Rio Brazos River Fly Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes that make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone Stream
Species
Rainbow Trout
Brown Trout
Brook Trout
Size
Small
Location
Northern New Mexico
Nearest Towns
Chama
Ensenada
Brazos
Los Ojos
Season
Year-round
Access:
Limited, mostly private
Non-Resident License
State of New Mexico
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Seasons:
The season is open year-round.
Spring:
Early, before runoff in April can be good.
Summer:
Summer is okay provided the water is cool enough. .
Fall:
September through October is considered the best time to fish the Rio Brazos.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Copyright 2016 James Marsh
Fly Fishing the Rio Brazos River New Mexico
The Rio Brazos River is a 42 mile long tributary of the Chama River in Northern New Mexico. The river’s headwaters start at an elevation of about 10,700 feet in the Tusas Mountains near the Colorado border southeast of Chama, New Mexico. The headwaters has two branches, the West Fork and the East Fork. They join at the Brazos Meadows outside of Carson National Forest. The lower end of the stream near its confluence with the Chama River lies at about 7500 feet.
The main stem of the river in the headwaters, Brazos Meadows, slowly meanders for a few miles. It’s a very large meadow stream that flows into the Brazos Box, a deep canyon near the Brazos Cliffs. Gavilan and Encinado Creeks add to the flow just before reaching the Brazos Falls, a 2400 foot high waterfall. Below the falls it picks up another tributary streams, Chevez Creek and flows through Ensenada, Brazos and Los Ojos before reaching the Chama River.
You can fish the Brazos River from May through October but the best opportunities are probably in the late summer and early fall. Runoff usually takes place in April and early May. The only disadvantage to this river is the large amount of private water. The Brazos River Ranch is one
of the largest ones and provides fly fishing arrangements for their guest. There is about four or five miles of public access to the river.
The Brazos’s rainbows are stocked but there is a good population of brown trout along with brook trout in some areas.
The section of the river near its confluence with the Chama River features views of the Brazos Cliffs. The giant volcanoes formed rock cliffs rise up to 2000 feet from their base. The close proximity to the Chama, makes it easy to fish both river during a trip.