View this email in your browser
We sent you this newsletter because of your interest in Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado fly fishing and/or your relationship with Land of Enchantment Guides. Click here to reconfirm that you want to continue receiving our newsletters. If you don't wish to receive any emails from us, please click here to unsubscribe.
Land of Enchantment Guides
Fly Fishing Trips Throughout Northern New Mexico & Southern Colorado
LATE SUMMER & FALL NEWSLETTER ~ 2018
A beautiful rainbow trout posing for her picture before heading back home.

Tuesday, August 21st, 2018
Hi Everybody,

Considering some of the issues that we have faced (such as the forest closures which have all been lifted), overall we have actually had terrific fishing this summer. Recently we have been getting some much needed rains and water conditions in all or our rivers, streams and lakes are looking good for great fall fishing.

For more up to date information and pictures, please check out our most recent fishing report and Facebook and Instagram pages (there are links to them at the bottom of the newsletter). As well, don't hesitate to contact us at anytime if you have any questions and/or would like to book a trip. Hopefully you had a good summer and are ready for the fall fishing season.

Enjoy the newsletter!   <°)))))><   <°)))))><    <°)))))><    <°)))))><    <°)))))><    <°)))))><

Fall Fishing in Northern NM & Southern CO
Blue skies, golden cottonwoods and a nice fish on the line. Perfection!

The fall is possibly the best season to fish in our area. The weather is perfect and the fish really start to try and pack on calories for the winter which means they tend to bite really well. As the first frosts start to show up in the high country, the fishing gets better in the larger sections of the streams and rivers at slightly lower elevations. The fishing in the area's lakes turns on again as the water temperatures start to drop. Lake fish that typically are down deep during the heat of the summer begin to come up again and cruise the edges looking for food. In September dry flies still work well but, as the air starts to cool off even more into October, nymphs and streamers take over as the most productive fly patterns. The fall is when the large brown trout start to think about spawning. These bigger fish are often harder to catch until this time of year when they become very "fired-up" and easier to hook. The males often get the classic hooked jaw known as a kipe and exhibit bright spawning colors. This is also the prime time to fish the lakes, rivers and streams in the Chama area where good fishing typically lasts into early December. Along with the great fishing, the landscape is incredible with the aspen's and cottonwood's leaves turning bright gold and yellow. Many people associate the fall in Northern New Mexico with elk and deer hunting; they should add epic fly fishing to the list.
Fishing the San Juan River
in the Fall & Winter
Upper Picture: A beautiful San Juan brown trout ~ there will be more and more of these in the fall.
Lower Picture: An example of some typical San Juan flies. Elephants eat peanuts, don't they?

The San Juan River in New Mexico is one of the premier tailwaters in the western United States. Water flowing out of Navajo Dam stays at constant 40 degrees all year long which makes for steady insect hatches and great fishing in the fall and throughout the winter. Consequently, we have a great fishery without the crowds during this time of year.

Midges are the predominate food source for the fish on the San Juan River and using the tiny flies that represent them will catch fish all fall and winter. With the cooler temperatures, the mayflies will start their fall hatches which will continue through November and into early December. This is when the fishing can go from good to exceptional.

Midge and mayfly patterns on a standard two fly nymph rig under an indicator is usually the most productive way to fish these hatches but there are times you can have a lot of fun fishing dries to rising fish. The fish on the San Juan can be a bit “leader shy” so often 5x and 6x tippet is a necessity. If you are using a short nymph rig in shallow clear water a good thing to keep in mind is to avoid using brightly colored indicators. Using smaller black, white, olive or tan ones can be much more effective and won’t spook the fish.

Even though you can catch some very nice fish with a standard midge set-up, streamer fishing is an under utilized technique on the “Juan”. Wooly buggers, leeches and large streamer patterns are a great choice. These types of flies, stripped through deeper holes and runs, will often bring the biggest fish in the river to the net. Tying your streamers on with the “Non-Slip Loop Knot” (as detailed in the article below) is a great idea. Note: double hook articulated streamers are not allowed to be used in the Quality Waters section of the San Juan River.

