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April 9th volunteer project on the Rio Cebolla.
Here is the announcement from Rio Grande Return.
“Rio Grande Return will be hosting volunteer workdays on the second Wednesday of the month at their riverscape restoration projects. The first day will be April 9, 2025 on the Rio Cebolla above the Seven Springs fish hatchery. Volunteers are invited to assist with planting willow poles from 10am to 3pm. No experience is necessary. The site is approximately a two-hour drive from Albuquerque. Rio Grande Return has been creating beaver habitat on this creek for several years by planting willows, constructing exclosure fencing, and building beaver dam analogs and post-assisted log structures, but there is much work to be done.
If you are interested in participating or you have questions, please email Karen Menetrey, karen@riograndereturn.org (505) 603-1328 by Saturday, April 5th and copy Ron Loehman at ronloehman@gmail.com. We will send out detailed instructions and directions on Monday before the event.” Note that the holes for the willow planting will be pre-drilled, which will make the planting a lot easier on the volunteers.
Beaver
Beavers are Mother Nature’s environmental engineers, and they work 24/7 to implement riparian restorations that we struggle to emulate. Human restoration work in Western mountain streams frequently aims to create conditions favorable to beaver colonization so they can take over construction and maintenance duties. I’ve written about this in previous NMT Newsletters. (Surely you have kept them on file and can consult them for details. If not, email me, and I can send some references.)
Sometimes beavers do their work too well and flood areas that cause problems. Such a situation is developing with the beaver dams on the Rio Cebolla just upstream of Porter’s Landing. Forest Service staff are concerned that the dams are raising pond levels sufficient to flood FR 376. Their solution is to install a
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Pond Leveler, which will maintain the water level at a set value, regardless of any increase in dam height. We will help with the installation and will contribute to the cost of materials. I’ll send out a notice once the project is scheduled. It should be a two-day project, with a June 2025 target date. Come out to help, get muddy, and examine some beaver dams up close.
Guadalupe cleanup and FS road closures.
Except for the part of FR 376 through the Gilman tunnels, most roads on the Jemez District are scheduled to be opened “around April 1st”. The road through the tunnels will be closed until the severely damaged guard rail can be repaired or replaced by a contractor. That has an uncertain timeline. We may be able to do our annual cleanup with FS permission to use the road before the guardrails are replaced. I will try for an April date and send out a notice if we get permission.
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MEET OUR MEMBERS
We’re introducing a new column with this issue of the newsletter. It will be called Meet Our Members. So often going to meetings or other activities we don’t get an opportunity to meet our follow NM Trout members. All our members are not only interested in what we have in common—fishing—but are also interesting people. So each newsletter will introduce a member you might never have had an opportunity to meet.
Our first member (couple) is John and Lynette Rose
Our move to New Mexico 15 years ago was the opportunity for John to fulfill a life-long desire to farm. After visiting one weekend to explore possible homes/land, we had moved from the San Francisco Bay Area and have never looked back.
We knew New Mexico would be challenging to farm, but John was sure he could institute techniques we had learned in Kenya while volunteering there. With water harvesting, drip-line watering and covered beds he has been successful. Lynette on the other hand, does not have a green thumb but is key to pulling weeds. This affords her the time to indulge in her hobbies of writing poetry and quilting, volunteering at the library and tutoring a second-grader in reading.
This farm was not our first challenge. We met at SRI (Stanford Research Institute) while John was a polymer chemist and Lynette was an economist. We decided to join forces, not only in marriage, but also starting a small materials consulting and testing laboratory. This was successful and allowed us to travel volunteering with Habitat for Humanity.
This has prepared us for our new life in New Mexico. Each year a new experiment (it’s the scientist in John) is introduced into our lives, either farming or otherwise. We have been farmers at the Cedar Crest Farmers’ Market for 12 years and have introduced new produce, or tried a new technique to grow.
One of the “otherwise” experiments was in 2012 when we decided to learn to fly-fish. And then we discovered NM Trout. We’ve been members of NM Trout for 10+ years. Volunteering and attending the conclaves we have learned so much. The monthly meeting speakers from various backgrounds educate us about our new state. And it is a beautiful state. Also it’s always fun to hear everyone’s “fish” stories.
We’re looking forward to hearing more “fish” stories and making some of our own.
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President's Message
Rick Luitich
Spring is here!! I have been busy tying all kinds of flies, not the least of which are the wholly buggers that work so well in our lakes. It won't be long before run off starts and will all be fishing some of our more productive lakes. I wouldn't wait for run off and start getting out to our lakes now. Our lakes have more than trout and last year I did a little bass fishing with a 5wt and it was a blast. I would recommend you try bass fishing at least once.
