Spring on the Way!

March is finally here, which psychologically gives anglers around here some hope that winter will actually relieve its grip soon. It has been a very average winter here in Western Wyoming, which means we have had many days of mountain and valley snowfall with very cold temperatures. The water content in the snowpack around the valley is still looking very good. The days are starting to get noticeably longer and warmer, which means water temps should start to slowly rise. As this happens, resident fish will start to move just a little more to take a fly. Although it is still a little cold to be out on the Snake, the fishing on the Henry's Fork right now has been improving. At its lower elevation, the Henry's Fork warms earlier and gets fish moving sooner. One of my favorite fisheries to visit in early spring is the upper Big Horn River in Thermopolis, Wyoming. As it swiftly flows out of the rugged Wind River Canyon, the river actually changes name midstream at a site called the "Wedding of the Waters", where flows slow and the river becomes known as the Big Horn. The water that slowly meanders through the town of Thermopolis holds large numbers of Rainbow, Brown and Cutthroat. This part of Wyoming is known as a "Banana Belt", often staying much warmer and drier throughout the winter. Early spring is a great time to target these fish with wets and dries. Although wading access is limited, floating is very easy. Here is a great scenic shot of the Big Horn...note the dry environment. This rainbow fell for a size 18 BWO dry fly in early April a few years back.