Colorado's Calling - Is it Worth the Trip?

A Taylor River cutthroat.

As the debate over the health of New Mexico’s premier trout stream, the San Juan river, heightened recently, a colleague urged me to see how other tail water fisheries, like those found in our neighboring state of Colorado, stacked up against our own.

He mentioned in particular the monster trout living in the Taylor River below the dam as some of the biggest and most colorful he'd ever seen, feeding upon a steady diet of lake shrimp and small midges, year round.

So I headed north into the towering Rockies just to see just what kind of fishing these legendary tail waters like the Taylor River, the Frying Pan and the South Platte below Eleven Mile Reservoir might produce.

An early July trip to the Taylor River revealed just under a half mile of public water below the dam and then a long stretch of gorgeous, private water before turning public again for several more miles.

This is a beautiful river with plenty of boulders, towering cliffs and big pines surrounding it. There were lots of pull off areas along the road providing easy access to the river and plenty of camping and lots of company.

We had arrived during the tail end of the runoff season as the water was just coming down. Rafters were still running it and the campgrounds were pretty packed and fairly expensive.

A helpful campground host suggested we head up to the lake where we could camp at large if we were on a budget.

Climbing out of the canyon we discovered an awesome lake and expansive countryside, truly impressive scenery.

Near the far end of the lake we found a Forest Service campground called River’s End situated on a butte overlooking the river as it enters the reservoir.

Taylor Reservoir. The dam and canyon through which the river runs is in the upper right hand corner of the lake.

We elected to camp here for the night for a reasonable fee and my fishing partner on this trip, Glenn F. May, had good luck down on the river, picking up some nice trout in the waning light of the day.

Meanwhile I was busy chatting up the neighbors, the Davis brothers and their friend Carroll “The Mayor” Rainwater, who warned me that we would see the temperature drop into the teens that night and to bundle up.

From left to right: Charles "Bud" Davis, 69, of Jackson, Mo., Eddie Davis, 62, of Patterson, Mo., Carroll Rainwater, 67, of Greenville, Mo., and Raymond Davis, 65, of Imperial, Mo.

They weren’t lying.

Summer’s a short and often illusionary season up in the high country of Colorado and I ended up cloaking myself in every piece of clothing I'd brought on this trip.

Never leave the knit cap at home, even if it is July.

The following day Mr. May headed downstream to fish some of the water we passed on the way in while I explored the upper river above the lake, some side streams and a bit of the surrounding backcountry.

Taylor Reservoir with the River's End campground on the far end of the lake.

I couldn’t help but marvel at the number of ATV’s running about up here and the giant, fifth wheel trailers parked right at streamside or in communal gatherings upon some grassy knoll.

Kind of reminded me of Labor Day at Elephant Butte, people and machinery everywhere, tearing up the territory and having a hoot of a good time.

I realized there was so much country to explore here that our short two-night trip couldn’t do it justice and decided to hit the tail water below the dam to see what all that hype was about.

Below the spillway I found some very well outfitted anglers, spaced out at regular intervals along the stream bank.

None of them seemed very busy at the time.

Glenn F.May surveys the Taylor River's short but sweet tailwater section below the dam in Colorado this past July.

So this was it, under a half mile of water comprised of a fairly narrow, straight stretch that crossed under the roadway, bounced off a big rock wall, formed a big deep pool and then tumbled over a long, rocky run before hitting private property.

I parked in one of the paved pull-offs by the roadside and walked up onto the bridge where upon looking over the guardrail I could see the faintly, undulating forms of some very big trout in the current down below.

I walked back down to the streamside below the bridge and pushed through the dense, streamside willows to watch a lone angler standing atop a rock by the head of the big pool.

Looking back in the tail of the deep, clear pool I noticed shadows against the streambed, dozens of them. Upon donning my polarized sunglasses, the shadows suddenly became trout, big ones, all stacked up like they were waiting for a bus.

