By Michael Hodock
Doc Thompson is a trout devotee, to say the least. Like most New Mexicans, he cares about his community and tries his best to help out where he can. What’s special about Thompson is he figured out a way to combine those two passions, making a difference in the lives of people and wildlife across a huge chunk of the state, especially a group of Americans who he said are fighting an invisible battle.
“People can see the physical disabilities. Some are major — a missing hand due to military service — but they all have hidden things going on. Unseen disabilities from their military service, the emotional and mental scars,” he said. “I just want to bring awareness of that to the general public. I think it’s our duty as Americans to honor those who have served to help protect and provide for the country.”
Thompson is the director and coordinator of the Trout Warriors fishing and community outreach program. He’s also a board member and the former president of Enchanted Circle Trout Unlimited (ECTU), Trout Warriors’ parent nonprofit and fiscal agent. Formed in 2023, Trout Warriors began with the idea of using fly fishing, fly tying and other fly fishing-related activities and education to benefit disabled veterans in New Mexico.
“Whether it’s something stemming from PTSD, traumatic birth and injury [TBI] or any other kind of disabilities related to their military service, the action of fly casting, fly fishing and fly tying helps to develop stamina, some strength and helps to reconnect muscle memory with the brain” he said. “And of course, on the mental end of it, being outdoors and out on the water in itself is very therapeutic. The concentration needed for fly fishing or fly tying has been found to actually help stimulate concentration and improve the ability to focus.”
The Trout Warriors are a volunteer-led organization that typically hosts two outings a month. Fishing trips happen in the summer, and during the winter, they hone their skills tying flies. Most events are in-person, but they also offer online fly-tying sessions via Zoom. Thompson said this year they’re doing two overnight, multi-night fly fishing retreats for disabled veterans. These events are free of charge for disabled veterans and active duty participants. If you can make the drive to the fishin’ hole, they cover the rest.
“We provide the volunteer staff, equipment, flies and terminal tackle for anyone who needs it, thanks to our donors and supporters,” Thompson said. “There are times when we actually hire fly fishing guide services to give them for full-blown guided trip. Our two overnighters are free of charge as well.”
The group also hosts fly fishing 101 beginner classes, which are free for any veterans and active duty military members. At the moment, they have three events slated. Even if you’re not a veteran, you’re invited to participate for a nominal fee. It might cost you around $25 to attend. Most Trout Warriors events occur during the warmer part of the year in Northern New Mexico, where trout fishing tends to be better, but they do travel to other areas if the opportunity or the need arises. Thompson says it’s not exactly “cut and dry” that their events take place exclusively in the summer months. This year has been a mild winter, so by March 1, the Trout Warriors were out on the water. They just had an outing in Estancia on April 5.
“We met at the American Legion hall in the morning to go over the basics of equipment and what trout eat, basic flies, how to rig up,” Thompson said. “In the afternoon, we went to the town pond and everybody fished for a couple of hours. Some people caught fish, some people had strikes. We give them an introduction and expose them to fly fishing and ‘whet the appetite’ so to speak.”
Thompson said the fact that one of their members lived in Estancia was reason enough to plan an event in the town. After becoming acquainted with the American Legion Post and Mayor Nathan Dial, who Thompson says is a big advocate for military veterans, they collectively got the ball rolling on a fishing trip to Torrance County.
“I say it jokingly — but for some people it was serious —the ‘Estancia blizzard of 2025’ brought three inches of snow and windy and less-than-ideal conditions,” Thompson said. “We started with 20 people signed up for the class, which was the max, and seven or eight people braved the elements to attend.”
Thompson said that a much-needed “fluke with Mother Nature” will help the fishing, and everything in the long run, so the minor inconvenience didn’t lower their spirits much.
ECTU, the Trout Warriors’ parent company, is a chapter of the National Trout Unlimited organization. Thompson said the group is most focused on what he calls the “four pillars” of ECTU: trout conservation, youth education, the Trout Warriors Program and Casting For Recovery New Mexico.”
