Ron Loehman, Conservation Chairman June 1st was the date for New Mexico Trout's annual volunteer project day and BBQ. This year the project location was a spot near where FR 376 passes over the Rio Cebolla in the Jemez District of the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF). Our task was to build vehicle barriers to help close off an old, informal road that has been eroding and contributing to the degradation of the creek and its surrounding meadow. Earlier, SFNF personnel had built a gate across the old road to allow access only by emergency vehicles. We were there to build ... Read More
June 21, 2013
Fly and Notes by Jim LeFevers Photo by Hans Weilenmann Used by permission From May 2013 newsletter Hook: Tiemco 200 # 18- #22 Thread: Brown 8/0 Uni Tail: Grizzly hackle Ribbing: Brown thread Abdomen: Natural Australian Oppossum Wingcase: Natural Dun Brown Ostrich Thorax: Natural Australian Oppossum This is a great all around pattern for New Mexico that I developed while fishing the Conejos River. Works real well on the upswing and in the film ... Read More
May 14, 2013
by Ron Loehman Last Saturday, May 11, I assisted Dave Menicucci with an eyeball survey of the fish population in the fourteen-mile stretch of Rio San Antonio in the Valles Caldera. Dave has gotten approval for a study to determine if trout can be relocated to even out the apparent patchy distribution of fish in the San Antonio in the aftermath of the Las Conchas fire. See article below for a fuller description. We each walked upstream along a seven-mile stretch with a GPS and recorded the fish we saw in each quarter-mile section. I had the lower half, Reaches ... Read More
May 14, 2013
by Dave Menicucci June 15, 2013 The purpose of the project is to monitor movements of trout after they have been moved from high population areas to lower population areas on the Rio San Antonio (RSA) on the Valles Caldera National Preserve. Volunteers will help with the tagging and reintroduction. Approximately a dozen people and three vehicles will be needed, along with six 5-gallon buckets. We need at least four volunteers capable of carrying the trout in half-full buckets (20 lb each) from the stream to the vehicles or from the vehicles to the reintroduction sites, and to run the ... Read More
May 14, 2013
Per Mike Sloane (NMDG&F Chief of Fisheries), work has begun on the two back channels downstream of the Texa-hole. The effort includes cleaning out the organic sediments, creating some pools, shaping the channel and building some rock and tree structures. The plan is to create more habitat and improve sediment transport. Along with this project a waterfowl/wetland area will be built between the Texas-hole and the Munoz parking lot ... Read More
May 14, 2013
Ron Loehman Conservation Chairman Plan to join other NM Trout Volunteers on June 1st to build structures that will help the Rio Cebolla recover from the effects of unauthorized vehicles along its banks. The location is about 4 miles north of Porter's Landing where FR 376 crosses the Cebolla, across the valley from where we installed the interpretive panels last year. We will be working to close off an informal road along the creek that was decommissioned in the recent Forest Service travel management plan. This is an action that NM Trout has been advocating for over a decade and ... Read More
May 14, 2013
Fly and Notes by Hans van Klinken, photo by Hans Weilenmann Used by permission Hook: Partridge H1A size 8-10-12 Thread: Uni-thread, brown or tan Head: None toxic lead shot or substitute (see tying notes) Tag: Small strip of green fluorescent Flexibody (4 turns) Tail/legs: Speckled tail or long back feather from a partridge wound as collar Body: Rabbit fur dubbed and well picked out Leadhead - A bug for the deep I first tied my own weighted nymphs during the winter after I had been introduced to the Kvennan Special. I was using layers of leadwire to weight them ... Read More
April 16, 2013
by Francis Peter, NMT Youth Program Chair Imagine a magical place! You wake up in the morning to the fresh coolness of a high mountain forest. You step out onto the porch and your eyes wander over a large lush valley filled with early morning fog. As the fog lifts, countless grazing Elk appear to your view. Across the valley, a small stream teaming with willing trout beckons. As the day passes, you enjoy interacting with your comrades and you pass tidbits of knowledge on to eager students of fly fishing. The evening brings a cookout dinner followed by congenial ... Read More
April 16, 2013