With an abundance of lyricism and insight, Steven Meyers writes about the natural history and sporting opportunities found on his home river, the San Juan of New Mexico.

Rising out of southern Colorado's majestic San Juan Mountains and flowing through the arid hardscrabble of the Southwest, the San Juan has garnered a devoted following of fly fishers. This classic tailwater fishery is renowned around the world for easy access and trophy-sized trout. But with fame comes a cost, and the river is now host to a carnival of crowds, poachers, and crass trophy seekers. Meyers mourns the loss of solitude while celebrating his own ways of seeking solace on a river known only superficially by most who fish its hallowed pools and riffles.