ABQ fishing recommendations

[Doug Graebner]

Hi all! I'll be in ABQ this weekend (the 14th-morning of the 17th or 18th) and while I'll be mostly doing non-fishing stuff+Taos/SF side trips, I was wondering if there was any good fishing this time of year in that area?

[Doug Graebner]

Alternately, does anyone have recommendations for fishing pit stops between Denver and ABQ?

[William Widdoes]

Doug- a slightly more western route from DEN to ABQ takes you to the Middle Branch of the South Platte (of Dream Stream fame) in Fairplay (South Park) (well upriver of DS section, access at Tomahawk) and then the Ark in Buena Vista. You'll want to hit those. Not easy, but worth it. And then the Rio Grand from Taos south has fish. 

[Doug Graebner]

oh damn, I've already wound up at Bryce (loop through Flagstaff and Grand Canyon and then to Bryce/Zion) but if I head back via I-40 I can probably wind up going through one or both of those areas.

[William Widdoes]

Doug- I should add that there are still "run off" conditions in CO, so you will want to check stream gauges before you alter your trip. You can see "high and brown" right at home.

[William Widdoes]

CO streams look "blown" but the Rio Grande looks good. Some good fly shops in Santa Fe and Taos will help you out.

[Andrew Gavlin]

Hey Doug,

If you end up going through Fairplay/Central Colorado, let me know and I can send you a Google Earth Map I made for the area.

[Doug Graebner]

Thanks! I may take you up on that, and yea I kinda planned on the CO streams being blown out. This is making going back east via I-140 awful tempting...

[October Caddis]

Pending flows, which I haven't checked and are (as noted) likely still in the runoff zone, the Ark is a pretty darn sweet river. I have a work trip in CO Springs each August and spend 3-4 nights camping on the Ark afterwards, hitting the DS on the way in and out. Outside of the meadows up top you probably won't encounter another angler at all. 

You've got Hayden Meadows up top, which can be lights out if a hatch is happening, then a hell of a lot of good pocket water and runs down to Buena Vista (a pretty cool town in its own right) with plenty of access along the way. Much of the area along the road upstream of the Railroad Bridge campground near Buena Vista is BLM and available for free dispersed camping, too. If you get the chance I'd highly recommend it (again, pending flows). I can't speak to this time of year but in Hayden Meadows I'm doing whatever is hatching and/or a hopper; downstream I'm generally doing a hopper/dropper or an indicator setup.