New Mexico Trout

New Mexico Produces Incredible Trout

If you haven't fished in Northern New Mexico yet, you are truly missing out. Fly fishing in the region is excellent and virtually can be enjoyed nearly year round. You may find it a tad cold in January and February, but, truth is, you can always wear more cloths to stay warm. I did some fishing in October at Coopers El Vado Ranch, just outside of Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico and the fishing was great.

More photos from the trip 

The Chama River Flows from the mountains above the town of Chama, New Mexico. The river flows through some of the most scenic mountains anywhere in the continental United States. The red rocks, contrasted against the green trees and river plants, along with the distinct river color is an awesome sight.

During the Summer and early Fall months, the river reeds, sage brush and juniper put off some of the most incredibly wonderful smells you could ever imagine. I have been blessed to enjoy that treat for more than 50 years. Hard to describe, but, absolutely wonderful. I promise you won't forget it, ever :-)

There are some monster native brown trout lurking in these waters.

            

Lein Family Reunions - New Mexico Style

New Mexico - Land Of Enchantment

Not to mention it's also the home of the Brown, Cutthroat and Rainbow Trout and the Lein Family!

The state of New Mexico holds so many great memories for the Lein family. We have been camping and fishing at Coopers El Vado Ranch for many, many years. The fishing at the ranch is always great. We routinely catch 20 inch or larger Brown and Rainbow trout.

Even better than the fishing is the opportunity to spend time around David Cooper and his family. They own the ranch and are the most incredible folks you would ever want to meet. The fish in the picture below made for a wonderful fish dinner that evening. Brown trout, fried in an iron skillet, accompanied by Mimi's skillet fried hash brown potato's and Jannie's potato soup. Everyone was able to enjoy fresh fish and wonderful company. I ask you, does it get any better than that?

One thing I dearly love about the state of New Mexico is that it offers so many beautiful scenic vistas. The mountains, rivers and lakes have inspired many an artist (Patricia Lein).

Look closely as this photo includes some of the native inhabitants of New Mexico. In the top of the photo you can see a number of large female elk. The northern New Mexico mountains are home to a rather large herd of elk.

The state also has an incredibly large population of Mule Deer as well. These deer are not the small white tails that you see in other parts of the country. Folks, these Mule Deer are some hefty critters. One mule deer can supply enough meat to feed a New Mexico family all winter. 

New Mexico Produces Trout - Coopers El Vado Ranch

Coopers El Vado Ranch

Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico

Rainbow Trout Hauled In

Janice Lein pulls in a nice Rainbow at Coopers El Vado Ranch, in Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico.

Coopers is an awesome fishing destination in the New Mexico area. The ranch is highly productive for Rainbow and native Brown Trout. Jan and Husband Mark have been fishing at Coopers for more than 30 years. The river is beautiful and the ranch owner David Cooper is absolutely the most wonderful person you could ever want to meet. Here are a few more fish photos taken while at the ranch. 

Beautiful Native Brown Trout Caught At Coopers El Vado Ranch

Yes, we did cook them up and Yes they were absolutely wonderful.

Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone National Park

Have you ever seen a more beautiful spot to do some lake fishing? The lake at Yellowstone National Park is absolutely full of Yellowstone cutthroat trout, longnose dace, redside shiners, longnose suckers, and lake chubs. The lake is thought to hold the largest inland population of cutthroat trout found anywhere in the world. Where Yellowstone Lake and Yellowstone River come together, the bottom has a nice gravel bottom. That outlet has been a major spawning area for the Yellowstone cutthroat trout for as long as the park service have been studying the cutthroat trout populations. Years of overfishing in this area had caused a significant decline in cutthroat populations, however, fishing restrictions impossed by the park service have largely corrected that problem. 

For More On The Lake Visit The Yellowstone Park Service Website Below

Link To The National Park System - Yellowstone Lake

More Photos Of Yellowstone Lake

We welcome guest articles from other fishing enthusiasts. Please send your article, photos, or youtube compatible video to flyline@bellsouth.net. Our blog team will review and post all appropriate material.

To read another great article about Yellowstone National Park, visit the link below.

(http://myflyline.blogspot.com/2010/07/early-summer-in-yellowstone-national.html)

For more incredible Wyoming nature photos visit the link below.

(http://www.flylinesearchmarketing.com/Our_Company/Wyoming%20Photo%20Gallery/)

Yellowstone River Cutthroat Trout

Yellowstone River

Yellowstone National Park

Wyoming

Ok, tell me that this picture doesn't make you want to travel to Wyoming and do some fishing in the Yellowstone River? Have you ever seen a prettier place to cast your line? When you arrive at the river you will realize very quickly that there are literally miles and miles of river to fish with very little competition from other fishermen. You may however, find that you have to compete with the local wildlife for some of the best spots.

