Abe’s Motel and Fly Shop on the San Juan River

Abe’s Motel and Fly Shop has been a staple of the NM fly fishing scene on the trout mecca that is the Quality Waters of the San Juan river since 1958. This successful family-owned business includes a fly shop, motel, RV park, grocery store, gas station, restaurant and lounge conveniently located just below the Navajo Dam in northern NM. Land Abe’s is located on 8.11 acres in the high desert beauty of San Juan County, NM.  Surrounded by sage brush and pinion-covered high mesas, cliffs, and valleys, the sunrises and sunsets are breathtaking with colors that have to be seen to be believed. Improvements This iconic family business includes a fully-stocked fly shop, a 56-room motel, RV park, grocery store, gas station, restaurant, bar and lounge.  Also included in the sale is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath on-site cottage with approximately 1500 sq ft of living space. Abe’s is ready for a new owner to make this place their own dream come true. It is set up and ready for an easy transition into re-opening. This property would be ideal for Airbnb and or VRBO. The location is ideal for all the fishermen and women who come to this world-renowned area, which is why the  business has been successful for more than six decades. The rooms will come as shown including all furnishings, linens, and towels. The restaurant was one of the few in the area, and a popular spot for those traveling through, staying onsite or spending the day fishing.  The restaurant was well known for their box lunches, which were a favorite of fishermen who needed something on the go. The lounge is a wonderful gathering spot for after a long day of fishing. It’s a place to come together with your friends or meet new ones, and share the stories the day has brought. It is a cozy and comfortable place decorated with pictures and heirlooms of Abe’s history. The fly shop has everything an angler would need and want for a trip to the San Juan or the reservoir. It’s the place to come with for fishing advice and to make sure you’ve got the right fly for the season. The shop also offered small grocery items and necessities. Being one of the only shops around, Abe’s truly was a one stop shop for any angler. *Buyer to verify all dimensions and measurements. The 1951 GMC truck and drift boat do not convey with the property. Recreation Only a short drive away from the infamous, but relatively remote Quality Waters of the San Juan River and Navajo Dam, Abe’s is in an ideal location to capitalize on all the fishing, lodging, and dining needs of the throngs of visitors who frequent the river and the reservoir. General Operations The motel offers a variety of room configurations and sizes, including 1, 2, and 3 bed options with kitchenettes and a 2 double bed room with no kitchenette option. The fly shop comes fully stocked with high quality products including waders, wading boots, rods, and reels from companies such as Orvis, Umpqua, Aqua Design, Rio, and more, plus one of the largest fly selections in the area featuring specialized patterns developed for and proven on the San Juan.  A full fleet of rental gear also conveys in the sale. The RV park includes 16 full hookup spaces and is able to accommodate RVs of any size. Please contact listing agent for financial information regarding the business. History The history of Abe’s goes back over 60 years to 1958. When Abe and Patsy Chavez pioneered a masterpiece which was able to accommodate anglers with all they would need. Abe and Patsy moved to Navajo Dam & started their business before the dam was  built and dedicated in 1962.  They each have deep family roots in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado with family histories dating back several hundred years.  The young couple provided services to the dam construction workers and later to fishermen and sportsmen visiting the San Juan.  Once the dam was completed in 1962 the San Juan River became  one of the finest trout fishing resources in the country.  Rainbow and Brown trout were stocked in the San Juan following the construction of the dam.  The low water temperatures, typically low 40’s near the dam, clear water and abundant trout food sources made the San Juan River into a fabulous fishery.   During the 1960’s it became clear that the San Juan would be a very special place  therefore, the State of New Mexico set aside about 3.5 miles of river immediately below the dam as “Quality Water”.  Today this is the Special Trout Water section in the NM Fishing Proclamation. As Abe’s grew, the needs of  sportsmen continued including a Motel, Grocery store, RV park, Fishing Guide services, Boat Storage, Restaurant and Lounge .  Their business prospered and became a popular family business with each of their children working in the fishing business. Their love and passion for people, family and fishing was evident in their hospitality and dedication. Abe’s has hosted world renown fishers and photographers from around the world. The rich history and  love that is a part of Abe’s Motel and Fly Shop will continue to grace and bless the hands of the new owner. Location It has been said that trout only live in beautiful places. The San Juan River that flows through the high desert of Northern New Mexico only offers credence to the quote. From its humble origin high on the snow-capped peaks of the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, its crystal clear waters tumble and cascade down remote canyons and rocky mountainsides, until it is gathered and harnessed in its impoundment of Navajo Lake, straddling the border of two great western states. The release from deep behind the high walls of the dam that hold these waters in restraint and issue forth— gin clear, highly oxygenated, and nutrient rich, provide a perfect habitat for the trout below. It is a place that fly fishermen dream about, when they dream about places to fish. ​If it only offered beautiful, healthy fish that number in the thousands, then the San Juan would be enough to earn its accolades as one of the top destinations to fish in the U.S. But there are more; far more, reasons that make this river a Mecca for trout fishermen the world over. Its broad flats, interspersed with deep pools, runs, tailouts, and eddies, make it one of the most wade-friendly rivers in the West. The predictable and controlled consistent flows also create a tailwater fishery that is a pleasure to float by driftboat, without encountering anything beyond intermediate class waters, unlike many other well known western rivers. And then there is the scenery—miles of it. Picture gin clear water flowing between the bluffs of high mesas, dotted with pinon pine and juniper, changing in color as the sun makes its arc through a bluebird New Mexico sky. Picture the home of ospreys, eagles, and great blue herons along the banks of a river in the high desert, lined with giant cottonwoods and willows. Picture the home of mule deer, elk, river otters, beaver, coyotes, and mountain lions. Picture all of this; if you can, and when the sun begins to sink behind a spectacular horizon and the sky begins to fill with deep hues of reds, pinks, and yellows that turn the ochre buttes and bluffs into a remarkable natural light show, you will know why they call this river and its surroundings The Land of Enchantment. – Jay Walden