Tag: grey reef fly shop

North Platte River Fly Fishing Report 1/20/2020

Posted on by The Reef Fly Shop

What a good weekend of fishing, we hit all three tailwaters and they are all fishing great! Flows in Fremont Canyon have been bumped to 500 CFS, we don’t know how long this will last but it’s a fun time to fish the meadow. We would recommend fishing the meadow and not venturing into the canyon at these flows. Leeches were the ticket up there, you’ll have to fish heavier and deeper than you normally would. Focus on the slowest, deepest water you can find, the inside corners and tail-outs all held fish. Like we said leeches were hot but also try Reef Worms, Scuds ,and Midges, we didn’t try it but swinging a streamer that could be productive. We will get up there this week and give some streamers a try.

Grey Reef is still locked up with ice above Lusby, so stick to wade fishing for the moment. All of the deeper runs below the dam are wadable and fishing well. The Mile produced some nice fish yesterday swing streamers! The road wasn’t perfect, but definitely passable. Be wary of some of the side roads leading down to the river, there are some nasty drifts going into certain runs.

Grey Reef- 500 CFS

Miracle Mile- 550 CFS

Fremont/Cardwell- 500 CFS

Nymphs: BH Brassie, Juju Midge, PAL, Red Midge Larva, Macgruber Midge, Biot Emerger, UV Emerger, Flashbang Midge, Pine Squirrel Leech, Scuds, and Reef Worms.

Streamers: Rusty Trombone, Goldie, Kreelex, Peanut Envy, Dungeons, and DWFC Flash Minnows.

Dries: Small Parachute Adams, Griffiths Gnat, Matt’s Midge, and Brook’s Sprout Midge.

We are heading up to the Big Horn in Thermopolis tomorrow and will have a report coming up this week. We are running a shoulder season special up there, $475 for a full day guided trip!

If you have any questions or want to book a trip, stop by the shop or give us a call at 307-232-9128!

 

Good Weekend for Some Fishing! North Platte Fly Fishing Report

Posted on by The Reef Fly Shop

Fishing has still been consistently good on our tailwater sections of the North Platte and with rising temps this weekend has some great fishing opportunities! Looks like highs in the mid 30’s with lots of sun and not much of that “W” word. Grey Reef is still frozen over at the “Three Islands” section of braids above lusby but there are plenty of great wade fishing options to be had. We DO NOT recommend portaging your boat over ice!!! If you do want to float give us a call and take advantage of our shoulder season guide rates! We have private put boat ramps that still allow us to float the upper Grey Reef. The Mile and fremont, both, are accessible and have been fishing great!

Patterns and techniques are all pretty similar on all our sections of the North Platte right now. Most of the fish are holding in the deeper, slower runs and pools. Nymph a little deeper and heavier, anywhere from 4-6 Ft indicator to weight with 1-2 “BB’s” as your weight. With streamers keep the retrieve really slow or slowly swing your flies in the deep sections on the river. On the right day we are seeing some fish feeding on the surface, pick your fish and have a nice soft presentation.

Nymphs: BH Brassie, Flashbang Midge in red and black, Red Midge Larva, PAL, Zebra Midge in red, black and purple, Scuds in olive, tan and orange, Pine Squirrel leeches in brown, black and olive, and Reef Worms in both red and purple.

Streamers: Rusty Trombone, Goldie, Peanut Envys in black, olive, and white, Dungeons in natural and white, and the Kreelex.

Dries: Parachute Adams #20-22, griffiths Gnat, and Matt’s Midge.

As always if you have any questions stop by the shop or give us a call at 307-232-9128!

Winter Time Fun! North Platte Fly Fishing Report

Posted on by The Reef Fly Shop

Things are getting cold around here, highs in the 20’s and lows in the teens. The Grey Reef is not floatable as of today, the river is frozen over just below Three Islands a mile or two above lusby. It is not advised to portage your boat over these frozen sections. That being said there are many great wade fishing options to be had right now!

Fremont Canyon/Cardwell 75 CFS- fishing has been solid up there, mostly nymphing but there have been some dry fly and streamer opportunities. Our top nymphs for up there are Flashbang midge, Red midge larva, Reef Worms, BH Brassies, and scuds in olive, tan, and orange. A griffiths gnat in #20 should fool those rising midge sippers this time of year.

Miracle Mile 500 CFS- As of right now the road from Alcova to the Mile is icy but open. Keep an eye on any winter storms, that road gets drifted pretty bad when it snows and blows. The fishing has been good out there, especially with a streamer. The goldie, rusty trombone, and the kreelex have been our top streamers. Keep that retrieve low and slow this time of  year.

