When I was growing up in Santa Fe, I mysteriously developed a bias towards mountains with summits above timberline. If I could travel back in time, I’d want my beautiful state to have more of those snow-capped peaks that Colorado boasts. That’s why I’ve always focused on the Sangre de Cristos for my fishing instead of anywhere else in the state.
Big mistake. The Jemez Mountains to the west of me aren’t far from my home. Nor are they full of sky-scraping peaks. Even so, New Mexicans who aren’t familiar with the Jemez should plan a visit as soon as possible. The mountains – certainly towering (Chicoma Mountain and Redondo Peak are each above 11,000 feet) but not above timberline are jaw-droppingly gorgeous. The eroded tuff (rock formed from hardened volcanic ash) canyons traffic a wonderful variety of wildlife. There is no end of activities that one can practice in the Jemez. Bikers and hikers can take advantage of miles of gentle trails and forest roads cresting mountains and delivering breathtaking views. The Jemez Mountains are generously endowed with flat open meadows, ideal for campers.
The Jemez range, essentially an enormous volcano, is why locals around its base simply refer to the entire region as “the mountains”. The Valles Caldera National Preserve is a volcanic crater at the heart of the Jemez. San Antonio Creek is born there, taking a long, wiggly, and broadly counterclockwise path around Redondo Peak until joining the East Fork of the Jemez River. It’s a meadow stream filled with spooky brown trout. In the recesses of overhanging banks, some of these fish grow quite large. The East Fork takes a clockwise path around the peak, and offers the same brand of fishing, stealthy approaches and broad meadow vistas.
The Rio Cebolla is a tiny meadow stream that can be leapt across in most places. Consequently, the most effective flies are often the land-based species such as grasshoppers, beetles and ants. Walk softly and present a low profile. Many anglers don’t believe that fish can be spooked by vibrations in the ground, but it’s true. The Rio Cebolla enters and exits Fenton Lake, a popular fishery that is also a favorite of ice fishermen.
The Rio de las Vacas is on the west side of the Jemez, draining the San Pedro Parks Wilderness Area where Rio Grande cutthroat trout still thrive. Outside the wilderness, the Vacas allows wide open casting with flies and lures, flies performing best.
The Vacas and Cebolla meet to form the Rio Guadalupe, my favorite Jemez destination. As opposed to many Jemez streams, the Guadalupe is a steep brawling creek, traveling much of its length through a canyon lined with scrub oak and thorny locust trees. Perhaps due to its highly oxygenated character, the Guadalupe boasts great stonefly hatches and, as a result, a significant chance to catch a large brown. Several miles upstream of its eventual confluence with the Jemez River, the Guadalupe catapults through a spectacular red-rock canyon around the Gilman Tunnels.
Even if you don’t catch a fish on the Guadalupe. Stopping at the tunnels is mandatory for unforgettable scenery.
