by Van Beacham

Forests Reopen Due to Rain

Fishing is Excellent!

Recent monsoonal moisture has resulted in the opening of most public waters in New Mexico after being closed for over a month. While bad for anglers, the closure allowed trout to feed and grow, undisturbed by man. Fishing on most area waters has been good despite the lack of water this year. While low, most streams are maintaining reasonable flows and temperatures due to regular afternoon showers and cloudy skies. If we continue to get afternoon showers through August most area streams should remain good.

Stream of the Month – Rio Costilla

Cory & Marla on the Rio Costilla

The Rio Costilla in Valle Vidal usually opens with a bang on July 1st but drought conditions resulted in the closure of most public land before it had a chance to open. For most of July it remained closed and the fish were able to feed freely without disturbance until it opened at noon on July 22nd. Stephanie Woolley, owner of the Tailwater Gallery & Fly Shop in Taos, was at the gate waiting for them to open and was the first to wet a fly in this emerald gem. And she didn’t have to wait long for the first crimson Rio Grande cutthroat to come to hand; in fact it was her first cast!

What followed was an epic day that few others will experience, since everyone else will be after her. Nevertheless, fishing on the entire Costilla has been good to excellent and the cutts are averaging larger than they have in some time.

Try golden stones, hoppers and ginger or gray duns on the surface and copper Johns, golden or brown stonefly nymphs, pheasant tails and olive hare’s ear nymphs as droppers under your dry fly. Ants, beetles and other terrestrials are also working.

Here is an excerpt from my second edition of my book Flyfisher’s Guide to New Mexico. Order your own signed copy today!

The Rio Costilla is a rich tailwater, but it also has a steep grade and strong currents, which means it has a wide variety of large, swift-water aquatic insects. Giant Golden Stones, various caddis, large brown sedges, and Gray, Olive, and Brown Drakes, PMDs, and Blue Duns start hatching in June and continue through mid-August. Ginger Duns and PEDs hatch from July through mid-September, and the evening spinner fall can bring some larger trout to the surface.

Hoppers and a variety of ants are plentiful along the tall grassy banks from July through September, and yellow pine moths frequently find themselves trapped in the fast currents and back eddies.

Cimarron River

The Cimarron was closed due to fire danger for over a month. When it reopened last week, the flows were optimum, the hatches were on and fishing was as good as it has been in years. Since then the flows have been reduced, the angling pressure has increased and I’m sure a few nice fish have been harvested. Yet, dry fly fishing has remained consistently good.

Try a variety of caddis and may fly patterns including ginger duns, parachute Adams, Adams irresistible, olive elk hair caddis and Goddard caddis. Small golden stones and yellow Sallys are also still working. At dusk look for caddis, and in the morning look for tricos. Don’t hesitate to try an ant or beetle under overhanging brush, trees and grass during mid-day heat.

The Holy Water

Flyfishing heaven - Cimarron Holy Water

The perfectly named “Holy Water” is the first ¾ of a mile of the Cimarron River below Eagle Nest Dam. The Solitary Angler has an exclusive lease on this magnificent stretch of the Cimarron, along with lodging facilities that include a beautiful historic ranch house now available for vacation rentals:

Hacienda de Cimarron above The Holy Water

Hacienda de Cimarron, also cabins on the property available for clients of The Solitary Angler and for members of the Solitary Angling Club.

Prices – Hacienda de Cimarron

The Holy Water has been fishing very well using tricos in the morning and caddis in the evenings, although they are getting a little selective in the lower water. Nice browns and bows 12 to 18 inches can be caught with a good drift and the right fly.

Call us today to book a trip and stay at the cabins or the Hacienda de Cimarron, remodeled just for anglers! Call 1-866-502-1700 Today!

Culebra Creek – Low Water, Big Fish

The Culebra’s flows have been fluctuating between normal and just below normal until a week ago when it dropped down to around 35 cfs and has hovered around there since. Sanchez Reservoir is the lowest it’s been in years and the water coming out of the bottom has been murky and warm for most of the summer.

