Head East to Lake Sumner for a Winter Angling Oasis

Bosque Redondo Lake is a pretty place to stop on the way to Sumner Lake.

It was the only bright spot in what was otherwise a dismal, mid-winter, fishing report.

The walleye were supposed to be biting out at Sumner Lake, a little known fishing hole far out on the plains of Eastern New Mexico.

A high-pressure system had been parked over the state for a whole week and daily temperatures were soaring into the sixties, sunshine was abundant and the winds were nowhere to be found.

It was too much for me to handle as I muddled through another day of home schooling in website design, digital photo editing and everything else I needed to know to survive my transition to the new media.

I squirmed as I dialed up my wife’s office and begged her for permission to flee.

Once she heard my whining she was all too happy to send me packing.

I was out the door and down the road within minutes, a tuna fish sandwich in hand and my trusty dog, Wiley, nipping at my heels.

I’d never been out to Fort Sumner before despite having lived and traveled throughout the state for close to 30 years.

I was too busy chasing trout, women and work back then.

But now that I’ve settled down some and learned the joys of warm water fishing, I’ve discovered a whole new slate of fishing holes to explore.

But my wife, Wren, suggested that if I was going out that way I needed to stop and see the state’s Bosque Redondo Memorial near Fort Sumner first.

As a reporter with the Farmington Daily Times, she was a member of a three-person team that earned an E. H. Shaffer award for investigative coverage of the Army’s 1860s’ forced march of many Navajos from their homelands in the Four Corners to an ill-suited reservation by the Pecos River.

Painting of "The Journey of Despair" by artist Carlos Ortiz at the Bosque Redondo Memorial at Forst Sumner State Monument.

Being a longtime student of history, I knew I’d want to stop at the memorial so I decided to take my time and enjoy the drive, bask in the remarkable weather and take in some scenery too.

Heading east out of Santa Fe on I-25, I jumped off at U.S. 285 south and proceeded south along a two lane ribbon of blacktop through cattle country.

Bordered by tawny, juniper and piñon studded pastures and the occasional red rocked butte, I found myself humming the “Rawhide” theme song, as I ripped down the road.

Some 50 miles later I rolled into the truck stop straddling I-40 at Clines Corner.

Gas was thirty cents a gallon more here and a quart of oil set me back something like five bucks, but the gift shop had the most amazing assortment of New Mexico trinkets I’d ever seen, so it was a wash.

I’d have to remember this place come Christmas time, I thought to myself as I headed over the interstate and continued south on 285.

Here the road opens up to two lanes each way and runs through some long, fast, flat stretches.

By now I’m listening to AM radio and the last of the right wing pundits who still don’t get it.

Thirty miles later I hit US 60 at the neat, little town of Encino and head east again, chasing a long freight train strung out along the plains.

At one point I jump off the highway and bounce down a narrow, rocky, two track heading down to the tracks. I’m hoping I’ll be able to get a closeup picture of the lead engine bearing down the tracks toward me.

I arrived in a cloud of dust but I am just a few seconds too late. I could only watch as the cars lumbered by, the ground quivering under my feet as I take the opportunity to piss in the sand.

With the tinny squeal of the tracks fading, I lean against my little Jap Jeep and let the silence of the plains envelope me.

Out here the sweeping, uninterrupted grasslands dominate the faded, blue horizon, the only interruption, an occasional speck of a far off head of cattle.

I think what a bummer it would be to have to walk anywhere from here.

Back on the highway I soon cover the 20 miles to the town of Vaughn, a once thriving little railroad town that now looks like its just barely hanging on.

Here two rail lines intersect with one heading northeast and the other jogging south and later east again.

I continue east across the flatlands for a 60-mile dash to Fort Sumner, having lost my companion train to the countryside. But the map shows the tracks reconnecting with the roadway at the little town of Yeso.

I’ll stop here for lunch and get my picture.

I park behind what looks like an old hotel and what had once been the post office.

Leafless elms stand like silent sentries around the run down property. A lone wall made of small rocks leans precariously at an adjoining ruin.

Here I eat my sandwich as a light breeze plays through the open window, the dog leans out, reading the wind and then stares at me and my sandwich for a while.

I give her a potato chip, she bites it and it explodes across the seat.

The train finally arrives and I get my picture, once again enjoying the thrill of standing close to the thundering train as it screeches down the rails.


The conductor rewards my attendance with an extra blast of his lonesome sounding horn.

I return to my seat behind the wheel and shoot a picture of an empty rock house across the road. I wonder who lived here, what did they do and where have they gone?