The shadows are trout and plenty of them.

Check this out, I said to myself.

Back in Gunnison I had stopped at one of the better sporting goods stores I've been in recently, Gene Taylor’s, where we found a store crammed full of outdoor gear, you name it and they had it.

And their fishing conditions board stated that the usual fare for the Taylor included tiny Mysis shrimp and Baetis emergers.

So I tied up an RS2 like we use on the San Juan with a little shrimp imitation I had picked up somewhere and got to fishing for those suckers at the back of the pool.

Funny thing is the first fish I caught on the San Juan was with one of these little shrimps.

One of the clerks at Abe’s fly shop had recommended it, said they’d switched to a different outlet at the dam that brought water and shrimp out from the bottom of the lake.

I was fishing with May then too and I hooked and lost that first fish in the run just above the cable pool.

I was amazed at the power and agility of that fish and remember looking about into the gray stillness of that snowy day and realized there was no one around I could crow about it to.

So it was with confidence I tied on that shrimp on the Taylor’s tail water but after an hour of work and numerous different fly combinations I gave up in frustration on the small stuff.

I instead slipped on a #12 green bodied, red headed, Stimulator and slapped that puppy on the water with a vengeance.

And damn, if one of those big browns didn’t break off from the pack on the bottom and head up to the surface for a look see.

I tensed as I watched the trout head straight for my fly and then it opened wide and sipped it down.

I set the hook and hung on for the ride.

The guy on the rock wasn’t too pleased when I waded over to him a short time later with the fish in tow and asked him to take my picture.

He hadn’t been having much luck either and only grudgingly agree to take it.

The automatic lens opening on my little camera jammed while I had the fish in hand but at least we got half the photo, even if it is little fuzzy.

It was amazing how deeply colored this brown trout was from eating all those shrimp, it’s tail a bright, eye catching red.

I kept fishing and ended up crossing over to the far bank where no one was venturing and climbed up and over a treacherously steep, rocky slope to get at the tail end the deep pool.

But I had no luck until I worked my way up to just above the bridge where I floated my stimulator downstream into the shaded water underneath it.

I never saw the fish take the fly. The line simply grew tight, trembled slightly and then began weave back and forth, straining mightly against the current.

I knew if I didn’t change my position, it would only be a matter of time before the fish broke me off.

That’s when the lady fishing below me on the downstream side of the bridge waved at me to come on down.

I splashed my way under the bridge and managed to reel up the trout, a beautiful, fat cutthroat which the lady was kind enough to photograph for me.

I fished some more in the rocky run below the big pool and managed to hook and fight another fat brown before I lost it in the fast water.

I decided to call it an afternoon and went looking for Mr. May.

I had a good time fishing the Taylor’s tailwater but it was a little like playing dodge ball in a walk-in closet, too many people and not enough room.

Heading downstream I admired the long stretch of private water marked by regularly, spaced rock and log cairns linked by a single strand of steel cable from which “No Trespassing” signs dangled.

It was kind of depressing to see all that gorgeous water and not a soul fishing it.

I thought of donning my camoflage, hooded sweatshirt and sneaking down the embankment to fish a pool in the shadow of the highway, unseen by passing motorists.

But I’d have to have someone drop me off first, I thought.

Then I figured I might be able to fish for maybe 30 minutes before the “authorities” could respond if someone had seen me.

By then my ride could return to wisk me away undetected, right?

Not a bad idea, I thought.

Then a big burly, sheriff’s deputy in a huge, SUV rolled by and I thought better of it.

May reported the fishing in the lower stretches of the river to be slow as the water was still running a little high and the wading a bit treacherous.

But the water down here looked great and certainly warranted further inspection, just not on this trip.

I envy those would live in this area, people who could drive up here after work during the week to leisurely fish the river, all of it, as time and conditions permitted.

That night we arrived back at the campground to find our neighbors had set aside some of their fish fry for us.

