2023 Season Re-Crap


Yeah, wow…2023 was undoubtedly the toughest year for fishing conditions we’ve had in our 25 season existence. That’s right, Trophy Trout Outfitters that operates as North Platte Lodge, The Reef Fly Shop and Pathfinder Outfitters ( our big game hunting operation)  should have been tooting our horn for our 25th season throughout 2023. But we didn’t. More on that in a bit.

Back to the ’23 Grey Reef and Miracle Mile story. The winter of ’22/’23 was pretty good for moisture it just came in weird spurts. In central Wyoming we get a good bit of our water late in the spring. Those late dumps of heavy wet snow in the Snowy and Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges are great. They are 100 miles upstream and above our 5 reservoir system that creates a really good buffer/supplier of trout water 365 days a year. I’m not aware of a better situation than we have, seriously, no runoff and no hoot owl. The wild card is always those heavy snows landing in the Laramie Range and bypassing those 5 reservoirs and mostly the entire 80+ miles of the Grey Reef System. Sounds great, right? Great storage upstream that settles out what most anglers consider runoff…that is, high water combined with a silt load pushing down the ditch on its own free will. And, actual runoff entering the system below our huge fishery. It’s not so simple. There are other reservoirs and a state downstream. These complicate Grey Reef water operations.

We are graced by a great program called the “flushing flows”. It is normally in late March and surges of water for ten days in a row really purge a bunch of silt from critical spawning areas in Grey Reef…it also just makes the river nicer. These aren’t scary purges and lots of folks target the flush as THE time to fish Grey Reef. Whatever. This “excess” water is captured and held in Glendo Reservoir way down stream and is waiting for the call to be sent down for irrigation in a couple months. That’s all fine and dandy until the Laramie Range gets walloped and the runoff from that storm fills Glendo at a rate the Bureau of Reclamation didn’t anticipate. The first move is to reduce flows at Grey Reef, the next nearest and controllable source of water, that takes the burden off of Glendo. Keep in mind that Nebraska doesn’t want that water shipped since they’ve also had good spring moisture or are flooding already. Keep the water as high up in the system as possible! The result of all of this over info is that Grey Reef predictably gets its flows reduced and that exposes the spawning beds to fly angler predation and other sources that basically destroy that year-class of new trout. Is losing a few year class the end of the world? No, this is very common at Grey Reef and a reduction of the trout population would be a great scenario for the quality of fish and fishing but the game and fish play the numbers game over the quality game..and that is a problem for us but maybe good for less adept anglers. Grey Reef needs increasing/higher flows throughout the spawn for recruitment. 2023 had flows reduced throughout the spawn…ok, nothing new, we can work through that. Fishing is still awesome.

Then came the storms. And they came with great consistency. It was the “false summit” scenario from May through October. Every time the river would get back in shape after a gully washer we’d feel like we were going to get to run our normal free-range program of covering tons of water at will then the next storm would hit and the lower portions of the river or roads accessing the target would blow out. Sure we’d get a week of fishing the lower reaches then two weeks of being confined to the true Grey Reef Stretch or the Mile. 20 boats piling into the after bay…it was a disgusting display. Then the hatches would get rolling just to get plowed by another round of less than ideal river conditions. The anticipation of our dry fly season starting in mid July ( not including the Golden Stones in late June – early July…that was still very good) and getting to fish a bunch more water downstream keeps guide moral high and is what many of our guest have come to love about the summer and fall program. Central Wyoming couldn’t catch a break. It was ten seasons worth of water issues dog piled on Grey Reef in ’23.

Poor us, ha! The reality is that despite the rains we had a really good season when put in perspective. Our old adage is true “a tough day here is better than a good day on most fisheries”. We always have high quality fisheries available nearby and our guides and guest made the most of them when they wanted to see something other than Upper Grey Reef or the Mile. Some awesome fish caught in places that most don’t know or wouldn’t attempt. Our many private boat ramps kept us out of the mix as much as possible and the resourcefulness of the guide crew unmatched. Our guests seemed to still have a great time, the fact that you’ve rebooked for 2024 suggests that. Thank you…THANK YOU!

Mixed emotions, self reflection, relationships dwindling and new forming all contributed to a roller coaster of a year. Celebration dialed in just a bit lower than self pity so we figured we’d wait out the season and celebrate completing 25 years. This aligns with our urgently patient approach we take every single day. Here we are slapping ourselves on the back for making it through 25 years and not selling our souls or gaslighting our guests to do it. Let’s Party!

Back On Track


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Well, we officially have one turbine back up and running! Woohoo!!! Water temperatures are back to normal(56F this morning on Grey Reef) and things are looking up.

GREY REEF: 2,200cfs. Water is fishable from Grey Reef Dam to Chalk Bluff. Still off-color below Bates Creek. Tricos, PMDs, sallies and caddis are all on the menu.