Fishing has been spotty with mostly slow action during mid day punctuated by some fantastic flurries during morning and evening hatches. The size and health of the fish are incredible though, indicating that they are eating, just not when most people are fishing.

The lower flows, clearer water, cooler nights and afternoon showers have all made the fishing better recently and some very fat browns and bows have been caught in the last week. If the conditions stay about like this, the fishing should be good all through August. Try small golden stones and hoppers during the day, tricos in the morning and caddis in the evening. If they won’t come to the top try a dropper or standard nymphing techniques using stone fly nymphs, may fly nymphs, crane fly larva and cadis larva.

The wild brown population is as good as ever and they are averaging over 16 inches this year. Give us a call today or contact us here to book a trip on this blue ribbon trout stream and you’ll see why it has become, by far, our most popular fishery.

Call (575-758-5653 or 1-866-502-1700) or visit Jack or Stephanie at The Tailwater Gallery & Fly Shop for latest flows and conditions.

Beat the Heat at Trinchera Ranch

(Available to SAC Members)

One of the beautiful wild brookies in Ute Creek, Trinchera Ranch

While everyone else was wishing they were fishing during the Forest closures, Solitary Angler clients and members of Solitary Angling Club were enjoying the pristine, high alpine dry fly fishing for wild bows, browns, brookies and cutthroats at the sprawling Trinchera Ranch.

The all-inclusive Trinchera Lodge serves as our base of operations for those fishing one or more days. Culebra Creek is also just 25 minutes from the lodge.

Enjoy 5-star accommodations at Trinchera Lodge

Now is the time to fish all the high mountain streams on the 180,000 acre Trinchera Ranch and beat the heat of the lower rivers and streams, available to Solitary Angler clients and members of SAC. Come fish on over 30 miles of crystal clear streams teaming with wild trout.

Don’t wait, because the season on Trinchera Ranch ends at the end of August. Come experience the best dry fly fishing for wild trout anywhere! Call The Solitary Angler at 1-866-502-1700 or research using the links below, then contact us today to experience this one-of-a-kind wild trout fishery!

Lodging at Trinchera Lodge
Fishing at Trinchera Ranch

Third Annual Taos Two Fly Contest

August 19th 20th & 21st
Trinchera Ranch and Lodge

We still have a few openings for the Taos Two Fly Contest for anyone who wants to participate in this one-of-a-kind event. Includes lodging and fishing on fabulous Trinchera Ranch and other Club waters.

Two-person teams select two flies per team-mate per day, which they can use together or separately. Points are scored for each fish with larger fish scoring higher. Prizes include a 3-day guided trip in Wyoming with The Solitary Angler, a custom-built fly rod and reel combo, and other nice prizes. Contact us for more information.

by Van Beacham

Low Snow Pack Means Great Early Season Fishing!

Eagle Nest spawner

We had a low snow year followed by moisture-robbing spring wind so there is very little run-off this year in the Sangre de Cristos. The San Juan Mountains did get a decent snow pack so they have some water on the streams east of the Rio Grande. Here in the Taos area, we have already seen most of the run-off with a couple of exceptions like the Red River, which should peak this next week. Most streams have already been fishing well and will be good through at least mid July. Hopefully the summer rains will soon start so that fishing will remain good through the summer.

Dry or Not We’ll Have Great Fishing All Season!!

The good news is that if we don’t get much-needed rain (the forecast is for more rain than normal this summer) and they have to start closing down public lands due to fire danger, Solitary Angler’s customers will still have great angling opportunities on all our private waters. Our private waters on the Cimarron below Eagle Nest Dam and Culebra Creek below Sanchez Reservoir will have plenty of water this year regardless, and the Trinchera Ranch streams will be cool and remain fishable throughout the season.

For detailed information on all the fly fishing in New Mexico – including equipment, flies, hatches, maps, techniques and more – order my book Flyfishers Guide to New Mexico through this web site and I’ll send you a crisp, new, personalized, signed copy.