Wrapped in tinfoil we found delicately baked trout swimming in onions and red and yellow peppers.

Another tinfoil package contained crispy, fish strips coated in “Andy’s “ breading, a really tasty coating with just the right combination of spices.

These guys were accomplished fishermen, excellent cooks and epitomized hospitality.

Eddie Davis puts out a call on one of the Davis brother's homemade turkey calls, fashioned from a leg bone.

The following morning after May had peeled out to try his luck on the stretch below the dam, I remained behind to sample some of the Davis's brothers breakfast fixins.

They served up perfectly fried bacon, nice and crispy, and "candied" scambled eggs, featuring chunks of red pepper and onions. They even had steaming hot, baked biscuits and some of the finest white, gravy I've ever had, just like my Dad’s.

Now I've been a cook most of my life, even made a living at it for many years, and when I say I'm impressed with someone's cooking, that's saying something.

So if you're lucky enough to ever encounter these guys up on the lake, they’ve been going there for years, don't pass up their offer of a plate.

I was curious about their generosity and asked about their upbringing.

I was told they had grown up poor, so poor in fact that their folks weren't even aware the Great Depression was over until sometime in the late fifties.

Then they’d crack a grin and tell another story about life growing up in the rural country of Missouri where they hunted, fished and lived a humble life.

Eddie Davis' turkey calls feature artwork by his son Will and are reminiscent of the kind of scrimshaw work done by whaling sailors of old. His calls can be had by contacting him at csdavis2007@windstream.net

Turns out the Davis Brothers all teach Sunday school and they practice what they preach. No smoking, no drinking and no swearing. And that's not something they went on about, it's something I had to learn later from one of their wive's.

This a great group of guys and well worth hanging out with, in fact, they made the trip down to this river much more memorable than the fishing down below the dam.

Rock on gentlemen!

Stay tuned for our next installment on fishing some of Colorado's tailwaters including the Frying Pan River and the South Fork of the Platte below Eleven Mile Reservoir.

Fall is a Great Time for Camping Here in New Mexico

The crowds and heat of summer have waned and the tantalizing colors of autumn now beckon.

And with the monsoon season behind us, New Mexico's autumn days are warm and inviting and the nights, crisp and clear.

One of the best places to enjoy these spectacular conditions is a gem of a campground known as Mills Canyon.

Found far out on the eastern plains between Roy and Abbott on State Road 39 this recently refurbished U.S. Forest Service campground lies at the bottom of a canyon through which the Canadian River flows.

Visitors cross the sparse, rolling prairie through sections of the federally managed Kiowa Grasslands to reach the camping area.

One may pass a group of grazing antelope or proceed under the watchful eye of a circling hawk while heading down there.

Upon reaching the canyon’s edge a visitor is struck by a surprising view through the ponderosa pines and scrub oak of a shimmering, ribbon of river below.

Ablaze with red willows and towering, gold cottonwoods in the fall and rimmed by red sandstone cliff walls, Mills Canyon is a feast for autumn revelers.

Once home to a large scale farming operation that provided supplies to the railroads, modern day explorers will still find the ruins of once majestic stone buildings and stands of hardy fruit trees.

Visitors will find new campsites and outhouses but no water or other services at the bottom.

Back atop the rim of the canyon, visitors will also find new campsites and horse corrals and best of all, these sites are free for use by the public.

Administered by the Forest Service’s Kiowa and Rita Blanca Grasslands office in Clayton, more information about Mills Canyon can be had by calling 575-374-9652 or visiting the Cibola National Forest - Welcome! web site.

More spectacular fall camping in northeastern New Mexico can be found straddling the Colorado state line at Sugarite State Park.

Considered by many to be the best of New Mexico’s state park system, Sugarite boasts spectacular views of the canyon and plains below from its mesa top, Soda Pocket, campground.

