Wife wants to fly fish road trip out west.
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My wife wants to take a road trip this fall from Arkansas to out west to stop and fly fish different spots ex. the snake, madison and so on.
Billy-
You driving? If you’re headed west, Bighorn R., Ft. Smith, MT. 7,500 fish per mile! You can stay at Forrester’s if you want to spend the money, or down the road at Cottonwood. If at Cottonwood, stop in early at the flyshop and have a cup of coffee with Thor, especially if you are a dry flyBilly –
I have basically taken that same trip. Here’s what I would do.
On the first day, I would focus on driving. Technically, 17 1/2 hours gets you to Dayton, Wyoming, but that doesn’t leave any time for anything else. I’ll tell you why you want to go to Dayton in a minute.
So, I’d stop the first day in Wall, South Dakota. Take the last hours around sunset to view the infamous Wall Drug (it isn’t much), and have a nice dinner.
This is the first day’s route from Fayetteville:
Wake up in Wall at dawn if possible and head over to Badlands National Park’s East Entrance (you have to backtrack slightly). The loop road will take you through the park and back to Wall. Then, if you want, you can also deviate down and see Mt. Rushmore and/or Deadwood (from the HBO series, now something of a tourist trap, but with a great cemetery). You’re going to be about 4.5 hours from Sheridan, Wyoming just driving straight, which is where I would stay the night if you want a real hotel. Obviously, with only a 4.5 hour drive, you can kill time throughout the day.
Here’s how I would do it. We have done this with the exception of Mt. Rushmore. Provided you get up and through the Badlands early (when the light (and temperatures) are coolest anyway), you’ll get to Sheridan or Dayton no problem:
If you want the hotel, stop in Sheridan. If you are roughing it, proceed to Dayton and stay at Foothills Motel and Campground. This place is rustic. Rooms don’t have A/C, which you probably won’t need any time after August 15, anyway. This place is right out of the 50s and hasn’t been updated at all. The campground/motel is right on the Tongue River, which has some fishable water flowing right through town. The campground’s best glory is how cheap it is: http://www.foothillscampground.com/. That part of the world doesn’t offer a lot of inexpensive lodging, especially not if you are going around the Sturgis Bike Rally in mid-August like we have done.
The reason you want to get to Dayton is so you can take Wyoming 14 over the Bighorn pass. This drive is the single most spectacular two hours I have ever seen anywhere in the world. 15 minutes out of Dayton you will switch back up the face of the mountain to about 8,000 feet. The sun will be rising behind you. At the top, you’ll go over the saddle of the mountains and through the pass at 10,000 feet. The last time I was there, two shepherds on horseback were herding thousands of sheep through the free range lands at the top. From the top, you can see most likely over 100 miles out over the central plains of Wyoming (you have the same view looking east, so be sure to get up there when the sun is rising!)
Wyoming Hwy. 14 will take you into Cody, which is a cool little town. Eat lunch at the Irma in the middle of town. That restaurant is the model for all the Ted’s Montana Grills in the country. It’s a bit pricey but the atmosphere is worth it. I would hit the fly shop across the street before leaving town; you are going in the east gate of Yellowstone and there’s nowhere to gear up.
Here’s the map that will take you into the park (with terrain turned on, I hope, so you can see the mountains you’re going through:)
Once in the Park, my advise gets more general. Yellowstone itself is an amazing, amazing place. We always base out of Mammoth Hot Springs at the Northern Gate because by late August we want to be in places like Slough Creek. Soda Butte creek is also up there, as is the Gardner river. The town of Gardiner (note different spelling, because there’s a Gardner, MT out east, too) is the best base of operations for the northern part of the park if you want supplies, food, restaurants, etc. Its a 10 minute drive from Mammoth Hot Springs, where you can rent cabins or camp in the local campground, which is excellent. You can sneak showers in the cabins behind the hotel if you are crafty.
While in the area, I would head down to Jackson, Wyoming and fish the Snake River (a float trip is best). Or you could head north out of the park up to the Bozeman area. Bozeman is a nice town, but for basing yourself out in SW Montana I’d go to Twin Bridges if you can find lodging. In that area you can fish the Yellowstone (well, near the Park, anyway), the Madison, the Beaverhead, the Big Hole, the Ruby, the Jefferson, and a ton of side creeks. That part of Montana is so amazing it almost doesn’t matter where you go. Ennis, Mt. is another good option for basing yourself – that would put you right on the Madison.
That’s my take – we’ve done the trip basically twice with different permutations and we’re headed out there again next August (have to schedule things way in advance now I have a real job).
Zach
Goes without saying that all the big name rivers will be a blast.
I’ll second Nez Perce creek and the hike. I make it a point to get there every couple of years. Its one of the most enjoyable small stream places I go.
If you are going to be (or have a choice of being) there in late fall .. Hit the Big Hole. It is absolutely stunning that time of year and you may come away with a Greyling.
Think about booking a female guide from Reel Women http://www.reel-women.com/ to float the South Fork. Your wife will love getting instruction from another woman, and you can sit in the back and fish your ass off all day without worrying for a second how your wife is doing.
Phil
First, does your wife have a sister? 🙂
While in Cody, take in the Buffalo Bill Museum. It’s one of the best museums I’ve ever been in. Give it three or so hours it’ll take every minute of it.
In Cody, there’s a little hole in the wall bar/resturant called The Proud Cut. Great place for a good steak.
In Gardiner Mt. go to Helen’s Hamburgers for a burger that will fill you up for the rest of the day.
Yellowstone is a special place.
If you like small creeks with eager and willing brook trout, give Blacktail Deer Creek a try. It’s on the way from Gardiner to Slough and the Lamar Valley. In most places, the creek is less than ten feet wide. Head up stream from the road for the best fishing. My son and I caught a bunch of brookies there last month.
Nez Perce creek is like a mini-firehole and is a trib to that river. Hike up a mile or so from the road and it’s just a beautiful little stream.
I think you guys will have a wonderful time.
Jeff
No Sister sorry!
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