What is the URL of your website?

www.loeguides.com

When did you start fly fishing?

I started fly fishing when I was for to five years old in a pond on my grandfathers farm. I can still vaguely remember catching a small trout that first day; I guess it made quite an impression on me!

Who has been your biggest influence?

Maybe that first trout I caught... Seriously, I guess as a young fisherman and fly tier it would have been Harry & Elsie Darby who really got me interested in fly tying and catching fish on the flies I had tied.

What do you consider your "home" water?

I am not sure that I could pick one river or stream that I would call my "home water". We have so many spots in our area that fish well at different times of year that I guess my home water would be anywhere in Northern New Mexico.

What waters do you guide on?

We guide primarily in/on The Jemez River Drainage, The Rio Grande and most of its tributaries; The Rio Chama and its tributaries, Costilla Creek; The Pecos River and its tributaries and The San Juan River. We guide on both public and private water. If you go to "Waters" page on our website there is a pretty good description of all the places we go to, along with some photos of most of them.

Do you have a favorite fly? And if so, tell us about it and why it is your favorite.

I wish it were that easy and I could say I had a favorite fly. I guess I could say the one that is working well on a particular river on a particular day. I am partial nymphs - especially large, weighted stoneflies. We often fish pretty big pocket water and you need to get down quickly to where the bigger fish are, close to the bottom. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there really isn't much more exciting than catching large fish on small dry flies and emergers. I have been tying some size 20-22 parachute dry patterns that having been working really well so they are moving up pretty high on my favorite flies list these days.

How long have you been guiding?

I have been guiding full-time, year-round, for the last four or five years. Previous to becoming a full-time, I guided part time but mostly fished for bluefin tuna.

What do you enjoy most about guiding?

I really enjoy thing about guiding. It is great taking folks out to beautiful and remote spots that they might never see or experience on their own. With novices, it is really amazing to be able to show them a few fly fishing basics and then help them to hook and land their first fish. The excitement they get is quite contagious. With more seasoned anglers, it is a real pleasure to help they fine-tune their skills a bit and hopefully help them to catch the trophy fish they have been dreaming of. When you can make that happen for someone, it is a pretty special thing.

What is your most memorable experience while guiding?

I don't know if I could pick out a single experience that was the most memorable; there have been quite a few. I have taken out a few younger kids with their fathers this year. It was really neat to watch the kids get excited about fishing and the joy it brought to their Dads. I felt like I was watching the kid's future in fly fishing beginning and I was able to play a part in it. That is an amazing feeling.

If you could choose any place in the world to fish at least once, where would it be and why?

Wow, that is a hard one. The honest answer would be anywhere there is good fishing that I haven't been before. I haven't been to Chile and/or Argentina yet and they seem to be at the top of the fishing wish list these days.

Tell us about the gear you use most often.

For our clients in our guiding business, we provide Sage rods and reels (I use all Sage rods personally as well). We also provide wading boots and shoes and we tie all of our own flies.

What species of fish do you target the most often? We are almost exclusively targeting trout. Here in Northern New Mexico we have Browns, Rainbows, Brookies, Cutthroats and Cut-bows. On a good day, in the right river, you can catch all five types.

Advice to new fly anglers?

Usually when I am guiding a person who has never fished before, I tell them to relax and accept the fact that there is some "learning" to be done. Try not to get frustrated; the goal is to have fun and enjoy yourself and your surroundings as well as catching fish. I often ask them if they play golf or tennis and to remember that to perfect a golf swing or a tennis serve takes practice but that doesn't mean you don't play if you can't make a perfect swing right off. The same goes for fly fishing, especially the casting. It all comes with time and a bit of patience. Also, fishing is not competitive (in my opinion) so don't worry about how many fish you catch or how big they are.

Advice to those who are looking for a guided fly fishing trip?

I would recommend that you try to hire a guide who works for himself or with a small company. Some of the larger outfits seem to hire anybody when they get really busy and you might get a guide who doesn't know as much as they should. Also, if possible, try and speak directly with the person who is going to guide you before you go on the trip. Tell and be honest with your guide about your personal level of expertise, what kind of style of fishing you like the best as well as your physical capabilities. This will help your guide to try and set up a trip that fulfills you wishes and expectations.

Advice to those considering a career of fly fishing guiding?

I guess the most important thing would to be sure that, if you want to be a fishing guide, that you enjoy being with all different types of people and that you are patient. No matter what, you are going to have a few clients who do "jive" with you, for whatever reason. Overwhelmingly though, most folks are great so you get back what you put out.

When you're not fly fishing or tying, what other activities do you enjoy?

When I'm not fishing or tying flies, I'm sleeping. (My wife and I have a large vegetable garden which we enjoy working in. We also go for quite a few hikes and walks with our two dogs)

Anything else you'd like to tell us?

Yes... You should know that our guiding company (Land of Enchantment Guides) is made up of my son Shane Parker-Kast, my Partner Jerry Burton and me, Noah Parker. If you go to the "Who We Are" page on our website, you can find out more about us and our individual fishing experiences and history.

Please feel free to contact me at any time of you have any questions, need some information about fishing in New Mexico or just to talk trout!

Thanks for taking the time to read this interview. Stay well and good luck fishing!

Fact File
Noah Parker
Land of Enchantment Guides
PO Box 55
Velarde, NM 87582-0055
USA
  Phone: (505) 927-5356
Email: noah@loeguides.com
Website: www.loeguides.com