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I wanted to thank all those that attended our annual Conclave and I hope everyone had a chance to learn from our speakers this year. I took notes this year in hopes of trying to remember what I learned so I can use it out on the water. Now I just have to remember where I put my notes, lol.
Unfortunately no one has volunteered to lead our group of experienced helpers for next years Conclave. We do have several speakers in mind and a check list as well as a bunch of helpers to aid if someone wants to Chair the 2026 Conclave. Bruce has also said he will assist our new Conclave chair as needed. I am sorry to say that if no one volunteers to Chair the Conclave we will not be having a Conclave in 2026.
New Mexico Trout now offers text messaging alerts to remind us of our upcoming activities. Keep an eye out for New Mexico Trout's Text and Constant Contact announcements this year because we are anticipating a busy year in 2025. We are going to be holding fly fishing clinics as well as numerous conservation and restoration activities in coordination with the responsible agency. I have signed up for the text messaging reminders so I don't accidently miss anything I can attend.
I am going to sign off now so I can get back to tying flies for New Mexico Trout's annual trip to the Green River at the Flaming Gorge. This will be the third time I have done this trip, so you know it is a load of fun with lot's of fish stories created everytime we have gone to this section of the Green River. It is open to all New Mexico Trout members as well as their friends and families.
Fish On
Your President
Rick
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New Mexico Trout in the Classroom
In keeping with New Mexico Trout’s tradition of being involved with youth programs we are very excited to talk about the program we are helping Annunciation Catholic school with.
While working with New Mexico Trout member and faculty teacher at Annunciation school, Alicia Eiler, VP Brian Beaudoin and Alicia put together a program for a group of students to take advantage of a fourth semester elective program on fly fishing.
The program had 6 young ladies, and 3 young men sign on to learn about bugs, fly tying, casting and getting out to fish!
We can still use more volunteers through May 20th, Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:45 to 10:30 AM to help with casting, fly tying and general fly-fishing knowledge. Please email me at vicepresident@newmexicotrout.org.
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Vice President's Message
Brian Beaudoin
Three months into my term as VP and I see a lot of activities happening. In addition to our work Annunciation Catholic School we also have the opportunity with another youth group, Nature Ninos New Mexico, on some field fishing days.
We have a couple of members only casting clinics, led by Bob Widgren, planned April 16th at 5:30 PM and May 3rd at 9:00 AM and then on-stream fishing clinics planned for June and July if we are allowed in the forests this summer. These are in addition to the Valles Caldera Fishing Clinics which are open to anyone.
Strating with the April 8th monthly get together we are pleased to be able to provide a pre-event buffet dinner at the Daily Grind. You can RSVP and pay for the meal on the website at https://www.newmexicotrout.org/april-2025-meeting/.
With all the activities we have planned I cannot impress upon our membership how vital member volunteers are to the success and continued operation of our organization.
We still need members to help with youth activities and clinics at the Valles Caldera, we are still in need for people to step up and volunteer for the membership coordinator and newsletter editor, next November we will need a new Vice President as I am scheduled to move into the role of President. Any help that can be given is appreciated.
To take part in the casting clinics or volunteer to help out please email vicepresident@newmexicotrout.org with your name and contact phone number, the date you desire to attend and if you need equipment. We will limit the size of the classes to about 15 participants. Volunteers to help with these clinics please email with your name, when you can help, and contact phone number.
New Mexico Trout Returns to the 2025 Outdoors Show
The NM Outdoor Adventure Show was a huge hit this year as we added some new members, we met a bunch of folks that are interested in who New Mexico Trout is and what we stand for. Many thanks to go out to Bob & Lee Widgren at Custom Fly Rod Crafters for their very generous donation of a custom flyrod, reel, and line combo which attracted attention to the booth and allowed us to sell enough raffle tickets to cover our show costs and then some!
I’d also like to send a heartfelt thanks to our many volunteers, Lance Leach who was gracious enough to spend all three days at the show, Drew Leach who helped us relate to younger attendees, Guy Feltman for coming to manage the NMT swag. We also had Eric Nelson, and some Project Healing Waters members come by and help man the booth while they helped educate attendees on the benefits PHW offers to veterans.
Tight lines and bent rods,
Best Regards from your Vice President
Brian Beaudoin
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"Fly Fishing is the most fun you can have standing up."
Arnold Gingrich
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"Fly Fishing: Long considered the sport of kings, is just what the deadbeat ordered."
Tom McGuane
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"Game fish are too valuable to be caught only once"
Lee Wulff
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"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him to fly fish and he'll move to Montana."
Anonymous
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“Half of fishing is belief and perserverance in what you are doing."
John N. Maclean
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"I go fishing not to find myself but to lose myself."
