Summer seems to be starting very early all around the West. Unseasonably warm temperatures here in the Northwest, as well as all over Wyoming, Montana and Idaho have been rapidly depleting snowpack, and allowing many anglers to get out and enjoy early hatches. Reports from many Wyoming and Montana streams have been solid. With a lighter snowpack this season, many rivers have been clear enough to enjoy the blizzard Caddis hatches that come around each May. Just down the road here, on the Deschutes River, stoneflies are already on the move. It looks like we'll have a much better start to our fishing season in Wyoming than we've seen in a number of years. The Snake, Green and South Fork should all be in great shape by late June...maybe earlier. The Yellowstone opener in a couple of weeks should also be a good one this year. As some readers may already know, the Jack Dennis Guide Service, aka, Jack Dennis Fishing Trips, has been in a state of flux for a couple of seasons now. With a lot of hard work coming to a close, and a bit of luck, I should be able to report some exciting news soon, so keep posted here. I'll report more on this soon! For now, if you are interested in booking any fishing trips, or just want some info, give me a shout. It looks like I'll be heading back to Wyoming for some limited guiding this summer, which is great.
This time of year, not only do I get many emails on fly-fishing information around Wyoming, but also inquires on camping. Whether you are car-camping or backpacking, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem offers some of the best. Check out this
link
to see America's top ten campgrounds, and which one of my favorites made #7.
Lastly, I'd like to report some sad news that hit the fly fishing industry this past week. Veteran Belize River Lodge guide
Raul Navarette passed away on May 5th. I first met Raul back in 2001. He made his first trip to Wyoming to participate in the Jackson Hole One Fly, invited by his lodge co-worker Dirk Burgard. I drew Raul the first day of the event, and we had a blast. Although already a master saltwater caster and angler, it was Raul's first time fishing for Trout. I'll never forget it. By the end of the day, he had convinced me to come down to Belize to experience life on his flats in pursuit of Tarpon, Bonefish and Permit. I made a trip down the following Spring, and spent six days on the water with Raul. I'll never forget it; he introduced me to something that has grown into an addiction. Raul guided for over 20 years for the Belize River Lodge, was the only Belizean to be a certified FFF instructor and also the only Belizean known to have ever fished in the One Fly. He will be missed. Check out this link to learn more about
Raul. Here's a shot of Raul with a hell of a Permit, as well as Jack Dennis Guide Dave Smith with a river-caught Mackinaw from a few days ago. More soon!
