Well its been another hectic month or so and fortunately fly fishing has been a common theme in my everyday life… Jackson Hole summer lifestyle at its best! Granted I spend an awful lot of time watching others fly fish but at this point in my life it is my pleasure to spend precious time outdoors with folks who want to learn and get better and more importantly, share America's awesome natural resources.
Early last month I ventured down South on my annual getaway to spend time with family and wet a hook in some new watersheds. I had the privilege to meet up with
Mossy Creek Fly Fishing's guide Robert Cramer in Harrisonburg, VA. My father and I made the drive up from ATL expecting some spectacular smallmouth bass fishing. We did manage to get into some nice bass but overall the bite was off but fortunately for me another critter was stirring… Muskie! The Shenandoah River is spectacular and diverse in its habitat and I have to admit, it occurred to me that I could live near a river like this and be quite happy with the variety, much like the Chattahoochee I grew up on but with a few million less people.
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| Shenandoah River, Virginia |
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| Third grab was a solid hook set and away we go! |
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| A lifetime species up close, incredible creature! |
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| Stoked! |
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| Like a dream… beach, fly rod and a couple brews. |
Since back in Jackson Hole the guide season has had a few starts and stops due to high water in Wyoming. For most of June the South Fork of the Snake River, the Firehole River and Lewis Lake in YNP were about all we could manage to fish but like most Junes, these drainages and venues did not disappoint. Hatches slowly emerged… first some caddis, BWO's and flavs scattered about. Then week by week, day by day the conditions were clearly excellent with sallies, PMD's, drakes of all types and big stoneflies, salmon and goldens!
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| Early summer rainbow bite gets the summer season underway. |
As of lately the best has been the grey drakes of our southern rivers and the tapering off of the big salmon fly hatch buzz on the South Fork. If you missed out, try the Hoback River Canyon for a great hatch lasting another week, the insects are thick in the top of the canyon.
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| Lewis Lake in June should be on your bucket list of fly fishing. |
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| Late June rain and the most amazing PMD hatch ever on the South Fork. |
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| Stoneflies and brown trout speak summer fly fishing! |
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| Uncrowded Western Wyoming. |
Currently we are fishing the Green River drainage with excellent activity mid morning and through the afternoon. Drakes and golden stones are best but a dropper off the large flies can certainly increase overall action as the surface bite slows around 2 or 3pm. The Snake River below Jackson Lake dam is fishing quite well with sallies and PMD's, this should hold up for some time and as the Buffalo Fork clears the lower sections will be finally ready for some serious fishing. Flows at Moose are just over 6000cfs and appear to be dropping, I honestly think good fishing on the Snake is just a week or so away.
Give us a call to book your adventure in Grand Teton National Park!
(307)690-0910
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