Joseph Monniger
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Fly Fishing rods
The first fly fishing rod I used was my fathers 10 foot two piece bamboo rod. That was in about 1952. It had and automatic reel and was usually used to catch yellow perch using worms for bait. All the casting was roll casting so the worms would stay on. Even now in 2025 I like to roll cast when trout fishing, except that I have a piece of foam tied unto a hook on the end of the line. Quite a change from then to now!
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After graduating from college in 1977 I went to work as a fish and wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The bamboo rod stayed with my Dad in Oshkosh Wisconsin. My wife and I and our daughter moved to Tulsa Oklahoma where I had projects in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Kansas. With no trout streams in these states there was no need for a fly rod.
The next move was to Cherokee North Carolina where I was to develop a trout fishing program for the Eastern Band of Cherokee’s. What a change, from no trout water to miles and miles of trout water. I needed a fly rod and the closest place to get one was in Asheville. I was told that the best place in Asheville to purchase one was at Fincklestine’s. I bought an eight and a half foot Shakespeare fiberglass Wonder rod. With all that trout water, and keys to locked gates in Great Smokey National Park, I learned to trout fish big rivers and small creeks.
After several years in Cherokee the fishing program had gotten to where the Cherokee’s could run it so I applied for a position in Vancouver Washington, for which I was selected. While I was stationed there the Wonder rod caught cutthroat trout, steelhead, shad, and salmon. When the Fish and Wildlife Service started an Endangered Species program I applied for a position and was selected for the Arizona Area Office where I would be working with endangered and threatened species in Arizona and New Mexico. Fishing trout streams in Arizona the Wonder rod caught Apache trout, brown trout, brook trout, and rainbows. In 1982 the Service closed the Area Office and I moved to Albuquerque where I worked in the Regional Office and the Ecological Services office. I retired in1995. At a retirement celebration, I was given an 8/12 foot rod built my Bob Widgren and I more or less retired the Wonder rod. I still have it but never use it.
An Orvis fly fishing store opened in Albuquerque and I started working for them as a fly fishing guide and in 1997 I became an Orvis Endorsed Guide. It was at a Orvis rendezvous in Dorango that during the Orvis guide Olympics that I won the Rod of The Year, a T/3, 7/12 foot, 4wt. It is the best rod I have ever had. During the twenty two years that I guided, hundreds of people caught their first trout on the T/3. When I am fishing with it I remember all the places in New Mexico where I have had it in my hands.
Tight Lines
Jerry
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Water Temperature
Monitor Placement
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Looking For Stream
Temperature Monitors
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Fly Tyers Luncheons
Come meet up with fellow anglers at noon every other Thursday at
The Cottonwood Range Cafe
Next Meetings:
April 3rd
April 17th
https://www.rangecafe.com/location/range-cafe-cottonwood/
Come and hang out, socialize, talk about flies and fishing, and eat some great food!
You don't need to be a fly tyer to come!
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GADGET OF THE MONTH
The Rising Rigging Station was made to enhance the experience of fishing out of a pontoon, drift boat, kayak, raft, float tube, or skiff easier and therefore more enjoyable: keeps your tippet, nippa, floatants, pliers, and assorted flies in one secure, accessible area.
If your local local fly shop doesn't have it in stock I know that you can find it online.
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Tips + Tricks + Tidbits
(click on the links)
| | | If you have a helpful, fun or interesting tip, trick or tidbit to share please let me know! | |
New Mexico Trout Merchandise
Get Some Swag!!
Wear With Pride!!
New Mexico Trout has arranged with Albuquerque-based Rowan Apparel to embroider items with the distinctive NMT logo.
You can get your NM Trout gear in the following ways:
- Go to the store and select from items in stock (or they can special order them)
Address: 7400 Montgomery Blvd NE #3,
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Phone: (505) 344-9939
- Take your own items into the store and they can add the logo.
Rowan Apparel has a wide variety of shirts, hats and jackets in stock, and you can special order other items. Embroidery adds about $20 to the cost of any item (or you have your own item embroidered for the same amount). If you order online, just leave a comment to use the New Mexico Trout logo artwork.
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2024-2025 Fishing Licenses
Available On-Line
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FISHING LICENSES!
Available On-Line
While fishing in New Mexico, anglers 12 years and older must possess a valid New Mexico Fishing License or Game-hunting & Fishing License. Licenses are valid April 1 through March 31 of the following year.
Licenses are available to purchase year around
On-line renewal date starts March 24, 2025.
A New Mexico Fishing License is not required on tribal reservations and private Class-A lakes.
Click here to renew online at NMDGF
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New Mexico Trout Business Sponsors |
Yearly business membership entails the sponsor to a link and an ad in the NMT Newsletter and website. Contact the membership chair for more information if you or a business owner you know would like to become a sponsor, or visit our website at newmexicotrout.org.
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