Grant Creek- Coronado National Forest, Arizona
I fished in Grant Creek for a couple of hours on the last day of our trip. This was the Grant Creek in the Piñaleno Mountains (Mount Graham) near Safford, not the Grant Creek that is a tributary to the Blue River (I've fished there as well). It's similar to Three Rivers Creek here in New Mexico in that it doesn't so much flow, as fall, from the great heights of a rain and snow capturing mountain. There's been plenty of snow this year, so it was flowing out into the flat desert scrub that surrounds this "sky island" range.There was still plenty of snowpack on the upper reaches, so I was fishing down in the junipers, oaks and bare sycamores around 4,500 to 5,000 feet elevation. I caught a couple of trout. One 8 or 9 incher that looked like an Apache/rainbow hybrid, and one heavy 14 or 15 incher that looked mostly like a rainbow. The water was high (inundating the lower few feet of the trees at some pools), a bit murky, and very cold. Both fish were caught deep, but it would be blast to come back when the water was bit lower and try some dry fly fishing. The stream may be more popular than one would imagine given its remote location. There's a minimum security prison along its lower reaches with resident employees who appear to be fishing it from time to time. Except for the last 1/2 mile to 2 miles or so on the rough forest road, the approach to the lower stretch of the creek is all on paved roads, if you are coming out from Safford or from I-10.Looking upstream before leaving, at the staircase of waterfalls and deep pools that continued up the mountain, I wished there had been more time to really explore this place. Oh well, I guess there's always next year.
Labels: flyfishing
posted by Devon Fletcher at
3:36 PM
22 Comments:
Nice post about Grant Creek. I currently live in Sierra Vista and really miss fly fishing. Can you post the location of this place? Thanks again for the post. I also want to get to the Gila.
Garrett take I 10 to 191 north,at about 25 miles take 266 west,after maybe another 20 miles or so there is a paved road turnoff for Fort Grant( which is a prison) drive all the way to the end of paved road then onto dirt(it's a little weird here because it feels like you're driving through someone's backyard),but make sure to head straight and north.Don't turn to the right.You should see a fence at the back of the houses and an opening for the forest road 157.You can drive a few miles on this and find some parking where you can.There is one crossing that can be pretty deep in the springtime.You can also fish Grant Creek from the top of the mountain,but you have to wait until summer for that.
I have fished Grant creek numerous times...but always from the top....I need to try it from the bottom this year.
Ash creek on the north side of the mountain is good fishing too.
I fished Ash creek a few years back,hiking several miles up from the bottom. I remember catching a couple of fish that looked mostly like apache trout and then having the day cut short by the outrageously windy March weather. I'd like to get back there too.
Going to give it a try very soon! Thanks for the info guys.
I'm going to try it next weekend. Going to the top for 4 days. Had enough desert living and need some cool weather and pine trees. Good post Devon
I went there about month ago and no water in the thing. There were small pools of water holding fish and some pools had numerous dead fish in them. Not good. We need more rain and soon..
I fished in northern NM back in June,but I don't even want to look at the Gila,until conditions get better. What a change for Grant Creek from last year when the water was flowing under the road to Klondyke. I've read that they are putting Gila trout into streams on the east side of Mt. Graham like Ash Creek and Marjilda(sp. I hope they can survive.
I fished lower Grant Creek last October (2011). Several nice plunge pools, even under low water conditions. Saw a few fish in the 10" - 11" range and had some action on a Joe's Hopper pattern.
Could someone describe the fishing conditions in upper Grant Creek along trail #305 hiking in from the Swift Trail? Is it true that it's a 2000' descent from the trailhead to get to fishable water? Are there Apache trout in the stream? I've fished Ash Creek by hiking in from the top in the past, but Ash Creek is closed to fishing for the next few years beause G&F has turned it into a Gila Trout nursery.
Also, what patterns other than grasshoppers have been successful on Grant Creek?
Gary, I haven't fished from the top,but from what I've read, it can't be followed all the way down.Trail 305 doesn't follow the stream the entire way either,but does provide access to Grant creek,Post, and soldier creek and yes it looks to be about 2000 feet down. I used some standard nymph pattens.Yes it should be Apache trout in the upper section. Also Big canyon Creek to the south had Apaches as well, and may have them still.
Grant Creek Destroyed by Another Failure of Forest Circus
I'm not sure why your comment showed up four times, but what does it mean exactly?
Gold bead head nymphs size 14
to Devon
Meaning The Catastrophic Fires at the Headwaters of Grant Creek, Ash and the Former trout streams in the Chiricahua Mountains being destroyed by the vicious cycle of Fire suppression, climate change leading to the degradation of a formerly amazing and unexpected trout streams reduced to trickles in 20 foot deep flood gouged drainage channels ......
Thanks for clarifying. I didn't realize this had happened on Mount Graham. I visited the Chiricahuas back in the early 2000s and the trout were no longer in Cave Creek and only a few survivors were in Rucker Canyon.
Devon I Enjoy your writing and that you are a fine small stream fisherman , wishing to see more of your prose , wise thoughts. And , of course Fishing stories ps does your better half fish ?! I taught my lady how to fly fish ( Norman McClain style in the movie version of River Runs Through It
No, she doesn't, but she's the one who got me started fishing in the canals on Galveston Island. She fished as kid but didn't really keep it up as an adult. Thank you for your kind words. I'm hoping to do more fishing now that I have a little cabin up at Horse Mountain, which puts me in reasonable reach of Negrito Creek, Tularosa River and the San Francisco River.
Hello, Devon I was wondering if you had any luck catching any trout in Rucker canyon in recent times? Where would you recommend a person go to try and catching a trout in the Chiricahua mountains? I live about 30 minutes from there and would love to have a close drive to go fishing?
I haven't been there in many years. The trout that I saw in Rucker Canyon were right below where the dam was and they weren't particularly small. There still may be a few left. I don't know if the other streams that had trout on the west side (West Turkey Creek, Rock Creek)have any at all. I remember reading that since they were not considered native to the Chiricahuas that they were not going keep populations going. I know that Cave Creek did not have any left when I visited in the first decade of the 2000s. Mount Graham streams might be a better bet because they have been trying to establish Gila Trout populations in some of the streams on the east side of the mountain. Ash, Fry and Marijilda Creeks have populations, but I don't if they are allowing fishing yet. I fished Ash Creek many years ago and caught a couple of Apache Trout ( that was what was in there at the time). It was very rugged, and very small, but fun. There is a lot more opportunities within about 1- 2 hours of the Chiricahuas.
Awesome, I appreciate the info. Thank you!
Hi i’m looking for my first gila and ive heard about the mt graham streams looking to get my dad his first aswell but he is not a big hiker what would be the easiest stream to access on mt graham ive seen graham creek that looks relatively easy to get to. any help is appreciated.
I think all the Mount Graham Gila Trout Recovery streams are closed to fishing right now. Frye Mesa Reservoir can be fished. It looks like the only two streams that are open to catch and release fishing seasonally in AZ are Dude and Grapevine Creeks. East Verde River is stocked seasonally too. In New Mexico , Mineral Creek will take about a 1/2 mile to a mile hike to get to the Gilas. White water Creek nearby is similar and you can use the Catwalk. Sapillo Creek, plus the Middle and West Forks of the Gila will require hiking a mile to two miles but it's very easy walking. Most of the other Gila Trout streams require a backpack unless you're some kind of trail runner.
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