2013 Northern Rockies Conditions

[schwerty]

As usual, please deposit TRs in the main forum. A pic or two is great but if you take a bunch, use the main Fishing page so everyone can see.


This year may have won for the latest I have waited to wet a line in a new year. Kids, works etc...just didn't let go. Reports of the Green in Wyo, the Snake here in JH, the South fork and Henry's fork have all been slapping me in the face. WySplit has been killing it over in the Thermop area. The Madison is apparently fishing very well....and so on.

I reached my breaking point this Saturday and called a multi-family lunch/blood Mary/kids play date with our neighbors short and went down to the snake at the Wilson bridge for a couple hours. Holy shit. I had to walk past the mile marker in annoying slush before I saw free water. After crossing channels a couple times and heading downstream for what seemed like another mile, I finally found a hole to myself where I could not see another angler. The wind had picked up and most surface activity had ceased but the fishing was excellent. Standard fair. The key was a double rig with a 14-16 attractor, (pheasant tail, copper John, whatever), riding almost on the BOTTOM and a bwo or midge about 2-4 inches below the surface. This makes for a slightly awkward rig but good catching. Fish are still feeding and holding in the shallows. This will change soon, as the Ospreys will be heading back and other birds will catch on as well.

Good fishin'!

[teleee]

Way to start up the thread Schwerty! I got the bug early this year and have been hitting it hard already ( much to the chagrin of Miss Teleee).
We kicked off the year with a run to the South Fork. Some big fish were caught on the streamer.


I managed to hook on to a nice 21 inch 5 pound fat cuttie.


That was followed by a run to the Green last week where I ran into a bum, his dad and his dog. Always a pleasure to share the river with skifishbum.

I managed to hook a very angry brownie on the streamer.

Although our best luck was nymphing with an egg and a zebra midge.

Today i was on my way to Casper form my parents house in Cody and stopped to hit up Wyosplitboard's terrain and fished the Bighorn in Thermopolis and caught the biggest brown, I have caught in years. Dropping a prince nymph off a scud nymph rig. Sorry no pictures, was solo, and out in the middle of the river and had a lot of shit going on. Easily a 26" beast.
After my meeting in downtown Casper tomorrow morning my goal is to hit up the Miracle Mile. Psyched to kick off the fishing season.

[schwerty]

You've been on a nice run!

[skifishbum]

almost started your thread for yea got out w/ the crew of the fish hound fur kid & my pops.
Decent flows good clarity and just a bit of lingering snow below Font.

despite the windoming gales put a few in the net

headed down to DJ where we met telee and D on the B.

red creeks pumpin out runoff but not totally blown
word is 800 minamal flows till the spring flush ussually timed to corespond w/ max Yampa runoff

floated an A the next day got a few on midges sub and surface and got a few to eat the big junk later in the day
A few bwo hatchin but not many snouts on top.
Ended up working quite a bit more than my bum status should allow this winter, but having $$$ for out of state liscencing, gas $$$ and
keep the mrs. happy funds means the fishing/hall pass ticket book is full and the furkid & I are ready to road trip.
Plannin/hopin for a 26th- 30th trip if any you fish pursuing mags wanna get yo fish on.

[mountaingoat]

Plannin/hopin for a 26th- 30th trip if any you fish pursuing mags wanna get yo fish on.

I might be game, what you have in mind?

[schwerty]

R U coming up this way SFB? We are headed to AZ on 4/30 but it might be possible for me to wet a line if you're up here before that.

[skifishbum]

I might be game, what you have in mind?

not real picky considerin a day or two below fontenelle then on to visit wyo splitrider and float sumthin new or down to dutch john. to hang out down on the b c if it's not blown.
Need to make it up to ID falls and see about getting my 2 yo galvie trailer rewelded by the hyde crew. Always down float the snake and still wanna row schwertys boat
Hope your healin well sent ya a pm w/ my digits
need to be back for thehttp://wasatchexpo.com/ fri night or at least Sat. to do some time @ the TU booth.
the TU utah green one fly is earler this year
http://www.tu.org/events/2013UTSF
not showing a team price but think it's still gonna be around a grand $250 donation to TU for two dinners w/ open bar and a day of guided fishin and sweet swag bag is a good deal.
kind of commited to rowin again but would be stoked to do what I could to facilitate a maggot team and get our float on the weekend before.
hit the provo tues. mid was crowded, lower less flow and less crowds startin to key on the bigger bwo's

[teleee]

Hey Schwerty and Neckdeep, how is the fishing in your area? I am looking to head up Thurs thru Saturday to hit some of your waters.

[snapt]

Floated the Henry's Fork yesterday, Stramer bite was slow - we did have some heads and bugs up a little after noon but then it started hailing and blowing to 40 and f'd things. Hopefully once the weather settles a little this week things will pick up.

[teleee]

Awesome Snapt, yea I'm hoping the weather cooperates for us. I forgot you were in the area now. We definitely need to get a maggot fishing trip this spring/summer.

[snapt]

For sure mang, partly cloudy with light winds end of this week - should be $$$.

[schwerty]

We botched the summit last year. This season will be different!

I was in Arizona for a week focusing on my golf swing and this weekend was filled with skiing with my daughter for the last wknd of JHMR. So, I have been outta touch with the conditions for a while.

