The Real Wyoming

Happy Memorial Day to everyone out there. I'm sure there were plenty of barbeque's, beers and probably some fishing done out there this weekend. To quote my good friend Jeremy Larsen Kiuhara on Facebook today: "You are not forgotten". That about sums up Memorial Day for me. The fishing season in Yellowstone National Park opened on Saturday, and as usual, the main event was on the Firehole River. Typically, this river is at its best this time of year. With warmer water temperatures, and a gentle runoff there, the fishing and hatches can often be fantastic in late May. I got two different reports from some guides who went up to fish, and it sounds like the angling was great. The weather North of here was snowy and cold; I'm sure the BWO's were out. The guys I talked to also said it was very crowded; that's OK...there's a lot of water up there to spread out on. If you are thinking about the Firehole, the next few weeks should be prime. I headed South yesterday by myself to walk the Green River. It was a real treat. Living in Jackson Hole, one can sometimes forget that they live in "Wyoming". Most of the state of Wyoming is not like Jackson. Jackson Hole is visually a fairly narrow valley; it does not have the wide-open feel that the rest of the state has. As far as the culture, it's clearly a more manicured and affluent area, with plenty of "bling". Many non-Teton county residents of the Cowboy State do not even consider Jackson part of Wyoming. Heading South to the Green is always a drive I look forward to. Climbing out of Bondurant to the top of the Rim, the "real" Wyoming appears. Wide open, sage-brush flats with mountains in the distance, in every direction. Antelope dot the landscape, along with cattle and their ranchers. It feels like another world, in a different time. As for the fishing...it was solid. The river is still low, hovering around 400 cfs, which is a great wading level. I picked up a few fish on dry caddisflies early, and then found great action on streamers. The river is still a little low to float, in my opinion. Hopefully, the runoff will kick in soon down there. Once it does start, I don't think it will last long. On a related note, now that winter is over, our second "season" in Wyoming has arrived: road construction. They have just started a project north of Bondurant on highway 191 that stretches for about 6 miles. It should slow things down all summer on the way to and from all the Pinedale fishing. Beware! Here's a classic shot of the upper Green River and the wide-open country around it. More soon!

Stalled Again

Well, another blast of cold temperatures and snow this weekend has stalled our runoff yet again. The Snake River Basin-wide snow-water equivalent average was up to 75% as of this morning, with more snow and rain forecast for today. The Snake River is running 1,770 cfs at Moose (compared to an average of almost 7,000 cfs for this date). The Buffalo Fork and Pacific Creek have dropped and cleared as well. The Green River is running just over 300 cfs at Warren Bridge (compared to an average of 1,500 cfs for this date). Lots of very low water for late May. We should see temperatures back up toward 70 degrees by Wednesday; this will hopefully jump start things again. The South Fork "flush" appears to be over, with the river down to about 11,500 cfs near Irwin. Fishing should be turning back on over there this week. Stonefly nymphs should get the job down, particularly on the lower river. I took the family up to Yellowstone for the weekend for our annual spring wildlife viewing expedition. May is a great time to visit the park and view Elk, Bison, Wolves and Bears. We had a great trip, despite the snowstorm on Saturday. As of yesterday, the Firehole and the Madison were running fairly clear. The Yellowstone opener next weekend should not be missed. The Firehole often fishes very well right out of the gate. Don't miss my good buddy Brian Hodges' new website: http://www.doublehaultravel.com If anyone has the "travel bug", click on this link or click on the Brian Hodges link from my list below. Whether you are interested in Abaco Lodge in the Bahamas, or the Bar Z Riverside ranch in Montana, Brian can help you get there! Here is Mr. Hodges with fish on!

