Summer Fishing

Stories from Clark – Part One

August 21, 2019 by Leigh Leave a Comment

Note: This is the first of four posts on my trip to Wyoming. Over 4 days we fished the Lower Shoshone, Upper Shoshone, Greybull, and Clark’s Fork Rivers.

Our first day of fishing was a float trip on the lower Shoshone River with North Fork Anglers outfitters of Cody, WY.

If you’re not familiar with the Shoshone, it is a 100-mile long river that cuts through northern Wyoming. Its headwaters are in the Absaroka Range in Shoshone National Forest. It ends when it runs into the Big Horn. The river is divided by the Buffalo Bill Dam. We fished the lower Shoshone first and waded the upper the next day. That trip is the second installment of this series.

As we walked from the shop to the truck, our guide Mike told us we were basically going down the hill. He was right. We drove a short distance to a public launch in downtown Cody.

He quickly rigged us with a hopper/dropper setups, and within a few minutes we were leaving Cody and on our way. It was sunny, mid-80s, blue sky day, perfect for a float.

Mike basically grew up in Cody, so he knew the water well. He also provided some of the local history and respected private land rights, an important consideration when fishing in Wyoming (or anywhere else).

We were into fish early on. Big browns and rainbows took the dropper and protested vehemently all the way to the boat.

Mike consistently put us on fish, and knew when to change the rig or move to a new spot. I stayed in the rear of the raft all day, but felt that I had equal chances to catch fish.

This is not a river that is easily waded. In addition to private land restrictions, the water runs fast and there is very little bank. At times it felt more like a rafting trip.

For someone visiting from the northeast, the scenery was a major part of the experience.

The time flew. We caught fish throughout the float, and found it hard to believe it was after 5 when we reached the pullout. It was a great day, and we both have nothing but good things to say about Mike and North Fork Anglers.

If you are considering a float trip in the Cody area, we would recommend the lower Shoshone.

A Note on Traveling:

We stayed at VRBO property in Clark, 3o mins north of Cody. We had a great host. She told stories about the area, lent tools to fix a broken reel, and most important shared her bear spray. We were only a mile from the Clark fish hatchery. Employees there were a great source of info. I would recommend this property. It is about 2 hours south of Billings. Less than a mile to public access for the Clark’s Fork. If you want to learn more, email me.

Enjoy!

A Day Floating The Delaware

June 25, 2019 by Leigh 4 Comments

Spent the better part of the day and well into the evening floating the Delaware. It was my first time in a drift boat. Even with my mediocre casting, we were consistently on fish throughout the day, primarily wild browns. These fish know how to bend a rod and take notice of the slightest imperfection in presentation. But once they are on the line, be prepared to fight them all the way to the boat.

We booked a day trip with Cross Current Guide Service through Whitetail Fly Shop. We met our guide Tim at the shop took a brief ride to the launch. I was expecting to put on waders and boots, but he explained that the river was a little high and we probably wouldn’t touch the water. I stayed in shorts and sandals until dark. It was a warm day and I was comfortable the entire trip.

Tim did exactly what a guide is supposed to do: set expectations for the day, ask us about our skills, put us on fish, pick the right flies, and help us improve our casting and presentation skills. I had some trouble mending from the boat and he demonstrated and then guided me on how to do it. He also navigated around a number of other boats and was spotting fish and positioning us well before we even saw a rise.

We fished dry flies all day. I would call this target angling, because we only cast to rising fish. Most that we caught were in the 14″ – 16″ range, but the one above was 19″. We went well into the darkness and really only stopped because we could no longer see the fish or our flies.

My only complaint is that even after spending over 8 hours on the water and fishing well past sunset, the day seemed too short. If the Delaware is not on your bucket list, add it. I would also recommend Tim and the Cross Current team if you are planning to hire a guide.

Enjoy!

CFFCM Summerfest 2018 – Plan B

August 5, 2018 by Leigh 6 Comments

The Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum’s Summerfest is always a great way to spend a day or two in late summer. The property has a field filled people casting, fly fishing vendors and those who just want to enjoy a day outside in the Catskills. There are a number of programs and events. CFFCM also has a museum and art gallery/event center.