    

These waters are absolutely teaming with fish and I mean big fish! Check out the Cutthroat Trout in the photo below. There other wonderful thing about fishing at the park is the incredible scenery and variety of wildlife you will likely encounter. All of which makes a trip to the park that much more fun.

In early Spring the water levels are a bit lower, but, the water level rapidly increases as the Snow run off starts to occur. Water levels in this particular gorge below riseramatically as the Snow melt speeds up.

To read another great article about Yellowstone National Park, visit the link below.

(http://myflyline.blogspot.com/2010/07/early-summer-in-yellowstone-national.html)

For more incredible Wyoming nature photos visit the link below.

(http://www.flylinesearchmarketing.com/Our_Company/Wyoming%20Photo%20Gallery/)

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Arkansas River - Colorado

Arkansas River

Canon City, Colorado

The Arkansas river flows from the Leadville, Colorado area, down through the San Isabel National Forest, past Canon City and Pueblo. There is some great fishing and excellent rafting one this stream. 

The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the mighty Mississippi River. Sporting the reputation of being the sixth longest river in the United States, the Arkansas is more than 1,400 miles long. The River is narrow and fast down to approximately Canon City. Once it reaches Canon City it begins to widen markedly and stays that way down through Pueblo.

There are a number of Fly Fishing shops located in towns along the river from Poncha Springs down through Pueblo. The river is perfect for wading and produces reasonably well from Spring through early Fall.

                               

        Near Canon City, Colorado                                            Headwaters Near Leadville, Colorado


There are plenty of areas around the Arkansas for day trip parking and also lots of overnight camping spots as well. The closer you get to Leadville, the prettier the scenery gets. Good luck and happy fishing.

Yellowstone River - View From Top Of The Canyon

Yellowstone River

Yellowstone National Park

Tower District of the Park

Yeap there are some mighty big fish at the bottom of this canyon and yeap it's really hard to get to them. There are some trails that lead down to the river. If you are in great shape, you can hike them to work your way down. The trails are challenging and not for those who aren't in really decent shape. It's a relatively wild environment at the bottom of the canyon. You won't see many folks down there. Take precautions because you may encounter wildlife. You should also pack extra food, water, etc as needed.

Don't forget your camera, because the scenery at the canyon floor is out of this world. You likely may encounter some type of wildlife on the trails and especially around the river. It's always adviseable to carry your bear pepper spray just in case. The chances of needing to use it are pretty slim, but, the one time you don't have it, may be the one day you really need it. Insect hatches are at their peak in July. There will likely be more fishermen on the river in July as the dry-fly anglers will be out in force. The big fish will be hitting the top water fly's. There is nothing more exciting! Here is a great fly fishing website that has great info that will help you on your trip (http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/flyfishing.htm).

Roads into this area are only open to car traffic during the Summer months. Road Closure info is available through the national park service web site at (http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm). We stongly encourage you to check with the parks service before driving a long distance to the park, only to find that the road you need is temporarily closed. Even in the spring and summer, sudden snowstorms can cause road closures in Yellowstone. If you are traveling through Yellowstone, you can also call 307-344-2117 for updates. Also, make sure you have all the proper fishing permits for the area.

Types Of Fish You Can Expect To Catch

Brown Trout / Rainbow Trout / Cutthroat Trout / Grayling / Brook Trout / Lake Trout / Brook Trout / Mountain Whitefish

The Native Species Of The Park Are

Cutthroat Trout / Grayling / Mountain Whitefish

Rio Grande River - South Fork, Colorado

Rio Grande River

South Fork, Colorado

San Juan Mountains

Most of you have heard of the Rio Grande river. It's one of the more well known rivers in New Mexico. The river also serves as an international boundry between the United States and Mexico. In fact, some of the more famous sections of the river run along the Texas and Mexico border.

If you are looking to do some trout fishing, we suggest that you check out the section near South Fork, Colorado. The Rio Grande river in this area is pristine and the water is clear and absolutely beautiful. There are miles of river frontage that are accessible to the general public. You can expect to latch onto some rather nice rainbow and brown trout in this part of the stream. There are a handful of fly fishing shops in the within a 30 mile radius of the South Fork section. We encourage you to stop in at those fly shops and talk with the local owners. They can turn you onto the hot flys that are working on the river at the particular time of year that you happen to visit.  

