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Trout & Wildlife

Below are the four main species of trout that we catch in our streams and rivers. Not all species are found in every area. If you check the descriptions of the spots listed on the “Waters” page, you can get a good idea of what species of trout are found in the various waters. After the trout, there is a small section describing some of the wildlife and birds we often see on our trips.

Trout

Rio Grande Cutthroat (Oncorhynchus clarki virginalis): The Rio Grande cutthroat trout is one of two native species of trout found in New Mexico. Genetically pure populations of this rare native trout still exist in several streams in northern New Mexico. Hybridization with introduced rainbow trout in the wild has created a new sub-species known as a cuttbow. This interbreeding has severely impacted most wild populations of Rio Grande cutthroat. Presently, most populations of pure strains are restricted to small isolated headwater streams. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, with assistance from Trout Unlimited and New Mexico Trout, is actively reclaiming streams and restocking them with Rio Grande cutthroats. These trout are one of the most colorful trout you can catch. They are also tough fighters for their size. If you hook into a larger 16 to 18 inch one, you’ll have quite a tussle on your hands.

Brown trout (Salmo trutta): Browns are found in most streams in New Mexico. In larger rivers such as the Rio Chama, Rio Grande and San Juan they can reach lengths of well over 20 inches. In smaller streams, where they can be very abundant, brown trout of less than 16 inches are more the norm. When stoneflies are hatching, every good spot on most New Mexico streams and rivers can produce either a strike, a miss, or a catch of a brown trout. During this hatch, these fish may gain half or more of their weight for the year. Once browns reach about 14 inches, in order to gain more size, they usually change their feeding habitats by adding minnows and other small fish to their diet. When they get really large, they are known to eat mice and small birds! Browns are perhaps the smartest of all fish in the trout family. They often will not give an angler a second chance if they are hooked and missed. This just means it is time to try another one – there are plenty more fish in the river!

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): Rainbows tend to be a bit easier to catch than browns and they don’t seem to be quite as picky or selective when it comes to the type of fly one uses. Occasionally when hooked, they will jump, putting on quite an aerial display. They often seem to prefer a bit faster, more oxygenated water than browns. For a variety of reasons, rainbow trout do not reproduce well in most streams in New Mexico. However, if they hybridize with native cutthroat trout, they can become very abundant in a stream. Stocking provides many of the rainbows in most of our streams and rivers. After a stocked rainbow has been in the wild for a year or so, they get the classic bright silver, pink and green coloring of their native cousins and it becomes almost impossible to tell them apart. In our larger waters, they will grow big and chunky. With a bit of luck, a fly fisherman can catch some gorgeous rainbows over 20 inches long.

Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis): Brook trout are an amazingly beautiful fish with a dark body that is covered with white, yellow and red spots often circled with a blue ring. Their under-body fins are often bright orange with black and white stripes on their leading edges. They tend to be aggressive feeders and it is not uncommon to have more than one “brookie” charge a dry fly at once. Brook trout can be found in unbelievable numbers in some streams in New Mexico. Like browns in small streams, they usually do not get to trophy size. However, fly fishermen are often in awe at the beauty of a completely wild, 14 inch brook trout that has never seen a fly before. In most streams where they are found, they have completely replaced the native cutthroats.

Wildlife

New Mexico has rich and abundant wildlife for the fly fisherman and hiker to enjoy. During a day of fly fishing or hiking you may see mule deer, elk, and pronghorn antelope. Along the streams you will see the tracks of raccoons, muskrats, coyotes and other wildlife. Perhaps you will come upon where beavers have built their dams or where they have cut down willows and cottonwoods. You may even find the scat of a black bear, or the chewed-off tips of ponderosa pine, a sure sign that a tassel-eared squirrel is in the area. Chances are good that you may see at least one or more of these animals on any given day.

For birds, you may see red-tailed hawks, falcons, cliff swallows, swifts and flickers. Along the edges of the streams you could see a wonderful little bird called the American Dipper or “Ouzel”. While fishing the larger streams and rivers, you may see various ducks, osprey, or maybe even a bald or golden eagle. Of course no matter where you are, you will see LBJ’s (little brown jobs) flicking in and out of the bushes and the ever present ravens.

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