Fall Feels Great!


pic: 20 year guest David Rogers with 20 year guide Seth Kapust getting it done yesterday  #pinchyourbarbs

Not sure about you but fall feels like a new beginning. Rather than clawing through to the end of the season and starting the prep for next year we are invigorated. Fishing is rocking and rolling, upland bird hunts started yesterday, we are between big game hunts, scheming a new approach for some of our facilities and adding some seasonal tidbits that may seem odd to the casual angler. We aren’t casual outdoor folks, we don’t subscribe to Chicken Little’s ideology so you might glean a little insight to how our lives function when we aren’t with guests on the river by a quick chat or even following our under-produced social media. The age of the phony influencer is dead. Mentors and roll models are in stock and in fashion. Dirty success is failure.

Fishing Report: Take your pick. Dry fly, subsurface emerger rigs, ugly nymph rigs and streamers all cued up. Trico,  psuedo, caddis and baetis dry fly sessions are the norm through mid October. Light emerger rigs go hand-in-hand with these hatches. Feeding the aggressive lot with smaller streamers on a floating line is a hoot and the down-and-dirty nymph rigs with rubber legs, scuds, leaches and caddis imitations keep the trad Grey Reef angler in the game. Grey reef temps are down and the flows are 500cfs fishing is excellent in clear water. Fremont Canyon is pea soup and actually fishing pretty good with caddis and leach rigs. Miracle Mile is low and fishing well. Standard Mile rigs of caddis and worms/leach/rubber legs will get ’em. Prediction for Oct 20-Nov: some of the most insane streamer fishing we’ve experienced since the termination of the old fall flushing flows. The abundance of bait fish and crawdads combined with a rapid decrease in Grey Reef flows… Our access, experience and location are the prerequisites for an incredible experience.

The Reef fly Shop is blowing out summer soft goods so stock up on shorts, quick dry pants. We are trying to get back up to stock on bufftrout logo hats but we do have a tolerable selection currently. Donkytrout hats are in for the Denver Bronc / fly fishing fans. Howler Bros. shirts and hats are in. We dig this brand. Simms and Pata flannels are mandatory for campfire and AM trico feeding episodes. “You know why grunge hasn’t died?” Because 50yo Gen X dads outperform their 20yo children. You couldn’t make that distinction for previous generations. What this really means is that flannel is synonymous with high performance:)

YOUR NEXT 2020 TRIP DISCOUNT this has been an eye opening year for all of us. What has become really interesting is how folks have gravitated toward what we have to offer in rural Wyoming. The shocking number of guests who’ve returned a number of times over the season is tough to wrap our heads around. We recognized this phenomenon in mid May and decided that for the sake of keeping our guide staff and hospitality staff busy we were going to try to cultivate the folks who, despite concerns and uncertainty, put their faith in us and Grey Reef. Come back for your 2nd, 3rd, 4th or more visits still this season and discount day trips by $50 and lodging at 10%. Want the full lodge experience? Call me and let’s build a custom option 307.237.1182.

Bird Hunts, Cast and Blast NPL guide Chris Scholtz rolled out opening day of Sage Grouse with two limits of birds and piles of smiles on the river. The next 2 weeks will be dogs, guns, fly rods and boats in every direction. Early Oct opens early season waterfowl and early Nov the regular season.

2021 Balls to the wall, excuse the language but this perfectly describes where our heads are at. The fly shop will be stocked months earlier than normal and already getting inquiries from folks who need to get back out there. Get your crew together and get on the books. We are always adapting and next may look a bit different at our properties. We’ll keep you in the loop as things progress.

 

Here’s to the New Year!


We just want to begin by saying we hope you all had a safe and happy New Year!!  To kick the fishing year off right, we hit the water yesterday for a little streamer session.  With water temperatures at the lowest point for the year the “grab” wasn’t anything crazy but we did manage some really nice fish, the largest being a 22″ brown.  Oh and we did lose one that was substantially larger…  As you would expect the nymphing is excellent right now and it will only get better has we head towards the spring.  We do have some openings currently in April, so if you want to experience some of the most productive fishing of the year, give us a call.

PATHFINDER OUTFITTERS(BG-058) On the hunting end of things…for NONRESIDENTS applying for ELK…Applicants may apply between January 2 and January 31.  The nonresident elk license draw will no longer be in February, but will be conducted in May.  The tentative draw results date is May 21st.

Bring on the bugs!


