Fly Fishing Rio Hondo

Overview

The Rio Hondo runs through a narrow, wooded canyon beside NM 150 from the forks at Twining below Taos Ski Valley to the forest boundary above Valdez. Willows, alders and conifers crowd a small stream of plunge pools, boulder pockets and short, bouncy runs. The upper canyon is tight and shaded; farther downhill, more open stretches break up the pocket water with riffles. Snowmelt changes the current and the shape of the available drifts.

Brown trout are the focus here, and casting room helps determine the presentation. A short rod and leader leave room for roll casts and sidearm casts through gaps in the vegetation. Buoyant attractor dries explore the pockets, while a small beadhead nymph beneath the dry reaches deeper slots. Caddis, mayfly and stonefly patterns offer alternatives when those insects are active; grasshopper and ant patterns fit the meadow and forest edges.

Cast through the brush

The Rio Hondo is a small river, and it fishes like one. Overhanging willow, alder and conifer branches limit the space above the water. Keep a low profile and read each pocket before choosing a casting position. Short, controlled casts matter more here than a long loop.

A seven- or seven-and-a-half-foot rod for a 3- or 4-weight line is a useful option, paired with a leader of seven feet or less to turn the fly over under the branches. Roll casts and sidearm casts let you work the gaps in the vegetation; a bow-and-arrow cast offers another option in particularly tight quarters.

A high-floating attractor dry in size 12 to 16, such as a Royal Wulff, Humpy, Renegade or Stimulator, can explore the pockets and seams. In slower pools, try a Parachute Adams when the surface feeding calls for a mayfly shape. A size 12 to 14 Hare’s Ear or a small beadhead nymph gives you a subsurface presentation in the deeper water. A dry-dropper combines both approaches.

Read one pocket at a time

Each plunge pool has a bubble line where the current enters, soft water along both edges and a tailout. Fish the tailout first from well below, then the edges, then drift a nymph down the bubble line. That sequence lets you cover the near water before casting into the head of the pool.

In the boulder gardens, look for the cushion of slow water in front of and behind each rock. A short pocket calls for a short drift: place the fly in its current lane and lift before the neighboring fast water pulls it away. Concentrate on deeper runs, pockets under overhanging brush and places where the river bends against a bank rather than carrying the same presentation through every riffle.

Snowmelt makes the current pushier and changes the pockets and seams. When the water recedes, the deeper slots become more distinct from the thin riffles. Summer thunderstorms can change clarity, so choose the presentation for the water in front of you rather than relying on one rig throughout the canyon.

Match the presentation to the activity

An Elk Hair Caddis can explore the pockets when caddis are active. Watch the slower water before replacing an attractor with a smaller mayfly dry; a Parachute Adams is one option for that presentation. Stonefly patterns such as a Stimulator offer a buoyant searching fly, while a small midge pattern suits a more delicate drift when the surface activity calls for it.

Grasshopper and ant patterns can work along meadow and forest edges. A small foam hopper with a nymph dropper covers two levels without requiring a long cast. In deeper pools, a small Woolly Bugger offers another way to vary the presentation. Let the cover, depth and current determine how you work it.