well. Pick your stonefly of choice and trail your favorite baeitis pattern behind that. The road to Platoro is open.

Rio Grande 93 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 462 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good

The is alot of micro management conceerning the release out of Rio Grande Reservoir, but not enough of a swing to negatively influence the fishing. Stoneflies and baetis are the name of the game pretty much river wide. The lower river is floatable.

Animas River 714 at Durango; Slow
The Animas is pretty much in runoff and I don't think we'll see a decline in flows for a good month. Water is at a fishable clarity but wading might be difficult. Stoneflies and baetis. Nymphs.

Piedra River 712 cfs at Arboles; Slow
The lower Piedra muddies rather easliy but I've had good reports from the upper river(s) above the forks. Williams Creek below the reservoir is also fishing well. Stoneflies and baetis. Maybe some San Juan worms.

San Juan River 531 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Slow to Fair
Tough fishing at these flows on the main stem San Juan. Better reports have come from the tribs like Turkey and Fourmile Creek. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is also fishing fair to good now. Just like everywhere else, especially southern Colorado, it's all about stones and baetis.

Arkansas River 298 cfs at Granite; Fair: 324 cfs at Salida; Fair
Cold nights along the upper river are making for slow mornings above BV. Good blue winged olive hatches all the way up int Brown's Canyon. The road to Hecla is open. The better fishing is from Salida downstream through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The caddis are about ten days out in the Salida area but should come off any day around Canon City. Good dry fly action on blue winged olives. Other than that a caddis larva imitation or baetis trailed behind a stonefly nymphs should work.

Animas River 230 cfs at Durango; Fair
Streamers in the deep and dark as well as dark stone fly nympsh and baetis patterns have been fooling the feeders. Best fishing is in the afternoons giving the water time to warm up.

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.

It's early spring 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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Sunday April 17, 2011

2011-04-17T14:20:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 645 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Declining flows on the Animas had the Bureau of Rec increase the release out of Navajo Dam. The rise occurred on Friday. There may be a little more junk floating in the water, but fishing should continue as it's been for the last few weeks. Big midge hatches continue to come off late mornings. Dark bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working and more and more baetis are being seen. The ususal, chocolate faom wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails to mimick your baetis. 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 61 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good:
Above the village of Pecos, the fishing is picking up every day and fish are eating. Not much for dry fly fishing yet, so stick to nymphs. Golden stonefly nymphs, egg patterns, small pheasant tails, baetis nymphs and zebra midges were some of the latest hot flies. The spring fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park Monday the 11th, but will resume again in late June. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Rio Grande 93 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 238 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow to Fair for smallmouth bass
The caddis hatch is here! Actually it's been at Pilar for a week now. Reports are that it hasn't made it's way up to John Dunn bridge, but it is definitely up into the lower box. Best dry fly fishing is in the afternoons provided the wind isn't howling. Skate your dry fly for some of the pickier fish. Always, and I'll say it again, always finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. For trout, I like a big attractor like a crane fly or golden stone and then trail your caddis larva/pupa off of that. Baetis have also been coming off so show them a trailing flashback pheasant tail or bat wing emerger. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 48 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
A little more water showed up on the stream guage with yesterday's and last night's warmer temps. Most of it is coming from the de las Vacas/Guadalupe drainage. Forest Road 376 is open from the Gilman Tunnels to Highway 126. Upper 376 to San Antonio Hot Springs is still closed. A dry fly dropper rig with #16-18 deep six caddis or a #18 psycho may in olive should pick up most of them. Stonefly nymphs on the lower Jemez and Guadalupe will also work. Some of the gullible fish are taking small dries like a parachute pheasant tail or adams. Good reports on the East Fork and San Antonio up from highway 126.

Cimarron River 29 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 21 cfs at Cimarron
Ahh! Thank goodness water and life are flowing once again in the Cimmaron. The flows are a little low making for easier casting and fishing in the upper reaches around Tolby campground. There is a little more tributary flow the further downstream you go. That could be a good thing if the upper river is clear and the fish are spooky. Dark midges and baetis nymphs like tungsten WD40's, black psycho mays, chocolate johnny flashes, and black zebra midges on a nymph rig or dry dropper would be my choices.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Slow: 430 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow to Fair: 462 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 590 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama including the stretch flowing into El Vado is in runoff. The colder snowmelt has slowed the fishing somewhat. Stonefly nymphs and a smaller trailing caddis or baetis under an indicator would be the way to go. The river below El Vado is wadable still, but do take caution as it's hard to see the bottom. A staff is good insurance here. Focus on the tailouts and hit the obvious seams. Crane fly larva and egg patterns and a trailing flashy beatis were reported to be the hot flies. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing tough. High dam release has made wading here tough. The river is somewhat clear. If you can find a run or some pockets, run a cranefly or golden stone nymph with a midge dropper. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. The nearby Brazos River is aslo running pretty high.

