Discover the NPL Difference!

Wyoming trophy trout fishing, private access, experienced Wyoming trout fishing guides. North Platte River fly fishing.

Start here for one of the most amazing flyfishing journeys of your life! Why? Access, Experience, and Convenience.

Enjoy a mile of private trophy trout flyfishing right outside our front door! We have leased 21 miles of river bank exclusively for our guests’ fishing access year-round. Avoid crowds when you fish with us. Explore the NPL Difference!

North Platte Lodge is the first lodge located on the lower North Platte River. We are one mile below the Grey Reef Dam near Alcova, Wyoming.

Be sure and see our photo gallery of the trophy rainbows and brown trout that our guests have had the pleasure of catching.

Since 1998: Access, Experience & Convenience

ACCESS

Access – to get out of the boat and fish or to take a breather – is critical. In the first 14 miles of river below the dam, all but 2 river miles of bank is private land. We are the only operation with leases exclusively for our guests. Anyone can float through this stretch, but no one can stop except North Platte Lodge.

EXPERIENCE

At North Platte Lodge – the first lodge on the Grey Reef stretch – you will float and fish with the River’s most experienced full-time professional guides. They know the river at every water level and season through thousands of days of guide experience.

CONVENIENCE

You can fly into Casper, WY via United or Delta, and we will pick you up.

The lodge is on the river, and you will get all meals and large comfortable rooms with private bathrooms.

In the morning it’s a one minute drive to the boat launch and after fishing, a ten minute return trip! You can walk a couple hundred yards and wade at one of Grey Reef's finest fishing holes.

Why the North Platte River Grey Reef Section?

The North Platte River (Grey Reef Section) is one of the world’s most amazing tailwaters. Traversing the arid landscape of central Wyoming. the Grey Reef has nearly 62 miles of fishable water.

The nutrient rich waters of the river host an abundance of aquatic invertebrates, making the fish both plentiful and healthy. Rainbow trout comprise an majority of the population but brown trout and Snake River cutthroat exist in healthy numbers.

Due to the overall health of both the river and fish, the Grey Reef section of the North Platte has become renowned for its trophy-sized trout.

The high desert prairie of this region supports an abundance of wildlife such as mule deer, whitetail, antelope, coyote, elk, and a multitude of birds of prey.

Fly Fishing with NPL

FLYFISHING THE NORTH PLATTE is not like fishing a typical trout stream. These are not typical trout and this is no typical river. The trout you can expect are unusually large and they are usually strong!

You can expect to hook and land fish in the five to six pound class on this river. These fish are going to test your tackle and your skill. The biggest ones are going to break your tackle and your heart!

This stretch of river is almost entirely privately held which keeps the pressure low. The fishing is primarily subsurface with most being nymph and streamer fishing.

Land of the Giants

The exciting part of this river is the unbelievable size that fish attain. The fish are extremely heavy compared to their length. It is not uncommon for an 18 inch fish to be too thick to hold in one hand.

A typical day should find an angler landing a number of fish in the 3-4 pound class, with the very strong possibility of landing a 5-7 pound fish. There are also a large number of fish that are in the 8-10 pound class and above; these fish, however, tend to show you more of your backing than themselves, but fish above 10 pounds are landed every year.

The Sweetwater River

The Sweetwater is a wonderful small water fishery that provides challenging fishing for higher level flyfishers. This stream has a variety of species and has some really large fish. Browns over 20" are not uncommon. Many 14-17" Cutthroats as well as Rainbows also inhabit the stream.

Right beside the river is the Historic Oregon Trail and Pony Express Route and it is easily viewed as you spend your day on this historic ranch. The number of flyfishers is limited to 8 per week so make sure to reserve your spot when you book.

About NPL Fishing

All guides at the North Platte Lodge have their own driftboats. Each boat accomodates two fisherman and the guide.

Fishing can be done exclusively from the comfort of the boat or to get the full experience, wadefishing. We strive to keep all boats and gear clean and orderly for your enjoyment.

The typical method of fishing is nymphing with a two-fly rig. Streamers are also typically done on a two-fly setup. Dry fly fishing can be done when conditions are right.

We have jetboats available for carp fishing, scenic tours, and wade fishing the river when water levels are appropriate.

This year North Platte lodge is adding a trophy package. The trophy package will be for just one fisherman, who wants to pursue big fish! You will be throwing big streamers, and your guide will take you wherever and do whatever it takes to give you a legimate shot a some very large trout!

Wingshooting at NPL

First class lodge, top rate staff, hundreds of thousands of private acres, and limited pressure on the resource. The North Platte Lodge will provide you with the wingshooting experience you’ve dreamed of.

With over 15,000 acres of land available and by limiting the number of hunters, we are able to keep the pressure low on our birds. You will have prime opportunities to hunt wild birds.

Hungarian Partridges are the primary birds for your enjoyment. If you have never hunted Huns before, you will find them as exciting and challenging as any upland species. They are a covey bird that will rise and fly together...fast!

The beauty of the Hun is that they live in open prairie and CRP so you can see them and follow them after the initial rise. It is not uncommon to jump a covey two or three times after the initial find.

The Sage Grouse are usually found while in the fields chasing the Huns. The Sage Grouse,while not as prevalent as the Huns, are found throughout the ranch in good numbers.

Goose Hunting at NPL

North Platte Lodge now has access to world-class Canada goose hunting throughout Goshen County Wyoming. Our pits are large and extremely comfortable and are heated with electric baseboard heat or propane. Each will handle 2-5 hunters with guide and dog.

The best part is the locations of the pits. Any of these proven pits would be a goose hunter’s dream spot. We have 17, and ALL of them are great! This also gives us the opportunity to move from pit to pit. When we toured the pits in July, our guides wanted to start hunting immediately! The prime locations and comfortable pits were hard for them to believe.

We limit hunting pressure to keep the birds feeding in the fields. All of our pits are in cropland except one which is in a primary flight zone and is amazing. All of them are either near the North Platte or water favored by the geese. One new pit will be on a property that hasn’t been hunted for four years!

Comfortable lodging for up to six hunters and meals are available on our lease. If you use our lodging, your dog is welcome to hunt and to stay the night. No dogs are allowed in the house, however, so be prepared to have your dog sleep in your car or in our kennels outside.

Snow Goose & Duck Hunts

Spring will bring in the snow geese and some great snow goose hunting in a couple of our pits. This will be an opportunist hunt as you will need to come on the spur of the moment when the geese are in. If you would like to be on our snow goose call list, please contact us with your number and email and we will keep you posted.

Again this year, we offer goose and duck hunts near Alcova. These hunts are all done from layout blinds as these geese are mobile, and we must move with them. The comfortable layouts have blankets available to keep the ground chill off your bones!

Our guides will help you call and will set the spread and prepare your party for a successful outing. If you would prefer to call yourself, just let your guide know. As a precaution against skybusting and pass shooting in the fields, pits are not available without guides. We shoot only decoyed birds and try to avoid educating too many of the birds in the big flocks by pass shooting at them. Enough birds will come in!

Seasons vary, and time restrictions are in place in Goshen and Platte counties, so please be aware of regulations and that you may only be able to hunt half days. These regulations are usually not a problem!

Season Dates and Limits have not been published yet. We will post those as soon as they become available.

Come experience the incredible comfort and pleasant atmosphere of our pits while hunting Wyoming's premier Goose valley!

Accommodations

The NPL is located in Central Wyoming, just outside of Alcova, Wyoming. Alcova is approximately 25 miles southwest of Casper, Wyoming. Nearly a mile of prime fishing exclusively for our guests is right out the front door!

We accommodate only eight guests at a time in four spacious rooms, each with two queen beds and a private bathroom. You will find that our rooms are large and comfortable.

Our lodge will feel like your home away from home while fishing or wingshooting. Lounging near the fireplace or on the deck, you will find the lodge comfortable in every way.

The lodge offers a generous continental breakfast, a hearty shore lunch and a family style western dinner. If you have special dietary needs to please let us know in advance so we can accommodate them if possible.

North Platte River/Grey Reef news

3/10/10 WYOMING FLY FISHING GUIDE REPORT: GREY REEF is flowing at 500cfs and is not quite as clear as it was but still very fishable. North Platte Lodge guide Rick Aune and his son were outto enjoy a calm warm Wyoming winter day (it is very springlike) Rick reported good streamer activity on GOLDIE LOCKS. He caught 8 or 9 healthy rainbows in a couple hours with several more thumps that didn't hookup. Trent and Brad floated the upper Grey Reef stretch yesterday but, I havent received their report yet.

Looks like our snow storm won't be as big as first reported. We might see a total of a couple inches with more 50 degree temps coming in the next couple days.

Thye North Platte Lodge has some openings for the beginning of April. This is the most talked about time at Grey Reef.

3/9/2010 WYOMING FLY FISHING GUIDE REPORT:**UPDATE**Grey Reef Reservoir was the recipient of a little burp. Consequently the North Platte River has less clarity than it did. Trent thought maybe a foot of vis right now. He also said the fishing was "silly"...go figure. He will be on the water today.

3/9/2010 WYOMING FLY FISHING GUIDE REPORT: Our snow is mostly gone from the last system and we are expecting another snow event tomorrow and Thursday. Looks like we could get up to another 6" or so? The lower portions of the North Platte River will be a little off color in the afternoons due to a little runoff entering the river, but up near Grey Reef is clear and in good shape. We are now at the time of year that we expect highs in the 50s and are not surprised by snow storms... springtime in Wyoming! Fishing conditions remain good with nymphing being the most productive. FREMONT CANYON: nymphing with light tippet, shorter leaders and little bugs. Midges and baetis patterns will be the best. Be careful around the gravel and watch (rather than cast to ) spawners.MIRACLE MILE: swinging streamers is stilll a great option. Nymphing with beady leeches, worms, scuds and eggs. Midge and baetis patterns will also produce. GREY REEF: Nymphing worms, eggs, leeches and scuds with midges is the best bet. Brad landed a nice 24" brown the other day on a nymph rig on the upper. They are there, come get 'em!

3/6/2010 WYOMING FLY FISHING GUIDE REPORT: We ended up with somewhere in the neighborhood of 6"-8" of heavy wet glop in Casper and Alcova received 3" or so. Roads are fine...they are clear and wet right now.

3/5/10 WYOMING FLY FISHING GUIDE REPORT: **Winter Storm Warning** for Natrona County including Alcova and the Grey Reef area. The snow that was suppposed to start falling last night (although it was calm and 55F yesterday) is supposed to come with some punch today. Expected 5"-12" by tomorrow AM...depending on the report. High temps tomorrow are guessed to be near 50F. This could be the first blow out of the season. Go to the home page of this website as well as www.northplatteflyfishing.com to click links for current road/weather and fishing conditions. Be careful and have fun!

3/4/10 WYOMING FLY FISHING GUIDE REPORT: Seth and Brad floated Government Bridge to Sechrist yesterday and reported good nymphing in the morning and excellent in the afternoon. Eggs, Reef Worms, leeches and midges were their bugs. They did notice some prespawn activity so be careful and avoid walking on or fishing to the redds. Stu is out today so we will have an update of the upper Grey Reef section soon.

3/2/10 WYOMING FLY FISHING GUIDE REPORT: More of the same for Grey Reef, Miracle Mile and Fremont Canyon. All are fishing very well. Temps around 50F all week with a stiff wind.

**SPRING FLUSHING FLOWS March 22-26** the flush has been pushed back one week to begin the 22nd of March and terminate after the push Friday morning the 26th of March. Flows will start at midnight on Monday with 4000cfs released daily. Officails at the BuRec were unable to confirm the reason for starting the flush later than normal.

2/28/10 WYOMING FLY FISHING GUIDES REPORT: GREY REEF-Very productive nymphing with leeches, scuds, PALs, Reef Worms, Sow bugs and eggs. STREAMER producing on the swing, Goldies and bronze buggers MIRACLE MILE-Nymphing producing well with beady leeches, san juan worms and wicked impalers, eggs, JuJu Baetis adn Bling Midges STREAMERS goldies and bronze buggers FREMONT CANYON-nymphing very well with light tippet and JuJu midges, Medallion Midges, Scuds, leeches and Bling Midges. Look for risers.

There has been some question regarding the spring flush. We have now heard many conflicting reports...latest is the 22-28th of March. We will get it nailed down soon. We hope for the earliest flush possible...sooner the better for spawn purposes. We also encourage the BuRec to not do the gate test until the spawn is over. The test effectively eliminates all flow in the afterbay and leaves the redds high and dry.

We are now entering some of the best fishing/weather of the year. Average temps near 50F for March. There are still some early April openings at the North Platte Lodge. Come see why Grey Reef is such a highly regarded fishery. We won't let you down!

2/25/10 Snowing again this AM! It won't last and the temps will be balmy soon. Water conditions are fantastic and the fish are in excellent condition. This will be the year of the pig no doubt. The Natrona County Weed and Pest has issued a warning about the HIGH probability of an extreme hopper year. Sounds bad for farmers, but really fun for Grey Reef anglers. Last year we put some impressive fish in the net who couldn't resist a hopper. This year should be great for the big dry flies! Fishing productivity has been really good (non unusual for this time of year). Streamers and, of course, nymph rigs are producing. Leeches, scuds and midges will get the job done.

2/22/10 Brrr...cold out there. Casper enjoyed a little upslope snow activity over the weekend. That is when we typically get our bigger snows. River traffic was low due to the weather conditions. BUT, we will be in the mid 40s by next weekend...here piggy piggy.

2/18/10 Snow actually came. We have about 6" on the ground in Casper and about the same in Alcova. It is warm...almost 30f. To check road conditions click on the links at the bottom of the North Platte Lodge home page OR on the sidebar of The Reef Fly Shop home page. In these links you will find floaters maps, current river flows graphs, flight info, fishing reports and a link to the BLOG "The Wyoming Fly Fisher"...check it out!

2/17/10 Wyoming is an unpredictable place. Today will be in the low 40s and tomorrow chances of significant snow. Fly fishing the North Platte River is almost always good...now is no exception. Be prepared for cool conditions. And, if you bring your own boat have a 20' length of rope handy to drag your boat out of the water and over the ice shelf at Lusby. You can do it with your winch strap, but if it breaks you might be hanging around for a while.

2/15/10 Cold conditions set in yesterday and will continue throughout today. But, we should be back to 40 by tomorrow. Lazy Midges. orange beady leeches and PALs are getting the job done. Adam and Bobbi were excited and unphased by the cold conditions to start their trip yesterday AM. Bobbi was wearing a full snowmobile suit with a fur lined bomber hat...she looked warm. Adam was in a sweatshirt and gloveless (with plenty of gear in reserve)....quite the contrast.

2/14/10 This AM was chilly. The river was pretty slushy below Govn. Bridge, but the upper was open and fishable. Will report once Seth gets back after his trip today.

2/10/10 The North Platte Lodge still has a few excellent openings in the first couple weeks of April. Spring fly fishing on the Grey Reef section of the North Platte River is a thing of magic. Low clear conditions coupled with hungry rainbows...it will get your heart pumping. Call (307)237-1182 for dates and rates.

The spring flush should be March 15-19 if all goes well.

Warm weather and clear water are still making for very good results at Grey Reef, Miracle Mile and Fremont Canyon. This weekend is supposed to be back in the 40s which is great for fishing and not so great for skiing. Nymphing midges, scuds, leeches and worms will work well. Swinging streamers will also get some attention. Look for isolated pods of risers after midges. They are touch to get but it is a fun challenge.

2/8/10 The past week has been Wyoming fishing weather. Warm and calm has been good for the anglers at Grey Reef and Miracle Mile. Seth and Jarrod have been doing well stripping streamers on the upper. Slow retrieve has been the key. Goldies have been the streamer of choice. The week will turn a little cooler and it is actually snowing right now...we need the moisture.

2/3/10 More high pressure, more sun and lots of fair-weather winter fishing. The rest of the week is supposed to deliver more temps in the low to mid 40s with no precip. It doesn't matter if you want to fish Grey Reef, Miracle Mile or the Canyon...all are good options.

2/1/2010 Wyoming weather is a strange thing. The past week has been warm and calm, so Grey Reef anglers have been out taking advantage of it.

Grey Reef is at the winter level of 500cfs and fishing well. Nymphing will be the most productive. Scuds, worms, leeches and midges are manditory flies.

Miracle Mile is bouncing between 500 and 550cfs. Swinging streamers will invite some good nips. Try the Bronze Bugger or Goldie Locks. Nymphing is also productive with the same patterns for Grey Reef. But, you might add an orange beaded leech to the mix.

Fremont Canyon is always at 75cfs. It is clear and fishing well. Increased traffic makes lighter tippet and smaller bugs a good choice. Midges.

Spring is coming up on us quickly. Don't hesitate to get your trips booked.

1/25/10 The North Platte Lodge still has some very good openings during the spring season. Available spots are between the 20th of March and 10th of April. This is the time of year when the rainbows spawn and they are feeding heavily on midges and baetis. Hookups are frequent and most loose track of the landed fish. We are running a special on the March dates.

1/21/10 We enjoyed a couple days of springlike weather. Temps in the mid-upper 40s and calm winds. Nymphing continues to produce on Grey Reef. There are rising fish during the prolific winter midge hatches so be prepared...celebrate if you stick a couple. They are tough when rising to midges, but oh so fun! Fremont Canyon is clear and fishing well (read: drys). The Miracle Mile is also fishing well and the brown population will like a slowly swinging Goldie Locks or Bronze Bugger. Check the home page for current weather, road and river flow conditions.

1/17/10 Fishing has been very good on Wyoming's Grey Reef as well as the Miracle Mile sections of the North Platte River. Nymphing winter patterns like scuds, leeches and midges are producing the best results, but swinging streamers has made for good success at the Miracle Mile.

This is the time of year when many shop for their annual fishing trips. Thanks for looking into the North Platte Lodge and The Reef Fly Shop! When you look at our site you see photos and reports from OUR trips. There are guides services out there that feature pictures from North Platte Lodge guide trips and claim them as their own. They even have pictures of customers wade fishing our private leases. Some even claim "full service" when they don't own a shop or a lodge. Some aren't even permitted to use BLM boat ramps or land. Ask questions, make sure you are getting what you expect.

1/11/10 ***NOTICE***The public walk in area across from the Outhouse Hole has expired. Therefore, anglers will no longer be able to wade the back channel or river right at the Outhouse any longer.

1/8/10 We are enjoying seeing familiar faces and meeting new folks at the International Sportsman's Expo. We are right next to our friends at the Blue Quill Angler booth. Pat Dorsey just released an new book about fishing tailwaters and he felt our input was valuable enough to include in the book...thanks Pat!

Weather is always a common topic that folks can jaw about...and it happens to be pretty important in our business. Yesterday when I woke up it was 11 below zero in Casper. Trent and Katherine experienced a balmy 34 below at the lodge. Official Casper wind chill was 43 below zero...yep that is 75 degrees below the point that water freezes. I think that Trent mentioned wind chills of -8 in Beaumont, Texas yesterday? Brisk!

1/6/10 Grey Reef is open and fishing well. The North Platte River near Government Bridge is flowing slush and a half mile below that is an ice jam with no open water. The reservoir is almost covered in ice but enough open water to attract the ducks and geese. Tomorrow is supposed to be 10 below zero to start...little chilly. By the weekend we are supposed to see mid to upper 30s. Use winter tactics...nymph slower water with scuds, midges, leeches etc.

Come see us at the International Sportsman's Expo starting tomorrow at the Colorado Convention Center in lovely downtown Denver. It's pretty chilly for fishing and the snow has been sparse so far...might as well. But, if you are fishing or snow sliding and won't make it, Good for you!

1/1/2010 Happy New Year! What will your resolution be this year? I am going to try to finish my house projects once and for all. Many of you have been hearing about my renovations for the past..err...10 years. I have a suggestion for a good resolution...fish more. AND come see us on one of your trips. Enjoy the day and enjoy the last Holiday for some time. It is back to the grind next week.

Warmer temps have moved in and, as is typical, the winds have increased. Most of the North Platte River is flowing under ice, but the upper Grey Reef sections are open and fishing well. Hardy Grey Reef anglers will find most of the fish on soft edges and slow, deep tailouts.

12/25 Merry Christmas! We hope all are enjoying the holidays with friend and family.

Cold and snowy weather returned to the Alcova area. The river around Government Bridge is a little slushy, but open and very fishable up around the Grey Reef Dam area. Also, quite a few birds moving through.

12/23 Christmas is sneaking up on us. Do you have your shopping done yet? I typically don't participate in the overdone gift thing, but I did this year...and I don't regret it!

Quite a few birds around and we are getting a nice storm so waterfowl hunters should be happy. Upper Grey Reef is open with very little edge ice and the water is clear. There is open water all the down to below Government Bridge. Fishing has been productive, so get out on the water!

You might notice that the website is looking a little different? There will be some mistakes and we will try to get those fixed as soon as we can. If you see something obvious let us know. I am excited about the links on the bottom of the home page...go check it out! You will find fishing reports, water flows, weather reports, road and flight info and maps all in one easy to use location. www.northplatteflyfishing.com will be getting the same treatment. We have also added some articles that give a brief description of the different floats on the Grey Reef system.

Merry Christmas!

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12/18 Wyoming fly fishing report for Grey Reef is good. The brave fishers are catching fish using nymph rigs and concentrating on slower, deep runs. This is a rule of thumb...but it doesn't mean fish won't be in the runs. Pick apart the slower portions of the faster water and you will catch fish. Scuds, leeches and midges are the name of the game.

Yesterday was an amazing December day. 50 degrees and calm...this happens throughout the winter. Keep your eyes on the weather report and get here when it looks favorable!

North Platte Lodge rates will be increasing on Jan 1st. If you have your reservation in by then you will receive 2009 rates.

12/13 Zero degrees this AM with wind chill of 20+ below zero. Haven't been able to do much fishing the past week and a half. Even Seth hasn't been out there...must be cold! The North Platte River is pretty well frozen starting below Lusby, with a few areas above that even. At Grey Reef the river is wide open and fishable. Use winter techniques. Fish soft edges, tailouts and slow troughs. Scuds and midges are tough to beat. Careful chipping ice out of your guides!

12/9 Official temps for Casper were -29f low and +1f as the high yesterday...chilly! But, waterfowl hunting has been productive.

12/4 We are experiencing our first sub zero snap of the season...needless to say the North Platte River is a little slushy. Be careful if you are on the water in these conditions. A swim too far from a vehicle could be tragic.

Thanks to Second Wind Performance in Casper, Wy. Last night they hosted a customer appreciation event at their spotless diesel mechanic shop/boutique. They run a tight ship. If you want the best service and skilled Techs for your diesel truck give them a shout.

11/29 After some gusty days it seems we have a nice one on our hands. Several boats were on the upper yesterday, but I didn't get a Grey Reef fishing report. Anglers are still producing with streamers and nymphs. Winter conditions don't necessarily mean slower fishing. But, cooler temps will need a good presentation close to the fish to get a positive reaction. While there are still fish in the top of the runs, concentrating on the buckets and tailouts would likely be more productive.

11/27 Happy Thanksgiving to all! We have plenty to be thankful for. I was at the Miracle Mile yesterday with two of my brothers and they were whacking lots of fish. One was stripping a Goldie Locks and the other was nymphing a beady leech and worm. I was swinging a Goldie Locks on my two-hander, and had a number of whacks and landed several fish. We didn't get to fish very long but the weather was excellent and the fish were cooperating...fun stuff!

11/22 Grey Reef anglers! Sorry I haven't posted a report in a week, but I was out of the area pursuing steelhead. The winds look to be much calmer for today...we'll see? Weeds are continuing to clear out and nymphing remains very good as does streamer fishing. Baetis are still present around mid day and midges throughout, but a calm evening will have trout sipping midges on the surface.

11/13 Wyoming fly fishing in mid November...are we crazy? No! Weather has been very nice up until today's snow. The boys on the water the past couple of days have had really good success with streamers. Nymphing has been good, but streamers as good or better. Some guides are liking a fast retrieve some like it slow...seems to all be working.

Our season will really be slowing down as of this weekend. Time to get some projects taken care of and do a little fishing! The boys will be available for last minute trips. Keep an eye on the weather report and be ready to jump on it.

11/10 Our boats out the past couple days had a mixed bag. On Sunday our anglers had great streamer success on the upper Grey Reef. Around 2pm it became spotty. Nymphing was good but not nearly as exciting as the retrieve. Mark, Leo, Ed and Dave worked hard and they were rewarded. They landed many fish over 20". Ed landed a 21" brown and a slabby 22" rainbow that was an easy 5lb trout. It was tough to find a fish under 19"...good stuff. Monday started out really well with several hookups right away and Dave landing another 21" brown...then the bite chilled. The boys fished hard through tons of excellent water with random bumps and hookups. We finally saw some midges mid day and corresponding streamer bite ensued. We didn't see many baetis until 3pm or so and that is when the streamer activity picked up significantly.

We fished sink tips and floating lines. Bread and Butters with a Platte River Special OR Platte River Spider trailer was very successful. Slower retrieve in deeper water with a sink tip was good on the upper. Yesterday we focused on floating lines and ended up finding most of our fish way back in the eddies. Later in the day we enjoyed hookups in the typical seam/drop spots.

Water Temps are in the mid to upper 40s. The weed situation on the upper is getting better every day with large areas of weeds clearing daily. Weed beds make excellent structure...fish 'em! It is getting cool and dark around 4:45 so shoot for ramp times around 5pm. Midges and baetis are the bugs to focus on when nymphing. Leeches, scuds and worms are good lead flies.

11/5 It is really nice in Alcova right now despite the forecast for strong winds. The water is still our typical greenish tint. The last storm couple with Grey Reef Reservoir being lowered sent our awesome water conditions to normal conditions. We have boats on the water today and will report their success ASAP. We have been receiving quite a few calls from anglers who intend to come this weekend, so we will let everyone know what to expect. Weather reports are offering big winds tomorrow...we'll see what happens?

Pine squirrel leech attracted and kept a 26" brown yesterday. CONGRATS John and guide Ryan!

11/2 We are in for a gorgeous week ahead! Anglers at Grey Reef should take advantage of this one. The forecast is starting in the mid 50s and by the middle of the week mid 60s. We have availability for some last minute trips. They are well worth it because the fishing has been very good. Baetis and midges in very good numbers. Nymphing has been the most productive, but streamers are also working well. In the slower water use your nymph rod then switch to streamers in the riffles and hard seams.

Water is off color below Government Bridge and dirty in town...the upper is very fishable with risers in the eve.

10/31 Even though we received a few inches of snow the upper Grey Reef is still in great condition. The river is getting a little green color down near town. Nymphs and streamers are producing the best. Scuds, leeches and PALs,JuJu baetis, mercury midges are good nymph choices. Goldies, Crawdaks and bergin buggers are streamers to think about.

10/24 Our boats out the past several days have been having stellar streamer fishing. It has been rivaling the nymphing production. Goldie Locks, OBS, Sculpzilla, Thin Mint, double bunnies for the big boys etc. The Reef Fly Shop has a good assortment of tried and true streamer patterns.

10/20 Grey Reef is reporting great nymphing. Our anglers have been the most successful on light nymph rigs with scud/leeches leading and midge, baetis patterns trailing. The dry fly activity has slowed up high, but the baetis are hatching in droves downstream...yesterday we had a significant baetis hatch on the upper Grey Reef stretch. Tricos are still around and being taken off of the surface, but not at the same rate as last week. The North Platte River has cleared once again. The upper is very clear and the sections closer to town are slightly off but very fishable. Water temps yesterday afternoon on the upper we right at 55 degrees...still pretty warm and the rainbows are loving it!