 

Grey Reef 500 CFS- As we said the river should not be floated right now with it being frozen over in a few spots. We do have private take outs above the frozen sections and can still guide the reef though! The fishing has been great, we are seeing big, fat, healthy fish this winter that are fighting hard! Nymphing has been solid with Pine Squirrel leeches, rusty scuds, reef worms, macgruber midges, red midge larva, and flashbang midges. Focus your efforts on the bottom 2/3 of the run in the deeper, slower water. Streamers have also been picking up some nice fish. The Goldie, peanut envy in black, white, or olive, Dirty Water Fly Company flash minnows, and mini dungeons have all been producing!

 

As always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to stop by the shop or give us a call at 307-232-9128

Don’t forget to ask about our shoulder season rates and packages! Fish the Reef and enjoy the lack of other fisherman in the Winter!!

 

Happy New Year! North Platte Fly Fishing Report

Posted on by The Reef Fly Shop

Winter fishing has been good! All three tailwaters are fishing great right now. As usual, nymphing has been producing, but we are finding a lot of nice fish that are willing to eat a streamer! The best days to fish in the wintertime are the sunny, calm days, keep an eye on the extended forecast and plan your trip around those nicer weather windows. Our top flies have been: Pine Squirrel Leech in black, natural and brown, Scuds in #14-18 orange, tan, and olive, Reef worms in #14-18 in red and purple, BH Brassie #18-22, Flashbang Midge in #18-20 black and red. and the Foamback Macgruber Midge #18-20. As far a streamers go the Kreelex, Rusty Trombone, and The Goldie have all been working well with a slower retrieve.

As always if you have any questions give us a call or stop by the shop!

Fishmas Time is Here! North Platte River Fly Fishing Report

Posted on by AdminTRFS

We are now in the Christmas season, we hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend. We experienced a blizzard this past weekend but things are looking good for the week to come.Most roads have reopened, but there still are some slick spots on the highways. A good tool to check before you head up is  map.wyoroad.info to see the up-to-date road conditions. Temperatures will be in the mid-high 30’s everyday and the sun will be shining, a perfect time to get some fishing in!

Fremont/Cardwell- 75 CFS- The fishing has been good up there and it hasn’t seen much fishing pressure lately. Small stuff is the key right now: BH Brassies, Jujubee midge, Macgruber Midge, Red Midge Larva, Scuds, and Reef worms all size #18-22. On the right day one can get some dry fly action with a griffths gnat or a small parachute adams. Pick your fish and get a nice soft presentation.

Miracle Mile- 500 CFS- Typical Mile, some days have been good while others have been tough. That being said traveling out there is not advised right now. The road has some serious drifts and the cell phone service is spotty at best, not a place you want to get stuck!!

Grey Reef- 500 CFS- As always the most consistent fishery we have. fishing has been good and there has hardly been anyone around. Most days you can have to the river to yourself! Nymphing has been solid with Macgruber Midges, Mayhem Midges, Brassies, Scuds, Pine Squirrel Leeches, Reef Worms, and flash bang midges. Focus on the deep slow tailouts, you might find some fish in faster water when the midges start hatching during the warmest part of the day. Streamers have also been getting ’em. The reef’s Goldie and Rusty Trombone have been our go-to’s. This time of year you really need to slow down your retrieve, the fish won’t want to chase some ripping by them too fast with the colder water temps.

If you have any questions give us a call or stop by the shop everyday from 8-2!

North Platte River Fly Fishing Report

Posted on by AdminTRFS

It’s that time of year again, shoulder season rates are here and the fishing is great! Take advantage of $100 off of full day and 1/2 day trips, discounted lodging and lodging/guided fishing packages! Fishing remains good even after the the temps have dropped a bit. That being said there are plenty of days that have highs in the 50’s and little wind. Those days have had some incredible dry fly action with pods of fish rising all over the place. You can definitely throw a dry at these pods or another way to go is to  put a small streamer on and make one of the big boys come out and snatch it! This weekend’s weather looks pretty nice, good chance to get up here and get some November fishing in!

Fremont/Cardwell-75 CFS- Fishing has been consistently good on the nymph rig, a shorter more suspended rig has been out producing the heavier longer ones. Reef Worms, pheasant tails, macgruber midge, Rs2’s, and leeches are all on the menu. The streamer bite has been good on some days, especially the overcast days. the vegetation is still present but definitely fishable!

