Reconnect with and be inspired by nature at Vermejo

I finally hooked a big one! A six-foot, five-inch, 220 pounder! No, it wasn’t a fish, unfortunately, but rather my fly fishing guide, Aiden. Embarrassing to say the least, as my fly landed right in his chin. Thankfully, after some very dexterous “surgery,” he was able to remove it. And he graciously told me it wasn’t the first time. I had never tried fly fishing prior to this attempt, but had always admired those I had seen participating in the sport. It looked like a beautifully, choreographed dance that somehow in my deluded mind, appeared easy. Ha!

As I practiced casting, first while standing on terra firma, and then in a boat on a lake, I realized quickly that the motions involved were much more challenging than I imagined. My experience, albeit mortifying and humbling, gave me a newfound appreciation and respect for fly fisherman and woman, who devote themselves to this art. Fly fishing was one of several activities I participated in at Vermejo, a Ted Turner Reserve. Located in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado, Vermejo consists of over 550,000 picturesque acres with vast forests, mountains, prairies, nineteen lakes and 137 miles of rivers and streams. Larger than most national parks, it’s one of the most dramatic, natural destinations in the country and a jewel in the Land of Enchantment, a home where the bison roam and the deer and the antelope play.