I can't believe I am telling you about this place. When I first heard about undiscovered trout streams running clear and cold through aspen forests in a state more associated with scorpions scooting around in hot deserts, I called my brother-in-law Kenny and we lit out for this promised land for a week's angling. We've been back many times but this is the first time I've written in-depth about it.

More than before, the cat is out of the bag, at least for Arizona locals. Two or three good guidebooks have come out in the last three years exposing the blue ribbon trout streams and lunker trout mountain lakes of the White Mountains of eastern Arizona. The high country scenery would look right at home in Colorado or Montana but without all of the crowds. Fishing for the rare Apache trout on sparkling small streams remains somewhat of a solitary experience even with the increased exposure. The drive from the Grand Canyon is just too far for most tourists and honestly, most folks just don't know about the fruitful trout streams of the White Mountains. The gentle White Mountains rise from the desert floors (from searing heat to cooling breezes). Retreating glaciers carved out U-shaped park-like valleys with wide meadows and steep-sided canyons. The forests are thick with Englemann Spruce, white pine, ponderosa pine, aspen, fir and corkbark. The White Mountains aren't as tall as many ranges, nor as rugged. The tallest mountains barely rise to 11,000 feet. Four rivers (Black, Blue, White and Little Colorado) have their headwaters on the slopes of an ancient volcano, Mount Baldy (11,403 feet), the second highest peak in Arizona. Mt. Baldy is a sacred place and off limits to all but the Indians of the Apache Reservation. But because of the geographic isolation, few anglers (compared to Colorado for instance) fish these waters. Trails and old forest roads lead deep into the backcountry past high-altitude riparian habitat, through vertical breaks, along singing creeks, through big rock pinnacles. This is remote but intimate country, primitive, a place where an angler can drop a line in a stream where no one else has fished in a year or more, maybe longer. The hues of green and orange of the grassy hillsides and dark forests are cut clean by twisting blue rivers, dotted by turquoise lakes.

The state is stocking the rare Apache trout in the headwaters and in appropriate streams, can catch big fish in small streams. Can catch bigger fish in lakes. Some lakes and streams are fishable year-round. But there's no Lees Ferry here and most of the fish in the streams are in the 9-12 inch range but. And I am using the White Mountains in a general sense since there are many ranges in the eastern part of the state including the Cabinet Mountains and the Blue Range.

You can fish in the spring before other states' trout fishing turns on. The big draw are the mountain lakes. They hold big fish in spectacular mountain settings. The streams are not big by western standards but are worthy in their own right. But the big boys are holding in the stillwaters. Big rainbows, big Apache trout. This is perhaps the best trout fishing area in the state, containing more than 600 miles of fishable streams and over twenty-four major trout lakes. Anglers can fish for rainbows, browns, cuttthroat, and in a few fisheries, the Apache trout. The White Mountain Area is located in the eastern part of the state, and much of the best fishing is on private Indian lands, fishable to the public by daily fees.

Located roughly a little more than three hours east of Phoenix, Arizona's White Mountains offer you over 40 lakes and more than 25 streams with greater than 240 fishable miles. This area is well known for its trout fishing including Rainbow, Brown, Brook, and Cutthroat. For those anglers who have a goal of fishing for every species of trout, this area has the unique native Apache Trout. In one of the artificial lure/fly lakes you can even enjoy fishing for the aggressive Artic Grayling.

The trout waters of Arizona are underfished, underpublicized, and remote, making them the sleepers of the West. Twenty-inch trout are taken from relatively small streams (like the Little Colorado and White Rivers), and the lakes of Eastern Arizona produce many lunkers over 20 inches, more often measured in pounds. And on reservation lands, you’ll need to purchase a tribal permit. The only private water I know of (and good water it is) is the X-Diamond Ranch (520) 333-2286 on the Little Colorado River.

WHITE RIVER
Kenny and I walked under a high blue sky through the aspens leaving Horseshoe Cienega Lake, walking to get away from what few folks we saw on the North Fork of the White River, to reach the stretches where we could catch some Apache trout. We'd been catching browns in the more heavily-fished sections the day before but had a hankering to see what the quieter areas of the stream were like.

