Rio de los Piños June Fishing Trip - N. Messick/G. Cole: September 2008

Late Season Los Pinos Fishing

August 2008

After watching the river flow data on the Los Pinos almost every day since our trip earlier this year, I was getting an itchy casting finger as the numbers dropped steadily from the 330 cfs we saw in June, to below 100 cfs in August. Anything under 100 on the Los Pinos is just a real pleasure to fish - nice deep holes holding big brown, fast ripples where the rainbows like to feed, and long sweeping bends with perfect edge water that almost guarantees a hit. As a bonus you can cross from one bank to the other at will, and retrieve a snagged fly without filling your waders.

Looking downriver just below camp

Not one to argue against data, at least when it comes to fishing, and having cleared all of my other summer and family obligations that tied up nearly every weekend since June, I finally saw my chance to get back on the river, now flowing at 25 cfs.

The long Labor Day weekend with a vacation day thrown in, meant I had four full days to meet two objectives: even the score with the Los Pinos trout, they were definitely ahead for the season, and scout a half dozen properties in New Mexico ranging from sad, ramshackle adobes (cheap) to stunning mountain acreage with pasture and water (not cheap). More on the land search later.

In a normal year, late August would not even be a consideration for the Los Pinos. With flows at a trickle, and more significant, water temperatures so warm the trout shift into a state of lethargy, August fly fishing is simply not productive. Better to spend time somewhere north of New Mexico, on the big rivers in higher country, or comfortably sitting in the kick boat on deep, cold reservoirs like North Catamount on Pikes Peak.

Kent Grier on North Cat - elevation 9354'

But this was not a normal year. I purchased my third(!) five day New Mexico fishing license for the year – the first two were exact duplicates except one was by mail, and the other was on-line. I loaded the Infiniti, rather than the truck, and scaled down the gear, going as light as I could. I even left Auggie at home, which he apparently was not happy about, and headed south about 10 am on Friday. I learned later that while I was gone, Auggie grabbed Wendy’s rib eye right off her plate, and kidnapped

one of her shoes, holding it hostage out in the yard. At eleven years old he’s pretty much over this type of juvenile behavior, unless he’s upset with me – guess he was pissed.

Worn out after the 2007 trip

From my camp at the top end of the special trout water

What was also unusual for the year was the rain. Morning rain. Night rain. All day rain. It rained some part of every one of the four days, and most of two of them. You expect the brief, late afternoon shower in August. But even those, which are like clock-work in June and July, are starting to ease up in August. I don’t mind fishing in the rain – in fact it can be especially exciting when the fish kick into feeding mode ahead of the coming silt choked wave heading downstream. This rain turned everything from the Los Pinos to the Rio Grande, the Vallecitos to the Embudo River into a latte colored mess. Forget the fishing….day three and four, anyway.

The Double-Shot-Half-Calf-Skinny-Latte Rio Grande (Venti) South of Taos

Fortunately day two was a little jewel in the mud – or half of it anyway. After getting soaked on Friday, and only bringing two fish to the net that afternoon, I almost decided to give up the fishing and move on to the scouting portion of the program. Having packed up a wet camp Saturday morning, and heading down the Rose G Sisneros Rio Arriba County Road for US 285 and points south, I stopped at the entrance to the campground, rigged up and got in the river just above Doc’s place.

Local art ala Los Pinos boulder style

Well Land-o-Goshen! As I learned a long time ago, you catch a lot more fish in the water than out; it was a fine time on the Los Pinos. In a little more than two hours I released around twenty fish, mostly brown, and three or four rainbows. Nothing worthy of a lodge mount, but decent fish for August to be sure. I was feeling pretty content by the time I got out of the water.

And a good thing too, as the rain started in again Saturday afternoon and only took short breaks over the next 36 hours. By the time I crossed back over the Los Pinos on Monday afternoon, it was chocolate soup – not very appetizing. At least the rain and cool weather had saturated the valley with rich colors, and clean, fragrant air.

Almost Heaven

So, on to the Land of Enchantment, low property taxes, education, and annual income; high unemployment, substance abuse, and chili pepper consumption per capita. The goal, more of a dream maybe, is to find some little perfect slice of one of the country’s poorest states, while it is still undiscovered and affordable. Even here, that seems impossible, especially with any serious water feature involved. That doesn’t keep me from looking, as I have off and on for the past twenty years. Could it be the idea is better than the thing? The hunt is better than the kill?

They do like to weld in Rio Arriba County

And in Taos County, too, I'd say

I visited Estaca (stake) and Petaca (trunk), and even South Petaca (who’d guess you’d need another one); Vallecitos (little valley) and La Madera (fine wood), Canyon Plaza (canyon place), and La Cueva (cave); Ancones (open road), Truchas (trout), and Dixon (Dixon).

I looked at a $37,000 house on a half acre in Vallecitos (I’d rather have the money); 108 acres with a stream, pasture, forest, canyon, and water and mineral rights for $351,000 (I wish I had the money), and several variations and price ranges in between.

$351K gets you everything you see and lots more

Not fishing and not buying property was wearing me out, so I did the only reasonable thing left to do – I went to a winery, sampled the wares, bought a half case of their best vino, and checked into the La Fonda on the Taos Plaza. A hot shower was followed up with a hot meal, and a serious appreciation of being out of the rain and off of the hard ground. The only thing I was missing was the hot springs.

Vineyard at Cnoncito

La Chiripada (a stroke of luck) Winery at Dixon

If I recall correctly, this report is really about fishing the Los Pinos in the late season. All things said, it is generally not advised. In a typical year things really slow down by the end of July. I was lucky in an unusual year – nothing you could count on of course. What I do recommend is a late summer or fall New Mexico road trip. What ever your interest or excuse is to get into the back country, pack your fly rod and maybe you’ll luck out too.