Wyoming Fly Fishing Report

[thephili...@gmail.com]

I was out in Wyoming last week for a wedding in Jackson Hole, and we decided to make a trip of it by spending 3 nights in Yellowstone and 3 nights in Teton Village. Fresh off the Orvis 101 and 201 classes and well equipped with our beginner outfits, my buddy and I were pumped to fish the "mecca" of fly fishing. Before I left, I did a little research on the current fishing reports and mapped out a few places that seemed to be HOT. Little did I know, the mild weather turned into the hottest week Yellowstone and Jackson have had in years... 

For the first 3 days in Yellowstone, the initial plan was to fish Yellowstone Lake and the Firehole River. It turned out the Firehole was literally too hot, and after talking to a ranger who counted over 200 dead trout in the river we didn't even try to fish that river. We also didn't even try to fish the Lake, since we didn't have a boat and didn't think we'd have much success from the shoreline. With no internet and little advice on current fishing conditions, we ventured in our car to scout out areas we thought would be ok to fish.

Day 1 of fishing - We started on the Yellowstone River... oops. Turns out the area we were fishing doesn't open until July 15. The ranger told us to fish Wolf Lake, but that's a 10 mile hike round-trip and our girlfriends were with us, no dice. The compromise was to fish cascade lake which was near wolf lake but only a 5 mile hike round-trip. No one was at the lake, and we fished it for a few hours. I caught 3 small trout, but many more bug bites. My buddy didn't catch a thing, except for his calf. Fortunately, the only fly fishing video I watched before I left for the trip was how to remove a hook. This helped! The girls were bored, and annoyed with the bug bites they were getting. We called it a day. Note: find something that can occupy girlfriends while fishing, otherwise you can't enjoy fishing. 

Day 2 of fishing - Before starting out on Day 2, the girls made us find out what rivers were HOT with fish. I called the Jackson Orvis shop and the JD High Country Outfitters to find out what recommendations they had for Yellowstone fishing. We received conflicting reports from both shops. No bueno. The guide at JD High Country Outfitters seemed to be more detailed and helpful than the Orvis guide, so I went with what he said. We headed out early that morning to fish the Madison River. As we were driving along the river, we counted 3 fly fishermen. This was a good sign for us. We drove up river a few miles more and got out to fish. Better conditions here, less bugs, and the girlfriends could tan on the shoreline. All around victory, I was improving my back cast and roll cast techniques, except, we didn't catch any fish. In fact, I only saw one fish the whole time we were there. Heads down, we packed up and left for the hotel. 

Day 3 of fishing - After arriving in Jackson, we drove to the Orvis store to ask for advice on where to fish. Once again, no help. They said everything was too hot, and they were less than friendly. This really surprised me considering the generosity I've experienced at the Arlington Orvis shop. My buddy and I wanted a second opinion. So, we drove down to the JD Country Outfitters. They were once again very friendly and helpful, so we thought. "Fish the snake river here. Walk up the tow path 1 mile and you should have a great fishing spot. Or you can fish the hoback around here, the flat creek is ok, and you could even fish lily lake." We got up early in the morning, set on fishing the snake river. That was the area which the guide gave us the most detailed fishing directions. We knew exactly where to go, how far to walk, and what to do. Unknown to us, you can only walk up the river about a half mile, then it turns into private property. That was our first setback, the 2nd was the fresh bear droppings on the tow path, and the third was the speed of the river. It had rained the night before, the river was muddy and the water was raging. We packed up and set on our own quest for a good fishing spot. Fish creek, all private. Lilly lake, private property with a T-pee in the back yard. Don't want to mess with someone who has a T-pee in the back yard. Teton National Park, accidentally threw away our Park Pass the day before. Once again, huge fail.

Overall, the fly fishing trip was a huge let down, and we were really disappointed with the help we received from the fishing shops and the guides. It seems as if the shops were more concerned about selling their guided fishing trips (which cost in excess of $300) than helping new fly fishers have a good time. As a result of my buddy not catching any fish in the "mecca" of all fly fishing spots, he may even sell his outfit and quit fishing all together. I don't blame him, but I'll try to keep him in the sport. 

Has anyone else had similar experiences? If not, how do you make sure you're going to be in a good fishing spot when you travel? 