In Southern Colorado:

Conejos River 23 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair to Good: 180 cfs at Magote; Good

The Conejos and the Rio Grande drainages in Colorado are in almost the same shape snowpack wise as we are in New Mexico. We'll see some runoff here later, but it won't be big or last long like year's past. Right now the fishing is good. The bigger tribs like Elk Creek and the South Fork are also fishing well. Pick your stonefly of choice and trail your favorite baeitis pattern behind that. The road to Platoro is open.

Rio Grande 105 cfs at Thirty Mile bridge in Creede; Fair: 339 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good

The is alot of micro management conceerning the release out of Rio Grande Reservoir, but not enough of a swing to negatively influence the fishing. Stoneflies and baetis are the name of the game pretty much river wide. The lower river is floatable.

Animas River 624 at Durango; Slow
The Animas is pretty much in runoff and I don't think we'll see a decline in flows for a good month. Water is at a fishable clarity but wading might be difficult. Stoneflies and baetis. Nymphs.

Piedra River 588 cfs at Arboles; Slow
The lower Piedra muddies rather easliy but I've had good reports from the upper river(s) above the forks. Williams Creek below the reservoir is also fishing well. Stoneflies and baetis. Maybe some San Juan worms.

San Juan River 515 cfs in Pagosa Springs; Slow to Fair
Tough fishing at these flows on the main stem San Juan. Better reports have come from the tribs like Turkey and Fourmile Creek. The South Fork of the Rio Grande over Wolf Creek Pass is also fishing fair to good now. Just like everywhere else, especially southern Colorado, it's all about stones and baetis.

Arkansas River 156 cfs at Granite; Fair: 233 cfs at Salida; Fair
Cold nights along the upper river are making for slow mornings above BV. Good blue winged olive hatches all the way up int Brown's Canyon. The road to Hecla is open. The better fishing is from Salida downstream through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The caddis are about ten days out in the Salida area but should come off any day around Canon City. Good dry fly action on blue winged olives. Other than that a caddis larva imitation or baetis trailed behind a stonefly nymphs should work.

Animas River 230 cfs at Durango; Fair
Streamers in the deep and dark as well as dark stone fly nympsh and baetis patterns have been fooling the feeders. Best fishing is in the afternoons giving the water time to warm up.

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.

It's early spring 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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Wednesday April13, 2011

2011-04-13T18:18:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Big midge hatches continue to come off late mornings. Cluster patterns like griffith's gnats work on the gulping fish. Try a single black midge for the sippers. Dark bodied midge larvae and pupa are still working and more and more baetis are being seen. The ususal, chocolate faom wings in #22, chocolate johnny flash, wonder baetis, and small pheasant tails to mimick your baetis. 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 58 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good: at Villanueva State Park; Slow to Fair
The fishing down at Villanueva State Park is rated slow to fair because it's received it's last stocking of the season and flows will be reduced as irrigators pull water off upstream. Above the village of Pecos, the fishing is picking up every day and fish are eating. Not much for dry fly fishing yet, so stick to nymphs. Golden stonefly nymphs, egg patterns, small pheasant tails, baetis nymphs and zebra midges were some of the latest hot flies. The spring fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park Monday the 11th, but will resume again in late June. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program". Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Rio Grande 94 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 247 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair to Good for trout, Slow to Fair for smallmouth bass
The caddis hatch is here! Actually it's been at Pilar for several days. I haven't heard how far into the box it has progressed, but it should show up around John Dunn by the weekend. Be persistent and focus on the tailouts of pools and right below the gravel bars. Always, and I'll say it again, always finish your drift off with a swing! Hold you rod tip over the lane of your drift and let you flies swing upwards as your line tightens. If you feel a take, coach yourself into waiting just a second before you set the hook otherwise you'll just pull it away from them. For trout, I like a big attractor like a crane fly or golden stone and then trail tour caddis larva/pupa off of that. Baetis have also been coming off so show them a trailing flashback pheasant tail or bat wing emerger. Try a slow retrieved streamer in some of the slower eddies for smallies. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 48 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair to Good
There is a little bit of a runoff pattern on the stream guage with most of it coming from the de las Vacas/Guadalupe drainage. A dry fly dropper rig with #16-18 deep six caddis or a #18 psycho may in olive should pick up most of them. Stonefly nymphs on the lower Jemez and Guadalupe will also work. Some of the gullible fish are taking small dries like a parachute pheasant tail or adams. Good reports on the East Fork and San Antonio up from highway 126.