I’ve been a few times and written about it before. Here are a few of my past CFFCM Summerfest posts:

Catskills Fly Fishing Center & Museum Summerfest 2015

Catskill Museum of Fly Fishing Summerfest

A Day in the Catskills with Walt from Rivertop Rambles

The museum has plenty of items on exhibit, including flies, rods, books, signs and other related items.

There’s also an adjacent space that pays tribute to Lee & Joan Wulff. Joan is still involved with the museum, and on occasion gives casting lessons.

Every time I visit there is something new to see. This year a Gyotaku exhibit caught my eye.

It has almost become an annual pilgrimage, usually topped off with some end of day fishing with my friend Walt Franklin and his wife Leighanne. Walt writes the blog RiverTop Rambles, which I would recommend adding to your reading list.

Unfortunately, this was not going to be a fishing trip. Rains came thru the night before, leaving most of the rivers, including the Willowemoc, the color and consistency of chocolate milk.

In essence, the fishing license I purchased for the trip was little more than a contribution to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.

So with a couple of hours on our hands before we headed in opposite directions, we discussed what the best non-fishing options might be. We were also pretty hungry and thirsty.

The Roscoe Beer Company turned out to be a great Plan B.

Not too far from CFFCM, Roscoe Beer Co. is pet-friendly, and has a good bar menu for hungry anglers. They have several craft beers on tap. The growler of stout went down nicely while we had lunch on the back lawn and caught up.

In addition to blogging, Walt is a gifted writer. I was lucky enough to get a signed copy of his latest book, Streamwalker’s Journey. The essays in Streamwalker’s Journey are a celebration of the fly fishing life, with a focus on the triple divide of watersheds in north-central PA and upstate New York. His books are listed on the Rivertop Rambles web site, and I’ve always enjoyed his writing.

So how do I judge a good trip these days? See the pic below. Tippet had a full day of sightseeing and making new friends. It was a quiet ride home.

Hope your summer includes some opportunities to get out and share fly fishing with others. Enjoy!

Nothin’ But Gnat – An Evening On The Housatonic

June 8, 2018 by Leigh 2 Comments

My first trip of the year to the Housatonic River is a mix of anticipation and trepidation. The hour long ride through northwest Connecticut is relaxing, and the back roads remind me what a beautiful state this is. The scenery becomes lush and canopied, and the car’s outside temperature gauge drops by a few degrees. For the last few miles, the road parallels the river, adding to the beauty and the temptation. On days when I am unable to fish, I sometimes take my motorcycle along the same route.

Stepping out of the car onto the dirt parking area, the air is crisp and filled with the scent of local flowers. You can feel the mist of the river. Aside from the river sounds it is peacefully quiet – a much appreciated benefit after a long week.

And while I usually wait until late spring, when the water flow and air temps are reasonable, it doesn’t always translate into a fish catching expedition. Tonight I was in luck. The thermometer read high 60’s, light winds successfully carried a sulphur hatch, and I was greeted by hungry brown trout, compliments of the state’s stocking program.

Stepping into waist-deep water, sporadic rises surrounded me. I tied on the small yellow and white dry fly and proceeded to catch about a dozen 12″ – 14″ brown trout over the 2-hour session, all eager for my pattern.

This was truly a one-fly night. All fish were caught on this sulphur gnat pattern, the same one I teach in my beginner fly tying class. I want to than Jim Misiura for this pattern, and encourage you to follow his channel on YouTube.

Best of all, I had the water to myself for the entire time. An increasing rarity as the weather becomes more favorable.

I look at the picture below much like a kid walking through the gates leaving Disney World. Sad to see it end, but happy for the day and the memories made.

Hope you have the chance to get out and make some memories. Enjoy!

Fish Per Minute

August 20, 2016 by Leigh 6 Comments

Or at least it seemed that way.

With temps still in the 80’s, I decided to give the trout a break and focus on Housatonic smallies with streamers. I was not disappointed.

The bite was on from the minute I arrived. Often they were hitting the streamer as soon as it touched the water, acting like it was a dry fly. This continued for 2 hours, and I stopped counting at 30 fish.

Bonuses on this trip:

Had the water to myself
Only lost 2 streamers to breakoffs
Did not fall in

Why not give the green trout a try.

Enjoy!