North Platte Fly Fishing Report and Blog - Harrison's Guest House and Guide Service

Winter fishing in Arkansas with Jim!

2011-11-09T17:51:00.000-08:00

A PS to my earlier report ....
Hi folks,
Just learned that a client and one of the nicest folks and one of the best fly fishers I've run across has become a partner/owner of a rocking fishing shop and guide service on the White River in Arkansas ... Home of the states record Brown Trout ( It might have come from the Little Red, a tributary, close enough) I can't recommend Jim enough .. he knows his stuff and if you've had it with snow head on down!
Here's his site .... www.theozarkflyfisher.com I might see you down there ... the Platte is frozen!
Cheers,
Mitch

End of Season report

2011-11-09T08:51:00.000-08:00

Hi folks,
Finally settled down back in the big city ... and yes the Grand Kid is almost as big as some of the trout we caught this season!

We really did have a big fish season.. lot's of fish in that 22" - 25" range.. and a lot of them on dry flies! Good stuff! Maybe the flood, and losing a month of fishing, made the fish a little less spooky??? ..... Maybe more fish ran up from Seminoe Res with the big water?? Maybe my client base is made up of incredibly talented fisher-people??? Nope, I'm sure it's the guide! Regardless..... it was fun to see the nice numbers of big boys!

September was as wonderful as I can remember a September being ... beautiful days and the river bottom was incredibly bright with color and gorgeous. The Tricos lasted a little longer than I like and yes they fish started to get a bit picky ... unless you tossed a Kiwi Beetle in the pod ... why eat a little black&white bug when you can have a big, blue and peacock beetle pattern!

Word must be out as I've booked three trips this week ... weird... early... but happily accepted!

Thank you folks so much for your support. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, holidays and winter!
Stay in touch ... come Feb - Mar we should have a good idea what this springs water should look like ... hope we can fish before mid July this year!

Cheers,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service 307 710 0848
www.northplattefishing.com

End of Season & Great Fishing!

2011-09-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Can't believe the season's end is on us.... but have we had a great late August - early September. Went out with new friend John and wife Farren (sp?) and had a great day last Tuesday ... Rain, overcast and mayflies! Heads up everywhere.

Terrestrials still doing great ... hoppers, beetles and ants oh my ... some very large fish on hoppers right Bill? 22" Bow in amongst the roots and junk in a back corner of a braid ... perfect Brown water.

My yearly group in from Oklahoma and John did it again ( see attached photo ) broke his previous big fish of his life from last year and broke it twice this year! 23" perfect Bow from the labor day hole ... that place has fished awesome for me now for 30 years! Well done John!

New fly fisher Josh on his first fly fishing float trip got royally screwed ...... landed a huge male Brown ( pic on a cell phone coming to share I hope ) about 23" all colored up, huge jaw, copper, yellows and red spots the size of quarters ...... it will take a while for Josh to top that ... or maybe not???

Al and Rick up tomorrow for their second trip of the year ... should be great as we have a cold front with clouds and rain on the way!

Grand baby George with Great Grand Ma, Grand Ma, Mom and Aunt showing up this weekend .... he's only 5 months old but I'll have him throwing 50ft with hoppers by the end of the weekend!

65ers show up the last week of Sept - early Oct to shut us down.... a quick but excellent year!
I'll be around till the 9th of October ... so if you're up, need a report or a float give a shout!
Cheers,
Mitch 307 710 0848
www.northplattefishing.com

2011-08-24T08:00:00.001-07:00

Hey boys and girls,
Well and truly into the summer now .. finally! Have to say it's been a very cool August, some mornings you'll see your breath and sleeping has been very comfortable ... not to mention the fishing has been good to superb!

Everything is still working ... nymphs, streamers, streamers with a nymph dropped off of it and as of the 14th the fish, for us, were looking up for big bugs. New friends from FL. Carl and Diane fished with me for four days and on the last day we committed to hoppers ... we had a great day, pulling some very large fish on top! About flipping time! Pretty good on the 19 - 21rst as well.

Funny story about the "hopper" fishing ..... so I share with a guide friend that the lower is on fire on top ... keep it between us for at least a little while... yeah right! So I hear a little later the info has been shared with a couple of 20 something guides in town. ( the twenty something will come into play later in this post)

So immediately one or both of the kid guides say I'm full of s--t . Now I would take exception to somebody saying I'm full of s--t except ... well ... ok .... I"ve been known to ... well ... be ... well yes ... full of s--t!! Deb says it's one of my more endearing qualities!