We heard and felt the thunder. A herd of elk came rumbling past us, butts as big as horses and never paid us any mind. They were running from something. We walked to the river smiling, pleased to be in the middle of a wild place. We caught about 15 Apache trout each in just a couple of hours by swinging beadheads through the undercut banks. Apache trout are found only in the White Mountains of Arizona and their habitat has been shrinking for the last century. Keep this in mind when hooking, catching and releasing these primitive jewels. They are not as colorful as many other cutts, but the greenish back and pale yellow flanks and the thousand black spots covering their bodies are pretty enough for me. The most famous section of the North Fork of the White, for flyfishers anyway, is the Ditch Camp area. In this three-mile long catch-and-release area, the browns are strong and athletic, bigger than in other parts of the river. I have found this section to be spotty over the years. Sometimes providing consistent strikes, other times dead. Some suggest poaching is a problem in this area.

Because the North Fork sees lots of anglers, especially in the Whiteriver area, the river is heavily stocked. Don't let this fool you or dissuade you. The river runs through pristine forests. All you need to do to get to the wilder areas is to hike up or downstream away from public access, away from where the road crosses the river. Fishing is mostly put-and-take near Whiteriver whereas wild browns and cutts thrive in the upper reaches. You make the call. The width of the river in its prime spots from Whiteriver to Ditch Creek varies from fifteen to thirty-feet wide, even fifty-feet wide in the marginal lower stretches, a big river for eastern Arizona. At times, when the Baetis or Caddis hatches are on, the river seems to boil with feeding fish. Other times, you'll have to plumb the riffles and pools with a dropper rig, floating a big hopper or attractor on top, a lightly-dressed generic beadhead below it (a Pheasant Tail is killer).

The North Fork of the White River runs through the Apache Reservation and is subject to its rules, regulations and permits. The river can be fished year round but is only so-so in the winter.

Smaller than its sister stream, the East Fork of the White River flows clear and cold for over thirty miles, chockfull of brown and Apache trout holding in foamy riffles, pocket water and deep pools. The river width ranges from twelve to thirty feet wide and is loaded with big rocks. Seeing fewer anglers than the North Fork, the East Fork holds some surprisingly large brown trout but you will want to stay away from the easy access areas. Still, most of the trout in the East Fork as not huge, but they do tend to be heavy fish for their size.

Directions: From Phoenix, travel east on US 60(also known as Superstition Freeway) through Glove to Show Low, then travel south on Highway 260. You’ll find access all along the stream.

Species of fish: Brown, Apache trout.

Equipment: You'll need no more than a four-weight flyrod on this intimate stream. Wade wet or wear hip waders though lightweight chest waders would be fine.

Flies: Elk Hair Caddis (12-18), Quill Gordon, 14-18), Trico (18-22), Blue Winged Olive (16-20), Yellow Sally (10-14), Stimulator (8-12), Adams (12-20), Hare’s Ear Nymph (10-18), Caddis emergers (14-18), Pheasant Tail (12-18), Stonefly nymph (8-12).

Where to sleep: Springerville: Springerville Inn (520) 333-4365; Pinetop: Northwoods Resort (520) 367-2966.

BLUE RIVER:
One hot summer day on the Blue, Kenny and I had thrown everything we had at the trout and came up empty. We sat on big streamside boulders reflecting on what factors conspired against us and we were on number forty-one when we noticed in the distance a dark storm rising up from the afternoon swelter.

The storm was long, flat, rectangular, sitting off the high desert floor like a big black block of coal. Lightning flashed out in long silver lashes. The weird shape, the blackness of the cloud looked surreal. It was an impressive sight. And it was moving toward us with increasing swiftness.

We sat in the car less than ten minutes later, the heavy anvil of the storm dumping rain on our truck, lightning dancing all around. In epiphany, I looked at my brother-in-law and exclaimed, "Darn. I should have gotten out my camera and got some shots of the storm as it moved toward us."

