Wyoming fishing invitation

Hey all.

I'm "new" to the BB as "paflytier", but have been on in years past as "schuured". Unfortunately, for the past several years my "have-tos" have trumped my "want-tos" to a large degree.

Any way, I'm going to be in Jackson, WY for a conference from the evening of July 31 through August 4th this summer and fully expect to steal away some time for fishing. My meetings will be from 8-12 each morning and I'll have the afternoons free. My wife is coming as well, but she has granted me permission to fish on one or two afternoons. So, I have a couple of questions for you:

1. Is there anybody out there that lives (or will be vacationing) in that area at that time who would be interested in joining me?

2. Is it worth hiring a guide for 1/2 day out there? There is so much water, I'm sure I could find a spot to wet a line. I just don't know if I'd be wasting my time without a guide.

3. There are plenty of other posts on this BB about guide recommendations, so I don't think I'd need a recommendation, but would be open to any that you have found to be worthy of exceptional commendation.

4. There are still nearly five months before this trip. I expect I'll be doing a good bit of tying between now and then. Any recommendations for what to tie for Jackson in August? I'm imagining terrestrials for sure, but don't know about other bugs.

I think that's it for now. It's nice to be back on the BB after a long absence. This is still the premier spot for great FF conversation.

Ed

I do not live or fish in Wyoming, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

First, leave your wife at home and fish every day after the conferences! Thats a no brainer.
Second, hire a guide for the first day you are there. I am sure he will point you to places other than where he is guiding you. Pick his brain. Bet you get in to a bunch of fish. Good luck, and have fun.

Ed,

Most of the wading I've done on the big river has been south of town and that was in October. Pretty water, nice fish and they weren't particularly choosy; I'd imagine you'd have some company. Don't know that you'd need a guide, although they'd get you to water you wouldn't have access to on foot.

Regards,
Scott

ps - welcome back to the board

Wyoming has some very strict trespass laws when it comes to who owns the river bed. Some places you can wade some places you can not. Check with a local fly shop, you don't want to get arrested for trespassing. Sort of spoils the mood.

Larry ---sagefisher---

Check with Jack Dennis over in Wilson, just across the river from Jackson.

Be a bit more positive, Boys!!

If you want to stay close to Jackson, try Flat Creek! Open 1 Aug -31 Oct, some good fishing can be done (C&R). Head north of town (just past the edge of town),on HWY 89 ... I think?, there's a parking area, right side of the road look fast!, climb over the elk fencing, hike across the field, and WOW! some of the kewlest waters around! If your wife doesn't want to fish with you, there's an art gallery across the road, west, of the elk ladder.

The trespass laws are for dry ground. The waterways are considered public property. It does tend to cut down on where you can go behind a bush and relieve yourself though.

Betty has some good suggestions. Just ask at the visitor's center or one of the fly shops. They will be happy to point out lots of public access water.

Kevin,

Normally I won't dispute someone else's statement, but when it comes to legal matters and the possibility of violating a law, I feel I must respond.

Wyoming treapass laws are very strict and the landowner does in fact own the bottom of the river.

Download the Wyoming Game & Fishing book and go to page 5. There are two articles that very clearly state this.

http://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/Departme...IDE0000393.pdf

Betty,

I am not trying to be a downer, I just wanted to point out that in Wyoming you really have to take care of where you are. They have some fantastic fishing and great fighting fish. I love fishing the North Platte River. Our guides had to be very careful about where they were before dropping anchor, because even that is trespassing if you are over a piece of private land waters.

Ed,

There is a book The Wyoming Angling Guide published by Fothergill & Sterling. It is a fantastic source for fishing info and has great maps showing the rivers and various public access points.

Larry ---sagefisher---

Larry,
Ed said he'd have a couple afternoons off to fish. I didn't think he'd be hauling self all over christendom, or Yellowstone, to do some fishing. Flat Creek, through the Elk Preserve, is excellent, though tricky, fishing, and an incredible way to spend a few/couple afternoons/weeks. It's right outside the north end of town. I fish Wyoming almost exclusively now (we all know there are no trouts in South Dakota!), and am somewhat familiar with the rules and laws. I wouldn't send Ed, or anyone, on a wild goose chase laced with broken laws and regulations.

Ed, and anyone, venturing in to fishing areas they are not familiar with, need check through publications, and official sources, the rules and regulations for the area they will be in. Quite frankly, if you want information once there, the fly fishing stores prove to be very little help. They don't like to give any info out on the waters, UNLESS you're going to hire a guide for at least the full day. Doubt me? Just ask them! Snide and surly are descriptions that come instantly to mind. And for heavens sake, don't ask them which flies are working!! (from your boxes).
Betty

Thank you all for the input and information.

I will certainly be looking into Flat Creek, Betty.

Larry, thank you for the head's up on the trespass laws. I'm going to look into that book this evening.

At this point I expect to have two or three evenings to fish. I think I'll probably hire a guide for one 1/2 day (afternoon) and probably head out on my own thereafter. I know it's still six months away, but man am I excited!

Ed

Ed,

That time's gonna fly; it'll be here before you know it. By the way, bring your A-game if you're going to fish Flat Creek; season opens August 1 so the fish won't be as wary as later on but they'll still be tough.