So anyway the reason I'm full of s--t is because the fish are not on hoppers .... dummy ... they're on Golden Stones of course. Well yes youngsters the fish very well could be eating the hopper pattern as Stoneflies .... or a giant beetle ... or a dragon fly ... or a mouse ... a Caterpillar, a baby muskrat or maybe even.. eh gads.... a hopper. The kids were very smug thinking that they, and not me, knew about the strange lower river hatch of summer stones we have.

About thirty years ago, before said youngsters were born, we used to call this the " half-back hatch" Back in the day the half-back was one of the go to nymphs to use when the big bugs were moving ... we saw all the stonefly husks on the rocks one late July early August and being smart kids we tossed on about a size 10 or 12 half back and slayed them. Even caught a few on top using stone imitations or god forbid a hopper pattern!

So if planning a trip to fish the lower ... if your an old guy bring a hopper pattern and hold on ... if your still waiting for your beard to grow in throw a stone pattern.... or if your really smart ... tie on a size 6 hopper on top and drop a size 10 stone off the back!

Tricos are happening but not in large numbers and we haven't run into any great spinner falls yet .... we'll see how the blue wings fare in a week or so.

I have about three days left open in the season to guide or if you're doing it yourself give a call and as always I'll tell you what we're seeing out there.
Cheers,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service 307 710 0848

It's on and should stay on!!

2011-07-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,
Finally the last 2 plus weeks the fishing is on .... nymphs but especially streamers. Bugs are hatching but the water is a bit too high for the dry fly lines to open up.
Streamers: try all colors you have, day to day the fishes preferences will change.
Predictions ..... hoppers are a bit behind .... cold weather ... but they are still out there in big numbers ... look to end of next week or mid August for these bugs to start hitting the water in earnest!
Be careful if floating the river on your own. I floated the lower section a couple of days last week and there's one sunk Hyde drift boat in the middle of the river and a cracked up raft in a log jam. The river is still big, with big new sand bars that make the entry chutes into runs... smaller with a quicker current and little room to maneuver ..... especially watch the bridge across from Hacks in town ... the current is quick and pushes you hard into the bridge abutments ...... had a close call there myself! ..... ahhhh but years of drinking good whiskey and the reflexes of a young cat saw me though!
As always for up to the minute reports give a call ... in the evening ...... I'm on the river otherwise!
Cheers,
Mitch
www.northplattefishing.com 307 710 0848

Loooong Spring!! Dang it!

2011-07-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Yes it's the Tuesday after the forth of July ... and yes we're still at flood stage in town!

We've had a couple of decent days on the upper river, 6 mile to Bennett, but overall it's been slow due to the water chugging up and down, and the rain won't stop. We were supposed to be out of flood stage today but due to the rain that fell last night, and will continue to fall all this week the rivers will be coming back up. As of this am the river had dropped about 4-5 inches but will bounce back up with the rain.

It's not all gloom and doom ... My folks from EDI were back out for their annual trip. Highlights ... we'll they are all good guys, we had two good trips on the upper river, Shugs chicken shack put on and awesome meal, some character was mooning the river and Pat caught a 22 - 24" Tiger trout! As soon as son Kyle gets me the pic I'll post in on my blog.... it was a very cool fish!

Looking forward .... do to the inconsistency of the water I just canceled the 65ers trip for this week ... with a break from the weather I'm thinking this river will drop nicely and we'll be all go the end of this week, beginning of next.... the river wants to drop and fish!

I'm thinking August might be the best of the season with our water and the hopper plague .... early mornings, big flies and big fish.

For instant water updates give a holler ..... 307 710 0848 or 303 298 0848

Hope you all had a great 4th!

Cheers,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service

Fishing Finally here !!!

2011-06-15T13:10:00.001-07:00

Hey Folks,

Well, finally its time! Yes the river is high, yes Fish and Game won't let you get on the lower river but .... the clarity is great and the Salmon Flies are on the upper. And it doesn't look like the Guest House will be floating away .... only because of the superior efforts of the town, National Guard, Forest Service and the honor farm at the State pen.
I wanted to float Bennett tomorrow but my clients were a bit shy of the big water... can't blame them, so it's off to do a bit of lake fishing. I'll get on the river when my friends from EDI show up! I know Pat and Kyle love big water!!
Really not much to report at this time, fish are eating Caddis right out front.... about a foot from the fence ..... A bottle of fine wine to my first client to have a drink in one hand, their rod in the other and catch a fish from the sand bags!! Oh Yes .... it will be done!