[Vic Velasco]

Tour guides in mecca are expensive - just like hotel rooms around Disney World are expensive - but hey, supply and demand drive prices right?  Those guides have to eat too.

If you're not going to get a guide, finding a forum like this one and doing the research seems to be the next best thing.  I've learned my fair share here, but if I can't achieve my objective (catching a big gar, carp and snakehead), I'll save some change and hire a guide (Rob - I'm giving myself another 4 weeks - after that I'm going to book a trip).

[Misha Gill]

Yeah those guys see a lot of tourists, in their position I would probably get jaded too. 

To answer your next to last question, yeah definitely, we've all been there. To answer your last question, I'll refer to the Five P's of Lawyering: Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. The hunt for information is part of the game. If you embrace it, it can be almost as much fun as the actual fishing. It builds the anticipation. Of course, in time you have to learn to manage your expectations as well, because luck is the final ingredient in the most epic trips and you can't get lucky all the time. If that sounds kind of Zen, you're reading it correctly.

As you discovered, some internet searching was not quite enough information to get you on the right spots (although from the conditions you described, anyone would have had a tough time). You could have spent the money to acquire a guide who has already sorted out the Five P's in the area, but there are cheaper methods. Having been in the middle of great trout country and yet still been stumped on where to go next, don't you wish you had spent a couple bucks to buy a book on fishing in the region? A similarly wise investment would be to join your local TU chapter. TU members are a wealth of information and are always giving presentations about trips to far off places like Yellowstone, and the added bonus is that you're helping to support the fisheries you use. A final cost effective method for getting info is magazines. I have subscriptions, cause I'm a junkie like that, but you can order back issues of destination mags like Eastern Fly Fishing (and its regional corollaries) online. 

My last words for you are to keep your head up. You went on a trip that could have been epic but your luck was not with you. That will change with persistence. Fishermen are eternal optimists - we have to be. Why else would we get up at ungodly hours to travel to obscure and remote destinations? Just try to find the brighter side of things when a destination doesn't live up to your expectations. As they say, a bad day on the water beats a good day at the office. You really have to live that phrase to appreciate it though. 

[Eric Y.]

It is hard to get over trips like yours, but most of us have had similar experiences. When living in SW VA, I drove up to PA twice to try my hand at steelhead and never even got a bite. That's just the nature of the beast. For what it is worth, Wyoming probably isn't quite the trout mecca you hoped it would be, with rivers overflowing with hungry fish eager to take a fly. Any public access area a fly shop will point you to will have fish that receive extremely high pressure and are very wary to begin with. If you're just starting on the journey and haven't ever fished for really wiley trout, Wyoming is a tough place to get much love. Those fish see flies on perfect drifts, thrown by veteran trout fishermen, day in and day out.  Natrona County (pop. 75,000) reported that they sold over 20,000 out of state fishing licenses last year and I'd bet that Teton and Sublette Counties see figures even higher than that. It is discouraging to get skunked, but it is all part of the process. At least you didn't go just for the fishing, but as a side trip to an event you would have gone to either way.

 

Regarding your friend's desire to dump the long stick all together: if he doesn't appreciate the challenge and isn't motivated by past failures, maybe that's not such a bad choice for him. I had a friend give up fly fishing under similar circumstances of failure, but in his case, his expectations were just too high. You can't just show up in Key West and expect to catch your weight in bonefish when you are just starting out (which was what he did). The same guy gave up golf when he couldn't break 100 his first summer hitting the links. Some folks are just wired that way. Wyoming could be the trip of a lifetime, but if you don't fish for a certain species or in a certain water regularly, you should probably expect your success rate to be extremely low.

[thephili...@gmail.com]

I was hoping I could get by on my own accord, but next time I may have to either do more research or succumb to the cost of paying an expert. Thank you for your input!

[thephili...@gmail.com]

Thank you Misha, Vic, and Eric for your input and empathy. I'm hoping next time will be better!

On Tuesday, July 9, 2013 6:34:36 PM UTC-4, thephili...@gmail.com wrote:

[Dalton Terrell]

Misha's post was solid advice, you don't to hire a guide to be successful on these trips but it goes a long way. Also, three bills split between two guys is probably less than you spent on the Crate and Barrel serving bowl set given to the bride and groom. Also, don't overlook his recommendation for a book, with a decent book on Wyoming fly fishing, you wouldn't have had to rely on the Rangers and fly shops to find locations and access points to fish.

