Fishing - Four Rivers
Four Great Rivers
By Sean Stevens
Blue ribbon trout waters encompass famous Jackson Hole Wyoming, creating a mecca for fly-fishermen and women willing to test their skills on some of the finest trout waters in the country. Pick a river and get ready for an adventure! Information in this article was gratefuly supplied by the folowing individuals; Bruce James, Howard Cole, and Stephen Vletas.
Snake River
The Snake River is one of the few select rivers in the country which is graced with the honor of having its headwaters begin in Yellowstone, our nations oldest and largest national park. There is roughly eighty five miles of blue ribbon trout water waiting for any angler to try his or her skill in catching the rivers predominant species of trout, Wyomings beautiful native Cutthroat.
The river can be broken into eight distinctive sections. Due to the size and length of the Snake, its recommended that the most efficient way to fish the river is to float it either by drift boat or raft. Going with a knowledgeable guide is strongly advised because a professional guide knows the river and can put you where the fish are. Wade fishing is possible but difficult, due to the few access points on the river.
The first and upper section from Lewis river to Jackson Lake fishes well from when it clears in the early summer, through to the early fall when the large Browns make their way up the river from the lake to spawn.
The second section, Jackson Lake to Pacific Creek, is where the river empties out from the lake through Jackson dam. This section of the river consists of smooth slow flat water to almost dead flat water in most areas meaning the fish have more time to inspect your fly. This section is considered a match the hatch section as the trout will most likely be more selective. Attractor patterns such as royal trudes, wulff patterns, and hoppers will still produce, but sometimes the trout in this section might be more finicky.
This section, especially below the dam, is great for wading because it is accessible from the parking area, and there is a long stretch with easy wading terrain.
The third section, Pacific Creek to Deadmans takeout, has a reputation for producing a good number of fish. Attractors work well throughout this section providing you work the banks and holes thoroughly. Wade fishing is possible at both access points, where Pacific Creek meets the Snake, and at the Deadmans parking area.
The fourth section, Deadmans to Moose, is a great section to fish attractors, Trudes, Adams, Muddler trudes, and hoppers. Wade fishing is not common on these sections because of inaccessibility to the river.
The next section, Moose to Wilson, is a section which tends to produce bigger fish. Using an attractor pattern with a beadhead dropper is a great tactic for helping your success.
The sixth section which is now considered the lower part of the river, Wilson to South Park, is probably the most fished stretch of the river. Regardless, the fishing is still productive. Wade fishing is popular by the bridge which crosses over the Snake into Wilson. A road runs along the riverbank for over a mile South of the bridge where you can pull off and fish anywhere on the banks.
The final two sections, South Park to Dog Creek, and Dog Creek to West Table, are much slower and deeper sections to fish. Deep nymphing and moving the fly around will produce the best results. Also, big hoppers on the surface can rise some fish. If you float the last section, beware that you do not miss the takeout at West table because proceeding farther will mean class II whitewater.
Prime time to fish any of these sections is from mid July(usually when the water clears from Spring run- off), through the Fall. Your fishing arsenal should include a nine foot, five or six weight line with leaders tapering down to 4x. The Snake is a great beginners river. Matching the Hatch is not the most important factor for success. Proper presentation and working your flies thoroughly over lies is what will determine your chances on the river. Whether you wade or float, your time on the river will be memorable. The majestic Tetons guard the West bank of the river creating a magnificent back-drop. The Snake is a rare resource which symbolizes beauty in its most natural form; please respect the river and the wildlife surrounding it when you visit.
South Fork
Beginning its journey from Palisades reservoir, the South Fork river, a much larger and heavier flowing river as opposed to the upper Snake, has gained popularity as one of the best fly-fishing rivers in the country. Two factors create a superb fishery, big hatches of big flies and large numbers of big fish. The river opens Memorial day but the season usually gets under way with the beginning of the famous Salmon fly hatch which usually emerges around the start of July. Hovering over the water like convoys of B52s, its no wonder why the fish are as big as they are. Big Cutthroats, Browns, and Rainbows thrive in this river making it a heavenly experience to fish. Because this river is so large, its almost mandatory that you have either a boat or raft to float. Wading is difficult because the river steeply drops off the banks.
The river can be divided up into sections like the Snake. Floating from the Dam to Conant, from Conant to Cottonwood, and from Cottonwood to Poplar are the popular sections which have a reputation for producing outstanding action.
The South Fork is more of a technical river to fish. Matching the hatch becomes necessary in many situations. Dominant hatches are Salmon flies, Golden Stones, Pale Morning Duns, Caddis, and Yellow Sallies. Having imitations of these flies will increase your success rate providing you happen to be on the river when one of these hatches is going off. Attractor patterns also produce, especially hoppers. They always seems to raise a fish or two when nothing in your box will work.
