Rio de los Pinos

Jorgen Wouters is Norwegian.


The Norwegian Nightcrawler. The Dunkin' Dutchman. The Hiking Viking. Jorgen (pronounced your-gun) was Mark's editor at Gorp.com ten years ago, lives in the country in New York state, fishes and catches fish on great streams like the Beaverkill and Willowemoc and Deerfield. He is the red-bearded Felix, everything in its place, order (a good Teuton, right?)
Jorgen joined us on our journey after a jaunt from new jersey. He fishes a 5-weight on rivers that require long casts with a five-weight. We are in the middle of fishing rivers that require short casts with a 3-4 weight. Impasse? Perhaps.
We camped at the Trujillo Meadows CG at Rio de los Pinos and Trujillo Meadows Reservoir. The wind was Amarillo-like and didn't let up all week. 20-40 mph type stuff. Made casting tough esp long casts. Our days began at 6 or 630, quick breakfast of oatmeal, coffee, bananas. On the river by 8. Snack lunch of Ede's jerky, Clif bars and water whenever we broke. Then on to the next trib or part of the river. Rio Grande Cutts, rainbows, browns and brookies. Mac caught one 18+-inch rainbow. Dinner usually at 6 or 7, take down our notes, download pics, campfire by 9, drinks and smokes til we got sleepy. Beat that.
Jorgen cast in the wind and his Royal Wulff got away from him and stuck in his ear. Full to the shank. Blood and gore and guffaws from me and Mac. Rules of the camp, right? Two weeks in and we've fished over 15 rivers, 4 lakes, caught hundreds of fish and the season is still not in full swing. There is something wrong with the reservoir, upper and lower drainage of the Rio De Los Pinos. The insects, the habitat, the lack of fish -- something is up and the Fish/Game folks think so too. Jorgen had wide eyes when we went up the road to upper Rio de los Pinos (huge craters filled with water, narrow tree-lined "road.") His got bigger when, as we walked out of the river through 3-foot deep snowbanks, we saw fresh bear tracks by the Jeep. Heh heh.