Fly Fishing Red River - Upper Red River

Overview

The Red River between the town of Red River and Questa descends through a forested Sangre de Cristo valley. Spruce, fir and aspen line a compact channel of boulder pockets, riffles and deeper pools. Brown and rainbow trout use the sheltered seams and bank cover of this snowmelt-fed mountain stream.

Small-Water Presentations

A short, accurate cast can cover a pocket behind a rock without dragging through the faster current. Study the depth beside an undercut bank or at the head of a pool before placing a nymph. A tight-line presentation offers another way to manage separated currents in the narrow channel.

Elk Hair Caddis and X-Caddis provide warm-season caddis choices, with pale morning duns adding summer mayfly patterns. Smaller blue-winged olives offer spring and fall options, and a golden stonefly pattern can search faster boulder runs.

Stimulators, Royal Wulffs and Parachute Adams serve as searching dries. Hoppers, beetles and ants offer another approach along meadow edges, while Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears and Prince Nymphs cover deeper lies. A Woolly Bugger or small Zonker provides a streamer alternative in a longer pool.

Snowmelt changes the river’s depth and clarity. Adjust weight and drift length to the particular pocket, and watch the fish’s response before changing patterns.