It’s a warm day in early June, sunny with little to no wind – and well past the snow runoff from the northern Sangre de Cristo mountains. I get an early morning start and drive the scenic high road to Taos, turning off at Penasco. The sleepy towns of Chimayo, Truchas, and Las Trampas flow by, and I head just east of Penasco to Santa Barbara Campground. It only took me an hour and 15 min from Santa Fe (but maybe I drive too fast).
Santa Barbara Creek can be tough to fish in early spring, with high flows, as the hiking trails only run near the creek at random intervals and the banks are thick with vegetation. Although there is no gauge on this creek, I know from the nearby Rio Pueblo flow (<10 cfs), that Santa Barbara Creek will be low and easily wadable. Even at this low flow rate, feeder creeks and elevation drops with boulders still produce plenty of spots that can hold the local brown trout, which range from 6” – 15” in length.
Hiking north of the campground, I pass multitudes of wildflowers – primrose, phlox, yarrow, Indian paintbrush, and even an orange Oriental poppy (how did that get there?). Hummingbirds flick about above the stream, while woodpeckers peck away at the standing deadwood. I spot a small brown bat sitting on a rock near the bank – it takes off and flies downstream upon my approach. The water is crystal clear, and there are colorful cliffs rising 200 ft in the air. I pass a few friendly hikers but there are no other fishermen on the stream – even with perfect conditions and covering 2 miles of stream. It is a time to reflect, and the solitude and the trickling sounds of the stream are mesmerizing and relaxing.
As I usually do on this water, I fish a 9 foot 5 weight rod with a dry (olive green stimulator) dropper setup (18” to a mayfly mimic nymph). I’m optimistic seeing all the bugs flying around, and most of the likely spots are holding an active fish. In the half mile below the pedestrian stream bridge (1.5 miles upstream from the campground) and the mile above that bridge, I have about 75 strikes in 3 hours (most on the dry fly), and land about 40 brown trout between 7-13”.
As is typical when you leave behind the roadside fishing spots and hike in to screen out the lazy fishermen, the fish are easily fooled with a good entry cast and any fly that looks like a bug. It is not an easy hike – I lose a few flies on trees and between rocks or submerged limbs – but the exercise adds to the healing stress reduction of the day.
Just before the bridge, there is a sign marking the start of the Pecos Wilderness. Fishermen should be aware that upstream of that spot, barbless hooks are mandated. NM Wildlife hopes to restore the native Rio Grande Cutthroat trout to this water – which were still common a few decades ago. The bag limit is unlimited for rainbow, brown and brook trout, and it is catch and release only for cutthroats. Unfortunately, having fished here dozens of times, I can tell you that brown trout have taken over completely, as is a common story in New Mexico. I’ve met people on horseback who claim that cutthroats still inhabit the uppermost reaches of the creek higher in the mountains, but they are not accessible by day hiking. But if you enjoy the aggressive strikes and fighting ability of brown trout, this is one of my favorite locations to pursue them – and the quiet solitude of the experience adds to its appeal.
Michael J. Jozwiakowski, Ph.D.
Trout in the Classroom Coordinator
Truchas Chapter, Trout Unlimited
