Pretty fly: New Mexico Trout to host annual fishing conclave with exhibits, demonstrations and, of course, cookies

According to Merriam-Webster, a conclave is defined as either “a private or secret meeting,” or “an assembly or gathering.”

Neither secret nor private, New Mexico Trout’s annual fly-fishing conclave falls into the latter category. It’s an event geared toward veteran fly-fishing aficionados and novices alike, with a variety of speakers, exhibits and demonstrations taking place over the weekend of March 1-2.

“We get a lot of experienced fly fishermen. There’s a preponderance of the people there,” said Dave Marsh, board member and former president of New Mexico Trout. “You get a lot of newbies. You get a number of women. You get a number of kids showing up.

“If I had kids in town that liked to fly fish, they would be going with me.”

Pretty fly: New Mexico Trout to host annual fishing conclave with exhibits, demonstrations and, of course, cookies

Proceeds from the event will benefit New Mexico Trout, a non-profit organization, which according to its website, is “dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of trout fishing in New Mexico’s waters through restoration of riparian habitats and through the education of the public about trout fishing and the value of trout habitats.”

Or, in other words: “It’s a bunch of guys, probably 250 in the club, that think that we need to make sure we maintain trout habitats so we have an opportunity to go fishing, our kids to go fish, our grandkids to go fishing,” Marsh said.

The festivities begin on Friday, March 1, with a fly tying workshop hosted by Pat Dorsey from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Dorsey is the co-owner of The Blue Quill Angler, a fly-fishing outfit based in Evergreen, Colorado, and is the Southwest Field Editor for Fly Fisherman Magazine. According to his bio, Dorsey once produced more than 28,000 flies in a year. The workshop is limited to 50 participants.

“He is a premiere fly-fishing guide — runs probably 25 guides out of the shop. He leads fishing trips in the Caribbean, fishing trips up in Alaska,” Marsh said. “He really knows what he’s doing. He’s very, very good at it.”

Dorsey’s fly tying session will combine aesthetics and functionality.

“It’s easy to tie a fly. I can tell you that,” Marsh said. “I’ve been taught how to tie very simple flies, and they work. Flies don’t have to be fancy to work, they just have to be good enough. But most fishermen all want to look a little better than that.”

The itinerary expands the following day, Saturday, March 2, with a guest speaker list that includes Dorsey; Nick Streit, who owns Taos Fly Shop and coordinates Friends of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument; and Dan Trujillo and Bryan Ferguson from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. There will be plenty of discussion on ideal fly-fishing locations and techniques, as well as focus on the Rio Grande cutthroat trout restoration project.

“If you’re not a fisherman, you don’t know anything about it. If you are, it’s a big deal because it’s the native trout here,” Marsh said.

“The brown (trout) that everybody catches are really an invasive species because they were introduced here. The rainbow (trout have) been around here. But the real old-time original fish here are Rio Grande cutthroats. So there’s a pretty big effort with a lot of money going into it to repopulate streams with Rio Grande cutthroats.”

The second day will also include more fly-tying demonstrations, a casting clinic and a rod-building demonstration. Meanwhile, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish will have a bug display on hand to inform the public about what fish prefer to eat. For those in the market for equipment, the conclave will play host to an informal garage sale, where used fishing gear will be up for sale.

There is no limit to attendance for the second day. Marsh expects between 100 to 120 attendees, but the venue could hold up to 500 people if necessary. A food truck will be present to purchase lunch, but the real “bait” comes a little later.

“Most important thing for the club is we’ll have cookies in the afternoon. We did this one year, and we did not have afternoon cookies. Boy, the uproar was horrendous,” Marsh said with a laugh. “So we always have afternoon cookies.”