New Mexico – Page 6 – Harry Lange

Cottonwood CG Navajo Dam, NM – Monday September 16, 2019

We went into Farmington early this morning and we are now proud owns of a brand new generator carburetor. It has not been running very well when it first starts since we were in Montana this spring. A couple of times I was not sure it was going to start and stay running. After couple of minutes when it warmed up it would run fine. I changed the spark plugs while we were at the big house and it started right up and ran fine. Our first stop after leaving the big house was at Salmon Cove just off a Chinook Pass. It had trouble starting and ran rich and stumbled for several minutes just like in Montana. The problem has continued so we are going to the Cummins/Onan Service facility in Farmington. The service manager said they called Onan and Onan said to check the electric chock. The chock is supposed recover after 2 ½ minutes and ours was over 5 minutes also the altitude adjustment is not working. The chock Spring is not available by itself thus we have a new carburetor.

It was a challenge to get to Farmington. Last night’s thunderstorm left the two miles of dirt road from the state park to the main highway a bit iffy. We got up at 6:00 and I drive two blocks to just outside of the campground area to check out a flash flood area. It was still dark and all I could see was water and mud. I had decided I couldn’t tell how deep the water was and we would miss our appointment to check out the generator. Then a pickup came into the park and showed the water was not very deep. I drove the pickup the two miles out to the main road and the hills were not too slippery.

Cottonwood CG Navajo Dam, NM – Sunday September 15, 2019

6 fish in the morning

5 fish in afternoon. Rain storm came through in the afternoon big time rain. I had stopped to put on my raincoat so I just fished through the rain, everybody else left, 5 people. I did get out of the river when I heard thunder. Never did see any lightning but called it a day anyway.

Cottonwood CG Navajo Dam, NM – Saturday September 14, 2019

Fished after Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me. 11:30 – 3:00
23 to the net many more strikes and a few more hooked and got off
Many in the 10 to 12 inch range and one 16 inch brown.

It is hard to tell the length of the fish because I am taking the picture with the webbing of the net hanging down from the net frame. The black mark on the frame in the top left side of the picture is 12 inches from the handle and the net frame is 16 inches from the inside of the net frame at the handle to the outside of the net frame at the length of the net.

A 16 inch brown on a three weight rod takes a while to get to the net. On the third cast after the brown I caught a 10 inch rainbow, as I was reaching into the net to unhook this fish the knot on the hook gave out and came untied. I almost lost that big brown.

I have sure learned a lot about setting the hook while fly fishing. With this Euro Nymphing/Tight Line Nymphing you have a length colored line (sighter line) as part of the leader so you can better see your line. The sighter line is tied in the leader with blood knots with inch and a half to two inch tails. This makes it a little easier to see the colored line You cast up stream and let the nymph drift with the river flow. When the line makes any movement you wouldn’t expect to be part of the normal river flow you give a short hook set. The unexpected movement may have been a stick in the water or bumping the bottom of the river, OR it is amazing how many times it is a fish. On one drift the sighter line moved a couple of inches toward the middle of the river rather then flowing to the right down river, a quick rise of the rod tip about a foot of rise and the line instantly starts running off the reel out across the river, 16 inch brown on a three weight rod.

Cottonwood CG Navajo Dam, NM – Friday September 13, 2019

Morning fishing 17 to the net
1 – 12 inch
1 – 11 inch
2 – 10 inch

and the rest were 6 to 9 inches had bunch hit my fly but I was unable to hook them or they got off before I got them to the net.

Same as yesterday got a small fish on first cast nice fish on third cast.

Afternoon

1 – 12 inch
1 small one
10 strikes that I did not hook

Cottonwood CG Navajo Dam, NM – Thursday September 12, 2019

Got this year’s fishing license and finally got out on the river at 2:00

The river flow is double the normal level for this time of year. That guy at the fly shop where I got my license said it is because of all the snow in Colorado last winter. That this water level should be good for fishing.

Got a fish on my first cast. I am using my new 3 weight 10 foot rod I bought for Euro nymphing. Then got a fish on my 3rd cast, ended the day with 25 to the net another 10+ fish on that got off. Truly an amazing day.

Last winter Jean had seen a flying class advertised at Green River Community College which is two blocks from the big house. One of the classes was scheduled on July 27 right after we returned from the spring fishing/birthday trip. It was a two part class one at the school and one a couple of days later on the Cedar River. During the river part of the class I actually caught a 10 inch trout. Well that got me “hooked” and I bought an Orvis 10 foot 3 weight Recon rod. So far it has worked out really really well.

My fish pictures are not the best in the world as a matter of fact many are really bad. When I take a fish picture my goal is to not have the fish out of the water for very long and remember I am holding a camera, flopping fish in a net and fly rod while standing in the river not wanting to drop any of the three.

Cottonwood CG Navajo Dam, NM – Wednesday September 11, 2019

On the road at 6:30

We had a stiff side wind for an hour then turned left and it turned into tail wind. The road surface was not level tipping the coach side to side most of the day, made for a long day of travel. 338 miles.

Stopped at Cummins in Farmington and got an appointment for 8:00 on Monday September 16 for their generator guy to look at the coach. The service manager said he would actually look at the generator at 8:00 to figure out what is wrong. It ran great at home after I changed the spark plugs but when we get up in the mountains it started acting up again. Runs on one cylinder and rich for 1 to 2 minutes before smoothing out and then runs good the rest of the time.

Stopped at Walmart for grocery shopping and in Aztec for laundry.

Got to Cottonwood Campground at 6:30, by the time I got the car unhooked, dumped and settled into site 5 it was 7:30. This is the same site we had last year.

Getting ready for 2 weeks of fishing.

2019 Fall Travels – Thursday July 11, 2019

We are still in Richland enjoying the Garcia’s hospitality. Tanya and Mike are taking a short vacation so Jean and I are taking care of Bryn and Jack for a couple of days.

I have drafted out our fall trip from the big house to Navajo Dam. The current plan is to leave August 21 and arrive at Navajo Dam on September 11 for two weeks of fishing. Then it is on to Albuquerque, NM for the balloon fiesta. Then someplace and back to the big house in time to see the Village’s production of “The 25th Annual Putman County Spelling Bee” in Everett before it closes on November 17th, we can purchase tickets starting August 7. Brian is playing the school principle.

60 miles – Salmon Cove Group Campsite on Hwy 410, WA
150 miles – Hermiston Rest Stop, ID
330 miles – Bliss Rest Stop, east of Glenns Ferry, ID
300 miles – Pony Express Rest Stop, north of Ely, NV
235 miles – Virgin River Canyon Campground, I-15, AZ
170 miles – Lees Ferry, AZ
190 miles – Gooseneck State Park, UT
170 miles – Navajo Dam, NM
1605 total miles