[VFB] JIMMY D's BACK from NM - great fishing!

[Jimmy D. Moore]

I'm back from one helluva good fly fishing trip to Cimarron, NM/Philmont 
Scout Ranch. Got home around 8 p.m. CDT.Sunday.  There were 12 of us 
camping in the backcountry at Philmont Scout Ranch and from Wed. 
afternoon till late Sat. afternoon, we caught and released over 700 
rainbows and about 25 browns.  I caught the largest, a rainbow of 14", a 
giant on the Rayado River, which is at most 12 feet wide and deepest 
pool around 4 feet.  The average size fish was 9".  We had a small Mule 
Deer herd, (about 12), come grazing right up to where we were camped, 
while we sat and watched.  They seemed completely oblivious of  us.  One 
young doe came so close to me that I could reach out and touch her. Same 
way with a big bunch of, ( 20+), Mirriam Turkeys. Saw bear and cougar 
tracks on the sandy path about 100 yards from the campsite, but never 
saw the animals.  Pronghorn antelope were plentiful on either side of 
the road going in to the backcountry. And, there were 5 Coyotes who hung 
around camp waiting for a handout.

It rained every afternoon around 3 p.m., which is standard for the east 
slope of the Sangre de Christo Mountains this time of year. We were well 
prepared, so getting wet wasn't a problem.  Everyone but me busted their 
butts, falling several times a day.  I almost fell several times, but my 
trusty FolStaff that I bought from Byard, saved my butt. I could only 
fish a couple of hours at a time because of my feet problems, but, that 
was enough.  I caught a big bunch of rainbows and also the largest fish, 
so I was more than satisfied. Late Sat. afternoon, a large 
thunderhead/anvil type appeared and had some rotation. A small funnel 
began to form and hail the size of nickels fell for about 20 minutes. 
The funnel began to dissapate just as we were heading to the shelter of 
a rock overhang on the river bank.

Our meals were absolutely fantastic.  Dinner Wed. nite was Chicken 
Fajitas cooked over the campfire, with "dirty" rice and green chilies 
from my pepper garden mixed in, along with some of my Hot Pickles for 
everyone.  Thursday nite was Buffalo T-Bones with baked potato, salad 
and my green chilies on the side.  Friday nite, was a New Mexican dinner 
of Hominy mixed with my green chilies, along with bacon wrapped beef 
filets and salad.  Saturday nite was 1" thick pork chops, marinated in 
my special "Dynamite" seasoning and Picka Peppa, with salad, baked 
potato, corn on the cob and of course - plenty more of my green chilies 
on the side, and my hot pickles.  Breakfast each morning was Southwest 
Kish, a conglomerate of pork sausage, chipped potatoes, eggs, my green 
chilies, (chipped), onion, chipped and topped off with my Dynamite 
seasoning.  All this was poured into a large Woc made from a 22" disc 
like a farmer uses to break up dirt in fields, placed on the open fire 
and stirred constantly while it all cooked into a sort of Mother and 
Father of scrambled eggs.  Ummm Goood!

My film is being processed.  I'll have the 14" rainbow on jpg tomorrow 
night, for those who'd care to see it.  Was kind of hard taking the 
picture by myself.  I was standing on a large wooden "log" walkway that 
was about 6 feet above the Rayado, reaching from bank to bank, casting 
downstream into a run that was about 40 feet long.  Funny thing.  My 
fly, (one of Rick Zieger's Tennis Ball Fuzz Caddis), had just floated by 
a fairly large rock in mid-stream and the line slack had just gone and 
fly was dragging back and forth, when the big gal hit.  I had to hold 
her head out of the water with fly rod and take photo - no zoom lense, 
for this was an $8.95 waterproof camera, and then I pulled her up onto 
the log beside me and photographed her again lying on her side.  Hope 
the film does justice to the size and coloring of her.

And, how was your weekend?

JIMMY  D

P.S.  I'd tied up a bunch more of Rick's tennis ball caddis and of the 
700 rainbows, over half were caught on Rick's fly.

--
Jimmy D. Moore - Author,Outdoor Writer,TOWA, TF&G,VP-GRTU 
Owner/Webmaster - Worldwide Flyfishing Info.
http://www.BIGTROUTMAN.homestead.com/MainPage.html 

www.sportingtales.com  This is the website of Sporting Tales 
magazine - No "how-to OR "where-to"!  Just the "Why-to",
with outstanding campfire type stories about hunting and fishing.