Take time to do some sightseeing while you are there. The San Juan mountains are breathtaking. The roads are reasonably good, kind of windy, but the secenary makes it all worth while. Make sure you take your camera. You will find plenty of opportunities to take some incredible photos. 

Tell us about your fishing spots. Send an email to Flyline@bellsouth.net. Include photos of your big catch. 

  

Jackson Lake - Grand Teton National Park Jackson, Wyoming

Jackson Lake

Grand Teton National Park

Jackson Lake, Wyoming

Jackson Lake in the Grand Teton mountains is one of the most beautiful and scenic places you will ever fish. Truthfully, the setting is absolutely breathtaking. The lake is touted as one of the largest high altitude lakes in the United States and when you see it for the first time it is truly a humbling experience. Only our heavenly father could have created something so incredibly beautiful. 

The lake was formed right at the base of the Grand Teton mountains as you can see from this photo. It's full of pike, cutthroat trout, brook and brown trout and of course salmon. The water is very deep some come prepared with an adequate fish finder. The lake is closed to fishing in August. Ice-fishing (not for me) is allowed during the winter months. I find the temperatures far too cold for my old bones. You may feel different. If so, wear warm cloths, as winters in the Tetons and in Yellowstone National park can produce some of the coldest temperatures you can possibly imagine. 

Happy Fishing!

We encourage you to share your photos, video and fishing stories with us and we will publish your fishing adventure articles on this blog. Send your information to Flyline@bellsouth.net.  

Lake Heron - Los Ojos, New Mexico

Lake Heron

Located near Los Ojos, New Mexico

If you are looking for a great place to fish for Salmon and huge Lake Trout, this is the place. Lake Heron is full of trophy fish. I have personally trolled this lake with a local lake guide and found it to be quite productive. Aside from the wonderful fishing, I found the surrounding landscape to be absolutely breathtaking. Wildlife abounds in this area. You will routinely see Elk, Deer, wild Turkey and occasionally black bears. The lake is part of the New Mexico State Park system. The boat ramps are great and their is plenty of areas to camp. If you are seeking hotel accomomdations, you will need to stay closer to the town of Chama.

I truly hope this information is helpful to you. Here is a web site link for the Lake Heron State Park that can also provide some additional information for you: (http://www.stateparks.com/heron_lake.html).

Good Luck and Happy Fishing!!

Two Generations Of Lein's Fishing The Chama River

Roy Lein and Mark Lein

Two generations of Lein's have fished the Chama River for more than 56 years.  Roy was actually stationed in northern New Mexico as an 18 year old Air Force private. He joined the Air Force straight out of high school in Bowling Green, Ohio. He was immediately sent off to boot camp, then on to radar control school. Once he completed his radar operations training, he was stationed on a very small radar station near Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico.

While taking a 12 mile run, Roy met rancher Bill Faris. Mr. Faris owned a ranch that had several miles of Chama River frontage. Bill taught Roy to fly fish. He allowed Roy to come to the ranch on his off days and practice his new skills. Roy eventually met Patricia Williams, from Dulce, New Mexico. They fell in love and were married. Roy left the military and accepted a position with Central Mutual Insurance company in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Roy and Pat bought a small home on Parsifal Street. Virtually ever weekend, the two traveled back up to the mountains to enjoy some fishing and camping. As their family grew, the fishing and camping continued to gain momentum. The two had a total of 4 kids, all of which were introduced to the Chama river and to the outdoor world. 

From Mark, Steve, Pam and David, thanks Mom and Dad! We have been greatly blessed by your love, your wonderful parenting, the advice you have shared and by the incredible gift of fishing and camping that you introduced us to at such a young age. We have all enjoyed the beauty of the New Mexico mountains for many years thanks to you. Love you guys!

The ranch that Bill Farris once owned is now owned by my good friend David Cooper. David's father, Carl and his wife Gladys bought the ranch more than 50 years. Carl still holds the New Mexico State fishing record for catching the third largest Brown Trout ever caught in the state. He caught that fish in the Chama river which flows for miles through the Coopers El Vado Ranch. The fish was caught in 1966, and Carl's record catch weighed in at a whopping 14 pounds and was 32.5 inches long. That is big folks! Carl and Gladys raised their entire family at the ranch. Heck, the Coopers helped raised half of our family too! Me included! David Cooper and I spent many a day at the ranch finding ways to drive our parents nuts. We floated logs down the river, we rode his horse through the river and out onto the island in the middle. Oh yeah, we weren't supposed to be there! The two of us were all over those mountains as kids. It's a wonder we survived to tell the stories. Truth be known, Coop and I had an absolute blast growing up. David is like a brother to me. In fact, my wife Jan and I were just up to Coopers El Vado Ranch in April of this year. It was awesome to see my friend and to spend time with he and his incredible family.

