At first, I had a difficult time concentrating on seeing fish because I kept eyeballing the kelly-green vegetation under the surface of the Rio Peqasco.

Masters of camouflage

Until I became accustomed to the clarity of the water and the infinite holding lies, I continually mistook waving watercress leaves for the back-and-forth motions of a trout. The high sky kept me back from the bank and on my knees when approaching the trout.

I tried to keep my footfalls to a minimum, and tried to stay out of the water. Tried. But doggone it, the water was so pretty it was impossible not to want to slide out into the middle and cast upstream. But you do so at your own peril on the Rio Peqasco.

The river bottom in several places is rocky and firm, but most of the bottom is mucky and a heckuva lot deeper than you would think, over 15-feet deep in places. Even walking along the bank, the false grass lining the river can be an adventure. I found out the hard way, wet and laughing, right in front of Banegas and Monasterio.

Tiny Flies, Big Fish

I have fished the Rio Peqasco four times since that trip and the quiet, unknown stream has become one of my favorites.

Busy day on the Rio Peqasco

I have broken my western freestone spirit of wanting to tie on big dry flies, and instead tie on small, nearly invisible Sparkle Wing Tricos like the locals.

When I can, I fish with a buddy, content to switch off fishing every other pool or run, one guy acting as a New Zealand guide, sight casting to trout that average about 15 inches, but going hard after those finicky and cautious five- and six-pounders.

We fish for days at a time without seeing another angler, and we fish places the locals have colorfully named the Hat Pool, Stu's Stack, Bonefish Flats, Car Pool, Bluff Pool, Pipe Pool, and Cedar Pool. Incidently, there's not a cedar within an hour's drive of the Rio Peqasco.

Famous Fishing Fraternity

I make it a point to read aloud to first-timers the guest register in the tent cabins and share who else has visited this secret place.

Tents for rent

Ed Engle, Joe Daniel, Mark Bressler, Van Beacham, Jerry Burton, Ted Leeson, Ken Iwamasa and the list of fly fishing luminaries goes on, each extolling the greatness of the Rio Peqasco.

There are photos atop the door frame, color shots of happy anglers holding trout caught from the Peqasco, ranging from 22 inches to 30 inches. One picture shows a trout in a net, snout down, his tail sticking several inches out of the net.

This dude was pushing 10 pounds.