By Toner Mitchell
Lead photo: You would be hard-pressed to find a stream so perfectly abounding in prime trout habitat as the Cimarron. TIM URTIAGA PHOTO
Driving east from the town of Eagle Nest toward Cimarron, New Mexico, on U.S. Highway 64, anglers could be forgiven for expecting to see a real river around the next bend. Certainly the gentle brook flowing alongside the highway isn’t the Cimarron “river” that’s on the maps they studied before making this trip.
Welcome to New Mexico, where rivers are creeks.
According to Doc Thompson, whose High Country Anglers has specialized in guiding the Cimarron for nearly 30 years, the biggest mistake anglers make regarding the Cimarron is that they don’t fish it. “They see it next to the road and assume it can’t be worth the effort,” he says, “but it’s one of the most productive fisheries in the state.”
It is true that few New Mexico streams match the Cimarron for numbers and size of trout. That is not to say every fish is big, but they are in there, thanks to nutrient-rich water flowing from the Eagle Nest Dam. The Cimarron’s trout population, predominantly composed of brown trout and stocked rainbows, reputedly numbers in the thousands per river mile. Rainbows are easy and browns characteristically finicky, especially when pressured by anglers, as they are during the summer. Add plenty of instream wood debris, and you have a fishery where fish can grow and find places to hide.
Like the rest of New Mexico, Cimarron Canyon provides an abundance of spectacular scenery. Its steep slopes are covered with dense forest of spruce, fir, and ponderosa pine. The stream banks are lined with alders and cottonwoods, conifers, dense orchard grass, and rosehips, creating perfect habitat for the terrestrial insects that trout and birds love to eat. The main vegetative component is stream willows, which provide food and building materials for the Cimarron’s burgeoning beaver population.
Centuries ago, the canyon was a well-trafficked seasonal migration route for elk, pronghorns, and bison leaving the Great Plains to the east and heading up to the cooler summer climes of the Moreno Valley where the Cimarron headwaters now pool behind Eagle Nest Dam beneath the looming Sangre de Cristo mountains. This route was also frequented by Plains tribes and furry predators following the herds for food, and later by European settlers seeking ore, furs, timber, and grazing ground. In the late 1800s, a train route up the canyon served flatland tourists intent on recreating in the outdoors. It’s a tradition that continues to this day; the Cimarron Canyon migration route is still popular with Texans and Oklahomans fleeing the blazing summer heat for the breezy trout country of the Rockies.
Local Flies and Tactics
After all his years of guiding, Thompson is still amazed at the amount and diversity of trout food produced by his home stream. His net-sample studies have turned up multiple species of small and large mayflies, midges and annelids, scuds and craneflies. Small Golden Stoneflies abound; giant stoneflies appear now and then, and the Cimarron’s Yellow Sally hatch is one of his favorites. The most prominent mayflies are Pale Morning Duns and Blue-Winged Olives, in addition to a species of large Tricos (size 16) that hatches in August and a tiny Trico variety (size 20) that comes off in September. Several species of caddisflies round out the cornucopia of the Cimarron’s aquatic food base.
As for terrestrial bites, the lush, vegetated banks cough up plenty of hoppers, beetles, and ants. In the middle of summer, a big hatch of spruce moths usually explodes from the surrounding forest, creating conditions in which you’ll get a grab on every cast with a large tan Elk Hair Caddis unless you’re there during a full moon, in which case the fish may feed all night and become too stuffed to eat much during daylight fishing hours.
Because of the Cimarron’s prolific hatches and relatively shallow water, spring high flows and late fall are the only times when nymphing conditions prevail. Generally, you can’t get away with dead drifting a nymph rig in the normal cast-and-mend fashion because you’ll spend too much time chasing snags and ruining water. Nymphing the Cimarron is a short-cast affair in which you’ll lead your drift assertively, keep a tight line, and actually feel your takes as often as you see them.
Thompson is steadfast in his belief that competence with this short casting is one of the most important keys to success for nymphing and dries alike. When nymphing in robust flows—20 to 30 cubic feet per second and usually a little turbid—cast a beadhead or weighted San Juan Worm and lead it through the run at the same or slightly faster speed as the current to avoid bottom snags. Fish two nymphs at your own risk, or at least limit yourself to doing so only in water over 3 feet deep. If you prefer to use indicators, make them small and sinkable—sticky roll-ons work best—and attach them no farther than 3 feet from your fly.
Given the preponderance of encroaching willows and overhanging tree branches, I prefer a 6- to 8-foot rod on the Cimarron. Thompson holds a different perspective, however, believing that longer rods, even 9 or 10 feet, enable anglers to target picky fish from a distance with a simple roll cast. He stresses that anglers be aware of the limitations no matter what rod they choose. Shorter rods require more casting prowess while longer rods demand more spatial awareness of surrounding snag hazards. Remember that you can always shorten a long rod by choking up on it, and that you can only lengthen a short rod by lengthening your cast (and, caution, your back cast). For the record, Thompson’s Cimarron rod of choice is an 8-foot, 4-inch 3-weight.