If you are seeking a special place to bring your family, Coopers El Vado Ranch is the place you have to try. It's a magical place with special New Mexico healing powers. If you have a chance, have a beer with my big brother David and tell him that I will be back to bug him again soon! Visit Coopers El Vado Ranch (http://www.elvado.com/). Tell D that Leiner sent you.

Hey, Outta Of My Favorite Fishing Hole!

Yellowstone National Park

Wyoming

Yeap there are some really big fish in these waters. The only problem is, there are some really big critters in this park that can chase you right out of your favorite fishing spot! Check out this wayward Buffalo who decided that he needed a drink more than I needed to catch that big ole brown trout who had been nibbling on my fly. Dang, critters!

Looking for a great place to stay while you are at Yellowstone? We suggest the Old Faithful Lodge. It's somewhat old, but, the history of the place and the incredible geyser basin area is enough to overcome sharing a bathroom with your hotel neighbors. You can even get cell signal and broadband connectivity in this part of the park, so great for a working vacation.

Yellowstone River

Yellowstone National Park - Yellowstone River

The Yellowstone River near Jackson, Wyoming is full of beautiful brown, cuttthroat and rainbow trout. Trust me when I tell you the bears haven't caught them all. There are some absolute whoppers in this river.

This photo was taken very near the upper falls. They don't allow fishing in this particular area due to the close proximity of the actual falls themselves. If you haven't seen the falls, check out the video we posted on our Youtube channel. It is absolutely incredible.

April On The Chama - Blue Sky or Snow

April On The Chama River

You honestly never know what type of weather you are going to get when you fish the Chama River in New Mexico in the month of April. River crossings this time or year can be extremely tricky.

Pictured is an early Spring snow storm. Not unusual for this part of the country. The elevation of this particular area is 6,800 feet. High enough that it is still Winter during April.

El Vado Lake Dam

Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico

Here is a unique view of El Vado Dam. It took some doing to climb down into the canyon and get this photo. Glad I could share it with our blog followers.

Normally in April the river flow is set to approximately 350 - 600 cubic feet per second. The Dam administrators had just blown the sirens as I arrived at my photo destination. They elevated the water while I was actually positioning for the photo. The water was running at approximately 750 cubic feet per second when I took the photo above. In April the state of New Mexico prepares for the Spring run off from the mountains. They normally lower the water level in the lake to ensure they have ample room to host the snow melt.  

A recent check of the New Mexico USGS Real-Time water flow data shows that the river is running at 621 cubic feet per second today (June 11, 2010). That is absolutely perfect for effective fishing. There are some whoppers in this river. Worth a trip at some point to try to hook up with them. If you do decide to make a trip out to New Mexico, call David Cooper. He owns Coopers El Vado Ranch and has been a family friend of mine since he and I were kids. His ranch is fantastic and offers beautiful, rustic cabins that are fully equipped to allow you to experience nature, while still enjoying a hot shower, your own kitchen facilities and more. David is a wonderful person and I promise you will fall in love with him, his family and his incredible ranch. Visit Coopers El Vado Ranch (http://www.elvado.com/). Tell David that Leiner says I love ya big brother! Might just get you a discount. Then again, he might think you are family and put you to work :-). Either way, there is no better place in the world to be and no better person than Coop Dog to share that place with.

Headwaters of the Colorado River

Colorado River

Rocky Mountains

Headwaters of the Colorado River. This photo was taken approximately 5 miles below the start of the actual river. Great photo for sure. Makes you want to pull out your fly pole doesn't it? If you had one with you, we would encourage you to use it because there are some native cutt-throat and brown trout in these waters.

To get your photos, videos and fishing stories added to this blog. Email or mail your information to markwlein@bellsouth.net.



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Rio Grande River - Colorardo & New Mexico

Rio Grande River

Taos, New Mexico

Enjoy this view of the Rio Grande River, taken approximately 6 miles outside of Taos, New Mexico. If you can figure out how to work your way down into this gorge there is fish in this river. My suggestion, go further downstream. The photo gives you a birds eye view of the Rio Grande Gorge, which is also known as the Grand Canyon of New Mexico. The picture was taken while standing on the suspension bridge that traverses the canyon.

If you are wondering, yes, standing on the bridge feels like you are really, really, high up and yes, you can really feel the bridge move when cars and trucks drive across it while you are standing on it trying to take photographs. Kind of left me feeling like a parachute was in order.