Hope you all are having a great spring early summer! Early this week we had two frosts in town!! But summer finally seems to be here to stay.

Cheers,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service 307 710 0848
www.northplattefishing.com

2011-02-17T09:27:00.000-08:00

Hi folks,

Hope everyone has enjoyed a great winter, so far, and that you're looking forward to spring. 70 degrees the last couple of days in the front range of Colorado, spring can't be too far away.

Quick re cap on last year ... Flooded in the spring, but.... the water dropped like a rock and we were fishing by the 3rd week in June. Fishing was really nice up til the last of July when is got hot and still for a few weeks. AM fishing only.

The rains started the beginning of August and the rest of the season was about as good as I can remember it.... especially for dry fly fishing! Most of my clients didn't touch a nymph or streamer rod for the rest of the season.The floating was great til the end on the lower river.

We had a great hopper hatch this year and the fish were looking for them. The Blue Wings were numerous and lasted a long time with pods of fish all over them. More better than 2009 when the tricos wouldn't leave and the fish by the end of August had their PHDs in fishermen! It's predicted to be another good hopper season this year as well! Love it!

2010 was great ... so how about this year?? We have a ton of snow in the hills and we're entering what is traditionally our snowiest months. The truth of it is.... you can never really know at this point. If like last year it snows and stays cold right up to June then turns warm with rain ... well, we'll probably have a big run off.. hopefully not like last year! Sand Bags are heavy!

I had one group last year that went through a frenzy of re booking because they thought a drought was on the way. Predictions made in February or March really don't work. I'll keep you in touch via my report/blog. Hope for a number of warm spells in April and May with it getting cold right after the warm spells. Let that snow come off slowly and in spurts. Of course then we'll have a mild run off we'll be worrying about low water and praying for rain!!!! Can't win! Pick a date and go fish! Our fishing calander on the site gives dates and what to expect. Or just call and ask how the fishing is! You really can't go too far wrong 3rd week of June - October.

I won't be booking any trips in April - May this year as I have some business that has to be attended to. I'll be in WY Friday - Monday then back to the front range of Colorado Tues - Thurs during this time. Come June it will be all on for the fishing!!

Any thoughts, questions or crap you need to give me... just yell! Be gentle with my though .... I'll be a grand pa come April 9th! Deb and I are excited and having a ball going through all the changes with the eldest daughter and her husband. It's a neat deal as a lot of you already know! Can't wait to get a fly rod in the munchkins hands!

Cheers,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service
www.northplattefishing.com ; 303 298 0848 Also in the summer: 307 710 0848

Where did the summer go ?? !!

2010-09-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

Can't believe it's September already! But the Bluewings are here and we've had our first frost ....it must be so!

I've been very busy so I apologize for my lack of fishing reports ...... remember, you can always call and I'm happy to fill you in on what's happening on the rivers. 303 298 0848 or 307 710 0848

Quick rundown on our oh so quick summer ....... when it got hot, it got hot. The end of July was a bear, warm water, hot sunny days and very still ...... can't remember a guide ever asking for wind! We did this July!

Then the first of August we got some good rain, river cooled, was up and down a bit but the fishing got better and the big fish came out to play. We continued to get cool temps and rain here and there, the Tricos have been good and the fishing has overall been very nice. I'm guessing the rest of the season should stay that way with the coolness of September ... just before the snow starts flying in October!

We're booked for the rest of the season .... with an odd day or two open for this guide to chase down the seasons last batch of mushrooms!

A fun summer with lot's of old friends and new faces on the deck. If you need a update on river conditions please, always fell free to call.

All the best,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service 303 298 0848 & 307 710 0848
http://www.northplattefishing.com/

Grandma gone wild ... big Browns!

2010-07-25T05:49:00.001-07:00

Hi Folks,

Been a busy three weeks, sorry for the lack of reports. On the river most of that time.

As the pics to the left and below show some big fish coming out to play.

New friend Rae from Wisconsin really did a number on some big Browns.

Rest of the folks not so bad as well. Bob and Linda had an OK two days with us. Bob caught a nice Cuttbow then followed up with this beautiful Bow this morning.

