Anyone ever do any fly fishing around Sante Fe, NM? I have a trip out there in early September and was looking for some direction on the available fishing opportunities.
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Have spent time in Sante Fe but no fly fishing. If you have the time run up to the Farmington area and hit the San Juan for some monster Browns. Even Durango is not that is about an hour N of Farmington and there is a great fly shop there that can put you on some good water. Sorry can’t remember the name but its located in the historic district.
Eagles may soar, but weasels never get sucked into jet air intakes
Navajo Dam, New Mexico is home to a tailwater called the San Juan River. I am not sure about its proximity to Santa Fe, but it is hands down one of the best trout fisheries that I have ever seen. Fish that look like footballs caught on #22 and up size flies with 6x leader. Hope you find some water
I was in Jemez Springs NM in early May for four days. Cool little hippie town about an hour from Santa Fe I think. It’s a higher elevation and has alot of pine forest with small trout streams running through it. Caught several fish, mostly on beadhead nymphs. Not much size to them but very pretty fish, especially my first brown! My Dad and I stayed at bed and breakfast called Canon Del Rios and they were great people, very helpful and knowledgable. Theres a ranger station in town that has maps of the surrounding forest, and you should definitely check out some of the local hot springs if you have the chance.
santa fe…you have quite a few options. from 1 to 3 hours you are talking world class fishing. Just north of SF you have the Taos area( i lived there a few years). Try a trip in the box canyon of the Rio Grande, need to hire a guide for that. Also, off of Hwy 68(road to Taos)there is a town of Pilar, turn left and follow the river, the Little Rio Grande joins the Rio Grande there…fun stuff. just to the east is the headwaters of the Pecos around Las Vegas…fun fishing but I never caught any bruisers. Everyone mentioned the San Juan…yep, great but quite the haul from SF. You have the Chama River right below El Vado lake…one of my favorite spots. biggg browns. someone mentioned the Jemez area…at least a dozen trout streams in and around…theres a little lake just up the road from the town of Jemez called Fenton. we would slaughter the browns in sept and may in that lake…casting spoons. a little creek SW of Jemez called the Rio De Las Vacas…step across kinda of creek but a 18" fish would show up from time to time. Northern New Mexico is plugged full of trout streams…you can guarantee if your driving through a National Forest and you cross a creek, it will hold fish.
The only downside is it is September…low and clear will be the norm for the creeks…if you want to do it serious and get a quality trip and you have time…a guided trip on the San Juan, Rio Grande, or Chama will provide you the best chance for a trophy fish.
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and you should definitely check out some of the local hot springs if you have the chance.
■■■■! i’d forgot about them! some require quite the hike up the mountain to get to…stories from that place will go to the grave with me…my first and only driving ticket came in the town of Jemez Springs(i was 16)…28mph in a 25mph zone. sheriff in a jeep got me. made me pay $75 on the spot!
Yea we went to one hot spring that was a 2 hour hike in to get to. There were several other people there too! Very cool area, one guy was a local who had some crazy stories about the history of the area and people who decided to leave society and living in the woods.