Stream of the Month – Cimarron River

The Cimarron River is always one of the best places to fish in June even when we have normal or above normal run-off. Because the Cimarron is a tailwater below Eagle Nest Dam, it flows normal and relatively clear and rich the majority of the time. Lately it has been fair to good fishing nymphs deep but in the last two days we’re starting to see more bugs and rising fish. The heavy wind and cool nights have put the hatches off a little but they can’t wait forever. Expect to start seeing more PMDs in the morning, golden stones mid-day and caddis in the evenings. Already micro caddis are bringing fish to the surface in the evenings and some PMDs are pushing fish up onto the shelves during the day.

Here’s an excerpt on the Cimarron River from my new, revised edition of Flyfishers Guide to New Mexico. Order your copy now at van@thesolitaryangler.com and I’ll send you a signed copy.

Casting on the Cimarron is difficult at best, and a short, light rod—about 7½ to 8 feet long and 3- or 4-weight—is required to keep your line out of the brush. I recommend using a double-taper floating line and a 7½-foot, 5X tapered leader. Wade slowly upstream, staying close to the bank and using the bushes for cover, so you can get as close as possible to the fish without spooking them. Keep your line short. If you need more distance try to shoot more line on your delivery cast, avoiding the brush, rather than false casting more line.

To effectively fish this river, an angler must know how to cast forehand and backhand, roll cast, flip cast, bow cast, swing cast, and steeple cast, mend line smoothly, and control slack. If you don’t already have these skills you will after a few days on the Cimarron. It’s an intermediate to advanced stream, but still a great place for beginners to learn on because of the number of different techniques used and the number of opportunities to succeed.

The Cimarron’s fish are very hatch-oriented, and pressure in recent years has made the wild browns very selective, adding to the difficulties of angling on this challenging stream. The good news is that there are multiple hatches, and you can usually match the size, shape, and color of one insect or another. After matching the hatch, drift is all-important; any drag in the system will result in missed opportunities. But don’t worry, there are plenty of opportunities.

The Holy Water

Holy Water brown

The “Holy Water” is the first ¾ of a mile of the Cimarron River below Eagle Nest Dam. The Solitary Angler has an exclusive lease on this magnificent stretch of the Cimarron along with facilities that include a beautiful, historic ranch house available for vacation rentals, and cabins available for guide clients of the Solitary Angler and members of the Solitary Angling Club. There will be more information forthcoming about these great accommodations or contact us at vacation@haciendadecimarron.com and we’ll send you detailed information.

The Holy Water has been fishing very well using nymphs, and is now starting to produce some nice browns and bows 12 to 18 inches on PMDs , ginger duns and parachute Adams size 16 to 20 and dark olive micro caddis size 20 to 24. Call us today to book a trip and stay at the cabins or our historic ranch house, remodeled just for anglers! Call 1-866-502-1700 Today!

Culebra Creek – Hatches Are Just Starting!!

High Water Fish

Culebra flows have been fluctuating between normal and just below normal lately as farmers downstream have been calling for water due to the lack of rain. The fishing has been fair to good depending on the flows and the wind using small, dark hare’s ears and pheasant tail nymphs, San Juan worms, crane fly larvae and stone fly nymphs, and occasionally on the surface using golden stones, parachute Adams and ginger duns. Streamers have also been working well lately, especially when the river is high and off-color. The biggest problem has been landing the hefty fish in the heavy currents. The browns are definitely averaging larger this year and there have been at least three browns caught, that I know of, that exceeded 24 inches!

Fishing on Culebra Creek is expected to improve now as the hatches improve over the next two weeks. Already, I’ve seen small hoppers on section 2A and 2B, and PMDs and golden stones are just starting up and down the river. Micro caddis and a few olive caddis are hatching at dusk. Rainbows, cutbows, brookies and browns are already taking PMD’s, golden stones and caddis, both on top and underneath, and it will be getting better as the hatches take off. The wild brown population is as good as ever and they are averaging over 16 inches this year. Give us a call today or email us at fish@thesolitaryangler.com to book a trip on this blue ribbon trout stream and you’ll see why it has become, by far, our most popular fishery.

Call (575-758-5653 or 1-866-502-1700) or visit (204 B Paseo del Pueblo Norte) Jack or Stephanie at The Tailwater Gallery & Fly Shop for latest flows and conditions.

