Fishing the Caldera, East Fork of the Jemez River

Last week I had the pleasure of fishing a really small stream in the caldera of a huge, ancient volcano. The East Fork of the Jemez River, (anywhere else it would be called a creek) starts near the northeast rim of the caldera. It flows across the caldera floor and is increased by small seeps and springs along its course until it begins a long, slow drop down out of the mountains and eventually into the Rio Grande a ways north of Albuquerque.

The creek was really low since we have not had any rain in a while and the fish were super spooky. I managed a few small ones early on. But then when I had to fish a pool blind by dapping my fly onto the surface behind tall grass I struck gold. I heard the gulp and set and immediately felt weight. It was a nice, bright, stocky rainbow of 14” and I fought it for a bit in it’s shallow pool until I was finally bringing it to my hand for a picture. Unfortunately, I was thinking too much about the pic and the big boy got off and shot upstream like a torpedo leaving a little cloud of mud swirling in the pool where he had been. Bummer, it would have been a nice picture.

It was a slow day and I managed only a few fish. But there were three separate harems of Elk with single herd bulls in attendance at each harem so I got to hear them call and bellow all morning and into the early afternoon. At one point I got too close and all of the harems bunched up for protection. Well, when they all bunched up the big herd bulls ended up going at it and when I was quiet I could sometimes hear their antlers clacking and scraping as they sparred behind the screen of elk cows. What a day. Beautiful; a crisp blue sky with a few puffy clouds, I saw a big Prairie Falcon hunting, spooked four Mallards off of the stream, and had the whole place to myself. It reminded me of an awesome day on a stream in the White Mountains with a buddy this past spring, only not as many fish. Here are a few pics, unfortunately minus the nice rainbow.

The Valles Caldera, with a forested lava dome
[flickr:29e9dv6u]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4090/5013201612_8094f45eb2_b.jpg[/flickr:29e9dv6u]

Valles Caldera and forested lava dome, another view
[flickr:29e9dv6u]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/5012596679_f86d59653d_b.jpg[/flickr:29e9dv6u]

A bend in the stream and shallow pool
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Adams Wulff and fly rod after a couple of small ones
[flickr:29e9dv6u]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4106/5012599377_f8c21418aa_b.jpg[/flickr:29e9dv6u]

East fork and caldera floor
[flickr:29e9dv6u]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4150/5013209338_9bf62c538e_b.jpg[/flickr:29e9dv6u]

Elk harem running, herd bull in back
[flickr:29e9dv6u]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4125/5012600065_dda932e4bd_b.jpg[/flickr:29e9dv6u]

Elk harem running
[flickr:29e9dv6u]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/5012600771_1673586678_b.jpg[/flickr:29e9dv6u]

Lunch
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Lunch time relaxing
[flickr:29e9dv6u]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/5012601641_9c741e5816_b.jpg[/flickr:29e9dv6u]

Spike bull Elk antler
[flickr:29e9dv6u]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/5012606651_d55bd2998f_b.jpg[/flickr:29e9dv6u]

East fork and caldera floor
[flickr:29e9dv6u]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4150/5013209338_9bf62c538e_b.jpg[/flickr:29e9dv6u]

Caldera floor and part of the caldera rim in the background
[flickr:29e9dv6u]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5012608501_eab304ce7d_b.jpg[/flickr:29e9dv6u]

Preserve sign and caldera in background
[flickr:29e9dv6u]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4144/5013213262_89758c48c0_b.jpg[/flickr:29e9dv6u]