The park features numerous hiking trails including two, half-mile climbs to the mesa tops surrounding Soda Pocket campground that offer even better views.

The park’s headquarters are located on what was once a bustling coal camp where visitors can explore the camp’s preserved ruins or enjoy some fishing on nearby lakes Alice and Maloya.

Wildlife viewing opportunities abound at Sugarite with bear and other forest creatures in abundance.


So much so that Woodall’s Camping Life in April 2006 ranked Sugarite among the top-ten, state parks in the entire country, citing it’s wildlife viewing opportunities as one of its top draws.

Normally a busy place, fall provides visitors an opportunity to freely enjoy Sugarite’s many charms without the pressure of summertime crowds.

Located on State Road 526 outside of historic Raton, Sugarite State Park is a fine choice for a fall road trip.

For more information call the park at (575) 445-5607 or visit the state parks section of the state Energy Mineral and Natural Resources website at
www.emnrd.state.nm.us.

Those venturing up the Rio Grande Valley during the autumn months to north central New Mexico might find themselves hard pressed to keep their eyes on the road, the scenery is that spectacular.

The Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Rivers Recreation Area just north of Questa boasts arguably the finest, scenic overlook in the state at the confluence of the Rio Grande and the Red River.

Peering 800 feet down into the Rio Grande Gorge, one can imagine the immense geologic forces that worked to create New Mexico’s own Grand Canyon.

One can take a strenuous hike into the gorge from several different trails to experience the gorge’s awesome beauty or fish the Big River’s fabled waters.

Numerous campsites line the gorge’s edge with El Aguaje being one of the best featuring an easy trail down into the Red River gorge, recently refurbished campsites and great access to the rest of the recreation area.

Located off State Road 378 just past the village of Cerro visitors will find a manned visitors’ center open within the recreation area for more information.

The Wild Rivers Recreation Area can be a hot, dusty, sun-baked place in the dead of the summer. But in the fall, one can explore its many possibilities in relative comfort and safety.

For more information about the Wild Rivers Recreation Area check out the BLM’s website at www.blm.gov


Further out west in Indian Country lies a historic watering hole, El Morro, where fall travelers can enjoy a remarkable experience.

Operated by the National Park Service this monument features excavated Indian ruins including a mesa top kiva, petroglyphs, some of the finest, historic graffiti in the country and one neat little campgound.

Located west of Grants on State Road 53 on the outskirts of the Ramah Navajo Reservation the reliable watering hole lured many travelers who left their mark
in the soft sandstone, including that of Spanish Conquistador, Don Juan Oñate.

Noted for its towering sandstone bluff, visitors will find a modern visitor center at El Morro, interpretive hiking tours and campsites featuring water spigots, tent pads, picnic tables and fire rings.

Traveling to El Morro visitors will pass through the El Malpais National Monument, a massive area featuring great lava flows, ice caves and volcano craters.

Normally a lonely, hot and inhospitable area in the summer, a trip to El Morro can be a delight in the fall.

For more information see the National Park Service’s website at www.nps.gov. and follow the links for El Morro and El Malpais.

And lastly when venturing out in New Mexico during the fall one can’t help but be drawn to the southwestern part of the state where cooler temperatures make a visit to the Gila wilderness and national forest a must.

Covering over three million acres, this vast area of the state features dozens of campgrounds, several lakes, numerous streams, high mountain peaks, protected wilderness areas and an amazing array of sightseeing opportunities.

If heading down into the Gila from the west through Magdalena and Datil one can spend a day at Lake Quemado where good camping, hiking and fishing can be had.

Upon leaving Lake Quemado travelers will find the fall scenery abundant along State Road 32 heading south to US 180 and into the heart of the Gila.

A stop at the catwalk for a little hike and a picnic is recommended before proceeding on to more adventuresome destinations.

Some of the best scenery the Gila has to offer is reputed to be had up around McKnight’s Cabin in the Black Range where aspen stands and open meadows provide excellent views.