We have a couple rooms available at the North Platte Lodge this weekend. Come see us for a last minute fix.

10/16 Grey Reef fly fishing report is still very good, but lower on the North Platte River is still murky. In town it is fishable with maybe 16" of visibility. I don't see the point in fishing the murk when the upper is fishing excellent with big fish. Lots of risers on tricos, pseudos and baetis. Streamers are working well. Beldar Bugs in olive, Goldie Locks, Crawdaks, Bread and Butters, etc.

I know that the anglers at Grey Reef are concerned with the weeds. They can be frustrating if you are unfamiliar with them. Shorten your leader!! 6 feet is long...I would be around 4 feet. Light weight!! Start with a #4...2 #4s will be pretty heavy. If you are dragging moss in with every cast you are too long or too heavy. These fish...err...any fish will suspend. The notion that you must be on bottom is a nasty myth.

Today Alcova is having a power outage for maintenance reasons. Power won't be restored until 4PM. We have a back up generator at the lodge, but The Reef Fly Shop is dark. Sunday will be the same although power will be restored at 1PM.

10/14 Warm weather coupled with several inches of snow have once again torched the North Platte River. Grey Reef is the place for anglers to be today. Below Bates Creek is going to be a mess for a couple days...hope it clears quickly! Each time the river has blow out it has recovered very soon.

Richie Jenkins of New Jersey was out yesterday after his successful antelope hunt. Seth and Richie hooked lots of fish and did it on streamers, dry flies and nymphing. I received a call yesterday evening...it was Richie saying the day was amazing. Always good to hear!

Trent has been able to do a couple small duck hunts down in front. There are a ton of ducks around and the hunting has been really good. Early season will be closing in a few days. JJ, our waterfowl phenom, is available for last minute hunts or cast and blast trips.

10/13 Well the fall flush has been officially canceled. BIG SURPRISE! But, the fishing was awesome yesterday regardless. We started out fishing dry flies then light emerger nymph rigs then streamers back to drys stopped to wade a few spots with emergers rigs and streamers. Every discipline was productive, although I was the most excited about the streamer fishing. Trout were chasing and pounding the flies. Our anglers on Grey Reef this week were looking forward to the flush, but we shouldn't complain because these are likely the best fall conditions we've had in the past 5 years. This weekend is looking fantastic weatherwise and the fishing is already great so it should make for a great fall roadtrip!

10/11 Weird weather for early October! 5"-6" of additional snow fell at Grey Reef today. We had 4 boat loads of anglers today...tough conditions for fishers great conditions for fish. Fish were rising all day long. I even hooked a few fish swinging streamer while trying to figure out how to cast a spey rod.

Days like today remind me how good we have it. We have tons of wade fishing access...which is nice on cold days. And we have our own shuttlers so we can do several short floats in a day...which is nice on cold days. We can fish for a couple hours and walk back to the lodge to warm up, then go back out...which is nice on cold days. We can set up a spread and call some ducks and geese right out front...which is nice on cold days. Today was wonderful, but we should be back to seasonal conditions in a day or two. Tomorrow is the first day of the flush. It should be interesting. We've got a few fly fishing guides out tomorrow so check back to see how things are going. We will be doing a number of trips this week, but will have guides available if the flush is too good to miss. Last time it was. I am one of the lucky ones who gets to be out tomorrow! So, I will report to Trent and he will likely post the results at www.northplatteflyfishing.com

10/10 Grey Reef is reporting chilly conditions. Our anglers are doing some hunting this AM and will be fishing this afternoon. We have canceled 10 trips this week alone...but the fishing is still very good. We had anglers at Miracle Mile yesterday, but I haven't yet heard the report. We'll keep you up to date.

10/8 Yesterday was proof of the weather forecasters can't be trusted in Wyoming. We had 6 boats out yesterday from Grey Reef to Sechrist and none felt a breath of wind until 4:15PM. In fact, yesterday afternoon was a shirt sleeve and sunscreen situation. Fishing was good on olive and tan scuds, couch-pa-sudos, all day mays etc. Tricos still arriving mid morning and continuing through early afternoon. The Pseudos are showing up early afternoon and continuing through evening. You will notice that may of the duns will be emerging out of almost unfishable weedy areas. There are plenty of risers here, but if you are nymphing concentrate on the channels and the point where the weeds growth terminates. The size of the fish is still mind boggling. We are not going a day without putting a 5lb fish in the net. A really heavy 22" rainbow can be 5lbs...there are plenty of them out there.

10/5 Grey Reef is blown out below Government Bridge. But, the North Platte River is in great shape on the upper 12 or so. Our anglers did well again today. Chilly temps and a skiff of snow caused a little apprehension.

10/4 Our anglers had a great day yesterday. Lots of big fish were caught, primarily on nymphs. We had bugs hatching all day and as a result fish rising all day. I had long time guests Lew Sandler and Ken Pool. We fished tan scuds and size 22 chart. JuJu midges. The JuJu midge works as lots of different bugs yesterday we used it as a midge/trico/psuedo. It just goes to show that a reasonable pattern put in the right spot does good things. Seth reminded me of our hot bug from last year...the "couch-pa-sudo" which we installed and hooked several fish on late yesterday PM.

JJ has been on a close to 2 week stint of guiding hunters or cast and blasters. Yesterday was no exception. He took out his long time guests the Liebers from Chicago for their fist ever duck hunt in true cast and blast form. They loaded the driftboat with decoys, fishing gear, guns and a dog. They were really excited about the success of their day. They shot a half dozen ducks, hooked a bunch of fish while wade fishing and swung a super light emerger rig in front of risers to top it off. They have already rebooked for the same weekend next year except adding one day to their trip.

A word of caution to folks floating from Grey Reef to Lusby. Our neighbors down the river have a pen raised pheasant hunting operation where most of the shooting is being done right next to the river. Yesterday we had a VERY close call. An unguided hunter shot a bird and a bulk of the pellets contacted the water not more than 5-10 feet in front of my boat. This was not a case of the shot falling down around us but the shotgun blast still having lots of force. If we were a few seconds earlier on our drift some one would have been hurt. This isn't even close to the first time this has happened on both guided and unguided hunts. We like our neighbors and we like their pheasant preserve. We send folks to them when they request a hunt like they offer. BUT, the careless shooting needs to come to an end. Eventually close calls will turn into an injury or, who know, maybe even a death? When you are floating the river I suggest you yell out to the hunters that you are there and they need to be shooting AWAY from the river.

PSST! Grey Reef Outfitters is OUR corporate name. When you see it used elsewhere you can be assured it being used in a way to try to get to our customers. Standard dirty techniques. Comical and desperate...still dirty.

10/2 Wyoming fly fishing at its best! Fishing remains very good. streamers, drys, nymphs?...what ever you want. Baetis, tricos, midges, caddis, psuedos, crane flies, leeches, crawdads, scuds etc. Lots going on. Get here you won't regret it!

We have had tons of ducks and geese flying around the lodge for the past couple weeks. A couple evenings ago there was a small bunch of Canada Geese flying over. JJ ran to his truck to get his call. Five seconds later the geese turned around and were cupped and ready to land in our parking lot. There were several dogs and several people milling around the parking lot so, of course, the geese didn't come it. It was an impressive display of calling...those geese were convinced the parking lot was the place to be!

PSST! Grey Reef Outfitters is OUR corporate name. When you see it used elsewhere you can be assured it was taken by a coat tail rider. br>

9/30 We have had several cast and blast groups for the past week. Sage grouse hunting has been superb. The Frankums, Ruby and Druyea groups were cast and blast. Wing shooting in the AM and fly fishing in the PM. All have rescheduled for next year. We have had a number of wing shooting only groups in as well. I received a call from Trent yesterday around noon. They were heading up the mountain to look for Blue Grouse because they already took their Sage grouse, huns and chukar. There are some doves still around and some pheasants down on the river.

Streamer enthusiasts look forward to the week of Oct 12-16 the flush is still on track!

9/27 CONGRATS to Jim Becher and guide Seth Kapust on a 25" rainbow yesterday! Wyoming fly fishing on the North Platte River is holding it's own. Good nymphing and still very good trico spinner falls in the AM.

Sage grouse wing shooting has been excellent. The Frankums group returned this year for a sage grouse cast and blast. We have been harvesting very nice specimens for the taxidermist.

Thanks to the Gordy's for a grand entrance this AM!

9/25 Grey Reef is reporting good water conditions. Great compared to normal years. The upper is again very clear and running at a svelte 500cfs. The North Platte River is is great shape all the way through the Narrows and gets cloudy above Casper, Wyoming. Another day or two and the conditions should be excellent all the way to Glenrock, Wyoming.

Nymphing is the most productive with Leeches, Crawdizzle, scuds on point and trailing cdc cased psuedo emergers, tailwater tinys, JuJu beatis and midges and the ever productive The Reef Fly Shop's PAL. Or get rid of the big bugs and concentrate on the little stuff.

Still tricos in the AM. Long light tippet and a reasonable pattern placed where the trout want to eat next will net fish often. Hoppers are still attention grabbers in riffles and drops...READ: Big fish. Psuedos in the PM and you have to pick out the larger risers in the pods of dinks...they are there. Trico duns in the PM the past few eves as well.

Streamers! Yep, streamer enthusiasts should be getting really excited because the Grey Reef trout are on the prowl. Sink tips in the runs and floating lines are fine for bank structure. Tie on a Tan Lead Eye Bugger, Goldie Locks, Belly Ache Minnow, OBS, Beldar Bug, The Reef's Crawdak etc for a good time.

Hunting has been great. There are lots of Sage Grouse to choose from. We just sent a couple big bombers to a studio for mounting.

Grey Reef myths are widespread. Last night I was told/asked that the fish are less than average size this year. ABSOLUTELY NOT! Our experience is that the North Platte River trout are significantly heavier this year. There are always a bunch of little (2-4") trout out this time of year. Catching on of these fish is not common. One thing that is true is Grey Reef trout tend to be larger(on average) on the upper stretches, but there are big and huge trout in the entire Grey Reef system. The farther from Grey Reef Dam you get the better your chances of being pestered by smaller trout, but there is always the chance you will hook you fish of a lifetime on any cast, anywhere.

The Reef Fly Shop has some really good late season deals. Buy a reel at a significant discount!

9/23 Grey Reef Fishing report is steadily improving. The North Platte River is productive and fishable up near the dam. It will take a while before things clear up down low...so stay high. The BuRec dropped the Grey Reef flow to 600cfs early this AM. Things should stay there at least through September. They might drop to 500cfs (our normal winter flow) around the first of October.

Miracle has been bouncing around 1600-1700cfs but this AM the bottom just dropped to 700cfs... Miracle Mile is fishing very well and the water conditions are great. Problem is the road conditions are not yet very good. By this afternoon things should be mostly dry for a trip to Miracle Mile.

9/22 Wyoming fly fishing report for Grey Reef is looking up. The North Platte River has cleared up quite a bit and the boys were hooking fish yesterday afternoon. The flows have dropped to 700cfs as of this AM. The river is fishable and will fully recover soon.

9/21 The North Platte River fly fishing report is not so favorable this AM. A large Wyoming thunder storm, equipped with high winds and hail, did Grey Reef in. It is muddy from Grey Reef Dam down. This year we have been very lucky and the river has recovered quickly...hope it happens one more time! We'll keep you posted.

9/20 Sage grouse hunting was excellent today. The dogs picked up a ton of birds. Only 3 were shot because we were looking for "bombers" or large mature males for mounting specimens. We wanted 2 and we harvensted them.

Weather was variable today, but the fishing was solid. The fall season is as good as it gets on Wyoming s North Platte River.

9/18 Sage grouse opens tomorrow and our first hunts are tomorrow. There are a lot of birds this year...should be fun.

The broken record syndrome continues with regard to the North Platte River and Grey Reef fishing report. It is really good. Hoppers, tricos, psuedos, streamers and nymphs take your pick.

Flow:800cfs will be dropping to 600cfs any day Clarity: Excellent, as good as we have this time of year Water temp: 57*f Streamers: Goldie locks, olive/brown bergin buggers, wiggler, crawdak, lead eye bugger sculpin tan Dries: Para adams, no hackle trico, bunny dun baetis and trico, HOPPERS! Cahill and pmd patterns work for the psuedos Nymph: scuds, pine squirrel leeches, all day may, wd40, foam post rs2 etc

9/15 North Platte Lodge and Grey Reef fly fishing report is more very solid fishing. The boats on the upper did very well yesterday. The boats on the lower stretches did well also. Nymphing was great on a short leader with The Reef Fly Shop's Crawdizzle followed by a cdc cased psuedo emerger or soft hackle caddis. Trout were very willing to chase a streamer yesterday. We were using a goldie locks and bergin buggers. The hopper activity is still good. We fished hoppers very little but had a 21" rainbow that weighed in at 6lb! eat a hopper in very skinny water. A couple others ate a hopper one was 19"...not too bad.

If you have been thinking about trying Grey Reef now is the time. Our water is in superb condition and the fishing is excellent.

9/12 Visit northplatteflyfishing.com for the most up to date and accurate Grey Reef and Miracle Mile on the North Platte River fishing report.

The Reef Fly Shop (Grey Reef Outfitters)is gearing up for the fall season. Fall flushing flow trips are booking fast. We have a very solid Sage Grouse season, but still have a couple dates available. And, we welcome last minute bookings for fishing trips.

Yesterday we had 6 boats out and 5 of us were on the upper Grey Reef section...the only boats up here. Fishing was good! Bill Comes, a North Platte Lodge regular, was with me and after a slow start he caught fire. Our goal was to target the fish slurping tricos but yesterday the hatch was dismal. The day before the hatch was incredible...one of those "you should have been here yesterday" things. But, we were still able to coax a few fish up on dries. Later in the day he threw a streamer for a few minutes and landed a nice rainbow. Nymphing was the most productive for us. Tan scuds and trico patterns in the AM and brown leech and a psuedo nymph in the PM was all it took.

Trent was the lone NPL/TRFS boat below Government Bridge. When I asked how his day went he said he said he had to pinch himself. He was guiding Greg and Christian Cisco. They are experienced sticks and would opt for dries and streamers over nymphing. Streamers weren't doing it for them. Nymphing was productive but they wanted more. Hoppers came through in a BIG way. The Ciscos are South Fork of the Snake locals and they said yesterday was the best dry fly day they had all season. Imagine the Grey Reef put above the South Fork for dry fly fishing? Special day indeed! The Ciscos and Trent and Katherine are on their way to Laramie this AM for the Longhorn/Poke confrontation. Trent will be the brown and gold guy in the middle of the burnt orange patch.

The Malone Group, a great bunch of guys from California, have had a good 3 of 4 days so far. They have landed a couple 22"-23" fish and lots of our cookie cutter 18"-20" trout. These boys have been coming for several years on this same weekend.

North platte River fishing report Flow:800cfs Clarity: 5 feet (awesome for Grey Reef) Floating debris: some floaters up high but pretty bad below Casper Water Temp: 58*f Nymphs: olive and tan scuds, pine squirrel leeches, foam post RS2, CDC cased Psuedo, grey/olive wd40, all day may Dry Flies: hoppers (orange, tan, yellow) hair wing trico, trico bunny dun, para adams, no hackle trico

. 9/10 Wyoming fly fishing report for Grey Reef is good as usual....yawn. The North PLatte River is very clear(for us) from Grey Reef all the way to Glenrock. The further downstream you go the more floating weeds you will battle.

Delta Airlines rates into Casper have dropped tremendously. Book your flights now for next year. Better yet, do a fall Grey Reef Trip!

Sage Grouse season starts soon. Book a day trip or do a full lodging cast and blast/Hunt/fishing trip.

We are receiving a bunch of calls from hunters who are interested in booking a trip if they fill their tag sooner than expected. We are welcome to last minute bookings for fishing or waterfowl and upland bird hunts.

9/9 North Platte River at Grey Reef is now at 800cfs and the water looks great. The fishing report is very good. Dry fly the trico spinners in the AM... nymph sunken tricos, scuds, midges, leeches, psuedos and caddis in the middle of the day(0r chuck the big stuff like Bergin Buggers, near nuff sculpins, goldie locks etc) emerger rig the psuedos in the PM with dry fly potential with psuedos and caddis. Bring rods for all occasions!

9/6 North Platte River flows will be dropping to 900cfs on the 8th and 800cfs on the 9th. Fishing reaiins very productive. Tiny trico spinners are fun in the AM and psuedos in the PM. Caddis, some PMDs and yellow sallies are also available to the trout.

9/2 Opening of Dove season was yesterday..good stuff lots of birds! Sage Grouse season is almost here and we have a couple openings. Do a full lodge package or day hunts...whatever fits your budget.

Trico fishing has been excellent. The spinner fall is coaxing big fish into eating our dry flies with regularity. It only lasts a couple hours so don't hesitate. North Platte River water conditions are great. Grey Reef is at 1000cfs and 55 degrees. We will start to see another drop in flows by mid September. The flush is likely a go....stay tuned.

8/29 Grey Reef Outfitters...yes that is us. Today the trico hatch was incredible. I was there in time to hook a half dozen rising fish before the fish lost interest in the spinners. We had 6 boats up high today...looking for risers. When I showed up there were 2 groups still hooking surface feeding rainbows. I'm sure the rest of the groups were having equal success further down the river. I opened my mouth at a couple inoppertune moments and was greeted with teethful of tricos...gack...

8/26 Water below Government Bridge is in good condition once again. Our little blow out didn't last long at all. The flows have dropped 100cfs again this AM. We are at 1100cfs. Fishing remains excellent.

8/24 The river is dirty below Government Bridge due to a storm last night. Also, Grey Reef has been dropped to 1200cfs. It should clear in a day or two. We will keep you posted.

8/19 We sometimes forget how great it is to work on the North Platte River. Yesterday made us remember. We hooked lots of fish on leeches and small trico pattern in the AM and leeches and psudeo nymphs in the PM. Water temp 5 miles below Government Bridge was 56 degrees! Prime. We tired of nymphing and decide to chuck streamers...first cast fish on, the next 200 yards gave us a half a dozen more whacks. It was fun. One of the other groups focused on the hopper eaters, and landed 5 or 6 fish on big dry flies. Miracle Mile is down to 500cfs and fishing well.

The boys have been ramping up for wing shooting season. They have been out for a couple evenings scouting birds. They are happy at what they have found...lots of Sage Grouse.

8/16 Great fishing remains. Water is as cool as we've seen it this time of year. Tricos, psuedos and caddis are bouncing around. Dry fly has been predictable, but not yet absurd. You will be able to hook fish in the AM if you are ninjalike.

Yesterday we participated in the Wyoming Fly Casters North Platte River clean up. It was a success...enjoy clean(for the moment at least) river and bank from Govnment Bridge to Robertson Rd.

Check out the new BLOG article on the Wyoming Fly Fisher. It talks about river issues and possible solutions. There is a new poll "Should Cardwell be fly only and all catch and release". VOTE!

8/12 Yesterday, the boys on the lower stretches had banner days and the boats up high had to work for them. Tricos are still(and will continue to be) available for AM dry fly activity. Nymphing is productive with pine squirrel leeches, sunken tricos, soft hackled caddis patterns, and still some PMDs and yellow sallies. Afternoons have been dominated by caddis and pseudos. Do not discount the pseudo hatch it is a trout favorite.

The Wyoming Fly Casters have organized a river clean up this coming Saturday. If anybody would like to help give me a call at (307)237-1182. Erik

8/7 Long time since last report sorry. We have been really busy...more than we expected. The river is fishing awesome. The Ruff boys were having such a good time first thing this AM they rebooked for tomorrow.

Pine squirrel leeches drifting through seems were getting abused. CDC cased PMD emergers had plenty of beatings. Fun...really fun. Tricos are coming off and every AM there are at least some riseers too pick off. The trico hatch will improve. Miracle is on fire as well. Beady(orange/brown) leeches don't stand a chance.

We are continuing to get rain storms that are keeping the prairie very fertile. Last night we had a good storm that thankfully didn't do any damage to the river. Bird cover is very good and they are getting a bumper crop of grass and grasshoppers. We are seeing lots of sage grouse. It is going to be a fun sage grouse season. Starts Sept 19 and ends the 30th.

We have a couple rooms available for the beginning of Sage Grouse season. Come do a cast and blast or just hunt or just fish? Our trout fishing and sage grouse hunting can't be beat.

7/31 Grey Reef did its typical abrupt cleaning. The water is in good shape and the fish are eating well. The AM trico spinnerfall is well worth being prepared for. After that is over keep your dry fly rod rigged with a PMD for afternoon risers.

7/28 We got an impressive rain storm last night and...you guessed it...the river blew out. The water was running down every drainage. Eagle Creek barely popped so that isn't an issue. The dam has cleared a bunch during the day. There is a couple feet of visibility at Grey Reef Dam but next to nothing at Government Bridge. We should be back in the swing of things by tomorrow.

7/26 Tricos are in full swing and the fish are keying in on them. They will eat the duns, but not as well as the spinner fall. When the spinners hit the water the trout go nuts. It is a very rythmic and controlled rise. You will hear little noises that are a combo pop and suck. This is telltale trico rise. If you can't see the noses get your eyes down at water level. Often times, the most accessible the trout will be in shallow riffles that peel off of a point. If you get downstream of the risers they are much easier to see.

Yesterday we didn't have the same activity as we had on the previous 5 days or so. The past week the fishing has been as good as it has been all year. The upper Grey Reef had fewer Sallies and PMDs so it seemed the fish weren't in their frenzy. We still had a respectible day.

Black Pulsating Emergers are great as a sunken trico pattern. Don't go out there without a similar pattern. CDC Cased PMD emergers, leeches, soft hackle caddis/sallie patterns, Mercer's Epoxy Backs etc. Streamers to sling include Goldie Locks, Bergin Buggers, Platte River Specials/spiders etc.

7/23 Fishing has been impressive the past few days. Today was no exception! Stu made a comment about having 10 doubles this afternoon and we experienced about the same. Lots of hookups and hard fighting fish. One of our doubles was a combined 41". PMDs, yellow sallies and caddis are still abundant. Tricos are coming on strong. Some of our guests were able to land several fish on dry flies the past couple days. The trico hatch will only get better in the coming weeks and even months. This is the forgotten season on the North Platte River and something well worth experiencing. Fish dry in the AM and nymph or streamerer fish the remainder of the day. Don't put away the dry fly rods after the spinner fall because there have been risers throughout the day.

Wing shooting season is coming soon! Book one of our sage grouse cast and blast trips for a well rounded adventure. We have lots of sage grouse on over 70,0000 private acres. The opening of waterfowl should be excellent as well. Our chukar populations are strong for another fun option.

7/14 PMDs, caddis and Yellow Sallies populations are being destroyed by kamikaze trout. Fishing is obviously still very good. Water temp was 54 below the bridge yesterday around 2PM...still very cool for us. The fish are hot and healthy. We were most productive in the AM below the bridge and below the dam the PMDs showed at about 10AM and that's when things really got cranking.

Golden Stones have slowed quite a bit at the Mile...but the Caddis hatch has been crazy while PMDs and Sallies have been good as well.

Tricos have just started to show up so within the next couple weeks we will have daily dry fly activity...last year it went into October. Fall baetis overlapped and we were poking risers throughout October.

7/9 CONGRATS! to Greg Cook on a 24" rainbow the other day. The river is back in shape. Some of the guides/guests went low yesterday and their descriptions were words like "silly" or "stupid". They had excellent fishing. Yellow sallies, caddis and PMDs are the game. Shhhh, don't tell anybody but the Golden Stones are popping at the Mile. The mile is way to big(3300cfs) to be fishable....ha! Big water doesn't mean impossible or even tough fishing. Just ask us how we know!

7/6 We had a big river blow out a couple eves ago. We spent the 4th of July on water other than Grey Reef, but I put on at the dam yesterday afternoon and the water was fine. We caught fish and had several feet of vis. It always suprises me how quick the reservoir will flush out the mud.

Yellow Sallies, caddis and PMDs are the major hatches on the Reef and add Golden Stones at the Mile.

7/2 CONGRATS! to Brian Sullivan on a 25" rainbow yesterday. He was guided by Seth Kapust.

7/1 Happy July! More 'o the same...fishing is great blah,blah,blah. Our guides are fishing all over, just for a change of scenery. Because the fishing has been awesome regardless of location. Grey Reef is still at 1300cfs and will likely not see a significant increase in flows this summer. Watch for the coming trico hatch!

Trent and I were able to sneak away for the day and do some exploring of our own. We went and floated a little used section of the North Platte. The flows were big and the fish count low, but lucked into a lot of mean streamer eating brown trout. Yuk Bugs and Crawdaks...white rubber legs were the key. It was a lot of fun!

6/29 Our guides have been having excellent days. Doug Colehour and his dad Corey were with JJ on Saturday. Doug received the nickname "Doug the Destroyer". Apparently it was quite a display.

Pmds and Yellow Sallies are popping. Little Yellow Sloans, Poxy Back PMDs, Gabriel's Trumpet, FB Boit Nymphs and CDC Cased emergers and Split Cased PMD emergers are productive.

We are starting to have success on streamers as well. AND the carp are chasing...

6/26 Reefers are doing well at Grey Reef Dam with midge patterns. Floating Grey Reef to Lusby is PMD and midge territory and the lower stretches are seeing good Sallie and caddis hatches. Lots going on and the fishing is very good. water temps at the dam was 51 degrees this AM...still really chilly for this time of year. But, that is a GOOD thing.

6/24/09 CONGRATS Scott Lee on a 26" brown yesterday, guided by Rick Aune. belated CONGRATS! to Deane Shaver on a 27" rainbow a couple days ago, he was guided by Stu Birdsong.

Grey Reef is still at 1300cfs. We won't be disappointed if they don't drop it...and certainly not disappointed if they raise it. Fishing is still very good with nymphing being the most successful. PMD Barr Emergers are working up and down the whole river as are PALs, Lazys, PSLs and soft hackles hares ears. Yellow Sallies, caddis and PMDs are showing themselves more each day.

6/20 Word on the street is that Grey Reef will be choked off to 800cfs on Monday AM. BRING dry fly and streamer gear! Fishing was very good today. Our reports are from our guides on the water from Miracle Mile to Sechrist. The yellow sallie hatch below the bridge was impressive from mid morning to mid afternoon. Still seeing some beatis and a few PMDs making their way out. Midges are all over the place and caddis adults are bouncing around. The water on the upper Grey Reef was a chilly 49 degrees...brrr. The fish are in amazing condition and they are fighting hard. We were lucky to have a quick recovery from another deluge two evenings ago. The upper 14 was fine with exception of strange globs of algae floating down the river. Below Government Bridge was pretty well blown out. Bolton and Bear Creeks were still puking a fair amount of mud as late as yesterday afternoon. By this AM you wouldn't have known anything was wrong, as the river was in verry good shape below the bridge.

6/17 Grey Reef is still at 1300cfs, Miracle Mile is down to 1500cfs (look for golden stones any day now). Seminoe Reservoir is at 88% capacity and pathfinder is 47%...this is good news!

Fishing continues to be very good below Grey Reef and good at the "Mile". PMDs, caddis, crane flies, midges, yellow sallies etc are on the platter. Lots going on (bug wise) in the warm months. We had success yesterday with hopper/dropper rigs. They looked at the hopper and ate our caddis droppers...it was FUN.

DO NOT discount Grey Reef in the summer. We will have a great trico hatch for dry flies and throw streamers for monsters or nymph for numbers in the afternoon. July is getting pretty full at the lodge, but we have a few openings between July 28th and August 10th.