Dalton

[Bryan Lanier]

A few weeks ago I spent two days fishing the Dream Stream section of the South Platte. My dear, darling wife bought me a guide for the first day (not cheap at $385) as a birthday present. It was worth every penny.

Dan had recommended Dave Lovell in the Denver/Colorado Springs area. Fabulous recommendation.

I'm new to fly fishing (one year) and without his teaching skills and local knowledge no doubt I would have been skunked. 

As it was I caught 4 trout (rainbow, brown, cutbow) high sticking with an indicator and dropper with various midges. They were in the 12-14" range. I also had a couple of larger (18"-24") trout that spit the fly before I could land them (bummer). 

Also caught were a couple of substantial "sucker fish" as Dave called them. To me they looked like carp (or some subspecies). Dave would not take fotos of them. I guess you could call him a trout snob.

I think Dave was disappointed that I didn't catch anything larger. I have to admit that prior to the trip I had visions of landing a 24" trout that would give me the fight of my life. But the ones that I caught had plenty of fight. On the first one I started reeling it in. Dave told me to relax and enjoy the moment, keep the tip high, pressure on but let it run. He was right. I have to say that the moments after the strike were pure pleasure, feeling the line play out, the trout trying to free himself, getting tired and finally netting my trophy. Releasing that magnificent creature and watching it leisurely swim away will keep me coming back.

Thanks Dan for your mentoring and thanks Dave for a wonderful day in Colorado!

Bryan

On Wed, Jul 10, 2013 at 11:26 AM, Dalton Terrell <daltonb...@gmail.com> wrote:

Misha's post was solid advice, you don't to hire a guide to be successful on these trips but it goes a long way. Also, three bills split between two guys is probably less than you spent on the Crate and Barrel serving bowl set given to the bride and groom. Also, don't overlook his recommendation for a book, with a decent book on Wyoming fly fishing, you wouldn't have had to rely on the Rangers and fly shops to find locations and access points to fish.

Dalton

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[Rob Snowhite]

The dream stream is one tough section.  Glad to hear you got into so many fish. Watch out for zonkeys on the back cast ! 

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[Bryan Lanier]

Zonkeys?!

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[Matthew Longley]

A bad day on the river beats a good day pretty much anywhere else.  To echo Eric's sentiment, if your friend doesn't get that, fly fishing might not be the sport for him.  At least picky trout fishing.  Maybe get him into some warm water species if he wants action.

On Wednesday, July 10, 2013 1:10:40 PM UTC-4, Bryan wrote:

Zonkeys?!

On Wed, Jul 10, 2013 at 12:33 PM, Rob Snowhite <r...@robsnowhite.com> wrote:

The dream stream is one tough section.  Glad to hear you got into so many fish. Watch out for zonkeys on the back cast ! 

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 10, 2013, at 12:29 PM, Bryan Lanier <bryan....@gmail.com> wrote:

A few weeks ago I spent two days fishing the Dream Stream section of the South Platte. My dear, darling wife bought me a guide for the first day (not cheap at $385) as a birthday present. It was worth every penny.

Dan had recommended Dave Lovell in the Denver/Colorado Springs area. Fabulous recommendation.

I'm new to fly fishing (one year) and without his teaching skills and local knowledge no doubt I would have been skunked. 

As it was I caught 4 trout (rainbow, brown, cutbow) high sticking with an indicator and dropper with various midges. They were in the 12-14" range. I also had a couple of larger (18"-24") trout that spit the fly before I could land them (bummer). 

Also caught were a couple of substantial "sucker fish" as Dave called them. To me they looked like carp (or some subspecies). Dave would not take fotos of them. I guess you could call him a trout snob.

I think Dave was disappointed that I didn't catch anything larger. I have to admit that prior to the trip I had visions of landing a 24" trout that would give me the fight of my life. But the ones that I caught had plenty of fight. On the first one I started reeling it in. Dave told me to relax and enjoy the moment, keep the tip high, pressure on but let it run. He was right. I have to say that the moments after the strike were pure pleasure, feeling the line play out, the trout trying to free himself, getting tired and finally netting my trophy. Releasing that magnificent creature and watching it leisurely swim away will keep me coming back.

