Mike Cline
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Eric,
Since your going to West I suspect you’ll be fishing in the park. If you don’t want to spend more $$ for a Montana license and leverage the $$ spent for the park license, then you can spend a few days at the begining of you trip in Gardiner and have some pretty neat fishing in both the Gardner River or the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone. By the end of July the Y will be in pretty good shape and there is a great chance of catching big salmon flies in the Canyon at this time of year.
Gardiner is a great little town to stay in for a few days and provides good access to the Lamar Valley (Lamar, Soda Butte and Slough) if you want to fish with the crowds. If you want solitude–The Gardner River is right there in town, the Black Canyon below Knowles Falls is not really that difficult to access from Gardiner and provides some dynamite Cutt and Brown fishing if you are willing to hike a bit. I’ve fished these areas in late July after runoff and the fishing has always been great with no crowds.
Black Canyon just above Gardiner-September 2006
Lower Gardner River – September 2006Checkout: http://parksflyshop.com/. Walter Wiess has a lot of info about the Canyon and the Gardner on the site. You’ll find Gardiner a bit cheaper than West and it gives you an opportunity to see some more of the park on your way to West.
He was part of the re-cutting of the trail last summer but advised planning your trip wisely….alluding to the potentially unsurpassable swamp that can form on the trail with springs like we’re having now and the millions of bugs that are out this time of year!
I’d be interested as to which trail the NPS was working on. Both trips I made into Shoepack were done in late August and early September and via an unauthorized trail. We reserved the NPS Canoe on Little Shoepack. We took our bass boat to the Jordan Lake trailhead at the end of Lost Bay. Its about a 1 mile hike to Jordan Lake on a very good trail. From Jordan Lake you cross the outlet creek on the west end and basically follow a westerly compass heading through the woods to Little Shoepack. Years ago, several resort operators cut an unofficial trail through this area. Its actually less than a mile as the crow flies from Jordan to Little Shoepack. The NPS Canoe is at a campsite on the N. Shore of Little Shoepack. Put the Canoe in Little Shoepack and paddle to the west end of the lake. From the outlet, Big Shoepack is less than a 1000 ft down the creek and it was an easy portage. When I made these trips with my wife in the mid-90s, all I had was a compass. Today with GPS, navigation from Jordan would be a piece of cake. Sure beats trying to hike in the 3 miles plus from the N. shore or god knows how far on the Locator Lakes trail.
Tim,
If you ever find yourself anywhere near Voyquers National Park in Minnesota, don’t hesitate to make a trip to Big Shoepack Lake on the peninsula. It’s unique from a Musky point of view since it holds only the Shoepack strain of Muskie (found nowhere else) and yellow perch. The few times I went, (about 8-10 years ago) the fishing was great because it never gets hammered. The NPS maintains boats on Big Shoepack and Little Shoepack. Its about a two hour + hike in from the big lake or you can fly in. If you make the trip you’ll be the only one on the lake along with 1000s of muskie.
I’ve been been focusing on the wrong thing. I need help getting into the warmwater side of the game. Any Georgia folks fishing for these things?
Kevin,
Check out: http://www.georgiariverfishing.com/ and remember that reading water, and putting flies in front of fish is essentially the same regardless of the water termperature. We catch bass in our Alabama rivers (http://www.alabamariverfishing.net/) essentially the same way trout are caught in Montana. The flies might be larger, but put the fly in front of the fish and its a done deal.
In November 2004 we spent two weeks on Oahu and the Big Island. On Oahu, Kanohe Bay is an excellent wade spot, especially if you can get onto the Marine Base. Lots of access both inshore and surf. Also, west of Honolulu along the Makaha Rd there are lots of access points to the beach and jettys near Barber’s point. Caught lots of nastly little 1-2# toothy groupers along the jettys with clousers. On the big Island, any where you can get to the rocky shoreline, you can catch (not always land) trevally. I caught fish up and down the Kona coast on clousers and sinking line off the rocks. Bring some really good gripping boots with studs, because the rocks are slimy and slick.
I have carried on (and checked) almost everything you mention in your post without any issues. Fly boxes have never been a problem. Even saltwater flies with hooks biigger than box cutters have been allowed on.
Remember even with carry-ons, if you end-up in a CRJ or similar small jet, your going have to allow baggage into the hold, out of your control. I always carry my travel rods on the plane with me even if the RORO has to be checked planeside. I’ve never been denied carrying a computer bag and three rod cases on Delta.
The only piece of equipment I’ve haven’t had the guts to try to carry thru security is a wading staff!
Woolly Bugger X4
Clouser X3
Soft Hackle Nymph (Partridge and Orange is my favorite on a dropper from a bugger)
Some sort of foam sandwich
Pheasant Tail NymphThe bugger and the clouser are universal go to flies for just about any situation.
Mark,
Check out Kreekn’s (Josh Tidwell) 2 for 1 swap offer at: http://www.americanriverfishing.com/alabama/alabamaboard/viewtopic.php?t=1093 He needs a 6wgt travel rod.
Let us know if you can actually stand up in those things and cast! I’ve been looking at a couple myself…
Here’s my Ultimate that’s not quite rigged out yet!
I took my Ultimate 12 Tegris out for it maiden fishing voyage on Saturday. Indeed you can stand and cast with ease–I could get the same distance standing or sitting because the thing is so stable. On open water, the standing will be a big benefit. When fishing tight to a shoreline as I did Saturday, I found the boat a bit harder to maneuver when standing. The Tegris is so light that when you hook a fish of any size you absolutely have no leverage–worse than a float tube. Twice ,16″ + bass pulled me directly into shoreline structure before I got things under control. Otherwise it starts, stops and turns on a dime. Really light on the water.
A 2200 mile permanent relocation from Slapout Alabama to Bozeman, MT and the ability to go to Sir Scott’s on a whim instead of on vacation.