6/14 We cancelled our trips for the past couple of days, but Mark from Nebraska was confident and he and Seth went for it. It paid off! Fishing yesterday was good and excellent today. The river has made a hasty recovery. It still isn't as clear as it was before the storm, but it is in very fishable condition. The afterbay still has a day or two before it has completely purged it's dirt. They landed one brown today and hooked another...not huge fish, but any browns are notable. His best fly was a dead drifted Platte River Spider...

6/12/09 We had an impressive thunderstorm yesterday. Hard driving rain and even harder driving hail. Needless to say The North Platte River received a lot of runoff from drainages on the west side of the river. Eagle Creek, Flyshop Creek, the 2 ditches between the Grey Reef boat ramp and the lodge were ripping. Lone Tree Creek was really big among others. But, Ledge Creek was spared the deluge. We cancelled our trips for today. Although Seth fought the dirty water and managed to continue hooking fish yesterday afternoon. The fishing was, again, fantastic yesterday before we retreated. As is normal Grey Reef corrects itself in very short order. We expect to be back at it in the next day or two. Please call if you are planning on coming and want a current water report...it will change by the hour. The Reef Fly Shop number is (307)232-9128 and the North Platte Lodge is (307)237-1182

6/11/09 **update the flows are now at 1300cfs as of 2 or 3 this afternoon** Holy crap the fishing is good! The BuRec dropped the flows at Grey Reef to 1500cfs. It won't rebound until there is some irrigation demand. The water is clear low and in the low 50s. The wade fishing is great with fish stacked up below shelves and in the runs. Still seeing baetis...when will they quit? PMDs, lots o midges, caddis and sallies as well. Crane flies are buzzing around a bit and I would imagine a larva pattern would be productive.

Do not come without your dry fly rod...it is going to be good. The nymphing has been very good. Today all we used were Lazies, PALs and Pulsating Emergers. Little bugs and little tippet. We were on the loosing end of many battles today...oh well we were just counting coup.

6/8/09 Fishing activity is still very strong on Grey Reef. Lots of fish and the water conditions are good. Clear and low 50s for water temps. Bugs of choice today were PMD Barr Emergers and several different Yellow Sallie nymphs. Worms, leeches and scuds are all producing. Midges are all over the place and the trout are eating them as well. We even tied on a soft hackle caddis pattern the other day. So much is happening during this time of year it is a kick! We are doing a lot of fishing trips and our schedule is busy until mid August. Then gets cranking again in early September.

6/2/09 Our little storm yesterday had turned half of the afterbay red, but as of this AM the North Platte River was in top form....thank god for 2400cfs. If it had been lower flows be might have been blown out for a couple days. Bolton and Bates are dirty from storms the past couple of days. The upper is fishing well...lots of BIG fish. The rainbows are really healthy and fat. They are also hot, making several hard runs before surrendering to the net. The fish are in much better shape than I have seen them in 7 or 8 years.

Our guests did very well and landed alot of fish today. PMD Barr Emergers, PALs, Lazys, leeches, worms and black pulsating emergers were productive. We are still seeing more baetis than PMDs although the guys have seen a number of Yellow Sallies about. The fish have more into riffly water and are still in the slow stuff as well.

5/28/09 2400cfs as of midnight. This should be it. A couple days and the rest of the North Platte River below Grey Reef should be in great condition. It is murky below Government Bridge as Carp(Lone Tree) Creek, Bear and Bolton creeks were all running from our rains a few days ago. This place is green! We are already getting good grass growth and hope for more for the sake of our ranching neighbors.

We love increased flows because the entire river becomes really productive. It already happened with the Dunivan group and JJ yesterday. They had a short day and were commenting on amazing fishing for such a short day. Midges, caddis, baetis and PMDs are all around. JJ was running a red Lazy Midge and a PAL and whacking fish the whole way down the river. Pulsating emergers, JuJu baetis, Mighty May, foam winged Rs2, PSLs and scuds are other good choices. We should be seeing the yellow sallies soon...try one they taste like grass.

We still have 2 rooms available for the 11-13 of June. Some one should take these spots! It is the most productive fishing of the year.

5/25/09 1600cfs as of midnight. 200cfs increase/day until we hit 2400cfs.

5/23/09 CONGRATS! to Richard Schumann on a 26" BROWN today! AND Tom Flood on a 25" RAINBOW. We will try to get some pics up on the Blog in the next couple of days.

Lots of bugs today and good fishing. Wade fishing was great as lots of fish are in the riffles and nosed up to shelves. Midges, PMDs and baetis were bouncing around.

The North Platte River is at 1200cfs and scheduled to continue to increase over the coming week. The water is clear and warming slightly...48 degrees on the upper today.

5/20/09 We will be entering a little more seasonable weather pattern. Mid 70s and calm instead of low 90s. Today is supposed to be windy, but calm through next Monday. Grey Reef is clear and fishing very well, actually the river is in good shape to Glenrock. Temps range from 44-48 degrees. Fish are still on Baetis, midges and some caddis( up high). PMDs have started...so make sure to have some PMD and Yellow Sallie patterns in your boxes.

There always seems to be a lag between good baetis and PMD fishing. Midges are the key here. Light fluro tippet and small bugs reign. Get rid of brightly color indicators and set on the slightest movement. The trout will crush bugs in the slow water so you have to be careful not to set the hook...just lift like a dry fly set.

We are really excited for summer and have high hopes for a productive trophy season...and carp...and dry fly fishing...

5/18/09 Grey Reef is still fishing VERY well. I'm excited for slightly warmer temps and streamer fishing! Same bugs and techniques apply. Wade fishing is really fun right now. Temps are still in the mid 40s, but should jump a bit with our 85-90 degree forcasted temps.

The "Party Like its 1999" party was a good time. Thanks to all who attended! A special thanks to Matt Cassel of Cliff Outdoors. He stopped by with an arm full of CLIFF schwag for the Reefers. Bugger Beasts, Bugger Barns, Super Days Worth and a couple of boat patched were crowd pleasers. Sorry to the poor folks who were "winners" of the bio strike and giant otter eggs.

Check the home page for updated lodge availability.

5/14/09 Fishing was really good yesterday...except for the few hours in the AM when the wind was mach 3. We had a late PM walk-in trip that resulted in some great photos. Eric landed a lot of fish with Bob Dye. They were lucky to spend most of the evening wade fishing and even got to do quite a bit of sight nymphing (no, not on the redds). The baetis hatch is still strong, but we are seeing quite a few yellow sallies showing up in stomach samples. PMDs, caddis and Yellow Sallies will begin to dominate the feed bucket soon.

Grey Reef is at 1000cfs and clear. Bates Creek has dropped so the river below is in good shape. Miracle Mile is 2400cfs, clear and fishing well...not as good as The Reef though. Fremont is very clear and is standard low flow. STAY BACK and approach the runs like a ninja. Baetis patterns are key...Pulsating Emergers, PALs, FB WD40, Mercury Baetis, Stalkups Baetis etc. Midges patterns include Lazy's, UV Choc. Emergers, Mercury Black Beauties etc. Leeches, worms, eggs and scuds are all producing well.

If you happen to read the Casper Star Tribune fishing report you can discount the "Baetis Caddis hatch"...although it would be fun if there was such thing! It was supposed to be baetis are going strong and caddis are starting...

5/12 Sorry for the thin river reports! I have been on the water a lot and been lax on my duties to inform.

Baetis are still going strong and we have had some incredible sight nymphing as a result. If you take your time and sneak up to shelves you will see trout nosed up eating emergers. Go short leaders light-to-no weight and use The Reef's Pulsating Emerger or Stalkups or Dorsey's Mercury baetis. Use a white or black Thing-a-ma-bobber so you won't spook them with a bright color.

Streamer fishing has not picked up yet although Zach and Chris from L.A. worked their butts off the other day trying. We saw one big brown and had a few chases and bumps, but didn't capitalize.

Miracl Mile is fishing well at 2400 CFS. It is clear and the fish were liking baetis patterns as well as the staple worms, beady leeches and halfbacks.

Cardwell is fishing well but requires patience. the water is very clear so stay way back when fishing a run. The Game and Fish dumped a bunch of gravel to try to encourage spawning next year. Why? Not sure... the population is good and hasn't changed even with the stocked fish that never survive. The trout already spawn without human intervention. The gravel looks to be too big?..unless we have a bunch of Camloops swimming around. I guess we'll see what happens.

5/6 Yesterday was a little tougher on The Reef, but we still managed to boat low to mid twenties. Yeah, yeah I know 20 plus fish is such a terrible day!! I was happy that we were able to fish 2 little bugs. A lazy midge was the top and a PAL or Pulsating Emerger was the dropper. We had to outrun...or tried to outrun...our first thunder bumper of the year. The baetis are rocking and the trout are keyed on them. The river is clear to Bates Creek. After Bates it is muddy on the right side for a short ways then mixes in to make our typical green color.

The 2 Fly is this coming Thursday and Friday. There will be 25 boats so try to stay away from the 2 Fly guides...you will get lost in the floating glob. Best bet is to stay way behing them...and fish something other than a worm because the chances are high that each fish will be seeing thousands of worms bouncing down the river.

5/3 Everybody seems to be having great days, but I've heard several people say they couldn't get fish to eat in the thick part of the baetis hatch. The trout are eating like crazy during these times. This is a good time to go short and light and try a yarn indicator. Set on the slightest wiggle. Get rid of the worms and use Pulsating Emergers and Stalkups Baetis nymph or PALs and CDC Cased BWO Emergers...or whatever. Choose something that is a little more like what the fish are keying on.

Grey Reef is in great shape and it is clear well below Government Bridge. Bates Creek is still running high and dirty, but the river looks very fishable throught the Narrows.

5/1 Grey Reef is in very good condition. Ledge Creek, Fly Shop Creek, Lone Tree Creek have all finished running off. The river is clear to Government Bridge and fishable to Bates Creek. It has settled in at 1000cfs for May. Bates should be done in the next week or so...cross our fingers!

The closure is open in a couple hours...enjoy.

Congrats to Dick Jennings of Jackson. He landed 3 fish over 23" in 2 days. One brown 2 rainbows. Congrats to Bill Milligan of Montana he landed a 24" rainbow with Stu today. The fish are remarkably big this year.

The baetis hatch is in full swing. Look for suspended feeders as well as surface feeders. Ditch the worms and fish the hatch!

4/27 Grey Reef is dropping quickly. We are scheduled to be at 1000cfs by tomorrow AM. Our recent storms have added some color to the water. Fly Shop Creek has half of the afterbay muddy, but the North Platte River is in surprisingly good condition. Ledge Creek is also running and the river is dirty along the right bank until the bottom of the Ledge Creek islands. The right side of the river is fishable by the next run...The Arena. Lone Tree Creek is running pretty good and I suspect Bear and Bolton are rolling as well. Bates is running really high and dirty.

Brown and natural pine squirrel leeches were top producers and the PAL was very effective as well. Brown UV midges also tricked a couple trout. We had a good day although I had a slow start. Seth and Rick were dialed in right away and their guests had great days.

CONGRATS! to Dick Jennings of WY county 22 on a 23" Brown....way to keep the streak alive!

4/26 We had some moisture last night and Ledge Creek is running a little bit. There is some muddy water on the right bank below Ledge Creek. Everything else has come away unscathed. We are thankful for that. The North Platte River is at 1500CFS. At this rate I wouldn't doubt that we will see 800CFS or less during May? For those of you wondering why Alcova Dan shut down the other day. There were doing routine tests of the generators. The river channel coming out of Alcova was about 15 feet wide and there was little to no flow. Grey Reef Reservoir dropped 7 or 8 feet during that time. Most of the redds below Alcova Dam were left high and dry. Maybe we can ask the BuRec to test some other time when it wouldn't kill the year class of eggs?

CONGRATS to Dick De Petris on a monster 24.5" rainbow! To see the photo go to the BLOG.

4/25 The baetis are in full swing and we even had the chance to catch a couple trout on dry flies...woo hoo! Nymphing has been very good. Reports from fly shop patrons have been favorable and the guides have been reporting stellar days.

CONGRATS to the Feigal group! Tim Welch landed a 27" brown trout yesterday with Seth at the helm. It ate a pine squirrel leech. His fishing partner Dan landed a 23" brown trout earlier in the day with Ryan on the sticks. Bob Dye invited his guests, the Perones, to the lodge for their first time. Yesterday their float cut short due to chilly wet weather, but they warmed up and went out for a wade fishing session when the baetis started popping. All smiles around the kitchen...for the fun day and good appetizers. Super productive on Grey Reef with PALs, pine squirrel leeches, JuJuBaetis, Pulsating Emergers, CDC Cased BWOs, Mercury Black Beauties.

Fremont is fishing well...baetis are the ticket. The water up there is CLEAR. Stand back and below the target water. Watch the fish. They are moving all over for the hatch.

Miracle Mile has been a roller coaster ride. One day is good the next leaves you scratching your head. We should have a good report by this eve. IF you want a really good golden stone pattern for the Mile check out The Reef's new Cooter Back. San Juan worms, half backs, orange beady leeches and rock case caddis are productive right now. Midges, baetis and scuds shouldn't be overlooked.

I am really excited that the baetis are in full swing. Great emerger rig fishing, and some fun isolated dry fly fishing. Come and get it!

4/19 Sorry I haven't posted for a couple days. I've been enjoying some time on the water. The fishing is AWESOME! Baetis and midges are hatching and the trout are eating with vigor. The Reef's PAL, Dorsey's Mercury Midge, PSLs and Reef worms are effective. As are Lazy Midges, brown UV midges and Pearl Jams.

The North Platte River is still running 1700cfs and the temps are in the neighborhood of 43 degrees. We are supposed to get some very springlike weather in the coming days...temps in the low to mid 70s.

4/15 The upper Grey Reef section is in incredible condtion. Clear and pumping along at a nice 1700cfs. Water temps this after at Grey Reef Dam were 41 degrees + or -. Bob Dye was sticking lots of fish as soon as he hit the water this afternoon. Dorsey's Medallion Midge, and The Reef's PAL were his ammo. 5x and 5' of leader were all that was needed. He put on a pretty good clinic standing on the boat ramp.

Seth said today was probably the most productive day yet. His guests Colby and Randy were fishing uv chocolate emergers under mini impalers all day long. He didn't give me a number of fish, but I was out with him the other day and they boated 40 fish...today was better. Woo Hoo!

I spoke with Trent at lunchtime and he echoed Seth...really good fishing. All the boats out today had a great time.

4/14 The river is looking great. The fish are eating well on Reef Worms, Impalers, Brown Crystal Midges, etc. look for the baetis hatches a little later in the day. The river is still down at 1700cfs in anticipation of run off issues. Last year the BuRec was a little unprepared for a BIG run off situation that threatened to do some flooding. SPRING fishing is much better this year than it was last year at this time.

4/11 The North Platte River's upper Grey Reef section is in very good condition considering the runoff we have had the past few evenings. Bear Creek is dry, Bolton Creek is trickling and Deputy Creek (directly below the bluffs at Lusby) was running pretty good late yesterday afternoon. The water at Government BRidge has improved dramatically.

Grey Reef is fishing well. The water temps range from 42 to 45 degrees. Nymphing with 7 - 9 feet and moderate weight has been productive. Midges, leeches, worms and scuds are still dominant but we are eagerly awaiting the baetis to really start moving. We had a really nice little hatch 2 days ago but yesterday was a weak display. Reef Worms, PALs, Lazy Midges, Pine Squirrel and Orange Beady Leeches, Wicked Impalers, olive and tan scuds, the Reef's AC Slayer, were all popular choices yesterday. For those wondering what the 4 winged bugs laying all over the water yesterday were...swarming termites. It happens every year...

4/7 Wyoming is emerging from a rash of winter storms...our snow pack is looking EXCELLENT! The warm Wyoming sun is baking the snow and causing some runoff conditions. The North Platte River(at Bolton Creek)below Government Bridge is muddy. Fly Shop Creek burped some sediment into Grey Reef Reservoir yesterday afternoon, but didn't destroy the water at Grey Reef. These warm days will wring the snow of all of its moisture...and quickly. Expect some runoff at Bolton and Bates Creek over the next couple of weeks. Garden Creek (runs right through Casper) was plump yesterday afternoon. It channels Casper Mountains runoff to the North Platte River. The good news is we will enjoy increasing water storage which is an nice insurance policy issued by Mother Nature. And Grey Reef is still very fishable...and fishing well.

We have a couple great spots availble in the North Platte Lodge in the middle of April...call for a last minute fix. May has a couple really nice spots available for one room (2 fishers). If you want to get the full Grey Reef experience book a lodge stay for mid July. We enjoy very consistent dry fly fishing, streamer fishing and our staple nymphing. The river is virtually devoid of fishers and the weather is fantastic. You can even try your hand at "Carping".

Be very suspicious of any "seasoned" Grey reef guide who claims that Grey Reef is only productive during April and May...this really displays their lack of knowledge and experience on Grey Reef. There are few outfitters here for a reason. You must spend a lot of time on this river to have her give up her secrets...and there are many. These secrets are the difference between success and failure during the remainder of the year. I'm not trying to say that Grey reef is complicated, but fishing the same bugs and using the same techniques as you would during the spring may not work.

The North Platte Lodge and The Reef Fly Shop guide crew know that any time of year is "the time to be here" is isn't limited to a couple months.

Nymphing is producing the best with Lazy Midges, orange beady leeches, JuJu Baetis, Pulsating emergers, PALs etc. The beatis(blue winged olives) are moving, but have yet to show themselves in sizable numbers. The rainbows are back on the redds and should be left to do their thing. I know it is tempting to have big fish in shallow water right in front of you. RESIST THE URGE! You can do it. But, it you can't PLEASE don't walk in the redds. This is far more destructive than a few pelicans, osprey or herrons.

4/4/09 We have again canceled all of our trips for the weekend. Mother nature has delivered yet another blow. Lots o' snow! We still have one of our groups waiting at the Colorado border, hoping to be able to get here for tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be pretty nice on Sunday...and will continue to warm up throughout the week. We are really happy with the moisture, but would also like to be able to spend a little more time on the water. Luckily I have been able to ski(powder days)6 mornings in the past 2 weeks....thanks Trent!

4/1/09 April Fools day! But, the following is NOT a joke. The North Platte River is **CLOSED TO FISHING** from the upper cable to the lower cable through the month of April.

Trent, Seth and I wade fished yesterday afternoon. It was the low tide of the second day of the flush. The water was in surprisingly good condition. We hooked plenty of fish on both nymph and streamer rigs. It was a beautiful afternoon, the spawning gravel was already noticably cleaner and the fish were eating...what more could we ask for?

3/31/2009 Book a spring Wyoming fly fishing trip at the North Platte Lidge or The Reef Fly Shop. The fishing has been very good so far and will only get better after the flush. Call (307)237-1182.

****SPRING CLOSURE STARTS APRIL 1ST***** There is no fishing from cable to cable through the month of April.

3/30/09 BuRec started the flush last night. We are also having a nice little snow squall at the moment. Check out the blog on the right hand side of the home page of WWW.NORTHPLATTEFLYFISHING.COM to see before and after photos. I shot pictures of the river yesterday AM before the flush and this AM during the flush.

3/29/09 Congrats! Jim Peterson on a 26" Rainbow this afternoon. He was being guided by Seth Kapust. It has already begun!

Fly Shop Creek is big and muddy right now. It is working on destroying the afterbay. But, the timing couldn't be better as the flush starts tomorrow. The North Platte River was blown out at Lusby today by about 2pm. The fishing should get very good by mid week...even during the low tide of the flush. I will get some before and after pictures posted tomorrow. We are going to be out to fish some runs that are only available once(sometimes twice a year).

3/27/09 WYOMING weather delt us another blow. We had another snow storm yesterday that delivered in the neighborhood of 6". Grey Reef has all but been abandoned for the past couple of days. We ended up cancelling our boats for today as well. The early morning temps are below zero. It is supposed to climb into the mid 30s today...nice enough for fishing.

Fishing continues to be VERY productive. Typical bugs are attracting attention. Stop at the shop and talk to Trent about the latest test subject...a crawdad. We have received almost all of our custom patterns. Stop in.

3/23/09 Good thing we cancelled all of our trips for the next few days. Old man winter woke up. It is a severe storm with strong winds and already 5 - 6" of snow. It will be cold for several days.

April is the North Platte River's month of plenty at Grey Reef. We have good availabiity for one room during the middle of the month. This is the most popular time of year on Grey Reef and for good reason....lots of fish.

3/22/09 Fishing has been very good, although yesterday was a little tougher for many of the fishers on the upper Grey Reef. April is going to be a stellar month. The flushing flows will clean up the gravel the rainbows will resume their spawn. The North Platte Lodge has several very good openings in April. Enjoy 17 miles of private access and let us take care of all the guides, meals and transportation. April has unbelievable fishing. Beginners and seasoned fishers alike will expereince great success during the springtime.

3/19/2009 More beautiful weather. The guys out today had good fishing. Yesterday Seth had a really good day with his guests. They were throwing impalers and PSLs. The water is in really good shape. Many of you are aware that our water color is a little...err..less than gin clear typically. It is pretty impressive right now. Baetis showed up! Spring baetis on Grey Reef it doesn't get any better.

Saturday is going to be a scene. Excellent weather/water/fishing conditions will bring 'em out. Have fun and play nice! A cold front is supposed to spoil the fun late Sunday. Don't tuck tail and run, big nasty weather events can produce the very best fishing. Monday should be interesting. Stop at The Reef Fly Shop and check out our selection of custom patterns. Psst... the crawdak is here!

3/18/2009 Incredible day in Alcova, Wyoming. Our guests and guides enjoyed an amazing end of winter day. Temps in the mid 50s and no wind. The rest of this week is looking great. Sunday will welcome a cold front and Monday may be very snowy?

The same bugs are producing. Reef worms, Simple Minded midges, Lazys, PALs, scuds and leeches. The North Platte River is in excellent condition. It is clear all the way from Alcova to Casper. Check Bolton and Bates Creek before doing a float below Government Bridge. Or call the North Platte Lodge or The Reef Fly Shop for the current conditions. We are offering rental low profile Clackacraft driftboats for use at Grey Reef. Rentals are available throught The Reef Fly Shop. Price includes a shuttle and we can arrange to transport the boat if you can not pull it with your vehicle.

3/16/09 SPRING FLUSH MYTHS Don't put too much stock in the spring flush. The North Platte River is fishing great right now and will fish great after the flush. The flushing flows don't magically make the fish eat. The first couple days of the flush won't be that much fun to fish as the water will be dirty and cold. We love the flush for its long term effects, but the spring flush is not one we are pushing to book trips on the first couple days. The fall flush...when it happens is a different story.

The 2009 guide season is well under way. We had a number of boats out this weekend and all did well. Wade fishing was especially productive as the trout are stacked up in the riffles. PALs, Simple Minded midges, pine squirrel leeches, scuds and pulsating emergers have been very productive.

The North Platte Lodge still has some good availability in April. Call for dates.

3/8/2009 Daylight savings time, means more fishing time for us! Yesterday Stu, Rick and Jarod spent some time fly fishing Miracle Mile. Nymphing was the best and beady leeches produced most of the trout...both browns and rainbows. A stomach sample showed several rock cased caddis (in the cases)and a golden stone with a few small midges.

It is shaping up to be a great season!

3/7/09 Grey Reef is fishing well. Stu was out with the Jeffers Bros. yesterday and they had a productive day. They caught fish on several patterns, but natural Pine Squirrel Leeches were the favorite. The weather in central Wyoming is incredible today...mid 40s and no wind in Alcova. Were are getting a lot of interest for trips in the later part of March...good choice as the rainbows are in really good shape and they will be seriously thinking about spawning if they haven't already started. Remember the North Platte River between the two cables will be closed to fishing April 1 - May 1. Please be aware of the redds(spawning beds)! Fishing to spawners is suspect, but stomping the redds is simply destructive. Have fun!

3/5/09 The weather is slated to return to more March-like conditions today. Central Wyoming fly fishing will be a little cooler. 50 degrees certainly isn't cold for us. I'm not disappointed, as we welcome every bit of precip this time of year. As we mentioned the flush will be pushed back a couple weeks. I wouldn't let the flush dictate your trip...but I might aviod showing up for the first couple of days of the flush? The fish don't really care if it is preflush or postflush...they just want to eat.

In the wake of the economy The Reef Fly Shop has increased our inventory. Sounds a little backwards, but we intend to show you that a visit will be well worth it. Online retailers won't give you the high level of service OR the great deals you will find at The Reef Fly Shop. If you are in the market for a rod or waders or ? Stop in, you will be pleasantly surprised. We have a great selection of flies in our discount bin. You will find patterns like otter eggs, buggers and Barbed WiresTM.

3/3/2009 We have received word that the spring flush has been pushed back a couple weeks...starting Monday March 30th and ending Friday April 3rd. We suspect that some bridge construction in the area needs a little more time to be prepared for 4000cfs. Stay tuned and go fly fishing Wyoming!

3/1/2009 Fly fishing Wyoming! Check out our BLOG "The Wyoming Fly Fisher" we have added lots of new stuff over the past weeks.

The Grey Reef section of the North Platte River is back to very good clarity. Even below Government Bridge and all the way to Casper. This week is going to be spectacular, look for us on the river if you are in the area! Trent, Katherine and I have been busy doing some renovations in the guest rooms and the wader area. We think you will be pleasantly surprised! Also, there will be tables out on the back deck. Most of our guests spend much of their time on the back deck looking over the prairie and the North Platte River. The addition of some tables will be nice for eating breakfast, playing cards or lounging.

The fishing is still very good. Nymphing has been best with orange bead mohair leeches, pine squirrel leeches, scuds in olive and amber and try The Reef's NEW AC Slayer as a midge emerger...strange name good pattern. For streamer enthusiasts try the Bread and Butter.

The new Scott A3s have been popular. We are already down to only one 6wt. Great economic slump buster rod, built in the USA and is a LOT of rod for the $...stop in and check them out.

We are happy that the Natrona County Commisioners allowed some much needed repair and expansion of the Grey reef access area. There is a new parking lot! No more parking in the muddy ditch along the road. But, it will be interesting to see how folks deal with parking in the new lot? Parking along the boat ramp will hopefully be a thing of the past.

Congrats! to Adrian and Kathy Keeler. They are the proud parents of a new baby boy(#2). His name is Garrett Allen Keeler...welcome! Many of you remeber Adrian as a North Platte Lodge guide for 6 years. He is a great friend and still guides for us on occasion.

2/27/09 wyoming fly fishing...Seth and Mike floated yesterday. Lots of mactivity(I know it is spelled wrong!!) on beady leeches and amber and olive scuds. Midge patterns produced a few fish. They noted some fish lining up under the shelves taking emergers. It is always nice when the trout at Grey Reef come out of the slow deep stuff. Streamers were also productive...mostly on the Goldie Locks.

Spring fishing is fast on its way. Give us a call at the lodge or fly shop to book a trip or chat.

Wyoming fly fishing report for 2/26/09 -Just adding to the tall tales...We started guiding on the Grey Reef section of the North Platte River in 1965...a few short years after the construction of Grey Reef Dam. More than 20 years before anybody else. We pioneered the art of fly fishing from the tops of floating logs. We have the largest and oldest guides on the North Patte River...our guides are all at least 350lbs and not a one of them is under 80 years old:) We named Grey Reef and pretty much decided the channel that the river follows...with a little help from mother nature. Of couse, none of this is true but here is the truth.

