Fly fishing Wyoming

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Planning a big trip next year starting in Wyoming fly fishing my way back to AZ over two weeks or so. I am a rookie at the fly deal and could use some help, oddly enough I'll be building my own rods and lines from scratch but I'm not sure on length and weight. If you had two rods and 3 reels what would you bring for rods and what 3 lines would you spool?

Also if you had your pick of rivers to hit what would be your top 2 rivers in Wyoming and Colorado?

[CouesPursuit]

I fished the North Platte south of Casper on my WY antelope hunts and there wasn't anything my 8'6" or 9' 5wt couldn't handle. If you want to throw big streamers in the reservoirs for browns you may want a 6 wt.

 

I also fished the Frying Pan and Roaring Fork on the way to break up the drive and I will definitely be back for a longer, dedicated fishing trip. Lots of dry fly fishing throughout the year for rainbows and browns.

 

[metau]

Could do a whole month just in YNP. If you are going to be in southern/central Wyoming, then I would hit the North Platte and the Big Laramie. In Colorado, I would fish the South Platte at Cheeseman Canyon and between Spinney Mountain/Eleven Mile reservoirs. If the timing is right I would recommend the caddis hatch on the Arkansas, or the stonefly hatch on the Gunnison. Both are spectacles to behold. Otherwise the Green, Blue, Fryingpan and upper Colorado would be my recommendations. The tailwaters of the Taylor River hold the biggest trout you will ever lay eyes on, but as it is the most technical fishery I have ever fished, I cannot recommend it to a novice flyfisherman. Of course, once all is said and done, you need to fish the San Juan in NM, as it is on the path home.

 

Gear wise, you could fish the whole trip with a 5wt, though the big browns in some of those rivers would warrant a 6wt line (also helpful for shooting through the wind). I have fished every single one of those waters with a 4wt, some even with a 3wt. If I was doing a trip like this, I would likely take a 9' 5wt, with three spools for the reel, two 5wt and one 6wt, and then a 7'6" 3wt setup for any small creeks I stop to have lunch or camp near. All line would be WF floating, except the second 5wt would be WF sinking/sinktip. Don't forget the gammut of leaders, tippet, strike indicators and weights. Enjoy the trip, sounds like a blast.

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Great info man thanks, I was leaning to 5wt and 4wt but I like the 3wt idea. If I'm lucky I may have all 3. The reels will be another issue.

Don't know much about strike indicators but I will inform myself asap

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Oh and on a guided float day what would one tip for a typical day?

[metau]

Go with standard tipping practices. A bit more if they are providing lunch. I will say that the clients I remember from when I guided were the ones I had the best conversations with, shooting the chit like we were age old friends, and not the ones that tipped the most.

 

If I was going to fish a river for 4 days, I would do day #2 guided, if that is what I could afford. Get into the swing of things and learning the water on day one, then pay attention to everything the guide feels like teaching on day two, then apply those to days three and four.

 

Also, if you do go guided, many times they will have access to private waters, and a cheaper walk/wade trip will put you on smaller fish that rarely ever see a fly. Just a thought.

[CouesPursuit]

If I was going to fish a river for 4 days, I would do day #2 guided, if that is what I could afford. Get into the swing of things and learning the water on day one, then pay attention to everything the guide feels like teaching on day two, then apply those to days three and four.

 

Excellent strategy, also spend several hours mending and managing line in a local canal before you leave.

[Born2hunt]

Could do a whole month just in YNP. If you are going to be in southern/central Wyoming, then I would hit the North Platte and the Big Laramie. In Colorado, I would fish the South Platte at Cheeseman Canyon and between Spinney Mountain/Eleven Mile reservoirs. If the timing is right I would recommend the caddis hatch on the Arkansas, or the stonefly hatch on the Gunnison. Both are spectacles to behold. Otherwise the Green, Blue, Fryingpan and upper Colorado would be my recommendations. The tailwaters of the Taylor River hold the biggest trout you will ever lay eyes on, but as it is the most technical fishery I have ever fished, I cannot recommend it to a novice flyfisherman. Of course, once all is said and done, you need to fish the San Juan in NM, as it is on the path home.

