The flows were 25-50cfs all month and the tributaries weren’t contributing much to the downstream flow. Water temps were getting into the high 60*s and fishing slowed down after 2pm on sunny days. Clouds help keep the temps lower and its advisable to fish closer to the dam after 2pm on sunny days. There is a 3-4* temperature difference from the top of the Public Water to the bottom end. Stimulator #12 got all the attention as it does every June.
Pat
Conejos River Fly Fishing Report 06/25/2001
June saw a lot of runoff from the tributaries but levels in Platoro were low from lack of precipitation and at Mogote the flow was 600cfs and blow the Pinnacles it was 350cfs.. Wading was tough everywhere and best fishing was along the dges. Stoneflies were around by 6/10 and best fishing was in the Flywater along Hiway #17. Crossing the river at this flow was impossible.
Cimarron River Fly Fishing Report 05/25/2001
I fished the Cita on 5/16, 5/23, 5/27 and 5/31 and altho release from the dam was 1-10cfs over this period the flow on the Cita was 20-30cfs. We fished D&D combos with a big, visible dry on top and a cased Caddis dropper. Almost all the fish were on the dropper 12-14″ below the dry. On 5/31 I saw a few Stones flying about.
Red River Fly Fishing Report 04/25/2001
I fished alone on 4/1 and had a great day.. I got the usual Browns and a few Cutbos to 18″…Lots of Caddis about and no people on a Sunday…Caddis hatch is happening on the Rio Grande so I won’t have any reports on the Red for a while.
Rio Grande Fly Fishing Report 04/25/2001
First Caddis spotted in Pilar on 4/2. Flows were about 400cfs {State Line} and not quite clear but fishable. Altho there wasn’t much snow this year the water never got real clear and fishing was fair at best. You had to work hard for your fish. I did a lot of sight fishing {casting only to rising fish}. They had more snow in the upper reaches of the Rio Grande Basin so there was some runoff and fishing was only fair thru April.
Red River Fly Fishing Report 03/25/2001
On 3/2 there were a lot more Caddis and a few small Stones as well as the usual Mayflies {#14 Para-Adams}. It was good early but slowed considerably at mid-day. It picked up again later and client got a 19″ Cutbo and a 16″ Brown..On 3/16 it was cold and windy at the top but nicer in the canyon {as usual} Very good top water action but we still fished with droppers and my guys hooked a couple of Cutbos to 20″.
Red River Fly Fishing Report 02/25/2001
There has been a little more snow than the past 2 years but the Red remains low and clear. On 2/6 a client fishing a nymph-egg combo { his choice} got 10 Cutbos over 16″..On 2/13 with a front moving in we did fair with Dry & Dropper [D&D] combos with most fish taking the Mayfly emerger. We got 6 over 16″ {Cutbos} and a couple of Browns near 14″. On 2/15 the Mayfly hatch was sparse but fish were still active on top for bigger dries{ Moth #12}..Some nice Browns to 14″…On 2/20 we saw the first Caddis and fishing was good until mid-afternoon when water clouded up from the snomelt coming off Cebolla Mesa and we quit fishing.
Red River Fly Fishing Report 12/25/2000
Warm and dry weather and water low and clear. Cutbos are in the system and spawning but with low and clear conditions they were real spooky. On 12/2 a client got 3 Cutbos over 17″ and on 12/21 another got a 21″ and a 20″ Cutbo on a caddis dropper. On 12/31 I fished a Wooly Booger over some spawners and took 3 0ver 18″
Red River Fly Fishing Report 11/25/2000
On 11/1 I fished the Red with my daughter and the Browns have moved up out of the Rio Grande and Rita got a 19″ Brown among a bunch of other nice fish. The bigger Browns were done and gone back to the Rio Grande by 11/20 but action remained good for Browns 11-14″ and a few Cutbos to 16″.
Rio Grande Fly Fishing Report 10/25/2000
Flows were very low this year at 60cfs {State Line}. At this level many more pockets in the Box were fishable and you could cross in spots. We started fishing the Grande in early September and the first half of the month was fair with water temps getting to the high 60*s by mid afternoon. By mid September the temps were better and fishing picked up. Rita and I had 2 great days fishing remote areas of the Box. We hooked up with about 40 fish apiece, Browns 13-17″ and Cutbos 14-18″. On 9/28 a client landed a 20″ Cutbo..We were using a big dry fly { Hopper or Moth } with a Caddis larva dropper 16-24″ below the dry. October continued great and we fished the Box on 10/2, 10/11, 10/15 and 10/18..We started getting some fish in the 20″ range, mostly Cutbos and a few Browns.
Rio Costilla Fly Fishing Report 09/25/2000
They shut the flow off on 9/9 and the last day we fished here was 9/7 at a flow of 45cfs and had a great day. Very few people around and a client took a 17″ Cutbo and a few Rio Grande Cutthroats to 14″
Cimarron River Fly Fishing Report 09/25/2000
On 9/5 I fished on the Cita with clients at 56cfs and had a great day. We fished Hoppers with a small # 16 mayfly emerger or a cased Caddis as a dropper. On 9/7 we fished the Holy Water {the private stretch immediately below the dam} but they turned the water down to 7cfs at 10am and fishing was poor altho we did get a 16″ Brown. We fished the Cita on 9/26 at 26cfs and had a good day on Hopper -dropper combos.