Doc Thompson’s High Country Anglers

The Cimarron is a small mountain tailwater flowing out of Eagle Nest Lake that looks and fishes far more like a classic freestone stream, with riffles, pockets, bend pools, undercut banks and beaver ponds. There are approximately nine miles of public access inside Cimarron Canyon State Park, and about three further miles of uncrowded private water available on guided days. It is one of the healthiest wild brown trout fisheries in New Mexico and the whole Southwest, holding nearly 4,000 catchable trout per mile, with stocked rainbows added inside the state park; typical fish run ten to fourteen inches with the occasional larger one. The river fishes from early May through October, with April and November as fringe months that can still deliver. Golden stoneflies and assorted mayflies come off in June, good Trico and caddis hatches with terrestrials run mid-July through August, and a Baetis blue-winged olive hatch carries September into October. Guides fish it with seven-and-a-half to eight-and-a-half foot three and four weight rods, a seven-and-a-half foot 4X or 5X leader and tippet down to 6X, using dry flies, dry-droppers and the occasional nymph. Hip or chest waders work well and wet wading is an option for anyone who does not mind the brush.