FREMONT CANYON: 82cfs and holding steady. Starting to see tricos in the morning and the fish are showing some interest.

MIRACLE MILE: Flows have reduced to 1,750cfs. We’ve hit the height of the golden stone hatch and adult numbers are slowly going down. Definitely getting a few on top but the fish seem to prefer a drowned adult or a Pat’s rubber legs. We are also seeing a good number of PMDs and the fish have been eating those as well.

Water Temps


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Well, if you haven’t heard, we have a little bit of a water temperature issue on Grey Reef. A couple of days ago BOTH turbines at Alcova Dam had issues and had to be shut down. What does this mean? The water now coming out of Alcova is coming off the spillway which is more or less surface lake water. Our guide crew has been diligent about taking temps and this is where we are currently at…64F-65F at Grey Reef Dam this morning. Yesterday afternoon temperatures at Lusby hit 70F. Our latest report says that they are expecting to have one turbine back up and running by early next week, which would immediately start drawing colder water off the bottom of Alcova. That should obviously start to lower the temperatures and put us back where we need to be.

GREY REEF: 2,200cfs. We advise only floating the upper and float early. Do not take fish out of the water for pictures. Fight them fast and keep them in the net. Minimize contact, please!

FREMONT CANYON: 82cfs and holding steady. Starting to see tricos in the morning and the fish are showing some interest.

MIRACLE MILE: Flows have reduced to 2,000cfs. We’ve hit the height of the golden stone hatch and adult numbers are slowly going down. Definitely getting a few on top but the fish seem to prefer a drowned adult or a Pat’s rubber legs. We are also seeing a good number of PMDs and the fish have been eating those as well.

Trending In The Right Direction


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Email us at: info@thereefflyshop.com

 

*PURCHASE YOUR FISHING LICENSE ONLINE BEFORE YOU ARRIVE*

Sloanes General Store is no longer selling licenses and we will not be able to keep up with the demand so PLEASE get your licenses before you get here. Thank you!

 https://wgfd.wyo.gov/apply-or-buy

We are finally starting to dry out a little in Central Wyoming. Thankful for the rain but happy to see a little more warmth and sunshine. We might be the only part of the country singing that tune right now. Flows, conditions and bugs are all trending in the right direction, so here’s to summer. The back half should be a good one!!

GREY REEF: Flows have bumped up to 2,000cfs and water conditions on the upper are good and improving a little everyday. We are hoping this bump will continue to help conditions downstream. Nymphing is staying consistent with more PMDs, sallies and caddis popping everyday. We are even seeing a hoppers hit the water and a few fish are starting to look up.

FREMONT CANYON: 82cfs and holding steady. Starting to see tricos in the morning and the fish are showing some interest.

MIRACLE MILE: Flows have reduced to 2,000cfs. We’ve hit the height of the golden stone hatch and adult numbers are slowly going down. Definitely getting a few on top but the fish seem to prefer a drowned adult or a Pat’s rubber legs. We are also seeing a good number of PMDs and the fish have been eating those as well.

Sweet, Sweet Summertime


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*PURCHASE YOUR FISHING LICENSE ONLINE BEFORE YOU ARRIVE*

Sloanes General Store is no longer selling licenses and we will not be able to keep up with the demand so PLEASE get your licenses before you get here. Thank you!

 https://wgfd.wyo.gov/apply-or-buy

 

Well, it’s officially starting to feel like summer around here. After arguably the coolest and wettest start to a summer, we might actually be heating up this week. For the first time in 2023, we might hit 90F. Flows continue to hold steady on all three North Platte tailwaters. Conditions on Grey Reef continue to improve and we are starting to see some sallies and PMDs. We’ve even had a handful of our guides and guests pick up a few fish on hoppers. The golden stones are coming a little bit more into play on the Miracle Mile. Our crew has seen some adults and have been doing well on nymphs. We’ve managed to put a fair amount of water in reservoirs this spring and summer. At this point we have not heard as to when Grey Reef will see an increase in flows. As always, we will let you know if we hear anything!

GREY REEF: 1,000cfs. Fishable water from Grey Reef Dam to Government Bridge. Conditions are improving downstream and we are starting to float lower.

FREMONT CANYON: 80cfs. Mostly clear.

MIRACLE MILE: 2,800cfs. Clear. Road conditons to the Mile are dry but very rough in spots.

Belated Happy 4th


*PURCHASE YOUR FISHING LICENSE ONLINE BEFORE YOU ARRIVE*

Sloanes General Store is no longer selling licenses and we will not be able to keep up with the demand so PLEASE get your licenses before you get here. Thank you!

 https://wgfd.wyo.gov/apply-or-buy

First things first, we hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable 4th of July! It was shockingly cool here in Central Wyoming for the 4th. Temperatures hovered around the mid 50s most of yesterday, with lows in the 40s. Definitely not your typical July weather! Long range forecast shows us warming up and going into more of a summer pattern. Enough about the weather, let’s talk about river conditions and fishing…

GREY REEF: 1,000cfs. Mostly clear from Grey Reef Dam to Lusby. Fishing continues to be good in the water you can fish. Conditions downstream of Lusby are improving. We would expect a bump in flows at some point which should help with the downstream water conditions. It’s kinda crazy to say but we are still seeing baetis on Grey Reef…

FREMONT CANYON: 72cfs. Mostly clear.

