Northern Waters

Well, when I say northern waters, I'm speaking of trout streams and lakes in northern New Mexico. You see, I was up there on a one-day trip this week with a particular interest in mind...catching a Brook trout and a Rio Grande Cutthroat trout, to be specific, in the beautiful landscapes I love to visit often each year. This area is one of the reasons I decided to retire in New Mexico.

My wife and I took a little vacay to these waters, with our grandsons, a couple of weeks ago. I never fish when I'm helping the boys with tackle and giving them guidance so they can say to their mom, "I caught a trout!" While there, the streams looked great, so I returned for some solitude fishing...action I missed on the vacay.

When I departed the house and merged onto the highway, I was hoping to find some secluded areas where I could fish in solitude. I had intentions of not rushing and just enjoying my time in this trout rich environment, but I had to constantly remind myself, "Mike, you have enough time to land these last two species for the slam. Relax, and enjoy the trip." 

After a few miles of a rocky, single-lane road up the mountain, I reached my destination. Clouds were building over the mountain tops and I knew I wouldn't have much time to land the trout I came here for...Rio Grande Cutthroat and Brook trout. My first cast. Splash. A brook trout hit my dry fly. A pretty one that added a trout species to my quest for the slam. A few more brookies into the net and then, a swirl of water, followed by the splash from a cutthroat hitting the fly! That was the moment I accomplished what I call, "The New Mexico Grand Slam." I fished about an hour longer bringing in a few more trout until the violent thunder and lightening blew me off the mountain. The ride down that rocky mountain road sure was good as I thought about the catches of the day and savored my memories.

My last stop on the way home had nothing to do with my species goal. It was just too good to drive on by. The Rio's stream flow looked good, so why not stop, wade in, and drift a dry fly for a bit? I wasn't in the stream ten minutes before loud booms of thunder shook my nerves. I didn't see any flashes, but I was out of there and back in the truck. Was I disappointed? Nope, because the drive out was incredible with open landscapes and monsoons all around me. I've seen these vistas and landscapes many times, but it's always impressive and causes me to murmur, "Wow!" And yeah, I was fully content because I got my slam for the year!

Gear: Winston BIII LS 8' 4wt fly rod; Ross Colorado 4/5 fly reel; Winston Energy WF4F fly line; #12 Black Flying Ant dry fly; Simms sling pack; Handy Pak landing net.

Streaming: Pancho and Lefty by Emmylou Harris