North Central New Mexico

by Terry Farmer
(Albuquerque)

I went exploring a few days ago. The East Fork of the Jemez River runs for about a mile through a beautiful mountain canyon just south of the Valles Caldera National Preserve. Boulders, cliff faces, meadows, pools, riffles, tall pines, and wild brown trout. I didn't see another soul all day and the weather was perfect. I'm truly blessed.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.

We've all had situations where seriously chewed up flies kept catching fish after fish after fish. It is no sin to tie flies that come off the vise looking seriously chewed up.