Alright,.....who likes to go fly fishing for trout?

[veryolddog]

Unfortunately, I have not been fly-fishing for trout in awhile, but I am hoping to go this summer since my legs are getting better. In the past, I have fly fished all over the Rockies from Montana, south through Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. In Northern New Mexico, I have gone to the Valle Vidal, the Chama River, the Rio Grande, and the San Juan Rivers.

In Colorado, I have fished the Colorado, the Arkansas, the Blue, and the lakes north of Steamboat Springs like Hahn's Peak Lake. i also enjoyed the Grand Canyon of the Gunnison.

In Wyoming, the Snake River down from Yellowstone to Grand Teton National Park. In Yellowstone Park, the Yellowstone River was good but on the crowded side. There is also good fishing all through the Wind River area and you have to try the Gros Vont if you have not tried it yet outside of Jackson Hole and in the Grand Teton. The Grand Teton is very interesting because they have these little deep streams not more than 4 or 5 feet apart flowing like canals through the middle of the elk grazing areas. These stream are filled with big rainbows and browns. I have pulled 20 and 24 inch trout from these waters.

I use primarily dry flies, stimulators, and elk hair caddis. Occasionally, I will attach a nymph to a dry fly and hang it about two feet below. But my motor development has diminished and tying that is a problem.

Do we have any fly fisherman out here that also like to BBQ? Where to you go?

Have a great day!

And, tight lines!

Ed

[veryolddog]

Yes, I know, Captain, but, my legs are not strong enough right now. I need a little more time in order to get out. Just had a special injection into my hip last week and I am waiting for it take effect.

My wife and I visited this area about 4 weeks ago. There are a lot of stairs to climb down and back up in order to get those waters below the dam. The water is cold and clear and holds a constant temperature below the dam.

Thanks for bringing it up. By the way, there is good fly fishing for bass in this area as well.

Ed

[drholly]

Hi Ed,

I am a fly fisher for anything! I love to stalk trout on a fly and have had the very fortunate opportunity to do this around the world - New Zealand was fantastic! But, I will toss a fly for bass, northern, muskies, walleyes, perch, and sunnies - almost any fish. I just love trying to figure out what they might be eating (or enticed to bite) as well as where they are "holding". I fish the lakes, rivers and streams in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota for the most part. But, when I travel I always bring a travel rod on the off chance I can find a stream. In these travels I have had the chance to fish some of the best waters in the east and west. My wife and brothers think I am crazy - they like to drag worms on the bottom of the lake to catch walleye... Heck, I've designed some flies for ice fishing in the winter! Yup - I guess I AM crazy!

If you are ever up this way (Minnesota) I would be happy to host you for a fly fishing trip and a meal. I hope to meet you!

David

[TwoPockets]

I have loved to fly fish most of my life, but mostly for the local freshwater fish we have here in Alabama like bream and bass. My wife bought me an excellent St Croix rod and Orvis reel a couple of years ago and I have been wanting to get out and try some trout fishing.  We also have a stocked trout fishery below the Sipsey Dam about an hour away and it is supposed to be a good place to fish. Might get up that way this summer.

[ACW3]

Ed,
I am another fly fishing fool.  I am just getting back to it again after a layoff due to several back surgeries.  I have several fly rods - a 3 weight, a 5 weight, a 6 weight and a 9 weight.  I tie my own flies, but will buy some if I have to.  I fly fished for bonefish while I was in Belize.  I had never caught one before this trip.  The last time I was bone fishing was in 2003 in Islamorada.  A pod of bones came around the point and before I could stop my son from throwing a chunk of meat on a big hook at them, he made a perfect cast with the spinning rod, right on the nose of the lead fish.  GONE!!!  I told him he came real close to being thrown into the drink with the small black tip sharks he had been catching.  I was not a happy camper!  Well, this time things worked for me.  I ended up boating 22 bonefish in about 6 to 7 hours of fishing.  It was a really good day! 

Tim also likes to fly fish.  If this crazy weather (rain) will ever stop messing up our fishing plans, we will be doing a lot of trout fishing in the NC mountains this year.

Art

[bbqchef]

Wish I knew how to fly fish.. using a spinning reel.

[veryolddog]

You know, the North Carolina mountains along the Tennessee border have some very nice fly fishing for rainbows and Brook Trout. I fished that area one summer and it was very exciting. Nice small streams and pools. The fish are not too big, but you could catch and release a lot of them.  They sure liked ants. I used an artificial dry ant with a white spot on the back so that I could track it floating in the streams.

The biggest Brookies that I have ever caught were caught in waters in Western Colorado, by Aspen. Those were in the 10 to 15 inch range. It was a perfect little river dammed by beavers which pooled the water and then allowing it to flow in pools on the downside. The views were just as exciting as the fishing. Caught these fish on stimulators, royal wulffs with indicators, royal coachmans, and indicators with parachutes.

