Santa Barbara River, July 9th

I went backpacking the the Pecos Wilderness along the Santa Barbara River back in the beginning of June.  At that point, the river was still in run-off, and the weather was too cold to support much insect life.  I ended up catching one little brown on a nymph in a full day of fishing. 

July, however, is a different story.  Although the weather is still much cooler than the surrounding areas (it was nearing 100 in Santa Fe), there were bugs galore.  And, now the river is at a much more fishable level.

The way to do the Santa Barbara is to park at the Santa Barbara campground (there's free parking right outside the gate), and make your way to the trail at the rear of the campground .  Follow that trail to the bridge (about 45 minutes) and start fishing around there.  That weeds out any campers who are fishing.  Don't forget to wear that sunscreen and to bring water and a rain jacket.  The altitude could be tough for anyone not used to it, too.

I took a beginner angler on this trip, so I didn't get in my normal fishing time, but they were biting at a orange stimulator and a small prince nymph.  I ended up taking off the nymph because they were hitting the dry fly hard.  The action was fast and furious, with a strike in every likely riffle and pool.  Where we were at, I only caught smaller browns, but you will see some larger pools right off the trail on your way to the bridge, which I think would be a great place to try for some bigger browns if you feel comfortable walking down a steep hill to get to them.  If you go higher up, you should be able to catch some Rio Grande Cutthroats.  

The fish weren't terribly spooky, and they took some flies that sank or dragged a bit.  I think they would be apt to eat any dry flies you throw at them at this time of year.  

So, if you're looking for a good 30 fish day (at least), make your way to the Santa Barbara in July.  ​