Author Archives: Karl Moffatt
Wildlife and More at CWW Feed Store
They were once a staple of many small towns across New Mexico, local feed and supply stores where one could find a decent pair of gloves, all sorts of hardware and some hay for your horse. These days it’s a lot easier to find one of those dollar stores than an old fashioned mercantile, but … Continue reading
Latest San Juan Project to Limit Silt, Improve Fishing
The popular Braids fishing area of the San Juan River below Navajo Dam will remain off-limits to anglers until sometime in December 2011 as construction crews finish installing fish habitat improvements and sediment controls. “It’ll be worth the wait,” says Marc Wethington, San Juan Fisheries Biologist for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish … Continue reading
Fish Sumner Lake While You Can This Winter
Despite reports to the contrary, New Mexico’s popular walleye fishery on the eastern plains, Sumner Lake, has not yet been drained and could actually turn out to be a hot spot for anglers this winter. Continue reading
The Lure of Fly Fishing New Mexico’s San Juan River
I knew a man once who considered the San Juan River below Navajo Dam nothing but a fishermen’s cathouse, stocked with big, bawdy fish whose sole purpose in life was to satisfy every anglers’ fishing, fantasy. It was too crowded, too noisy and way too competitive for him. He’d rather stick to the solitude and … Continue reading
Elwood Cabin – An Incredible High Country Escape
It sits high atop the San Juan Mountains overlooking a wide meadow of lush grass and wildflowers, a 100-year-old, one-room log cabin from which the world seems a long ways away. And on a summer’s eve, seated on the front porch of Elwood Cabin, one might hear sheep bawling in the surrounding woods. A wisp … Continue reading
Legendary Ant Fall on San Juan River Amazes Anglers
They landed on the water with a plop and then began to wiggle and squirm. Big, black, flying ants and plenty of them. It didn’t take long for the trout to rise from the bottom and start gulping them down. We had lucked into the rare and legendary ant fall on the trophy class waters … Continue reading
Grizzly Hackle Shortage Tied to Feather Fashion Trend
Toner Mitchell of The Reel Life Fly Shop in Santa Fe, NM says the feathers are flying off his shelves to feed a fashion trend sweeping the nation. It’s a fashion fad that many fly fishermen hope will fade fast. Fly-tying feathers are being snatched up at an alarming rate by hairdressers who weave them … Continue reading
Fly fishing the San Juan River with Veteran Guide, Peggy Harrell.
You could call her the queen of the San Juan River. She’s that good-looking gal behind the counter at Fisheads Fly shop. The one dispensing expert advice on how to fish the blue ribbon trout waters or offering to guide a couple of lucky anglers below legendary Navajo Dam. And in the man’s world of … Continue reading
Ted Turner’s Vermejo Park Ranch – A Disneyland for Outdoorsmen
Matt Pelletier shows one of the many big trout that can be found at Ted Turner’s Vermejo Park Ranch in northern New Mexico. Guest column by Matt Pelletier of Fish Enchantment.Have you ever dreamed of a “once in a lifetime” special fishing trip, an amazing, unforgettable, weekend where you caught so many fish your arms … Continue reading
Cottages at Conchas Lake Make for Comfortable Stay Steeped in History
Editors Note: The cottages at Conchas Dam remain closed while awaiting repairs and a new operator. Please see the US Army Corps of Engineers Conchas Dam webpages at http://www.spa.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Recreation/ConchasLake/Updates.aspx for the latest developments. It may be one of state’s best kept secrets, the historic cottages for rent at Conchas Dam where guests can lounge under a … Continue reading