2010 Northern Rockies Fishing Summit

[igBand]

Alright - let's see what we can make happen here. I know this is probably like herding cats, but I figured it's worth a try.

Anyone in the region or from afar that is at all interested in a little get together at some point this summer, chime in here. Once we get some ideas down on paper, I'll work on putting all together to see if we can come up with something that works for everyone.

I'll start -

Time: July/August
Where: Option 1 - Jellystone. Maybe start in the park with some camping and fishing on foot, and/or then two days from Gardner down.
Option 2 - Two days on the Big Hole - upper on Day 1, and then below Melrose on Day 2

What's on people's minds?

[2FUNKY]

I would be down for the Bozeman area at the end of June early July. Stones and Salmon Flies. Camping up the canyon and hitting the Gallatin. Easy campin and the Gallatin is just off the chain that time of year. Another venue could be Beartrap. Hike in from the top, or bottom, would lend a ton of water and excellent fishing. Between the lakes is usually banner then as well. I am just so over the fucking park.

[schwerty]

I'd choose MT too but we had been kickin around the Green in another thread for quite a while. I think Skifishbum was the instigator. If my memory serves me right, the idea was to do a spring Summit and the Green in UT is usually on then.

I'm also I'm favor of the place where the most mags could show up. And, as I think I stated in the other thread, (might be the Traveling Rod thread??), someone should take in a few thoughts from posters and just dictate when and where. Otherwise we will bitch, whine and ultimately try and convince eachother when and where has the best fishing. As I see it, a fishing summit should be more about the gathering than the fishing. We will cach fish as long as we make an educated decision on the location.

My .02:

Spring - Green in UT or Henry's Fork. Henry's if later in the spring, green if earlier.

Summer - SW MT. I'd vote for trying to catch an area soon after run off. That's anybody's guess right now though.

[gretch6364]

As long as it is after May 15 I would be in for a camping and fishing summit as long as you do it within 1,000 miles of Denver. I would prefer sometime between mid June and end of August.

The weather in May is usually too rainy and cold for day long motorcycle rides and September is archery season in CO. So far the only thing I have committed on my Calendar for that time is a wedding over the 4th of July....basically, just count me in!


edit: If there are any other Colorado moto mags that want to ride out, we could all ride together, maybe stop a night and do some fishing on the way or something. I have a bunch of vacation to use this summer, and I have a Harley Street Glide, so lots of room for stuff.

This might be the first time I am excited for summer to get here...maybe it is because the snow has sucked so bad

[igBand]

Spring - Green in UT

I like this idea a lot. Never been down that way.

[Burrrr]

I would like to participate if the dewstination is the Green. I am in Denver and I would be happy to drive. Of course fishing along the way is mandatory.

I also have a brother 'n law in Steamboat who can get his hands on a Hogg Island ride and he owes me a couple days rowing.

Before I speak to soon, I never fished the Green... how is the flow in early spring? Just being lazy and don't want to look it up...

[skifishbum]

I would like to participate if the dewstination is the Green. I am in Denver and I would be happy to drive. Of course fishing along the way is mandatory.

I also have a brother 'n law in Steamboat who can get his hands on a Hogg Island ride and he owes me a couple days rowing.

Before I speak to soon, I never fished the Green... how is the flow in early spring? Just being lazy and don't want to look it up...

Flows are ussually good till the yampa peaks and they do a flush. Last yearthey fucked with the penstocks and water temps were not ideal. The lower B can be chocolate milk w/ runoff or a spring gullywasher storm. I still vote for a mid river camp drunken seclusion and good wade fishing.

[gretch6364]

I still vote for a mid river camp drunken seclusion and good wade fishing.

This would also get my vote...you get enough people and it is easier to hike stuff in since you have economies of scale for things like cookware, etc....you could do a four or five day stay and people can come and go as they please or stay the whole time.

I would think we should weigh risk vs reward when choosing a site. I think it would be better to pick a place we know is going to be decent fishing for sure with a possible awesome as apposed to a place that could either be epic or complete shit and unfishable due to flows and other unknown factors...that is just my opinion though.

I just want a place outside of CO that is not packed with non-maggots.

[skifishbum]

Cottonwood camp ~ 2miles down from little hole put in Hike/bikeable back to cars.
Good shaded site Reservable, Awesome lazy susan backeddy, Shitter ,10 mile "A" float to camp. Still a good 3 or 4 miles of great "B" fishing if red creeks blown. Pic a date will reserve.

[igBand]

Cottonwood camp ~ 2miles down from little hole put in Hike/bikeable back to cars.
Good shaded site Reservable, Awesome lazy susan backeddy, Shitter ,10 mile "A" float to camp. Still a good 3 or 4 miles of great "B" fishing if red creeks blown. Pic a date will reserve.

Sounds like the perfect location to me

[gretch6364]

Cottonwood camp ~ 2miles down from little hole put in Hike/bikeable back to cars.
Good shaded site Reservable, Awesome lazy susan backeddy, Shitter ,10 mile "A" float to camp. Still a good 3 or 4 miles of great "B" fishing if red creeks blown. Pic a date will reserve.