The fishing.... wake up calls at 4am and on the River by 5:30 is THE way to fish right now. Are days have been hot and dusty with a wee bit of rain every now and again. The catching has been fair to excellent up to about 11:00 then it's time to get off, have lunch and take a nap.

The tricos are showing up on the lower river now and it shouldn't be long before we get into some nice spinner falls .... ah back to 6 and 7x.

We've had decent dry fly fishing on the Bennett float with terrestrials ..... soon it will be time to throw some dries on the lower, hoppers, beetles, ants.

Every time we get even just a little rain with cooler temps the fishing has taken off .... so do a rain dance and get to bed early and out early for the best fishing now.

See you on the river!

Best,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service 303 298 0848

Porchini Trout!

2010-07-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

New friends, Stan, Laurie & Hugh, from MO. and NY are staying with us for a few and floated with me yesterday ....... Today they're on the Encampment.

The Brown in the pics is a " Porchini " trout .... Fat as a little pig ... in this case a big Pig!

First trip on the lower river ... I have to say I'm always so happy to get down low ....... the upper river is awesome and beautiful and has been fishing very well ..... but when I first started fishing this river years ago the lower was my first introduction. I guess it's sorta like first love ..... it sticks with you for a long time.

Any way, we had the river to ourselves and lots of fish in the 14 - 16" range including a few in the 17 - 18" range and of course the big Brown..... 23" or so and felt between 5 - 6lbs.

So everywhere we fish it's great right now, the Encampment's drakes are moving up and Lot's of other stuff coming off. I've been getting on the river early, 6 - 7am, and the rivers seem to be on from early til noon, then the fish take a break until about 2:30 and then come back on.

I've said this a number of times in the past... If you're out fishing the lower river on your own fish it like a spring creek. What I mean by that is perfect drifts and lighter tippets. Because of how fertile the Platte is the river often looks muddy or at least a little off color ... it's not the case, right now for instance its crystal clear and the fish see everything.

Some will protest that using light leaders are hard on the big fish ..... not really ... on the lower river you always have soft water on the insides and even on 4 to 6x you can turn big fish into the slow water with a lot of side action, rod low to the water and pulling the fishes head sideways.. easy to control them that way and once in the slow water easy to land.

Well, here's hoping our summer continues to stay cool and everyone is getting out and wetting a line.

All the best,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service 303 298 0848

Fishing season in full swing!

2010-06-30T06:23:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

Fishing is very good! For the first time this season we took fish on Streamers, nymphs and dries on the same trip.

Had our friends Jim and Linda in from Illinois yesterday. Linda caught a bug on her way through Laramie and unfortunately couldn't make the float ( one more reason to come directly to Saratoga!)

But, Jim was ready and we left the house at 6am. Now Jim is a graceful caster of bamboo and had some beautiful wooden sticks with him... some really nice stuff. I told Jim bugs were hatching but our best fishing would probably be on nymphs. He said he'd give it a try but when I brought out my 10' 5wt nymphing rig the expression on his face looked as though I was putting a pile of Scout droppings on board! Off we went!

The upper part of the Bennett stretch is great for streamers and his 5wt bamboo did just fine and we boated a few nice fish ... then we came to some prime nymphing runs ...... let's just say we caught some fish on nymphs and even stuck a very big Brown, 4 - 5lbs, which broke us off..... But poor Jim looked in pain working the sub surface stuff so just in the nick of time fish were on top! I've never seen one rod dropped and another picked up so quickly!! Jim was happy and back in his element!

We had Caddis, Yellow Sally's, Green Drakes, Mahogany's and PMDs all about.. with fish rising so what to put on ...... size 10 Trude with a soft hackle hares ear or Drake nymph dropped of the back worked just fine. About 50/50 takes on the dry or the dropper.

Any way, the river is coming into great shape and we only need the river to drop a few inches for the fish to be lined up in their dry taking lanes.

We had another boat on the river that floated Treasure to Pick and they did very well all day on streamers ....... in other words the whole system is starting to fish well, top to bottom. Lot's of Caddis, Drakes and Mahogany's littering the deck of the Guest House.

The Encampment ... Drakes are up, but so is the river, 800 cfs yesterday, bumped back up to 1050cfs overnight ... if it drops to between 500 and 600 cfs in the next few days the dry fishing will be outstanding

Fran in Pic with nice Bow from recent trip.

