Lower Jemez River             

Although the access to the lower Jemez river, before reaching Jemez springs, to the Soda Dam ( a large rock formation blocking the river ) is easy, this part of the river receives high traffic on the weekends and it's usually bettern to plan your  trips further up the Jemez River and away from the crowds.  Downstream from Battleship Rock there is a section of the Jemez I prefer to fish that runs with deep pools.  This section is especially great early to mid-May when I usually tie on a size 6-10 stonefly nymph as the natural stoneflies begin to hatch.  Every year there are 16" sized fish caught here.  Some of the pools are 7 feet deep!

Rio San Antonio

North of Battleship Rock, the San Antonio falls in a canyon alongside S.R. 4.  The river drops several feet per mile in this section, creating some deep pools, each of them providing good trout habitat.  There are big boulders in the river in this section, and walking along them, you would fish the deep pools and riffles for stream-bred brown trout or stocked rainbows.  North from the San Antonio Campground, the Rio San Antonio opens up into a valley making access to the stream easier.  This part of the river provides a low pressure angling experience that is excellent for the person willing to walk upstream  for the native browns in this section of the river. There is room to cast in the meadows of the upper San Antonio and people usually find the fishing a bit easier

Rio Guadalupe:  Brown Trout Treasure

I've fished most of the Jemez watershed and the Rio Guadalupe stands out as a premier trout river.  It is my favorite river in the Jemez.   Every Brown Trout caught in the Guadalupe is a stream-bred trout.  The Brown Trout offer a unique challenge to catch.  Unlike Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout are more cautious about being seen and are primarily "meat eaters,"  which means they won't hesitate to smash a properly presented fly or terrestrial.  All of this translates into a special angling experience you.   The Guadalupe river offers fisherman the possibility of fishing in your own private stretch of "Brown Trout paradise."  Access to the river is through an improved dirt road F.R 376, through the town of Gilman.  This ten miles of fishable river offers you an unparalleled angling experience.   Most of the time you have the whole river to yourself and the brown trout will keep your heart racing as they continue to take your imitations of several hatches found on the Guadalupe.  This is some of the best small stream Brown Trout angling in the state.  Every season people hook into a 18 inch Brown that fights like a 24 inch rainbow and the battle begins.  If a solitary, challenging fishing experience is what you've been craving, the Rio Guadalupe is for you.

East Fork of the Jemez River:  Solitary angling

Fishing on the East Fork of the Jemez river is a special experience.  The river has it's headwaters on the Baca Land location and is private.   The East fork crosses NM 4 only a couple of times along its way the Battleship Rock and that allows you to fish water that is usually abandoned.  In the area where the river crosses the road there are rainbow trout stocked.  But in the areas where I like to fish, my quarry is mostly the elusive Brown Trout.   For what the fish lack in size, usually 7-9 inches,  they make up in beauty.   There are two major landscapes that surround you when fishing the East Fork, meadows or canyons.  The meadow sections of the river are hiked to and can be peaceful and serene to fish with dry flies.  The canyon sections of the river support a good stonefly hatch in late May early June, caddis flies, occasionally hatches of mayflies.  Although this river is not as heavily stocked as the Jemez and the San Antonio the patient angler will be rewarded with solitude and brown trout.