McKnight’s can be accessed by State and Forest Road 152 which leads to Kingston and climbs up over Emory Pass where great views are available too.

And perhaps one of the best draws about the Gila this fall is that several previously closed creeks have been reopened to fishing for the once endangered Gila trout.

Visitors can drive to Black Canyon on Forest Road 150 and fish upstream for several miles for the native trout that has made a comeback due to extensive recovery efforts by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the state Department of Game and Fish (see related stories).

For more information about the Gila check out the U.S. Forest Service’s website at
www.fs.fed.us.


The Gila is a hunter’s paradise too, so fall travelers need to be alert to the potential of encountering them, whether in a campground or in the woods.

It’s highly recommended to consult the state hunting proclamation or call a regional state Department of Game and Fish office to determine if and when a hunt may be occurring in an area one may wish to visit.

Most hunters are active early in the morning and late in the afternoon, and bow and muzzleloader hunts require hunters to get close to their prey, usually 50 yards or less.

Those hunters don’t present as much of threat to others sharing the woods as rifle hunters may.

It can be dangerous wandering around the countryside during a rifle hunt due to the long-range lethality of the modern rifle and a rifle hunters’ willingness to shoot at distant targets.

Avoid the backcountry when a hunt is on and if venturing into the woods during hunting season to fish or hike, wear at the very least a blaze orange cap so you’re readily identifiable.


The Best of the Rest!

We would be remiss in not mentioning some of the state’s other great camping areas that are worthy of visiting in the autumn.

Percha Dam State park on the Rio Grande south of Truth or Consequences is resplendent in the fall under a canopy of colorful Cottonwood trees.

The park pales in size compared to its upstream cousins at Caballo and Elephant Butte Lakes but that’s exactly what makes it such a wonderful place to camp.

It’s rural and remote but within easy striking distance of the big lake’s attractions and the hot springs and other amenities found in the little city of Truth or Consequences.

Percha Dam State Park features shady campsites and grassy lawns to lay upon. There’s a playground for the kids and good fishing and bird watching down by the by the river.

This place is a little known jewel of the state parks system and is located about 20 miles south of T or C off I-25 at exit 59. Take State Road 187 south for about a mile to the park entrance.

Further up north one can find some of the best fall scenery in the state along the long, lonesome road into the high country of the Valle Vidal.

A hunter’s paradise in the fall with exceptional bag rates for a once in a lifetime draw, the Valle Vidal, boasts great herds of elk hiding among its many stands of brilliant aspen trees.

Camping can be had at the mountaintop Cimarron campground or down the other side of the mountain at McCrystal campground.

Camping within the Valle Vidal is restricted to these two sites unless one is hiking into the backcountry.

Cimarron campground’s proximity to Shuree Ponds and its wonderful fishing make it a popular site.

McCrystal campground has no water and is more remote, which usually results in less company.

McCrystal is also located near the restored homestead of the Ring Ranch which makes for fascinating exploration on a fine fall afternoon.

This is bear country and sightings are common so camp and hike accordingly.

The Valle Vidal’s fall colors and crisp clean, air make is a worthy destination for a fall road trip.

Take State Road 522 out of Taos to the Colorado State Line and head into the Valle Vidal at Costilla. Stay on the forest road and come out the other side on U.S. 64 at Cimarron and head over to Taos the back way for a special trip.


And lastly, the fall is a great time of year to head into Indian Country for a tour of Chaco Canyon.

Normally a hot, dusty location with little or no shade, exploring the ruins in the fall can be a much nicer experience for visitors.

Chaco is a historical goldmine for those interested in the ancient Indian cultures and the mystery of what happened to them.

The location offers stunning photographic opportunities, incredible archeology and at night? - star gazing perfection.

Driving the bone jarring, winding, dirt road into Chaco Canyon is a rite of passage for many visitors to the West and well worth the effort.