Thanks Dan for your mentoring and thanks Dave for a wonderful day in Colorado!

Bryan

On Wed, Jul 10, 2013 at 11:26 AM, Dalton Terrell <daltonb...@gmail.com> wrote:

Misha's post was solid advice, you don't to hire a guide to be successful on these trips but it goes a long way. Also, three bills split between two guys is probably less than you spent on the Crate and Barrel serving bowl set given to the bride and groom. Also, don't overlook his recommendation for a book, with a decent book on Wyoming fly fishing, you wouldn't have had to rely on the Rangers and fly shops to find locations and access points to fish.

Dalton

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[Bamboo Ed]

Hi, I've been fishing in Yellowstone 3 times in the areas you described and its just tough fishing out there. The Madison gets a lot of pressure. I go with someone that has been been going there since 1990 and knows every single hole. I would think it would be tough to show up without some local knowledge. Even with that knowledge, I've fished all day and gotten skunked. On the same day, the guy I go with, who is the best trout fisher I know, will catch 2-3.

I got back today from fishing southern wyo on the platte and encampment and some creeks and lakes. With the heat, and the pending hay harvest, the ranches are diverting a lot of water for irrigation, leading to low water levels and higher water temps. The fishing was tough. Still I caught a few really nice fish and the weather was awesome and I had a great time. I think anytime you go across the country to fish you have to accept that the fishing may be bad when you happen to show up.

So we hit some high streams with hungry brookies and 2 different prairie lakes where we caught a bunch of stocked rainbows. That took the sting off the previous bad day.

In conclusion, I think anytime you go across the country to fish you have to accept that the fishing may be bad when you happen to show up. So I sort of look at those trips as fishing tourism in which I tour the area's rivers and bars.

If someone is going out there I can recommend some places to fish.

[tom]

I was out in Big Sky for a wedding in late May.  I think you were there at the wrong time of year.  The first day, we went out on the Gallatin with a guide for a half day and crushed it.  I caught seven trout and everyone in our group of 9 (split between 3 guides) caught at least a few fish. With 7, I was actually somewhere in the middle of the pack.  The reason I mention this is because our guide was telling us that we were there, coincidentally, right around the right time of year.  We we were just a little bit early, actually, as the water levels were still a bit high.  But he was laughing about the tourists who go in the summer and don't have wildly successful trips and complain about it.  He was saying that there are days on the water in the summer where he'll be praying to get his group to catch a single fish.   My point is, try it out in the first couple weeks of June sometime when you can pick the time and you're not beholden to a wedding schedule and you might have a solid trip. 

PS - we fished the Firehole on day 2 and crushed it again, that time without a guide, catching 10-12 trout between the three of us. 

On Tuesday, July 9, 2013 6:34:36 PM UTC-4, thephili...@gmail.com wrote:

[Jeff Ford]

I agree that it was bad timing mixed with probably some inexperience on fly fishing travel. I went to jackson hole the first week of June and had my first 50 plus trout day on the south fork of the snake with the guide from lodge at palisades creek. Most fish I've ever caught before was maybe 15-20 in a day and this guide made all the difference. Over the next 4 days I fished the snake every morning on my own and would only pick up 2 or 3 trout. Fished flat creek and caught 4 one afternoon but clearly the guide was worth it on a big unfamiliar river. Just keep trying and learning how to read the water and present flies because most of the fish I caught own my own would have probably ate any type of caddis or stimulator pattern.

[Rob Snowhite]

Hybrid donkey zebra that roam around elevenmile res. 

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[thephili...@gmail.com]

wow, thats an insane day of fishing! I wish I had your success. maybe next time!

[Richard Farino]

Been watching this and seeing what everyone’s reaction to your less than stellar trip report was.  That’s fishing.  Some days it’s great, some days, not so great.  Some would argue you should’ve went to Montana instead of Wyoming, because that’s the REAL Mecca of fly fishing.  Some, like myself, would’ve said hit Idaho.  The fact is your stars weren’t aligned and you had an event that everyone has happen to them at some point.

 

The Firehole is aptly named.  On many years it closes at some point, as does the Madison, in Yellowstone National Park.  You fish these areas when you can, and then look elsewhere.  There’s a lot of room out there.