The 10 days of the Spring flush has come to an end. Fishing has been great! The river bed has been cleared of most silt and debris. The fish are now moving up to their spawning beds throughout the river. As always spawning is an exciting time of year. Being able to see hundreds of fish in their yearly routine is something many have never had the opportunity to witness. The blonde cleared away patches of pebbles checker board in the shallows with some dark shadows of fish near by. These fish are now creating the future of the river. Anglers as well as other people need to respect the fishes space by avoiding walking and fishing in these fragile places. This will help preserve our amazing fishery. Although there are many fish spawning, there are also many that are not. Some are patiently waiting their turn. A selection of fish sit and feed in preparation for spawning or once they are complete in the deep runs and soft edges. However, fish are not the only creatures going through this Spring dance.
The banks of the river are lined with all sorts of wildlife that call the North Platte river home. Nesting eagles are always a site to see. Golden and Bald eagles both call the Platte River their home for generations. Seeing these regal giants sore above, and occasionally giving us the quick photo opportunity, is truly magnificent. Along or banks also has turkeys currently strutting their stuff, along with the beautiful ducks and geese. Chicks will soon start to pop up along the river, and newly born fawns will start to show up with their mothers for a quick drink.
Oh, and did we mention our Spring bugs! They will start to swarm the water. From the Baetis popping up on the surface; to swarms of midges that seem to form small clouds that always follow the boat. The fish become very active during this time. Fish forget all about the cold, lethargic state from winter water temps, and go into somewhat of a feeding frenzy.
Being able to witness some of these events is worth a trip to the North Platte in itself. Catching world class fish while doing it, well that’s just the bonus. Give us a call and get your next opportunity booked!

North Platte River Flush and Snow Pack Update


2019 SPRING FLUSH:

The flush has been tentatively slated for March 18-24. As opposed to years past(10-day flush), this years flush will be seven days.  Also with the bridge construction below Alcova, flush hours will take place during the night hours and flows will be back to 500cfs by 6:00am. If there are any changes to this, we will continue to update.

A much anticipated spring is on the horizon and it cant get here fast enough. With that, the upper North Platte drainage is sitting pretty good on snow pack. Currently at 112%.  This is great as we will hopefully get a much needed fill of our reservoirs and keep a good flow in the river.  This makes for happy fish and happier fishermen!  http://www.wrds.uwyo.edu/wrds/nrcs/snowprec/snowprec.html 

We have started to get a bunch of our new inventory in and we couldn’t be more excited! New apparel and gear in both the lodge and The Reef Fly Shop. Give us a follow on our Facebook and Instagram accounts to get a quick preview! Make sure you stop in to check it out!  

Grey Reef Fly Fishing Report


Fly fishing Grey Reef was a tough proposition yesterday. Winds over the North Platte River Valley were nuking. Of course, Jackson was in the midst of a huge snow event…that’s how it works. We had a little rain last night and this AM is calm. We do have guide boats on the water today and will get a report as soon as possible. In the meantime a standard nymph rig with a scud, leech, worm and midge is a slam dunk. 6-8′ leaders and a bit of weight. Slow deep tailouts and seems are the place to concentrate most of your efforts. But, as the hatch is in full swing snug up into the drops and riffles. A slow retrieve on a streamer rig has also been good. Keep the streamer low and level!

Spring is fast upon us and we are expecting our typical excellent fishing. Call 307.237.1182 if you are interested in a full lodge package, cottages or guided fly fishing. Our early season specials run through March 31st. Day trips are $350, a day trip and one night in a cottage is $450, two nights one day is only $525. Plus you get 17 miles of exclusive Grey Reef fishing access and an awesome location/accommodations.

We are offering bed and breakfast specials at the North Platte Lodge for early season. If you are bringing a group and all want to be in one location(the best) we can take take care of you regardless if you are fishing with us or not or not fishing at all. Our facility makes a great corporate retreat.

Wyoming Fly Fishing Report


The Grey Reef crew worked them yesterday. North Platte River was warm and bluebird with a little wind but the fishing was very good. No new news on the bugs of choice EXCEPT you should check out a few of our patterns newly released for sale in the shop. The Mayhem Midge comes to mind. These new patterns combine elements of simplicity, durability and the things that we love about FLY  FISHING. So much fun to learn about the nature and behavior of trout and go outside the box. Fish pushing into unusual areas and continually suspending very high in the water column to take advantage of the hatch. We like flies that will preform from the bottom to the film and everything in between.

It appears the Wyoming Fishing Regulations may have been amended to make enforcement of pinned bead/snagging rigs much easier. We will see how this plays out?

North Platte Lodge has a few very nice April availabilities. April is arguably the most desirable month on Grey Reef and Miracle Mile. Call for dates and package prices.

North Platte River Fly Fishing Report


Yesterday was quiet on Grey Reef despite very nice conditions. Today is touch windy over the Alcova region. We will have guides on the water today and will post their findings as they report.

Grey Reef Fishing Report


Grey Reef fishing was very good yesterday. Report from the guides was consistent and non-stop activity. Just how we like it. Alcova received a couple inches of snow overnight but not enough to cause concern. Wyoming HWY 220 is slick but that should be remedied with a little sun this AM. No fishing report from Miracle Mile or Fremont Canyon yesterday but there is no reason for those to be less than great. Our off season Grey Reef fishing and lodging packages are a great inexpensive getaway…not to mention the fishing in the winter is generally excellent. Quiet and peaceful is the upper North Platte River during the winter months.

Grey Reef Fishing Report


Grey Reef is expecting a little snow over the next 24 hours so will be prime fishing conditions. Dropping pressure generally accompanies calm conditions and excited fish. The North Platte River is open and floating the upper is good to go. This weekend is looking very nice and we do have a cottage still available. Same winter rigs as always and on calm days the midges hatch brings them to the surface. The dry fly fishing is finicky but a great challenge. Miracle Mile fly fishing is productive and the roads are currently in good shape. Fremont Canyon is also fishing well and well worth the quick trip up there.

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