Just got back yesterday from a short weekender to Taos NM. Used my Southwest points and the little wifey and I flew into Albuquerque, rented an SUV with our National points, and drove to Taos (2.5 hours) and checked into the Hampton Inn with our Hilton Honors Points. he he he (yes I'm cheap!) Anyway, next day, we drove up to Valle Vidal and the Rio Costillo and Comanche Creek (pocket water) to scout it out for a camping and a fly fishing destination for retirement time wasting. Beautiful country is all I can say. We both loved it. Plentiful creek side primitive campsites, first come first serve. Bonus water was the Rio Grande running south out of Taos. I recently bought a few NM and CO fly fishing books and will be planning more trips in the future. It is about a 9.5 hour drive from Oklahoma City to Rio Costillo. Not bad, seeing it was an 8 hour trip to drive from Taos to Albuquerque and fly via Dallas to OKC.

Great!!!

Glad to see you had an enjoyable trip.

Are you planning to go north and then west from OKC to drive there?

That is some pretty country to be sure.
Sad to say now that when I was a kid fishing Rio Costilla we caught as many cutthroats as we did anything, now they are "rare"
You now apparently have Northern Pike in the mainstream Rio (and any side stream they choose) which is new and I am not sure is a good thing, but it is what it is now.

I remember fishing in the Jemez Mts especially Rio de las Vacas, Cebolla creek and the Jemez river and the East fork of the Jemez river. Learned to fly fish in this area NW of Albuquerque. Lot of good memories.

Best fly fishing in all of NM is in the quality water below the dam of Navajo Reservoir. It’s only about 55 miles south of Durango, CO and about 15 miles north of Aztec, NM. You’ll be ruined if you ever get to fish there. Huge Rainbows & Browns everywhere!

I plan to visit many of the Northern NM streams. Going to drive through Woodward, the panhandle and on over west. Will be camping.

I used to live in NM and miss it. A beautiful state it is.

Wow you drove right past my house and there is some great trout fishing in the area.If you liked the Comanche try the middle fork of the Ponil near Cimmeron campground..

Hey Costillacreek

One of my most memorable trips I took was with my BIL to Shuree ponds.

My favourite type of fishing is pocket water just like those streams. Got an old bamboo flyrod my grandpa used that needs to get out again and that kind of water will be perfect for it.

San Juan:

I can say I've fished it a few times, and caught some big trout on tiny flies. None of them had much in the way of lips though. Well exercised fish. One can wander about and hear 4 or 5 languages spoken in a matter of minutes. I lean toward more of a wilderness experience.

I hear you. Back in the mid 90's Spiney Mountain Reservoir was a paradise to fish here in CO. But then it became like fishing in a bowl of Cheerios with a few power boats to evade. The "Dream Stream" below that was great also until it was "discovered" and literally bus loads of fisherman were brought in. One of the last days I fished it was during what was locally called the "humpy hatch" you could catch 30-40 fish a day on a size 16 humpy. Then a couple of bus loads of guides and fisherman showed up and lined the banks for about a 1/4 of a mile all short line nymph fishing right next to one another.

I find much more fun in small streams fishing for browns, brookies and cuts. When I do take to lake fishing it's usually for warm water fish much less crowded and warm water fish aren't to finicky.

What month is the earliest one could start fly fishing in your area? (ie. snow and ice melt issues)

You can fish the San Juan year round, and it much less crowded in the winter. And they have camping at the Navajo Dam State Park. Although we always stay at Abe's Motel there.

My son and family live near Madrid NM. We are avid Michigan trout fisherman, 3rd and 4th generation. I would love to wet a line on my next fly in to NM. Would I need a guide or drift boat to fish the San Juan? I have a Hyde and Fish Camp in NW Michigan.
I would be happy to trade a Fall Salmon float for a NM float on the San Juan. When is a good time to fish the tail water? I am retired and live to fish.

OrangeOkie,I will be fishing here by me in maybe 3 weeks after Ice off but the public water above me on the Costilla sometime in April.The Rio Grande by Taos is fishing good and the San Jaun is good now also.

300Savage

RE: San Juan fishing. I have been a guide in Alaska but it can still take me up to three days to get the fishing sorted out. A few times I have just walked up to the water and started catching fish but usually not. Born and Bred on the San Juan is a good guide service and Tim Chavez the owner is who you should go with if available, this can shorten the learning curve significantly and you can get a chance to see all the good pools in a day.

Nice!

I am from NM. and I fish the San Juan.
For your first trip, I would Hire Andy KIM.
http://www.fly-fish.com/
He is the absolute best guide there.
I will take my wife, and daughter up there one day, and will hand them over to Andy.
I do not have a vested interest in him other than I met him when he was sleeping in his car, and guaranteeing 12 fish a day, or it was free. He delivered in spades.
You can easily get skunked up there, but with Andy you will catch 20-30 fish a day.