Taos, New Mexico is beautiful by the way. We recommend you take some time during your visit to the area to enjoy the sights and sounds of this very cool town.

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Fishing New Mexico

Can't beat New Mexico for great fishing. Spent last week in Northern New Mexico. It was great!! Send us copies of your fishing adventures and we will post them to this blog. Send to (info@flylinesearchmarketing.com)

God Loves Fishermen

Fishing The Chama River in New Mexico

I am convinced that God loves fishermen. While fishing one cold April morning in New Mexico, I took this photo. The rays of light were not visible in my camera lens. Upon further examination, I also found the photo contains a cross that is visible up on the rocky cliff face. Also note that the shadow on the bank forms a very nice crown.


I don't think I was alone on that very cold morning. I am thankful for that! I believe that if we open our hearts to him, he will make us all Fishers of Men!

Send me your fishing photos, videos and stories so I can include them on this blog.

(info@flylinesearchmarketing.com)

The Yellowstone River

The Yellowstone River

This stretch of the Yellowstone river runs through the heart of the Yellowstone National Park. The river is loaded with Rainbow, Cutthroat and native Brown Trout. The river is a favorite feeding ground of the areas large brown bear population. You will do well in this area from May through September. Don't forget that many of the Park's hotels and facilities close in late September.

Fishing The Chama River - New Mexico

The Beautiful Chama River in Northern New Mexico is one of the authors favorite locations for rest, and relaxation. Not to mention that way out in the middle of no way, lay some of the most beautiful brown trout the state has to offer up. While this river does not have the concentration of trout seen in the San Juan, you definitely won't be disappointed. If you love beautiful mountains, wonderful hiking, and rustic settings, northern New Mexico will deliver.

The chama river originates in the mountains of northern New Mexico and flows down and through the chain of lakes in the northern part of the state. The first major lake the river flows into is Lake Heron. Heron is an absolutely beautiful resevoir, located just 25 - 30 miles from the popular hunting destination known as Chama, New Mexico. Lake Heron holds some extremely large lake trout and has a very nice salmon population. Many fisherman enjoy a day on Heron and find that catching their limit is reasonably easy to do. The second lake in the chain is El Vado resevoir. This body of water is primarily used as a holding pool for drinking water used to supply the lower part of the state. There are lake trout, a handful of salmon and many lake huge carp in this lake. You will see people fishing and catching in this lake, but truthfully the corp of engineers drains it so low at times the fishing is compromised by late summer and fall. The last lake in the chain is the Abiquii resevoir. This lake is definitely utilized as a holding pool for drinking water. You can fish and there are trout, but your best bet is higher up in the mountains.

The Chama river, presents your best opportunities for fishing between El Vado Lake and Abiquii Resevoir. You will definitely be out in the woods, without access to many of lifes amenities, but worth the effort to camp out and experience this beautiful river. The red rock canyons surrounding the river present some incredible vistas that will produce some great photos opportunities. You might even want to consider and float trip to get the full experience the area has to offer up. There are bears in the area. Be sure to plan a bear safe camping expedition. Store your food properly and keep the camp fires to a minimum due to the high risk of forest fire the arid, dry conditions of the region produce.

If you do take a trip to northern New Mexico, please share your experiences and photos with us. We will probably bore you guys with our photos of the area, but it is a favorite hang out for the author.

Please share you photos and videos of your favorite locations. This blog is dedicated to sharing the beauty that is the planet earth we all live on. Send your emails, comments, videos and outdoor fishing adventure stories to flylinesearchmarketing@gmail.com and we will see that they are included in this earth record. One for the books as we fisherman like to say!

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Earth - Fishing, Outdoors Activities, Trail Running, Mountain Biking

Fishing, Mountain Biking & Trail Running & Outdoors Photos, Videos, Stories

It is the blog authors goal to share the joy of fishing with the world. This blog is intended to be an open forum for discussion. Please share your pictures of rivers, mountains, lakes and oceans. Fishing stories are alloud! The blog author is dedicating this blog to the glory of our heavenly father and that absolute paradise he has created for us here on Planet Earth. Everyday is a blessing to be enjoyed, shared and savored. Lets make this blog a legacy for our outdoor adventures of all kinds.

Send any photos you would like to have posted to (flylinesearchmarketing@gmail.com). If you have videos you would like us to share, please upload them to Youtube first then share them with us. Feel free to leave comments via the blogs comment button. If you want to share a lengthy story, we recommend you save it to a word doc and email it to us.