THE NORTH PLATTE LODGE AND THE REEF FLY SHOP GUIDES have more cumulative expereince than any other operation in the region...period. Careful! Don't believe everything you read!

The upper river is still in good shape(as of 9AM)...but muddy below Government Bridge. Call for current updates, we live and work overlooking the uppermost part of Grey Reef so we can give you a play by play.

Wyoming Fly Fishing Report for 2/25/09 -Grey Reef was muddy at the Narrows yesterday morning. When I left the Lodge in the evening Fly Shop Creek was running pretty good and appeared to be effecting Grey Reef Reservoir. Bates Creek was also low and clear yesterday AM but was plump and dirty by early eve. The warm weather pattern will probably have The North Platte River pretty colored up for a while. Check in OR call with updates! There's nothing like fly fishing in Wyoming, but we want your experience to be favorable.

2/22 The coming week is going to be really nice according to the weather forcast. The Grey Reef fishing report remains largely the same...not much will change until the baetis start moving in April.

There were several reports of tough fishing yesterday, while one Grey Reefer said it was as good ever. Who knows what was going on? Stu was guiding yesterday and he felt it was tough as well.

We have been receiving a lot of calls for early season day trips the past week. I've read several articles that are saying that ski resorts are posting as many or more skier days than last year. I guess folks aren't going to cut out having fun as they cinch the belt. I know I'm not!

The North Platte Lodge has some awesome post spring flush spots available. These are from March 19th - March 28. We will be offering significant discounts for multi room bookings. Give me a call at (307)237-1182 for details.

2/19 Beautiful weather this weekend! Would be a great time to dust of your gear and step into the North Platte River. The nymphing has been excellent. Patterns of choice have been any of The Reef Fly Shop's new foam winged midge emergers. Scuds, The Reef's Wahini and pine squirrel leeches.

The North Platte River is open all the way from Grey Reef to Casper. But, the water clarity is best on the upper Grey Reef section.

2/9 Grey Reef Fishing report: The weather and fish have been very cooperative this past week. Especially this weekend when the temps were in the 50s and no wind. There were some great midge hatches. Nymphers did well will PALs, JuJus and a variety of other midge patterns. Scud, Reef Worms and Pine Squirrel Leeches have also been very productive. Stop in to The Reef Fly Shop and check out our updated fly bins. We will be getting much more new and custom patterns in the coming weeks, but we already have an awesome selection of Grey Reef flies. Also check out our new Simms waders and boots and lots of new soft goods. NEW Scott rods will be showing up this week as well.

The North Platte Lodge is sorry that the state of the economy is forcing some of our guests to have to sit this year out. But, this also opens up opportunities for new guests to be able to fall into some excellent spots. Recent openings include: -April 18-25 (room for up to 8 fishers) -May 20-23 ( one room available for 1 or 2 fishers) -May 28-June 2 (one room available for 1 or 2 fishers) -July 2-6 (two rooms available for up to 4 fishers -July 12-16(rare 4 room spot for up to 8 fishers) Check around and you will find out that we are very affordable, easy to get to and you won't miss anything from the high priced destinations. Our fishery is second to none and our guide staff is excellent. Come to Wyoming were the fuel prices are low, fish are big and the crowds....what crowds?

2/3 We are headed for another VERY nice week. Temps near 50. The way it has been going we should brace for a 20 below snap after this warm up. Hoping for some snow! The North Platte River will be in good shape...water wise. S. WY and N. Colorado are doing well on their snow totals.

Get your fishing fix while you can!

2/1 The North Platte Lodge has a couple very good spring openings. Give a call for details

Our big snowfall is trying to melt away, but now the weather is cooling off again. Today we will see highs in the upper 20s but calm winds. The upper river is open and fishable, but it is frozen over at Government Bridge. There has been almost no traffic on the river and it is fishing well!

Again, it is time to start thinking of fishing dates and checking availability. If the spring starts early we will be busy in March and busy in April on a typical spring. We are starting to get a bunch of our new inventory in at The Reef Fly Shop. Trent has been working to get everything in order for the Feb. fishers.

1/28 We are just getting over our 3rd installment of well below zero temps in the 08/09 winter. We had wind chills at 30 below zero. A foot of snow fell in the Casper/Alcova area. The guys had been on the river a bunch before the front arrived...Trent and Seth were out as it came in. Iced guides...on the rods not the fishing guides...were a constant problem and the cause of each of them to break their rods before calling it quits. The fishing remains good (at least before the storm). I was out with one of our guides Rick on the upper, Trent was throwing streamers a couple miles downstream and Seth was on Miracle Mile and Fremont Canyon. It was all productive, although Miacle Mile was slower than the rest.

Plan on floating and edge ice if you venture out soon. I haven't hear if the river is iced over at Lusby? Nymph with scuds and midges.

1/23 Finally got some snow last night! We ared looking at a somewhat wet...er...snowy pattern for the next several days.

**Check the home page left column for info on cheap plane tickets to Casper**

1/19/2009 Report: Fishing and the weather has been very good. Air temps in the 50s, water temps in the upper 30s. The water is cold but the trout are pretty hot. I was surpised at how hard they were fighting...running and jumping...given the chilly water temps. Yesterday we hooked fish on streamers (stripped SLOW) and nymphs. Rusty/orange scuds, all day mays, Reef worms, PALs etc. It seemed most of the fish we hooked were in slow deep tailouts, but we did hook a number of fish in the seams along fast riffles. There is daily midge hatch and tons o' scuds

We are all excited for the 2009 season! We have been getting lots of emails and calls for 2009 bookings. I hope we have been able to get everybody close to their desired dates. We do have an excellent spring opening (this is a rare 4 room/8 fisher spot)Arrive April 18th fish 19-21 and depart on the 22nd. Our next available full lodge opening is July 12th-17th. Spring fishing on the Grey Reef section of the North Platte River is unbelievable!

1/12/2009 Trent, Katherine and I just returned from The Fly Fishing Show in Denver, CO. It was a great experience. Thanks to all of our past and present guests who stopped by to chat! It was good to see you. Right now were are debating attending the International Sportsman's Expo in a couple weeks.

Blue Quill Angler had an impressive showing. There were several times that I was unable to elbow my way in to visit with the owners. Pat and Jim have a great operation and are super guys. They will have a large booth at the Expo...don't miss it!

1/6/2009 Happy New Year! Come visit us at the Merchandise Mart in Denver, CO Jan 9-11. Trent, Katherine and I will have a booth to display our operation and the North Platte River. The event is the Fly Fishing Show and it is dedicated to...well...fly fishing. Hope to see you then!

12/27 We have been switching back and forth from windy to extreme cold...today wind chills at below zero again. There have been quite a few geese flying around and the upper part of the river is free of ice. Below Government Bridge is iced over in many spots. If you are going to float, stick to the upper...dragging a boat over thin ice isn't much fun.

We hope everybody had a great Christmas! Visiting friends and family and enjoying Wyoming's endless outdoor activities were our highlights. Can't complain about the gifts or food either!

We are hopeful that Ullr will bring the snow! Ullr was the Norse god of skiing and hunting, and is now commonly associated with snow. A huge snowpack would do wonders, in the short term, for my appetite for nordic snow sports. But, it would be fabulous for the fishing for the next several years. In the spirt of the season pour a dram and encourage Ullr to bring the snow. We can all be honorary Berserkers for a toast! Happy New Year!

12/23 We are emerging from another cold snap. Oddly enough the upper Grey Reef has very little ice on it. The weeds are finally gone. Haven't been on the water in a bit, and haven't spoken to anybody for a report. No doubt there are plenty of fish to catch on the typical winter patterns. Iced guided will be a problem.

Merry Christmas! from all of us at the North Platte Lodge and The Reef Fly Shop.

12/16 Might be okay to get back on the river soon? We are just finishing up a cold spell with lows of 20 below zero. The river developed some floating and edge ice FAST. It was in the mid 20's ABOVE zero today...so that was nice. This latest weather system didn't do a whole lot in the way of pushing birds to the area. The guys were out a couple days ago and were only able to call in one goose.

12/10 The fishing has been really good...streamers, nymphs and dries. The boys from Montana that just left had and incredible day.

12/3 Temps are finally dropping and the river is clearing even more. Persistant weed beds have yet to break up on the upper. These weeds are along the edges and not effecting the fishing. The flows remain at 550cfs. This is a full 50 cubic feet per second more than is typical. If you do the math you can figure out how much more water has been flowing down the river. Typically mid September starts the 500cfs flows. We were denied a flush this year, because of construction and dam work...which has long been completed. With the increased flow we could have easily had a short and delayed flush.

Regardless the fishing is still very good. Nymphing winter patterns is probably the most productive. Scuds, midges and leeches. The Reef's Mini-Impaler is also effective. Streamers have been good with smaller bugs and slow swings/strips.

11/17 River is in prime condition and fishing well. The weather has been very nice save for a lttle breeze. Fish are still rising. We have had some Tricos (strange but true) and Baetis with a few psuedos thrown in. It has been a strange dry fly trip this year, but I'll take again next year! Nymphing is great with the poplular bugs at the shop being leeches and reef worms...try the mini Impaler. But, guides are fishing PALs, Lazies and beatis patterns. Nymph them light and shallow. Slow water is productive.

11/9 The North Platte River is still fishing very well. The weather has been great and we are seeing quite a few folks taking advantage of it.

Nymphs, dries and streamers all are on the plate. There a lot of fish rising in the afternoon, they are eating baetis and midges, but will greedily take a simple para Adams. Nymphing has been productive on beatis and midge patterns as well as leeches, scuds and light streamers(like a Platte River Special). Effective streamers have been Goldie Locks, Near 'Nuff Sculpins, Orange Blossom Specials, Platte River Specials, Bergin Buggers in olive. We have been stripping pretty slow...it seems to get the most attention. The guys have been primarily throwing streamers on floating lines and long leaders. They can mend easier to get the bugs down in the faster/deeper water. And, have a little more control for stripping slow in the moderate depth areas. But, Trent landed a 25" cutbow stripping an OBS quickly on a sink tip the other day. I don't want to give the impression that floating lines are the ONLY way to go.

Our first week of the Bahamas Ragged Island trip was cancelled due to hurricane Paloma. It has been rescheduled and we are crossing our fingers that the next group (that leave this Saturday) will be able to get there.

I was able to get out for a couple hours yesterday. I decided to only go for risers. The trout were doing what I had hoped and I caught many fish. Most were little guys, but I did land a couple very nice fish. I was fishing below Casper. The water is nice and clear, but there are lot of floating weeds.

11/01 You might disregard my previous post? I was talking about little (14" is little on the North Platte River) trout in Casper. Yesterday, my brother Rick, an NPL guide langed a 26" brown right in town. At an access that is just a few minutes from his home. The brute took a tan Near Nuff Sculpin fished with a floating line.

Trent and Katherine took a day trip to reconnect/regroup to our friend's place in Wendover Canyon. They enjoyed catching a bunch of big, healthy rainbows on dry flies. Good for them!

This would be an excellent time to get on a trophy trip. The weather is pretty tolerable and the "big" fish (25" or better) have been active and available. *WARNING* We do not poach big fish off of redds. We feel that a trophy taken off of a redd is cheating and therefore doesn't count. Expect to fish banks and runs and cover as much water as possible, as we will not hover for hours over redds.

10/29 I just received a couple new rods. Both the NEW Scott A3, one is a 7'6" 3wt and the other an 8'6" 5wt. These are a big step up from the normal bare bones inexpensive rods. Very light and well appointed and they cast great.

My wife and I took our little boy to the trail system in Casper (5 minutes from the house) so he could ride his bike and try to catch a fish. After a vigorous ride we walked to the banks of the North Platte River...clear, low water with many rising fish. I had just had my eyes dialated, so I was having a very hard time seeing anything. My wife rigged up a little caddis first, on the new 3 wt, and within a cast or two she was hooked to a 14" rainbow. Pretty cool when you can go just a few moments from the house, right in the middle of town, and catch trout on a dryfly. It is curious why there aren't any other fishers to be seen? I know that the Casper section hasn't been written about in the magazines and there aren't the numbers and size of fish that you would find up near the lodge, but there are lots of available trout, easy wading and very close to 60,000 people. Parents! Get your little ones out on the river, even if it is going after little (easy) fish. A high rate of success gets their attention and holds it. Call The Reef Fly Shop or NPL to get directions to great pieces of public water.

We are greatful to all of our guests over the years. Thanks for continuing to support the North Platte Lodge and The Reef Fly Shop. It is special when you can have a job that allows you...err...makes you to have fun at all times. Fun is what this is all about. You can catch and release 50 fish, but if it isn't fun what is the point? We are really looking forward to next season and seeing everybody again. Winter well and remember the North Platte River fishes well year 'round. Winter can be some of the best fishing of the year. Give us a call and do a winter trip. Just to prove it go to northplatteflyfishing.com and check out our video that we did last Feb. That day was amazing. At one point in the video Trent says "That ought to be good for a fish". At that moment Ryan hooks up. I won't blame you if you change your focus to the snow...I'll be skiing as much as I can.

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10/27 The last week has been exciting. Mary Holt (You've seen her name here many times) landed a 24" Brown on a streamer on the upper river. Seth Kapust put a 31" brown in his hand...also on the upper. The "Mile" has been fishing well, both streamers and nymphs. There is also limited dry flying the AM trico spinner fall. We floated right through town yesterday and had a good morning and early afternoon, but they quit chasing our streamers after about 3PM. Fish were rising all afternoon on baetis.

Streamer patterns of interest were the Platte River Special (chasing a near 'nuff sculpin) on the "Mile". Goldie Locks was productive on the lower stretches through town. Caddis are all over the entire river...especially in the PM. Baetis and psuedos are still actve...more so the baetis. Midges are around. BUT, the most interesting thing that I have witnessed lately is the YELLOW SALLIES on the "Mile". I don't thing I have seen a yellow sallie at Grey Reef since the end of July, but they are still coming off on Miracle Mile. I watched fish swirling and slashing just under the surface the other day when a few sallies were emerging from a heavy riffle...strange but good!

10/20 Same report...sorry. Fishing is still very good. The water coming out of the dam is a little green and down low (Casper and lower) has floatng weeds to contend with. The Miracle Mile is fishing very well as is the Grey Reef section. The browns have been making themselves available and will be even more active as they make their way to spawn. Please don't target actively spawning fish!!

It seems that my last report was lost...here's the jist. Trent and JJ had a Cast and Blast trip that was very good. The first day the hunters harvested sveral geese, many ducks (including Teal, Gadwall, Widgeon and Mallard) chukars and pheasants. They finished the day catching a good number of fish.

Day two was a jet boat hunt that yeilded ducks and geese again, but the focus was fishing.

10/13 We experienced our first snow of the season this past weekend. Mother Nature dropped several inches of heavy wet snow in the area (the kind that sticks to fully leaved trees and breaks branches off). Fishing has been very good and the North Platte River cleared dramatically in the past week. But, this wet snow coupled with quickly rising temps will cause some runnoff. We expect the upper river at Grey Reef to remain clear and very fishable. But, it will probably ne dirty for a couple days down low. The forecast for this weekend is good. Mid 60s and calm. Fishing should be excellent!

The psuedo hatch is still going very strong and making for big number days. The baetis (blue winged olive) should really get going after this cool down. Tricos are still available and the fish are rising to them. Midges are making their cool weather push and will remain a mainstay until next spring's baetis...er...worm hatch.

Nymphing remains excellent, dry fly is also a good option and pods will be seen in select areas. Streamer has been a little hit and miss but the diehards are poking some big fish. It isn't over folks...far from it. Grey Reef is ripening!

10/9 Fishing continues to be excellent, despite the reports in the newspaper. If you are questioning coming to Grey Reef to fish, give us a call at The Reef Fly Shop or the North Platte Lodge to get the latest and accurate river reports. The Reef's phone is (307)232-9128.

Miracle Mile is fishing very well...just like Grey Reef. Psuedos are dominant on the upper reaches of Grey Reef and there are Tricos and Baetis, along with caddis. The Miracle Mile has a very good caddis hatch and tricos...there are even some yellow sallies fluttering around. We were shocked to see them.

Lots of fish on the surface in the PM with the psuedo hatch. Some good pods in the AM with the tricos and the baetis are bringing 'em up on the lower reaches.

Don't be worried about our little weather system coming through this weekend. The reason we love fall so much is because of the weather and bug patterns. We have had summer up until now. Hopefully we will get to experience some "fall" fishing. Bring on the blanket hatches of baetis AND non stop streamer action.

10/6 Psuedos are great this year! The nymphing has been amazing once the bugs start moving. It has been only excellent before the psuedos hatch. We are having big number days. There have been lots of rising fish. The fall can sometimes bring out the smaller fish. But, we haven't experienced this at all this year. River traffic is light and the fishing is really good...

10/2 Sage grouse season is over and was a great success. Big thanks to JJ Randolph and Scott Aune! Scott's pointers were great and JJ's labs are a kick! Imagine a well trianed flushing dog out on the sage brush plains. Sage grouse will get into the sage brush and hold tight...a good close ranging flushing dog gives sage grouse hunting the surprise and excitement of pheasant hunting. The pointers get out a cover lots of ground. All the dogs, hunters and guides did excellent.

Fishing is also really, really good right now. Psuedos are everywhere. We are having big number days...as far as hookups. The trout are doing a good job of escaping. We are still landing lots of fish though. The Miracle Mile has been great as well. These fish are big and hot!

9/28 Sage grouse season is in full swing. We have seen lots of birds! The Frankums group was able to get their limit of Sage grouse, then change locations for many shots at pheasant, chukar and doves...all before 1pm. If they had more time they would have finished the day on the river.

The fishing has remained good with the past couple afternoons on the "upper" a little less productive. The mornings have been very good. We are seeing some very nice fish, but we haven't been on the hunt for big fish for a couple of days.

Tricos are back at it for more great dry fly action for the 2008 Grey Reef season. Baetis are also on the dinner plate. Our trout love the baetis hatch, but they don't lay on the bottom waiting for them. Don't punish yourself by dredging up algae on every drift. Keep your rig up off of the bottom.

We are very busy until the middle of October, when things slow down a little. Waterfowl opens the 4th of October. We just had a room open for an opening weekend cast and blast package. There are lots of ducks on the river right now...mostly teal. Your guide will either set dcoys out in front of one of our blinds for an early AM hunt then finish the days fishing the North Platte River OR a true cast and blast where you use the drift boat to transport dog, decoys and hunting/fishing gear to set up at a remote location.

9/24 The weather and the fishing is still very good. We continue to have warm afternoon temps and very productive nymphing. The North Platte River is fishing very well from top to bottom... Grey Reef Dam to Glenrock, Miracle Mile included.

The Game and Fish cancelled the fall flushing flow due to some work being preformed on the dam and near the river. We hoped that they would still try to manage some sort of a flush. The BurRec had alredy agreed to a flush meaning they were able to afford the water usage. The North Platte River is experiencing a substantial load of sediment that the fish could certainly do without. We will cross our fingers and hope for a couple much needed burps.

Regardless the fishing will remain great. The weed situation this year is great. Fewer weeds than I ever remember. Last night we dipped below 30f so the leaves should be flipping quickly and the river growth breaking up.

The Reef Fly Shop will have several of its products on clearance...including some Ross reels, Simms waders etc. Stop in!

9/21 Now we can really call it fall. This might the best time on Grey Reef. Crisp mornings, warm afternoons and great hatches. The nymphing has been excellent and you can pick off fish on dries if you keep your eyes peeled. There are isolated pods and singles rising throughout the day. I am still in awe at the lack of weed growth this year. There are weeds, don't get me wrong, but the areas that typically harbor big mats are a quarter of the size. The result is, the places that are a shallow riffle in the spring is still a shallow riffle. Normally the areas that might be a foot deep in the spring can be 3 feet deep in the fall because of the damming effect of the vegetation. Light and short rigs have been extremely productive...as have little bugs. Baetis are small right now and the trout are taking little bugs. They will also eat scuds, worms, leeches. Our hot bug has been the PAL or foam wing RS2s and "not much".

The fall flushing flow is going to happen starting the 13th of October. We are having a lot of our guests book during that week and still have some availability. This is a streamer fishers nirvana.

9/17 The North Platte River is fishing well. The activity on the upper has been especially good in the AM. Baetis and leech patterns seem to be producing the best. The weeds are stable and floating algae is limited on the entire river. There are still tricos, baetis and psuedos for surface activity. Not a ton of dry fly right now, but still some good shots.

Keep a streamer and dry fly rod rigged and ready. Also, the "Mile" is fishing well. The flows are low...just like the Reef. 600cfs.

9/12 Sorry I have been lax on the fishing report. Trent and I were out of town for a couple of days picking up some new boats from Gary Bebe over at Mountain Driftboat in Victor Idaho.

The Reef Fly Shop will now be offering drift boat rentals right at Grey Reef. They will be Clackacraft 16 foot Low Profile driftboats... the boat that most of the Grey Reef guides row.

The North Platte River is now flowing at 6oo cfs. The water is in good condition and the recent rains DIDN'T disturb the river. Fishing has been good. We are seeing good baetis hatches already!

The North Platte Lodge has a couple of openings yet this month. Call for availability. (307)237-1182

We are seeing more and more doves in the area. Sage grouse opens on the 20th and blue grouse are already available. We have quite a few cast and blasts scheduled for the coming weeks, but still have some space. Sage grouse opens the 20th and closes the 30th and makes a great subject for a cast and blast trip.

9/8 The river surged to 1200cfs...from 800cfs. Strange, but good. The extra water makes fishing in the late season a little more interesting.

Scuds, leeches, crawdads, crane flies etc are good when flows increase. But, don't abandon the idea of nymphing with midges, psuedos, baetis on light tippet and shorter leaders. I suggest keeping your rigs off of the bottom if you don't feel like collecting a gob of algae on every drift.

Lots of junk floating and suspended on the lower stretches of the North Platte River...just above and below Casper. But, it should be short lived.

9/5 The North Platte Lodge has some great spots available in September and October. We have one room available between September 15th-22nd and 2 rooms for September 24th and 27th. The bonus is you get Grey Reef's most experienced guides and you are less than a mile from The Reef Fly Shop and a couple minute walk to excellent fishing on the upper Grey Reef section of the North Platte River. The North Platte Lodge provides airport transportation, guides, all meals, terminal tackle and very clean/comfortable rooms with private baths. Don't forget that you are priveledged to over 17 miles of exclusive private access from Grey Reef dam to well below Government Bridge.

The fishing on upper Grey Reef is fantastic! Lots of bugs (baetis) for good dry fly. The water is down to 800cfs and in good condition. We have been having very cool nights so the water temps are very good...mid 50s. Caddis, tricos, baetis(fall baetis hatch is a ball!) and the standard leeches, scuds, worms are all producing.

Be careful believing what you are told about the upper Grey Reef section during the fall season. Lots of huge fish come from this water in the late months (more than any other section) and the fishing is excellent. We love the whole river and won't limit ourselves OR our customers to certain areas. There is good access, a good fly shop with good advice, and an awesome fishery with better/more trout on the upper reaches of Grey Reef...period!

We have spent time on the river between Casper and Glenrock lately. The water is clear , but there is a bunch of floating/suspended floogies (moss) everywhere. Plan on cleaning your flies almost every cast. For streamer fishers, seek out the risers and they will hammer you streamer if presented semi-quiet. Have fun!!

9/1 The North Platte River is now flowing at 800cfs. The water is in good condition and the fish have been eating well. We are still experiencing some dry fly activity in the AM on tricos and in the PM with caddis. Scuds, leeches, psuedos and some baetis are available. Nymphing with shorter leaders are producing good results...don't forget to swing on the end of your drift! Streamers arer quickly picking up steam and this cooler/cloudy weather should improve it.

September and October are excellent months to visit Grey Reef. There are few fishers in the area. You will ask yourself "Why aren't there more people here?" after you spend a day on the water.

8/26 1100cfs this AM

8/25 1200cfs today...how low will it go?

8/24 Down to 1300cfs...This will probably continue and the streamer fishing is going to be awesome!!

8/23 The North Platte River dropped to 1400cfs this morning. The fishing is still very good, but the guys experienced a lull in the early part of yesterday afternoon. These very cool nights in the low 50s has kept the river from heating up. Temps on the upper are still in the upper mid 50s to 60.

Tricos, pseudos, caddis, a few baetis, some PMDs a handfull of Yellow Sallies...etc. Lots of food available to the trout and they aren't passing it up. Still some good groups of risers during the morning and late eve.

8/19 Grey Reef still has VERY few weed beds. And, the water is clear. It is uncharacteristic for this time of year. We have already seen baetis coming off and pseudos have been emerging all afternoon. Dry fly fishing is continuing to be productive and really fun. Streamers are also picking up steam. I love this time of year for streamer fishing...but non of our crew will go with me because they don't want to miss the trico hatch and fishing dry.

Pine squirrel leeches, soft hackle hares ears, our NEW pattern the Couch-Pa-Sudo (excellent pseudo nymph), sunken tricos, cdc cased PMD emergers, PALs, scuds etc are the flies to copy the plethora of current trout grub. Including (but not limited to) Tricos, scuds, worms, water boatmen, leeches, caddis, pseudos, baetis, PMDs, yellow sallies, midges, crawdads, minnows of various types, even a couple of big stone flies. I can't stress enough how good the fishing has been this summer. It will get even better with the big fall baetis hatches and the 2nd wave of tricos. We will see how the fish respond to the lack of weed beds and the structure they provide...it will be nice for not collecting weeds on your flies.

8/16 The North Platte River flows have been decreased to 1500cfs. I assume this is the start of the end of our higher water flows for the 2008 season. They might bump them again, but I would be surprised if they do.

It has been several months that I have added a new article to the blog "The Wyoming Fly Fisher". It has been a busy season and I have a hard time sitting down and writing with so much sunshine. Check out the new article IF you like Grey Reef, dry fly fishing, trout or marginal writing.

8/14 Congrats Melissa Harris on her 28"+ brown trout! She landed it 2 days ago floating with her boyfriend and NPL guide Seth Kapust. Melissa is die hard fly fisher and we are proud to employ her at both the North Platte Lodge and The Reef Fly Shop.

Congrats Trent Tatum on a 24" rainbow this morning on a dry fly!! Fish are still eagerly sucking trico spinners off of the surface in the AM.

8/13 Sorry for not posting in a while, no good excuse except I was taking a breather with the family. It was good to see some new scenery and spend quality time with my wife, son, nephews/niece, brother/sis-in-law, one of our guides and my little dog.

The water dropped to 1500cfs for a bit then rebounded back to 1700cfs. Temps are still cool...57 on the upper and 62 degrees at Morad Park(in Casper) at about 4pm.

Fishing is still awesome with trico spinner dry fly activity in the morning. Nymphing with midges, caddis, PMDs, pseudos, scuds all day. And, we experienced some incredible streamer fishing this past week.

The river has been VERY quiet. Although we will get busy again for the next couple weeks.

It is time to plan your fall trip. There are still some good lodge openings in October and a couple spots in September. We still have a couple Sage Grouse spots available the season is 9/20-9/30. Dove opens in early Sept as does our preserve pheasants.

8/1 Water down to 1500cfs early this morning...fishing was awesome. Streamers, nymphs and drys all produced well. We suggest not slinging a bunch of leader and weight. It will be okay in a few areas but it will get you in trouble in all the rest. It gets pretty boring setting the hook on bottom. Some folks have been saying that the fishing is suffering late in the afternoon. In reality the fish are changing over to other bugs and the active feeders are locked into certain water types. The North Platte is fishing well from Grey Reef Dam to Casper.