 ACW3: Never did a Bonefish. However, when I was younger and had better legs so that I could actually stand in boat, I went flyfishing for Redfish on the Gulf side of Islamorada. We tracked a huge swarm of Redfish and I got lucky and pulled in 3. That was one and only experience. Can't go in boats any more as I do not have the balance and stability to do this. That's why when I can go I prefer to walk streams with the aid of a stick.

You guys have been to some neat places. Sounds good to me.

DRHOLLY: I did not know that they had trout fishing in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. I thought that these would be waters for the Muskie and Pike. Really interesting.

Two Pockets: You ought to give it a try. ST Croix and Orvis real are a good combination. You should give it a try. Maybe you should grab Jaxon and go together. Take pictures.

Regards,

Ed

[sparky]

Wish I knew how to fly fish.. using a spinning reel.

Me too.

[teesquare]

"The fish are not too big, but you could catch and release a lot of them"


Really??? This is the smaller of the Brookies from last year. It is nearing 15''. The one wish I had a picture of was 17.5'' ( I lost the photos ... phone died - lost all of my pics   )



And another....


And a day on a stream that is WAY to swift for flies....


That is the stream disappearing in front of you.


Here is why...






Wyoming and Montana ...that is what I think of on this stream. The rocks are HUGE, the waterfalls many - and the fish are hungry Yep - that is my fishing buddy standing under that one - it is an open front cave that the water has carved this room under - we stand in a trickling waterfall and cool off when fishing "The Grotto"

[veryolddog]

That's a big freakin Brookie! The ones that I caught in the Great Smokie Mountains were 8 - 12 inches. That one is like the ones in Western Colorado. Nice! Good Job!

Ed

[teesquare]

Come over to visit Ed. Art and I will take you places never seen by tourists. And trout that rarely see anything artificial !

[drholly]

Ed,

MN and Wisconsin have some great trout streams / rivers. In the southern parts they are mainly brookies and rainbows - most are natural - not stocked. In the northern parts of the two states are some excellent bows as well as steelhead and in the great lakes - lake trout. In eastern WI there are steelheads making their way to and from the lake. In ND just about 50 miles west of Bismarck (the capital) is an excellent lake stocked with rainbows. My brother and I like to fish it in the winter - the water is so clear you can see the trout 6 - 10 feet deep. I tie some "ice flies" basically a small wooly bugger with some flash for these - it's a blast watching them take the fly. I even made a bamboo ice rod with a small fly reel for ice fishing.

David

[fishingbouchman]

Used to flyfish all the time. Would hit the river on late starts in high school. Started fishing out of the boat cowliz and Columbia as of late. Bjgger fish. Not much   Used to live in Utah and would hit the green river up. Using 4 lb test and 5 wt fly rods had 50 plus fish days. Fish were good size too 18-22 inches. Lot of catching not fishing. Created our own fly no one had. Everyone was going small 22 or small dry flys. Ours was 3-4 inches long. Would kill the fish. Miss fly fishing. Would love to give the Texas coast a shot.

[veryolddog]

I lived in New Mexico for a very long time and one of my favorite rivers to fish is the the Northwest part of the State called the San Juan River which feeds and is the tailwater off of Navajo Lake. Below the Dam, the water temperature being fed by the bottom of that lake is usually around 52 degrees and provides and excellent food source for the trout, native browns and rainbows below the dam. These waters have restricted fishing and you must return all of the fish to the river. It is strictly catch and release for five miles down stream.

My wife and I usually wade the river and fish. On this day, we hired a terrific guide and we floated the river for the better part of the day stopping occasionally to fish from sand bars or the side of the river. Floating gives you a different perspective from wading. Here are a few shots from that day. The first one is my wife and Dave: he owns the company called Fishheads of the San Juan and he also has a lodge and fly shop there in Navajo. He is Orvis endorsed.












On another occasion, I caught the largest trout of my life, 24 inches, on a 1wt fly rod by Orvis. It took me 30 minutes to bring that pig in. At first, I did not even know that I had him on my line, until I lifted my rod and started to strip line. I thought that I caught the bottom. I did not net this fish, but kept him in the shallow water, and remove the hook. I was using a size 24 San Juan River midge. Then I released him back to the water.

Even if I go fly fishing and I do not catch a thing, I am exhilarated by just being there with the view and scenery. it is always so quiet.

Regards,

Ed

[Sam3]

Roscoe, NY "Trout Town USA" is only an hour and a half from me. Fly fishing is very popular up here in NW New Jersey with some "Fly only" area's along the Flatbrook.
Many of my friends fly fish and love it. I could never get into it. I prefer the salt instead, but that's just me.