Getting lots of calls for trips and our season is almost fully booked. So I've been asked to show whats available.

Either the house and I or both of us are booked with the following exceptions...

Weekend of the 4th ... I usually leave that for Deb and I.... as it is a bit of a Zoo on the water .... although I'd take a trip on the Encampment if the Drakes are doing their thing. 10:30 - 3:00 ish.

Openings 7/20 and 7/25 , 8/ 1 - 4, 8/24 & 8/25, 8/29 - 31, 9/1 - 9 , 9/20 - 22 and 9/28 - 30.

I always leave a few days available for rest or stray clients showing up ... right Rick?? .... So give a call to catch up on whats up on the water or to fill up the rest of the calendar.

Deb's here tomorrow so time to get the under ware and dirty fishing shirts off the door handles, do a load of laundry and clean the cabin up a bit!

Happy Forth of July!
Best,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service 303 298 0848

2010-06-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

Howdy Folks,

Check out these beauties .... the trout and the guys attached to them!

The bottom pic is a man to be reckoned with. The previous holder of the " oldest client in the boat " record at 95 ...... is still champ! Joe now 98 still hops in and out of the boat like a man 60 years his junior! I'm always honored and humbled after a day on the river with Joe ..... mischievous twinkle in his eyes and a constant smile ..... a recipe I hope to emulate as I enter the twilight of my fishing years!! Joe thank you soooo much!

Now..... the other rouge in the pics is our old friend D Buck back for his yearly trip with us. D Buck, no spring chicken at 71, also always impresses. He's been fishing a long time and is a top rod. We had a great day on the Bennett float ... lots of fish and 5 fish from 17" to 22". Three of those fish got the dust off of our backing! We ended the day on the deck, a few drinks, Platte river pizza company pizza and solved most of the worlds problems ... a perfect trip!

The report ...... Last three days I've been on Bennett. Flows are high but the water is clear as can be. We've been catching a few on streamers but the fishing is hot right now with nymphs. Lot's of bugs hatching ... PMDs, Yellow Sally's, Caddis, a few stones still about and we're starting to see some Drakes. The river only has to come down about another 4 to 6 inches and the fish should start looking and eating eagerly on top. I'm sooooo happy to be rowing and not sand bagging!!

To sum it up, the fishing is as good as you can make it ..... a good presentation will set you free! And also will show you your backing!

I've got two boats going out on the lower river this weekend .... will report back soon.

All the best,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service 303 298 0848

Finally ... time to go fishing!

2010-06-17T05:44:00.001-07:00

Hi Folks,

Well on 6/8/10 our pond became a lake! Bottom photo. A little frantic around town for a few days but as you can see from the top photo, today 6/17/10 we're back to normal.

We hit historic highs and like our wonderful Platte and Encampment rivers can do .... after those highs they're dropping like a rock, clearing and warming up! Maybe now we can start the fishing season!

River in town is 53 degrees and warming, a couple of more days and it should be near the sweet spot of around 57 degrees.

Salmon Flies were going crazy the week of the 8th .... alas with the high water not a fish was on them .... and a little dangerous to be on the water chasing them! One of my fishing guide buddies was in a boat in a hay field throwing big bugs! I wish I could say he got some ... nothin but cow pies!

We've dropped about 2 feet and here's what we'll have fishing wise.

We might be able to coax a few fish to the surface with the big bugs .... but probably the most effective way to get them will be with streamers and nymphs in the soft water on the inside of the seams......... The Kiwi Worm will be getting a workout these next weeks!

Thanks everyone for your patience while I've been rearranging trips ..... but we're ready to play! Only pics of fish and fisherpeople on the Blog from now on!!

All the best,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service 303 298 0848

WY Fishing report ... water, water everywhere

2010-06-07T07:55:00.001-07:00

Hey Folks,

New exciting addition to the Guest House... at no extra charge to our clients we have added a pond to the yard! We will stock it with 5 - 10lb trout starting this weekend. See pic taken from the deck closest to the river.

What has happened this year is a combination of lots of late snow and cool temps ... up until now. The late snow never had a chance to come off slowly with all our cool temps and now we finally have warm temps and thunder showers ... this all equals flooding.

All the great minds,us fishing guides, in the valley have been heating up the phone lines. The consensus is with the warm weather and rain we'll be high with some flooding through this week, we have flood warnings at this time up to Thursday, and my best guess is we'll crest towards this weekend and we should see the river stabilize and then start to drop ... we'll see. Large scale rain need not apply!!

In the meantime all relief efforts should be sent to Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service in the form of 12 - 18 year old scotch ..... a few of us are having a flood watch party and will use the empties in conjunction with the sand bags to save the Guest House!

Hope this finds you all high and dry!

Best,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service 303 298 0848

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

2010-05-30T06:37:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks!

Well just to let you know I'm not lazin around ..... Sarah ( in the pic ) and Charles came through for their annual trip with us ..... when they come back in August I'll actually take them fishing!

So whats a guide to do?? Well I took them hunting ..... and we did well! Cold wet springs will put the fishing on hold for a bit but the Morels and Oyster mushrooms love it!

Lot's of both and many great meals so far and the cupboard is full of dried mushrooms so your guide will not starve while waiting for the rivers to come back into shape! That is if Deb leaves me any ... she is a notorious thief of dried mushrooms!

So based on what the snow pack and rivers are doing I've moved a few trips back and we'll be officially get busy on the river the 23rd of June with Irene and Fran leading the charge.

We should be in fine shape with the waters perfect for the Drakes come the end of June into July. July this year should be awesome with lots of floats on the upper river throughout the month.

Even with the river virtually bank to bank with water.... every am in front of the Guest House there are fish bouncing all over ..... enjoyable way to enjoy the mornings coffee.

Enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend .... and if your in the neighborhood stop by .... grilling Oyster Mushrooms on the deck!

All the best,

Mitch

Got an Ark????

2010-05-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hi folks,

We'll, all the fish heads, water rats and people with property on the river are starting to get nervous.

This spring has been a wild one. We just haven't had enough warm spells to slowly release our snow pack and it keeps on snowing up high and now we're getting rain. All rivers are off at this point or at least the parts we can get to! I'm guessing that the upper river floats would be great right now ... at least for a few more days ..... but we can't get to any of them! The Bennett road is a mess and not getting better as I write this it's getting rain and snow an it..... Oh well ....

You can't accurately forecast these things but, I think I'm going to be doing a lot of Mushroom hunting between now and probably the 3rd week in June .... I'll keep you posted.

Good news! This is all good for the rivers, we're going to have a good flush and the bugs and fish love it! Our friends in Nebraska are going to get all the water they need and maybe some of this will help refill the Ogalala aquafir. Plus this will lull the fish into a false sense of confidence .... they will have the river to themselves and be fat, happy, naive and waiting for a well presented bug from us in about 4 weeks!

Best to everyone,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service 303 298 0848

Spring @ 7000 ft

2010-05-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

HI All,

Let's go fishing! Foot of snow in Rawlins to the North West of us, 3" here in town.

Calling for 70+ degrees for this weekend.

Thought you'd enjoy the attached pics of cold and lonely boats and gear!

Cheers, PS ( sorry the old blogger wouldn't open up my photos today... If you get my emails you got the shots.... we'll do better next time! )
Mitch

WY Fishing 5/9/10

2010-05-10T06:42:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Two great trips under our belt..... and even perfect weather, sunny, warm and only a few snow flakes!

Bob " The legend " made his first trip out with us and the "ledge" did not disappoint with a 20" Bow and a 22" Brown. Along with some other nice fish we had a fun day. Thanks Bob! Look forward to having you back out with your crazy Susan on board!

John and Jack were up next and the day was truly beautiful and the fishing was real nice right up to about 1pm and we were surrounded by a few squalls which put the fish on hold. Still saw some nice fish in the 16 - 17" range. John hooked a big Brown at the Dead Cow Run which we got a good look at 20"+ ... a few tears were shed as he spit the streamer back at us. John and Jack are with us for a few more days to fish on their own... I'll report back how they made out ... If Jack can keep John under control they might stand a chance!

Conditions: The Platte and Encampment are both clear. We're still getting cold nights and haven't had hot, hot days or big rain storms so I expect the rivers to hold on for another couple of weeks before we start seeing some run off. The Platte has about 3 feet of visibility and the Encampment more.

Blue wings are coming off very nicely and this am in front of the Guest House I saw a few rises that looked like fish taking Caddis in the film..... a few warm days and we'll see our first good Caddis hatches.

