Taos angler Nick Streit will be the speaker at the New Mexico Wildlife Federation’s April “Wildlife Wednesday” presentation. The free event will be at 5:30 p.m. April 10, at Marble Northeast Heights Tap Room, 9904 Montgomery NE, Albuquerque.
Streit, owner of the Taos Fly Shop and The Reel Life fly shop in Santa Fe, will give a free presentation titled “Where are the fish? Reading water, finding trout and strategies to catch.” His presentation will include information on fishing the April caddis hatch on the Rio Grande.
Streit has worldwide fishing experience, including time in Alaska, Argentina and Cuba. Even so, he says he feels drawn to his home waters in Northern New Mexico.
“Being this far south in the Rockies, but also at a high elevation, we’re really lucky because we have ample sunshine and good weather, but enough water to have good trout fishing at the same time,” Streit said of New Mexico.
“And in particular, New Mexico’s not known as a fly fishing destination the way Colorado and Montana are, and other places. So most of our rivers are still really lightly fished,” Streit said. “And it’s completely normal to find yourself down on the Rio Grande with the whole river to yourself. So, pretty weather, good places to fish and light crowds kind of sums up why it’s so good here.”
Streit was born into a fly fishing dynasty. He started guiding at his father’s business before he was old enough to drive.
Nick Streit’s father, Taylor Streit, started guiding anglers in Northern New Mexico in the 1970s and opened the Taos Fly Shop in 1980. Taylor Streit has written extensively about fishing, including his 2020 book, “Fly Fish Taos, Santa Fe, New Mexico.”
Nick Streit’s uncle, Jackson Streit, owns and operates The Mountain Angler in Breckenridge, Colo., and has authored the book ”No Nonsense Guide to Fly Fishing in Colorado.”
Nick Streit and his friend and fellow guide Ivan Valdez purchased The Reel Life, a fly shop and guide service in Santa Fe, in 2012.
When Nick Streit is not working, Nick is usually camping, hunting or fishing somewhere with his wife Chrissy and their two children, Taylor and Christian.