Sometime in December when it gets cold enough at night, the thermocline effect will flip the water in Navajo Reservoir making the river a bit cloudy. Some anglers think that this is marks the end of fishing until the water clears up again; they are 100% wrong! This is when fishing with bright colored eggs, beads and larva on a two fly nymph rig under an indicator really shines. When the water is a bit off-color you can often get away with using 4x tippet; a pleasant change from the required 6x in the clearer water of the summer.

Floating the river in a drift-boat or wading is possible on the San Juan throughout the year however, wading is often is much more productive as you are able to slow down and really work the seams and pockets much more efficiently. As well, when the flows are lower in the fall and winter, you can get to many areas that are not accessible from a drift boat.

Fly fishing on the San Juan can be somewhat “technical” with all the different techniques, fly patterns and water types. It can seem a bit daunting to anglers who haven’t experienced this type of fishing. Going with a friend who is an experienced San Juan angler or using a guide to show you the ropes for your first time or two on this river can pay off in spades.

Article by Scott "Bubba" Smith

Bubba has been a fly fishing guide and commercial fly tier for 40 years and for the last 18 years he has been guiding on the San Juan River. Bubba is now working with us here at Land of Enchantment Guides. Feel free to give him call at our office if you have any questions about fishing on the San Juan River, fly tying or about fly fishing in general.

Tips & Skills ~ The Non-Slip Loop Knot

The “Non-Slip Loop Knot” is a very underutilized knot that every angler ought know how to tie and (in our opinion) should use more. It works extremely well with both streamers and nymphs to allow more movement of the fly in the water. It is a bit tricky to tie but with a little practice, you’ll get the hang of it.

Step 1: Take your line/tippet and form an over-hand knot, leaving approximately 3 to 5 inches of “tag end”. Pass the tag end through the eye of the hook.

Step 2: Bring the line/tippet back through the overhand knot on the same side of the knot it came out.

Step 3: Begin making wraps around the line/tippet as shown.

Step 4: Make 4 to 6 wraps around the line/tippet.

Step 5: After all the wraps are completed pass the line/tippet back through the over hand knot the same way it came through the knot in the previous step.

Step 6: Moisten the knot and while holding the fly in your left hand, pull slowly on the line/tippet with your right hand in the direction shown. Once the knot is tight, trim the tag end. Note: It is possible to set the knot so that the loop is quite small and less obvious.

For more fly fishing tips and skills, please check out the Fishing Tips & Skills page on our website. It is primarily excerpts from the literature we use in the fly fishing classes we give. Hopefully you will find some things that will help to make your time on the water more productive and enjoyable.
NMDG&F Names Mike Sloane as Director
 Michael Sloane, a 24-year employee of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish  (NMDG&F), was named the department’s new director by the State Game Commission.

Sloane began his career with the department in 1994 as a wildlife culturist at Lisboa Springs Hatchery in Pecos, New Mexico. He went on to become a wildlife specialist supervisor, assistant chief of fisheries and chief of fisheries. He has a masters of science in fisheries and allied aquacultures from Auburn University.

As director, Sloane will be responsible for leading the state wildlife agency whose mission is to conserve, regulate, propagate and protect the wildlife and fish within the state of New Mexico. He will manage more than 300 dedicated wildlife employees and an annual budget in excess of $39 million.

Sloane was selected among five candidates considered after a nationwide search that began April 1 and ended June 1.

The other candidates were Christopher Chadwick, assistant director for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish; Michael Perry, assistant commissioner of field operations for the New Mexico State Land Office; Daryl Ratajczak, Santa Fe National Forest Planning Team wildlife biologist for the U.S. Forest Service; and Matthias Sayer, deputy cabinet secretary for the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department.

All of us here at Land of Enchantment Guides are super-pleased at Mike's appointment as the new director of the NMDG&F. We wish him the very best in his new position and are looking forward to working with him to make our state's fisheries even better!
Up in the "High Country" ~ as wild as you can get in this part of the world.

Give us a call anytime for up to date fishing and weather conditions or just to say hi and to “talk trout”. We hope to see you this fall and winter.

From all of us at Land of Enchantment Guides...

Stay well!

Land of Enchantment Guides
(505) 629-5688
trout@loeflyfishing.com


PO Box 55 ~ Velarde, New Mexico 87582

Unsubscribe