Located off U.S. 550 at the Red Mesa gas station just north of Lybrook, visitors take San Juan County Road 7900 to SJCR 7950 and on into the canyon.

Be prepared!

A version of this article appeared in the September 2008 edition of New Mexico magazine.

Abiquiu Lake Hotspot for Walleye and Bass

Ray Rael of Santa Fe shows off a Walleye he plucked from the depths of well stocked Abiquiu Lake.

Abiquiu Lake is brimming with snow runoff this year and the fishing couldn't be better for walleye, smallmouth bass and catfish.

Located about 33 miles north of Espanola on US 84, the lake is operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers and features a fine boatramp and a nice campground situated on a bluff overlooking the lake.

Anglers looking for action will find plenty to be had since the lake has filled to well above average due to a wet 2007/2008 winter.

During a recent late August trip we found brown and black speckled, 3&1/2 inch Gitzit's worked well for smallmouth bass when cast to the bank and retrieved slowly with an occasional jigging motion.

Raek picked up a fat smallmouth working the water around island points and submerged structure.

Ray Rael of Santa Fe inspects a nice sized smallmouth he caught and released at Abiqui Lake during a recent trip.

Abiquiu lake offers more than just fishing with big, pillowy clouds floating lazily over the towering, red faced cliffs that inspired renowned painter Georgia O'Keeffe who kept a studio in the nearby village of Abiquiu.

The author gets "down and dirty" while fishing at scenic Abiqui Lake recently.

Fishing from the bank of one of the lake's islands produced good results with white Gitzits featuring black backs that look much like a minnow. On retrieval many fish chased the lure right up to the bank including one big walleye.

Walleyes sport a nasty set of teeth and handling them requires a firm grip through the back of the gill.

Out in deeper water we capitalized on the walleye's predatory instincts by casting and retrieving deep diver minnows, those ones with the fat, downturned, clear plastic lips that force the lure to dive and giggle.

On retrieval these lures elicted powerful strikes from these aggressive fish.

Ray Rael shows off his dinner after a sucessful day on the water at Abiqui Lake in Augsut 2008.

By day's end we had kept two nice sized walleyes, a 20 and a 22-incher, for eating later. Only those walleyes 14-inches or bigger may be kept under fish and game regulations.

Filleted and cut into fat chunks, dipped in Luzianne, Cajun/Creole, seafood coating and then fried in a baby deep fat fryer, the walleye produces a great meal.

African Fly Tier Delivers - You Can Too !

In the glow of the campfire after a long day of fishing I got to telling my old friend Glenn May about the African fly tier who contacted me through my outdoors blog.

A lady named Elizabeth Mbugua of Narobi, Kenya had sent me an email, offering a sales pitch for custom order flies.

The lady must have been searching the web for flyfishing related sites and came across mine.

Amazing how the web has opened up the world.

So I wrote her back and asked for some samples which soon arrived in the mail and looked and worked just fine.

But I was still skeptical, thinking it might be some kind of internet scam, so I asked May, who had just returned from a two year stint in Africa with the Peace Corps, what he thought about it.

He suggested it was probably okay and if I really wanted to have an immediate, profound and positive impact on someone's life, then I just might want to buy some flies from her.

"You have no idea what that kind of money means to those people," May said.

And it would be like my own individual, foreign aid program with no political strings attached, I thought.

So I put in an order for a bunch of flies that I hardly ever tackle on my own vise, like some of those pesky, little #22 parachute Adams and some of those #20 blue wing olives that I can never seem to find in the flyshops.

And I needed a bunch of pheasant tail nymphs in size 18 and 20 too, plus I wanted some stimulators since I seem to use so many of them over the summer.

In the end I ordered 10 dozen flies at $4 a dozen and they arrived in the mail in no time at all. She asked for payment by Western Union money order.

The work was nicely done and Mrs. Mbugua says she can also do custom orders for those who send in their own designs or have samples of flies they want tied.

