Grays Reef in Alcova, Wyoming

The water was low (500 cfs), the moss was high. The fish are large and plentiful.

We had success on a three nymph rig using at least 2 pheasant tails. I was using #18 flashbacks and Dave was using small regular PTs. We also caught fish on small #22 red midges, and barr’s emergers should also work. Dave caught a large rainbow on my yellow/brown woolly bugger. We heard that olive scuds worked near the dam. Brown leech with orange bead head supposedly worked too. Tricos and BWOs were coming off in large numbers. Dave picked up a bunch of fish in the evening.

Talk to Art with the Gray Reef Outfitters:

22222 West Gray Reef Road
Alcova, Wyoming 82620
Phone: (307) 232-9128

We also spoke with a guide named Ryan who offered for us to follow him and watch how he cuts the upper eddy and fish the inside seam. Dave has his card.

North Platte Lodge
(307) 232-9128
Nplatlodge@aol.com

There is a gas station with cabin rentals called Sloanes in Alcova that has boxed lunches and sets up shuttles. Yolanda will hook you up.

General Info:
Gray Reef to Lusby (approximately 9 miles).

Gray Reef is a tailwater section of the North Platte River drainage, located in central Wyoming, 30 minutes from Casper. The section from Gray Reef to Lusby has been a known classified Blue Ribbon fishery for several years. Flows on this section vary depending upon the season and snow pack in the mountains. Trout in this section average between 16” to 20” and can be as large as six pounds. The fishing in the river is mainly nymphing and streamers with some dry fly action. This section of the river is mainly private with limited public access and can only be fished from a boat; hence there is very little anchoring; due to the access and land ownership laws in the state of Wyoming.

We are very proud of the Wyoming Fly Casters for pursuing the spring and fall flushing flows, as well as, the one fish (one fish over 20”) regulation, which has brought trout populations from 500 fish per mile to 4,000 fish per mile in the last five years

Contacts:
North Platte Anglers
(307) 472-9190
flyfishpdk@earthlink.net
PO Box 31
Alcova, WY
82620

Platte River Fly Shop
7400 Alcova Hwy 220
Casper, Wyoming 82604
307-237-5997
platterat@aol.com
Open until 6:00 PM (25 miles outside of Alcova on the way to Casper)

The Wyoming Road Report
(307) 772-0824
http://www.wyoroad.info/highway/conditions/Dist2.html

Gray Reef Links
Report: http://www.anglerguide.com/wyoming/index.cfm?TR_ID=119
Report: http://shop.flyfishing.about.com/fishing_rep/8/1/248.htm
Water flow: http://www.usbr.gov/gp-bin/hydromet_dayplt.pl?gdwy&q_i
Water flow: http://www.usbr.gov/gp-bin/arcweb_grar.pl
Weather: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/data/forecasts/WYZ020.php?warncounty=WYC025&city=Alcova
Original Patterns: http://www.wyomingflyfishing.com/flies.html
Site: http://www.grayreefangler.com/
Site: http://www.northplatteanglers.com/
Site: http://www.wyomingflyfishing.com/
Road Conditions: http://www.wyoroad.info/highway/conditions/Dist2.html


Hot Patterns:
From Platte River Fly Shop (Stacy) on 4/14/04
Midges: black & brown #18-#20
Baetis Nymphs: PT (flashback, bead head, and plain)
Baetis Dries: Parachute Adams #18-#20
Eggs: all colors
San Juan Worms: red
Streamers: cream & black (dead drifted or thrown at rising fish)

Miscellaneous
Tippet: 3X & 4X

Maps

Taylor Reservoir and Upper Taylor River

We camped and fished with Glenn, Sharon, and Dennis Sneed. It was Sharon & Glenn’s maiden voyage in Ester (their 1984 Toyota/Savannah camper). Nicole came along and had a great time.

We belly boated the reservoir on Saturday and caught a number of rainbows on difference buggers. I landed one Brown on a black bugger.

Jack started landing large Mackinaw in the inlet of the reservoir on a Grizzly and Black bugger. We all bogarted his hole and began catching many Mackinaw on different buggers. I was most successful on my yellow/brown bugger.

Saturday I was using my TNT (Thomas & Thomas) 3wt with floating line using a 3/0 and having to wait for a 10 or 15 count. Sunday I used my TNT 6wt with a sink tip.

The Mackinaw move up into the inlet in the morning and afternoon/evenings and move out to the point during the day. They are only around these areas in the fall when they go to spawn.

Mike says he usually catches big browns in the 5-6 pound range in the late fall. They weren’t moving yet…

Colorado River near Pumphouse

We spoke to Kevin at Fly Fishing Outfitters and got the skinny on that water. We walked up from Pumphouse about 1-1/2 miles total up into Gore Canyon. We fished with black copperjohns, hares ears early and picked up a few browns in the runs. Then we switched to dries and caught them on a small stimulator and a “fruit fly” which had wings like a royal wulff but had a orange-ish/pink-ish body. Need to get the name of this fly and learn to tie it. It also worked on browns on the upper Taylor River above Taylor Res.

Dries were really coming off in the evening.

Dave ended up in the doghouse for this trip but it was worth it.

Cimmaron Creek near Taos

We caught a few small trout on dries and beadheads. The dogs enjoyed themselves. The Cimmaron is a nice little creek.

Alaska - Ptarmigan Creek

The last two days of fishing were spectacular. We all caught a ton of fish and a few that were taped at 20”. There weren’t as many reds in the water so that was cool. I still managed to land a couple of big reds on my 3-wt T-n-T. One of the reds actually bit me. He got a hold of my Gore-Tex jacket collar.

Once Matt was fishing up river from me and I hooked and landed my fish. His fish ran down river and I netted his fish with my fish still in the net. Another time, I hooked a fish and it ran down to Matt. He was trying to land my fish as his fish ran all over the place. It looked like he was dancing.

Another time, I hooked a dolly and fought it for a bit, then it through the hook which proceeded to snag a red. I had this red on for a bit until it shook the hook which proceeded to snag another red. Three fish in one cast!

Eddy hooked fish on the train trestle and ran down the embankment to land them. It was getting ridiculous how many times we hooked up. The fishing was great!

Alaska - Quartz Creek

We headed to Troutfitters from the Quartz Creek campground at about 7:30 AM. We spoke with a few of the folks there and they recommended fishing Quartz Creek. We replenished the beads with some of the hot “patterns” that they recommended and headed for the creek. We geared up and started fishing. Mike got into fish immediately as did Eddy, Matt, and myself. Matt landed a gorgeous fish that was sporting it’s spawning colors. We all regrouped with bead color, weight, leader setup, etc. It was a great day. The fish were plentiful and we all enjoyed ourselves.

A few days later
We decided to fish Quartz Creek again after struggling with the Russian Rainbows and Anchor Silvers. We parked off the main highway and started to suit up when a guy drove up and warned that he just spotted a large grizzly in the vicinity. We were all on guard.

We split up into pairs and all caught some great fish. Matt nailed a couple of great fish this day. I hooked a huge dolly that must have exceeded 24”. Fought it for a few minutes, and Matt and I chased it through 4 log jams before it broke me off. It was a real thrill.