The plains and abandoned buildings of Eastern New Mexico do that to you, make you stop and wonder.

I finally roll into Fort Sumner, visit their pretty little town hall on the hill, find the old railroad station, stop in at the Billy the Kid Museum for directions, check out his gravesite at another location and then make it over to the memorial.

The parking lot is empty but I can see they’re doing some construction inside so I walk into the building only to find the gift shop closed and no one around.

A lady comes out of a back office and says I can look around but I don’t have to pay because of all the inconveniences of the construction.

I read all the interpretive boards and feel ashamed to be white as I leave the place.

No wonder the Indians act the way they do sometimes, I think to myself.

I sure hope they bring a lot of kids here. Wren was right, we all need to see this.
The Fort Sumner museum at the Bosque Redondo memorial.

I take a quick detour to the Bosque Redondo Lake before heading off to Sumner Lake.

It looks like a great place to hide out for an afternoon and the sign says it’s stocked with 14- to 16-inch catfish with a bag limit of two.

The smell of cattle is thick along this bottomland, with little farms and pastures bordering the road leading back to town.

I finally made it out to Sumner Lake late in the afternoon, passing along the way a windmill farm, way off in the distance, gently producing electricity and hope.

“This is one of the best places for bank fishing and taking the kids,” Shawn Denny, Southeast Area Fisheries Manager for the state Department of Game and Fish says of Sumner Lake. “You can almost always catch something here.”

Sumner Lake has one of the highest fish densities in the state, second only to Caballo Reservoir and is well stocked with walleye, a particularly aggressive fish, a fine fighter and tasty too, Denny says.

Anglers will also find good populations of large and small mouth bass and crappie too, he added.

Denny is a 1995 New Mexico State University graduate with a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Management. He has been with the Department of Game and Fish for the past 12 years and has been the Southeast Area Fisheries Manager since 2001. He works out of the Roswell Office.

Denny says the primary food source for fish in the lake is crawdads.

“And with the warmer weather it won’t be long before they’ll be moving around and getting up into the shallows,” Denny said. “Then you’ll be able to really whack them (the fish).”

Denny says if the weather remains warm anglers can get a jump on the spring season and get into some really good fishing from now through the end of April.

A lone fisherman navigates his way across Sumner Lake.

The lake is productive all summer and into the fall too, he said.

Denny says good spots to fish include down by the gauging tower on the face of the dam, off the rocks in the cove opposite the dam and in the flats on the east side of the lake.

And if the wind gets up and pushes folks off the lake as it’s been know to do, anglers can hide out on the Pecos River below the dam.

The stilling basin there is chock full of trout and is regularly stocked with catchables every other week or so, Denny said.

Powerbait and salmon eggs are the choice of bait here, he said.

Some of these trout even sport cash tags which can earn a lucky angler a cash reward from the nearby Hide Away restaurant, bar, grill, tackle, grocery store, RV park and motel.

Proprietor Mary Sena said supporters chip in every year to tag fish with colored chips that can be redeemed at her store located by the state park entrance.

Yellow tags bring $10, red for $20 and a green tag will earn $50, she said.

Sena said they planted $250 worth of the fish this year and anglers have only redeemed $160 as of mid-February.

The Peco river emerges from below the dam at Sumner Lake.

Sena, a Vaughn native, said she and her husband have been in business at the lake for the past 35 years and absolutely love it.

“And we’ve had a beautiful winter so far this year,” she said.

Sena’s operation is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and provides visitors to the lake with most needs including nightcrawlers and minnows.

Visitors will also find plenty of camping at the state park including RV spots with electricity and a dump station and primitive lakeside tent sites for those seeking a more natural experience.

Sena’s bar overlooking the 2,800-acre lake is within easy walking distance of the camping areas.

Park Ranger Derek Drew says the weather and the fishing has been spectacular and anglers have reported seeing a lot of shad in the water thus minnows have been working well. Red curley tailed jigs sporting a nightcrawler have also worked well in deeper water where 16- to 24-inch walleye have been found lurking at about 20 feet, he said.

The author with a nice walleye.

The park features several boat ramps and docks for public use and the east side of the lake has been producing well for boaters, Drew said. However, those fishing from the bank have also experienced success especially down by the dam, he said.

There's also hiking and biking trails and plenty of wildlife viewing to be had at the Sumner Lake State Park.

