Fishing Reports

Depends when you fish it.  During the week, you'll find high flows and the fish hunkered down.  Lose some flies, which means use a lot of weight, fish tight against logs and rocks and tree cover and the banks.  Fish will be resting there, or in the middle behind some rock you can't make out through the heavy flows.  On the weekend, dry flies will have a better chance, though the fish are becoming somewhat educated.

Same old story, low stagnant flows, good fishing in the evenings.  Watch how large you loom as you approach these finicky fish.  Some horrible days have been reported on the Santa Barbara, and I imagine I could find similar reports about Pot Creek or the Rio Hondo.  The reason?  I don't know, but I imagine it has something to do with fish feeling exposed and running at the slightest provocation.

Flows are in the 30s, which is nice for such a small stream.  You'll want small flies beneath a hopper or a beetle.  My pick for the nymph would be a zebra midge or a small copper or red copper john.

The Valles Caldera fishes well for anglers who can throw a long and accurate line with a long, light leader.  Patch adams, tiny elk hairs and ants will do just fine.  Again, don't underestimate the trouts' ability to see things and spook.  The water is low with some algae in it, but cold nights are keeping it cool enough for good fishing through most of the day.

If the release from El Vado would only go down, we might have some killer fishing on the Chama.  As it is, most of the accessible stuff turns on mainly in the evenings, when the dry fly fishing is quite nice.  Otherwise, for good all day fishing, you're going to have to bust way into the Sargent, and I mean way in.  Plenty of fish and food, even if the water's a bit skinny.  You might need a longer cast on the pools and keep a low profile in the pockets, but the fish are willing.  I like a parachute hopper trailing a secret or a jackal.  Wire caddis pupae are also worth trying as are hardshell ants.

Ponds really.  But they're the ones you never see, six plus miles up a trail with - these days anyway - big cutties and cuttbows cruising around.  They'll take midge adults and small patch adams.  Katherine, Trampas, and Johnson are the big stars, though the Latirs are always decent this time of year when the streams seem like barely moving soup.  Ants are a must.