MIRACLE MILE: 3,000cfs. Clear and stable. Fishing has been good. Fish have been keying in on the golden stone nymphs and we  have been seeing some adults.

 

 

 

Updated River Conditions


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Sloanes General Store is no longer selling licenses and we will not be able to keep up with the demand so PLEASE get your licenses before you get here. Thank you!

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After another round of rain yesterday and through the night, here’s where we are at. Grey Reef flows dropped to 1,000cfs last night. Why? Glendo Reservoir is now at 94.5% capacity and it’s about to get another big jolt in the next 24-36 hrs with all of the runoff making its way downstream. The water coming out of Alcova is getting better…off-colored but green. Grey Reef is still blown out and more or less, unfishable. Fremont Canyon is in pretty good shape and holding steady at 80cfs. The Mile is clear and holding steady at 2,800cfs. The road is in pretty rough shape so plan on spending some money at the car wash. With the low pressure system starting to make its way out we are expecting conditions to improve day by day.

Blown Out


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Sloanes General Store is no longer selling licenses and we will not be able to keep up with the demand so PLEASE get your licenses before you get here. Thank you!

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Apologies for the delayed report, it’s been a little hectic around here. Well, if you haven’t seen photos or videos on social media you’re probably not aware of our situation. It’s been a REALLY wet year in Wyoming and in the last week mother nature stepped it up another notch. In our 25 years of being out here, we’ve never seen moisture like this. Multiple creeks and arroyos ran at near biblical proportions, blowing out nearly half of Alcova reservoir. Something we have never seen. Obviously that has really impacted Grey Reef.  So…here’s an updated conditions report for you folks!

GREY REEF: 1,200cfs. As of 8:00am this morning we have around 12″ of visibility at Grey Reef Dam. Visibility diminishes as you go downstream. Zero visibility at Government Bridge. This should only improve if we dry out.

FREMONT CANYON: 80cfs. Mostly clear.

MIRACLE MILE: 2,850cfs. The Mile is clear but road conditions to and from have been fairy treacherous as you would expect. Use caution.

 

Welcome to June


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Well, it’s been a pretty nice start to June. Cool, wet weather has made it pretty pleasant and Central Wyoming looks nothing short of spectacular. Green and wildflowers, the prairie is alive! Granted the wet weather pattern we seem to be in has messed with the lower river clarity, it sure is nice to see the reservoirs on the rise. As if the fishing hasn’t been good enough, we are really excited to see what the summer brings.

GREY REEF: 1,200cfs Grey Reef dropped down to 1,200cfs early this morning. A somewhat unexpected drop, we are nice and clear up top. We have fishable water from Grey Reef Dam to just upstream of Government Bridge. Our team expects conditions to improve if we can dodge the big thunderstorms. Grey Reef has been buggy! Baetis and midges, not gonna lie, it has been a whole lot of fun.

MIRACLE MILE: 2,775cfs Flows on the Miracle Mile continue to hold steady, we haven’t seen a move on flows in well over a month. Fishing has been good, not great but good. Road conditions have been impacted by the weather, so watch the radar.

FREMONT CANYON: 72cfs Low and clear. A little crowded as you would expect but fishing pretty well from what we are hearing from our customers.

What to fish? Leeches, worms(San Juan), reef worms, baetis and midge patterns. But we’re not too far out from PMD movement on Grey Reef and golden stones on the Miracle Mile, so…

Going Up


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Sloanes General Store is no longer selling licenses and we will not be able to keep up with the demand so PLEASE get your licenses before you get here. Thank you!

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First things first, Grey Reef is on the rise. Flows as of this morning are 1,500cfs coming out of Grey Reef Dam. For those of your wondering, 1,500cfs is pretty sweet level for Grey Reef, from both a floating and wading standpoint. At this point we aren’t expecting another bump but really who knows, so we are going to enjoy this level while we have it.

GREY REEF: 1,500cfs. Clear from Grey Reef Dam to Lusby. Cloudy downstream due to the bump in flows. Water conditions should only improve in the next few days.

FREMONT CANYON: 72cfs. Mostly clear.

MIRACLE MILE: 2,800cfs. Clear. The Mile continues to hold steady at this flow but we are expecting flows to bump at some point.

If you are here or headed this way make sure to pack leech, midge and baetis(BWO) patterns. We should start nearing the end of baetis on Grey Reef and start making our way towards PMDs, sallies and caddis.

Lastly we hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend! Remembering all of those the made the ultimate sacrifice…