Title: Fly-Fishing in Northern New Mexico.

 Main Body: 

When you mention fly-fishing in New Mexico particularly in the northern part of the state you can’t help but think of the San Juan River tailwater.  It is so famous, or infamous depending on your perspective, that it overshadows many other fly-fishing waters that exist in that region. This month we’ve invited instructor, guide and proprietor Thomas Peña of Albuquerque Fin & Feather to come and tell us about this remarkable area. Which is relatively close to Southern California if you think about it. Contrary to want you may picture in your mind, Northern New Mexico isn’t just all desert.

He promises a quick tour of Northern New Mexico and its fisheries so come prepared to hold on to your seats as he describes to you waters that are waiting for you in the Eastern Quadrant of the state as he calls it which includes the Cimarron River and Rio Costilla tailwaters, the Red River, Rio Hondo, Rio Santa Barbara, and the Rio Pecos. The Western Quadrant will the Rio de Los Pinos, Rio Grande, Rio de Las Vacas, Cebolla Creek, Rio Guadalupe, and the head waters of the Jemez Mountain area.  Stillwaters won’t be forgotten either.

Oh, just in case you’re wandering he will touch a bit on the San Juan River too.

Thomas Peña is from New Mexico and is one of few native New Mexicans working in the fly-fishing field. An aficionado to the sport of fishing and to travel, Thomas Peña has fished in the western United States, Baja California, Spain, Scotland and England. In addition to being a fly fishing instructor and guide, Mr. Peña is a freelance writer; his fly fishing and outdoor articles have appeared in Fly Fishing Quarterly, Western Bowhunter, National Bowhunter, Pacific Fisherman, New Mexico Wildlife, New Mexico Great Outdoors, Dallas Morning News, New Mexican, Albuquerque Journal, and Albuquerque Tribune. Thomas works in documentary projects and has worked in the Folklife Center in the Smithsonian, Albuquerque Museum, Southwest Research Center at UNM and Colorado College. Thomas is a Fenwick Field Staffer and a Berkley Ambassador. Thomas is married to Kathy Bell-Peña and is a stay-at-home father to a daughter (Mariana), a son (Juan José) and another daughter (Isabel).