Wyoming Fly Fishing & Lodging on Grey Reef
Flows have dropped from 500 cfs back to the normal flow of 75 cfs.
The Cardwell Access offers some incredible dry fly action early and late evening. With large hatches of Tricos, Caddis, and PMD’s, fish are definitely looking up. As always with Fremont Canyon, stealth is key. Smaller tippet size and matching the hatch there will increase your success.
All of April’s most important North Platte River fishing questions answered!
Conditions:
Fishing is 9/10: Prespawn Rainbows, hungry postspawn Browns
Flow: 75 CFS
Midges, scuds, rockworms, and leeches are also producing fish. Same bugs/patterns as the other tail water stretches of the North Platte River. It’s just more effective if you match the sizes more closely. Fish are still looking up on wind free days, sipping midges. So, on Lee sides and evenings, look for noses in flat, slow, skinny water, and you can have stellar dry fly action right now.
Streamer action is also solid! Typical Winter Tans, Whites, Olive, and Browns are your best color options. Low and slow and also work the rocky fast water in between runs.
Downsize your tippet. Downsize your flies. We have been having significantly more success using short, hand made leaders, with little midges and rock worms under clear indicators. Since the spooky fish don’t leave their feed lanes to eat, break down each run like a grid and get a natural drift in each square. Fish with a low profile rather than standing tall above the run.
Lastly, and most importantly the fish are holding in seams on the bottom, so use weighted flies so they tumble naturally along the bottom rather than fishing a split shot above your flies that puts your weight in the bottom but leaves your flies drifting higher in the water column. Cold water and spooky fish result in extremely subtle takes. If you prefer an indicator make sure it’s not too big. Fish will eat and spit the Fly giving you the fin before your indicator reacts. Be patient and spend the time to find out how to get to the right depth and weight. The fish are there you just have to figure out how to trick them.
If you plan to fish The North Platte River, put the Cardwell stretch at Fremont Canyon on your to-do list. This beautiful area is a very popular attraction for fly anglers around the world. If you have weekday flexibility, take advantage and avoid the weekend crowds.
75 cfs
Clear
Rockworms in a #14-18 in red and purple | #10-12 Pine Squirrel Leeches in Natural, Rust, & Brown | #10-16 UV Reef Sticker | #8-12 Scuds in orange, olive, tan, grey, pink | #16-18 Juju Baetis | JR’s BWO nymph | Barr’s Emergers | Any Midge pattern #18-22, if you have to, go with micro bugs.
None at this time
Fremont Canyon is in its peak fishing season for Giants! Flows are holding around 75cfs. The Canyon flows will stay around 75 cfs until the Bureau Of Reclamation starts moving water downstream. Our snowpack is at 200% and we have already been informed that Pathfinder will once again flow over the dam causing extreme water conditions in the Fremont Canyon stretch. Click on our Real Time Flow Chart (below) for up-to-date river flows. The snow melt this spring will affect all Tailwaters on the North Platte River system throughout the summer.
Currently, the Rainbows are spawning, and the word is out about the incredible fishing. There is an abundance of of wade fisherman on the Cardwell stretch, especially on weekends. Please respect each other and the spawning fish on their beds (Redds) and observe the signs posted along the river describing the dangers to the fish and their eggs from wading and fishing those specific areas. Avoid the shallow gravel areas and stick to the deeper runs and tail-outs. The Canyon is a more technical fishery as compared to the Upper N. Platte, Miracle Mile, and Grey Reef sections. Downsize leaders, tippets, and bugs for increased success. Be STEALTHY!
We encourage sportsmanlike conduct to help preserve this incredible natural resource. Education and awareness on this topic provides continued production and a healthy and strong river system for generations to come.
The Rainbow Spawn is On in Fremont Canyon
Fremont Canyon Fishing Report
Fremont Canyon Fishing Report:
Fish deep pockets, 4-5′ leader, BB for weight. Smaller indicator and be stealthy with clear water!!!
Nymphing: Egg Patterns, Rock Worms, Crawfish, Leeches, Baetis Emergers, Midges
Dry Flies: BWO’s, Midges
Streamers: Olive, Brown, Tan/Vanilla
The return of the midge clouds is upon us. The big midge hatches are just beginning. The water has been SO clear and all the trout (Rainbows, Cuttbows, Cutthroats, and even Browns) have focused on the eggs of spawning Rainbows and also midges for their main course meals. Fremont Canyon has become fairly technical and with clear water being stealthy is key. Lower tippet size will get you more takes however landing the beasts in that tailwater is tough.
So, what we need to discuss this time of year is the Rainbow Trout migration. The annual spawn has begun on all sections of the North Platte River. Big Bows have moved out of their winter holding areas and become vulnerable to anglers with big Bows and Browns right behind them taking advantage of easy and protein rich diets that spawning fish produce.
Trout (Salmonids) become aggressive during their spawn. They protect their beds and mates and territory as any wild creature does. They also exert a lot of energy and need to replenish energy by feeding. This gives us the opportunity to catch a lot of REALLY BIG FISH! We are throwing streamers and nymphing the deep runs below shelves and shallow gravel bars that hold staging fish, the fish targeting eggs of spawning fish, and also big brude fish that slide off the beds to feed and regroup.
***WE DO NOT EVER FISH FOR ANY TROUT ON THEIR SPAWN BEDS (also known as redds.)***