The North Platte Lodge has a couple short September spots available...one would be a great sage grouse cast and blast trip. We still have some October dates available and IF the BuRec gives us another fall flushing flow be here on the second Monday of the month! During last year's flush was the most amazing streamer fishing we have ever seen.

We are putting out a cry for help. It seems Andy Parker left his lucky North Platte Lodge hat in Seth's Jeep. If you should find it on the highway, bottom of the river or wherever we would like it returned to Andy. We are offering a small reward. We will try to bribe one of our Dallas groups to include you in their bi-annual contest "The Texas Creel".;)

7/31 The BuRec dropped the water to 1600cfs early this morning. This shouldn't do anything to the fishing, but we will report after all of the guides return this evening. The fishing has been great from start to finish...even in the afternoon. Our guides feel like the past couple weeks have been the best fishing of 2008. We base that judgement on several factors...including numbers of fish hooked.

7/27 Congrats to Ryan and Liz Anderson, owners of Wyoming Fly Fishing Guide Service. They were married yesterday in Casper. May the force be with them.

Grey Reef is still Rockin and Rollin. Dry fly fishing on the upper is excellent. But, you will have to force yourself away from catching a bunch of fish while nymphing. The water is in incredible condition. Clear and still cool for this time of year. PMDs, caddis, scuds, yellow sallies, midges and tricos are on the plate. The streamer fishing is getting good. The guides are having good success on research trips in preperation of our Trophy Trips. Jason put a 26.5 inch brown trout in the net the day before yesrerday.

7/23 Ever wonder what it would be like to poke some Grey Reef trout on a dry fly? Better get here quick!! Trico fishing is impressive. They are starting on the duns and switching to spinners making for several hours of challenging and invigorating action. Then switch to a light nymph rig and get then off the shelves munching PMD and Yellow Sallie emergers. North Platte River conditions are awesome. I had a VERY hard time tearing myself away from the river this afternoon.

7/19 Grey Reef is fishing excellent! Lots of fish eating PMDs, caddis and tricos...but mostly PMDs. Seth left his thermometer in the river for several days before finding it...it read 57 degrees.

Congrats to Butch of Denver on his 25" brown first thing yesterday AM! Also congrats to Bill Wichers on his almost 25" rainbow today!

Water conditions are great on a large part of the river above Casper. Below Government Bridge the pine squirrel leech and soft hackle sallies/caddis patterns are working well. Stop in to The Reef Fly Shop for great deals on flies. 13 bucks a dozen for good patterns...not the dogs. We are making room for our own line of custom Grey Reef/Miracle Mile fly patterns. Oh, and try Gabriel's Trumpet...that is what the big rainbow ate!

7/16 Grey Reef is fishing very well. The water temp today around 11AM was only 53 degrees. The water is in great shape..is is clear and free from floating debris. The weed beds that traditionally reach the surface in mid July are barely visible under the water and many are not visible. Trout are rising to tricos in the AM and eating PMDs on the surface throughout the remainder of the day. It is also possible to hook fish on streamers. The nymphing has been excellent. PMDs, caddis, yellow sallies, trico nymphs and sunken adults among others. Today we caaught fish all day long including drys and streamers.

7/9 The North Platte River is unbelievable. Lots of different options. The river below Government Bridge is in good condition and the Narrows is fishable. The floating debris is gone as the flows have stabilized...still 1700cfs and temps in the mid 50s. Yesterday, some of our guests landed very big trout on dry/dropper rigs. The nymphing was great. Scuds, sally nymphs, PMDs, leeches, PALs etc all produced. The fish are hot right now and they are having good long distance release success...good for them!

I want to caution folks about some of the misinformed fishing reports that are out there. We have had a couple referals from folks who were told that Grey Reef is too warm to fish or that the fish don't feed well in the summer months. This is absolute garbage, and these reports come from people who are not familiar with this river. Call a local outfitter!! We(for example)live at Grey Reef and both of our businesses are here. Our gudes are on the water (Grey Reef) every day....as well as other local trophy fisheries. We don't come here when the other rivers blow out or when the fishing is "easy". We spend all of our time here and know this river as well as we know anything. The other local outfitters are the same way. Why people would hire a guide from hundreds of miles away(with no BLM permit) is...well...doing themselves a HUGE disservice. Your success is largely based on your guides knowledge of the river (this goes for any river), do yourself a favor and hire a local reputable guide.

Stop into The Reef Fly Shop for awesome deals on flies. We are blowing out many of our patterns to make way for our new selection of custom REEF bugs. The flies that are discounted are not "dogs" these are great flies that will work in many places. Per dozen price is more than 50 percent off on patterns like RS2's, Molting Scuds, many baetis, midge and PMD nympphs.

7/7 Still enjoying (but hoping for more) 1700cfs. Cool water temps still in the mid 50s. Midges, PMDs, Caddis and Yellow Sallies are on the prowl. The pine squirrel leech is preforming nicely. Keep your eyes open for tricos and pseudos. Golden Stones are hatching at the "Mile" and the trout are loving it!

7/3 Grey Reef is running at 1700cfs as of early this AM. While doing my early morning wander around my yard I found several trico shucks...dry fly activity on the North Platte River is the most predictable during the trico hatch. Bring 'em on!

7/1 The BuRec jacked up the flows sometime in the wee hours of the AM. We are now enjoying 1600cfs and hoping for a little more. Nymphing has been good with top honors going to the Pine Squirrel Leech. Trail a PAL, Zebra Midge or go with PMD patterns. No need to change from midge to PMD as the PMDs are moving early. But, watch the inside corners for groups of eager risers!

3 25"+ trout were landed today. 2 by Bob Zabroski of El Paso and one by Dick Dempsey of El Paso. Their humble(yet pretty impressive) guide was Stu. Ryan of Greeley Colorado landed a 23" rainbow with JJ to best his grandpa, Tuffy.

This is the time of year to really explore the North Platte River. This area has so much to offer...especially in the summer. Target Trophy Trout, sight cast to cruising carp (Trent landed a 21LBer yesterday) fish hoppers on the Sweetwater River, great nymphing all over. We are very busy right now, but still have some guides available. We are glad to see that folks are opening their eyes to the North Platte in the warm months! We encourage every fisher to bring multiple rods starting this time of year. A streamer rod, your nymphing stick and a dry fly rod in case we see some risers. See you soon!

6/28 Flows are steady. The BuRec boys are still fluctuating the flows out of of Alcova Power Plant quite a bit. Yesterday morn, Grey Reef reservoir was low due to not generating much power overnight. When they started generating in the AM it muddied Grey Reef Reservoir. This hasn't happened in a couple weeks. The mud reached the North Platte River quickly and fouled the river. It was short lived and the river was back to normal in a couple hours.

The North Platte Lodge and Reef Fly Shop guests were spanking fish before the mud reached them. Then they departed the muddy river and continued a very successful day. The weather for the end of June is spectacular. Upper 70s to low 80s in the day and in the upper 40s to low 50s at night. The river is remaining cool...mid 50s. This is excellent news! We are going to have a stellar summer.

The Miracle Mile is fishing great. The water is it's standard tanic stained brown, but the visibility remains good. Golden Stones are just starting to reach the surface.

We should be back to fishing the Sweetwater River soon. The Wind River Range feeds this historic small stream fishery, and the "Winds" had a good snow pack this year.

We have had a lot of inquiries about our prairie dog trips. They have been going very well and our guests have been excited about the private "towns".

CARP!! It is carp season folks. Grab a copy of the Sept 2008 issue of Fly Fisherman Magazine. Dave Whitlock wrote an excellent article that is the sequel to his "Golden Ghost" article of 10 years ago. These fish are not easy or weak, but oh so fun! Call the North Platte Lodge and The Reef Fly Shop to book a carp trip.

6/26 The North Platte River has been bumped to 1400cfs. Yesterday the guides were complaining of floating debris (algae) that reduced effective dead drifts. The fish are still eating well. Some of the guides ran a shorter rig and stayed out of the main current (where a bulk of the debris collects) and did well. Other who ran long/heavy rigs and fished the main runs didn't do well. This should be a short lived issue, hopefully it will be done today? We are supposed to be getting another 600cfs by the 1st of July. This increased flow will purge the river and afterbay of some early growth algae making summer conditions that much better. Get your big sticks out! Carp are on the prowl and the big browns/rainbows and starting to be more available.

For those of you waiting for us to give the go-ahead on our Trophy Trips...get ready. It should be happening very soon!

We still have a couple July spots available in the lodge and September is almost full. We do have 2 rooms in September at the beginning of Sage Grouse season 21st-24th. This is an awesome Cast and Blast!

6/24 The river is up to 1200cfs and the water temp on the upper read a chilly 48 degrees. That is a drop of 8 or so degrees overnight! The nymphing has been very productive...especially with Pine Squirrel Leeches and small midge patterns. Caddis, PMDs and Yellow Sallies are also out and about. The North Platte River is supposed to be flowing at 2000cfs by July 1st. We'll take all the water we can get!

Miracle has been fishing very well. The Golden Stones are not really making their mark yet, but the trout are happy to eat San Juan Worms, Beady Leeches, Pat's Rubber Legs and Hares Ears. The flow at the "Mile" is 2500cfs and the temp is 55 degrees.

6/21 The Grey Reef section of the North Platte River is up to 1000cfs. Water temps still at 54 degrees. We have been waiting for some more water and hopefully we will double that within the week. Fishing has been excellent in the AM and the afternoon has probably been good, but floating debris has been an issue for the past 2 days. This shouldn't be an issue for long.

LOTS o' bugs on the slate right now!. Caddis, PMDs, rogue Baetis, Midges, Crane Flies, Leeches, Scuds, Yellow Sallies, Stu landed a 26"+ Brown nymphing a Reef Worm yesterday. Maybe the Tricos will show soon? Trout have been eager to rise when they get the chance. The PMDs are easy targets for them, espesially when they are flopping around on the surface struggling the free themselves from their shuck.

The North Platte Lodge and The Reef Fly Shop have been busy the past weeks. This is nice bonus of the surrounding fisheries being blown out due to a heavy snowpack running off. We hope this will open the eyes of many who believe the North Platte River doesn't fish well in the warm summer months. Some of our most productive days are in the middle of summer. And the ability to really target the big 'uns...carp included!

The North Platte Lodge aquired another large lease for hunting. This historic ranch has great Sage Grouse potential as well as an over abundance of Pairie Dogs.

6/15 Grey Reef is nice and clear once again. That will likely change when/if the BuRec drops Grey Reef Reservoir. The little dirty spells only last a couple of hours, but could be totally avioded IF hydroelectric power demand was a little higher. C'mon folks turn on your A/C and lights! Just kidding!! It is actually nice to see that the power demand isn't so high that Alocova is turning the turbines all night long. It hasn't been like that for several years. Another product of our cool spring.

Fishing hasn't suffered a bit as a result. Hookups are often and fierce. Dry fly has been productive at times and the nymphing is stupid. Streamers are also getting a lot more attention. Baetis are still around, so use a size 18 or 20 baetis immitation with a PAL dropper. Pine squirrel leeches are producing and worms are not...not really.

Flows are still at 500cfs and the average water temp is 54 degrees.

6/11 The North Platte River at Grey Reef is...ho hum...fishing as good as ever. This report gets old, but it is the truth. Flows are still hanging right around 500cfs and are scheduled to stay there for most of June. Baetis are still around, PMDs are showing up, Yellow Sallies are active on the bottom, midges are always a force and don't ignore the caddis. Trout have been rising especially on the upper couple miles below Grey Reef Dam. Water temps are are 54+/- and the river below Government Bridge should be available soon.

We have one June lodge spot available. Three nights for one or two fishers 6/23-6/25. If you take this spot, bring your streamer, nymph and dry fly rods. Your guide will likely work you over by having you change rods all day. Be sure to book private stream trip on the Sweetwater River. We have 7 miles of exclusive private access and the hoppers should be productive by then.

6/7 Grey Reef continues to fish well. Fish are still eating off of the surface, as well as, streamers and nymphs. Pine squirrel leeches, tan and olive scuds are productive point flies. PALs, choc UV emergers, rhinestones, CDC cased emergers in PMD or baetis. Right now there isn't a need to fish a big point fly. 2 little bugs will work just as well.

6/1 The North Platte River is on!! Fishing is unbelievable. The flows have stabilized at 500cfs. Our guests have been enjoying excellent wade fishing both nymphing and dry fly fishing.

Congrats Clark Smyth of Rock Creek Anglers! He was a guest in Stu's boat and landed a 26+" brown on Frriday. It ate a pine squirrel leach on a nymph rig while wade fishing NPL ground.

Streamer fishing is really picking up steam. A moderate retrieve off of the banks and throught the runs is producing good results. Water temps are approaching the mid 50's. The temp has increased 8 degrees in a week and the fish are hot!

5/28 Fishing was incredible today! Tons of hookups and some very healthy trout. The North Platte River at Grey Reef has cleared quite a bit. The brown tinge has been replaced by green. The lower river (below Government Bridge) is still in rough condition. At 500cfs is seems the river is crawling, I hope we get some more water soon.

Pine squirrel leeches, brown UV midges, PALs, and olive scuds were very productive today. Lots of bugs were hatching and the trout were slashing near the surface to eat emergers. This weekend would be a great time to be here.

Remember! The Reef Fly Shop runs a shuttle service. Stop in to get advice, bugs, ice and a shuttle.

5/27 Grey Reef is clearing, but the fish don't really care. The trout are eating like crazy. The North Platte River is back to winter flows of 500cfs. Ledge Creek was still puking as of mid-day. Again, the fish were eating regardless of the water conditions. There was no rain today so the drainages like Ledge Creek, Lone Tree Creek, Eagle Creek, Bear Creek etc should stop flowing soon. Bates Creek is a torent and Bolton Creek will continue to spoil the right side of the river at Government Bridge.

5/25 Miracle Mile is in great condition above Sage Creek. The clarity is very good, although not quite what is was a couple of weeks ago. Sage Creek is ripping and the Miracle Mile downstream is dirty. It fished well today and we took fish on Pat's Rubber Legs and San Juan worms. A stripped Sculpzilla also got he attention of a few trout.

5/24 Sorry I didn't post a fishing report yesterday. My internet service was down due to bad weather. The North Platte River at Grey Reef was just about to recover last night when it started raining again. Trout were eating Reef Worms and pine squirrel leeches below Grey Reef dam yesterday afternoon. This morning Eagle Creek had made the reservoir red once again. The BuRec dropped the water level dramatically to compensate for possible flood conditions...600cfs. At this level it will take longer to clear the river, but they should bump the flows and the river wiil clear soon. Folks are catching fish at Grey Reef Dam right now. Nymphing with pine squirrels worked for Ben and Sara this AM.

Our early July lodge spots are almost full, but we still have June 18-21 one room, and a couple good July spots. Our prairie dog hunts are gathering a lot of interest. Book a cast and blast for mid summer! Throw streamers for trophy trout and hunt some prairie dogs. Our sage grouse hunts are also booking fast. This is a great time of year to spend a few hours in the AM wingshooting and then go after Grey Reef trophies in the afternoon...you may even get some dry fly activity on our great fall blue winged olive hatches.

5/22 8:30pm Eagle Creek started running this afternoon and Grey Reef Reservoir is red. The North Platte River is muddy at Grey Reef Dam. If the rain stops it will take a couple of days to clear. We have received a lot of moisture the past day or two and the ground was already moist. Much of this rain is running off. It should be short lived and the river will be back to normal. I asked my friends at the BuRec to flush Grey Reef Reservoir tomorrow after the rain stops and they said they will take care of it...I also have a bridge to sell to you...

5/22 The North Platte River fishing report remains very good. The guys are hooking fish everywhere and especially in water with a little more current. The guys fishing long and heavy are doing well in the slow water also. Baetis are still coming out with regularity. Midges are also very evident right now. This time last year we started seeing PMDs and Yellow Sallies. I think we will have a little while before they start showing up in numbers. I hope the baetis hatch continues for a while, it is a kick!

Streamers worked very well for me a couple of days ago. Near 'Nuff Scuplins in tan flying off of the end of a new Scott X2S 9'6wt were the most productive. Nymphers should try pine squirrel leeches. pulsating emergers, go old school with a small BH pheasant tail, worms always catch fish, BTS nymphs PALs and All Day Mays.

5/17 Jason stuck a 28.5" brown this morning. Pics are coming! It's getting good!!

5/16 3...yes, three 25" plus browns landed today!! Dan Bailey took one, our guide Seth Kapust took one and a North Platte Lodge and The Reef Fly Shop guest with the Jones group took another. All on streamers. Fishing was great today and the weather couldn't have been better. This weekend we will see our first 80s of the year.

The water is starting to clean up below the bridge, although Bates Creek is still high and brown. Baetis (blue winged olives) are still very present and the fish are happy to eat 'em. Leeches, worms and scuds are also producing. Midge hatches have been good and shouldn't be ignored.

5/12 Just got off the phone with Trent. He is on the river and he and the Holts already put 2 browns and a cutthroat in the boat...along with a bunch of rainbows and cutbows. The river is very quiet today. We've got 5 boats out but it seems that there is only one other boat on the river. Traffic has been light this spring...a couple Saturdays have been busy. The weather has been cool and moist much of the time. Water temps are still very cool which bodes well for the remainder of the season. Saturday is supposed to be nice. We have guides available so give a call!

5/11 Happy Mother's Day! This weekend was quiet on The Reef. The little snow squall scared most folks off the river, but by noon the weather was beautiful and the fishing was great. Don't let a little spring snow storm keep you off the North Platte River. Most often the weather breaks and the fishing becomes incredible. It isn't much fun for a couple of hours, but the pain is worth the reward!

We have a couple of vacancies in June and early July. One room June 18-21, and One room June 23-25. In early July we still have a couple spots for as many as 6 fishers. This is several of our guides favorite time to fish the North Platte River. We have PMDs, yellow sallies, golden stone flies, tricos, caddis and the streamer fishing really heats up. The weather is nice, the fish are eating well, and the springtime crowds have all but gone.

5/8 The fishing report for the Grey Reef section of the North Platte River is very good. The Baetis hatch continues to be strong. Water temps are around 46f. There are still plenty of fish on the redds so be aware of that. Water clarity is also very good on the upper. Below Government Bridge is still dirty and probably not worth fishing for the next few days. Pine squirrel leeches and San Juan worms are working very well. The Lazy Midge has been excellent in the AM and switching to a BTS nymph, pulsating emerger or PAL in the afternoon. These rigs have been working very well.

The Miracle Mile is in great shape. The water is flowing around 2000cfs. BIG olive scuds, golden stones, crawdads, crane flies, worms etc are prolific right now. We scooped up a heaping handfull of scuds in one sample and the next(further out in the current) was full of golden stones. Red San Juans, bead head halfbacks, Explosion Stones, Agent Orange and leeches are producing well.

5/5 The North Platte River at Grey Reef is flowing in the neighborhood of 2300cfs. The water temp yesterday above Psycho Hole(Stick to Duck Blind was 46f 10 minute reading) Fishing is on fire. Leeches and Lazy midges were working grerat in the Am and leeches and Bob Dyes Beatis hammered them in the afternoon. It seems the beatis(blue winged olives) hatch is happening later than normal. Traditionally you would see bugs between 11:00 and 11:30am. This year they haven't been nearly as predictable...keeps us on our toes.

Platte River Fly Shop has issued a challenge to be "green"...which is great! The North Platte Lodge and The Reef Fly Shop have always recycled our recyclables. I am a big fan of wind energy and bow to them for installing a turbine. I have been researching it for several years for my own property.

Here's our challenge. Use 4x tippet or lighter and pinch every barb. Reduce heavy hook sets. Let's keep the faces on the fish!

5/4 A quick note about the river conditions...they are changing EVERY day and throughout the day. One day the water is dirty below Government Bridge and the next it is not. Bates, Bolton, Bear, Lone Tree, Ledge and the fly shop Creeks are on and off like they are on a valve. The upper has been very fishable throughout our little wet period. Call for current conditions.

5/4 We have had some interesting weather the past couple of days. It snowed almost 8 inches at the lodge on Friday. And, by yesterday afternoon it was almost gone. There is a fair amount of run off coming in at the ditch behind The Reef Fly Shop. The water was great yesterday...we hope it stays that way! *update report* The North Platte River below Grey Reef Dam is in good condition and the run off didn't harm it. The flows are 2100cfs and the water temp om the upper is 41f+/-.

A guest in Stu's boat landed a 26" brown yesterday! Unfortunately, I didn't get the details so I will brag him up later. The weather is looking excellent for the upcoming week. The baetis are still very active as are the trout. Give us a call!

4/30 Incredible day! Fishing was amazing and the weather was very nice. Baetis is king right now. My guys were slinging pine squirrel leeches and WD40s, PALs and pulsating emergers. The trout went for the leeches rarely, but hammered the baetis emergers. This is what it is all about!

The river came up almost 300cfs today to just under 2100cfs. This is good! I would love it if the BuRec gave us 3000cfs or more.

Water temps last night at Grey Reef dam were 42.3. Still very cool...again a good thing. Don't hesitate to give us a call for any reason!

4/28 Beautiful Day! What a great day, plenty of fish, warm and only light breeze. The North Platte River all the way from Grey Reef to town is in excellent shape. The Baetis hatches are getting better every day...lots of bugs today. We will have a quick cold front pushing in in the next couple of days, so hopefully we will realize a little more moisture out of this one.

Nymphing is very good and we even had a few fish take swipes at streamers today. It was a little odd this afternoon. I couldn't seem to trick many fish into eating baetis emergers even though there were lots of bugs popping. But, they still ate pine squirrel leeches without hesitation.

4/25 Yesterday the guides report the North Platte River fished very well. Bolton Creek is still running off causing some cloudy, offcolor conditions below Government Bridge. We received about and inch of snow last night and there is supposed to be another 1-2 inches tonight. The temps are supposed to be near 50 so the snow will melt quickly. Don't let that spook you, the baetis are moving well and the trout are responding. The fishing will continue to improve with the weather.

The North Platte Lodge has a few prime openings in May, June and July. Also, the fall season is approaching so book you fishing or cast and blast vacations soon!

BWO patterns will remain productive for the next month. Eggs, reef worms, scuds in olive and tan size 18, leeches in natural and brown are good point flies. The lazy midge, PALs, pulsating emerger olive and black, wd40s olive and gray and good nymphs to use. Don't be with out midge AND baetis patterns. Have Fun! *remember* the area between the 2 cables is still closed, we have seen a number of folks enjoying some good fishing in those 2 runs....patience grasshopper...patience!

4/23 Grey Reef is fishing well. Yesterday the guides had good success, despite the ever present wind. We should hopefully get some more settled weather soon...I hope. Baetis are making their way to the surface and the trout are keying in on them(subsurface). The water temps have risen to the low 40s and the flows are in the 1800cfs range.

Pine squirrel leeches, small olive tan and amber scuds, otter eggs and a variety of midge and baetis patterns(including pulsating emergers, lazy midges, split foam backs, PALs and choc UV emergers)are the ticket. Try light fluorocarbon tippet and a pair of small bugs.

The North Platte Lodge has some very good spring and summer spots availble. We will NOT be increasing rates. We want to continue to provide a high quality fly fishing experience at affordable prices!

4/22 The North Platte River is now up to 1800cfs. This is good! Makes fishing baetis (blue winged olives) much more fun. Bolton Creek and Bates Creek are muddy so the North Platte River below Government Bridge won't be fishable for a week or so.

I spoke to some one on the phone yesterday who was told by a guide that if he isn't fishing a 12 foot leader he is drifting over the top of the fish. This advice is sound, but not the only way. The fish are not only on the bottom of the deep (and obvious) runs. The idea behind fishing long is to keep fishers off of the redds. But, there are many places to catch fish that are neither deep or filled with redds. As always, please take care to not step in or fish over the spawning beds. *this post was edited by me after being called out for using harsh language* I apologize to the folks who were offended, although it wasn't intentional. I owe them a beer!

The most exciting part of fishing the baetis is the fact that you can do it, with huge success, on very light rigs. There is no question that a 12ft leader and lots of weight can be super productive, but the idea that this is the ONLY way to fish Grey Reef isn't correct.

4/20 The North Platte River at Government Bridge is dirty once agian. The river is in great shape all the way to Lone Tree Creek. This dirty water shouldn't continue for too much longer. At least we still have 11 miles that are very clear and fishing well. The flows on the North Platte River have increased to 1660cfs. This will help the spawners a bit, while making baetis fishing excellent!

Yesterday the guys on the upper had pretty good success. Especially in early AM. Fish were stacked up on the shelves eating baetis and the wade fishers had a blast. Pine squirrel leeches, eggs, lazy midges, scuds, PALs and other baetis patterns were successful. I noticed an immediate difference when I switched from 4x fluoro to 5x fluoro on my small bugs.

We want to thank all the fishers who have returned to the lodge and The Reef Fly Shop in 2008! For those of you who don't know the shop underwent a little transformation this winter. We picked up Ross Reels, Echo Rods and Simms to compliment our existing product lines.

We had a slow start this year due to winter's persistance. But, it seems that we are going to have a very busy season. The North Platte River was nice and cool last year when most western rivers were too hot to fish without harm to the trout. This year we will be enjoying more great fishing while most western rivers will be at flood stage. The incredible snowpack will create a pause in many river's fishability, but the moisture is welcomed!

4/17 Grey Reef is clear and fishing well. Bear creek finished it's runoff and the water is looking much better at Government Bridge. This morning the water was clear on the left side and cloudy on the right. This would indicate the Bolton Creek has started running...I didn't go up to check it out. But, this eve when I was driving home the water was looking good...much better than this AM. The glare may have been blocking a clear view.

Trent, Rick and I ran the jet boats up to the Miracle Mile this afternoon. It was a good time and the water is in fantastic condition. We will put together a little video clip and post it on www.northplatteflyfishing.com. Stay tuned!

We have some great spots available at the lodge. Book a day trip or a lodge trip and get the best the North Platte has to offer.

4/15 The North Platte River is blown out (muddy) at Government Bridge. Bear Creek is today's suspect. Ledge Creek is much better than it was yesterday. Bear Creek isn't a long term problem. Bolten Creek and Bates Creek are normally at fault for dirtying the water for sustained periods. Right now Bates Creek is running clear.

4/15 Trent and I jumped in the water at Grey Reef Dam, just to check things out. We have been hearing complaints about slow fishing and had to see for ourselves. Trent stepped up to the tailout of the dam outflow and immediatlely started hooking fish. I fished below him and didn't hook anything in the slow slot above the first big drop. But, then I dropped down to the the first run, went to very light weight (because it isn't a deep run) and hooked a 19" rainbow right away. A few casts later hooked another fish. I went back to check Trent's success and he was still hooking fish in the tailout. Lucky for me he stepped out to warm his feet...I snuck in and a couple casts later Trent helped me land a very nice rainbow...somewhere in the 25" range. We laughed because we seem to be there when big fish are caught, but they are never on the end of our line.

Trent started with a small olive scud and swithched to tan. Trout ate them with vigor. They also liked his size 20 soft hackle sow bug (because we have so many sow bugs in the river:)) I landed the big fish on a small no flash tan/olive scud. We were fishing 4x and 5x tippet on 7 ft leaders. I have to think that the fish are there and they are eating. This time of year doesn't require red worms, eggs etc. You can catch fish on small bugs and in clear water something not so bright. Remember LONG dead drifts and don't pass water just because it isn't 6 feet deep. Good Luck!!