Miracle Mile-500 CFS- The Mile has been fishing well even with a lot of pressure, it has been pretty crowded up there. Nymphing is solid with san juans, leeches, scuds,Pat’s Rubber legs, rs2’s, and midges. Swinging streamers is most of what we’ve been doing, the Kreelex, rusty trombone, goldie, and Peanut Envy’s have all been working well. This is true for all three tailwaters but please mind the redds out there, it’s best to just let the fish do their thing!

Grey Reef- 500 CFS- Fishing has been good from the dam to below Casper. Fishing seems to be the best during the warmest part of the day, that’s your best chance of seeing a baetis or pseudo hatch! When you see fish eating on the surface a well placed parachute adams in #18 is all you need. Streamer fishing has been solid as well. Slow swinging the goldie or kreelex in the deeper runs has been the most productive. Our go-to nymphs have been pheasant tails, flashbang midges, macgrubers, reef worms, leeches. and rs2’s!

As always of you have any questions stop by the shop or give us a call!

 

Fall is Here!!! North Platte Fly Fishing Report

Posted on by AdminTRFS

Fall is here and we are loving it (so are the fish)! With the temperature dropping a little bit and getting some more overcast days the streamer bite has definitely picked up. plus, the nymphing and dry fly fishing is still good which makes this is an exciting time to be fishing! October and November have some awesome fishing opportunities with big fish, low and clear water, and  hardly any crowds. We are starting to see some brown trout Redds out there, be mindful of where you are wading and please don’t target any spawning fish!

Fremont/Cardwell- 75 CFS Fishing has been solid up there with some really nice fish being caught. Nymphing is still the most productive. Top bugs have been Scuds in olive, tan, and orange, Pheasant tails, RS2’s in chocolate, grey, and olive, Macgruber Midge, and the brassie. Make sure to play around with how heavy and deep you’re fishing. Small adjustments can make a big difference! Streamer fishing has also been good, especially in the canyon section. Goldies, Rusty’s, and Near Nuff Sculpins have been our go-to’s.
Miracle Mile- 500 CFS Fishing has been good most days, there are still days where the fishing is slower. Streamer bite has been picking up, mostly slow swinging streamers in the deeper sections of the runs. Rusty trombones, goldies, kreelex, and peanut envy’s have all been getting it done. As far as nymphs go san juan worms in red, purple, and pink, leeches. scuds, pheasant tails, uv emergers, rs2’s, and mayhem midges.
Grey Reef- East of Casper- 500 CFS The river has been fishing well from the Dam all the way to below Casper. There is more vegetation in the river the closer you are to Grey Reef Dam. The fishing is still good you just have to focus your efforts on the moving water and channels in between the weeds and in the bigger runs. Fish a little heavier and deeper on the upper section and lighten and shorten up the further downstream you get. Pheasant tails, RS2’s, barr’s emergers, hare’s ears, big bear beatis, mayhem midge, leeches and scuds have been the top flies. There are rising fish out there, more so in the afternoons. A well placed #18-20 Parachute Adams in grey or purple has been fooling them.
As always if you have any questions stop by the shop or give us a call!

Dry Fly Time is HERE!

Posted on by AdminTRFS

Fishing has been great the past couple of weeks here on the North Platte, fish are as happy and healthy as ever! Flows have dropped down a bit and that has only seemed to make the dry fly fishing better! This time of year has some awesome fishing opportunities, wading, and in the boat but the best thing is the lack of crowds.

Fremont- 75 CFS- Fishing has been awesome ever since the flow drop and the fish are charged up! Nymphing is consistent all day with mayhem midges, rs2’s, pheasant tails, prince nymphs, tung teasers and hare’s ears. The dry fly thing has been a fun way to to get them though, tricos in the morning with patterns like GS trico spinner, rusty spinner, and a parachute adams, Hoppers in the afternoon with godzilla hopper, pink pookie, and the water walker and Caddis in the evening with elk hair caddis, x caddis, and galloup’s goober caddis! Look for risers, get the right angle on them and try to make a cast that lands just in front of their nose.

Miracle Mile- 1,000 CFS The water is tanic colored but that hasn’t affected the fishing, it’s still the normal miracle mile, great some days and not so great on others. Our top producers have been san juan worms, prince nymphs, tung teasers, mayhem midges, and pheasant tails. Try throwing some streamers if some cloud cover shows up. Black Peanut envy, rusty trombone, and the articulated goldie are our favorites.

