For decades, Abe’s Motel & Fly Shop has drawn many residents and tourists to the banks of the San Juan River. After sitting closed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the historic fly-fishing business reopened recently under new ownership with extensive modernization plans.
Jarrett Johnson and his mother, Margaret Vandervalk, officially assumed ownership of Abe’s on April 10. Johnson has managed the nearby Navajo Lake Marina since 2013, overseeing more than $20 million in capital improvements and major expansions, and purchased Sims Marina in 2018.
“We’re trying to take a legacy property that has a world of significance to the community, and to make it better, but not to replace what was there,” Johnson said of Abe’s Motel & Fly Shop.
He said that reopening the facility was important to many, as the nearest gas station requires a long commute to Aztec.
“I’ve been in the area for 13 years, and drove by the property almost daily for 6 years, seeing it closed, and thought it was time to see it open for the community,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of people here that rely on that facility down there,”
Johnson’s first order of business was replacing the antiquated fuel dispensers with 24-hour credit card-capable systems. Other planned upgrades include installing air conditioning throughout the grocery store, restaurant, bar and motel rooms, as well as updating the RV park and adding high-speed Wi-Fi. A new public pavilion will feature a horseshoe pit, barbecues and a corn hole area for guests.
Despite the digital and infrastructure overhauls, Johnson intends to maintain 100% of the property’s heritage. The original neon sign, which had been damaged by hail, is being restored, repainted, raised 6 feet and fitted with LED lighting, but it will retain its exact shape and name.
“The updates we are doing are basically refreshing and revitalizing the infrastructure, not trying to change it from its historical past,” Johnson said. “We’re trying to give it a little more curb appeal and color.”
Abe Chavez originally opened the business in 1958 before the Navajo Dam was built. It started as the Navajo Dam Post Office to serve construction workers and soon expanded to include a motel, grocery store, RV park, restaurant and fishing guide service.
For years, Chavez’s children – Randy, Nadine and Timothy – ran the daily operations of the popular family business.
The business closed its doors in March 2020 due to the pandemic. Timothy Chavez, who managed the fly-fishing operations for 40 years, said his father had gathered the family in 2017 to discuss selling the business after developing a Parkinson’s-like illness. His father later died in 2019, and the family recently lost their mother, Patsy Chavez, who was 88, in January.
After the pandemic closures, the family ultimately decided it was time to sell.
Timothy Chavez, who operated the business seven days a week with his wife, Andrea, and son, Garrett, said he hopes longtime customers will view the transition as a positive step.
He is pleased that Johnson is bringing much-needed technology upgrades to the property, saying Johnson’s knowledge of computers and modern technology will help lead Abe’s into its next chapter.
While Johnson prepares to launch guided fly-fishing services under the Abe’s name, Timothy Chavez plans to travel to surrounding states and continue guiding independently.
“When we were running Abe’s, we were very devoted to it,” said Timothy Chavez. “It took a lot of our time. And being that we ran seven days a week from sunup to sundown. And so now, hopefully we’ll be able to travel a little bit.”
Despite the changes in ownership, he said the area’s main attraction remains as strong as ever with the business being in good hands.
“I think Jarrett’s going to have a top-notch facility in time, for fishermen to enjoy, like they have for all the past decades that we were in business,” Timothy Chavez said. “It was just a little mom-pop business, but it kept us busy.”