# Where to fish? 3 day trip



## FlyGuy

Hey Ya'll
I'm looking for some advice one where to fish. On short notice a friend is coming up from out of state and we are fishing for 3 days this week starting Tuesday. We are both very experienced, have access to a drift boat and are willing to travel. Just curious if anyone has herd to steller fishing somewhere in the intermountain west?

Things I have though about, fishing all sections of the green, or at least maybe doing A then B then A or B again. 

Heading up to Henry's and fishing below Vernon, Warm Water, the Box, then continue fishing what section was the best.

Maybe the Southfork of the Snake?

I would love to hit th North Platte, but it's a little farther then we want to drive, but if it's the best fishing maybe we will head there.

Those are the waters I'm the most familiar with, but I am open to learning something new, maybe Montana?

Any suggestions are appreciated! Thanks!


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## wyoming2utah

Personally, if'n I had three days to fish, I would skip the Green, the South Fork, or the Henry's and I probably wouldn't even take the drift boat! But, that's just me...


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## FlyGuy

And go where? My friend hasn't fished anywhere out west and never from a drift boat so I thought it would be fun, but I'm open to suggestions, if you want to give them!


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## wyoming2utah

The Green below Flaming Gorge, the South Fork of the Snake, and the Henry's Fork are the poster children for fly fishing in the West....someone who has never been out here would probably love all three of those waters. And, this time of year at the Green usually provides some pretty good dry fly fishing...

Personally, though, I would avoid the crowds....I love the smaller streams that Utah and Wyoming offer. If I had three days, I would probably hit Sand Creek and/or Boulder Creek off the Hogsback (maybe even Calf Creek), the East Fork of the Sevier in Black Canyon, and probably the Fremont in the Bicknell Bottoms. But, again, that is just me....

Or, if I wanted to hit some stillwaters, I would probably hit Minersville, and then drive East to the Boulder and start checking out some of the good lakes on the mountain for some ice-out action on splake or brook trout.


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## Catherder

FWIW, the Green has been fishing well of late and would be a good place to take your drift boat, especially if your buddy has never been there. 

It doesn't sound like you could go wrong with any of the listed options though.


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## GaryFish

I live on the South Fork between Twin Bridges and Lorenzo. It is running high right now and has all kinds of junk in the river. Run off has started, and release for irrigation has started. Water is a bit murky. It may be better higher up above Heise, but it is a rough fish right now. 

Henry's Fork is running better. I was over at Chester on Friday and it looks pretty good in the stretch between Chester and Fun Farm. I didn't check it out higher up, but Island Park did get snow over the weekend. 

Warm River is at real nice flows right now - I fished a really nice, thick caddis hatch at the camp ground on Friday. Some guys were launching their drift boats just below that. It is running really nice. 

Hopefully this is helpful. There are no crowds at all on the South Fork or Henry's right now. You'd have them to yourself for the most part.


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## spencerD

I had a blast on the Fryingpan River in February. The rainbows out there should be extra aggressive since we're close to the spawn. That's a gorgeous river, and if it's not fishing too well, the Roaring Fork is nearby. The crowds might be an issue, but there's always Reudi Reservoir above, you could go out on that. 

If Colorado is too far (that drive takes 5-6 hours) you can't go wrong with exploring the Sevier and other little rivers in that area. They're all fishing pretty well right now.


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## GaryFish

For a drive, you might consider the Missouri River near Craig, Montana. GREAT drift boat fishing. It is tailwater below Holter Dam, so it doesn't get messed up with spring flows like some other rivers right now. GREAT brown and rainbow fishery - one big riffle. It could certainly keep a couple guys busy for three days. Once you find a pod of fish rising, you'll be entertained for a few hours. Caddis are hatching already. BWOs are on, and always midges on that river. It is about 7 hours from SLC. Well worth it though.


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## c3hammer

The Bighorn in Montana is always amazing. Huge drive, but there is nothing like 8000 fish per mile. I'm leaving to do this again on Friday !!!!





Another odd duck that can be super cool is the Owyhee in Oregon just west of Caldwell, Idaho. It's running super low, so you want to fish it mid week and stay away on the weekends when the fish all get spooked down.





Cheers,
Pete


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## goonsquad

An out of stater with access to a drift boat pretty much MUST hit the green especially mid week. There won't be crowds. Where else you going to go, the PROVO???


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## Packfish

I live on the South Fork between Twin Bridges and Lorenzo

one a my fav stretches to float.


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## FlyGuy

Thanks for all the suggestions! It sounds like we will have fun no matter what direction we head!