Cottonwood Camp (north side)

The last of the first six campsites. It is one of the favorites for the hikers. It marks the end of the trees in the valley along the north side of the river. It is situated right on the top end of a backwater of the Marinas Trench hole. As you might expect it is deep. Very good fishing, a lot of cruising fish and a great run coming into the hole. There is a new restroom for hikers using the river in Devils Hole about 50 yards behind this camp.

http://www.fishgreenriver.com/river_campgrounds.htm


The site says you are required to have your portable bathroom even if there is one close....I guess bring a widemount gatorade bottle

[gretch6364]

Oh, and I don't think there is anything wrong with having two of these trips. I vote we do one on the green when it is fishing well (late spring I am guess????) and then we could do one in Montana in the summer.

[neckdeep]

If you are planning for July/Aug, keep in mind that this is shaping up to be a poor water year so far, especially in SW Montana. SW Montana rivers can suffer poor flows and warm temps to the point that August fishing goes to shit and some rivers have thermal closures in bad years. The open rivers take up the slack and get packed with guides. I'll probably be stuck inside trying to sell rods and flies, anyhow, but thats my 2 cents. Also don't overlook Seedskadee NWR on the Green. With a large group, you overcome the one hurdle up there, the lack of a shuttle service. I'd be tempted by an overnight at Seedskadee. A buddy of mine went down there last summer to do a photo shoot for a gear company and boated 5 and 6 lb browns while chuckin streamers for the camera. The photos may turn up in a cloudveil ad some day.

[gretch6364]

Also don't overlook Seedskadee NWR on the Green. With a large group, you overcome the one hurdle up there, the lack of a shuttle service.

Are there a lot of us with boats? I know I don't have one, so somewhere with decent wade fishing is important to me personally....unless there are enough boats for me to tag along...but not sure how likely that is.

I mostly fish the tailwaters in CO, which is almost all bottom release, so I am unfamiliar with dealing with the aforementioned warm water issues.

[neckdeep]

If you can afford a pair of skis, you can afford a modest riverworthy inflatable. Granted most CO rivers are swift, skinny and sucked dry to water lawns in Denver (leaving barely enough water to float a bar of soap), but the boat gives you so many more options and stillwater action too. Nothing wrong with wading, I wade probably 4 or 5 days for every day I float, but it's not easy to spread out a group on a smaller, wadable rivers.

[schwerty]

Sounds like we are back to the Green idea. I've fished it but don't know enough about the area to weigh in. I can say that I like the idea of seclusion as much as everyone else. However, being that most of us will likely be traveling a decent distance it might be best to find a car camping spot and float or Wade out of there. I read the posts above and it seems like the cottonwood site is hikeable with some gear...how long is the walk...am I gonna be able to pack in all the booze I need?

To complicate things more... It seems like we have a lot of boats that could make the trip. I am into wadig everybit as much as floating but is the proposed area on the Green a good place for a bunch of us to be walking/wading? Is it possible to do a B float in a day, shuttle back to the B ramp put in and get back to camp in a day? I've only camped in the C section so excuse the Jong questions!

[gretch6364]

I've only camped in the C section so excuse the Jong questions!

You think you are JONG, I did not even know there were ABC sections until I read this thread.

Neckdeep...I am sure I could afford to get a boat, but so far it just seems like to much of a hassle for me. You need shuttles and a couple people and you have to drive your car to the river, have a place to store it, etc.

I am more of a pack up the Harley with the fishing gear, a tent, sleeping bag, some whiskey and some food and just go for a couple days and fish/hike.

Plus like you said, most Colorado rivers are fast and skinny and you wouldn't even want to float them. Anyhow, a river that is good to float usually has some decent wade fishing somewhere.

Anyhow, the Green sounds like a good plan. Let's pick a place and date and get some campground reservations made.

[teleee]

I am in! I have a few trips planned with the gal, one in April and one in May, but beyond that I am there. Also can drag my boat to wherever. I like the thought of an A float with camping on the B and then float our hungover asses down the rest of the B. Lets get a roll going with number of people and boats!

[72Twenty]

I am tentatively in. Not sure how my summer is going to shake out yet, but I have convinced my wife to let me shop for a pop-up camper trailer this spring! I will have to see about work and if I can get away and for how long, etc., plus see what kind of driving distance I am looking at.

August might put a pinch on me because I work for a university and that is our busy time, but I will keep an eye on things.

[ak_powder_monkey]

I'll be down there by september

[Happy Fun Ball]

July is my month long break from my masters program and I have six weeks of vacation to burn in 2010. Would be a great excuse for a road trip from Michigan for me.

[igBand]

End of July or August best for me if we go summer. May if we try to squeeze it in before run off. And I can haul a boat down if needed.

[Lexi-Bell]

Great idea igband, I'm sure it will be a good time.

am I gonna be able to pack in all the booze I need?

Yep, I'm saddled with the big cooler problem as well.

SW Montucky in July gets my vote. June could be problematic with runoff. So many options (Madison, Gallatin, Yellowstone River, Big Hole, Mo, Spring Creeks, lakes, etc.) Neckdeep has a good point, August has a good potential for being tough fishin, especially this year.

I can haul a boat and a couple folks around, and if you don't know how to row after a day with me you will!

[adipose]

Depending on the dates, I would be interested in a rendezvous on the Green either in Wyoming or Utah. I would prefer early spring/pre-runoff.

[gretch6364]

So far it looks like we are split between the Green in the spring and Southern Montana in late June or July.

Burrr, if there is one on the Green in the spring, do you want to car pool and split up gas?


I vote we do both personally....I know I would show up to both.