Our Philosophy

American Waters & Land, LLC is a fisheries management consulting service specializing in fly fishing water and trout habitat management plans, developmental plans and assessment.  AW&L’s key focus is on balancing fly fishing with fish habitat to achieve fishing friendly habitat with a natural look to optimize recreational fishing and enhance the overall quality and value.  AW&L works with large ranches, guest ranches, recreational ranches, fish biologists, trout stream restoration projects and other entities.

American Waters & Land teams with established ranch and real estate brokers such as Gould Land and other private market ranch brokers.  These relationships allow us to provide fisheries management plans, assessments and developmental plans as marketing tools for sellers.   AW&L provides consulting services to potential property buyers to help them better understand the fishing potential of the property they are considering.

AW&L recognizes and respects your needs with knowledge from 27+ years of on the water fly fishing guiding and outfitting.  We understand sporting and ranching traditions with professionalism, exclusivity and privacy.

 
 
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Services

American Waters & Land, LLC offers on-site and off-site assessment and consulting services.  Each assessment and plan is different just as each stream and ranch is different.

On-Site 

On site involves traveling to your location, ranch or property.  This allows for more comprehensive assessments and plans by seeing first hand the water, the ranch and project needs.

Off-Site

Off site consulting is available through modern technology.  By nature, off site is less detailed, typically for baseline purposes with generalized plans.

The Process

Upon initial contact, we have a couple phone conversations and emails to gather information and establish a working rapport.  Terms are discussed, a letter of engagement is agreed on and we begin.

After the assessment we put together developmental, management and/or fly fishing plans and programs. We present these plans to the client.  The management plans and fly fishing program plans can be integrated with your existing ranch plans and recreational programs.

For ranch and real estate brokers representing sellers, these plans can be implemented as improvements prior to listing or can be available as part of a ranch’s multifaceted listing and marketing plan. American Waters & Land, LLC also consults with brokers representing prospective buyers so they better understand the full scope of a ranch’s recreational fishing potential. We are available to help you find quality fly fishing properties.

Consulting fees vary from project to project based on many factors.  Factors such as size, scope of work, on site or off site and the plan’s complexity factor into the cost.  A fee schedule will be included with letter of engagement.  For ranch and real estate brokers our fees are typically structured as either a consulting fee that might be part of land transaction closing fee or payable directly with agreement. 

 
 
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About

Dave “Doc” Thompson has been a professional fly fishing guide and outfitter since 1995 and has been an Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide since 2004.  He was honored as the 2006 Orvis Endorsed Guide of the Year and has been an Orvis Guide of the Year finalist in 2012, 2015 and 2017.  He has spent decades as a fly fishing guide and outfitter working with ranches, guest ranches and landowners to assess, manage and develop fly fishing programs.  He has been on the ground floor developing fly fishing management plans and programs for Orvis Endorsed Lodges and other prominent ranches in New Mexico and Southern Colorado. Through AW&L, he works with ranches, guest ranches, recreational ranches and ranch brokers in New Mexico and Texas.   He is active in the local community volunteering as a board member with Enchanted Circle Trout Unlimited, and volunteers with Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing providing physical and emotional rehabilitation to disabled military members and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying.