Bummer!!!

[Fly2Fish]

My wife & I were to leave today for a 10-day fly-fishing vacation in Jackson Hole, Yellowstone, etc. which we booked last March and were really looking forward to. Of course, in this year I've been snake-bit on just about everything, along comes Hurricane Ike which shuts me down in Missouri City, Texas, just southwest of Houston. Flight was supposed to leave just after the airport shut down, but then, having experienced severe hurricanes (like Alicia) and typhoons in the Pacific Far East, there was no way I was going to leave my totally inexperienced (with hurricanes, anyway) 18-year-old daughter home alone in charge of "protecting" the house.

What lesson have I learned here? If you live on the Gulf Coast, forget taking vacation during the worst time of the year here (mid-summer through early fall), just when you'd like to escape the oppressive heat & humidity.

From here on, I guess my trips up there will have to be in the late spring, since I like to avoid high season with the crowds yet don't want cold weather. Davo (& others), any suggestions as to good fly-fishing times up there that have less crowds and when we wouldn't have to freeze our *sses.

I'm about to lose power here due to Ike, so please excuse me if I don't immediately see and respond to any replies (for which I am grateful in advance) until after power is restored here in "Hurricane Central" (presuming I have a house left to use the internet in :wink.

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Niel,

That is a real bummer. I hope you didn't have deposits down that you will lose.

If you want to fish early Spring I think you would be better off fishing the San Juan. We use to go to the San Juan May 1st every year. Most of the time the flows were low enough to wade. Run off is a problem further North most years. I am sure that Dano will be able to help you out.

Be safe.

Frank

 

[Davo]

Hope you make it through okay!!! As for when to come fish, tough to say as many factors influence the rivers. I personally prefer the fall fishing right through the end of October. Temps are ussualy good through Sept. In the spring you have to guess what the run off is going to do. Was it a heavy snow pack is it a warmer spring and early melt .....ect. The fishing can be good when all the variables line up. Mostly streamer fishing or nymphs in the spring. As for freezing, well you just never know how many layers you will need through out the day. Right now it is cold first thing then warms up just before lunch and starts to cool down late afternoon. So you go through a wardrobe change or two!! LOL.

 

[Fly2Fish]

Hi Niel,

That is a real bummer. I hope you didn't have deposits down that you will lose.

If you want to fish early Spring I think you would be better off fishing the San Juan. We use to go to the San Juan May 1st every year. Most of the time the flows were low enough to wade. Run off is a problem further North most years. I am sure that Dano will be able to help you out.

Be safe.

Frank

Thanks, Frank. San Juan is my first "go to" fly-fishing destination, but, frankly, it is an overfished destination, unless you go there in off-season.

 

[philthy]

Hey Neil,

Just talked to my Mom in Woodville and the power is out there now. Hope you're surviving the storm OK. We have a camp house on the east shore of Galveston Bay (at Smith Point), and I'm not sure it's gonna make it this time. The place has been there since the late 50s and survived Carla in '61, but this one seems to be different.

Hope you know you're always welcome here in NM. I can't take vacation until next fall because of the new job, but weekends are open. There's an open invite to go in the boat on the San Juan to get away from the crowds.

Take care, my friend!

Phil

 

[mcnerney]

Fly2fish

Well losing your vacation is a bunner. Hope your doing OK and that your place made it through the storm! Keep us posted. I will second what Davo said about fishing Wyoming in the spring. Lots of variables to deal with, snow melt, run off, etc. If I were planning a fly in fishing vacation I would definately look at the fall, but you are in a different category having to worry about the fall hurricane season. Good luck!

Larry

 

[Fly2Fish]

Thanks all for your good wishes and advice on non-fall optimal fly-fishing times. FYI, although I just got Comcast back, we fared pretty well compared to others less fortunate here in the Houston area. A lot of tree damage and some fences down, but the house came through okay (glad I installed retractable hurricane shutters after Rita!). Fortunately, we were only without power for a day, so our freezers came through fine also.

The places we were going to stay in Moran, WY and West Yellowstone were very understanding, so we didn't lose any of their deposits. Also, Delta said we could re-book the trip without penalty if we did the re-booking (but not the actual flying) by early next week, which was nice. Only problem was with an Avis prepaid car through Hotwire. So far, non-refundable/non-creditable, and if you can believe this, the trip insurance they sold for it excludes hurricanes. While Hotwire comes up with good prices, I would never book through them again.

Sounds from what you all said that fall really is the only predictably-good time for fly-fishing in decent weather without the crowds, but I don't dare try that again. The guy we had rooms booked with in West Yellowstone suggested in response to my query that Memorial Day to the latter part of June was a good time for decent fishing with smaller crowds. Keeping in mind that (probably like this year) larger-than-normal snowpack can screw this up, do you Wyoming hands think this might be a good non-fall time for less crowded fly-fishing? I know that on my first trip up there in late May-early June, 2006, I was surprised how good the dry fly fishing was (of course, I was fishing on the edge of Jenny Lake near a stream entry, not some of the runoff-swollen rivers). I've got to come up with some alternative flying dates for Delta early next week or I'll lose the tickets.

Thanks for any advice.:smile:

Neil

 

[Davo]

June fishing in this area all depends on the snow pack. If the snows are lite and the runoff goes fast the late part of June(last two weeks) can be some awesome fishing.

As for your tickets, this area is fishing great right now. A bit nippy in the morning but nice the rest of the day. Went yesterday and was wet wading on the South Fork.

 

[Fly2Fish]

Davo,

I was wrong on what alternative Delta was willing to provide - only a year from when I purchased the tickets last March. Given that, we're not interested in "winter fishing" up there, so as a last minute gasp, how is the fishing around Jackson Hole in October? And will my warm Texan *ss freeze off then?

Thanks,
Neil

 

[Davo]

It's getting nippy in the mornings. Days are still pretty good. Fishing on the Snake is open till the end of October. Best advice is bring layers. You'll be covered if it is cold and you can shed when it warms up. I would not worry to much about freezing till the end of the month. I generally fish through the middle of November. The South Fork is open till the end of the month so when it shuts down here we head over the hill. Once they drop the water to winter levels we call it quits.
I fished the South Fork in Idaho on Friday with a couple of friends. I took waders and warm clothes. Ended up buying a pair of shorts and just wet wading for the day. Caught a nice 21" Browny streamer fishing. Waiting for my buddy to send me a copy of the pic so I can post it.