For more information about the lake check out the state parks site website at www.emnrd.state.us

If you Go: Take I-40 out of Albuquerque to the US 84 turnoff to Fort Sumner. From Santa Fe take I-25 to US. 285 south to U.S. 60 to Fort Sumner and north of US 84 to the Sumner Lake turnoff. About 150 miles one way from Santa Fe.

Don't MIss the Big Event !

If you like the outdoors then you don’t want to miss Bob Gerding’s Outdoor Adventures annual Hunting and Fishing Show next weekend at the Fairgrounds in Albuquerque.

“With the economy we’re concentrating on staying close to home this year,” Gerding says of his 11th annual show. “So we’ve got a lot more local and regional exhibitors and many are offering great deals.”

For three days, outdoor enthusiasts can find hunting and fishing guides, lodge operators, outfitters, outdoors equipment retailers and nonprofit organizations manning booths at the Manuel Lujan Complex on the state fairgrounds in Albuquerque.

The doors open on Friday, Feb. 13 at noon and close at 7 p.m.. The show picks up again the following day, Saturday. Feb 14, (Valentine’s Day) from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. and again on Sunday, Feb. 15, from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m.

Admission is $7 for adults while kids under 12-years-old get in for free. Parking on the grounds is $4.

And there’ll be plenty to keep the kids busy while Mom and Dad are chatting up the exhibitors including a rock-climbing wall, a BB gun shooting range supervised by hunter safety instructors and face painting, Gerding says.

Adults can try their hand at shooting a single action pistol, rifle or shotgun or learn to cast a fly rod in the casting pool.

Folks will be able to check out the latest equipment including recreational vehicles, boats and all-terrain vehicles.

“And we’ll have a guy I’ve been trying to get down here for years who sells outdoor gear bags, backpacks and duffel bags at really reasonable prices,” Gerding says.

And with Valentine’s Day being celebrated there’ll be plenty of gifts available for the ladies too including jewelry and beauty products from Martha’s Body Bueno of Albuquerque, Gerding says.

There’ll be over 90 exhibitors including knife makers, cooking ware demonstrators, makers of unique outdoor clothing and taxidermists, including one who will mount a complete deer over the course of the show.


Seminars will include a presentation by Stephen Ausherman, author of “60 hikes within 60 miles of Albuquerque” and Colleen Sloan of Log Cabin Grub, a noted outdoor cook and specialist with the Dutch oven who will share some of her culinary secrets, Gerding said.

Most exhibitors will also be conducting raffles for all sorts of gifts including hunting and fishing trips or equipment like fly rods or float tubes, Gerding says.

And door prizes to be given away will include a guided Tiger Muskie fishing trip to either Bluewater or Quemado Lake with Bob and T.J. Trout of 94-Rock.

A weekend getaway including two nights stay at the Elk Horn Lodge in Chama and a trip on the Cumbres and Toltec Rail Road will be awarded to some lucky ticket holder too, Gerding says.

And a two night stay at the San Juan’s River’s newest lodge, Ayalas, will also be given away to some lucky angler, he added.

There’ll be officers with the state Department of Game and Fish will be on hand to advise the public about hunting and fishing regulations and answer any other questions.

And many of the state’s sportsmen’s groups and other outdoor related, non-profits will be on hand to educate and inform the public.

So who is Bob Gerding anyhow and why does he do this?


“I just love it, these are my people,” Gerding, 70, of Albuquerque says.” It’s like a family reunion. It’s fun work.”

Gerding’s family and friends are all involved in making the show work, as are many of the business associates he’s come to know over his years from his work in the outdoor arena.

You may know Gerding from his deep, distinctive voice, tall stature and mane of silver hair.

He hosts the weekend television show “Wild New Mexico,” talks fishing on 94Rock radio every Thursday and takes calls from viewers of KRQE-TV 13’s noon, news show on Wednesdays.

He’s even done some voice-over work for commercials over the years.
Gerding says he ended up on the bawdy, heavy metal, radio show because the popular DJ, T.J. Trout, likes to fish.

“He’d come into the store and one day I asked him why he didn’t do a feature like TJ’s Trout picks or something like that on the radio?” Gerding said. “And he said ‘why don’t you?’ ”

Gerding has made a lot of friends during his 20 years of working the counter at Charlies Sporting Goods in Albuquerque where he also taught fly-fishing, fly-tying, and published some books.

Then about 10 years ago he left the Domenici family business to start one of his own, putting clients together with outfitters through his company, Bob Gerding’s Outdoor Adventures.

Gerding got the idea for the annual hunting and fishing show while attending outdoor shows in Arizona and Colorado where he was marketing a book.