“We’re a diverse group of people that love to fish, people that love trout, and overall outdoor enthusiasts who speak for the trout, so to speak,” Thompson said. “We’re active with trout conservation projects and we have various forms of community outreach. Some of it includes youth and education through a program we do called Trout in the Classroom. We also help out with a group called Casting for Recovery New Mexico, which does an annual weekend-long fly fishing retreat for ladies who are recovering from breast cancer.”
Thompson said their trout conservation effort comes in multiple forms through partnering with various entities, ranging from government agencies to like-minded nonprofits who participate in hands-on trout habitat improvement projects, literally putting more trout in New Mexico waters. ECTU is an active participant in several Rio Grande cutthroat trout restoration efforts.
In November of 2024, ECTU assisted in completing a nearly nine-mile trout habitat project on the Cimarron River flowing through the Colin Neblett Wildlife Area in Cimarron Canyon State Park. Thompson said ECTU was also directly involved in a project led by the Cimarron Watershed Alliance along with New Mexico Game and Fish. The project was funded through a program the Environment Department has called the River Stewardship Program.
Thompson said a notable project occurred a few years back when ECTU lent a hand to the big Rio Grande cutthroat trout stocking project in the Rio Castilla Watershed area of the Via Vadal unit of the Carson National Forest. Thompson said the habitat improvement plans and design work for that project were spearheaded by Oxbow Ecological Engineering and contractors KCMC Services. ECTU applied for grant money from the New Mexico River Stewardship Program and secured funding. According to Thompson, since many of their efforts take place on Forest Service land, much of ECTU’s contributions fall along the lines of advocacy — writing letters of support for various projects — and raising seed money to kick-start some of these projects.
“The grant money requires basic plans ahead of time so they know that you’re legitimate,” he said. “The seed money that gets raised is then used to help plan and develop what’s called a concept plan, and once that’s all in hand, [the organizations] take those concept plans and use that to then seek funding. Once the real funding flows in, then the project proceeds and ultimately is completed.”
According to Thompson, ECTU has plans in the works to do some projects and hopefully some outings in the Jemez area, which is close to where other Trout Warriors participants live. Many of them are experienced anglers who fish on their own time, and some of them become pretty good fly fishers after sharpening their skills through the program. Some of their favorite splashing grounds are in an area most New Mexican trout enthusiasts know about, even if they haven’t ventured up into the mountains surrounding Angelfire Resort: Eagle’s Nest. He says they frequently pull out 20-inch rainbow trout, and the occasional pike or perch.
The Trout Unlimited organization as a whole has an extensive reach, hosting events and improving habitats throughout the entire state from the San Juan River in the north down to Las Cruces in the south. There are a total of four Trout Unlimited chapters in New Mexico. ECTU is based in Northern New Mexico, but as we know, they host events hundreds of miles away if duty calls. Truchas Trout Unlimited is based in the Santa Fe region and participates in conservation efforts in the Jemez area. Albuquerque’s Bosque Trout Unlimited chapter borders Sandoval and Torrance Counties, and down south, the Gila Trout Unlimited chapter covers the Las Cruces and Silver City region.
If you’d like to learn more or volunteer with ECTU, you should check out their website at ec-tu.org/about.
Thompson said almost every year ECTU invites the public to join them for “cleanup days” where they get together and pick up trash along whatever trout stream needs it. The next conservation project in the works will be a Rio Grande cutthroat trout stocking up in the upper end of the Rio Grande in the Wild Rivers area. Without donations, it would be difficult to do these trips, so for those interested in pitching in to assist them with their statewide efforts to help humans and fish alike, and honor those who made big sacrifices during their military service, you are encouraged to donate at ec-tu.org/donate. You can keep your eyes peeled for events or just enjoy photos and news about the Trout Warriors group on their Facebook page.
“If you’re interested in trout, there are all sorts of ways to help and volunteer,” Thompson says. “It’s not all just sitting around talking about fishing, sometimes that’s the furthest thing from the conversation. How can we help benefit the trout in this stream? How can we help be a part of making this stream have cleaner water? Clean water and trout go hand in hand, just like community outreach and education.”