 

As for the fly shops, there are a lot of them.  I’m glad you got to go into Jack Dennis’ shop.  He’s done a humongous amount of work for the fly fishing world.  Unfortunately, since you were in Jackson, you passed up a gem of a fishery on the Snake River.  Most people will call it the Upper Snake River.  The cutthroat are everywhere, and that float trip split between 2 guys with tip would’ve cost you $200 each, and would’ve made for a grand day.  You would’ve learned a bit about how to fish, and why you should say “God save the Queen” before setting the hook on those cutties.  It also would’ve allowed the ladies to walk around, shop, and take in the scenery and local food.

 

The same river downstream of the Palisades reservoir is generally called the South Fork of the Snake.  Here’s where the fishing is stellar, but again, you need a boat in most places.  The banks are steep, and the best fishing is obviously further from the boat launch ramps.  It’s my absolute favorite place to fish.

 

Make sure you use all the resources available to you before you take off on a trip with visions of grandeur.  It can be super worthwhile to talk with folks that have been out there often enough (or regularly, as is the case with our employee Alan Short here in the shop).

 

Hope your next trip lines up for you.

 

 

R

 

 

 

Richard Farino

Urban Angler VA | 108 N. Washington Street  2nd Floor | Alexandria, VA 22314

(703) 527-2524 | fax: (703) 527-3313 | ric...@urbanangler.com

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[Jeffrey Silvan]

I really don't want to beat a dead horse, but when you're traveling to a new area or targeting a new species, a guide is WELL worth the money - particularly if you're very new to fly fishing, as I'm guessing based on the "fresh off Orvis 101 and 201 class" comments. I'd also say trout can be one of the more challenging domestic species to fly fish for, with the possible exception of fish on the flats. Even just a half day trip up front would've gotten you the info on not only what rivers to fish, but what to look for, what flies the fish were biting, and presentation techniques. Guides can sometimes be pretty expensive, but just a half day between two people wouldn't have cost much more than a nice dinner, and would've saved you from three days of frustration. I still use guides - even locally in DC - and I've been fly fishing for over 15 years.

In the end, the old saying is true... a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work. At bare minimum, hopefully you were able to learn something - even if its just what didn't work - and you'll be better off for your next trip.

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[Charles.Tapp]

Bryan,

That's funny -- I was out with Dave last weekend on the lower Blue River, north of Breckenridge. I took my father in law out for his first time, hoping to get him hooked. We had a blast, both catching 12-15 fish in the 12-20 inch range, averaging 14inches. I had a couple over 20 that either broke me off or came off (one bent the hook to perpendicular with the shaft). Most fish were taken on hoppers in the morning, and caddis droppers, prince nymphs and pheasant tails in the afternoon.

I'd highly recommend Dave Lovell to anyone looking to fish in the Denver area.

Best,

Charlie

On Wednesday, July 10, 2013 12:29:11 PM UTC-4, Bryan wrote:

A few weeks ago I spent two days fishing the Dream Stream section of the South Platte. My dear, darling wife bought me a guide for the first day (not cheap at $385) as a birthday present. It was worth every penny.

Dan had recommended Dave Lovell in the Denver/Colorado Springs area. Fabulous recommendation.

I'm new to fly fishing (one year) and without his teaching skills and local knowledge no doubt I would have been skunked. 

As it was I caught 4 trout (rainbow, brown, cutbow) high sticking with an indicator and dropper with various midges. They were in the 12-14" range. I also had a couple of larger (18"-24") trout that spit the fly before I could land them (bummer). 

Also caught were a couple of substantial "sucker fish" as Dave called them. To me they looked like carp (or some subspecies). Dave would not take fotos of them. I guess you could call him a trout snob.

I think Dave was disappointed that I didn't catch anything larger. I have to admit that prior to the trip I had visions of landing a 24" trout that would give me the fight of my life. But the ones that I caught had plenty of fight. On the first one I started reeling it in. Dave told me to relax and enjoy the moment, keep the tip high, pressure on but let it run. He was right. I have to say that the moments after the strike were pure pleasure, feeling the line play out, the trout trying to free himself, getting tired and finally netting my trophy. Releasing that magnificent creature and watching it leisurely swim away will keep me coming back.