You can stick to dry flies on most summer days. Unless there’s a hatch, mix up your species and patterns until you hit a groove. When fishing slows, as it often does when the sun is high and hot, switch to smaller and darker bugs like ants and small mayflies. Often, you can hook more fish by adding a medium-weight dropper nymph no more than 2 feet below your dry fly. When you come to a shallow riffle while fishing such a rig, simply clip off your nymph and leave the dropper tippet trailing, then reattach the nymph when the depth increases. This approach will reduce rigging hassles and leave you more time for fishing.
Seasons and Settings
Fall on the Cimarron is a time for small mayflies and sight-fishing. At this time, failing to follow two of Thompson’s rules may result in a slow day, the first of which every angler should practice by now: no sloppy wading. On a stream as small as the Cimarron, splashy or hurried wading leads to fewer sighted fish, for obvious reasons. The Cimarron is one of those streams where a spooked fish jetting upstream will cause a chain reaction that may not end for two or three pools. His second rule is related to the first: expect to find fish in the smallest of nooks and crannies. When fishing bug factories like this one, assume that every inch of water will hold fish.
A final comment on fishing in the fall: it’s brown trout spawning season, so take care to give nests (redds) a wide berth. For anglers unfamiliar with what a nest looks like, it’s a circle of clean gravel around a slight depression. These redds usually appear lighter in shade than the surrounding bottom.
I tend to avoid the Cimarron during winter. I could fish it on warm days, but winter releases from Eagle Nest are so paltry that I worry about stressing fish. Plus, the ice fishing up at Eagle Nest is so much better (it can be absolutely insane for northern pike, yellow perch, and big rainbows).
I realize that I may have provided conflicting narratives regarding this special trout stream: the fishing’s easy but also cerebral. Both points are true. After a lifetime of fishing the Cimarron, I suppose I can merely say that it’s generous with its information. On the way to the water, I may kick up a spray of grasshoppers. Parting the bank-side willows may put a cloud of caddisflies to flight. Once in the water, I scan the current for surface feeders. When I fish early or late, the shadows will present themselves as havens in which to conceal myself. I know that fishing from the shadows will reduce my chances of spooking fish. So will wearing green (yellow in the fall) or camo clothing. Because of the constant fishing pressure on the Cimarron, I realize that every effort to be stealthy will pay off, and that the wakes of scurrying fish will remind me to up my game.
As for Cimarron fly patterns, Thompson employs a basic “classic rock” approach featuring many of the greatest hits of yesteryear: Hare’s Ear Nymph, Copper John, orange Stimulator, yellow Humpy, Elk Hair Caddis, and Parachute Adams. To this day, one of his favorite old reliables is the standard Royal Wulff. I would add to this list the Renegade and the San Juan Worm in orange and brown; especially in high or dirty water, being without worms on the Cimarron should be a crime.
In Thompson’s view, the fly itself is less important than its shape and profile or, as he puts it, the fly’s “water print.” Over the years, he’s seen a decline in the effectiveness of the Parachute Adams and has speculated that the Cimarron’s fish were at least as educated on its effectiveness as were anglers. Suspecting that the tall white wing had become a signal, he began trimming it down and has seen his results improve dramatically.
Ranking fly pattern characteristics, he puts color third, shape and profile second. He says that 98 percent of picking the right pattern on the Cimarron comes down to size. If you’re fishing a hatch and nothing is biting, tie on a smaller fly. Trim hackle or wings to reduce the fly’s profile. Thompson would sooner go lighter on tippet than mess around with color.
The Cimarron offers approximately 10 miles of public fishing access between Eagle Nest Dam and the downstream hamlet of Ute Park. At the upstream end, about a half mile of private access known as the Holy Waters runs from the dam down to a bridge at Tolby Campground. Access to the Holy Waters can be arranged through The Solitary Angler guide service out of Taos (see Notebook).
The remainder of the publicly accessible Cimarron constitutes Cimarron Canyon State Park. From Tolby Campground down to the next bridge where U.S. 64 crosses the river, the Cimarron is regulated as Red Chile water, an official New Mexico Department of Game and Fish term meaning catch-and-release with single barbless hooks. From there down to Ute Park, a bag limit of five fish is in effect. Given its popularity with fly anglers, however, it’s important to note that most Cimarron anglers release their catch.
Throughout the state park, there are ample turnouts and several well marked day use areas, none of which is especially excellent relative to others in terms of fishing. Regardless of where you park, you must first stop by a pay station and buy a park permit for $5. Pay stations are located at Tolby, Blackjack, Palisades, and the Maverick and Ponderosa Campgrounds. Maverick also boasts the Gravel Pit Lakes, which are small ponds offering fishing for stocked rainbows and the odd spillover brown.
