Northern NM is getting hit with a great monsoon season!  With a several less than average snow packs in a row, the summer rains are helping to keep water levels up and water temps down.  This has translated into good summer fishing for most of our rivers.  On occasion, the heavier valley rains will cause the Red and the Rio to get muddy, which will slow the fishing down.  Anglers who check the stream flow websites before fishing should be able to avoid muddy water.

The unfortunate part of the monsoon season is that it follows fire season.  Though the Taos area has been spared this year, our neighbors to the north and south have had several major fires this spring.  Now that the fires are out, the problem is ash flows in the rivers from heavy rains over the burn scars.  The Pecos has recently had several ash flows and it seems that many of the trout there have either moved up river or died. It is important to remember that these are natural events that happen fairly often.  While the rivers will fish poorly for a while, they tend to come back strong and in less time than one would think.

And while the events on the Pecos are unfortunate, it's important to understand that there are many fishing opportunities for people driving up from Santa Fe to the Taos area to fish the Rio Grande, Red River, Cimmaron, etc.  Fishing here has been great all summer and our forests are open and only under stage 1 fire restrictions (campfires in designated camgrounds only) though those restrictions will likely be lifted soon.

In the meantime, check in with one of the fly shops in Santa Fe for updates on the Pecos.  Those business act as stewards of the river and it is important to support them in these difficult times.  Public opinion and negative media coverage can do much to harm a fishing business.  Though the Pecos may not be fishing, they still have places to fish,  and flies to sell!