Ok, I am planning a trip out west for two weeks the last week of May. I live in Upstate SC. I have done a little research but can not pinpoint where I should stop off and do a little fishing.
I have a pretty tight schedule (wife and I) the first week but from Saturday May 30th thru Saturday June 6th, I can be pretty flexible.
We will be visiting the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, then on to Cody up to that point. After Dody, the plan is to head back to Denver, where we catch our flight home Saturday the 6/6. I was thinking of stopping a place or two between Cody, Wy and Colorado Springs where I would have an opportunity to either fly fish or us a spinning outfit to catch trout. I was looking at the central part of Wyoming or possibly waiting to head closer to Denver. (we want to visit Rocky Mountain NP and possibly Black Hawk for the casinos). Again, we can stay as long as we want in any of these areas so I would greatly appreciate any suggestions my western friends could make.
I am not looking for any honey-hole info (of course if one of you wanted to meet me somewhere, that would work just fine) just looking to be headed in a general direction so I can keep from going in blind and possibly save some time while I am out there.

Thanks in advance to anyone who replies.

Jeff in SC

Well you are going to be right in the middle of spring run off. High and cold water. I would look at Col Frying Pan. Or dam controled Tail waters. I like to my trout fishing out west, after labor day. Good water levels, plenty of trout, no crowds and cheap motel rates.

pondhopper,

give North Fork Anglers a call in Cody. They fish the North and South Fork as well as the mainstrean of the Shoshone. Also Clark's Fork and some of the Monster lakes waters. That time of yeart some of the rivers have closed sections but there is plenty of water available. Ask as well about the Grey Bull-- super cutts. The Big Horn Mountains, about an hour east also have some dandy waters.

Thanks for the info. I will give North Fork a call. I have never been in Wyoming and Cody is a stopping point that I never thought about fishing. I was thinking I would need to be a little further South in Wyoming or on into Colorado. Again, forgive my ignorance of the area.
Also, if anyone would rather PM me than reply to this topic, I would appreciate it. I am still in the final planning stages so I am open to any suggestions that might be a good option.

Jeff

I'll have to go with the earlier post. Spring runoff is gonna kick your butt. However, if you do as reccomended and look for controlled tailwaters, or some lake fishing, you might pan out well.
I know I used to knock 'em dead on the Madison in May on Caddis and hardware, and it is a pretty controlled flow in the lower reaches....
Likewise to reiterate the earlier post, I go all out with my fishing after labor day...best time of year.Soooo, if you ever get your druthers....Good Luck!
Ingwe

Biggest fish on the Taylor River are caught about now. It's a mysis shrimp fed river.

http://www.rmgameandfish.com/fishing/trout-fishing/rm_aa054504a/

I know Big Fish Todd pretty well. My son has fished with him quite a bit. He knows how to get those monsters, but I don't know if he guides the Taylor any more.

I might even try Gray Reef above Casper though at that time of the year. I haven't fished it since about 2002, but it was a lot of fun to drift. It's a tailwater fishery where the fish are known to grow an inch a month. You can throw spinners on it, but a lot of it is private. Drifting with a guide is a lot of fun though.

Early enough in May, and the A-Section of the Green River below Flaming Gorge is a good bet as well out of Dutch John is warming up and will have good mayfly hatches. Last time I fished it early, they said it would be all nymphing. A hatch of blue-bodied mayflies came off and I had one stinking fly that matched it. I wore that thing out.

The pic below is on the B Section of the Green after a 3 day camping trip. Great fun!

There are some great little lakes around Rocky Mountain National Park. Look at Lilly Lake for some greenback cuts. Spinney mountain lake west of the Springs for northern pike and big trout. Below spinney the trout have a PHD. Talk to one of the fly shops in the Springs to get a current report on Spinney. If you want to fish moving water head uphill, the higher up the mountain you go the slower the flow will be. It will still be snow! Something very cool is catching grayling in Colorado. Send me a personal e-mai for that one, I don't want that one out on-line! Stock up on some tan elk hair caddis in about a size 16-18 and some BH pheasant tails in 18-20's for trout and BH hairs ear or pheasant tails in 20-24's for grayling. If you fish a fly much bigger than a 16-18 in Colorado, you aren't going to have much luck. I lived up there for a while and sold sporting goods in CO. an WY. for a living. [email protected].

Yes, one will be looking at serious runoff, but there are some spring creeks that show hardly any seasonal change in flow, and lakes that can offer excellent spring fishing. Also, small feeder streams that may have nothing in the summer, can be full of fish in the spring. Really, local knowledge is best, so check with the fly shops along your route.

Great info guys... I am gettign excited about fishing on the trip. I may have to put a spinning rod in the case with the fly rod. Sounds like lake fishing may be an option...

358Norma, I will be in touch for more info in a few weeks. Thanks

Jeff

When you are in Yellowstone you will be in the middle of some of the best fly fishing in the world. The great thing about Yellowstone is there are so many rivers, streams and lakes from which to choose, you might have the best opportunity to avoid runoff problems because of the selection available.

There are some tailwaters in Wyoming that might work. The North Platte near Casper and the Big Horn around Thermoplis.

I think Monster Lake near Cody went completely private.

The Green under Fontenelle will probably be a mess in May. It's generally a mess until September or October.

There are some Pay for Play lakes east on Evanston and South of I-80. Guild Ranch:

http://www.guildranch.com/

The Firehole and Madison in the Park fish well in the spring. The Yellowstone and Yellowstone Lake will be closed. If you're going to Yellowstone, be prepared for cold weather. I've froze me arse off up there in June.

Good Luck

Oregon has some good choices as well.