He decided it was time to find a show closer to home and the idea was born.

The shows have proven to be very popular with up to 7,000 people attending last year, he said.

“And that’s not counting the kids,” he adds.

With all the friends Gerding has made over the years, has he every considered going into politics?

Gerding says he did in college for a brief time but after dabbling in the process a bit he decided it wasn’t for him.

“I realized I had too many ethics and not enough money,” he said.

Gerding is a longtime Albuquerque resident who graduated Highland High School. He holds a business degree from the University of New Mexico where he has been named to the Anderson School of Business’ Hall of Fame.

He is an Army vet who served in the reserves during his college years and spent his two weeks of active duty each summer down at Fort Bliss in Texas.

Gerding followed in his dad’s footsteps by going into the insurance business after college but he didn’t like the work and soon found himself managing Albuquerque’s first Orvis fly shop before moving on to Charlie’s.

Gerding and his wife, Harriet, a retired financial advisor, have two sons, Patrick, of Phoenix and Mike, of Denver, both of whom work in the business field.

A daughter, Laura, died at the age of 40 due to breast cancer, Gerding said.

He has a twin, Dick, a Farmington attorney whose likeness to his brother has come in handy on occasion.

From left to right, brother's Dick and Bob Gerding in 2008.

“I’ve had him fill in for me once,” Gerding says of an instance involving a family emergency. “He did some live (television) interviews and nobody knew the difference.”

Gerding said he and his brother took an interest in the outdoors as kids and their dad accommodated them with vacations to places like the Brazos River near Chama.

There the boys learned to fish from mentors like an elderly spinster from Albuquerque who took summers off from her job as a bookkeeper to relax and fish on the river.

Gerding said in those days they learned to fish with worms, salmon eggs and flies like a gray-hackled peacock or the Rio Grande King.

Inevitably, they stuck to fly-fishing out of pure laziness because it was easier than baiting a hook all the time, Gerding said.

As teenagers, the two boys then got jobs at the Lazy Ray dude ranch up in the Jemez mountains. Located on the Rio Cebolla above Seven Springs Fish Hatchery, the ranch was where Gerding took on his first client, in teaching a woman to fish.

Gerding said he liked that job because he got to fish twice a day, once in the morning while the clients were getting ready to go out and later in the evening while they were all at happy hour.

He turned out to be such a good fisherman that one of his additional duties was to provide trout for the traditional Friday night fish fry, Gerding said.

It was here that he also discovered the beauty of the Valles Caldera. The ranch was then known as the Baca and was a neighbor of the Lazy Ray’s.

The ranch hands were free to visit and fish on each other’s property in those days and they all took full advantage of the opportunity, Gerding said.

Nowadays Gerding still returns to the Valles Caldera to conduct fly-fishing clinics for the public visiting the preserve.

And while fly-fishing might be a very popular outdoor pursuit today, it wasn’t always so, Gerding said.

It was a little known fishing method back when he was a youth, he said.

“I’d be fishing down on the Rio Grande by the Taos Junction bridge and people on the road would stop just to watch,” he said. “I’d draw a crowd.”

Then fly-fishing really took off after the Robert Redford’s movie “A River Runs Through It” came out in the 1990s, Gerding said.

The yuppie era’s lifestyle and affluence also helped fuel interest in fly-fishing and other outdoor recreational pursuits, he added.

“I can’t tell you the number of outfits I sold and people I taught whom I never ever saw again,” Gerding said.

Gerding figures he’s taught over 2,000 people how to fish during the course of his career.

Gerding speculates that the next “undiscovered” outdoor activity in New Mexico would be small-mouth bass fishing and Navajo dam would be the hot spot for pursuing that sport.
The author shows off one of Navajo Lake's "Future Hall of Famers", a fiesty, little smallmouth bass caught in the spring of 2008.

Gerding says the state needs to do a better job of promoting recreational tourism.

“Outdoor recreation in New Mexico is the most important rural industry we have,” Gerding says.

In the meantime, Gerding is doing his part promoting the industry and one of the primary benefits of his show is potential clients have a chance to personally meet guides, outfitters and lodge operators in the business.

“And there’s no one in these exhibit halls I wouldn’t personally recommend,” he says.

