Trout Fishing

[dennishoddy]

Just got home from a month in New Mexico and Colorado. Didn’t get in as much fishing as I wanted, but did get to Goose Lake in NM that is a natural alpine lake at 10,700’. About 20 acres in size. Only had spinning gear in the rented UTV.

There are big horn sheep in this pic, but you can’t see them. We saw them with binoculars

Rented a boat at Eagle Nest lake NM and caught some Kokanee salmon by trolling. First time to catch one of them. One caught me. Lol

 

[dennishoddy]

Then we moved to Antonito Colorado for two weeks fishing the Conejos River. All wild trout. No stocking allowed.
This 21” Cutbow (hybrid cross of a rainbow and cut throat) was estimated at 4lb.

Mostly brown trout in the river. Caught close to 20 on one day.

Beautiful pristine river.

 

[okie362]

OUCH!

I think everyone has done that at least once in their life.

 

[Cowcatcher]

Awesome pictures!

 

[Okie4570]

Great cutbow!!!!!

 

[swampratt]

What a beautiful place to be catching fish or not.
Great pictures and good looking catches. Congratulations

 

[dlbleak]

My summer stomping grounds since I was a little kid. Love all those places. Looks like a great trip.
My wife’s family had a cabin at Eagles Nest and my grandparents retired to the Lake Vallicito area NE of Durango.

 

[n423]

Nice pics, haven't been in Colo for 20 years. We used to fish and camp near Creede.

 

[Jared]

The Conejos is a special place, I've waded that river many times. Platoro lake was full of Kokonee too. I didn't know they didn't stock the Conejos, I've witnessed the stocking of trout (brooks I believe) in a "coolie" at about 10K' above Platoro.

 

[dennishoddy]

The Conejos is a special place, I've waded that river many times. Platoro lake was full of Kokonee too. I didn't know they didn't stock the Conejos, I've witnessed the stocking of trout (brooks I believe) in a "coolie" at about 10K' above Platoro.

Yes, platoro lake is loaded with salmon and trout. It’s also about 30’ low. Two years of drought and no runoff from snow melt. That small lake next to Platoro is stocked. Saw some folks catching fish there on bait.
According to the guy at the fly shop, whirling disease killed off almost all of the rainbow many years ago, and the Browns took over. The rainbow came back but in the last two years of drought and abnormal high temperatures, the rainbow are taking another beating. They just can’t survive in the warm water. The local I was fishing with had a portable thermometer. When the water got to 55 degrees in the afternoon, he suggested we quit fishing because if we hooked a rainbow, and stressed it out, the fish would probably die.