Cimarron River 17 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good: 18 cfs at Cimarron
Ahh! Thank goodness water and life are flowing once again in the Cimmaron. The flows are a little low making for easier casting and fishing in the upper reaches around Tolby campground. There is a little more tributary flow the further downstream you go. That could be a good thing if the upper river is clear and the fish are spooky. Dark midges and baetis nymphs like tungsten WD40's, black psycho mays, chocolate johnny flashes, and black zebra midges on a nymph rig or dry dropper would be my choices.

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Fair to Good: below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair to Good: 388 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 503 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The upper Chama including the stretch flowing into El Vado is inn the begiining stages of runoff. The colder snowmelt has slowed the fishing somewhat, but the river isn't raging and muddy yet either. Stonefly nymphs and a smaller trailing caddis or baetis under an indicator would be the way to go. The river below El Vado is wadable still, but do take caution as it's hard to see the bottom, and a staff is good insurance here. Focus on the tailouts and hit the obvious seams. Crane fly larva and egg patterns and a trailing flashy beatis were reported to be the hot flies. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing tough. High dam release ha made wading here tough. The river is somewhat clear. If you can find a run or some pockets, run a cranefly or golden stone nymph with a midge dropper. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Arkansas River 156 cfs at Granite; Fair: 233 cfs at Salida; Fair
Cold nights along the upper river are making for slow morning above BV. The better fishing is from Salida downstream through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The caddis haven't popped yet but a caddis larva imitation or baetis are working as well as stonefly nymphs.

Animas River 230 cfs at Durango; Fair
Streamers in the deep and dark as well as dark stone fly nympsh and baetis patterns have been fooling the feeders. Best fishing is in the afternoons giving the water time to warm up.

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.

It's early spring 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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Monday April 11, 2011

2011-04-11T18:11:00.000-06:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
Big midge hatches continue to come off late mornings. Cluster patterns like griffith's gnats work on the gulping fish. Try a single black midge for the sippers. Egg patterns are also a hot producer right now with peach and yellow being the best colors. Dark bodied midge larvae and pupa as well as dark brown baetis are also getting attention. 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 58 cfs below Terrero; Slow to Fair: at Villanueva State Park; Slow to Fair
The fishing is picking up every day and fish are eating. The fishing down at Villanueva State Park is rated slow to fair because it's received it's alst stocking of the season and flows will be reduced as irrigators pull water off upstream. Not much for dry fly fishing yet, so stick to nymphs. Golden stonefly nymphs, egg patterns, small pheasant tails, baetis nymphs and zebra midges were some of the latest hot flies. The spring fishing program at Pecos National Historical Park ended today but will resume again in late June, show them a zebra midge or juju baetis or flashbasck PT. Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. The Pecos National historical Park is now open to fishing through April 11th. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program".

Rio Grande 122 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 257 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Poor for smallmouth bass
Fishing will improve with some warmer weather. The river did get a little murky with the warmer temps melting off some of the lower elevation snowpack. I've had better reports on pike and trout at Pilar. Be persistent and focus on the tailouts of pools and right below the gravel bars. For trout, try a crane fly larvae or stonefly nymphs with a trailing caddis pupa or flashback pheasant tail. We could start seeing adult caddis in the next couple of weeks! I'll be sure to keep you posted. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 32 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair
There is a little bit of a runoff pattern on the stream guage but no enough to affect fishing. The main stem Jemez was stocked for winter fishing a week ago. Fish are taking small dries and small nymphs presented on a dry dropper rig. As far as flies go, use buoyant fry flies to suspend a bead head dropper. Keep the droppers on the small side like #16-18.

Cimarron River .2 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Poor: 8 cfs at Cimarron
It's done. Find another place to fish until they release more water in the spring. Tell anyone whose ear you can bend, like a new governor, that we need instream flows in this state!

