USA: Flyfishing Wyoming 2015

Jfet

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I spent my youth reading Outdoor Life and Field and Stream. I would day dream about going out West into the mountains and fly fishing in a cold mountain stream. Hot steamy July days in San Antonio, TX were a long ways from the mountains of Wyoming. Like many of us in our fifties I finally got to live a dream.


I have been able to fly fish in places like Colorado before but that has always been with a guide. This trip, PB and I, did it on our own. We rigged our own lines. Tied on our own flies (very strong reading glasses recommended). Found our fish on our own.


Day 1 July 2: Throckmorton Texas


Arrived at the 3BH Ranch around 6pm to check trail cameras and protein feeders. Found bridge over North Elm Creek washed out. Time to start improvising.

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Over the years hunting on the ranch I always thought this was an old ford on the creek. The 3BH Ranch actually straddles The Great Western Cattle Trail. The Great Western was used by more cattlemen to drive their herds north than the Chisum Trail. We find evidence from these cattle drive on the ranch often. So it was time to go back into time in order to get to camp.

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Day 2 July 3: Durango CO


This is good place to stop after a 12 hour drive. We stayed at the Gen. Palmer Hotel in downtown Durango. Neat old hotel from late 1800’s they have done a great job restoring this hotel. PB got a chance to walk main street and shop. (win points). The Seasons Restaurant is OUTSTANDING! (more points)

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Day 3 July 4: San Juan Mountains and Ouray CO


Started Independence Day in Durango by watching the Silverton Durango small gauge train getting ready to depart. Done that trip in years past. Ya’ll need to do it.


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After breakfast PB bought a new pair of Chaco sandals she had spotted the evening before. (jackpot)


We then headed north on HWY 550, The Million Dollar Highway. Our destination was Ourey, CO and fireworks for Independence Day. However, we can’t just drive to Ourey the easy way. There are far to many interesting dirt roads in this part of world.

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After turning a one hour drive up HWY 550 into a 5 hour adventure on back roads we arrived in Ourey. This is a small town that made its name in the heyday of mining industry in Colorado. Today, it is a gathering point for four wheel drive enthusiast. We stayed at the Twin Peaks Motel. Which harkens back to traveling days of the 1950’s and 60’s. It is the ideal spot to sit and watch fireworks. All, the guest brought out chairs onto the lawn or sat on their tailgates and enjoyed the fireworks going off directly above them.


INDEPENDENCE DAY


“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,”


I am a firm believer that these words do not just apply to us, U.S., but to all of us. It would benefit us that we study these ideas and their meaning. After, recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court we need to revisit the idea that we are born with these rights because God gave them to us. There is a higher authority than our goverments.


Day 4 July 5:


Drive to Jackson Wyoming. A long drive.


Day 5 July 6


Up early and get into downtown Jackson. Eat breakfast on the square.




Go shopping as the stores open. Target species, dress for PB to wear as MOG (mother of groom). This is tolerable to FOG (father of groom). By noon there are way to many tourist. A whimsical idea for trophy room

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Time to head south to Alpine, WY and the Greys River

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The plan was to fish on the Greys River. This is a major tributary of the Snake River. It is a beautiful 56 mile long free flowing alpine river. It is home to Snake River Cutthroat Trout.


In Wyoming there is the Cutt Slam below is a link that explain this challenge.


https://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/fishing-1000209.aspx


At this point pictures are worth a thousand words.

Sunset on The Greys River

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Morning on The Greys

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Due to rain in the mountains we spent most of our time on the Little Greys River

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Always fun to cook outdoors
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The Greys River Road is 100 miles of back woods road that takes you into beautiful country with no traffic. There are also countless other forest service roads to explore.


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So I think I have found my rhythm. Africa in odd numbered years. Flyfishing in Wyoming in even numbered years
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Awesome photos..! Thanks for sharing... Where are the trout pics??
 
John,
I have spent time in all those places along your trip and they are truly wonderful. Wyoming is a wonderful place with great people, reminds me of my home state of Montana only with less granola's!
Cheers,
Cody
 
Loved it John!