I also asked her some questions about herself and how she got into this business.

Seems Mbugua was once a tour guide in her home country and some Americans suggested the idea to her, she says.

And no, she's never seen a trout in her life but she'd love to visit American some day and see what this flyfishing sport is all about.

But for now she's more concerned with feeding and educating her three children since the economy there has been suffering recently due to political turmoil.

Yeah, tell me about it girl.

And since May assured me that any money I send over there will go a long way to helping Mrs. Mbugua and her family and I can now claim my fishing is fufilling an even greater purpose.
Elizabeth Mbugua of Narobi, Kenya hard at work tying flies. Photo courtesy of Mbugua.

So anyone out there interested in doing business with Mrs. Mbugua can contact her by email at kanguisec@yahoo.co.uk.

She can also be reached by mail at Elizabeth Mbugua at P.O. Box 1923, 00-200, Nairobi, Kenya.

Mention my name and website, www.outdoorsnewmexico.com, so she knows her marketing efforts have paid off.

And please note that due to language differences, some nuances we take for granted may be lost in translation, so be patient, keep it simple and spread the wealth around.

Truchas Chapter of Trout Unlimited Gives Cutthroats a Hand

A Rio Grande Cutthroat from Alamitos Creek in Northern New Mexico.

Shadows dart back and forth in the cold, clear stream here in the mountains high above the Sipapu ski valley.

They’re native cutthroat trout and their purity and abundance in Alamitos Creek could be essential to the survival of the threatened species.

That’s why the Truchas Chapter of Trout Unlimited (TU) is spearheading an effort to build a barrier to protect the population of 4,000 to 5,000 pure strain Rio Grande cutthroats living in about seven miles of the remote creek.

“They may be one of the best allies the cutthroat has,” says Juan Martinez, fisheries biologist for the Carson National Forest. “They’re instrumental in getting projects like this done.”

Due to budget restrictions, manpower limitations and the nature of the federal bureaucracy, such a project could take years for the Forest Service to implement, Martinez says.

But with assistance from the local TU chapter, funds have already been secured to pay for an environmental analysis this winter and construction late next summer if approved.

“This is a beneficial project with minimal environmental impact so it shouldn’t be a problem,” says Martinez, a Taos native with a Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences degree from New Mexico State University.

A concrete fish barrier on the stream would prevent other non-native trout such as brown or rainbow trout from infiltrating the stream and taking over the habitat.

Alamitos Creek links up with the Rio Pueblo which flows through Peñasco and on down to the Rio Grande.

For years, an aging head gate on an irrigation ditch has helped keep invading trout from moving upstream into cutthroat habitat, but a new barrier is needed to guarantee that doesn’t happen.

Now all that protects the Alamitos Creek purestrain population of cutthroats is a vunerable wooden, irrigation headgate.

The pure strain cutthroats in Alamitos Creek could then provide an infusion of life for other cutthroat streams such as Comanche Creek in the Valle Vidal where an ambitious cutthroat restoration project is underway, says Kirk Patten, fisheries biologist with the state Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF).

Comanche Creek will undergo a second attempt at sterilization this summer to eliminate any non-native fish that remained in about 20 miles of stream after an initial treatment last summer.

The NMDGF then hopes to restock the creek and its tributaries by next summer with pure strain Rio Grande Cutthroats.

The overall plan is to return about 120 to 150 miles of water within the Valle Vidal watershed to exclusive cutthroat habitat.

The Rio Grande cutthroat is the state’s native fish but has seen its historic range reduced to just 10 percent with only 13 core populations left in the state, Patten says.

The colorful trout at one time ranged throughout the entire Rio Grande, Pecos and Canadian rivers watershed area, covering about 6,600 miles of water in Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico, says Patten.

The population of pure strain cutthroats in Alamitos Creek could prove invaluable in helping the native trout recover.

“It’s very important to the overall status of the restoration effort,” he says.