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow: 10 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 178 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Fair to Good
Not much change here either. The release out of El Vado has been reduced. I'd still use big nymphs with flash and sparkle, but over the tailouts of pools thoroughly and hit the obvious seams. Crane fly larva and egg patterns were reported to be the hot flies. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing well. It's all about black midge larvae and pupa, and beatis nymphs here. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Arkansas River 435 cfs at Granite; Fair: 542 cfs at Salida; Fair
Cold nights have slowed the fishing, but I beleive it will be back on if the temps return to mid-forties during the day. Higher releases out of Twin Lakes does keep a short section below the confluence of Lake Creek open and fishable. The better fishing is from Salida downstream through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The fish are eating midges and baetis most of the day and a few are stuffing themselves with caddis pupa. The fish that are eating are stationed in the deeper runs and are most active from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Black midge larvae has been the most productive fly. Good midge hatches as of late. Please note that the road into Brown's Canyon at Hecla Junction is closed for road work and US Highway 50 is closed just west of Cotopaxi due to a landslide. CDOT hopes to have the road open by Moday February 21st.

Animas River 230 cfs at Durango; Fair
Streamers in the deep and dark as well as dark stone fly nympsh and baetis patterns have been fooling the feeders. Best fishing is in the afternoons giving the water time to warm up.

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.

It's early spring 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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday March 11, 2011

2011-03-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

Please help defeat House Bill 206 before the New Mexico Legislature! Please see our "Announcements Page".

Sorry it's been a while since this was last updated. I cut my time back here at the shop to a couple of days and I sometimes just don't get it changed before I have to go. Please feel free to call the shop for the latest in conditions. You can leave a message if you don't reach us and we'll call you back. Thanks, Ed.

San Juan River 504 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The visiblity is reported to be two to three feet in the river below the dam. Despite the murky water, big midge hatches continue to come off late mornings. Cluster patterns like griffith's gnats work on the gulping fish. Try a single black midge for the sippers. Egg patterns are also a hot producer right now with peach and yellow being the best colors. Dark bodied midge larvae and pupa as well as dark brown baetis are also getting attention. 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 ICE cfs below Terrero; Slow to Fair: at Villanueva State Park; Fair
The fishing is on the slow side but really improving with the warmer weather. There is good fishing down at Villanueva State Park if you can get it on a weekday. It was last stocked a week ago. Not much for dry fly fishing yet, so stick to nymphs. Egg patterns, red or green copper johns, prince nymphs, and scuds tend to fool most of the stocked fish. For the browns and holdover rainbows upriver of Villanueva, including Pecos National Historical Park, show them a zebra midge or juju baetis or flashbasck PT. Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. The Pecos National historical Park is now open to fishing through April 11th. Please see their website for the details at http://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm and click on "2011 Fishing Program".

Rio Grande 368 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 537 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Poor for smallmouth bass
Fishing will improve with some warmer weather. The river did get a little murky with the warmer temps melting off some of the lower elevation snowpack. I've had better reports on pike and trout at Pilar. Be persistent and focus on the tailouts of pools and right below the gravel bars. For trout, try a crane fly larvae or stonefly nymphs with a trailing caddis pupa or flashback pheasant tail. We could start seeing adult caddis in the next couple of weeks! I'll be sure to keep you posted. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 32 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair
There is a little bit of a runoff pattern on the stream guage but no enough to affect fishing. The main stem Jemez was stocked for winter fishing a week ago. Fish are taking small dries and small nymphs presented on a dry dropper rig. As far as flies go, use buoyant fry flies to suspend a bead head dropper. Keep the droppers on the small side like #16-18.

Cimarron River .2 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Poor: 8 cfs at Cimarron
It's done. Find another place to fish until they release more water in the spring. Tell anyone whose ear you can bend, like a new governor, that we need instream flows in this state!

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow: 10 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 178 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Fair to Good
Not much change here either. The release out of El Vado has been reduced. I'd still use big nymphs with flash and sparkle, but over the tailouts of pools thoroughly and hit the obvious seams. Crane fly larva and egg patterns were reported to be the hot flies. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing well. It's all about black midge larvae and pupa, and beatis nymphs here. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Arkansas River 435 cfs at Granite; Fair: 542 cfs at Salida; Fair
Cold nights have slowed the fishing, but I beleive it will be back on if the temps return to mid-forties during the day. Higher releases out of Twin Lakes does keep a short section below the confluence of Lake Creek open and fishable. The better fishing is from Salida downstream through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The fish are eating midges and baetis most of the day and a few are stuffing themselves with caddis pupa. The fish that are eating are stationed in the deeper runs and are most active from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Black midge larvae has been the most productive fly. Good midge hatches as of late. Please note that the road into Brown's Canyon at Hecla Junction is closed for road work and US Highway 50 is closed just west of Cotopaxi due to a landslide. CDOT hopes to have the road open by Moday February 21st.