Ledge Creek burped a little sediment yesterday in our 70 degree afternoon. By the evening it had slowed because much of the snow on Beaver Rim and Bear Mountain was gone! Carp Creek (Lone Tree) was a little muddy as was the ditch behind The Reef Fly Shop. Both are running on a very limited supply of snow...almost gone. We are optomistic that the conditions will remain good. But, Bates Creek is bound to muck up the North Platte River well below Government Bridge sometime soon.

4/12 Some of the folks fishing the North Platte River today had a bit of a struggle. The fish are there and they are eating, but there are a few things to keep in mind. The water is unusually cold for this time of year 38-40 degrees. Trout won't move long distances to take a bug at those temps, and the takes will not be terribly abrupt...most of the time. Everybody and their dog has a worm on there rig. Yes, they work and yes, I like selling them...but break the mold and try fishing 2 little bugs on light tippet with a moderate length leader. Also, trout are probably not going to hang out in very strong current when their metabolism is directly related to temperature. Take a step or two back from the "good" looking water and fish the soft inside edges...you will be pleasantly surprised. It is not so much about fishing the pattern o' the day, but rather putting the bug where the fish are. Long dead drifts are key and set the hook on the slightest indicator wiggle. If the wind lays down swith to a yarn indicator. Stop by The Reef Fly Shop and we will show you how to build a better mousetrap...err...indicator.

The rumor on the block is that due to huge snowpack in most of the Rocky Mountain west, many rivers will be very high with runoff for quite some time. The North Platte River, especially at Grey Reef, will not feel the effects of spring runoff. We are protected by 5 dams upstream of us. While we hope that this winter's bounty regenerates our reservoirs, we are comfortable with the fact that the North Platte River will continue to produce some of the best trout fishing there is. Come and give Grey Reef a shot, it is easy and inexpensive to get here. It will also become your new favorite place to fish!

4/11 Grey Reef's fishing report is great. Nymphing with otter eggs in tangerine, black pulsating emergers, PALs, Reef Worms, brown crystal midges and pine squirrel leeches has been the most productive. The water is cold ...38f, so streamers have not been very productive lately. You will get takes and catch some fish, but not like if you were nymphing.

Fishing on the Miracle Mile has been productive. It seems there are more willing fish in the tailouts than up in the head of the runs. Reef worms, buckskin worms, beady leeches, are good choices for point flies; and pulsating emergers, hares ear, Lazy Midge, and copper johns are good trailers. Don't forget scuds at both locations.

Have fun! This weekend and early next week are going to be beautiful...we might actually break 70f for the first time this year. Last year we had 73f on March 14th. This year we are having a hard time breaking into springlike weather. I was up on our local mountain last night for a quick backcountry ski. There was better than 2 feet of new snow up there! Great powder shots!

www.northplatteflyfishing.com is the new website for The Reef Fly Shop. Stop by to read articles about what to expect during different seasons and local fisheries, river reports and our online store.

4/9 The North Platte River's Grey Reef section continues to fish very well. The trout are feeding eagerly, and fishers are having great days. This weekend the weather is supposed to be very nice. On Sunday we should experience temps in the mid 60's and 70 by Tuesday. We have some guides still available, so take advantage of the excellent fishing and nice weather!

4/7 Todays North Platte River fishing report is excellent. The past couple of the days the guys have been having banner days. They like to call it "stupid" fishing. One of the guests made a comment that it may have been the best day he ever had and he was off the water by noon.

Congrats to Nick Gelso of California! He landed a 24" cutthroat yesterday.

We have a great May spot available at the lodge...it is right in the prime of the baetis hatch. Call for details. Also, we had a one room spot open up in mid-June. Some late June and early July dates are still available. This is an excellent time to come because the trophy fishing starts to heat up and there are lots of hatches going on. Couple that with very few people on the river. Come see why the North Platte Lodge is the best choice for guides and lodging on the lower North Platte River at Grey Reef!

4/4 Todays North Platte River fishing report remains good. We had lots of boats out today and all had a fun day. Fish were doing what we like...eating. The guys on the upper seemed to have a little more success than us on the lower. But, I'm certainly not complaining.

The Grey Reef section of the North Platte River is experiencing it's usual spring elevation rise. We have an increased flow from 500cfs(typical winter flows) to 800cfs(according to yesterdays BuRec report) It does seem that it is a bit higher than that. More water is a good thing! There are plenty of fish to fill up the river at much higher flows. It also spreads out the boats a bit more...although some folks would rather float right on top of other boats regardless of how much room there is.

Reef Worms, Wicked Impalers, orange, red and yellow eggs, pine squirrel leeches, beady leeches (orange head/brown mohair) UV Emergers, PALs and lazy's all produced today. There were a couple baetis fluttering around, but not significant quantities. The spring baetis is a major reason that the North Platte River is so good in the spring. Grey Reef also has a great fall baetis hatch.

REMEMBER!! There is NO fishing from the upper cable to the lower cable (in front of the North Platte Lodge) during the month of April. The Game and Fish closed it for spawning education during that time. We watched a guide backrowing and fishing it, with his guests, the other day...after it closed...whoops!

4/2 I was out yesterday with my brother Rick. We wade fished for an hour or so. I was lucky enough to hook a number of fish on a tan scud and UV emerger on a nymph rig. The fish I landed were all around 20 inches. This doesn't always happen, but I was fun none the less.

Things are really picking up at the reef. The fish are eating well and a few more folks are showing up to take advantage of it.

Just a reminder that the new access will be closed to fishing for the upper cable to the lower cable through the month of April. That means no fishing from either side of the river or out of the boat. It will be enforced by the Game and Fish.

3/31 JJ was the only boat on the water today. Craig and Bill were his victims. They had a very memorable day with JJ last year when a blizzard managed to push them back up river only to wade fish for the rest of the day. I was hoping that they would have better weather this year. Today was a nicer day, but they still had to brave some snow showers. They are good sports!

Eggs, leeches, Reef Worms, PALs, UV Emergers and pulating emergers are working well on a nymph rig.

3/30 Today was WINDY! Tomorrow is going to be cooler, with chances of snow and light winds. Our guides are reporting good fishing on the Grey Reef section of the North Platte River. The water is in very good condition on the upper 10 miles. Lone Tree Creek is running a bit of mud into the river above Government Bridge. So, the water is cloudy below Government Bridge. But, if you are familiar with the North Platte River you know we often have excellent fishing in cloudy water. Some of our guides fished below Government Bridge today. Reef Worms, eggs, pine squirrel leeches, lazy midges, pulsating emergers and scuds are a producing. Streamers have been popular and the olive Bergin Bugger has been our top seller, along with Orange Blossom Specials, Wounded Sculpins and lead eye buggers.

Don't miss our open house this weekend!! Scott Fly Rods will be here for all you 'Made in Colorado' fans. And,we will serve beers and some smoldering cajun sausage. Be at The Reef Fly Shop Saturday April 5th!!

3/25 The North Platte River fly fishing report is quite good. The fish are eating well. And now that moon is on its way out the morning fishing will improve. During the full moon, night fishers were doing very well around midnight. Nymphing is still the popular method, using Reef Worms, scuds, eggs, leeches and a variety of midge patterns. The PAL, Lazy and pulsating emergers are producing well. Streamer fishers will also have success on pine squirrel leeches, OBS, Olive Bergin buggers etc.

April 5th will be an open house at The Reef Fly Shop. We will feature beer, grilled meat and Scott Fly Rods...Stop in! Also check out NORTHPLATTEFLYFISHING.COM...it is available to check out, but it isn't completely finished. Lots of articles and a link to our blog THE WYOMING FLY FISHER is on the home page...enjoy!

3/22 We have been receiving mixed reviews on the fishing. Our guides have been doing very well, although yesterday morning it was a little slow. The afternoon was very productive. Some folks have been die hard about fishing Reef Worms, eggs and scuds all day and not having lots of success. There have been good midge hatches and they shouldn't be ignored. Lighter tippets, smaller (not so flashy) bugs will produce. The water is very clear so it wouldn't hurt to use a little more stealth. Pulsating emergers in black and olive, the PAL and the Lazy midge or red brassies are doing well.

SCOTT FLY ROD DEMO AND OPEN HOUSE next week at The Reef Fly Shop. APRIL 5TH!! John Dobson will be here with Scott's line of fly rods and we will serve food and adult beverages to the fishing masses. Don't miss it!

3/18 The North Platte Lodge and The Reef Fly Shop charges $400 per day for a guided fly fishing trip. You will find cheaper rates. Shop and compare.

#1. We have, without question, the most experienced guide staff on Grey Reef.

#2. We have, without question, the most private access of any outfitter. In fact, there is only one other outfitter who has private access. They come in under half of ours. If you want to wade fish, drop anchor to repair your rig or use the restroom, we can do that. We have almost all of the land on the right side of the North Platte River from Grey Reef Dam to Government Bridge and below. We also have some areas on the left side as well.

#3. When you fish with The Reef Fly Shop or North Platte Lodge our days are designed to have you on the WATER by 8am and off the water between 5 and 5:30pm. We don't count travel time as part of your day.

Ask a few questions before booking your trip...there are significant differences.

3/17...The first day of the spring flush is officially over! Water clarity on the upper 9 improved drastically as the day progressed. This evening at the cable hole we were looking at around 12-16in of vis. We should continue to see an improvement in water conditions as the week goes on. Seth and Rick were out today and managed to have some good fishing. Morning was tough, afternoon was good. Rick managed to put a 23in brown in the net...not to bad! If you're looking for a day trip give us a call...private access and we'll keep you out of the crowds!

3/17 The flush is on! The fishing will only get better from here! Stop by The Reef Fly Shop is weekend for some cold adult beverages and processed meat products compliments of NPL and TRFS.

3/16 Went out this afternoon with Dean, Seth, and Stu. We made a quick run down below Sechrist and managed to do pretty well stripping streamers. Surprisingly some of the fish managed to be pretty aggressive on the take. For the first mile or so we saw a lot of fish rising to a substantial midge hatch. It was a great way to spend an afternoon...even landed a nice brown. The flushing flows should begin tonight and end Friday morning. Looks to be another banner year on the North Platte.

3/14 It started out pretty balmy this morning but it turned out to be a great day. Some snow, cool temps., and LOW WIND. I was in the shop until 2:00 today but still mananged to sneak out for a little fishing. Nymphing was great of course and Stu managed to do very well on a streamer (crawdak...we should have them in the shop pretty soon). All of these fish were 15-18in and in really good shape...one fish hit the 22in mark. Looks like tomm. should shape up to be a pretty decent day.

3/13 Overcast, breezy, and mid 40s right now at 1:29pm. Looks like a streamer day to me. With cooler water temps around the low40s the fish really haven't been motivated to chase...but I'm still hoping for the day it turns on. I spent the morning down at the shop and all of the reports seemed to be pretty good. Nymphing without a doubt seemed to be the way to go. Mike hit the river early this morning for a little wadefishing session. Yet to have a report on hand but I will get it to you as soon as I can. If your interested in doing a little wadefishing trip yourself now is the time...little traffic, low water, and 17 miles of private access...it's pretty tough to beat!

3/12 Ryan went out today with a few friends from town...they had a great day...top to bottom. They had consistent fishing...despite the stiff breeze. The reef worm, egg, and P.A.L. seemed to be the top producers. I was also informed that they lost the big fish, which happened to be a very large male brown, right next to the boat. It seems to me that the fishing is holding up pretty darn well and will continue to only get better!

**Spring Flush** We have the details of the spring flushing flows on Grey Reef. IF ice conditions are favorable they will start the flush on Monday the 17th of March. This is the 3rd Monday of March. They are planning on a max flow of 4000cfs for each of the 5 days of the flush. Each morning the river will be back to 500cfs at 10:00am...by noon it will look like normal. The river traffic and the spawn will really take off after the flush. The North Platte River is fishing very well right now!

3/10 Actually yesterday was the nicest day! Rick, Garrett(Rick's son, my nephew)Trent and I floated for a bit yesterday. Trent was on trash duty, cleaning up about 30 lbs of trash already deposited down at the Cable and Junkyard Holes. The weather was fantastic and the North Platte River is in excellent condition. Yesterday it seemed the fish were pushed a little further up into the runs. There were some aggressive takes on the Pulsating Emerger. This fly is going to be a hit...especially for the baetis hatches. We also had fish eat eggs, tan scuds, the new Sidewinder Midge and Reef Worms.

The spawn is getting into full swing, so take care wading around the shallow gravel areas. Rainbows are building nests and should start battling for the most desirable mates soon.

3/8 Today is going to be one of the nicest days that we have had so far. Temps around 50 and calm winds...this is what March is supposed to be like.

Rick and Seth reported hooking about 20 fish on their couple hour float below Sechrist. They were fishing exclusively with streamers. The nymphers report catching fish on pine squirrel leeches, Reef Worms, Lazy Midges, scuds (olive orange and amber)choc UV emergers.

The Reef Fly Shop is still expecting some more inventory, but we are more stocked than we ever have been. We have Simms Products,Echo Rods, Ross Reels in the NEW department. And, we still carry our old favorites...Scott Rods. Bauer Reels(the new Rogue is incredible) Temple Fork Outfitter Rods, Rio Lines, leader and tippet(Check out the NEW RIO Extreme Tippet and you won't break off flies any more). The Reef Fly Shop fly has amassed the best selection of flies in the region. Stop in to see the new look of the shop...and grab a cup of coffee.

3/7 Check out the "The Wyoming Fly Fisher" at: http://thereefflyshop.blogspot.com/

We have already started to post articles relevant to fly fishing in central Wyoming. Log in and become a member, respond to articles and help with the survey. Always looking for article ideas..help out! Or, write your own and I'll post it.

Rick and Seth are going to float from Sechrist to Bessemer today. The water is in amazing condition. They are going to search for big fish...good luck guys!
3/4 We are happy to report that the North Platte River is in pristine condition. The ice is no longer blocking any portion of the river.It is clear and warming slightly...40 degrees. We are experiencing periodic snow showers today (we need it) so the countryside is wet with an inch of snow blanketing it. There will, no doubt, be some run off conditions when it warms up. Last week the upper Grey Reef remamained clear while below Government Bridge it muddied in the afternoon.

Spring is just around the corner and fishing has already begun to heat up. Stop in to The Reef Fly Shop to check out our new gear. We will be overloaded with new fly pattern this year. We picked up some awesome new streamer this spring (our favorite). And, we will now offer our Reef series of fly patterns. These are patterns that we have kept under wraps for a very long time and will now offer the very best tried and true patterns for Grey Reef and Miracle Mile.

3/2 The air temperature dropped in time to spare Grey Reef Reservoir a bunch of mud. The temps are supposed to be cooler for the next several days. This will continue our gradual snow melt and should keep the North Platte River in pristine condition. Check out the youtube clip!

3/1 Check out a new video clip of the NPL and The Reef Fly Shop guides fishing last month: link didn't work, but you can search youtube for North Platte Lodge.

3/1 The fishing report was good today, but strong winds were present. Pine squirrel leeches, Reef Worms, and olive scuds worked well.

The river has been experiencing run off conditions just above Government Bridge. Bear Creek has dirtied the North Platte River in the afternoons. This afternoon Fly Shop Creek started to run. It drains the area north of The Reef Fly Shop. This little drainage can muddy Grey Reef Reservoir...and it probably will by tomorrow AM, if the temps remain high. This means the Grey Reef section could be muddy for the next day or so. There is very little snow left on the north side of the river, but the south side still has some. The events that typically blow out the North Platte River happen on the north side. The south side will effect the river (most often) at Government Bridge. That means 13 miles of Grey Reef will remain in good shape when the south side is running off. Call The Reef Fly Shop for up to date info if you are planning on fishing the next couple of days. We can walk a few paces to check Fly Shop Creek and can look out the window to survey Grey Reef Reservoir and the Grey Reef section of the North Platte River. Call 307.232.9128.

2/29 Yesterday, Trent and I floated with our friends from Blue Quill Angler. It was a pretty nice day with the exception of mild winds. The fishing wasn't as automatic as it was a few days prior. In some places it was very good, while you had to work for them in other spots. We hooked several 15-16 inch rainbows, but it seemed the larger trout were available yesterday. Several 20"plus rainbows posed for photos. Wade fishing was good, and there were only a couple other folks on the whole Grey Reef Strech.

We are happy to report that the bulk of the North Platte River around Casper has shed its icey covering. Lots more water becoming available to fish. The lower sections below Government Bridge will experience off color water in the afternoon...with the snow melt. But, the North Platte Rivers Grey Reef section is looking GREAT! Low clear water coupled with last falls flush has the North Platte River in amazing condition.

Nymph rigs worked the best...Reef Worms, scuds in amber and olive and a variety of midge patterns produced.

2/26 The weather report for Grey Reef this coming weekend looks promising. Temps near 50 and low winds! The North Platte River has open sections all around Casper now...the ice is retreating quickly. Although we like the nice weather for fishing we could really afford to be hit by some more snow storms this spring. Northern Colorado and southern Wyoming are doing well in the snowpack department, but we will take all we can get.

Standard spring nymph rigs are producing the best right now. Reef Worms, scuds, PALs and even eggs are taking lots of trout. Try the new Thing-a-ma-bobber strike indicators. They are light, bouyant, attach easily and are available in many colors. They are on the counter at The Reef Fly Shop.

There are already indications of the starting of the rainbow spawn. Some redds have been spotted along with the obvious color change of some of the rainbows that we have been catching. The fishing is excellent during the spawn, but we urge folks to take care around the redds. Avoid fishing to actively spawning fish, and please...please don't walk through the redds. It is our goal to enjoy trout fishing to the fullest, while making sure our actions don't destroy the fish popluation. If you see spawning fish, watch them from a distance. It is a lot more interesting just to watch their behavior than catching them.

2/22 The river continues to open up from Gov. Bridge downstream. With this warmer weather pattern sticking around it appears that the fishing should only continue to get better. The most success seems to be had on a pretty general nymph rig(scuds, reef worms, etc). Streamer fishing has put some big fish in the net for the last week or so...but not nearly as productive as the nymphing. My feeling is the weekend, w/ the overcast conditions, should provide us with some great streamer fishing! If you decide to make it out this weekend stop in The Reef Fly Shop and say hello.

2/20 Seth, Stu, Ryan, Trent and I floated the Grey Reef Section today...WOW! The weather was very nice, mid-upper 30s no icing guides but some chilly ones. The fishing was incredible. Nymphing with a PAL, an orange scud and/or a Reef Worm hooked fish after fish. Not a lot of big trout were had...we are blaming that on the lunar eclipse? It got to the point that we were laughing because if you wanted to catch a fish you spent a moment or two getting a reasonably dead drift and a nice rainbow was on. Streamers were also working, Trent landed a 17" Brown on his first cast with a streamer this morning. The ice is off the river so floating is no longer an issue. We are ready to go! Wade fishing was very good. Low, clear water and eager trout are a great way to shake off your cabin fever.

2/18 Just a little news for everyone out there with a little bit of cabin fever. We have open water all the way on the upper nine miles (grey reef to lusby). It also appears that we are finally about to experience a little bit of a warmer weather pattern for the next few days. I think it's safe to say, it's about time! With what we've seen on the reef this winter it looks like it's going to be banner year...I think Stu's 26in rainbow on Sunday proves it!!!

2/17 Reports are that all of the North Platte River is fishing well. Seth, Rick, Stu, Taylor and Travis have been working it over for the past month. Recent report from Seth and Rick was that streamer fishing was okay up at Fremont Canyon. Fremont canyon isn't a place to catch a lot of fish so it received a "good" mark.

The afterbay (below Alcova Dam) has been good. With good nymphing conditions and crushing streamer takes. The Grey Reef section of the North Plattle River has been fish well, also. But the trout have been a little more subtle than at other places.

The ice is starting to break up down at Lusby, so with the warm conditions forecast for the week floating should be doable soon.

The Miracle Mile is also fishing well. Agian the trout are eager to eat a streamer presented slow. Be careful of the road conditions to the Mile...and to Fremont Canyon. Call The Reef Fly Shop for current road and fishing conditions (307)232-9128.

The North Platte Lodge still has some great April spots available. Many of you know that this is the MOST popular time on the Grey Reef section of the North Platte River because of the large numbers of big trout that are landed daily. For those of you that don't know what Grey Reef has to offer, give us a call at (307)237-1182!

2/13 The river is slowly starting to open up...the ice has been relentless this year. The fishing has been pretty good on both the Grey Reef and Miracle Mile sections of the North Platte River. Seth has been out fishing nearly everyday. The guys are starting to get the itch and are ready to be on the water. Weather depending, the fishing should only continue to get better from this point on.

2/2 Our guides have been fishing the North Platte River with regularity. Seth and Stu report that yesterday nymphing was as good as streamer fishing. Stu was catching fish nymphing the beady lead and a scud. Seth was swinginging and slowly stripping a Goldie Locks and doing well...with some aggressive strikes! The water is in fantastic condition on the upper reaches of Grey Reef. Many of us will be out frothing the water today. Looking for some good footage and hopefully a break from the wind...looks good so far.

Put in for your vacation time and secure one of our April slots. You will be thrilled with the service at the North Platte Lodge and the trout fishing is as good as it gets.

1/29 The Wyoming weather has agian taken a turn for the worse. It is chilly and breezy while remaining dry. The North Platte River is still frozen from Government Bridge down. From Grey Reef to Government it is frozen in the slow stretches. Of course the fish are eating, but a boat attack wouldn't be prudent. You might spend the afternoon dragging your boat across the ice.

All of our recent openings in June have been booked. We do, however, have some nice spots available during the spring feeding frenzy in March and April. Give us a call and we will provide a trip that you won't soon forget. A trip to the North Platte River will give you a new perspective of trout fishing.

1/25 A few days of decent weather (calmer and slightly warmer) have drawn a few of the guys out. Jason, Seth, and Stu have been hitting the water with some great results. Nymphing seems to be the ticket, with water temps hovering around the mid-30s. We will continue to keep you posted with fishing and weather reports. Also, keep your eyes peeled for The Reef Fly Shop website, www.northplatteflyfishing.com. It should be up in the next month.

1/20 Cold temps and only the crazys are out fishing right now. Seth, Stu and Taylor are now classified as lunatics. With wind chills well below zero they were chipping ice on nearly every cast. They did, however, catch some fish before they waddled, half frozen back to the lodge. The next few days will be nasty with stong breeze and cold temps. But, the weekend should warm up and be nice conditions on the North Platte River.

This is the time of year where we see a few changes in the North Platte Lodge schedule. If you have been waiting to get in during June or July there are a couple nice spots available. Call (307)237-1182 to check availability.

Trent's folks will be flying home today and we're sorry to see them go. They have been staying at the lodge while Trent and Katherine were in the Bahamas bone fishing. Thanks Tatums!

Trent and I got our hands on a couple of the new Bauer Rogue reels recently. Trent fished his exclusively while in the Bahamas and said it performed flawlessly. This is an extremely light reel and Bauer changed the drag adjustment knob to the back of the frame instead of their traditional spool side star knobs. And they are now using a sealed carbon fiber drag system. This makes for an awesome piece of equipment.

1/12 Seth was out frothing the North Platte River yesterday, while I was replacing shingles (big winds last week). He said the fishing was good. He was concentrating on slow deep runs. His bugs of choice were San Juan Worms and his pine squirrel leeches. Make sure to have midge patterns in olive, gray, black and red. And, olive and rusty (orange, amber ect) scuds. If you opt to strip streamers, an Orange Blosson Special presented slow and deep will get some attention.

We have just made a two room 3 night spot available June 25-27. This is a great time to be on the North Platte River! The June 9-11 spot and the June 26-29 spot have been spoken for.

1/10 The waterfowl season is winding down in central Wyoming. Snow geese will be available, but around here seeing a snow goose is like seeing Yeti. The North Platte River has been in a perpetual state of slush and ice for quite some time. The upper Grey Reef section is very fishable, but below Government Bridge is pretty icey. People are starting to show up for their early season assault on "The Reef".

Trent is preparing for a saltwater fishing trip to the Bahamas in a couple days. They should have a lot of fun. And, get a little break from the wind and cold of Wyoming. I was in Steamboat last week. The purpose of the trip was to slide on snow. I really wanted to ski into the dam at Stagecoach for some deep winter nymphing. But, frigid temps kept me from dragging my wife, 2 year old son and 7 lb dog the 2 miles to the river. Oh well, maybe next time.

We have been fielding many calls about '08 fishing trips...thanks for the interest! As many of you know the North Platte Lodge has very limited availability during April, May, June and early July. But, we have had to adjust some of our schedules so some prime spots have opened up in April, and one or two in May and June. We still have a two room spot over the 4th of July. This is a great time to be here. The river fishes very well (and starts to give up trophy browns with regularity!)and the 4th of July festivities at Alcova Marina are lots of fun. We would encourage you to come in March or October. The weather may be a little cooler , but the fishing is terrific. And, there are very few fishers on the North Platte River during that time. We feel that a major component to a complete trip is to not have to compete with lots of other fishers. March July and October are perfect for great fishing on a vacant river.

12/30 2008 is fast approaching! Happy New Year!

Trent will be in Denver for the Fly Fishing show next week. Stop by the Scott Fly Rod booth to chat with him. Trent will be doing double duty by promoting Scott Fly Rods as well as the North Platte Lodge and The Reef Fly Shop.

We have sent out the 2008 North Platte Lodge reservation confirmation letters. If you don't receive yours within the next week or so, give us a call. There is always a chance that we messed up the address or used old info.

We are REALLY excited about the 2008 season. Trent and I will continue to do improvements to the lodge, add more quality product to The Reef Fly Shop and add services to our guiding operation. We are going to put together a salt water or steelhead trip for our guests (call if you are interested in either). The Reef Fly Shop will be available online (with several related goodies).

Now is the time to make reservations at the North Platte Lodge. There are still a couple very desirable spots available. Spring is a VERY popular time on the North Platte River. But, Grey Reef produces fantastic fishing year round! If you were told that summer time is tough on the North Platte River, then you were told wrong. Just ask our guests who return year after year in July and August. March is magnificent and October is magical. The conditions and techniques change, but one thing doesn't...monster trout!

Be safe tomorrow evening! And, we will see you soon!

12/24 Merry Xmas! Hope everyone is comfortable and enjoying family. The lower sections of the North Platte River are still locked up in ice. The upper Grey Reef section is very fishable with plenty of ice on the edges. Plan on chipping ice out of your guides as we haven't seen temps much over 30'f. Nymph with scuds, leeches and midge emergers. Have fun and stay warm! The Reef Fly Shop is not open regular hours right now, but if you need any thing just call the shop or lodge and we will take care of you.

12/12 Cold weather has the lower Grey Reef section of the North Platte River locked up in ice. The upper reaches are still open and very fishable. Fish are still eager to eat. With cooler water temps the takes may not register very well. Set on the slightest movement of the indicator. The fish will eat midges, scuds, leeches and anything that looks reasonable. There are still some aggressive feeders chasing streamers. Let them sink and strip slowly.

Gobs of geese concentrating on the upper river. The waterfowl hunting has been good during the right weather conditions. You are going to get your opportunities at ducks and few geese on any given day or conditions.

12/7 The Goshen County 2-Shot is this coming weekend. This tournament draws waterfowl hunters from around the region. Trent was fortunate to secure a very good pit. Rumors are that he has the best location of the lot. Hopefully, the birds will fly his way and his hunters can hit their mark. Jason will also be guiding the tourney. Trent and Jason both placed in the top 3 last year! JJ, another of our guides, will be a hunter this year. He is a goose hunting fanatic and a very popular and fun goose guide. I'm sure it will be odd for him to be shooting rather than concentrating on getting the birds to the pit. Good luck guys!

11/30 With arctic air settled in up north it should get a few birds thinking about a trip south. We have our first major snow system pushing into central Wyoming this eve. The weekend waterfowlers should get a treat! Christmas goose anyone?

11/28 Very little traffic at Grey Reef and it is producing nicely. Incredible midge hatches have been the norm during the 'nice' part of the day. Use amber scuds, black and olive midge emerger patterns. They are still chasing streamers in the runs!

11/23 Happy Holidays from all of us at the North Platte Lodge and The Reef Fly Shop! Get your shopping done early so you can spend some time on the river. The fishing is very good. On Thanksgiving Day, Rick threw some streamers on the upper Grey Reef section. He hooked plenty of fish in the runs. They ate green Near 'Nuff Sculpins and Orange Blossom Specials. There was a very good midge hatch around 2pm...nymphing would have been productive. There were even a couple fish that poked their heads out after midges. The North Platte River rarely disappoints!

11/16 Returned from our short fishing trip yesterday. It was a blast! Very nice sized fish...similar to Grey Reef fish. Several 20"+ browns and rainbows. Not a lot of fish, but I would certainly go back! I can't post an educated report about the North Platte River because I have been away from it for four days. So, I will post a new updated report tomorrow.

11/12 The North Platte River maintains its "fishing good" status. Using scuds, midge emergers and tan Ray Charles...yes, you heard right...tan Ray Charles. Don't head out without your streamer rig!

I probably won't be posting for a few days. A few of us are heading to fish some new to us water. If all goes well we will have some good footage of big trout!

11/9 The past couple of days have proven to be more of the same...yawn...great fishing! Seth was indicating streamers and his guys did really well on that set-up. Today Trent had his guys nymphing and again, they did really well. Today the hot pattern was a tan sow bug. Orange and amber scuds along with midge emergers produced. The wade fishing was very productive and kept the fishers out of the boat most of the day. Another broken heart this morning... a big brown ate a swinging Goldie Locks. They were unable to put him in the bag. The North Platte River at Grey Reef will fish well throughout the winter.

The Miracle Mile has also been fishing well. Streamers are starting to draw the attention of the target prey! The browns are gearing up for their yearly ritual, so please give them space. Please don't walk throught the redds. The Miracle Mile is recovering from a couple of tough years, it should be our (anglers) mission to make sure the "Mile" returns to its previous glory. Have fun!

11/7 The North Platte River at Grey Reef continues to please. The weather is great, the fish are eating well and there are very few other fishers to contend with. What more could you ask for? The North Platte River should be on every fly fishers list of must do destinations. There are very few places that you can catch the size and quanity of fish that you can at Grey Reef...not to mention year 'round. Do yourself a favor and plan a trip to sunny Alcova, Wy for the fly fishing experience you won't forget.

11/5 Yesterday was another productive day of streamer fishing. It wasn't red hot, but good. The fish are still really liking the Ginger Bugger, Near 'Nuff Sculpin, Orange Blossom Specials and Bow River Buggers.

The water is in good condition all the way to Glenrock. Streamers and nymphs are working well from Grey Reef down. We were having a little more success fishing the steep banks with deep slow water. The seams and riffles weren't holding fish like I hoped they would.

11/3 Another good day of throwing streamers. We didn't land anything real big, but we did get a few little guys on big streamers. Always cracks me up to see a 10" trout attached to a 3" streamer. The baetis were small this PM...size 22. There were a number of fish taking them off of the surface. The traffic on the Grey Reef section is light and the weather is supposed to pretty nice for the next week or so. What are you waiting for?

10/28 Fishing remains very good. Both nymphs and streamers are producing. The upper Grey Reef section of the North Platte River has cleared up nicely. Seth landed another huge brown last night. Mike McDonald of Wyoming was a guest in Seth's boat yesterday. He hooked a large rainbow that blew through Seth's net. They speculated that it was 23-24"s. Looks like Seth is in the market for a new net!

10/22 I'm not sure where to start, but the last couple of days were banner days. I'll start with the guests who have caught (or hooked) big fish. Today Marry Holt of Colorado landed a 25.5" rainbow on a nymph rig. Marry has landed several 25"+ trout fishing the North Platte River with the North Platte Lodge. Bob Holt is also a member of the North Platte Lodge 25" Club. Their hat rack must look a little suspicious! Damon Bungard from VT booked a trophy trip and I failed to get him into a 25" fish, but we went back to my secret stash after the day was over and he hooked a monster brown! We got a good look at it before it broke our hearts.

Now for tales of the North Platte Lodge staff. Stu landed a 26" Brown a couple of days ago on a Platte River Spider. Trent made a few casts while doing some dog training with Allie. He went 7 fish for 7 casts and ended on a 24" rainbow. Of course it at a Craw-dak! Today Seth landed a 27" brown...dirty dog. You would think that our guides would be happy to be away from the river on the tail end of a very busy season...not so. In fact, Seth and Melissa (Melissa is the bubbly gal who often runs The Reef Fly Shop) came in the the fly shop around 7:45am and I spoke to them at around 6:00pm as they were heading to another of their favorite runs. They had been on the river ALL day. Mike was also out today, he passed me this morning in his kayak. He was hot shotting the prime water. It is really comforting to know that we have such a dedicated and passionate crew. Trent and I want to thank each and every one of our employees for making our first season as owners so successful. The cooks Kari and Peg. House keepers Beth, Paula, Melissa and Amy. Shuttlers Loretta, Dave, Bob, Kathy, Beth, Jan, etc. Guides Seth, Jason, Mike, Stu, Rick, JJ, Ryan, Bob, Chad...even old North Platte Lodge hats like Adrian and Bret. Fly Shop crew Ryan and Melissa. And last but certainly not least...Katherine Tatum. She has done a spectacular job running the North Platte Lodge!

By the way, the water is not brown any more. All of these big fish were hooked between Grey Reef and Lusby. And, the nymphing is great as well as the streamer fishing!

10/20 We were out every day of the flush and it was amazing. The water is still brown, but the fish don't care. The river was blitzed with bait and the fish are responding accordingly. Streamers folks! Yesterday Rick and Seth figured they landed around 50 fish...all on streamers...from 1pm-5pm. The day before Seth and Trent floated and guessed at 70+ hookups...again, all on streamers. The nymphing should be very good also.

10/16 The first day of the fall flush was great! We spent some time elsewhere for the AM. Then came back to Grey Reef at about noon. Seth pulled us off the ramp and we immediately doubled stripping streamers. The next run we double twice! We hooked over 25 fish in a couple hours...stripping streamers. Crawdads were swimming everywhere. They were apparently displaced during the flush, and were looking for a new home. Don't be afraid of the flush! It was really fun yesterday!

10/14 Kudos to the Wyoming Game and Fish and BurRec for restoring the fall flushing flow. It will start tonight at midnight and is scheduled to continue for 4 days. The mass of weeds have caused problems at the water treatment plant and Dave Johnson Power Plant in the past. They will likely discontinue the flow if the weeds are a factor. The flows will start at 4000cfs and diminish to 500cfs by noon.

Yesterday fishing was great in the AM but spotty in the afternoon on the upper reaches of the Grey Reef ( Gray Reef ) section. Small beatis and a multitude of dinky midges were present for a good part of the day. Fish were happy to eat pine squirrel leeches and scuds, but were hesitant to eat small bugs. The streamer fishing was very productive early in the day. Miracle Mile is fishing very well. Beady leeches, halfbacks and other golden stone patterns, worms and scuds have been producing. Fishing streamers in certain areas has been very good as well. Near 'nuff sculpins in tan and olive, spoon minnows in red and natural, bunny leeches and butterscotch buggers. Bow river buggers in white and black have also been popular with our guides.

October is a wonderful time to be at the North Platte River and especially Grey Reef! Cooler temps, very little river traffic leaves changing color and big fish! What more could you ask for?

10/11 The river continues to fish well. On Monday the BuRec will start a fall flushing flow. It will continue for most of the week. The fishing is typically good behind the surge. The weeds will get blown out at a rapid pace. IF the floating weeds prove to a problem at the water treatment plant or Dave Johnson Power Plant they will likely discontinue the flush.

Both Lew Sandler and Ken Poole landed a 23" rainbow, Sunday on the upper river. They were very healthy fish. These fish didn't help their cause. This is the group who has the "Texas Creel" trophy in the gear room. They are very serious about landing the SMALLEST fish!

10/6 Baetis are hatching around mid day on the upper Grey Reef Section of the North Platte River. Use WD40s, BTS nymphs or PALs. Point flies are Seth's Pine Sqirrel Leech, Scuds and "not rock worms".

Streamers! The Craw-dack and the Near 'Nuff Sculpin in olive and tan.

10/2 Yesterday was windy! We were fortunate to have a cast and blast group at the lodge. We opted out of fishing for the day and all seven shot their limits of wild birds.

This upcoming weekend is the opening for water fowl. There is going to be a significant cold front in the area. This is good news for duck hunters AND good news for trophy trout hunters.

9/30 Lynn Birdsong landed a 27" brown trout yesterday! Congrats Lynn! This fish was caught on the upper section of Grey Reef ( Gray Reef ). This hen ate a size 20 quill nymph. Well done Stu...it is about time you got your father into a "big" one. This is the time of year for landing the North Platte River trophy. We have day trip availability and will customize a trip based on the type of water you prefer and the method of fishing you prefer. Streamers, nymphs and yes, even some dries!

Deep discounts at The Reef Fly Shop! Stop in to "The Reef" at the corner of HWY 220 and Grey Reef Rd for great prices on fly fishing gear.

9/27 End of day update...fishing on the North Platte River below Grey Reef Dam was very good today. There was a good baetis hatch. The Parkers caught lots of fish. In fact, Andy Parker(we have two guests with this name... you didn't land this pig!)landed a 24" rainbow trout this morning...congrats! There were a couple of very healthy brown trout hooked today. One was a heart breaker and one was caught by the guide...he was off the clock for lunch break.

9/27 The fishing remains very good. The afternoons have been especially good! Water temps at the "Mile" are 59 degrees. 56 dgreees at Grey Reef ( Gray Reef )and 53.5 degrees below Casper. The streamer fishing has been really fun. Use Seth's Pine Squirrel Leech, olive and tan near 'nuff sculpins size 8, Beldar bugs in olive and black. If you can bribe Trent into tying some Craw-Dacks...do it!

We are closing out several product lines at The Reef Fly Shop...stop in for great deals! We also have a sale table with discounts as much as 75%.

The baetis hatch is very strong on the lower river. It will creep up river and make for some great fall baetis fishing. Call to book a day trip! Or, treat youself to the full service lodging package at the North Platte Lodge. We have an opening the 9th-11th of October and starting again the 14th of October.

9/23 We offer day guided fishing trips. You don't have to stay at the lodge to fish with the most experienced guides on the river. Not only do you get a skilled professional guide, but you get many miles of private access. Call for availability (307)237-1182.

9/22 Opening day of Sage Grouse season and it was a big success. Two limits were shot within 45 minutes. It was over quickly, but left that much more time for fishing! The season is short, only ten days, so come and experience a great cast and blast package! There are a few openings still available.

The North Platte River at Grey Reef ( Gray Reef) continues to fish well. Leeches, scuds, PALSs, Brown crystal midges, red Lazy Midges among others are producing on nymph rigs. If you want to come catch the bigger fish on the upper Grey Reef section use a yarn indicator. Some of the takes are very subtle...set on everything. Streamers...the Craw-Dack is like trout crack...they can't stop hitting it. Stop in to The Reef Fly Shop for the right flies for success on the North Platte River. We are closing out a few product lines so come in for good deals on gear.

9/21 A real quick river report. The water is clear all the way below Casper. It's a little off colored below the dam but the fishing is still good. Temps in the high 50s... nymphs, streamers, and dries are all working...it just depends what section your fishing! This truly is the time of year to be on the water!!!

9/17 There was a little burp of cloudy water that came out of Grey Reef Dam ( Gray Reef )this weekend. It has already cleared up and the North Platte River is looking very good again. The Upper Grey Reef ( Gray Reef ) section is nymphing very well. Lots of fish and they are healthy. Leeches and scuds are popular bug choices right now. The streamer fishing is good all over the North Platte River. The upper and lower most sections seem to be producing the best.

Trent and I just returned from the Fly Fishing Retail show yesterday. We are excited about the new products that we picked up. The new Scott S4 series of fly rods are awesome! If you are one the Sage XP fans you will love this new Scott rod. It is a fast action rod for high line speed But, unlike an XP it will still cast short distances. Temple Fork Outfitters has a new fast action rod called the Axiom. It is a great rod that looks like it should cost $650...it only costs $279! It will be available in November. Bauer has finished work on the new Rogue reel. I can't wait to get one in my collection. There are a couple more big names that are jumping on board with The Reef Fly Shop...stay tuned!

We are happy to announce that The Reef will offer special fall gear package pricing. We can outfit you for saltwater, steelhead, small streams as well as big freshwater trout rivers like the North Platte. Special orders are welcome!

9/16 David Rogers of El Paso landed a 29" brown! Congrats! This fish was caught between Gray Reef Dam and Lusby on the North Platte River. Last fall season the upper 12 miles gave up a lot of very large fish.

9/14 The North Platte River is in fantastic condition! The Miracle Mile is at 500cfs and clear...4 feet of visibility is clear for us! Grey Reef (Gray Reef) is also 500cfs with just a little color. The North Platte River always has a green cloudy appearance this time of year. But, this season the river looks much better than it typically does. The Gray Reef section is fishing well from Gray Reef Dam to Glenrock. Streamer fishing has been good...nymphing has been good. The dry fly fishing is also really starting to pick up when the tricos fall in the a.m. All of the outfitters are experiencing lots of interest in fall fishing trips. If you have been thinking about coming to the North Platte River make reservations soon. Rooms and guides are in demand this fall!

Pine squirrel leeches in natural and brown are producing. Scuds, beatis patterns, caddis, midges and worms are also productive. Stop at the Reef Fly Shop or call (307)232-9128 for current fishing conditions.

9/10 Trent and I spent a little time on the lower river this afternoon. Water temps at noon were 56.4 degrees and when we finished at 4:00pm they were 59 degrees. The fish were very willing to eat a streamer! The water was clear...almost no weeds. The sun was shining but the air was cool. Just an early taste of fall weather...can't wait.

9/10 Water temps are dropping like a rock. There are more and more baetis popping out every day. The fishing has been very good and will only get better.

Stop at The Reef Fly Shop to pick up the essential flies for success on the North Platte River. Pine squirrel leehes, beatis(bwo) patterns, scuds and caddis. Streamers are the way to target the big'uns!!

Give us a call at(307)232-9128 to arrange a shuttle or for fishing and water conditions. Have fun!

9/9 Sorry we haven't posted in a while...this page was misfiring. Although, I was posting to the home page. The river is now down to winter flows around 500cfs. The water is still in great condition. If you spend any time on the river in the fall you will quickly realize that the weed situation this year is great. We are really excited about the prospects.

The FKA group just left and again they hit paydirt! Congrats Roland, on your 25" Brown!

We do have a one room spot open for 3 days at the end of September. Call to secure a spot.

Stop in to The Reef Fly Shop for fall discounts on rod/reel packages.

9/1 The water is in great shape!! There are fewer weeds than I have ever seen at Grey Reef for this time of year. We are predicting excellent fishing this fall! Oh, and the fish are eating well right now. Leaches, scuds and caddis emergers are producing.

8/31 The water at Grey Reef is back to normal for this time of year. We were getting worried that it would never recover. The North Platte River fished well today! September is a great time to be here! October may be even better?!

Dove season is here. Bird fanatics have their first shot of the season tomorrow. Have fun!

Trent and I relocated one of our duck blinds today. We moved it about 15 miles upstream to a much more productive location.

Sage grouse opens at the end of September and ducks and geese open at the beginning of October. Cast and blast season is upon us...what could be better than getting a few birds and hooking a bunch of fish all in one day?

8/28 The water temp at the boat ramp at Grey Reef was 63 degrees today at 4:00pm. It was taken on the surface near the edge of the current. The Miracle Mile dropped significantly in the last day. The water temp at the "Mile" was 65 degrees at around 2:00pm.

8/27 The water below Grey reef is still off color and through the Narrows the water is muddy. The river is flowing around 2300cfs. Water temps are still relatively cool. Fishing was very good before the North Platte River was blown out. We were hooking up 40 - 50 times/day. We typically don't like to count or publish these numbers, but I think folks need to realize what a fantastic fishery this is even during the "slow" times. The North Platte River during the "dog days" will put to shame most rivers in their prime.

The Miracle Mile is still flowing at around 2500cfs. The fishing at the "Mile" is very good in the mornings and afternoon. While, midday there seems to be a hesitation in activity. The water is its typical color for this time of year. Don't overlook the "Mile"...well worth the drive. If you have never taken a guided trip to the Miracle Mile consider it. We are only 30 minutes from the water and our guides are eager to show you around. Stop in to The Reef Fly Shop for flies and guides for success on Grey Reef AND Miracle Mile.

8/23 Gully washer consumed Grey Reef reservoir last night. It is solid red. We need the rain so we won't complain too loud. The river will likely be unfishable for a couple of days. Fortunately, we still have 2500cfs flowing so the river will clean itself up sooner than it would at lower flows.

8/18 The fishing remains very good. The water temps are still in the low 60s and the evenings are cooling off nicely. This will insure more great Grey Reef fishing.

The BuRec plans to keep the North Platte River at Grey Reef flowing at or around 2500cfs until September 1st. On the 1st they will drop the river to 2000cfs, on the 5th they will drop it to 1500cfs and by the 9th the North Platte will be back to winter flows of 500cfs. This increased flow will be good for the fall season.

8/15 The upper Grey Reef stretch is in good condition. The water is free from the mass of floating debris. Water temps are still very cool compared to most rivers in the west. At this point in time there is no need to halt fishing...even in the heat of the day. The fish are eating well! It is well worth being on the North Platte River during the "dogs days of summer".

8/11 So it has happened again! Another large specimen of the brown trout variety. Chuck Robison, of Ohio, struck big yesterday morning!! His first fish of the day...thats right I said the FIRST...was a male measuring 25in. That is truly a great way to start you're day!! It seems to me that we are on a little bit of a trend the last month or so. Chucks brown is the tenth fish over 25in since the beginning of July...now thats impressive! We can't wait to see what the fall produces!!!!

8/7 Water is a little murky. Thunderstorms dirtied Grey Reef reservoir and the lower river below Poison Spider Creek. The BuRec made some adjustments to the dam to allow for the added water through town. The result was the river was dropped for a day, then brought up to flows higher than before the storm. This is acting like a mini flushing event and will be great for the fall season! But, there are some floaters (algae) to deal with right now. It should be back to normal in a few days.

Get ready for next week when the BuRec is scheduled to drop the flows! Streamer fishing down low will be fantastic! Book early to get a shot at a North Platte River trophy. Your guide will taylor a trip to have the best chance at landing the fish of a lifetime.

8/3 Water temps are still low for this time of year...62 degrees on the upper river. Fish are still active all day. The flows at Grey Reef are 2450 cfs. The water is in good condition as are the fish.

8/1 Congrats Art Van Rensselaer! Last night he landed an 8 pound brown! The fish are still actively feeding. Caddis, pseudos, scuds, midges and some PMDs are bugs of choice. Streamers are working well as is dead drifting leech patterns. Last weeks cool down helped keep rising water temps at bay. We are in the midst of another little cool spell. Our water conditions are good while many rivers are in trouble this season. The North Platte River is a fantastic fishery year 'round...even summer. Plan on bringing your streamer rods and nymph rods!

7/30 It is warming up again. You streamer enthusiasts should be bangin' the banks of the North Platte River. There have been a lot of big fish caught this summer. We have day trip availability. This is a great time of year to hunt for trophies!

7/27 Finally some relief! The last few days have been considerably cooler and wet. Fortunately, the water color on the upper stretch has remained good and the guys going out have done well! Just a reminder...last August made for some world class streamer fishing...so for those folks interested dust off your big sticks and give us a call!

7/24 Today fishing was very good. We landed a 20" rainbow on our first drift and doubled to end the day. Scuds, leeches, PMDs and caddis rule the depths. Tricos are still hatching in good numbers and you can catch surface feeding trout on spinner patterns in the morning. Pseudos are starting to emerge...little fish really like to eat pseudo dries in the afternoon. But, look close because big trout will get in there too. Streamers are working well! This is the time of year to get it all on the North Platte River. We still have day trip availability in August.

7/20 River is slowly dropping...2275cfs. The water is clear and cool. Fish are eager to eat leeches, caddis, sallies, scuds, red lazies and PMD nymph rigs all day long. Stripping streamers is also working well. Try olive Beldar Bugs, OBS and tan lead eye buggers.

7/17 Two more big browns today!! Mike Owens landed a 25.25" male on a streamer and his better half...much better half, Rosie, landed a 24" hen on her nymph rig. Congrats!! The Owens' and Chanas have been good friends and supporters of the North Platte Lodge for a long time. They deserve even bigger fish!

7/16 Thought I would give you the updated river conditions. The water is still running at 2330cfs and the temperature below Grey Reef is 59 degrees. Tricos, PMDs, sallies, and caddis are coming off and the fishing is good! Suprisingly, moss has not been an issue on any section of the river. If you're interested we do have openings this month for day trips. Give us a call!

7/15 It happened again!! I know we are beginning to sound a little redundant, but we got another big one...today! Another really,really big hen brown. 27in * 17in. In our book that is damn big trout!!

Congrats Denny Lander! He landed a 26.5" brown on a streamer yesterday. Kevin Thomason was there to provide great moral support...although he did get his brown a little later. Well done guys!

The North Platte Lodge is 100% for trophy trips this year...so far. We consider it a success if a 25" trout is landed. That is a huge testament to our guides!! They are a very passionate and hard working group of guys. We can't thank them enough for their dedication!

7/14 It is the time of the year in which water temperature is very important to watch. Water temperatures above 70 degrees can be detrimental to the health of most rainbow trout subspecies. Therefore we will be keeping an eye on the water temps! As for right now the fishing is great and so are the temps from Grey Reef to Sechrist. Here are the current water temps as of 7:15a.m. on July 14, 2007: Dam-57.9 F Sechrist-60.0 F As for now we will keep on fishing and will not entertain the idea of shutting down unless critical temps dictate otherwise! In closing, minimal crowds, big fish, and lots of them have made for one hell of a summer season on the Grey Reef!!

7/13 Fishing continues to be very good. Our water temps (unlike many rivers in the west) are still cool. The temps below Grey Reef are 57 degrees and 59 degrees at Sechrist. Weed growth is minimal and is having no ill effect on the fishing.

This afternoon the trout were eager to chase a streamer or munch a nymph. Leeches, PMDS, caddis, tricos, scuds, fry, yellow sallies and the list goes on...are all available to the trout. Pmds are emerging mid day and the fish lust after them.

Streamer fishing has really heated up and shouldn't be ignored. Fish are rising to the Trico spinners in small yet aggressive pods.

There is still one mid September opening in the North Platte Lodge. We also have a few more openings for the Sage Grouse season Sept 22nd - Oct 2nd.

7/10 Another big Brown!! Ron Maitlin landed a 25.5" brown on Sunday. Congrats Ron!

The fishing is great! Nymphing with PMDs and Sallies is producing lots of fish. The Reef Fly Shop's Lazy Midge is also a top producer in the afternoon. Leeches are also doing a fair amount of damage. The water is 55 degrees on the upper...prime conditions. Algae growth is minimal and has had NO effect on the fishing... did I mention all the big browns?

7/7 uh oh! Crank the bar up another notch. There have been 5 browns(that I am aware of)caught within the last three days that have broken the 26" mark. Four of them are better than 28"! All caught on streamers.

Stu, Seth, Trent and myself went out for a little after work float last night. When we got to the ramp there were two guides from the Ugly Bug doing the same thing. As we were putting in two more guides from the Platte River Fly Shop show up to do the same thing. What's going on here? When the guides are coming out like this it must mean something? By the end of the evening 3 browns over 26" had hit the net. And I don't even know if the Ugly Bug guys had a contribution...they were sneaking around up river.

The time has come! Anglers pack your bags and get to the Grey Reef section of the North Platte River. Come and test your skill and you tackle...the brutes are ready!

7/5 The bar has been raised!!! Yesterday afternoon Frank Vanecek of Wisconsin caught and landed a 28.5in brown with a 16.5in girth. This is the biggest fish landed at the North Platte lodge this year. Congrats Frank!! The big female ate a streamer. This is the tenth fish of the year to break the 25in mark...and we're only half way through the season!! Historically the BIG fish months have been August, September, and October. We can't wait to see what we catch this fall!!

7/2 We may sound like a broken record, but the fishing is still very good. We have been having early morning success catching fish on dry flies! The tricos have appeared again, and the fish like to eat the spinners. Yellow Sallies are still hatching as well as PMDs, caddis tricos and midges.

Hopper dropper rigs are productive in certain parts of the lower North Platte River. Carp are eating well. We have been having a good time sight casting to these big aggressive cruisers.

River traffic is very light, the fish are eating well and the weather has been great. This a perfect time to experience the North Platte River!

6/28 The fishing is great!! It's time to give this last weeks group of fisherman some much needed respect and attention. Charlie Ware of San Antonio, TX- 22in brown...Jude Totorice of College Station, TX- 24in rainbow, Jim Peterson of Casper, WY- 25in cutbow...congrats gentlemen. As you can tell there are some big fish being caught right now! Waters clear, lots of bugs, and the fish are hungry...now is the time to be out!

6/26 The North Platte River at Grey Reef is holding steady at 2500cfs. The upper is clear and the fish are eating well. Below the bridge is slightly off color but fishing well. The water is still cool...good news for the fish!

6/24 The North Platte River is still fishing well. The river is in much better condition below the narrows. The Miracle Mile has also been fishing well.

The Yellow Sallies, caddis and PMDs are still the bugs of choice. A few baetis popped out yesterday. The water temp was 52 dgrees yesterday at noon. Temp was taken approx 16 miles below Grey Reef Dam.

The carp are really warming up and are eating flies with regularity. Try our near 'nuff sculpin or tan lead eye bugger for excellent results. We prefer flies that ride hook up for carping.

We have a fairly busy July on tap, but still have day trip availability. When you book with the North Platte Lodge you will be fishinhg with the most experienced guides on the river. ALL of our guides work this river all season. We don't bring in guides for spring or have our guides leave in the summer. At the North Platte Lodge and The Reef Fly Shop you will get a very experienced North Platte guide every time.

We have 20 miles of exclusive private access. When the tricos hit the water and the fish start to rise like crazy...we can stop to fish them.

6/20 The flows are at 2300cfs and the fish are very willing to eat. We predict an excellent summer of fishing. Hopefully the mini-flush event of last week will delay our algae growth a bit. The water is very cool, barely over 50 degrees. That is good news! The river below Government Bridge is clearing and should be in prime condition soon. Bridge to Sechrist should be fishing well right now.

The carp are ready to eat flies! Trent and I went out yesterday to investigate the carp situation. We buzzed across the lake in Trent's jet boat to a couple very nice beaches. They had wide shallow areas to sight cast to cruising fish on the "flats". You can fish to these fish from the boat, but why? We prefer to kick off our sandals and stalk the fish barefoot...with the sand squishing up between our toes. You really get the feeling that you are fishing to coastal species like bonefish or redfish. Clear water, sight casting to big fish, bright blue day, walking barefoot on soft white sand beaches surrounded by the rugged Pedro Mountains...nirvana!

