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.