 

Gear wise, you could fish the whole trip with a 5wt, though the big browns in some of those rivers would warrant a 6wt line (also helpful for shooting through the wind). I have fished every single one of those waters with a 4wt, some even with a 3wt. If I was doing a trip like this, I would likely take a 9' 5wt, with three spools for the reel, two 5wt and one 6wt, and then a 7'6" 3wt setup for any small creeks I stop to have lunch or camp near. All line would be WF floating, except the second 5wt would be WF sinking/sinktip. Don't forget the gammut of leaders, tippet, strike indicators and weights. Enjoy the trip, sounds like a blast.

I totally agree. A 9 5 wt floating and sinking option would cover most bases. A smaller 3 or 4 is nice on the smaller creeks.

 

I didnt do a guided float but from what I heard while I was there I did better from the bank than the float trips were doing. Looks like a fun way to spend the day though.

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Well I'm already paid for 2 days with river options in Wyoming which is why the big trip, I don't wish to pay past what I am at now so 2 days will be it then I plan to hit a new river or area and do some backpacking / exploring. Same deal for Colorado, no guided there just whatever I can backpack to weather it be lakes or rivers.

After hitting the lake today I may bring 10 spools!!! Getting the hang of it though.

[Born2hunt]

Its good to get the practice now though instead of up there. Youll get the hang of it just dont worry about knots or snags at first - accept that as tuition and eventually itll come easier. I got hooked on fly fishing in Wyoming and never looked back - throwing flies is 95% of all the fishing I do now.

[trphyhntr]

Just use spinning gear. Fly fishing is the same level as sail boating

[HUNTnTAT2]

5wt 9 foot is pretty much the 1/2 ton pickup of the fly world.

3wt 7.5foot is a great rod for small streams.

As far as reels Redington make some good equipment. A good paring on a 5wt would be a Behemoth or Rise reel.

3wt I would go with a click-pawl reel like a Redington Zero.

As far as AZ goes. These two will handle our waters the best. 5wt for the lakes and Lee's Ferry. 3wt for the rim and white mountain streams. Good luck! It's very addicting once you start figuring out how to catch fish!

[metau]

After hitting the lake today I may bring 10 spools!!! Getting the hang of it though.

 

 

Wear a long sleeve shirt and tuck the butt of the rod into the cuff. Keeps you from breaking your wrist and will help slow you down. On your casts, wait until you feel the feel the rod load under the back/front cast, before moving the other direction. I would even say wait until the line falls flat, just so you can feel the whole load. Casting is much simpler than it seems.

 

At the line weights we are talking about, the reel is primarily a place to keep the line stored while traveling. There is no need to spend big bucks on nice drags and large arbors. Even the simplest of drags can handle the class of fish you will be targeting with that set up. If you get a reel with no drag, then learn how to palm. Having a reel for the 5wt that you can get a spare spool for will be great, so you can switch between the floating and sinking lines easily (though you can reach quite deep without a sinking line. but it is harder to stay down that deep). Orvis Battenkill's are hard to beat for the price, and you can get a reel and a spare spool for less than $160. But Ross, Lamson and Sage also make great entry-level reels. I've not owned a Reddington in decades, so I will reserve my comments on that brand, but did pick up a TFO reel as part of a kit, and it is also not too shabby of a reel.

 

I am not sure what your fly collection is looking like, but there are fairly consistent patterns that work year after year in the same bodies of water, depending on air and water temps. Call local shops ahead of time, let them know when you will be on the water, and ask what typically works that time of year. Buy in bulk or tie your own before you leave, then stop in to thank them and get latest conditions, plus pick up a half dozen flies as a thank you. Before you leave, buy some very fine netting (mosquito netting or small green fish nets-think goldfish as a kid), 2 wooden 3/8" thick rods 10-12" long, and make yourself a little seine net that you can roll up and tuck out of the way, but can drop down into the water and see what is floating through. Pull the net up, take out your fly box, and match what you see in the net.

 

Be aware of which bodies of water you fish require barbless hooks. Watch your back casts, keep the sun off your neck, trust your poloraized glasses, and tight lines.

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Great info thanks a ton. One cool deal on my guided float is flys are included, that will help get me started then I can shop local and get the right flys , for Wyoming anyway. Right now I have a total of 7 flys. Haha

[azslim]

to learn to cast without popping your fly off tie a piece of yarn on the end of the leader, then set a tuna can up in the yard an practice dropping the yarn/fly in the can

 

 

I grew up fishing in Wyoming, I would be heading to spots on the Wind River Reservation, Little Bob's Lake, upper end of Dry Creek above the falls, the Wind River by Burris & Crowheart. Been a lot of years but a grasshopper fly worked no matter where I dropped it.