Can't wait to get to Durango for elk season. :)

Need a trip further north too....
 
You got the Rhythm right.
 
Looks like you had a fantastic trip. Did you consider taking the Silverton train along the Animus River and doing a drop fishing trip? I did it years ago and it was fantastic being in the canyon almost all by myself for a couple of days until they picked me back up.
 
JimP- That is a great idea! One of our favorite adventures was taking the train and being dropped to do a rafting trip then deflated everything, packed our gear, stood at the right tree (felt like Harry Potter at the train station) and then they picked us back up. The boys thought it was awesome!!! Bet fishing the Animas is great! aka PB
 
Beautiful photos. The last one belongs in a calendar.
 
Great trip. Wet year for a lot of Wy. Rivers should be in better fishing shape now. Great photo's thanks for sharing. Bruce
 
Awesome photos..! Thanks for sharing... Where are the trout pics??

We noticed that we didn't take any trout pictures. I think all the physical coordination it takes to stand upright as you cross mountain stream, to tie flies onto invisible tippets, and then to keep that fly from catching squirrels in trees taxed us severely. I think if we had added trying to handle cameras in the mix we would have been overwhelmed. Sounds like we need to go back and develop another skill:A Banana:
 
Looks like you had a fantastic trip. Did you consider taking the Silverton train along the Animus River and doing a drop fishing trip? I did it years ago and it was fantastic being in the canyon almost all by myself for a couple of days until they picked me back up.

We did a rafting trip like that on the Animus. It was a dry year and the Animus was very low. I keep thinking that had the river been at its normal flow, it would have been a VERY intense rafting trip. Did you fish the Animus itself or did you spend time on the creeks that feed into the Animus. You have peaked my curiosity because that is a beautiful river and to quote Bullthrower there would be less "Granola" in that canyon.(y)
 
Beautiful photos. The last one belongs in a calendar.

That last picture was taken with my phone (iPhone 5s). It was taken out of the window of my truck. Phones these days take some nice pictures and when you are in a target rich environment its hard to mess it up.:)

Thanks
 
We did a rafting trip like that on the Animus. It was a dry year and the Animus was very low. I keep thinking that had the river been at its normal flow, it would have been a VERY intense rafting trip. Did you fish the Animus itself or did you spend time on the creeks that feed into the Animus. You have peaked my curiosity because that is a beautiful river and to quote Bullthrower there would be less "Granola" in that canyon.(y)

We took all of our backpacking camping gear and boarded the train in Durango and they dropped us off at Needleton in the canyon. We stayed and fished for a week before flagging the train back down and going back to Durango. It was a great time and we fished both the Animus and any tributary stream that came into it. We did it the end of June just after the high water subsided 10 years ago.

You might want to give them a call or email them and see what they offer now for fishing or backpacking trips and drop offs.
 
Nice pics and a great adventure! I have been to some of those same spots, including a couple of trips on the Durango train.

What were the hot flies up on the river?
 
Nice pics and a great adventure! I have been to some of those same spots, including a couple of trips on the Durango train.

What were the hot flies up on the river?

Uh... I hate to say this but the ones I used were the ones I could see. It didn't seem to matter though. Those trout were hungry little sharks.(y)
 
Awesome.... I'm headed for Rocky Mountain NP & Roosevelt NP on Monday for a week. Fish every day!!!! I'll post pics
 
Awesome.... I'm headed for Rocky Mountain NP & Roosevelt NP on Monday for a week. Fish every day!!!! I'll post pics

RMNP was my intro to the Rocky MT. Many fond memories camping in Moraine Park when the boys were little :P Fisherman:

Definitely need a report
 
Yep.... Taking my 7 yr old daughter & 10 year old son.... Float some bugs in Morraine/Big T! :A Way To Go:
 
Yep.... Taking my 7 yr old daughter & 10 year old son.... Float some bugs in Morraine/Big T! :A Way To Go:

And watch some elk in the evenings. Love it!
 
Enjoyed the report and photos.

Looks like you had a great time.
 

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