Regards,
Scott

If you want to spend not quite an hour on the road head for Star Valley. I used to live there, outside the small town of Thayne. Head south out of Jackson and turn west at Hoback junction. Or you can fish the Hoback right there where it meets the Snake or follow it on south and fish it. Hoback is only about 8 miles south of Jackson.

You'll be going through Wyoming's Snake River Canyon and there are places to pull off to either fish or just take in the scenery. It's about 23 miles through the canyon. You'll come out in Alpine. Turn left on Hwy. 89 and it will take you all the way through Star Valley. Less than a mile after you turn onto 89 the Grays River Road will be on your left, next to the Bull Moose if I remember correctly. That will take you up the Grays. All Bridger Natl. Forest except for about 160 acres at the Box-Y ranch. You could go all the way to Murphy Lakes and fish them but I never cared for still water. If you stay down, (south), through Star Valley the Salt River will be on your right. Nearly its entire length through the valley is a walk-in area and there are several places to park. You can "trespass" I think it is either 10 or 50 above the high water mark. The landowners are paid by WFG to allow tresspass. Several of the tribs are also walk-in areas. Willow Creek, Crow Creek, the short section of Jackknife that is in Wyoming, and maybe Strawberry creek. Those that feed from the east all head up in Bridger and most have forest service roads that are vehicle accessible. Salt River is right on the Wy/Id line and those creeks from the west are in Idaho often in less than a mile and sometimes in a few hundered yards. I never had much luck on most of them anyway, except Jacknife which wasn't bad. Still I always bought a non-resident Idaho license when we lived there. Heck, Idaho was two miles from the house. It's pretty much out of your way for this trip but in the future you might keep in mind Smiths Fork and LaBarge Creek way south of Star Valley but still heading in the Salt River range. But carry a big handgun....there's griz there....and in the Grays....no matter what WFG says.

sage is mostly right in his description of trespass laws in Wyoming. The water itself is public property but the bed beneath the water belongs to the landowner and as such one is technically, legally trespassing if you drop anchor, wade, or beach a boat for lunch. I never worried about it because living there, there was so much unfished public water and so many walk-in hunting and fishing areas trespass was the least of my concerns. As such I rarely fished the fabled waters. Didn't need to. But those things and places take time to learn and time to get to.

I never fished Flat Creek when we lived out there. It was over an hour from my house and in that hour I could be on some really wilderness waters whcih I preferred anyway. Or I could head over and fish the Hoback for a while then drop over the divide to the south and fish the New and Greene. Flat Creek has an excellent reputation and an equal one for being difficult to fish. Betty has fished it in the past and knows infinitely more about it than me. I THINK it is only open in August north of town. Is that right Betty? And through town I believe it is only open to youth fishing...or it used to be.

I think it would be well worth investing in a guide for 1/2 day. You would at least have the experience of doing what we've all seen on TV and read about. Plus, you would certainly be put on some fish and not have to concern yourself with anything but casting and presentation. They're going to know what they're hitting on and probably have an ample supply of them. Or tell you ao you can at least purchase some. An outdoorsman cannot live in that part of the country for very long and NOT meet and get to know at least a few hunting and fishing guides. Most I met and got to know were serious about their work, conscientious and usually friendly. Again, I would recommend Jack Dennis over in Wilson. I know that's the second time I've mentioned him. I never met Jack and wouldn't know him if he walked up and handed me a $100.00 bill.....which is very unlikely...lol! The guides I knew well, I worked with two during their off season, both worked for Jack. They were good guys and if I happened to be up in the Hole and stopped by Jack's I was always treated in a friendly manner. They knew I wasn't there to hire a guide...why did I need to? The Orvis store in Jackson never treated me with the same friendliness. There was an....attitude....you can feel the second you walk in the door. That's all I'll say about Orvis in Jackson. It didn't reflect my experiences at other Orvis stores. But then Jackson is entirely about two things, money and tourism. I had not the one and was not the other.

If you don't catch one fish you will enjoy your trip. The scenery alone is worth the tariff. In the years I lived there I never tired of the scenery in that part of Wyoming. It was as close to heaven as I will get in this life, not Jackson, but definitely outside the Hole.

And now to add to this..... think about an afternoon/evening trip WITH THE WIFE to Granite Hot Springs for a nice, refreshing soak in the hot springs pool. Granite creek is good fishing and so is the Hoback river. South on 191 until you get to where Granite creek enters the Hoback river, then ten miles up the dirt road to the pool parking lot.
I feel this is part of that country that really should not be missed!!

Wow! That's a lot of great information. I'm really excited about the trip. I appreciate all the comments and suggestions. You've all been very helpful. I get the feeling that the options and choices are nearly overwhelming. I could easily get there and be paralyzed with indecision regarding which river to fish. I continue to consider a 1/2 day guided trip - if for no other reason than to be able to focus on the fishing and not have to make any other decisions. I also think I'll spend some time on Flat Creek as Betty suggested, mostly because it is so close and will have just opened up during my time there. I'm pretty used to fishing gin clear, slow spring creeks here in PA so I hope my presentation skills are up to the task.

If by any chance any of you happen to find yourselves in that neck of the woods between 7/31 and 8/4 I'd be happy to spend some time on the water with you. Drinks afterward are on me.

Ed

...I've found it more than worth while, in a new area, to hire a guide.

I will be in southern Idaho the last two weeks in July. When? where? are you plannning this fish in?