Despite its over performance as a tailwater trout fishery, the Cimarron has been hampered by several impairments for quite a long time because fishing is not its primary use. The river is principally managed to serve the water needs of ranches and farms downstream of where it spills out of the mountains onto the Great Plains, in addition to the important municipalities of Cimarron, Raton, and Springer. Thus, the flow from Eagle Nest is sharply curtailed during winter to allow the lake to fill to meet summer water demands. As you might imagine, the fishery’s potential is restricted by these low winter flows.
According to Rick Smith, president of the Cimarron Watershed Alliance (CWA), “Data show a steady decline in trout populations over the last two decades, which is a troubling sign to watershed communities that depend on healthy recreational resources.”
The CWA is a nonprofit dedicated to solving natural resource challenges throughout the Cimarron watershed, which extends from the summits of the Sangre de Cristos to the Cimarron’s confluence with the Canadian River on the Great Plains. To address the resource and economic needs of its constituency—an array of agricultural, recreational, and municipal stakeholders—the organization engages in projects ranging from forest thinning to stream and wetland restoration in hopes of improving the quantity and quality of water throughout the basin.
Aware of the Cimarron fishery’s recreational and economic value to surrounding towns, CWA began addressing the river’s challenges several years ago with a project to restore the stream’s function by restoring its channel to a more natural, narrower condition. Together with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF), CWA raised approximately $450,000 dollars, which, through donated funds and volunteer time from the Enchanted Circle chapter of Trout Unlimited (ECTU), they’ve somehow stretched to restore approximately 8 miles of stream. Thanks to the restoration, the Cimarron will be able to flush sediment, accommodate high or low flows, and increase pool habitat, benefiting trout and downstream water users.
Intrusive restoration like what was implemented from 2021 through 2024 by CWA, ECTU, NMED, and NMDGF usually results in a healing period, wherein a stream’s insect and trout populations need to recover from the significant disturbance of machinery to the streambed. Thompson is optimistic that such a recovery will be shorter than expected. He’s seen no significant drop-off in the quality of the fishing. In fact, he thinks the fishing has improved throughout the restored reach.
“In another two to three years, I expect to see a lot more big fish,” he says. “And I can’t wait.”
Likewise, Tim Urtiaga, who operates the local Eagle Nest Fly Shop & Lodge, says, “It’s been a pleasure watching this large project unfold. It’s so satisfying seeing the fish and aquatic insects moving into the new habitat. The future for this river looks bright.”
Writer and photographer Toner Mitchell, a longtime contributor to American Fly Fishing magazine, works for Trout Unlimited in New Mexico.
Cimarron Special
Hook: Umpqua U202, size 14–20
Tail: Grizzly hackle fibers
Body: Tying thread (brown, olive, black, red, or hot orange)
Rib: Silver wire
Collar: Tan ostrich herl, hare’s ear dubbing, or similar
Bead: Black or gold
NOTEBOOK
When: March‒November.
Where: Cimarron Canyon State Park between the towns of Eagle Nest and Cimarron in northern NM, about 108 mi. northeast of Santa Fe.
Headquarters: Towns of Angel Fire, Red River, Eagle Nest, Cimarron. Lodging: Eagle Nest Fly Shack & Lodge (rooms, suites, cabins, RV spaces just minutes from the Cimarron), (505) 485-8328, www.eaglenestflyshack.com.
Access: Walk-and-wade fishing (with a premium on stealth) from a variety of roadside access points.
Appropriate gear: 6- to 9-ft., 2- to 4-wt. rods, 4X and 5X leaders and tippet.
Useful fly patterns: Stimulator, Humpy, Irresistible, Parachute Adams, Elk Hair Caddis, Rio Grande Trude, Renegade, Cimarron Special, Copper John, Hare’s Ear Nymph, Comparadun, Perdigon-style jigs, Hardshell Ant, hopper patterns, San Juan Worms.
Necessary accessories: Polarized sunglasses, clothing to match surroundings, sunscreen, sun hat, long-sleeve shirt, camera, raingear, insect repellent.
Nonresident licenses: $12/1 day, $24/5 days, $56/annual.
Fly shops/guides: Eagle Nest: Eagle Nest Fly Shack & Lodge, (505) 485-8328, www.eaglenestflyshack.com. Taos: Van Beacham’s Solitary Angler, (575) 758-5653, www.thesolitaryangler.com; Taos Fly Shop (575) 751-1312, www.taosflyshop.com. Doc Thompson’s High Country Anglers, (575) 376-9220, www.flyfishnewmexico.com.
Books/maps: Fly Fisher’s Guide to New Mexico by Van Beacham; Fly Fishing New Mexico by Taylor Streit. New Mexico Atlas & Gazetteer by De Lorme Mapping.
