If you missed the first part of Nick’s interview, read it here…
New Mexico made national fly fishing headlines in the past year in terms of access, most specifically restriction of some access rights for the general public. Where do you stand on the issue?
It’s a very complicated one. On one hand, of course it would be great for NM anglers to have access to waters that have been closed to them. There is not a fisherman alive who doesn’t dream about what is on the other side of the fence…
But on the other hand, New Mexico has some very outdated regulations when it comes to fishing. We have very few catch and release waters, and most of our fisheries are managed to be put and take. In places with generous stream access laws like Montana -where most rivers are catch and release- rivers have similar trout populations and size averages on public or private water. Here in New Mexico, land owners have done a better job of regulating their waters and maintaining/improving habitat so of course the fishing is a lot better behind their locked gates. The question is, are we really doing the right thing by opening those gates to the public, if the resource isn’t protected by regulations from the state? And our waters are smaller too. We don’t do much float fishing, so imagine people walking up and down small streams, spooking fish to get to a particular stretch of river.
We have some major challenges to tackle before we can realistically address the issue of stream access. In the meantime- luckily for us, we have over 100 miles of public water on the Rio Grande and Chama, and probably over a thousand miles of smaller streams on Forest Service land.
I understand you were heavily involved in the push to create the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument; please share a bit about why that area is so special and worthy of the designation.
We are in a political environment these days that has some folks in power coming up with some pretty crazy ideas. BLM lands in particular are constantly threatened by oil and gas development and dangerous legislation that would give state politicians the ability to sell or lease it to the highest bidder. A place like Rio Grande del Norte is too important to leave unprotected. It is the economic and spiritual life blood of the Taos valley. It is our duty to leave it as we found it, and to make sure our kids can enjoy it the way we have.
Ever since our first journey to Taos decades ago, we’ve been in love with the cuisine of Northern New Mexico. What are your favorite eateries you send hungry fly fishers to visit?
That’s the hardest question! There are so many great restaurants in Taos, it’s hard to choose. The Guadalajara Grill is perfect for anglers straight off the river in need of a cold beer and hot chili without having to worry about looking like they have been fishing all day. Orlando’s is a Taos Institution. Taos Diner has a killer breakfast. Right next to the shop we have Mante’s Chow cart which will do you right when you need something quick and on the other side of the shop -Kyote club which has a great menu and a full bar. And there are so many more!
You’ve had a chance to fish around the world; if you could head anywhere outside of New Mexico to fish today where would that be?
Another long list! I really like wild places. New Zealand is on the top of my list right now. Or Kamchatka. Or the Seychelles. Or southern Chile. Can we hit them all in one trip?
If you could encourage fly fishers to do just one thing in terms of stewardship this next year, what would that be?
Keep ‘em wet! In the age of social media, we all want to show off our catches, but sometime we do so at the cost of the fish’s wellbeing. I think that there are plenty of nice fish out there that don’t need to be photographed. If you are going to snap a shot, have a friend help. Don’t attempt the fish selfie. And don’t put your camera on timer on the bank and wrestle the fish for 5 minutes trying to get the shot. I never hold a fish over anything but water. If I’m going to drop it, it’s going to land in the water.
Ed. – Many thanks to Nick and Marissa of the Waite Company in Albuquerque. See you on the Rio Grande. All images courtesy of Nick.