Thanks Dan for your mentoring and thanks Dave for a wonderful day in Colorado!

Bryan

On Wed, Jul 10, 2013 at 11:26 AM, Dalton Terrell <daltonb...@gmail.com> wrote:

Misha's post was solid advice, you don't to hire a guide to be successful on these trips but it goes a long way. Also, three bills split between two guys is probably less than you spent on the Crate and Barrel serving bowl set given to the bride and groom. Also, don't overlook his recommendation for a book, with a decent book on Wyoming fly fishing, you wouldn't have had to rely on the Rangers and fly shops to find locations and access points to fish.

Dalton

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[TurbineBlade]

I think this is probably a lot like gambler stories.  They (gambler person) will tell you all about winning $5,000 on a slot machine one weekend, but they neglect to mention that they've lost $900 every weekend for the past 2 years prior ;).  Everyone has busted days of fishing -- 

The next trip you take where you catch fish will be 2X as sweet since you've had the sour!  Just keep at it - that's what I do.  

Gene

[Michael Smith]

It's like the Soviet space program: they'll try to send 10 rockets into space and the first 9 will blow up on the launch pad.  But that 10th one they proclaim to the world as an outstanding success.

Michael Smith, CISSP-ISSEP
ryb...@ryzhe.ath.cx @rybolov
http://www.guerilla-ciso.com

Sent from my Android-capable Internet-connected toaster.  Please ignore my Unix-like terseness.

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[Kevin Chaney]

Just to echo some prior comments based on my own experience …

Last year (June 2012), I spent 7 days in Mecca (3 in the Jackson/Grand Teton area, 4 in YStone) for the first time with the hopes of 1) landing the fish of a lifetime (after all most guiding sites / info sites only show 20+ inch fish, right?!) and 2) instilling the love of fly-fishing on my fiancée, so I’d have more excuses to go fly-fishing.

I spent months planning, reading, and preparing etc. (This pre-work must be done – also so when you hit the shops, you at least sound like you know what you’re talking about!)

My thinking was the scenery would help a lot – I can’t screw that up; my challenge would be to put us on fish and land them. That is when humility began to set in: I hit the hoback, and a few other areas and got skunked. Feeling humbled, I hit the Orvis in Jackson to learn more about the areas I researched. Sounds like I had a very similar experience which was a shock to me given how awesome our Orvis folks are here. Feeling slightly belittled, I headed to HC Flies – talk about night and day difference in the attitude. With new intel, flies, etc, we then hit the stream b/w Jenny and String Lake, Oxbow Bend, and Pacific Creek on our way to YStone. However, my luck didn’t really change – a fish here and there but not much else. It was frustrating, but fortunately all I had to do was look around and it reset my mood.

I scheduled a guided float/wade trip on the Madison at the end of our excursion. That was one of the best decisions I made. Our guide (Travis, from Yellowstone Fishing Guides: http://yellowstonefishingguides.com/Welcome.html) was great not only because he put us on fish, but because he took the time to explain the area, how to read water, strategies for success and improved my own casting techniques. Furthermore, he simplified fly casting for my fiancée and it really paid off (she caught several nice fish).

In hindsight, the guided experience not only paid off that day, but also in the long run. It greatly enhanced my knowledge, techniques, and problem solving skills not only for the Yellowstone area, but back home too!

[Greg Feder]

Gene makes an excellent point. 

 

One thing I finally figured out is that blog posts and newsgroup posts are usually (but not always) more interesting when they're about catching fish, so that's what most posts are about.  I thought I was the only one that wasn't catching anything. 

 

“The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind the scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.” –- Steve Furtick

 

Cheers,

 

-- Greg

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[Bryan Lanier]

I've been skunked so many times I'm starting to get a white stripe down my back. Haven't started spraying yet.

Bryan

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[thephili...@gmail.com]

"I sort of look at those trips as fishing tourism in which I tour the area's rivers and bars." doesn't get much better than that, it's a wonderful combo isn't it?

[thephili...@gmail.com]

thanks, Gene!

[Jeff Ford]

Gene - I didn't mean for my post to sound like a gambler! I have definitely been skunked many times trout fishing on my own but have always caught a good number of trout during my 6 guided trips out west. That as what i was trying to say. I personally find the larger waters out west pretty tough to wade fish successfully on my own.