If You Go:

Take I-25 south to Albuquerque, get off at the Louisiana exit and follow it down to Lomas, turn right and head down to San Pedro, take a left and head down to the fairgrounds (now called Expo New Mexico). If to hit Central, you’ve gone to far. The show begins at noon on Friday, Feb 13th and runs until 7 p.m. It picks back again on Saturday, Feb. 14th,(Valentines Day) starting at 9 a.m. and continuing until 6 p.m. and then again on Sunday, Feb. 15th, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults and kids under 12 years old get in for free. Parking at the fairgrounds is $4.

Report Sums Up Shape of the San Juan River

State Department of Game and Fish Biologist, James Dominguez, 36, of Tucumcari, displays one of many fine trout found in the waters of New Mexico's San Juan River during an electro-shocking expedition in the late fall of 2008. To the right, San Juan River Fisheries Biologist, Marc Wethington,44, of Kirtland, takes note.

Wading around the corner of a willow choked island at Baetis Bend on the San Juan River recently, I encountered a well-appointed but clearly disappointed fly fisherman.

“This river has gone to hell, “ he complained.

I wondered what the problem was as I looked over the water he was deserting. After all, it was a gorgeous, late fall day, trout were rising and he’d had this whole stretch of New Mexico’s premier trout stream all to himself.

What he was complaining about was low water flows in recent years that he believed had killed off insects that the river’s trout feed upon.

He lamented the loss of the good old days, back when water released from Navajo Dam ran much higher, scouring silt and sediment from the river bottom, producing conditions in which insects thrived, making fishing here a breeze.

He concluded that the river and the fishing had suffered and mumbled bitterly as he shuffled off around the bend.

But within minutes I was into a classic San Juan rainbow, 18 inches of fight, straining mightily against my line, then sailing through the air and making my day.

Because, although some of what the disgruntled angler said may be true, the river’s trout population today continues to thrive and most anglers are highly satisfied with the fishing.

That’s according to a recently released study of the river by the state Department of Game and Fish.

“Despite the circumstances, this is still a very healthy and productive fishery,” says Marc Wethington, the department’s fisheries biologist on the San Juan and key contributor to the report.

This year’s annual electro-shocking survey revealed great numbers of vigorous trout in New Mexico’s top trophy water.


“The number and quality of the fish look real good,” Wethington said as he inspected fish snared during a late November, 2008 outing.

Floating downstream with Wethington at the oars, crew members James Dominguez and Sean Buczek lean over a rail mounted on the front of a 14-foot raft, armed with nets mounted on long poles.

At the back of the boat a gas-powered, electric generator chugs away, providing current to a probe immersed in the water at the front of the raft.

Strands of wire dangle from the back of the boat to complete the circuit and provide a “stun-zone” under and around the boat.

As we float downstream, dozens of fish can be seen darting about, running from the shock while others, caught in the current, float unharmed to the surface.

Snared by the crew, the fish are poured into a holding tank to await inspection.

After a short run, the tank is brimming with trout and Wethington beaches the raft and the work of weighing, measuring and inspecting the trout begins.

The crew notes if the fish show evidence of having been caught before and in one case delicately untangle a line and several flies embedded in a trout’s snout.



The trip resulted the largest trout caught being a 24-inch Rainbow while an average size of 17-inches was the norm in places like the Cable Hole and Upper Flats as well the stretch downstream between Jacks Hole and ET Rock, Wethington said.

The river’s Brown trout is also increasing with Browns accounting for 65-percent of all fish caught during the electro-shocking trip from Texas Hole downstream, Wethington said.

This stretch also produced the most fish during this year’s expedition, accounting for almost 700 fish-per-hour, Wethington said.

Electro-shocking catch rates on the river have been steadily increasing in recent years with the Texas hole stretch giving up the most fish last year, according to date compiled in the department’s report.

And while the data shows the river’s trout population to be very healthy, what it fails to capture is the stunning number, sheer size and beauty of San Juan trout seen during one of these electro-shocking expeditions.

The survey takes in fish along the San Juan River’s upper four miles of quality water where anglers are limited in the first quarter mile to catch and release only, using single barbless lures.

The remaining quality water mileage is ruled by the same tackle restrictions, but has a bag limit of one-trout-per-day, over 20 inches, with the angler forced to cease fishing upon taking a fish.

The survey also takes into account three miles of downstream “bait water” where the bag limit is five-fish-per-day and no tackle restrictions.

The report, in using information collected during these and other surveys such as angler interviews, reveals a number of trends.

For instance, the popularity of the San Juan River has steadily climbed over the years to the point that angling pressure is three times heavier now than during the mid-80s when the river is said to have been at its best.

