Thread: July MT/WY/ID roadtrip: polite request for advice

Hello all,
For the week of July 4 I'll be driving around WY, MT, and likely eastern ID with a couple dudes, a truck full of beer and whiskey, and a drift boat. We've done some basic research and are well aware that this is going to be a kick-ass trip with some great rivers to choose from. But it'd be great to hear some specific advice from those who fish around there regularly. There are so many excellent rivers that it's tough to pick just a few. How are things looking this year? What's not to be missed (fishing, or otherwise)? What's a sweet place to be for the 4th (rodeo, parade...)? In Colorado at least, this is a really dry and weird year, though I'm under the impression that it's not quite so bizarre in WY/MT/ID.

Some details: we'll be somewhat centered around Bozeman (gotta be there the 3rd to drop a guy off, etc). We're looking at a bit over a week, maybe pushing two weeks by the time we add some days before and after the week of the 4th. Hard boat, though maybe we'd bring a raft in addition or instead if it really seems prudent. Like most other fisherpersons, we're especially stoked on native fish, dry flies, etc... Our route is pretty wide-open -- other than the Boz stop, we've got 10+ days to do whatever we like.

And yup, this is my first post, which I realize is a bad time to ask for advice. I have been lurking for years with various surges of good intentions to post some stoke, and am currently in a strong surge due to having a stack of photos from a recent trip to the Alaska Range, along with mag pdiddy. But I haven't quite determined out how to create a TR with photos and all that, and keep riding my bike and fishing instead of figuring it out. I'll get on it soon, fer realz.

Needless to say, if anyone wants to meet up along the way then that'd be great and beer/whiskey/etc shall be yours.

Thanks very much for any info.

Seth

There are ample options where ever you look on a map. Rafts obviously open up some bigger water but I'd pull a hard boat. Yellowstone streams should be excellent but as you should already know they are not available to float. The firehole will likely be too warm to fish. Most others = good .

The Henry's and Madison should both be plenty good for a float or wade. On your way south...the south fork and the upper green should be fishing well by then. The snake in Jh might be in shape depending on whether or not the brain trust governing the damn keeps the flows high.

Subbing so I don't forget to check thread again. Leaving PDX around the 1st, heading to Santa Fe for a wedding the Sat after the 4th, figure there'll be some info here I can use...

13-15th is TargheeFest. Just sayin...

Originally Posted by Tye 1on

13-15th is TargheeFest. Just sayin...

And a hell of a line up! I gotta be in Bozone for a good buddy's wedding that wknd, (look out LB, IG, and Lobsta!), but would have traveled a good distance to see this yr!

It ain't really a secret but I'll let ND chime in on the value of one of the area streams at that time.



CMD - Grab a couple cans of bear spray and hike some Jellystone streams with a day or 2. I'm happy to give you beta as to what's fishing the best a few days before.

In SW MT I like these shops' online fishing reports; headhunters, yellowstoneangler, Montana troutfitters, bigholetrout.com, sunrise fly shop, frontier anglers, big sky angler, Flyfishyellowstone.blogspot, parks fly shop, and the slide inn.

Bump this thread as your arrival approaches, we are in a slightly below normal water year so some hatches are coming early and some a bit late.

Ha, I'm doing almost the same trip: leaving Seattle the 29th and returning the 8th. We're planning to hit the N. Fork of the Clearwater (actually K.C. ...not exactly a secret but I'd rather it go unspoken) for a few days and then to Slough Creek in Jellystone, hitting anything that's fishing good in between.

Originally Posted by auvgeek

Ha, I'm doing almost the same trip: leaving Seattle the 29th and returning the 8th. We're planning to hit the N. Fork of the Clearwater (actually K.C. ...not exactly a secret but I'd rather it go unspoken) for a few days and then to Slough Creek in Jellystone, hitting anything that's fishing good in between.

If you have a chance the Green can knock your socks off. Despite low snow the tail H2O below the gorge can be great. Section "b" to get away from the "rubber" hatch.

Everything should be fishing by then. Runoff is concluding this week, more or less. Freestone river graphs are showing diurnal cycle pattern again, so the bulk of the snow is about done melting out. It will be gone by the 4th. If its salmonflies you want, yeah, they'll probly be hatching somewhere on the SF during the 4th holiday but expect a redonkulous crowd of drift boats for that hatch and a shitpile of jet boats out for the holiday(class I, high volume). The HF should have pmds and maybe drakes going strong on the upper half of the river if you want to try the Harriman park and some technical dry fly in a C&R, barbless zone. Above the park, there is the Box canyon and the Riverside>Hatchery Ford section below the park for floating (both are class II, rock dodging). Upper Teton will have pmds and yellow sallies hatching if you want some mellow meadow stream floating (good for teaching a beginner to row and good fishing too). The Madison is good fishing too but they don't call it the "100 mile riffle" without reason. It is class I but requires solid rock dodging skills. It also has a deserved rep as a nympher's river with the good dry fly action occuring primarily during the magic hours.

Thanks everyone for the recs so far.

We're looking at maybe starting off with the Upper Green (Pinedale area etc), and then working to HF, Madison, etc. Might have to skip the SF this time around -- shoulder to shoulder ain't my idea of awesome.

Any thoughts on the Beaverhead, Big Hole, Salt...?

Thanks.

The Salt is coming into shape and can be tons of fun. You can find a big brown or cutty once in a while if you wanna pull large junk. Dry fly fishing is the best way to go IMO over the summer months. You're not gonna be blown away with a bunch of 18-20" fish but beautiful stream and floats! Very little pressure too!

The big hole should be excellent, top to salmon fly, (Melrose). Might even be good on the lower if the water hasn't turned into a moving hot tub. Great floating river.