Grey Reef-Casper 2,200 CFS Big fish looking up! The trico thing is picking up more steam everyday, now we are seeing good pods of fish rising to the spinner fall instead of just single risers out there. The podded up fish are by far more catchable! We’ve been throwing parachute adams in #16-18 with a trico 24″ behind that. GS trico spinner or the two wing trico have been go-tos. After the trico fish are done eating we have been switching to hoppers, more-or-less hopper in tan, goldenrod, or pink, the pink pookie, godzilla hopper, south fork chernobyl, and yeti hopper are all getting them! Nymphing has been solid too with prince nymphs, pheasant tails, PALs, rs2’s, leeches and still some reef worms. You can go a little deeper and heavier towards grey reef dam and shorter and lighter the closer you get to Casper.

 

As always if you have any questions you can stop by the shop or give us a call!

Glory Days of Summer- North Platte Fly Fishing Report

Posted on by AdminTRFS

Finally feels like summer is here, we’re happy and so are the fish! You can find fish with dries, streamers and nymphs right now! With stable flows and clear cold water we have been making the most out of this summer. Also with flows at 3,000 on the Reef  the fish are becoming more bank oriented, that combined with warm temps mean we might be in for some killer hopper fishing!

Miracle Mile – 4,000 CFS The stonefly hatch has been winding down but there are still plenty of fish that are willing to eat a dry fly. Golden stoneflies can live up to two weeks out of the water after they hatch. Best times to really see some surface activity is early in the morning or late at night. We’ve been using water walkers, chubbies. and the dog puke stone for dries. Nymphing has still been the most productive method out there, Leeches, pat’s rubber legs, san juan worms, prince nymphs, poxyback PMD’s, and rs2’s have all been getting ’em. Try to find the slowest water you can that’s near faster water and you should find some fish. You don’t have to go super deep either, try a shorter but heavy rig to catch those fish on the seams and edges.

Fremont- 900 CFS Don’t let the higher flows scare you off, the fishing is still good up there. Birds nest, rs2’s ,PALs, and mayhem midges have been working, but the real winner up there has been the worm. San Juans in various colors and reef worms have been the ticket. Also always keep a hopper in mind this time of year, especially at higher flows with water up in the grass.

Grey Reef- Casper 3,000 CFS Fishing has been great lately, especially in the morings. Just because the flows are higher does NOT mean you have to fish deeper and heavier. 3-6 ft indicator to weight and 1 bb up to 2 AB’s has been our weight.Pheasant tails, Barr’s emergers, poxyback pmds, prince nymphs, PAL’s, san juans and leeches have all been good!  Hoppers have been getting some attention, it’s not hot and heavy yet but there are some fish willing to take one.

 

As always of you have any questions stop by the shop or give us a call at 307-232-9128

No Runoff Here! North Platte Fly Fishing Report

Posted on by AdminTRFS

One of the advantages of being a tailwater is that we don’t experience runoff like a freestone river, while our flows may get high in the summer the water is still clean and cold. All three tailwater sections of the Platte around Alcova are fishing great, wading and out of the boat! Even when the water does start to come up later this year we have awesome opportunities to catch fish in some really fun water.

Miracle Mile- 4,000 CFS Don’t let this flow fool you, there are still plenty of great wade fishing options at the mile. The water is clear, cold, and looking great. We are just on the cusp of the golden stonefly hatch, big fish on big bugs! Having some higher flows can make for the perfect storm of pushing fish over to the edges and banks right where the stoneflies are crawling over to hatch. Dry dropper rigs can work really well try fishing Chubby Cheronobyls, trina’s dog puke stone, and water walkers for dries. Pat’s rubber legs, BH 20 inchers, and halfbacks are all great droppers or just fishing those with a san juan worm under an indicator can be a lot of fun as well!

Fremont- 75 CFS- The fishing has been good, especially sight nymphing to those big fish. Grab a buddy and go down the canyon, one person spots a fish and the other tries to catch them. Dry dropper rigs work well for that or mini nymph rigs. Parachute adams or elk hair caddis for the dry flies and rs2’s, prince nymphs, pheasant tails, poxyback PMD’s, and barr’s emergers for the nymphs.

Grey Reef- 1200 CFS- The upper section is looking good and fishing well. There are some feeder creeks bringing in some dirty water below Government Bridge, so it’s best to stick to the upper 12 miles. Leeches, scuds, prince nymphs, hare’s ears, all day mays, PAL’s, and rs2’s have been our top producers. We’re finding most of the fish concentrated on drop offs and shelves, which makes for great wade fishing!

As always if you have any questions stop by the shop everyday from 7:00-6:00 or give us a call at 307-232-9128.