Kenny thought for a minute and said, "You know, the storm will always be more vivid in here" as he tapped his head with his finger. And he is right. I can still see the powerful weird storm over the Blue River today. This is wild country and you will take some of it with you always. Technically, most of the Blue River runs through the Blue Range of farthest eastern Arizona but enough of it is in the White Mountains to include it here. The Blue River always seems to run shallow when I fish it. The river suffers from many problems including overgrazing and erosion, sediment buildup, warm temperatures in midsummer and parts of the upper river can dry up in lean snowpack years. The river hasn't been stocked with trout the last few years so it's up to the wild trout to reproduce in adequate numbers (and they will, as wild trout will always do when returned to a natural cycle on lightly-fished rivers).

The fishing is so spotty in the Blue, that without a guide or local advice on current conditions, it's a crapshoot on whether or not you'll have success. I mention the Blue River because the river has over fifty miles of trout water running through stunning mountain scenery. You won't run into another angler all day. The brown trout are streambred. And in places, for instance the upper Blue near the New Mexico border or near the Strayhorse Creek confluence, the fishing can be phenomenal.

The Blue River is best fished in the spring and fall when the heat of the summer and the low flows can make fishing inconsistent at best. You will mostly catch brown trout but might catch an occasional rainbow trout. And if you walk past the herds of cows and find a beaver pond or a section with deeper water, you have a good shot at getting into some heavy-bodied fish.

The Blue is easily accessible from a crisscrossing of roads from Alpine to Pigeon Creek. The Blue River Road parallels the river for most of its run. With this much access, you'd think the river would be inundated by anglers but it's not. Even with the road beside the river, I always feel like I am secluded, out away from it all.

Be respectful of private property which tends to be well-marked on the Blue. My suggestion is to pencil the Blue into your plans before you make the trip and only write it in permanent ink if the White Mountains are in a wet year. If that's the case, stick to the Blue and its numerous tributaries and stay away from the crowds on the White River.

Directions: From Phoenix, travel east on US 60(also known as Superstition Freeway) through Glove to Show Low, then southeast on Highway 60 to Springerville, then south on 180/191 through Alpine, then south on FR 281. The Blue River runs alongside FR 281.

Species of fish: Brown, Apache trout. Equipment: You'll need no more than a four-weight on this intimate stream. Wade wet or wear hip waders or wade wet.

Flies: Elk Hair Caddis (12-18), Quill Gordon, 14-18), Trico (18-22), Blue Winged Olive (16-20), Yellow Sally (10-14), Stimulator (8-12), Adams (12-20), Hare’s Ear Nymph (10-18), Caddis emergers (14-18), Pheasant Tail (12-18), Stonefly nymph (8-12).

Where to eat and sleep: Alpine is the closest town but you’ll probably want to stay in Springerville --- Springerville Inn (520) 333-4365. If you do want to stay in the immediate Alpine area, wild as it is, Mountain Hi Lodge (520) 339-4311 or Hannagan Meadow Lodge (520) 339-4370.

BLACK RIVER
I once caught so many fish upstream of Burro Creek that I got tired of fishing. I know that sounds crazy but I set down my rod, took out a sandwich, sat on the bank and enjoyed the wild-ness and angling success of the Black River.

I went through all my Adams Parachutes (I had three left, size 12, 14 and 16) and when they tore those up, I tied on a tan Elk Hair Caddis. They tore that up. Anything I put on, the trout attacked. The meadows were alive and green. Hoppers flew up from the grass as I walked along. I fished clear, deep beaver ponds. I didn't see another human all day long. And I think the middle canyon section of the West Fork has better habitat and bigger fish. So imagine the kind of trip you can plan.

This gem of a trout stream forms the border between the San Carlos and White Mountain Apache lands and requires a special daily permit for fishing and camping. Most of the best fishing on the Black River is to be found in the spruce and fir forests in alpine settings in the White Mountains. One of the side benefits for the angler is that the Black River is one of the best smallmouth streams in the state. The trout fishing ain't bad either.

