| 2009 |
Hookin' Fish and Catchin' Memories with Rob Peddie
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What a season 08 turned out to be. I ended the season in Pinedale Wyoming
working for Two Rivers Emporium. A fantastic little shop located near some
great fly-fishing... especially the dry fly fishing. The Green and New Fork
Rivers are the major waters in the area with several smaller creeks that hold a
healthy population of rainbows, browns, and cutthroat trout. The area is also
unique in that you can catch four different species of cutthroat trout within
two hours drive. A certificate from the Wyoming Dept of Game and Fish is
awarded to the angler who accomplishes this feat.
Pinedale is a little over an hour south-east of Jackson and sits at 7100 feet on
a plateau that is becoming more famous for its natural gas and oil fields than
anything else. Home of the original Mountain Man Rendezvous where men
like Jim Bridger came together with Indian tribes like the Shoshone to trade
goods (furs, black powder, etc) during a week long celebration. Two Rivers
leases a fantastic little spring creek that's less than a mile from the original
site. This world class stream is a dry fly fishing paradise... gin clear water,
deep cut banks, riffles, pools, tall grass, willow trees, aggressive trout looking
for big terrestrials, incredible sight casting to big trout. I stood with a client
last October in one spot for thirty minutes working one nice rainbow that was
less than twelve feet from us. It was neat to watch this fish inspect our rig as it
floated by time after time and to eventually trick it into eating.
The Green and New Fork Rivers are fishable by mid-April with caddis and
stone-fly hatches but things don't really get going until after run-off. The
streamer fishing can be ridiculous but the Grey Drake Hatch in mid to late
June and early July is phenomenal. By mid July the terrestrial fishing is it.
The streamer fishing can be productive during certain times but the hopper
dropper rig is the most consistent and rewarding. The New Fork is a long,
low, and tight float by mid July but some float it all summer and for good
reason... big fish. Ideal for those with smaller rafts, skiffs, and the ability to
cast in front of the boat. The Green River is larger than the New Fork and is
floatable all season. With the most public access ramps of any river in
Wyoming there are well over a dozen options for the Green River located
within an hours drive of Pinedale. Mostly mellow water with the standard riffle,
pool, tail-out there are a few sections that float through a small 12 mile canyon.
The water through the canyon is faster, boulder strewn, pocket water that
doesn't hold big fish but holds a lot of fish and a very healthy bug population.
I don't feel that the Green and New Fork Rivers are a replacement for The
North Platte and Encampment Rivers but a compliment. I'm convinced that
the best early season fishing (Feb, March, April) is on the Gray Reef section of
the North Platte River. Being a tailwater it fishes consistently most of the
cooler months with nymph rigs and the occasional streamer. By the end of
May run off is pretty heavy but the Salmon Fly hatch on the upper North Platte
near the Colorado border is worth checking out. The float from the Colorado
put-in to the Prospect Creek access is 18 miles of rough Class III white-water
and is a hoot even if the fishing is tough. The fishing gets better towards the
middle of June and is usually at its best by the third week. The Green Drake
Hatch usually starts on the Encampment River around then and lasts until the
first week of July. I think a multi-day trip on the upper Platte during June is the
best trip in Wyoming followed up by a day or two on the Encampment. But by
mid July the water is too low to float on both the Encampment and the upper
Platte. The river below the confluence of the two is usually floatable all
summer but warm water and moss can make for tough days. This is when the
Green is just getting good.
The Green flows a little faster and cooler than the Platte so the dog days of
summer aren't so bad. Our trips meet at the shop at 9 a.m. on the water by 10
and off the water around 6 or 7. Not like Saratoga where we meet at 5:30 a.m.
and off the water by 1 or 2 because of water temps. The Green doesn't have
the same trico or BWO hatch as the Platte but does have a good yellow sally
hatch and rusty spinner fall, besides terrestrials, that bring fish up all summer.
The fishing shuts down by mid October around Pinedale and usually a couple
of weeks later for the upper Platte. The lower Platte around Casper is the
most consistent fishery from late September to early December.
2009 looks to be an interesting water year. Looks like run off won't compare
to last year and we are back to low water conditions. This could mean that the
Salmon Fly hatch on the Platte will be around Memorial Day with good fishing
most of June. Green Drakes by the third week in June for the Encampment
and water gone by July 4th for both Platte and Encampment. There should be
plenty of water to float the Green all summer around Pinedale.