If flows on the Beaverhead are steady, fishing will be good. Stay on upper.

Another question (yeah, I'm full of 'em): are there any sweet 4th of July options to be aware of anywhere up there? We'll probably be up in MT by then, maybe in the vicinity of Bozeman. Cool small-town parades/rodeos? Good party spots? Music? It'd be great to find a worthy 4th option that's somewhere near some good fishing.

Thanks schwerty for the hole/salt/head info.

Ennis and Livingston both have 4th parades/rodeos, although Jackson Wyoming is my personal favorite spot to celebrate our nations birthday.

Jackson is pretty cool. You could even see me in the parade! While all that stuff is fun, if I didn't have a four yr old that loved that stuff, I'd get lost in the woods or on a river for that holiday.

Originally Posted by Ignatius

Thanks everyone for the recs so far.

We're looking at maybe starting off with the Upper Green (Pinedale area etc), and then working to HF, Madison, etc. Might have to skip the SF this time around -- shoulder to shoulder ain't my idea of awesome.

Any thoughts on the Beaverhead, Big Hole, Salt...?

Thanks.

I'm not from that area, but have made a similar trip in the past. A fly shop in the Upper Green area that I won't name sent me to the Upper Green which fished amazing. However, it was August and water wasn't that high that particular summer. The nice man in the fly shop recommended I take my hard boat ABOVE Warren Bridge. Maybe I'm a giant pussy, but we were constantly dodging rocks and got stuck 4 times, once in a pretty bad way. The camp sites around Warren Bridge are really nice if they are not too crowded.

The Beaverhead is the river I dream about all year long. If you are heading up from the Denver area, you may want to consider hitting the Platte in Saratoga depending on flows. Not that many people fish it and it's worth the quick stop for a day float. It seems Grey Reef is really producing big browns and rainbows this season too if you don't mind the crowds, heavy wind, and not as choice of scenery as Montana/Idaho. Maybe that's just my opinion.

You will still dodge rocks above Warren Bridge but the flows are higher this time of year, making it more difficult to get stuck. There is really one one spot btwn camp 8 and the bridge that can be a real pain.

Thanks for the Green info, fellas. Any guesses on how it's fishing currently, or how it'll be in a week? schwerty's earlier post indicated that it might be still early/cold, I think?

N. Platte is a logical first stop, but then again it's something we hit as a weekend trip anyway. So we're mostly looking to get into some new waters and thus are thinking to pass it by this time. Also, I hear that the Saratoga area is getting low, and assume it'll be even lower in a week.

Originally Posted by schwerty

CMD - Grab a couple cans of bear spray and hike some Jellystone streams with a day or 2. I'm happy to give you beta as to what's fishing the best a few days before.

We're actually considering heading there for a day or two as the lady has never been. Shoring up potential itinerary now so will see what the milage is like from there to a few other places we have to stop at. Will PM you for advice.

We split Boulder early due everything being on fire. Floated the Salt yesterday, 111 to McCoy. Wow, Star is a really lovely valley.

Fishing was thoroughly enjoyable but slightly slow, especially as we got lower. There was a monumental caddis hatch on, plus sallies, big mayflies (quills and maybe others). we got solid but not spectacular surface action and a few on nymphs. Biked the shuttle, floated to dark, and got into Jackson just in time to secure burgers and whiskeys. Great day.

S Fork today.

Is there any way to post photos from the tgr app?


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How long are you in the Jackson area for? We'll be rolling through Sunday.

Let me know when you get into the W. yellowstone area, and I will let you know how stuff is fishing. Hebgen is finally starting to fish well, the Maddy is going well to. I am planning on a Birthday fish and float this SUnday starting at Henries lake and then the Maddy in the afternoon/evening. There are a TON of people out right now so be ready for crowds, especially if you put in early.

The slow fork was south, the boat martinis delicious, and the scenery lovely. That's a large river -- sporty fun rowing relative to the home turf.

Seems like we're slightly early on these waters so gonna head onward. Madison tomorrow probably. Or maybe green.


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Originally Posted by Ignatius

The slow fork was south, the boat martinis delicious, and the scenery lovely. That's a large river -- sporty fun rowing relative to the home turf.

Seems like we're slightly early on these waters so gonna head onward. Madison tomorrow probably. Or maybe green.


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You are not early for Idaho, it is primetime for some hatches. Upper HF has major mayfly hatches going. Teton has stones and some mayflies. I've been doing great wading in the whitewater sections. Got consistent action on dries (yellow sallies) for the first time three days ago. Spawning closures end tomorrow for local creeks. Damselflies are hatching on the local lakes. It's on!

Floating the SF is all about being on the right section for the season. I got dragged out on the upper last weekend and my prediction that it would suck was correct. We got one fish in ten miles. Then the two of us who got skunked caught plenty of fish the next day by hiking in to get the tail end (its done) of the Teton's salmonfly hatch. Sure helps to have lots of bugs around! SF has stonefly action but its currently down below Byington, 40 miles below the dam, where the water is warmer. If you recently went out on the SF up high, you also got hit with the 2500cfs flow increase that just happened and, yeah, that can be a long day.

Originally Posted by Ignatius

The slow fork was south, the boat martinis delicious, and the scenery lovely. That's a large river -- sporty fun rowing relative to the home turf.

Seems like we're slightly early on these waters so gonna head onward. Madison tomorrow probably. Or maybe green.


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The South Fork was slow cuz the flows were bumped up. The fish need 2-3 days of stability before the bite is on.

Hit the Green if you're not already on your way north. Less people. Excellent fishing.

Pinedale kicks ass, as did today's float.

Hogs. Hogs they got round here.

Morale is high.


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