The Black River runs through some of the harshest, loneliest and most scenic country in the West. You have a good chance of seeing deer, elk, bear and even bighorn sheep. In the summer, the two forks, the East and West Forks, are usually low and clear. Apache trout inhabit the upper stretches of the rivers, rainbow and browns in the middle sections, brown trout in the lower mountain stretches, and a mix of bass and trout in the lowest stretches.

The East Fork is the most popular and in stretches, you will feel relatively crowded. Hit the upper reaches of the East Fork to get away from it all and fish in pristine water. The East Fork is brushy in spots and is punctuated by riffles and pools, some long, still pools, and lots and lots of rocks. One can reach the East Fork as it crosses Forest Road 249, and as it parallels Forest Road 276 further south.

The West Fork of the Black River is a mountain headwater, and is brushy, sometimes difficult fishing for spooky rainbow and brown trout. Some Apache trout are found in the upper area. Access is by way of dirt roads and a four-wheel drive vehicle is the only way to go. Forest Road 116 is the easiest way to access the West Fork of the Black River.

Directions: From Phoenix, travel east on US 60(also known as Superstition Freeway) through Glove to Show Low, then southeast on Highway 60 to Springerville. If you want to access the West Fork, take a look at the national forest map or DeLorme. You can take several routes but one way is to travel south on FR 273 to FR 116. If you want to access the East Fork, continue south from Springerville on 180/191. You can then access the East Fork easiest from Hannagan Meadow or from Alpine on several forest roads.

Species of fish: Brown, rainbow Apache trout.

Equipment: A 3 to 5 weight rod. Wade wet or wear hip waders or wade wet.

Flies: Elk Hair Caddis (12-18), Quill Gordon, 14-18), Trico (18-22), Blue Winged Olive (16-20), Yellow Sally (10-14), Stimulator (8-12), Adams (12-20), Hare’s Ear Nymph (10-18), Caddis emergers (14-18), Pheasant Tail (12-18), Stonefly nymph (8-12).

Where to eat and sleep: Alpine is the closest town but you’ll probably want to stay in Springerville --- Springerville Inn (520) 333-4365. If you do want to stay in the immediate Alpine area, wild as it is, Mountain Hi Lodge (520) 339-4311 or Hannagan Meadow Lodge (520) 339-4370. You can also stay in Greer if you plan to fish the West Fork of the Black and the Little Colorado. Try the Red Setter Inn (520) 735-7441 or Greer Lodge (520) 735-7216.

MOUNTAIN LAKES
The variety and numbers of lakes in the White Mountains is staggering. This area is blessed with so many great trout fishing lakes, it would take several summers for the ambitious angler to effectively fish them all.

On these lakes try Muddler Minnows and wet dressings like the Hare's Ear, Brown Hackle and Peacock Lady. For most of these lakes, typical lake patterns like Woolly Worms, and Woolly Buggers in black, yellow, olive and brown work well. Zonkers in various sizes are popular, and so are Peacock Ladies.

The insect hatches are mayflies, caddis, damselflies and midges. Attractor patterns are successful but at times you will need to match the hatch. Local shops sell a lot of strange-looking, black, orange-butted flies and claim they do well on most of the lakes. Plan to fish very early on the lakes. Using a float tube is the best plan and cast into the weed beds using a sinking tip or slow sinking line and stripping a Zebra Midge, Killer Caddis or Mosquito Larva.

A-1 Lake: MDW: This high-altitude lake (8,900 feet) on the White Mountain Apache Reservation provides good fishing for rainbows and brookies in its 24 acres with easy roadside access. Located about twenty miles east of Pinetop, this is a good option to cruise in your personal watercraft (rafts, bellyboats, kickboats, canoes). Anglers can fish from the shore and have easy casting room.

Becker Lake: This irrigation impoundment of 85 acres lies the middle of grassy plains two miles northwest of Springerville. The lake opens in the spring, closes at the beginning of winter, with this timeout creating a trophy trout fishery for rainbow and brown trout. The lake's not much to look at but a spring helps keep the water clear and the temperature steady, and as a result, the trout in Becker Lake grow rapidly and to impressive sizes.

