Those who only view the park from the highway or drive down to the ranger station have only seen a very small area of the park. The large meadow you see is not the full caldera, which is bounded by the far mountain rim on the distant horizon.
Once past the backcountry gate—located about a half-mile past the ranger station—it is a beautiful drive down an unimproved dirt road. You’ll pass the prairie dog town, the Walt Longmire cabin used in the filming of the Netflix series Longmire, small meandering streams, hiking trailheads, and the occasional elk, coyote, or mountain biker. Almost an hour later, you will arrive at San Antonio Creek, the farthest stream from the pavement. Welcome to God’s country.
Fishing pressure throughout the park is often light, with fly fishermen a mile apart on a meandering stream considered a crowded day. While there are Rio Grande cutthroat trout in the park, I have yet to catch one. Wild brown trout are common, and while larger trout lurk under the cutbanks, most caught will be closer to 10 inches. The San Antonio has pools up to twenty feet long in spots and runs up to five feet wide, but it also has numerous lengthy meanders that may be less than two feet wide, with grass two feet tall on each side.
Windy days make fishing the stream challenging, but on calmer days, fishing a dry fly is a joy. Approaching fishing areas with a low profile—often on your knees—is necessary, as trout can be spooked by a standing or bent-over angler from up to thirty feet away. Fishing in the tall grass may require dropping a fly in or letting the breeze carry it to your target. A longer rod can be helpful. Size 14 and 16 dry flies—such as a brown caddis, small yellow hopper, or black foam beetle with legs (my favorite)—will draw strikes. Often, you will only hear the splash of a strike due to the tall summer grass—set the hook!
Fishing in the park requires:
- A New Mexico fishing license
- A fishing pass, available as an annual pass ($20) or a seven-day pass ($5) at NPS.gov
- A vehicle day pass ($2) to enter the backcountry, also available at NPS.gov
A maximum of 45 vehicles per day are allowed into the backcountry, so it’s best to purchase your pass ahead of time. If all passes have not been purchased in advance, permits are available at the ranger station until they run out.
Regulations:
- Only artificial flies or lures with a single barbless hook are permitted.
- No wading in the streams is allowed.
