Canyon Creek

     Located just 2 hours from Phoenix, Canyon Creek boasts some of the best fly fishing in the state.  Canyon Creek is located on the Mogollon Rim off of the Young Rd.  Take highway 86 from Payson East to the top of the rim, then start looking for Young Road on the right hand side. Take a right at Young Rd. and follow the signs that will lead you down to the 2 different sections of the creek.  Be careful, the road can get really muddy after a rain or snow-storm.  You won’t need 4-wheel drive during the dry season, but once that road starts getting a lot of water on it you will have a hard time getting out on 2-wheel drive.

     There are 2 main sections on the creek.  There is the Upper section for stocked Rainbow trout (located directly below a fish hatchery) and the Lower Catch & Release section.  The upper section is stocked with Rainbow trout twice a month April through September.  The best time to fish this section is right after the stocking truck releases the fish.  There are lot of bait fisherman and nearby campers who come to the upper section for a little relaxation and some fish.  Needless to say, the fish don’t stay in the water long.  The Lower section is a quality water 2.5-mile Catch & Release fishery.  The Catch & Release section holds a very large number of Brown trout.  Most of the fish are 12-15 inches with the occasional 20+ inch Brown.  The Lower section is NOT stocked and the fish are self-sustaining and reproduce naturally.  The best time to fish is early morning just before the sun comes up and late afternoon as the sun is going down.  Taking advantage of these low-light conditions will help you stay camouflaged a little better.  Stealth is the key to success on this creek.  Don’t walk upright  to a hole wearing an obnoxious colored shirt and expect to catch anything.  The fish are very spooky.  Remember to move slow and stay low, crawl if you have to.  I've crawled up to the creek more times than I would like to remember, most of those times I have been rewarded with a few fish.  With a little stealth and a lot of patience you can do very well.

  My favorite sections of the Upper and Lower creek are surrounded by bushes and trees, because of that a short rod is best.  I prefer a 7 1/2 foot 3 to 5- weight rod and use a variety of different flies.  The most successful flies for me have been Parachute Adams, Royal Wulff’s, Red Humpy’s, Hares Ear’s, Holy Grail’s, Semi-Seal Leeches,  and Woolly Buggers.  I use a 7 1/2 -9 foot 5x leader with a foot or two of 5 or 6x tippet. 

     On your next trip check out this creek and try out your skills on one of Arizona's best creeks.  If you catch a fish here you can catch fish just about anywhere.  Remember to Catch and Release.

Bigbrowns,

Adam Young.