Guided Fly Fishing Packages

Land of Enchantment Guides works with four smaller, private fly fishing ranches on the Conejos River with excellent fly fishing. Though these properties only have shorter reaches of the river, they are full of very large trout, with many in the 20+ inch range. These spots offer effortless access and wading and the possibility of using all manner of gear types; dry flies, nymphs, and streamers all work well in these locations. For those who might like to fish in a lake and possibly fish from a drift boat, we go to a high-altitude reservoir in the Trujillo Meadows. Another beautiful spot, just across the state line from Chama, is the meadow stretch of the upper Los Pinos. This smaller river flows through an absolutely gorgeous alpine meadow and supports a substantial population of wild browns and rainbows. It can be a dry fly angler’s paradise from mid-summer into the fall. During this time of year, you can fish a single hopper or dry fly and have great top-water action all day.

There are many spots to fish, including the Chama, the Brazos, and the Los Piños rivers. Depending on the best fishing spots, we may go to several places within a short drive from the ranch.

The Chama River is probably one of the West’s most undiscovered and diverse trout waters. Starting in the mountains on the Colorado border, it flows as a freestone stream for many miles through high mountain forests and meadows. Below El Vado reservoir, it runs for over thirty miles through rugged, multi-colored sandstone canyons and rough terrain with limited access. Six miles of this section pass through the 50,000-acre Chama River Canyon Wilderness area. All the sections of the Chama have good populations of large wild browns and rainbows (the state record brown trout was caught in the river below El Vado). The other nice thing about the Chama is that, because it is so diverse, there is almost always a section that is fishing well. Because most of the river is remote, you will usually see lots of wildlife, the scenery is unrivaled, and the fishing can be outstanding. The Chama River is truly a “wild river,” offering an unforgettable fishing experience.

The public section of the Brazos just downstream from Corkins offers us approximately 3 to 4 miles of the river. This reach provides good fishing for wild browns, stocked rainbows, and incredible views of the Brazos cliffs. Because this part of the Brazos is near its confluence with the Chama, we can often fish both rivers in a day. There is excellent terrestrial and dry fly fishing in the summer into the early fall, with a hopper-dropper rig being the way to go.

The “Juan” is a fishery everyone should experience. It is world-renowned as one of the greatest tailwater trout fisheries. In the top 4 miles of river below the dam, there are over 20,000 fish per mile, averaging 17 inches long; you couldn’t ask for more. Most of the fish are rainbows, but the population of browns seems to be increasing. This is primarily a small fly fishery with sizes #22 to #26 midges on a light tippet, which is the standard setup. Hooking and landing a large fish on this type of gear is quite a thrill. The river is big by New Mexico standards but very easy to wade, and long casts are usually unnecessary, with the density of fish being so great. The San Juan is about a 1½ hour drive from the Corkins, making it a very doable day trip.

Located on the upper reaches of the Navajo River just across the border into southern Colorado, these spots are one of the prettiest stretches of private water we work on. With close to 6 miles of river in two different locations, a day on these two ranches offers incredible diversity. The Navajo River has a healthy population of rainbows and browns to be caught on streamers, nymphs, and especially dry flies. From mid-summer into early fall large grasshopper and terrestrial dry flies often induce crashing hits on the surface from the bigger fish. The wading is easy on these stretches of the river; both ranches have great pools and lots of deep runs and riffles.

The Canones Creek Ranch is a fantastic, 1½ mile private stretch of the Chama River located just south of town. Having almost two miles of river, excellent stream improvements, and two small ponds, it is indeed the charm of the Chama Valley. This ranch is in the freestone section of the river, so it has good hatches from the end of snowmelt well into the fall – dry fly fishing is always a great option here. Over our years of guiding this property, we have had excellent dry-dropper fishing, nymphing, and great success stripping streamers in the deeper pools of the river. It is easy to wade and maneuver here with a footbridge in the middle of the property, enabling anglers to access both sides of the river, even at higher flows. Near the bridge, next to one of the ponds, there is a covered “pavilion” to sit under and get out of the sun while eating lunch or gearing up for a day of fishing. The ponds on the ranch hold some healthy fish that lurk in the depths, waiting to slam a streamer or cruise the edges, looking to eat an errant hopper. It is a fun combination to fish both the lakes and the river on the same day.