Eggs from Alamitos Creek cutthroats can be used to raise fry at the state’s exclusive cutthroat hatchery at Seven Springs for eventual restocking in other rivers, creeks and steams.

Some of the cutthroats can also join others stored at McClure Reservoir above Santa Fe to be used as brood stock for future breeding applications.

And others could be directly transplanted into a cutthroat stream to mingle with a resident population and increase genetic diversity, Patten says.

Patten, who coordinates the state’s Rio Grande Cutthroat Recovery Project, agrees that without the help of organizations such as Trout Unlimited some of the recovery project’s goals might be hampered.

“We’re financially challenged on some of these projects,” he said. “It’s a big help to have them come up with funds for this.”

Arnold Atkins, current president of the Truchas Chapter of Trout Unlimited, said the Alamitos Creek barrier would be the second the organization has raised funds for.

The group helped raised $100,000 needed to construct a new fish barrier on Comanche Creek on Forest Road 1950 near the confluence of Little Costilla Creek last year.

That barrier will keep non-native fish in the Costilla Creek watershed from migrating upstream into the cutthroat restoration area.

Then work started on this latest project, which is considered a top priority.

“This may be one of the largest populations of pure strain cutthroats in the state,” says Atkins, a semi-retired surgeon who grew up in the Española Valley and graduated from Los Alamos High School in 1960. “This was something that could do the most good in the shortest period of time, so we got on it.”

From left to right. Arnold Atkins, President of the Truchas Chapter of Trout Unlimited and John Miera, Carson National Forest's Camino Real District Ranger listen as Juan Martinez, Carson National Forest fisheries biologist, talks on the bank of Alamitos Creek.

The group raised about $7,000 from its members and during its annual banquet which features raffles and auctions.

Then they approached a sister Trout Unlimited chapter in Austin, Texas, the Guadalupe River Chapter, which apparently has plenty of money but little in the way of streams to spend it on and secured another $3,000, Atkins said.

The $10,000 should cover the environmental analysis of the project which is required by law.

A fund has been established, the Rio Grande Cutthroat Restoration Fund, specifically to collect funds to be used for environmental analysis because many granting organizations will not cover these costs, Atkins said.

The Truchas chapter, in conjunction with the Forest Service and state Game and Fish, applied for and received a $50,000 grant from the Western Native Trout Initiative for the barrier’s construction.

“They ranked this as one of their most important projects,” he said.

The estimated to cost of construction is $70,000 to $80,000, Atkins says.

Anyone interested in contributing to the cause can contact the organization through their website at www.truchas-tu.org.


The Rio Grande Cutthroat Restoration Project’s goal is to reduce threats to the state trout’s survival and improve its ability to prosper, says Patten.

Success of the department’s long-range plan would also nullify the need for the trout’s protection under the Federal Endangered Species Act. Such protection could result in land use and sport fishing restrictions.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW) this spring filed notice of its intent to pursue listing of the trout on their threatened or endangered species list.

Success of the reintroduction effort in the Valle Vidal would go a long way towards addressing some of the USFW concerns for listing the trout, says Patten.

Much of the groundwork for that success has already been done, for example, roads have been closed off and in some cases eliminated because they cause excessive runoff and erosion that fouls waters.

Stream banks have been rebuilt and restored with native vegetation to create a healthier environment for fish to thrive. And non-native fish such as rainbow trout and white suckers have been eliminated to allow the Rio Grande cutthroats a clean start in their restored home waters.

Much of that work has involved volunteer groups such as the Truchas Chapter of Trout Unlimited, New Mexico Trout, the Quivera Coalition and the New Mexico Wildlife Federation.

Meanwhile, high in the mountains above the highway between Peñasco and Mora lies a creek teeming with cutthroats just waiting to play their role in the ongoing recovery effort.


This article was originally published in the print edition of the Santa Fe New Mexican on Aug. 28, 2008.