Beat the Heat at Trinchera Ranch

(Available to SAC Members)

Now is the time to fish all the high mountain streams on the 180,000 acre Trinchera Ranch and beat the heat of the lower rivers and streams. Now, available to Solitary Angler clients and members of the Solitary Angling Club. Come fish on over 30 miles of crystal clear streams teaming with wild trout. The run-off has already peaked and soon the hatches will be in full swing. By mid June Western gray drakes will be hatching, bringing every fish in Ute Creek to the surface. Come experience the best dry fly fishing for wild trout anywhere! Call the Solitary Angler at 1-866-502-1700 or email fish@thesolitaryangler.com and book today to experience this one-of-a-kind wild trout fishery!

Gray Drake hatch on Trinchera Ranch

Lodging at Trinchera Lodge

This is country lodging at its best!! Deluxe 5-Star accommodations in the main lodge includes exquisite fine dining in a mountain setting with views in all four directions that will blow you away!!! The laid back atmosphere will make you feel like it’s yours, yet the service is outstanding and the dry fly fishing is simply superb. The main stream, Trinchera Creek, and a small pond are less than 100 feet from the lodge so you can fish early and late and still not miss your meals. Compare to other high end lodges and you’ll agree this is a bargain!

Book at least two days fishing and two nights lodging
and receive a 10% discount on guide fee!

Rio Grande Gorge and Lower Tributaries

The Rio Grande and its tributaries are still ranging from slightly high to just right for great fishing. Fishing will improve greatly on the tribs in the next few weeks while the Rio will take a while to clear up. Look for hatches of mayflies, stoneflies and caddis on the tribs during the next month. My favorites include the upper Hondo and the Dixon Box. We’ll keep you posted as the conditions change or call the shop for the latest conditions. 575-758-5653 or 1-866-502-1700

Other Options

Rio Costilla in Costilla Park – Rio Costilla in Costilla Park (not Valle Vidal) is ideal at this time of the year for nice cutbows and Rio Grande cuts. Flows remain fairly high due to releases from Costilla Reservoir for irrigation downstream but this is big bug season so you can catch fish even on dries and dry-droppers if presented properly. Giant golden stoneflies will be starting to hatch any day and the fish love them. PMDs, gray drakes, ginger duns and caddis will all be hatching during the next month.

Longtime Fly Fishing Guide and Noted Author
Offers Fall Fishing Tips

Veteran fly fisher & journalist, Karl F. Moffatt did a nice write-up about Van on his blog, Outdoors New Mexico & Tales From the Far Bank, where he shares his photos and stories from the backroads of New Mexico and the West. Plus weekly New Mexico and Colorado stream flows, fishing reports and select links!

From the article, Van Beacham talks about fishing in his family:

“My dad warned that I’d better find a way to make some money doing it cause that’s how I was going to end up,” Beacham says.

Beacham’s great grandfather, William Beacham, was the first to sell fly fishing tackle from his hardware store in Santa Fe and sired a son who became a notorious fishing bum.

Another one of his elders, John Bengard, was the superintendent of fish hatcheries in New Mexico and designed the Lisboa Springs trout rearing facility near Pecos, Beacham says.

His grandmother was the trout hatchery superintendent’s daughter and his grandfather the fishing bum born to the hardware and fishing tackle store owner.

Beacham credits his dad, who also loved to fish, with teaching him the solitary sport at an early age.

“My earliest recollection of fishing is of him sticking a bamboo pole in my hand, a worm dangling in the water and telling me not to move,” Beacham says. “This was somewhere up on the Rio Grande.”

To read the whole article, go to Outdoors New Mexico- Thanks, Karl!

This Saturday, April 23rd, 11:00am – 2:00pm

Come get a signed copy of my revised edition of
Flyfisher’s Guide to New Mexico by Van Beacham

FlyFisher's Guide to New Mexico

Or, if you already have one, bring it in and I’ll sign it for you.

See you this Saturday at Sportsman’s Warehouse

1450 Renaissance Boulevard NE / Albuquerque / 505-761-9900

Exit I-25 at Montano, go one block west, turn right on Culture; SWH is on your left