The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

I know this isn't a Nor Cal report, but I just spent the last two weeks on an epic (and grueling) trip fishing in the Southwest and in the Rockies for native trout, and I though I'd share with y'all.

First stop: Arizona. Where's the cacti? Not in THIS part of the state, hombre!



What was I doing there? Apache Trout, of course!



Next stop: New Mexico. Not where you'd expect, but WAY, WAY, WAAAAYYYY off of the beaten path of NM. Here's a small taste of the country where I was:

This was near the trailhead



and this deep into the backcountry



The pay off for an @$$ kicking hike during a scorching day: Gila Trout



Cooler temps in the northern parts of the state and an entirely different kind of trout: the Rio Grande Cutthroat



Rio Grande water in NM



Out of the Sangre de Christos and into the Rockies proper, just west of Estes Park, Colorado...



...for some Greenback Cutthroats



Time to relax for a week on the only river that I WILL name: the Green River in Utah. Did a couple of floats in the 'toon and made sure I was on the water for the thick caddis hatch each night. I stayed until dark and then chucked around a mouse pattern for one of the ginormus browns known to inhabit the river. I had one hook up, but didn't land it. Big fun, though. Typical Green scenery (i.e. Dawn's new turf)



Now that the flows have come down, it's time for some NOR CAL angling before I have to head back to work in a few weeks.

Enjoy!

--Fly Guy (Dave)

Nice report, nice scenery, excellent circumspection.

Thanks.

Epic trip Dave. Mont. would be proud and a bit jealous.

Most of these fish were pretty easy access, even for an old guy like Montgomery, with the exception of the gila trout. The gila was only made legal to fish for again only two years ago, the first time in 41 years. So when we wrote the book, it wasn't even (legally) possible for him to fish for them. The remote location where gilas are found will continue to protect them (at least from anglers), I think. It was about 15 miles round trip, the trail is rough, steep and really overgrown, and the day I chose to go, it was a real scorcher. I ended up drinking a freakin' gallon of water that day. I could've stayed overnight, but the last entry in the trailhead logbook was from a month before and that night it was torrential rain and thunder and lightning, on par with what we saw in Montana that time. I'm glad I gutted it out and chilled that night in a well-deserved motel room.

Montgomery would've approved...

--Fly Guy Dave

Awesome report. No numbers, no flies, just tons of sweet pics. Well done!