I did talk to a guide buddy yesterday who hit the dam to pacific on the snake on Saturday. It kinda makes me cringe to say it but, go fish it if you're here. That stretch holds plenty of browns and a surprise Mack here and there. Tough to beat the scenic value too. Given the closing of the village and targhee next wknd, (I think??), the solitude will diminish up there.

I got wind the HF has been good, especially below ST Anthony.

Gonna be a tough choice but I will be on one of those stretches next wknd, barring any funky flows.

Teleee,
Lemme know when you are heading up. The rod is still here.

[teleee]

Thanks for the beta! I will take that rod off your hands. Lets figure a time and place to hook up. I may have an extra spot in the boat on Saturday if you are interested in fishing with a bunch of drunken clowns...

[schwerty]

I am one of those myself. Tangled up until 11 here in JH on sat. Regardless, we wi be able to hook up.

[snapt]

Fished the Hank for a bit today in St. Anothony. Bugs made an appearance about 1:30. Heads came up around 2 and had some really great dry fly fishing for about an hour, then it turned back off. Streamer bite was slow.

[neckdeep]

Fished the Hank for a bit today in St. Anothony. Bugs made an appearance about 1:30. Heads came up around 2 and had some really great dry fly fishing for about an hour, then it turned back off. Streamer bite was slow.

Did the sun come back out when it turned off? Henry's Fork fish can be very reluctant to feed on the surface if the clouds break up during a hatch. You can go back to indicator nymphing the 4ft and deeper water and still do pretty well, tho. The fish might want to eat, just not get eaten. Lots of fish eagles around these parts.

Wait til you see Mother's Day caddis hatch around the corner. IMHO, best fly for that hatch is a #16 parachute adams. Great match for the bug profile and you'll want the white post to distinguish your fly from the 10,000 to 1,000,000 naturals floating by every minute.

[schwerty]

That's a great point . Take that advice and hope things line up .

[snapt]

Did the sun come back out when it turned off? Henry's Fork fish can be very reluctant to feed on the surface if the clouds break up during a hatch. You can go back to indicator nymphing the 4ft and deeper water and still do pretty well, tho. The fish might want to eat, just not get eaten. Lots of fish eagles around these parts.

Wait til you see Mother's Day caddis hatch around the corner. IMHO, best fly for that hatch is a #16 parachute adams. Great match for the bug profile and you'll want the white post to distinguish your fly from the 10,000 to 1,000,000 naturals floating by every minute.

Exactly, every time the sun would poke out the pod would flush. A cloud would roll in and they'd be right back up. Stoked for Mom's day caddis, and salmon flies. If anyone's at the east Idaho tying expo thing on Friday/Saturday stop by RIO and ask for change.

[schwerty]

Fished the Snake in JH this wknd. South of town. The hoback was throwing goo in as was Fall cr and Dog cr. there is a chance things may firm up again, slowing that down. Still fishable as of Sunday but....

The fishing above the Hoback was excellent boated lots of cutties and many were 16+. Skwalas were around and we boated a few fish on the surface but the good action was on the bottom. The other reports I got concurred...if you were not bumping bottom you were not very successful.

[neckdeep]

Stoked for Mom's day caddis, and salmon flies.

Salmonflies can be awesome or frustrating. If you catch the first day, its usually awesome. Then, on day two, 100 boats clusterfuck that entire section of river and it quickly goes past the point of diminishing returns (and available parking). You will never see me chasing that hatch on the HF or SF. The hatch is so predictable on the SF that its just too crowded for my taste. A buddy of mine floated Conant canyon during salmonflies a few years ago and the BLM surveyor at the Byington ramp said he was the 178th boat to use the ramp that day. Golden stones are a much better hatch, IMHO, but try to set up a Bear Gulch raft trip for salmonflies if you want a taste of how good that hatch used to be on the HF in a less crowded era.

[snapt]

Caddis were coming of fierce on the HF this last Saturday. Will be trying to get out this Saturday if anyone's interested. Might be around Sunday too.

[skifishbum]

Headed out last weekend for our annual high country fly fishers gathering @ the

Not much open ice @ Strawberry chix creek e and w, ladders etc, had enough to get a few cats off, but it should go off here soon
Camped out @ Starvation high winds and water ( full pool) made it a bit tough.
Just outside Duschene/Altamont there are 3 hog farm/ranches
Falcons ledge, 6 lakes and the LC, not to mention the duschene river, rock, lake fork creeks and trail heads to the s slope unintas, like the grand daddies.
No shortages of catching as the crew got em good be it on streamers, chrominoids and a few on
calibaties dries/emergers early morn and eve.
.
some rod bendin hogs

Highlight 4 me
was gettin to exercise this piggie kypejawed tiger and a few of his friends
.
Cool lakes in a sweet local w/ quality fishes and stunning views

Wifes got a medical convention this weekend in FL so the furkiid and I will probably road tripin pursuit of the fishes.
May I da Hoe it w/ Mountain Goat specially if schwerty's gonna bring that sweet stealth boat over to test row..

[schwerty]

My wknd is pretty booked for travel. Might be able to pull off a float on the Snake or upper SF??? Looks like the hF is out though. Gimme a holla when you guys make a plan and ill see what I can do.

[steved]

Nice pic of the mountains skifishbum.....WOWSA...May and plenty of snow....life isn't fair

[beer30]

Fall creek and the smaller streams in the Jackson area are on right now so get out if ya only got a couple hours. Snake looks fishable with streamers. Ill put in a lake report wednesday with pics