Fishing Report: Memories of springtime fishing trips

Southwest New Mexico Fishing Report

• Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing conditions have been adversely affected in the aftermath of the Trout Fire.
• Bill Evans Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using PowerBait and garlic cheese.
• Elephant Butte Lake: The South Monticello boat ramp is currently closed and access to Rattlesnake Island is currently restricted due to low water levels. The closures will be lifted when water levels rise and conditions allow.
• Escondida Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using PowerBait and garlic-scented marshmallows.
• Gila River: Streamflow near Gila Wednesday morning was 81.5 cfs.
• Gila Waters: Streamflow near Gila Hot Springs Wednesday morning was 73.1 cfs.
• Lake Roberts: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using PowerBait, cheese and red eggs.
• Quemado Lake: The most recent report was received Feb. 26. At that time, fishing for trout was fair to good when using Orange PowerBait.
• Rio Grande: Streamflow below Elephant Butte Dam on Wednesday morning was 0.1 cfs.

NMDW received no reports for the following waterbodies over the past three weeks: Caballo Lake, Glenwood Pond, Percha Dam, Quemado Lake, Rancho Grande Ponds, Snow Lake, Trees Lake and Young Pond. 

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Memories of springtime fishing trips

By Darren Vaughan

This time of year always brings back memories of my youth.

It was the time of year my hometown awakened from its winter slumber, as the surest sign of spring was when the license plates turned green thanks to the influx of tourists from Colorado.

The school year was nearing its end, and the anticipation of warm summer nights cruising between our hometown’s whopping five stoplights with a carload of friends, with an occasional stop for sodas and ice cream, weighed heavy.

There was the smell of freshly mowed grass as we took to the baseball, softball and soccer fields around town, glad to enjoy a bit of sunshine after a bitterly cold past several months.

But there’s one memory that sticks out as the most vivid of them all.

When I was in middle school roughly 30 years ago, our guidance counselor allowed us to form “groups” with our friends that would meet for an hour once a week in his office. These groups would plan excursions, some extravagant and others more modest, and it was up to us to make those trips a reality. As seventh-graders, we decided we wanted to go on an overnight camping and fishing trip at the local reservoir once the weather warmed up.

The morning of the trip, we all loaded into our counselor’s pickup truck and headed over to the local supermarket to load up on supplies and get our fishing licenses. We picked up the essentials — mostly consisting of junk food and sodas, also known as the key elements of a healthy (?) junior-high boy’s diet — and made the trek toward our destination. It was a whopping 10 miles or so away and in the next county, so you knew it was an adventure.

It was just one night, but one we still talk about when we get together to this day. Lessons learned included taking extra care when casting near a poplar tree, unless you wanted your line snagged on a high branch; never turning your back on a group of fellow 12- and 13-year-olds, unless you wanted to take an unexpected swim; how to fillet and grill trout; and numerous campfire stories and jokes.

I don’t remember how many fish we caught that afternoon, evening or the following morning. I do remember it wasn’t many, as our counselor was thankful that he had a steak ready to hit the grill. I also remember one of my friends unsuccessfully trying to catch something in the pitch-blackness of 2 a.m. while the rest of us pondered how funny it would be if we relocated his tent from the lakeside to the lake itself.

But three decades later, I remember that camping and fishing trip as though it were yesterday. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with my friends, laughing at each other’s jokes and at each other’s expense, building camaraderie and, yes, reeling in a fish or two are memories that will never fade.

It certainly beat our trip to a local restaurant for breakfast the next year.

Let NMDW know how your fishing trip goes! Share your tips and tricks with your fellow anglers by filling out the iFish form, and let’s help the next generation of anglers find success.