The pictures in my photo slide show are all from a special place to me.  Cow Creek Ranch in the Pecos Wilderness area of northern New Mexico.  I have been guiding at the ranch for almost six years and have to say that it is as special a place to me as anywhere.  Not because of the fish either, and obviously, if you've looked through them, the fish are incredible to say the least.  I mean, where else can you catch a 10 pound 'Bow, a beaver pond Brookie, a native and wild Rio Grande Cutthroat and a streamer-slashing Brown...all in a few hours?  Cow Creek is a rare gem for sure.

What makes Cow Creek Ranch truly special are it's people.  From Lanier the manager, to the chef, to the ranch hands, lodge staff and summer help...just some fun folks! They work hard and play hard afterward during some of the most beautiful, best-smelling, fire-crackling, star-gazing nights on Earth.  Nothing better than a cold beer and George on the guitar singing some of the prettiest cowboy music anywhere.  And then there are the guests.  They come from all over, (although Amarillo has us pegged for sure...what great people!) and I have made many long-lasting friendships with them.  Of course I'm sometimes a little easier to like while I'm helping many of them catch the largest trout that they have ever, and maybe will ever, catch.  We've broken a few off too though, and I have some less-than-glamorous net handling beauties...but we always catch quite a few. 

I'll be fishing and guiding a lot over the next six months out at Cow Creek, and I can't wait.  More memories, more laughs, new friendships and more big, beautiful, wild fish.  And of course, when you pop the top at the end of the day, sit back with your buddies and watch the sunset and listen to the Elk bugle...that's hard to beat.  I'm lucky.  Enjoy the pics, and pay particular attention to the smiles!   

We fly fishers complain a lot.  Not enough time on the water, not enough money to fish those wild, exotic places we can only read about in magazines, too many less important priorities that we have to take care of...and on, and on.  Then there's the winter.  Winter is definitely something most of us complain about, in terms of fly fishing, or lack thereof.  Most of us have been told that fly fishers tie flies, sip good bourbon and watch football during the 'off season', with the occasional good weather day on a crowded tailwater being our sanity's saviour.   However, if you're lucky enough to live in New Mexico, which I am, nothing could be further from the truth!

I'd go crazy without being able to fly fish in the winter.  Yeah, yeah, I told you last time about how awesome (and uncrowded) New Mexico is as a fly fishing destination, and it's true.  What we lack in huge trout, we more than make up in scenery, great weather and solitude.  True, my homestate is a wonderful place for fly fishing...spring, summer and fall, but winter may be what really sets New Mexico apart from most other western states in terms of fly fishing.  We've got it good in New Mexico during the winter! 

We can fly fish in New Mexico every, single day of the year, no matter what area of the state you live in or visit.  Granted, some places may require a several hour drive in the darkness of the morning, with an even darker, more lonely, coffee-intense return, but we can indeed fly fish every, single day of the year, no matter the weather, no matter the area we live in...let that sink in a little.  With all due respect to the crowded, popular, bitter cold winter tailwater fisheries in some western states (think Bighorn, South Platte, North Platte, Yampa, Frying Pan, Blue etc.), New Mexico has a warmer spot in my heart as a winter fly fishing destination.  No pun intended.  Big fish? Not as many but enough.  Icy guides?  Hardly ever.  I got out the Rain-X (better than Pam) twice last year.  Crowds?  You'll see more deer, elk, eagles, coyotes and other wildlife than people.  We also don't have to hit a two or three hour window of feeding very often either.  We start in the morning and end when the sun goes down, and usually there is plenty of sunshine.  Cool stuff. 

Ahh, but the San Juan is a crowded, winter tailwater, and cold too you counter.  Yes it can be at times, but it is very different on most winter days than the above-mentioned waters.  Judging by the license plates in the Texas Hole parking lot, most fly fishers from all over the US and Canada are very aware of how well the world-famous San Juan River fishes during the winter, and they are absolutely right.  The river is fishable from the dam downstream for many, many miles.  As a matter of fact, the winter time is pretty much the only time I fish this monster trout factory.  It's worth it.  No crowds, plenty of sunshine and good weather (sunny, 50 degree days fairly common) and the ability to fish to rising trout with dry flies.  Hard to beat the 'Juan during winter.  If you haven't had a case of the "shack nasties" (to quote Geirach) bad enough to make a trip to the 'Juan in the winter you don't know what you're missing!  It is worth the drive or flight most definitely. 

Here are the rivers that are very fishable in New Mexico during the winter, in no particular order as I love 'em all:  Jemez River, Rio Grande, San Juan, Cimarron (lower portion has best flows for winter fishing), Red River (lower),   Rio Pueblo de Taos, Rio Guadalupe (very lowest part, mostly private), Rio Penasco (unreal spring creek, with unreal fish, in far southern part of the state) and quite a few more.  Even those higher country, freestone, non-tail waters that aren't covered in ice can fish pretty decently.  Enjoy the winter fly fishing pictures from most of them that I've recently added to my blog.

It's worth it to come and check it out.  You can ski too by the way if you're into it...world famous Taos Ski area, as well as the Santa Fe ski area within an hours drive of most of the rivers I've listed above.  Plenty to do for non-skiers as well.

It's not called the "Land of Enchantment" for nothing!