2000 Rio Costilla Fly Fishing Report Archives
The Valle
Vidal section of the Costilla opens on July 1st to facilitate elk calving
in the park. Flows on the Costilla are regulated from Costlla Resevoir for
irrigation downstream and unlike other irrigation impoundments they have
a schedule of releases. High flows are Monday-Thursday and low flows from
Friday-Sunday.. Flows between 30-100cfs are best but high flows have often
been higher than 100cfs and low flows less than 30cfs.
July: 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.
August: 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.
September: 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"
Rio Costilla
Fly Fishing Reports
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