Let The Runoff Begin

It finally looks like the grasp of winter has let go. The past few days have seen temperatures in the valley close to 70 degrees, which is just what we need to get this runoff started. I can't remember ever seeing the Snake river so clear in the middle of May. The fishing on the Snake this past week has been exceptional. Cutthroat rising to dry Skwala and Caddis patterns have been reported up and down the river. Today may be the last decent day of fishing for awhile. The temps the next few days are supposed to be even warmer, and many of the tributaries on now on the rise. Pacific Creek and the Buffalo Fork have both spiked in volume today, which is undoubtedly going to send silt into the river. That's OK...we need to get the runoff started. The Green River has barely hit 150 cfs this week at Warren Bridge, which is very low. It will probably come up as well this week. I fished on Wednesday with my buddy Stan Czarniak on the lower South Fork. We had good fishing early in the day on streamers, but it got tough as the river came up. The Bureau of Reclamation has brought the South Fork up to over 17,000 cfs as of this weekend. I'd probably steer clear of that river for awhile. Scary news out of central Wyoming this week. A BNSF freight train derailed 5 miles south of Thermopolis, sending two of the lead diesel locomotives and one freight car into the Wind River. As you may know, this is a cherished area for me and many others; the Wind is home to some wild water and magnificent trout. Some reports have estimated that as many as 15,000 gallons of fuel were spilled into the river. The train tumbled into the water after striking a truck-sized boulder, just at the bottom of the canyon. I've been in touch with Darren Calhoun (owner/operator of Wind River Canyon Whitewater and Fishing), and he's keeping me updated. Hopefully, high spring flows will help minimize any major effects. I'll report more as I learn it.

Happy Mother's Day

Hope everyone out there had a great Mother's Day yesterday. Here's to all the incredible mom's out there (my wife included!). As an angler living in Wyoming, Mother's Day certainly brings a secondary thought to mind: Caddisflies! This time of year, many of the rivers in this region put out a serious Caddisfly hatch that trout absolutely gorge on. It's already been happening on the Henry's Fork and the Yellowstone, and it looks like the Big Hole is next. On the rivers that do see a blizzard hatch, anglers come from far and wide to experience this dry fly madness. Emergers often end up doing the best, however, since there are just as many bugs sub-surface as there are on top, and they're easier to grab. Good luck out there if you hit it! I attended the Bridger-Teton National Forest spring outfitters meeting this past week. The main agenda item of note concerns the upcoming construction project at Hoback Junction. For those of you that have not heard, WYDOT is going to replace the bridge crossing the Snake River at Hoback Junction, starting this year. It is a 3 year project, that will undoubtedly cause traffic delays and maybe even some river closures. According to WYDOT, this summer should only see prep work, and not actual bridge construction. It looks like they will not be working during peak times, ie morning and evening rush hour...we'll see. By next summer, they will likely be doing actual bridge construction, and there may be periods where the river is closed to boat traffic in order to keep it safe. Not much else new here; still fairly cool weather, and no run-off yet. The Snake is at 990 cfs at Moose, compared to the historical average for this day of over 4,000 cfs. Hopefully it'll start soon! Ahhh...which streamer to pick today??

Still Winter

For anyone following my journal and seeing the weather report at the top, you will know that winter is still hanging on around here. It's been a cool, wet week in Western Wyoming; the high country has picked up significant snowfall in the past few days. I'm getting more reports of friends skiing powder on Teton Pass than I am hitting local waters. The total precipitation in the Upper Snake River Basin has reached over 70% of average, which is great news. If this weather lasts much longer, we may actually see a longer runoff than I had previously thought. Time will tell. The Snake has been fishing well through this weather; I got some great reports from last week. The water is still low and clear (1,040 cfs at Moose, well below the average for this time of year which is about 2,800 cfs). Keep an eye out for Mother's Day Caddis on the Henry's Fork...should be any time. Sounds like the Big Hole is on fire right now, too. Streamer fishing, along with adult skwalas are keeping the action hot near Melrose. Give the boys at the Sunrise Fly Shop a call for details. For those of you tired of the cold, wet weather around here...enjoy this tropical photo of Jon "Law Dawg" Wylie with a great 'Cuda caught a couple of weeks ago near Ascension Bay, Mexico.