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Fishing Report  

All of the Fishing Report pictures were taken within the last 2 weeks...

SAN JUAN: The fishing is great with all sorts of fly patterns and sizes working well. We have even had some pretty good dry fly action. The flows are being held pretty much in the 460 cfs to 480 cfs range which means that both wade-fishing and float trips are good options. Throughout the early spring, fishing in the quality waters above the Texas Hole has been very consistent as well. We also have had some great success stripping big streamers recently - a pleasant change from the small flies we typically are using.
Picture: Selassie saying hello to a nice San Juan River rainbow.

BRAZOS: We fished the lower sections of the Brazos about a week ago and it was still very cold, low and clear with a fair amount of ice still along the banks. As with the Chama, this will all be changing within the next week or so and the fishing should be very good. We did hook one nice 17" rainbow the afternoon that we were up on the Brazos - a very good sign for this spring's fishing.

ABEYTA RANCH: We made our first trip of the season up to the Abeyta Ranch on the Conejos about 10 days ago. There was still a bit of ice in some spots but there were many areas where the ice had melted and the river was completely open. In these areas, the fishing was excellent and the fished looked like they had had a great winter! Both rainbows and browns were very fat, strong and healthy. As with the Chama and the Brazos, all of the serious ice should be gone in the next few days and it looks like the fishing on the Conejos will be great.

RIO GRANDE: Right now the Rio is running pretty hard and high in the 800+ cfs range. It is off color and very cold from the snowmelt. We haven't given it a try for quite awhile now.

OTHER SPOTS: The Pecos is fishing fairly well with a few nicer fish holding in the deeper pools. Most of the smaller high mountain streams are still frozen or, like the Vallecitos, getting some early run-off. The Valles Caldera is closed (see article below). The fishing has been quite spotty in the Jemez drainage streams and right now they seem to be in full spring run-off conditions; very high and very dirty.
Picture: 16" Rio Grande cutthroat caught at one of the many "Other Spots" in NM; guess which one...

As you probably know, the streams in the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP) sustained some serious damage last summer after the Las Conchas fire. Initially it was thought that the East Fork of the Jemez was in good shape but after a few months, it appeared that the fish population had actually sustained some serious losses. The San Antonio, which was probably the hardest hit of all the streams on the VCNP, lost almost all of the fish in its upper reaches. In the lower reaches, there are a fair number of trout but not what it used to be before the fire.

The original plan was to open up the East Fork and possibly the lower reaches of the San Antonio to fishing on May 12th this year but, as of a few weeks ago, the plan has changed and the fishing program is not going to open as was intended. We spoke at length with Dennis Trujillo, the executive director of the VCNP in early March. He assured us that there was going to be a fishing program at some point during the 2012 season but just when it would start and what it would be is still unknown. Mr. Trujillo said that the VCNP's current plan is to do two or three days of fish sampling, starting around May 10th, just after the major spring run-off is finished. The results of these population samplings will help to make the best decisions as to how to setup this season's fishing program and areas that will (or will not) be open to fishing.

There have been many different concepts floated as to the best way to make the VCNP fishing program viable again. Fish stocking, stream improvements, catch and release only and creating a Rio Grande Cutthroat stretch, possibly on the Rito de los Indios, are just a few of the ideas that are being discussed. As soon as we know what is happening and when the VCNP is going to be open for fishing, we will let everyone know.
Picture above: San Antonio Creek ~ Springtime on the VCNP, 2011.

New Photos and Videos

We have been up-dating our website throughout the winter we thought you all might enjoy checking out the new images in the photo galleries and new videos - they are pretty fun. Click on the links below to check them out:

NM FISHING PHOTOS

NM FISHING VIDEOS

We have also added a new page called "Fishing Tips & Skills". 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 fishing more fun and enjoyable! Click on the below link to check it out:

FISHING TIPS & SKILLS

Enjoy!!!

Quinlan Ranch 

We are pleased to announce our new partnership with the Quinlan Ranch in Chama. It is the best place we have found for folks to stay while fishing in Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado. Below is a brief description of the ranch and what it offers:

The Quinlan Ranch is perfectly situated to be a fly fisherman's "home base" for a multi-day fishing trip in Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado. Located just outside of the town of Chama, it places you within a short drive to the Rio Chama, the Brazos, the Los Pinos, the Conejos and the San Juan. This large ranch (over 17,000 acres) also offers four private ponds that are full of nice sized trout, surrounded by stunning scenery and landscapes. The accommodations at the Quinlan Ranch are spacious and clean, befitting a fine western fishing and hunting lodge.
Picture: One of the ponds on the Quinlan Ranch.

The newly renovated Garcia cabin features 11 large bedrooms, each with a private bath, that provide all the comfort and convenience you will need after a long day of fishing. The grand room is elegantly comfortable encircled by large picture windows with spectacular views. The river rock fireplace with roaring fire turns the room into a warm refuge on cool rocky mountain nights. A gaming table and a large screen television round out this great social area of the cabin. All of the western-gourmet meals are prepared by the ranch's in house chef and meals are served in the spacious dining room. Wireless internet service is available throughout the cabin. This a great location for either small or large groups.
Picture: Nice Quinlan Ranch Rainbow.

For more information please give us a call and/or check out a detailed, 5 page write-up with more pictures by clicking on the link below:

 

 

 

Articles

 

Brazos River
Ranch 2012

Lots of folks have been calling asking about availability for this season up at the Brazos River Ranch. There are only a few days left open for fishing trips. If you would like to go up to the ranch this year, don't wait too long before making your reservations. Here are the dates that are still available: