North Platte River & Grey Reef fly fishing report direct from our Guides
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
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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. 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!
3/16 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.
3/10 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.
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.
3/7 Check out the "The Wyoming Fly Fisher" at: http://thereefflyshop.blogspot.com/
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.
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.
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. 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.
2/18 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!!!
2/13 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.
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.
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. 1/12 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.
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".
12/30 2008 is fast approaching! Happy New Year! 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. 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! 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. 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.
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. 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. 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".
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! 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... 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! 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. 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.
9/10 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.
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. 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?! 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. 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.
8/11
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!!!!
8/1 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!
7/27 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!
7/10 Another big Brown!! Ron Maitlin landed a 25.5" brown on Sunday. Congrats Ron!
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. 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!
6/24 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. 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. 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.
6/17 Happy Father's Day! Dads, take your kids fishing today! Or,if they are big enough make them take YOU fishing.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
4/29 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. 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! 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.
4/19 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!
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. 3/3 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
Eggs, leeches, Reef Worms, PALs, UV Emergers and pulating emergers are working well on a nymph rig.
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!!
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!
#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 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.
3/14
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
2/20
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.
2/17 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!
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.
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.
1/20 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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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?
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
9/14 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.
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!
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.
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?
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.
8/18 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".
8/7 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.
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!
7/16 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.
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?
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!
6/26 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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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?
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
4/20 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.
4/7 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.
3/11 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.
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.
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!