Trip Out West

[jmako]

Wife and I plan a trip out west late spring/early summer (we are in the Florida panhandle). We are hoping to do some fishing in Montana, Idaho, and perhaps Wyoming. I am looking for your ideas of a where to fish in these areas, where to stay, and guide recommendtions. Anything you guys can suggest will really be appreciated.

[ScottP]

Runoff conditions in late spring/early summer can be problematic; dependent on snow pack/precip and temps. I was in MT early July 2010, a year of moderate snowfall and spring temps; rivers were in great shape as was the fishing. In 2011 heavy snowpack and heavy spring rains led to flooding and high river levels all around the state; I was there in late July/early August and had never seen the rivers that high that time of year (fishing was great). Tailwaters are not as effected by runoff, but even they were crazy high in 2011. Not trying to scare you off, just think you should be aware.

Regards,
Scott

[Jack Hise]

jmako;
How are you traveling? Motels/camping/other. In Idaho I have a brother that is the Manager for Hayburn State Park and I bet he and his wife Kat would love to show you the St. Joe River so you can beat up on some Cutts.
Check out Three Rivers Resort down in Lowell, ID. You may be running into high runoff by then which may curtail fishing.
Burgess Junction, WY may be a good spot. Bear Lodge has camping cabins and the Tongue River is nearby.

[The Chronicler]

It would be helpful to know when you are planning to make the trip and where you are planning to fish. Like Scott and Jack indicated late spring and early summer - read May and early June - can produce unfishable conditions due to high, cold and dirty water. It is possible to find places to fish - tailwater rivers like Montana's Big Horn, the Missouri, Henry's Fork of the Snake, Idaho - however they may be crowded due to the fact they are the only places with clear water. There are also spring creeks, but most of them will require reservations that should be made in advance. At this time it is impossible to tell what the stream conditions will be since much of the snow pack often comes in late winter and early spring - March through early May. Check with local fly shops and outfitters so that you know what to expect. I have lived and fished in Montana for over 40 years and each year is different. Like Scott, I would not want to scare you off, but, if possible, I would plan your trip for later in the year - say early July. That would allow you more options and a better outcome - fishing wise.

[oldfrat]

Easterners are not used to the concept of runoff, so I'll step back a step here.

The Mountain West gets almost all of its annual water from the melting of the snow that builds up on the mountains in the winter. If the snow pack is significant and the spring warmth comes fast, the rivers and streams get blown out with an influx of a great amount of water that cause them to overflow their normal banks with muddy water. The magnitude, timing and duration of the runoff period varies from year to year based on the snow pack and the temperatures.

Trout can be caught in moving water during runoff. I've had my best success with relatively large and bright colored streamers fished near the banks. But the fishing then is difficult and not as much fun as when the flows and clarity return to normal.

Runoff is less of a problem if you are fishing a relatively short distance below a dam --tailwaters. The flows and clarity will be more like normal during runoff. But they are also the places where fly fishers concentrate during runoff so you may encounter "combat fishing" that is not common during the rest of the year.

Hope this info helps you plan a successful trip!

[herefishy]

You could try the lakes, and the small streams clear and drop earlier than the larger rivers.

[jmako]

Thanks for the great information! Your input has probably saved me a disasterous trip. Being from Florida, the last thing that entered my mind was mountain snow melt effects. As a result, I think I will delay my trip to the August-early October time frame. I am trying to avoid the summer crowds.
I still have a lot of planning to do, but I am looking at the Bozeman, Mt area, Southern Idaho, and maybe Jacskson, Wyoming. Having never been to that part of the country, I am working from a zero knowledege base and am trying to learn as much as I can before we go. Your inputs mean a lot to me. As we go along and I begin to firm up our plans, I will be asking for more help in picking places to stay, guides, etc.
What a great forum this is, Thanks!

[ScottP]

Of course, if you go in August, you could be dealing with drought, fires, river closures and the crowds. I'm sorta kidding (not really) but just want you to understand there are no absolutes when planning a trip out west, except that it's absolutely dependent on precip, or lack thereof. In low moisture years (2007 really sticks in my mind) by late July/Aug rivers were p.ss trickles, hoot owl restrictions (no fishing from 1 PM-6 AM) were in place throughout MT and fire season was already bad (it got a lot worse).

Early October is another matter - weather can be warm and sunny (fished the Madison in shirtsleeves a few times) or it can be like this (took these pics of my campsite 10/07/2011):





Fishing was great, and I did pretty well on dries, but there was lots of hands-under-armpits time.


If you can hold off on your plans until March-April, you'd have a better idea what conditions will be like; May would be even better but I know airline tickets, assuming you're flying, get more expensive the later you wait, and lodging options may be limited by then. Camping, if you're into that, gives you a bit more mobility and latitude.

Regards,
Scott


ps - has anyone mentioned the bears yet?

[herefishy]

September is the absolute best time to be in the West - warm sunny days, fewer crowds, no runoff. If there is a dry year in one area, you can usually find someplace else that at least has more water to fish. Keep in touch and be prepared to be flexible.

[jmako]

Thanks again everyone for your comments. "Herefishy" from what has been said here, I am thinking September. "Scottp" I appreciate your comments also, however one could never get a trip planned based on what the weather might do. Hurricane season here is from June through November, so i guess i could say don't come to Florida during those seven months.. Since we will be driving, I do have some schedule flexibility, so we will be wathing the long term weather forecasts before pulling the trigger.
Again, thanks.