Big Lake: Big Lake is a 500-acre lake in the White Mountains, 9000 feet above sea level. That's a pretty big lake for such a high elevation. Big Lake holds rainbows, cutts and browns, and is best fished by boat or float tube. The lake experiences windy conditions, so be prepared. Big Lake is an extremely fertile fishery. Dry flies are useful in the shallows and sinktips are handy to get down to the fish when they aren't looking upward. Anglers do hit the lake in great numbers and is popular for campers and families. Despite the pressure, the lake is one of the best producers in the region.

Christmas Tree Lake: This 40-acre impoundment five miles south of Hawley Lake on Route 26 holds obscenely fat native Apache trout and some brown trout, but has a fee fishing per day and a limit of twenty anglers per day (first come, first served). Christmas Tree Lake has good dry fly fishing especially at the inlets of Moon and Sun Creeks. If you want a chance to catch a monster trout, a record trout, Christmas Tree Lake is the stillwater choice for you. Just get up early.

Earl Park Lake: Flyfishermen love this tree-lined lake. The scenery is spectacular, the large Apache and rainbow trout rise willingly in shallow water to dry flies and the regs say you must release all fish you catch. Why wouldn't they like this lake? Located near Hawley, this forty-seven acre lake, anglers can fish from the shore but the best method to fish for lunkers is from a float tube or other personal watercraft.

Horseshoe Cienega Lake: This 120-acre lake is popular, one of the most-fished of the reservation lakes. In the summer, the lake becomes weedy but don't let that discourage you --- weeds mean a haven for insects especially damselflies, Baetis and Callibaetis. The state record brown trout of sixteen-pounds and seven ounces was caught here. Horseshoe Cienega has some great dry fly fishing at times. The hogs are finicky and most of the trout you'll catch are on the smallish side.

Lee Valley Reservoir: This picturesque thirty-five acre lake is restricted to lures and flies, and has a possession limit, so check regulations. Anglers fish here for rainbows and Apache trout, brook trout and for a change of pace, grayling. Lee Valley Lake lies at the foot of Mt. Baldy and is one of the most scenic lakes in the state. Lee Valley Lake can be reached along Highway 273.

Mexican Hay Lake: There's a reason the word "hay" is in the name of this lake. The lake is often so dry it is just a hayfield in a meadow. Even when the snowpack is heavy, the lake is only about ten-foot deep. Located about 15 miles from Springerville on Highway 273, Mexican Hay Lake doesn't hold any trophy trout but plenty of catchable size rainbows. Shore fishing is almost impossible for the weeds so you'll need a float tube.

Sunrise Lake: This is a big lake, some 900 acres when full. Sunrise Lake is perhaps the crown jewel of White Mountain lakes, complete with high altitude (9,100 feet), big fish and lots of them. Sunrise holds big rainbow trout and the average size runs from 11 to 15 inches. The lake is also stocked with graylings, some of notable size. Even the brook trout can reach two pounds here in this fertile lake. Sunrise is located thirty miles east of Pinetop. Since the lake isn't ringed by trees like other lakes, the wind can be a problem at times.

Other productive lakes in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and reservation lands include Greer, Lyman, Mexican Hay, Hurricane, Luna, Nelson, Scotts, Concho, Rainbow, Show Low, Drift Fence, Fool Hollow, Pratt and Crescent Lakes (and that’s just a few of the quality lakes).

Greer
Bob's Flyfishing
with End of the Line Hand-Tied Flies
P.O. Box 282
Greer, Arizona 85927
(520) 735-7293

Pinetop/Lakeside
Mountain Outfitters Fly Shop
560 White Mtn. Blvd.
Pinetop, Arizona 85935
(520) 367-6200

Pine Top Sporting Goods
747 White Mountain Blvd
P O Box 1169
Lakeside, AZ 85929
(520) 367-5050

Paradise Creek Anglers
560 West White Mountain Blvd.
P.O. Box 1129-D
Pinetop, Arizona 85935
(520) 367-6200

This article is courtesy of Mark Williams