6/18 Gene Weisberg of Colorado landed a 27 1/2" rainbow two days ago. The girth was over 16"! The same day they landed a 24" rainbow.

The water is in great contidion to Government Bridge and murky below. I'm sure all of the guides and private fishers are eager to have better conditions on the lower river...it will clear soon. Yellow Sallies, PMDs, caddis are the available hatches. The water dropped to nearly 50 degrees after the water came up. Tricos, hopefully, went back to bed for a while. We would like to see them really emerge after the sallies and pmds run their course. The flows are at 200cfs...still very good wading available in certain spots. You do not have to be very deep to catch fish. If you waded up to your chest turn around and start casting to the bank!

6/17 Happy Father's Day! Dads, take your kids fishing today! Or,if they are big enough make them take YOU fishing.

The last few days have been a roller coaster ride on the North Platte River. As the BuRec increased the flows in the North Platte River they drew down Grey Reef Reservoir. This created some murky water and floating algae. You were still able to catch plenty of fish if you kept you bugs clean. The water is now stable and the reservoir is full. The water was in tip-top condition yesterday and the fish had a better chance to eat your flies...because they stayed clean. The river will continue to fish great, just the way it does every year. We have been doing some alternate trips for the last week, and they have been a ball! So fun in fact, that the guides are trying to find time to go and fish this water for themselves.

Wade fishing does NOT suffer when the flows increase. You just need to access to the right water. Sight nymphing (wading) to fish eating micro-caddis is a blast, and is best done at flows over 2500cfs.

We still have a one room opening for a short notice trip July 1 through July 4. And start to think about our trophy package! We will start running the the "Big Fish" trips as soon as we are confident that you will catch trophy class trout...soon.

6/12 The water is still on the rise...it should be flowing around 1000cfs. The clarity is good from Grey Reef Dam to the Narrows. Then it becomes off color. The fishing is still great. This morning Greg and Max only had a few hours to fish before they had to catch their plane. With Stu (their guide), they landed 15 fish and hooked 32. Not bad for a morning with increasing water and an east wind.

This morning Trent and I helped the Martons dock some of their sheep. We saw a number of big sage grouse. Phil told us that they have been seeing a lot of mature birds as well as a bunch of chicks! The higher country (where we hunt the sage grouse) is in great condition. The grass is abundant and green, there is standing water in many of the depressions and the spring has been pleasantly cool. Hunting sage grouse with the North Platte Lodge is a high success hunt, but this year should prove to even better! If you would like to do a cast and blast package for sage grouse/trout we only have one more opening, in the lodge, for a big group. It is the 1st of October through the 3rd of October for 8 hunters/fishers. We also have one room availabe September 23rd through September 26th for two hunters or fishers. Why hunt for pen raised birds when you can hunt over pointing dogs for wild and unpredictable upland birds?

6/9 The river is very quiet, but the fishing is still awesome. This is the time of year that you can catch as many fish as in the early spring, not have to avoid the spawning beds (except a few cutthroat redds), enjoy nice weather and not have to battle for a spot to fish.

We experienced another storm that dumped a significant amount of moisture on the area. The North Platte River below Government Bridge is currently blown out, while the upper river below Grey Reef Dam is still clear and very fishable. The lower streches should clear in the next day or two. The BuRec has answered our cries for more water. They will continue to increase flows until they reach 2000cfs or more. This will make the fish and fisherman happy.

This is strange time for bug selection. Every one seems to be fishing different patterns...and they are all working. Baetis are present but stragling. PMDs, Caddis, midges and Yellow Sallies are very available to the trout. We are even starting to see the tricos (get ready for another round of dry fly fishing!). Crane flies are also abundant. And for you streamer enthusiasts, baby fish, leeches and crawdads.

Stop in to The Reef Fly Shop for a great selection of streamers. We are a full service fly shop with the most experienced staff on the river. When you stop in you will speak with some one who spends a lot of time fishing local waters and has first hand knowledge of the river and fishing conditions.

The North Platte Lodge has a couple of spots available. June 28 and 29 one room AND July 2-6 for one room. Don't miss out on a chance to experience the North Platte Lodge difference. Our fall bookings are very strong but there are still some prime openings!

6/5 Still at 500cfs and the fishing is fantastic! Sallies are a force on the lower streches as are PMDs. We had a pretty good beating by wind and rain this afternoon...it was short lived but exciting.

6/3 The Grey Reef section of the North Platte River continues to flow at 500cfs. All of our guides are eagerly awaiting the day when the BuRec finally increases the flows. Wyoming and the states to our east have been getting good rainfall this spring. So there hasn't been a big need to push more water down the river for irrigation.

On the bright side the dry fly fishing has been great the past couple of weeks. This is of course relative the the Grey Reef section...not other typical dry fly rivers. The midges are still prolific and the baetis are holding on with everything they've got. Still waiting for the Yellow Sallies to really make themselves known. PMDs are doing a good job of feeding the trout.

Use light tippet and longer casts to be less spooky. Get rid of orange bobbers in favor of white or black yarn. Enjoy Wyoming with or short burst of green! Wildflowers are blooming everywhere!

5/29 The North Platte River continues to produce. Today the nymphing was very good. Lots of fish eating leaches, baetis, PMDs and sallies.

5/27 The North Platte Lodge and Reef Fly Shop would like to thank all of the men and women who have served in the armed forces.

The weather is beautiful! The fish are hot and greedy! The water is still clear and low...500cfs. It should be on the rise soon....we hope. The story remains the same regarding fly selection.

Call for availabilty. There are a couple July spots in the lodge and we provide day trips with miles of private access and the most experienced guides.

5/25 The fishing remains fantastic! The water is low and clear. The water temps dropped a little after our last storm. The baetis are still abundant, along with midges. The Sallies and PMDs are already available for the trout to eat. The streamer fishing is picking up! Stop in to The Reef Fly Shop for a great selection of streamers for stickin' pigs on the North Platte River.

5/21 Trent, Adrian and I went fishing yesterday. It was a research trip to gauge the "trout eating streamer" fishing. It was good! I managed to break off a large brown...oh well. The water in the North Platte River is warming up and the fish are hot. Yellow Sallies and PMDs are about...Tricos should be soon. Bring your streamer and dry fly gear when you come to Grey Reef.

5/20 At the risk of sounding like a broken record...fishing the Grey Reef section of the North Platte River remains excellent. The cold front that we are scheduled to get tomorrow should bring plenty of fish to the surface. It may be the best dry fly fishing we have seen in several years. The yellow sallies and PMDs are making their appearance...and the fish are responding. Don't yet give up on the baetis...I predict they will be the stars of the show for the next several days.

If you are scheduled to come and fish with us, please bring your dry fly, streamer and nymph rods. Most of our time will be spent nymphing, but there are great streamer and dry opportunities.

Some of our guides are still rigging up hopper/dropper rigs. The hoppers are producing some very nice fish!

5/15 The fishing remains unbelievable. The North Platte River is as good, right now, as it has ever been. The fish are feeding at a break neck pace. They are hitting the flies so hard that sometimes the indicator travels five feet before you have a chance to react. Our guide JJ, was fortunate to have one of his guests hook a monster brown today...it was crafty and broke off after a brief battle. One of our other guides, Ryan, called to inform us that he would be in late because of a prolonged ongoing fight with something huge...maybe a beaver? We'll keep you posted.

Our friends from Rocky Mountain Anglers had another highly successful day on Sunday.

Call (307)237-1182 to book a lodge stay or day trip. We will try our best to get you in on short notice. Call (307)232-9128 or stop in to The Reef Fly Shop for current water conditions and fishing report.

5/11 Today was great! Fish were very willing to eat our flies. They even ate hoppers! Yes, you read that right...hoppers. We spent some time fishing dry/dropper rigs and it was a blast.

The river is very clear to Lusby. It will take a few more days for it clear below Government Bridge. The North Platte River below Grey Reef Dam is still flowing at 500cfs. Midges and baetis are still the bugs of choice. While worms, scuds, and especially Seth's Pine Squirrel Reef Leach (trademark pending) are still good choices for dredgers.

5/10 The river is still fishing very well. The water has been off color above Lusby and muddy below Government Bridge. It is certainly a good time to be on the North Platte River. The flows are now down to 500cfs and wade fishing is great! There have been several more BIG fish hooked recently...most have broken the hearts of the offending fisher. Leaches and baetis are the bugs of chioce, while midges, worms and even streamers are producing.

We still have a late May And Early June lodge spot available. May 22-25 and June 7-12. Warm weather, and world class fishing all from the comfort of the North Platte Lodge.

5/7 The North Platte River below Grey Reef has dropped dramatically. The wade fishing was fantastic today. The fish are still keyed in on baetis.

We had a big spring storm that left us with lots of heavy wet snow. The moisture content is tremendous...we REALLY needed this storm. But, it may dirty the river for a couple days? Tonight we had a meeting for the Two Fly Tournament. We had a rare opportunity to hang out with the guides from the other shops. It is great because outfitters and guides build a positive relationship. The Two Fly Tournament raised $66,000 for the Natrona County Child Development Center and $15,000 went to North Platte River restoration in 2006. 2007 will be even better. Thanks to Bauer Fly Reel, Temple Fork Outfitters fly rods and RIO Products for donating to this charitable event.

5/4 Another great day on the North Platte River. The fish are very active. The water at Grey Reef is low and clear. Today my guests landed a pile of fish. They caught all 4 species of trout and a few on dries! Good fun.

5/2 The flows at Grey Reef are around 1000cfs! A couple of the guides from the North Platte Lodge spent a bulk of their day wade fishing...it was unreal. All the river is accessible at 1000cfs. The baetis hatch is very strong right now and the fish are in the midst of their post-spawn feast. Don't get me wrong, there are still plenty of spawning fish so the redds should be avoided. The North Platte Lodge has exclusive access to many miles of world class wade fishing. Don't get stuck in the boat, wading is how you test your skill as a fisher. It is also the BEST way to really learn how to fly fish. There is nothing like standing in a run and landing these big, healthy trout. Tony and Linda Brooks had the pleasure of landing a 23" and a 24" rainbow on Monday. The same day that the Schuelers landed their big pair! Call (307)237-1182 for reservations. If I don't answer your call during the day I am likely on the river. I will return your call that evening or early the following day.

4/30 What can I say, but more of the same. Great days on the river! Mark and Leo Schueler of Buffalo and Big Piney WY landed a 23" and a 24" rainbow today. Congrats guys! Boat traffic was light and the weather was beautiful up until the hail storm. This year(and last)we are seeing an increased number of the big fish. All segments of the trout population are very healthy. We have a stong supply of young trout who will soon bend rods and smoke reels. The North Platte River will continue to provide excellent recreation.

4/29 This weekend was filled with more great fishing. Big numbers and some really big fish. The river is down a bit and clear. Use light flourocarbon tippet and little bugs like the Lazy Midge and wd40s...or 14 feet of leader and a 3/0 split shot with 2x to worms and leaches. It is all producing right now.

The baetis hatch is fantastic, but we at the North Platte Lodge are already looking forward to the warm days of summer. Grey Reef has many different summer hatches. Tricos, Yellow Sallies, PMDs and caddis abound. Bait fish become more available and the crawdads run scared. Test your skill by casting streamers to the banks for trophy browns or rainbows or by stalking the shy but powerful carp. Come enjoy the warm weather, and incredible fishing. At the end of a hard day relax on the deck with a cocktail. Watch the light show as a thunderstorm streaks across the prarie. Wake up in the morning and return to the deck. Sip a strong cup of coffee while enjoying the antelope graze and play across the river.

4/25 Joe Barnard of St Paul, MN landed a 24" rainbow yesterday. Mary Holt of Carbondale, CO landed another big fish today...it was a 23.5" rainbow with a 15" girth. I asked her to land two 25"+ fish on two consecutive days...close enough!

The North Platte River is now flowing at 2500cfs. It is bigger than it has been in a couple years. Still nothing compared to the 4000cfs+ of the late 1990's early 2000's. Don't be intimidated by the increased flows...the fish are still here and still hungry. Lazy midges were working well on the Grey Reef section. The Lazy Midge is a North Platte Lodge pattern that is now available at The Reef Fly Shop.

4/23 Mary Holt of Carbondale, CO just landed a 25.5" Rainbow! Her husband, Bob, is already a member of the North Platte Lodge 25" club. Congrats Mary! You deserve it.

4/23 The North Platte River below Grey Reef is now flowing at 2000cfs. It will increase to 2200cfs soon. These are the same flows we had last year. The higher water is good for the fishing and the fish! The North Platte Lodge has some openings in late May and early June. Call for dates.

4/20 The baetis are here, folks! This is the hatch that makes springtime at the North Platte Lodge so desirable. The fishing was terrific today...did I mention baetis? Stop in tomorrow evening to The Reef Fly Shop, we will be hosting an open house and an open forum for fishing BS. The Reef is located at the corner of HWY 220 and Grey Reef Rd.

4/19 Attn streamer enthusiasts! The guides at the North Platte Lodge have expressed interest in doing split floats during the prime streamer season. Your guide will get you out EARLY for streamer fishing at low light and cool temps. A mid-day siesta would be followed by some evening dry fly fishing while the caddis are hatching (returning)...or more streamer fishing. Call for details and best times. The North Platte River has many trophy browns and rainbows that are eager to eat a streamer...come catch the fish of your life!

4/18 We have a prime opening in June. 3 days/4 nights for all 4 rooms...June 7 - 10. We also have one room for 3 nights the 23rd-26th of May and one room for 3 nights the 10th-13th of June.

4/15 Another incredible day to be fishing the North Platte River. The fishing wasn't quite as productive as yesterday. Yesterday was one of those "you should have been here yesterday" days. We were in short sleeves and using plenty of sun screen. Fishing has been very good and will only improve as the fish really key on the baetis.

4/13 Beautiful day on the river! It doesn't get any better than it was today. The water is clear and flowing around 1700cfs. There has been a good baetis hatch that will continue for quite a while. The fish are still spawning...please leave the active spawners alone. I see it every day, fishers only targeting the shallow water above the riffles. I would assume there is a very low rate of survival in the public areas where the beds are trompled and the fish harrased. The spawning beds should be left alone until at least late May-early June. The BLM has issued boat and trailer stickers to the permitted outfitters on this section of river. You will now be able to identify permitted outfitters at a glance. The Reef Fly Shop just received a new shipment of Temple Fork Outfitters fly rods. Come check out the Jim Teeny series with full grips and fighting butts...all the way down to 4 weight. The TFO rods are top quality, they carry a full lifetime warranty and they are inexpensive with fantastic customer support. The Reef is also running a "stock up for summer" special on dry flies. $12/dozen for a limited time!

4/7 The river is clear to Bates Creek and cloudy below that. Fishing remains good. Fishing has been steady in the a.m. and very good in the p.m. The flows below Grey Reef dam have increased to 800cfs, and will be steadily rising for the next couple of weeks. Use leaches in natural and brown, scuds, red San Juan Worms, Otter eggs in tangerine. Followed by red, olive and black midges, BTS nymphs and wd40s. Don't rule out stripping big streamers through the slow deep water! The Reef Fly Shop is now featuring Scott and Temple Fork Outfitters rods, Bauer and Dan Baileys reels. Cliff streamer boxes, an excellent selection of flies for success on the North Platte River and surrounding areas. We provide a river shuttle service that focuses on transporting your vehicle and valuables with care. Stop in or call for the LATEST fishing/conditions report as we are the only shop at Grey Reef.

4/5 Andy Parker of southcentral LA had the pleasure of landing a 26" rainbow today. This fish was very lage for 26"s...it weighed in at a little under 9 lbs. The fishing in the a.m. was steady but not stellar. Fish were eating a variety of bugs including midges, leaches, worms, eggs and streamers. This afternoon the sun popped out and a few baetis made their way to the surface. The fishing became very good on leaches, baetis patterns and a variety of midges.

3/26 Another incredible day. The guys at the lodge (FKA Club)are amazed at what a great fishery the North Platte River is. Philip Staley landed a 25" brown today. He was honored with the first "hat" of the year. We still have a two room spot for the first week of April...this is prime time.

3/25 The flush is over and the fish are VERY active. The fishing has been excellent. Several trophy sized rainbows made there way into the guides nets the past couple of days. Dave Lundy from the Stryker group landed a 24" cutbow on Saturday. Scuds, worms, eggs and leaches are good choices for bigger flies. Midges and baetis nymphs for the small stuff. In this clear water you might eliminate the big bugs and use a pair of midges. Pinch your barbs and enjoy the spawners by watching them...not fishing to them.

3/18 Wow. The drift boats were hatching today. Not to mention the pontoons, plastic jon boats, etc. What can you expect on a mid-March day that was 72 degrees and calm? The fishing was very good today...primarily on midge patterns. The streamer fishing didn't seem to be as productive as it has been recently. The river is off color below Bates Creek although it is still fishable. Bates Creek has been very high and muddy the past few days. Use midges and small baetis nymphs under worms, scuds and leaches. The spawn will be in full swing soon. Enjoy watching the fish spawn, but demonstrat e a little self control by not fishing to active spawners. They are easy to spot...typically there are several trout in shallow areas with clear (sometimes refered to as blond) patches of gravel. The dead give away that you are on a spawning bed is when you stumble into a depression that is directly upstream of a pile of gravel. A spawning fish can and will be caught repeatedly because they are not responding to your flies as a food source. It is funny when you hear some body say "it looks just like the last one...I caught'im in the same exact spot". It doesn't require good fly selection, good casting skill, proper drift or talent whatsoever to take fish off of a redd. Seriously, there are lots of fish that are actually feeding...go pick on them.

3/11 The fishing was good to excellent today. The weather was on par with the fishing. We have enjoyed some beautiful days to start our season. The North Platte Lodge still has a couple April spots available. In fact the ONLY two room (4 guest) spot that we have available until the 4th of August is 4/7 through 4/9. We still have one room available from April 19th through April 25th. We have one available lodge stay in May...the 23rd through the 25th for two guests. June is full and July has a short stay available the 17th and 18th. September and October are filling up quickly. We are holding a few rooms for sage grouse hunts between the 23rd of September and the 3rd of October. This is a very productive hunt and a good subject for a cast and blast package. Again, thanks to all the folks who are stopping in and supporting The Reef Fly Shop!

3/10 Today was beautiful. The fishing wasn't too shabby either. Leaches, scuds and dare I say it...eggs were productive point flies. Midges as droppers, or drop a scud below a leach. Streamers weren't as productive as they were yesterday, but don't rule them out. The weather is going to be nice and warm with temps in the mid 60s for the early week. There is now rumors of a shortened flushing flow or the BuRec abandoning it all together. We'll see what happens on the 19th of March. The original schedule was that they would start the flush on Monday March 19th and continue through Friday the 23rd.

3/3 The weather was supposed to be very temperate this weekend, but the forecasters didn't predict the midwestern storm would push a little moisture in through the back door. Casper received a couple inches of snow on Thursday and Alcova received 0". This morning Trent will officially open The Reef Fly Shop. We are still waiting for much of our inventory, but we have all of the essentials in stock. Stop in for shuttles, fishing license and gear. Grab a cup of hot coffee and relax for a moment before hitting the river. The fishing has been good on both nymph rigs and streamers. For nymphing, scuds (purple back, amber, pink and molting), leaches (both mohair and pine squirrel) and worms (wicked impalers and San Juans). Use midges as a dropper...Red, olive and black. For the streamer enthusiasts use Orange Blossom Specials, chinchilla/brown double bunnies, Beldar Bugs in olive or brown and natural zonkers. Keep the streamers deep and moving slow.

2/20 Yesterday fishing was tough. A 30mph wind can be detrimental to good drifts, not to mention casts. Today was a little more calm. But it came with a price...heavy snowfall in the morning. Fishing was significantly better. Scuds and midges seemed to be the most productive. The available dates in May have decreased to one three day/night spot the 23rd-25th. Still a couple rooms left in April. The Reef Fly Shop will be ready soon. We will be featuring a number of new products. Stop by for a cup of coffee or to tell a few lies.

2/10 Trent and Katherine will celebrate their 1st wedding anniversary tomorrow. Congrats Katherine, we are happy that you adapted so well to Wyoming and our way of life. We are also happy that you have continued to tolerate Trent. Bret and Candy along with Art (Brets father and former owner of The Reef Fly Shop) and Judy will be celebrating the sale of their businesses. A week in Hawaii is well deserved. I don't think Bret took a real vacation from the time he opened the North Platte Lodge. Trent and I officially took the reins of the North Platte Lodge and The Reef Fly Shop yesterday. Enough fluff, time for the fishing report. The ice is clearing out. Many fishers were up at Grey Reef dam and the Outhouse today. Temps were in the 50s and only a slight breath of wind. The river is open well below Government Bridge. Nick Dunkley landed a 22" cutthroat this afternoon, along with many healthy rainbows. They were fishing with Ray Charles, scuds, buckskin leaches, worms and a variety of midges. We want to thank all of you who have stopped by the lodge and fly shop to wish us well. Especially the hearty souls who braved our mess, in the fly shop, to purchase gear. Stay posted for open house dates...

2/9 Fishing continues to be very productive on both nymphs and streamers. Art Van Rensselaer landed a 24" Brown, on the upper river two days ago. Most of the river is still under a slushy layer of ice. The weather has been beautiful with temps near 50 and little wind.

Trent and I are working on getting The Reef Fly Shop open for the early season. We will open with existing inverntory and should be fully stocked by the middle of March. Stop by for a cup of coffee and check out our new products. As always, feel free to call for a fishing/weather report.

2/2 We are entering another cold snap. Temps in the single digits and wind chills well below zero. The majority of the river has been locked up under ice for the past several weeks. The upper couple of miles are fishable. The fishing in front of the lodge has been great on both streamers and nymphs. Browns are still showing themselves in very respectable numbers.

We have just made several rooms available, in the lodge, during April and May.

2 rooms for a 3 days/3 nights April 7-9 1 room for 3 days/4 nights April 13-17 1 room for 3 days/4 nights April 18-21 2 rooms for 3 days/3 nights May 20-22 1 room for 3 days/3 nights May 23-25

The 2007 sage grouse season runs from the 23rd of September through the 3rd of October. This is a highly successful hunt...sage grouse makes a fantastic subject for a cast and blast package. Hunt in the morning and finish the day catching trophy trout on the river.

1/23 We had some beautiful winter weather this last weekend allowing us to do a little fishing! Nick, Goro, and Butch from Denver had some fantastic fishing down in front of the lodge. Lots of fish and not one under 16 inches! The fish are looking great!! Art also made it out and managed to do well on streamers. If you see a break in the weather don't hestitate to call. As for the bird hunting, we finished the season (duck season) with three really great shoots! There are still two weeks remaining on goose season and plenty of birds around to keep you busy.

1/12 Central Wyoming just got an arctic blast. We received a foot of snow and the temps have been dipping below zero. Trent was just on the river for a quick duck hunt. He shot his limit very quickly and was grinning from ear to ear at the number of birds he had come into the blind. We have had some more schedule changes. We now have two rooms available for April 7-9 and one for April 10-12, we also have one room for April 13-21, don't miss out the spring chaos on the North Platte River!

1/6 Hit the river yesterday for the first time in a week!! Due the recent cold weather I was only able to fish for a few hours in the afternoon. Slow-stripping a leech seemed to be the ticket...yeilding numerous fish over 20 inches with one exceeding 22". I must say the fish are looking extremely healthy!! We hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year and we are looking forward to seeing you this season!

12/30 The May dates are spoken for. Although the lodge is full for May and June we can arrange for alternative lodging and set you up with day trips.

12/27 Snow! We finally got some snow. 6 inches fell on Casper on Christmas Eve. Lots of waterfowl hanging around near the Lodge. Should make for some exciting hunting. We have had a couple of schedule changes that opened up some prime spring fishing spots. 3days/3nights April 7-9, 4days/5nights April 13-17, 3days/4nights April 22-25 and 3days/3nights May 23-25. All of these openings are for only one room (2 fishers). Call (307)237-1182 to book these openings. Have a safe and happy New Year!

12/20 We still have some availability in March. So if your interested give us a call! As for other news, there are still plenty of birds in the area...making for some great waterfowl hunting. Colder temps have also caused the river to ice up heavily in certain sections. Aside from the colder temperatures the fishing is still good...so if you see some warm weather on the forecast we would love to take you out. In closing, we hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas and we are looking forward to another great year!

12/15 The three rooms for March 18, 19, and 20 were taken shortly after posting the message yesterday! March really is a fantastic time to be on the water...if you can find the time you should really try and come to the North Platte!

12/14 We have been going through the lodge schedule for the last few days and it appears that we have a few openings this spring. March is a really great time to be on the river!! So...if you're interested call and book them today! The dates are as follows; 4 rooms for March 14, 15, and 16...3 rooms for March 18,19, and 20!

12/10 The Goshen County 2 Shot hunt was this weekend. Warm weather and lack of wind made for some tough goose hunting conditions. With 40 teams competing, the North Platte Lodge finished with three teams in the top five! Second Place Guide- Jason Ostrander...Guide Largest Goose- Jason Ostrander...Third Place Guide- Trent Tatum...Fourth Place Guide- Bret VanRensselaer. Congratulations to these guys! We would also like to thank Tom Harpstrieth and Jason Randolph of JJ Outfitters for the use of there pits and land. Both High Plains Wingshooters and JJ Outfitters have excellent pit locations with world class goose hunting!

12/05 I returned from Torrington, WY yesterday. The goose hunting was fantastic...15 geese shot by 8:30 am!! I was also able to take a look at Bret's new facility, High Plains Wingshooters. A newly remodeled farm house in a beautiful location...with worldclass goose hunting! What else could you ask for? As for the lodge...weather warmed up and we put a few boats out on the river. The fishing turned out to be really good. Nice fish were caught on both streamers and nymphs. If you see some warm weather on the forecast don't hesitate to give us a call!

12/2 The last few days have consisted of some really cold temperatures. The river below government bridge is iced over in certain sections. If your willing to brave the cold and enjoy taking the ice out of your rod guides, the fish are ready to eat. Plenty of great fishing is to be had for those willing to put in the effort. Oh, for those interested the ducks and geese are still here in some relatively large numbers. We had a successful hunt this morning with some more mallards, widgeon, and even a pintail.

11/29 THE MIGRATION IS ON! Recent cold weather has brought alot of new birds to the area. Two extremely successful evening hunts this week have yielded mostly limits of greenheads with a few widgeon and gadwalls mixed in. I will try and have some pictures out soon! This is the time of year for some truly fantastic waterfowl hunting in Central Wyoming!

11/21 Fishing is still very good, and there is nobody on the river. Conditions are ripe for more big fish. Due to popular demand, the North Platte Lodge will be opening in March of '07. March is a great month to fish the Platte. Clear water. No crowds. And, the fish are active before the spawn. We still have several dates open between the 1st and the 17th of March.

10/31 Dennis and Julie Smith of Florida were with Jason today and #20 arrived!!! In a HUGE way. A brown carefully measured and photographed...32.5" long!!!!

This is the second longest fish landed in NPL history!! This fish is an absolute monster...pictures will be out soon!! If you're as tough as these floridians....you can get here and take advantage of the best fall fishing for big fish I have ever seen!

New! NPL Trophy Fishing Package

The trophy package will be for just one fisherman, who wants to pursue big fish! You will be throwing big streamers, and your guide will take you wherever and do whatever it takes to give you a legimate shot a some very large trout!

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