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## GaryFish

FWIW - I was over at Twin Bridges on the South Fork of the Snake last night again. The river is really high and murky, with lots of logs floating in the river. Pretty hazardous to float right now.


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## martymcfly73

Go to the North Platte around Casper Wy. Especially if you have a boat. Best fishery this time of year of the ones you named IMO. It's not any farther than the locations you named and it's all freeway. 5-6 hr drive.


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## blackdog

Packfish and/or Garyfish, the Loranzo boat ramp going to open anytime soon?


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## GaryFish

The old Lorenzo boat ramp right on the north side of the river, and that whole fishing access - between Bear World and the River, is permanently closed.

A new ramp was built last fall just a little bit downstream, and on the south side of the river. 



__ https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=754595871242985&id=155878324448079



You can see the new ramp on Google Map Satellite image if you zoom in. BLM shows that the new ramp opened up last fall.
http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/media_center/newsroom/2014/october/new_lorenzo_boat_access.html


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## MuscleWhitefish

I think the Green or the North Platte. The Miracle Mile is probably as close as some of the destinations that you mentioned. 

SLC,UT - Evanston, Wy 1 hr 

Evanston, Wy - Sinclair, Wy 3 hr

Sinclair, Wy - Miracle Mile 1 hr

5 hours

SLC, Ut - Island Park , ID 4 hr

4 Hours

SLC, Ut - Dutch John, Ut 3.8 hr

3 Hours 40 minutes

SLC, Ut - Missoula, Mt 7 hours

7 hours

SLC, Ut - Caldwell, Id 

5 hours

With the spring whether I would look at places with controlled flows, because murky water makes fly fishing a little tough.


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## blackdog

Thanks Gary. Last time I floated that section was right after that kid died there last year. Had no idea they were building a new ramp. Been driving past the old one going to IP for the last 2 months and was wondering what was going on.


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## GaryFish

For the new ramp, you get off Highyway 20 at the Menan exit, and then go to the west side of the highway and the frontage road will take you right to it, on the south side of the river. It is a pretty nice set up really. Much nicer than the old ramp.


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## wyogoob

I'm thinking the Green below Flaming Gorge Dam over any place in Wyoming. There would be less people from Utah there too.

.


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## blackdog

Checked out the new ramp last night. The ramp and parking lot look real nice, and there isn't even a giant boulder at the bottom of this ramp. ?

Unfortunately the sheriff was there looking for a body. A drift boat got swamped above Byington and someone drowned. I think they were from Utah.


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## GaryFish

Yea. Bummer happened over the weekend.
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=34787787&ni...-boat-overturns-in-idaho-river&s_cid=queue-15

Another was lost on the Henry's Fork up by Sugar City as well. 
http://www.localnews8.com/news/Person-dies-after-canoe-capsizes-in-Salem-area/33212078

That's a rough way to start the summer.


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## stillhuntin

Really super video Pete. Among the best I've ever seen.


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## c3hammer

I told them they should have taken the road trip to Montana and hit the Horn. The best dry fly fishing I've ever had in over 40 years of fly fishing 

Here's some of the action from this years trip.





Cheers,
Pete


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## GaryFish

Nice video. Looks like a great trip. Some real brutes over on the Bighorn.


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## willfish4food

Loved the video c3. There was a lot of amazing footage there. I particularly liked the segment at 3:40ish never seen so many rises caught on film that close to a fish making such a ruckus. I also like the close up takes at 8:00ish. Thanks for posting that up!


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## Packfish

Floated Twin Bridges to the new take out at Lorenzo- they call it a 4 hour float- that's if you never stop and deep water nymph the whole way- I was close to double that- stopping on a few gravel bars - fishing some side channels and having lunch- caught some decent fish though- maybe 8 nice cuts and a bunch of smaller ones with a couple of browns thrown in. Brother did well swinging soft hackles. New ramp is pretty nice- they did take out the docks at twin - which at least one was a hazard if you were trying to take out there- it takes a little bit to hit that right and get in there and if you don't you are going down to Lorenzo. Usually don't see many boats on that section- a lot has to do with I always put in early and the guides don't normally put in until 10. There were 22 rigs in the parking lot when we pulled out so it must have been a train of boats behind us. Flows were at 9500 having dropped from 13,500 over a week or so. Probably won't go back up until fall and the waters drop and fish some BWO action. Did try a new line- basically a soft hackle swinging line- very nice- super easy to cast- actually can stand and have your back almost against a wall and still just snap out 35 ft effortlessly.


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