Another cold front brought more snow and bitter temperatures to Central Wyoming.  Fortunately for us, temperatures will start climbing, starting tomorrow.  We have definitely shifted into a wet pattern it seems like, which from a snowpack standpoint is a great thing.  We will take it, especially in the upper drainage (Walden CO, Encampment WY, Saratoga WY).

Let’s start with a little Grey Reef FLUSH update.  Still nothing firm but our resources tell us the Bureau of Reclamation will be performing a gate check at the end of March.  That indicates the flush will follow after the gate check is complete.  So, if it is to happen, we’d plan on something around the beginning of April and it should be somewhere between 5-10 days in length.  As always, if we hear anything we will let everyone know.

As for the fishing, we have started to put a few more boats on the water in the past weeks.  Conditions have been good, other than a brief warm-up last week that had the river blown-out at various locations starting upstream of Government Bridge.  Obviously this most recent cold front has help with the run-off but locked the lower river back up with ice.  As always the upper river from Grey Reef dam to Ledge Creek is clear and fishing well.  Nymphs and streamers continue to be the name of the game.  For our nymph rigs it’s been a mix of the following…pine squirrel leeches(brown or natural), reef worms, deep purples, mini san juans(red or purple), PALs, rhinestones and/or mayhems.  Our rigs have been running between 4-7ft with 1-3 BB split shot.  If your looking to strip a streamer, the petunia as been our go-to pattern as of late.  With the low winter flows plan on fishing your streamer pattern on a floating, intermediate or very short/light sink-tip.  There is no need for a really stout sink-tip or sinking line this time of year.