| Two of my favorite New Mexico rivers to fish are | | | | Shop near Tyler, Texas and be fishing late that |
| the San Juan River and Cimarron River. This story is | | | | afternoon or early the next morning. The high |
| about the Cimarron. The Cimarron River is in | | | | mountain scenery is beautiful and the fishing is |
| Northeast New Mexico and emanates out of Eagle | | | | great.My story begins in the middle of June 2002. |
| Nest Lake. Located on the eastern edge of the | | | | During June, the stonefly hatch is in full swing on the |
| Sangre de Cristo Mountains, this dry fly gem flows | | | | Cimarron and big browns will eagerly attack a size 14 |
| eastward through Cimarron Canyon State Park along | | | | or 16 Stimulator with regularity. This is my favorite |
| US Hwy 64. After flowing into several other rivers | | | | time of year to fish this river. This is dry fly fishing at |
| this water ultimately reaches the Mississippi River. | | | | its best.Unfortunately, if you remember, this was |
| New Mexico Game and Fish estimates nearly 4,000 | | | | during the time wild fires were engulfing many parts |
| catchable sized wild browns per mile, this is | | | | of New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona. The Cimarron |
| unquestionably the healthiest wild brown trout fishery | | | | Canyon State Park was surrounded by a couple of |
| in the state and one of the healthiest in the southern | | | | such fires.I arrived at the Pine Ridge Hotel, only about |
| Rocky Mountains. Most of the wild browns are 10-14 | | | | a mile from quality fishing water, late Monday |
| inches with the occasional big boy. This fishery is not | | | | evening. This is a quaint little four-room hotel nestled |
| well known but can still get a little crowded close to | | | | near the entrance of the state park. After checking |
| the roads during mid summer.I can easily get to the | | | | in, the hotel owner told me that the park was closed |
| Cimarron within a one-day hard drive from my Fly | | | | and had been since Friday. |