Fishing trip planning help needed

[ausable_ny]

Hi all,

I'm considering broadening my horizons a bit this year with a trout trip out west. I'm getting a little burnt fishing the Adirondacks and Catskills here in NY. I was thinking the area around Bozeman, MT. Maybe fish the Gallatin, Madison, Yellowstone..you get the idea. What I'm looking for is advice as to when the fishing is good (I'm thinking of going after Labor Day), where to fish, and specific guides/shops to use. With the economy the way it is, I'm not even sure this is going to happen. If not, then I'll continue to fish NY and maybe PA (hear that Heinrich ). Any and all advice will be appreciated. Just so you know, I'm not looking to stay at a 5 star resort/camp, nor am I looking to camping under the stars...something in between those 2. Thanks in advance.

Ken

[Trout-Dawg]

Hey what happened to Colorado! Just kidding, plenty of good sites out there too many to count. I would get Jack Dennis's newsletter, it has everything and I get mine every year when heading that way~

[Eric-WD]

You will be close, you should consider starting or finishing at the Idaho Fish-IN great people great fishing and free guides what more could you want.

information on last years fish in

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/travel/fishinidaho08

Eric

[ausable_ny]

Hey what happened to Colorado! Just kidding, plenty of good sites out there too many to count. I would get Jack Dennis's newsletter, it has everything and I get mine every year when heading that way~

Didn't mean to offend I'm easy....Montana, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming...maybe the AuSable (not the one in NY). I just want to experience something other than the streams/rivers in NY. Plus, I'd like to have a chance of tying into a fish that will actually take me into my backing and test my drag. Keep the ideas coming folks. I truly appreciate it.

Ken

[JohnScott]

Ken -

Here are the links to various fishing reports I did last year. You might find something interesting there for late summer / early fall fishing.

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/s...ad.php?t=20554

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/s...ad.php?t=22443

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/s...ad.php?t=19469

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/s...ad.php?t=20873

Not too many places where you'll get taken to the backing, but any cast to good holding water on the South Fork or the Henry's Fork that time of year holds that possibility.

Just to be aware - we are not having a good year so far for precipitation. Too early to predict how the late summer / early fall flows will be, but it is something to keep in mind if you start seriously planning a trip to the Intermountain West.

John

[DG]

I vote with Eric. The Idaho fish-in is 320 miles farther west than Bozeman, but the fishing is uncrowded, the company is excellent, and the trout are fat and willing to look up.

If I was going to spend a week in the Bozeman area these days, it would be the first week of April or the end of October. The worse the weather, the better, too. I spent some time there on the way back from Idaho last fall and it was a serious disappointment after the fish-in. The old haunts ain't what they used to be, if you could even elbow your way in to them.

[Eric-WD]

As far as taking you into your backing, there's a chance of steel head in the Clearwater at that time of year with the Idaho Fish-in.

Eric

[Longs for Cutts]

I would recommend either coming later or earlier. Right after Labor Day is often very crowded with people thinking post-Labor Day equals no crowds. The water is also low and the sun high. Later in the fall the crowds begin to disperse and the sun angle is lower, making the fish less spooky. Late August is before the fall crowds come but after the summer crowds with kids leave.

The "best" fishing depends on what you're after in terms of technique, size vs numbers, and species. If I had to pick a first time to come west it'd be the latter two weeks of July. At this time of year the famous water will be crowded but the smaller streams, floatable water, and backcountry stuff is about as consistent as it ever gets, and it's when the dry fly fishing is best. For size, come from October 1-November 10 or March 5-April 15. Late March and April usually have comfortable enough weather (key word usually) and low crowds. Yellowstone Park doesn't open until Memorial Day weekend if that's in your cards, and most rivers are in runoff until at least July 1 (last year as late as July 25 for the Lamar, but the snow was heavy and spring late), with the Firehole, Madison, and Gibbon coming on earlier, in that order.

Regarding where to stay: Bozeman is not too far from everything except the Park (too far for a reasonable base camp for the park), but close to nothing. Gardiner and Livingston are right on the Yellowstone, Ennis and West Yellowstone on the Madison, and Big Sky on a good stretch of the Gallatin. If you want to fish more than one famous river (don't stick to the famous water!), you should plan on staying in different areas during different parts of your stay: West Yellowstone and Gardiner, for example.

The trip planner on my shop's website might help, though it's mostly focused on the Yellowstone and the park waters: www.parksflyshop.com/planner.htm

If you want to be taken into your backing, come the week before Labor Day and I can take you to the Missouri for carp averagaing 5-12lbs. Yes, I am serious... http://www.parksflyshop.com/carpfloats.htm

[Denny56]

You should check out the Big Horn River in Montana just below the dam (its just north of the southern Montana border). It is a fabulous river with tons of fish and clear water. It is on the Crow Indian reservation or at least in the middle of it. Remember "Dances with Wolves". That is what the terrain looks like (prairie). The fly shops are very knowledgeable about the good flies for the day and if you are going to use a guide they are good. I just put my pontoon boat in and float it. There is a guide, tall lanky character who wears a big floppy white hat whom I watched with his customers and was very impressed with him. He took a lot of time teaching the guys who were with him. They caught a lot of big fish. I don't know his name.

I stop along the way and wade in. You should be pretty good at nymphing with a strike indicator though because it is the best technique for the river. The float I do is about three miles long and covers great water. There is a pull out parking lot there to leave your vehicle. I like to fish it in June. It is so much fun and the water is easy to float on a pontoon boat, pretty flat with riffles and runs.

[Longs for Cutts]

If you go to the Horn just don't expect to be alone or even close. Super Bowl Sunday is about the only time you can expect to have a big stretch of river to yourself anymore.