Sometimes in the middle of summer, especially when the water heats up and the fish get sluggish, deciding on a place to fish in New Mexico can be difficult. The same is true in a wet year like this one, but for a different reason. Streams can get pretty muddy during a strong monsoon season, and though the bait and spinner fishing can be quite good at such times, fly fishing in dirty water isn’t always a walk in the park.
Since they gather dirty water from a bigger area, large water bodies like the Rio Grande, Chama, Pecos, and Red can get pretty dirty and stay that way for some time. But when you think you’ve run out of options, remember the Conejos River just north of the border. Amazingly, this river west of Antonito, Colorado is largely unknown, even among New Mexicans, and my bet is that it will stay that way due to the river’s remote location. It’s far from Denver and the closest major airport is in Albuquerque. The two closest populations to the Conejos are Taos and Santa Fe, relatively short drives away.
When asked to name my favorite home state fisheries I usually include the Conejos, because, like many fly anglers from this region, I consider it ours no matter what state it’s in. Along with the Chama and Pecos rivers, the Conejos is one of the Rio Grande’s most significant tributaries, and the country if flows through—vaulting peaks, aspen forests, and sage-covered mesas—is every bit as beautiful as the landscape along the big Rio.
The Conejos harbors lots of big rainbow and brown trout that can be easy to catch at the right place and time. And there are plenty of days when you can’t buy a fish. I know this from experience. Fortunately, I’m one of those fishermen who believes that a stream’s fickleness is a sign of its greatness.
Aside from its sheer variety of fishing opportunities, what I love about the Conejos are its hatches. You name the bug and it’s likely on a Conejos trout’s dinner menu: giant, golden, and little yellow stoneflies; green and gray drakes; pale morning duns and blue-winged olives. Caddisflies are omnipresent. There’s a lot of meadow habitat on the Conejos, which points to the importance of worms in the trout diet, as well as ants and grasshoppers. This river is absolutely loaded with trout food.
If you don’t want to work too hard, fishing a brown Pat’s rubber legs rigged with a red San Juan worm will work for at least some portion of the day, week, or month. Worms definitely work well during heavy rainstorms. Another hot fly is the Frenchy, which in various sizes will imitate a range of important mayfly nymphs. Dry fly fishing can be a non-stop thrill on the Conejos. Fish imitations of the prevailing hatching insect, or just cover the water in search of willing risers with an elk hair caddis, parachute adams, or stimulator patterns.
No matter what you decide to tie on your line, you’ll never suffer for gorgeous views to stare at. Like much of our little corner of the world, the terrain surrounding the Conejos can literally make you weep at any time of year. Take it from me, the autumn aspen leaf show is a tearjerker you won’t soon forget.
