Gila Wilderness Report.
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Been holding on to this one for a bit, but now the photos are published -so here you go.
Sharing the state with the mighty San Juan are the many fragile small rivers and tributaries of the Gila Wilderness area in New Mexico. From daisy peppered meadow streams to high country mountain creeks, the Gila Wilderness may be one of the most astatically diverse and stunning places I’ve ever been.
Both the flower pictured above and deer below were plentiful throughout the entire area.
This vast outdoor lover’s paradise is rich in bio-diversity, boasting a multitude of plants, animals, and rare birds. Rich in both flora and fauna, the Gila Wilderness holds one more ace up her sleeve; the rarest trout in the world swims in her cool water streams and rivers, the Gila (Oncorhvnchue Ailae).
Originally spread throughout the Mogollon Plateau, the Gila trout once thrived from Flagstaff Arizona to Santa Fe New Mexico. Specimens collected in the late 1890’s from Arizona’s Oak Creek are still kept in Santa Fe as biological evidence of the Gila’s great range. Current recovery efforts have identified five relictual indigenous populations. Studies are being conducted by the Us Fish & Wildlife to discover the degree of genetic divergence amongst the five populations. Surviving pockets of Gila are typically found in headwaters where natural barriers separate the fish from other species, such as high waterfalls or dry stream bed. Slight variations in the appearance of Gila from one strain to another can be attributed by the isolation needed in order to survive and not become hybridized.
Due to predation and natural disaster (drought, flood, and fire) the Gila has been reduced to inhabiting a handful of back country streams located in Eastern Arizona and Southwestern New Mexico immediately north of Silver City New Mexico, the gateway into the Gila Wilderness.
Four hours by car, Phoenix is close enough for an overnight trip to the wilderness.My most recent trip, was a straight through blast; driving to a remote lodge located twenty four miles North up Highway 35 from Mimbres, New Mexico. The whole excursion lasted from a Friday at Lunch time to a Saturday night, arriving home around 11PM. Squeezing in about ten hours of fishing in-between the two legs driving there and back, we had a wonderful taste of what the area has to offer. If you are planning a trip to the area, the town of Silver City offers a historic district, with amazing dining and nightlife opportunities for town of its size. Personally I can recommend the Classic Meat Loaf at Diane’s, and one of locally brewed ales from the Silver City Brewery located two blocks down the street from Diane’s.
Sorry No food pictures, but a couple more Gila and Gila x hybrids.
A pure strain-buttery Gila from Mogollon Creek
A Gila Hybrid or Gila X
For now if you want to catch a Gila trout you will have to go to the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico. Not a giant fish when weighed in pounds, but a survivor of fire, floods, and man’s continued interruption of Mother Nature’s plan. In that spirit, I weigh the Gila; a fighter of trout whose golden sides shine with a special sacredness reserved for one of the rarest trout on the planet.
Fantastic job Aaron! Beautiful pics and a stunning fish. A trip for Gila has been on my list for quite a while … It has now moved to the top for next summer! Thanks for the great post! Congrats! Where were the photos published? Or was it a article and photos?
EDIT: Just saw a shot in AA that came today 😉
Awesome shots Aaron !
Would be magic to fish for some of the more local and rare trout around the place…
www.dsaphoto.com
A picture is thousand words that takes less than a second while a thousand words is a picture that takes a month.
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