Yet the vast majority of anglers interviewed, 92 percent, indicate they were highly satisfied with their fishing experience on the San Juan with an average catch of one-fish-per-hour and a little more than 5 percent reporting having caught fish exceeding 20 inches in length.

The San Juan is regularly stocked which accounts for the estimated 70,000 fish found in its waters. An estimated 60,000 fingerling Rainbow trout are planted annually, many of whom eventually grow up to become one of the San Juan’s good looking, hard fighting, world-renowned trout.

On average, anglers reel in a trout measuring 16 to 18 inches on this river, Wethington says.

But the San Juan River also supports a healthy population of naturally reproducing brown trout that can be regularly found inhabiting the same waters as their brethren.

The author displays a nice San Juan Brown Trout caught in the lower stretches of the San Juan River's quality waters in the late fall of 2008. Special thanks to David McGee of Roswell for taking the photo.

Stocking of the lower stretches of the river, where anglers can take their limit, accounts for another 46,000 pan-sized trout each year.

Surveys show fish over the size of 20 inches or more are consistently caught in the lower stretches of the river.

Angler survey data also shows the river is busiest during late summer and early fall and slowest during the winter while the heaviest pressure is on the upper reaches, at and above Texas Hole, and the least down in the Pump House Run.

The vast majority of anglers found on the San Juan are from out-of-state, about 62 percent, while New Mexican’s accounted for 28 percent with the remaining 10 percent living in San Juan County.

The report notes that survey results show the river’s angling performance meets or exceeds the department’s management goals and contributes about $25 million to the state’s economy annually.

The report also addresses some issues raised by those concerned about the river’s health due to low water flows and silt and sedimentation that some claim is caused by oil and gas development in the area.

The report notes that a United States Geological Service (USGS) study of the oil and gas industries’ impact in the area shows that the vast majority of silt and sediment accumulating in the river, 87 percent, is generated by naturally occurring runoff, not the energy industry, as the industry’s critics claim.

The report notes another study by the New Mexico Department of the Environment that also determined that much of the silt and sedimentation in the river below the dam was naturally occurring and hadn’t negatively affected the river’s insect populations’ ability to thrive.

The San Juan River's abundant midge hatches confound many fly fishermen due to their miniscule size and difficulty to match but trout find clusters of them provide a delicious meal.

Nonetheless, the department’s report notes that continued oil and gas development combined with lower flows could potentially harm the fishery and indicates the department’s willingness to work with all stakeholders to minimize those effects.

The report responds to the controversial issue of the lower water releases by summarizing the dam’s operational history and highlighting the department’s efforts to address the low water’s effects.

Water releases are controlled by the federal Bureau of Reclamation with operational guidelines set at a minimum flow of 250 cfs with a high of 5,000 cfs in the late spring to mimic the natural flood cycle of the river.

The BOR tries to maintain a consistent flow of about 500 cfs throughout the year, but that flow can fluctuate dependant on storage capacity and other conditions. For instance, the BOR did not make high springtime releases in the years 2002, 2003 and 2004, due to low storage.

The Game and Fish Department’s report acknowledges that flows fell below 500 cfs in the years between 2000 and 2007 about 50 percent of the time and below 250 cfs about 5 percent of the time.

It notes that in the years between 1963 and 1999, flows fell below 500 cfs only about 20percent of the time and below 250 cfs an estimated 2 percent of the time.

To see more detailed monthly flow data for the dam see the United States Geological Services webiste at www.usgs.gov .

Advocates of the river claim the recent low flows have had a negative impact on the river and they are calling for an increase in water deliveries to help the fishery recover.

“Sure, we’d all love to see 700 or 800 cfs minimum flows, but the reality is I don’t see that happening,” Wethington says of the controversy. “The reality is we expect to see even lower flows as water development continues.”

Most water stored in the dam is owned by the Navajo Nation and is expected to be siphoned off in future years to satisfy growing demand for agricultural, municipal and other developments, he says.

Wethington notes anglers are enjoying a fishery built on borrowed water and that advocates face an uphill battle in altering the game rules governing the dam and its water.

Thus, the department has geared its efforts towards minimizing the impact of expected lower flows by installing in-stream, habitat improvements designed to help transport silt and sediment further downstream while also providing trout better accommodations to weather the storm.

If nothing else, the San Juan is the only fishery in the state protected by a minimum flow requirement and that bodes well for it’s future, Wethington said.

See related articles about in-stream improvements on the San Juan here .

See the department’s report on the Game and Fish’s at www.wildlife.state.nm.us .

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.