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.
Pat
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.
Rio Costilla Fly Fishing Report 08/25/2000
In early August flows were back up around 100cfs on weekdays and fishing was good with Hopper-dropper combos and Caddis dries later in the day. Low flows were about 40cfs and consequently fishing was better on weekends than in July despite increased fishing pressure. Later in the month high flows were around 60cfs and Caddis patterns produced well all day but better late.
Cimarron River Fly Fishing Report 08/25/2000
Lots of fishing pressure on the Public Water made fishing tough but on the Cita it was much better with Moth or Hopper and dropper rigs. Flows remained at 30cfs most of the month.
Conejos River Fly Fishing Report 08/25/2000
We fished the Hamilton lease on 8/5 and the Rocky Mt. Angler lease on 8/6. We had a good day on on the Hamilton lease and started at 8am to minimize the effect of high afternoon temperatures. We started later the next day on the Rocky Mt. lease and didn’t do as well as this section is just above the Rainbow Trout Lodge and here temps were in the high 60*s by 2pm. On 8/24 and 8/25 at 40cfs from Platoro we fished above the Pinnacles and clouds kept the temps in the low 60*s both days and fishing was good most of the day. No big fish but a bunch of 13-16″ Browns on D&D rigs.
Rio Costilla Fly Fishing Report 07/25/2000
Flows fluctuated wildly between weekdays and weekends and in mid July flows got up to 125cfs on high flow days and down to 10cfs on weekends. The high flow was better fishing Stimulator #12 on the edges, pockets and any slower water. These high flows get the better fish more active and we took some nice fish on high flow days..Best an 18″ Cutbo.. We fished a dropper behind a #12 Stimulator on high days. Weekends were tough as flows were around 10cfs and fishing pressure was intense.. Later in the month flows were around 80cfs during the week and still around 10cfs on weekends. Caddis patterns worked well especially late in the day..PMD patterns worked best on weekends.
Cimarron River Fly Fishing Report 07/25/2000
In July flows remained around 30cfs for most of the month and fishing with Caddis with a Caddis larva or cased Caddis dropper produced well. No rain to speak of this summer and the farmers downstream were demanding water for irrigation and flows remained steady at 30xfs.
Conejos River Fly Fishing Report 07/25/2000
On 7/1 and 7/2 we fished the Pinnacles at 100cfs from Platoro. This is about the highest flow you can navigate in the Pinnacles but it also keeps out the less adventurous anglers. The fish in this pocket water stretch don’t rise like they do on the lower river and a dropper is essential. You need a large dry that floats well with Beadhead dropper {Prince-Copper John-Caddis emerger}Best fish was a 19″ Cutbo but the main attraction here are Browns 13-17″ and we got a bunch of those. On 7/12 and 7/13 we had fair days at 80cfs that ended early due to the onslaught of summer afternoon monsoon conditions which muddied up the flow. You need to bring rain gear as you are often quite a distance from shelter. Another must have item is mosquito repellant as the bugs get bad especially on dark days. Later in the month flows were down to 30cfs from Platoro and the best fishing was in the Pinnacles and above. Water temps in the lower river were near 70* on suuny days and fishing was poor. . In the Pinnacles and above water temps got into the high 60*s by mid afternoon and fishing predictably slowed down.
Cimarron River Fly Fishing Report 06/25/2000
On 6/1 the flow was 56cfs and we did see a few Stoneflies on the Cita { private water in Ute Park} but the fish were more responsive to our droppers fished behind a Stimlator #12. Dropper was a cased caddis pattern #14..This flow would be too high to fish a lot of the Public Water but on the Cita its much more open and meadow-like this level is excellent. By mid June the flow dropped to 30cfs and fishing in the Public Water greatly improved on Stimulator #12.
Conejos River Fly Fishing Report 06/25/2000
Flows were 200-400cfs and best fishing was again on the Flywater along Hiway #17 with Stimulator #10 and Geen Drake # 10 dry flies. they hit the dry pretty good in the middle of the day and early and late droppers produced best. On 6/20 the flow was 100cfs from Platoro and fishing the Pinnacles we had a great day { 4 over 17″ and lots of Browns 13-16″}. I lengthened the dropper to 24″ and this seemed to work well.
Red River Fly Fishing Report 05/25/2000
I didn’t fish the Red this month as the fishing on other streams that usually don’t fish this early such as the Rio Grande, Embudo and the Pueblo have been keeping me busy. Th Red is the most consistant stream in my area and this year a lot other opportunities have arisen and the Red almost always fishes well. With the drought I am not optimistic about the later season on the Costlla, Conejos and Cimarron.