Dispatch: Fly Fishing The Green in the Fall

Fly Fishing The Flaming Gorge of the Green River is like playing a round of golf on an epic course-tough shot, precarious and exhilarating. Be ready for a challenging game of fishing in the fall on the Green. Sure we met a few lucky bastards, skillful in landing hungry trout. We weren’t invited into their elite club, nor were 99% of the drift boats floating by with their dejected clients asking us “any luck”. Even the professional guides, at $500 per day weren’t landing trophy trout.

The Green River is guaranteed to always deliver on beauty, but there are no guarantees on dialing in the fly fishing. Each time I return to the Flaming Gorge, I vow to come back again to experience her. @thepathfinder and I followed our adventure nose down dusty roads and discovered more places to explore. Like The Gates of Lodore -5 day float (which I know almost nothing about). Here’s to curiosity and tracing routes in pencil.

The Green River is The Grand Canyon meets the Snake River maybe not exactly, but it’s otherness.
Although we didn’t set new records for the number of trout in our net, we did break in @Pathfinders Adventure van.
We scouted future adventures in the Dinosaur National Monument, The Gates of Lodore.

Dispatch: Colorado’s Deepest Hole In the Ground: Black Canyon of the Gunnison

In March 2017, my daughter and I road tripped to visit Colorado’s deepest hole in the ground, The Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Now a National Park, this rugged steep-walled river carved gorge is visited by less than 240,000 people each year, which is 95% fewer people than Grand Canyon National Park. You are guaranteed a peaceful, beautiful and uncrowded wilderness experience.

Go Deep

“No other canyon in North America combines the depth, narrowness, sheerness and somber countenance,” says geologist Wallace Hansen of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. It’s rumored that the deepest parts of the canyon receive only 30 minutes of sunlight each day.

Drive 12 miles into the park on South Rim Road to the dead end at High Point, and walk out to Warner Point. Plan two to three hours to explore the vertiginous overlooks. Stay overnight in the 88-spot South Rim Campground for $16 to $22 a night. nps.gov/blca

Next time

I want to hike the Inner Canyon and descent the gnarly routes down to the river bottom. I keep hearing dreamy stories of fly fishing the annual salmon fly hatch. I’m going back.

We woke to 2 inches of fresh snow. We ran out of water and the campground trucks in water for campers only during high season. We scrapped snow from the roof to melt for French press coffee.

Trip Report: Monster Trout on The Grey Reef- Wyoming’s North Platte River

Fish on! My wrist and forearm was fatigued from landing countless feisty rainbows over our two-day guided drift of the Grey Reef. Just outside Casper, Wyoming, the North Platte River empties nutrient rich tail water from the namesake Grey Reef Reservoir. Monster trout incubate in this special section fishery providing the perfect combination of temperature, depth and food.

Me holding one of the day’s prized catch

In October 2012, I spent two days fly-fishing the Grey Reef on a guided drift boat with my friend Bruce. We caught dozens of huge fish upwards in size of 21″ and 5 lbs. For fly fisherman, those are big fish.

The Grey Reef is commonly fished from guided drift boats, as public access points are limited. Day one, we put in and began our voyage at the Gray reef access area about thirty-five miles southwest of Casper, WY. Download this PDF map to give you a visual of the Grey Reef section. Check out Casper’s visitor bureau detail on the Reef.

Bruce and Cody staying warm in the October breeze at our lunch spot

Abundant Wildlife

One of my favorite parts of fishing the Reef was the abundant wildlife that we encountered including Bald Eagle, Antelope and pheasants. The land surrounding the Reef feels very remote and desolate. If feels like you’re in the badlands of South Dakota while you float through middle dozens of private ranches.

Happy is easy to find on the Grey Reef with hungry rainbows

Guide Service Options

St. Peter’s Fly Shop Fort Collins, CO
We used St. Peter’s for our two-day float. They are a little cheaper than the local Casper, WY shops but offer the same trip options. Cody our guide rigged every fly, unhooked our fish and rowed the drift boat through windy weather. Best of all, he stuck us on every honey hole he knew of.

Grey Reef Anglers
Their floats range between 8 to 22 miles. Full day for 1-2 people, guide and boat $475.

The Reef Fly Shop
Great information on their website about traveling from Denver or Salt Lake City. Their price list offers some additional options for trophy trips and specialty trips.

Cody our guide freeing one of the monsters

Gear Recommendations

I’d recommend bringing a 6 weight fly rod. I fished a 5 weight and after two days, I was genuinely sore from pulling in big fish. The guide services list what flies to use for each season on the Reef. When we fished in mid-October it was windy enough that we needed to wear a protective shell jacket and waders in the boat. Plan on fishing nymph rigs primarily unless you are late summer.

There are no stops or services available along the river. Make sure you bring everything you need for a long day: sunscreen, water, extra food.

Off the Grid: Why I Fly Fish

Golden twilight bends across the South Platte riffle. A horde of infant insects rises off the water like a helicopter army. The hatch is on.

My iPhone is silent. I cast. I mend the line. The drift is set. I repeat. No voicemails buzz. Fish spotted. A brown trout divulges his camouflage. I crack my fly box to curate a pairing for the big brown—a double dry fly rig that’s the equivalent of a fat steak with a full-bodied cabernet to a trout. No text messages chime. Mr. Brown trout, I’m coming for you.

The bending light fades to dusk. Facebook remains even darker. I cast. Mend. Drift. Boom. Fish on the line. But there’s no cell service. Nothing but the river. Nothing but this moment.

Hooking up
Hooking up

Get Started: Take a class at Angler’s Covey. Ask for Cody Lovecchio as a guide. anglerscovey.com

Get Going: Eleven Mile Canyon on the South Platte River is one of the last great swatches where Verizon or AT&T can’t find you.

Get Equipped: “Perfect dry flies are Parachute Adams No. 18-20, Blue-Winged Olive No. 20-22,” Lovecchio says. “For a nymph rig, use olive or grey color RS2 No. 18-24 and a BWO No. 20-24.”

This Field Report first appeared on Springs Magazine.

Waiting on the hatch
Waiting on the hatch