Towards the end of August, the rivers productivity slumps for a short time, but soon picks up with emergence of the Baetis flies in early September when the temperature cools down. Getting into the Fall months, the Browns get into their spawning mode and become aggressive. Your chances for catching a nice three to five pound Brown are best during this time using large wooly buggers and wooly worms with rubber legs.
Traveling to the South Fork is only an hour and thirty minute drive from Jackson. However, you do need a Idaho fishing license to fish the river. Its a scenic river with a large population of big fish meaning it is well worth the short drive for world class fly-fishing.
Henrys Fork
While other rivers are high and muddy during the Spring run-off, meaning unfishable, Henrys Fork runs clear and constant just ninety minutes North West of Jackson. Considered one of the Worlds largest Spring Creeks, it lives up to its reputation as a world class trout stream. With prolific hatches and an enormous number of Rainbows and Cutthroats, the Fork is a special river with qualities so many other rivers cant compare to.
The section from Box Canyon to the Ranch and from the Warm River to Ashton opens on Memorial Day. This is one of the few rivers in the West that can fish well that early in the season. The section from Island Park to the Riverside Campground opens June 15. The river is recognized as being a technical river to fish. With the abundance of huge hatches, the fish have no obligation what so ever to take your fly. Matching the hatch is extremely important, aside from having good casting skills and proper presentation. Stalking your fish, especially big fish is what you should be prepared to do. These fish are not stupid. With a good amount of these fish having been caught and released, they demand long hours of patience and stealth if they are to be caught.
Early season brings upon massive hatches of Salmon Flies, big Stone flies, Green Drakes, and Caddis. Pale Morning Duns are seen on the river around the second to third week of June. Later in the month, The large Green and Brown Drakes make their appearance raising big trout. When July arrives and the days get hotter, the major hatches begin in the early morning and the late day. Small tippets and long leaders are the standard.
The advantage of Henrys Fork is the variations of water. The section from Box Canyon to the Ranch is primarily a good nymph stretch with faster water and many pockets to work your fly. Bead heads always seem to produce action. From the Ranch area down, the water slows and flows steadily creating great dry fly action. This section gets fished fairly heavily because its completely accessible and easy to wade. With this contributing factor, the river tends to crowd fast. Its not uncommon to see a line of fifteen anglers working within a fifty yard stretch. Going on the weekends, the crowds become apparent, but fishing the river on the weekdays, it is noticeably less congested. One of the best times of the season to be on the river is in the fall. The mixture of cool days and the absence of tourists creates superb opportunities for the ambitious angler to have a truly memorable day.
Henrys Fork captures Western fly-fishing in its true essence; beautiful scenery, monster hatches, and the abundance of large trout. When visiting the area, it is strongly recommended to visit the Fork. Purchase an Idaho license and get ready for an unforgettable experience.
Green River
If the Snake still happens to be running muddy in early July, which it usually is, it would be wise to check out the Green River. Flowing out of the Wind River range, the Green makes its way South through Wyoming into Utah. Although the river is quite smaller than the Snake, its reputation of producing nice sized Browns and Rainbows has surpassed other rivers twice its size.
The Green slowly winds its way through high desert terrain leaving great areas for wading as well as floating access. Driving an hour South from Jackson, you encounter a steel bridge formally known as Warren Bridge which crosses the Green. Before crossing the bridge, take a dirt road on the left which follows the river for a few miles where there are twelve access points for fishermen to use.
The river gets a great deal of attention because it has great hatches all through the Summer into Fall. From Golden Stone Hatches to Big Gray Drake hatches in July, a fly-fisherman can have a field day if he or she happens to be there when the river goes off!. July is most often agreed upon as the prime time to fish this beautiful river. This is when the mighty Gray Drake is hatching. Trout cant seem to resist a well drifted Gray Drake over their nose. Yellow Sallies will do the job also. Some flies that work well are Parachute Adams and Stimulators. The hatches usually get under way in the morning and early evening. One factor fishermen should know is that the wind picks up heavily in the late morning and blows hard all afternoon creating a difficult situation for casting and presentation. Getting to the river early will still give you plenty of time to catch numbers of fish.
The rod of choice on the Green is a five or six weight, nine foot set up. The six weight comes in extremely handy when the wind picks up giving you greater power to punch that fly against the wind. There is some pocket water just above the bridge which can produce fish with Yellow Stonefly nymphs. A word to the wise; going below the bridge can spell danger for the unwary angler. Private property lies below the bridge meaning angry landowners unhip to the fact that some person is treading on his turf. Going below the bridge is not possible to wade unless permission is given to you by the landowner. Floating can be done providing no contact with the private property is made. Its recommended to fish with a guide on the Green. Because the river can become technical at times, a professional guide will have the knowledge to help you out and put you into fish.
The Green is a unique river to experience exciting fishing. It has all the characteristics of trophy water with a bounty of trout. The Green also is a nice river to get away from crowds which might congregate on bigger rivers. If you would like to have a chance at a big brown or Rainbow, then the Green is the place to wet your fly.
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