Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire SD/MT/WY Fly Fishing...

So I’m driving up to Minnesota to visit with my son and grandsons next week. I’ll be staying till around the third week of June at which time I’m planning on fulfilling a lifelong dream to fish my way back to NM via MT and WY. Maybe I’ll foray into Idaho as well. If anybody with local knowledge cares to share any advice as to where to go, it would be most appreciated. PM’s certainly welcome.

I am in the preliminaries right now so I don’t have any destinations set in stone. I can pretty much go wherever I want and I plan on trout bumming with a tent out of my truck. Destinations are up in the air right now. About the only one I can really think of for sure is Bozeman since that seems to be central to a lot of water. Maybe up towards the Blackfoot as well. SD and WY are absolute blind spots for me. I don’t know a thing about either really.

I prefer small streams with wild trout and little traffic from other fishermen, so trophy size fish are not a priority for me at all. In Bozeman I’ll probably hit some of the more popular rivers around YNP just to tick them off, but mostly I’ll likely just seek some out of the way water that is less popular with the crowds.

I know this isn’t a fly fishing site but on the other hand. Bet a lot of you guys do. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

THANKS!

DF

P.S.

I know this is a long shot but thank you guys anyway...

you gonna have some form of a boat?

How much of a hike is comfortable for you?

Jeff,

No boat. Probably won’t want to stray too terribly far for the the truck as I’m gonna have a lot of stuff in it. But I’m in pretty good shape if that’s what you’re wondering. Moving around presents no problem for me.

Thanks!

Sent you a PM

Got it, returned!

Google al Campbell home waters. He was a fly fishing guide in rapid City and wrote some articles about the streams in that area.

PM sent

Though it's not the best fishing around, there are a few public access points on the Yellowstone near Bozeman. I don't think these are secret spots, so apologies if I'm breaking decorum by naming a place...https://myfwp.mt.gov/fishMT/fas/39753470

Don't forget to hit the Wiggins Fork out of Dubois Wy. Go north on the Horsecreek to Double Cabin, Start from there. Yellowstone Cutties, Brookies and Mountain Whitefish. You can camp anywhere around there. Theres so much spectacular fuishing there I can't even begin to describe it! If you're afraid of bears, don't go there. If you are up for a real nice 4 hour walk into a lake, pm me.

In Idaho hit the Snake river near Island Park.

Thanks guys, all great info! Just what I was looking for. Don't have the time right now but I’ll get to the PM’s.

Thanks again

I’m bringing a my Rem 541 And a couple bricks of ammo too. Wouldn’t be above cleaning out a P-dog town or ground squirrels nest somewhere either....

This. Carry bear spray, . .

Had a long talk with an old friend this morning about that. I definitely will.

The upper Green out of Pinedale. If you make it to the lake, a short 3 mile hike will get you to Clear Creek, and then a bit further is Porcupine Creek. Of course the Green that far up isn't too bad itself. Lots of tribs to the Green between Pinedale and the lakes as well.

The green was my first thought.

The Teton Valley is great. Very crowded but several wade in areas.

The snake is big water. Need to get to the right places to wade it.

It’s gonna be wade or nothing for me. Not bringing a boat and no guides. It’s looking more and more like I’ll be spending most of my time in MT then WY. Don’t think I’ll fish SD. I’m gonna drive through Sturgis and visit at the Indian dealership then probably head on over to see the presidents at Mt. Rushmore. Maybe drive around a bit to take in the sights but then head straight to MT for the fishing.

Don’t really fish still water much so not too concerned with the lakes.

Trout in SD means Black Hills which I'm told is very good. It's about as far from here as it can get and still be in the state. SD GF&P and the tourism people should have plenty on it via the net.

Thanks nighthawk. I guess I’ll play it by ear when I get there. Seems a shame to be there and not wet a line I guess. I have time. And it looks like I might be a bit early for MT creeks so I might want to delay my arrival a bit. Like I said I’m just in the preliminaries yet. I’ll figure it out. . .