Animas River 230 cfs at Durango; Fair
Streamers in the deep and dark as well as dark stone fly nympsh and baetis patterns have been fooling the feeders. Best fishing is in the afternoons giving the water time to warm up.

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.

It's early spring 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.

Ed's Fly Fishing Report for Friday March 4, 2011

2011-03-04T16:58:00.001-07:00

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Learn more at http://www.tu.org/science/aquatic-invasive-species-ais

Please help defeat House Bill 206 before the New Mexico Legislature! Please see our "Announcements Page".

Sorry it's been a while since this was last updated. I cut my time back here at the shop to a couple of days and I sometimes just don't get it changed before I have to go. Please feel free to call the shop for the latest in conditions. You can leave a message if you don't reach us and we'll call you back. Thanks, Ed.

San Juan River 499 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The visiblity is reported to be two to three feet in the river below the dam. Despite the murky water, big midge hatches continue to come off late mornings. Cluster patterns like griffith's gnats work on the gulping fish. Try an single black midge for the sippers. Egg patterns are also a hot producer right now with peach and yellow being the best colors. Dark bodied midge larvae and pupa as well as dark brown baetis are also getting attention. 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 ICE cfs below Terrero; Slow to Fair: at Villanueva State Park; Fair
The fishing is on the slow side but really improving with the warmer weather. Thereis good fishing down at Villanueva State Park if you can get it on a weekday. It was last stocked on the February 15th. Not much for dry fly fishing yet, so stick to nymphs. Egg patterns, red or green copper johns, prince nymphs, and scuds tend to fool most of the stocked fish. For the browns and holdover rainbows, show them a zebra midge or juju baetis or flashbasck PT. Don't be a poacher! Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Rio Grande 375 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 530 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Poor for smallmouth bass
Fishing will improve with some warmer weather. The river did get a little murky with the warmer temps melting off some of the lower elevation snowpack. I've had better reports on pike and trout at Pilar. Be persistent and focus on the tailouts of pools and right below the gravel bars. For trout, try a crane fly larvae or stonefly nymphs with a trailing caddis pupa or flashback pheasant tail. Pike hunt by feel. Large streamers that moves water will still get a pikes attention. Vary your retrieves and change up the color of your flies to see which ones trigger a bite.

Jemez Mountain Streams 40 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Fair
There is a little bit of a runoff pattern on the stream guage but no enough to affect fishing. The main stem Jemez was stocked for winter fishing a week ago. Fish are taking small dries and small nymphs presented on a dry dropper rig. As far as flies go, use buoyant fry flies to suspend a bead head dropper. Keep the droppers on the small side like #16-18.

Cimarron River 1 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Poor: 8 cfs at Cimarron
It's done. Find another place to fish until they release more water in the spring. Tell anyone whose ear you can bend, like a new governor, that we need instream flows in this state!

The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Slow: 104 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 193 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Fair to Good
Not much change here either. The release out of El Vado has been reduced. I'd still use big nymphs with flash and sparkle, but over the tailouts of pools thoroughly and hit the obvious seams. Crane fly larva and egg patterns were reported to be the hot flies. The stretch below Abiquiu is fishing well. It's all about black midge larvae and pupa, and beatis nymphs here. Even though this stretch does have some decent natural reproduction, most of the fish that get caught, get kept. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

In Southern Colorado:

Arkansas River 415 cfs at Granite; Fair: 542 cfs at Salida; Fair
Cold nights have slowed the fishing, but I beleive it will be back on if the temps return to mid-forties during the day. Higher releases out of Twin Lakes does keep a short section below the confluence of Lake Creek open and fishable. The better fishing is from Salida downstream through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. The fish are eating midges and baetis most of the day and a few are stuffing themselves with caddis pupa. The fish that are eating are stationed in the deeper runs and are most active from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Black midge larvae has been the most productive fly. Good midge hatches as of late. Please note that the road into Brown's Canyon at Hecla Junction is closed for road work and US Highway 50 is closed just west of Cotopaxi due to a landslide. CDOT hopes to have the road open by Moday February 21st.

Animas River 216 cfs at Durango; Fair
Streamers in the deep and dark as well as dark stone fly nympsh and baetis patterns have been fooling the feeders. Best fishing is in the afternoons giving the water time to warm up.

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.

It's winter 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.