I have about 8 days left open during the late June early July period, think drakes on the Encampment and some of the best water of the year on the upper Platte.

So to my Deb and all the other Moms out there, great fishing and Happy Mothers Day!!

Best,

Mitch

Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service 303 298 0848

Fish waking up!

2010-04-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Just off the Encampment, blowing, snow and 10 or so fish. Not bad as we did have gust up to 40+mph .....what guides do on their days off!

The water visibility was great and the fishing on the Platte to Treasure Island was nice, mostly Browns with a few Rainbows mixed in. These rivers are starting to wake up little by little. The weather, as evidenced today, is the start of a 4 day of crap cycle .... but next week by Tuesday we'll be back in the 60s, sunny and settled. The rivers will have dropped a little and cleared up. The ups and downs of Spring!

Enjoy attached pics of guide Par with Rainbow caught today ......... Par wasn't drinking the beer in the cup holder .... we soak flies in it ... honest! The newest and greatest of fly floatents!
Pics of deer in our front yard breaking speed limit!

Have a few trips next week and Debs coming up ..... will report back then.

Cheers,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service 303 298 0848

2010-04-20T12:55:00.001-07:00

Hey Folks,

Par, wonder dog Tucker and I floated the Encampment yesterday ..... While catching up and petting the dog we managed to hook 10 or so fish, get sunburned and have a big Brown bend my hook and make his escape.

We didn't fish very intensely, didn't change flies and Tucker is a crappy guide...needing to constantly have his ears rubbed ... but through it all it's a great float with nice fish about. When we got to the Platte, about 4:30, it was up with, 3 - 4" of visibility.

Pic attached of fearless guide and pretty Bow.

Until later.
Mitch
http://www.northplattefishing.com/ 303 298 0848

2010-04-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Just back from the Encampment..... it's floatable, water clarity is great and a friend of mine just got a 27" bow the other day. Now my friend is a guide so maybe take an inch or two off .... but having said that Will is a straight shooter, has caught a bunch of big fish.... it was at least 26 1/2" ! ..... regardless the Encampment is fishing well and a pretty float through the canyon.

It ought to stay that way for a while as it's cold here in the valley with frost on the windshields every morning and it's a bit colder where the Encampment is coming from so the water should stay good for a while.

All three disciplines should work just fine .... streamers, nymphing and midges on top on a sunny day with a little overcast we'll see some bluewings.

So look at the weather channel, pick a nice day or two and have at it, or pick a crappy day, bundle up and look for bluewings .... if with me we'll float if you do it yourself there's a lot of wadeable water. If the weather channel says warm and overcast grab your favorite dry fly rod jump in the car and head out.

The Platte is fishing ok from treasure to town, still ok visibility on the edges. Not gangbusters but on a pretty day a nice float and a few willing fish.

Call with any questions, I'm off to wet a line!

Cheers,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service 303 298 0848
www.northplattefishing.com

WY fishing reoprt .... it's all on!

2010-04-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

We'll we're up and running ..... the new boat is inflated and the frame tightened up, fresh batches of flies are tucked away in their boxes .... the Platte River Pizza company is still producing stellar dough and cheese concoctions and in between those pesky snow squalls the fish are in good form!

Deb, friends Jeff and Jen all came up to pitch in helping us open ........ Deb in particular, as usual, got a head of steam going and two days later the house is immaculate, thanks darlin !

While Deb was cleaning, Jen working on our web site, Jeff and I did the manly thing and went fishing. Three hours on a sunny river with midges hatching we hooked about 15 fish with a couple of the Rainbows in the 17"+ range ... good stuff! We were in the middle of town fishing the upper bridge. We continued our manly ways ... came home, poured a wee dram and complained about how cold our feet were ........ if it weren't for the saint like restraint of our fine ladies I'm afraid we'd be in the kennel and Scout in the beds... or worse! There were two sets of rolling eyes and much silence. I think we saved our skinny butts by cooking and doing dishes ..... but I could be making that up.

The river is in great shape, the fish are in great shape and in between fronts running through the fishing is good with midges, a few bluewings and even a few micro caddis flitting about.

The snow pack has caught up! The Snowy Range in places is above normal... 120+% or so. On the other side the Sierras are up to 100% of normal in places. For my regionally local folks it could hurt the trips that are booked to hit the Salmon flies, late May - early June. If that's the case and we're in run-off I'll give a call and we'll look to other dates.

Scout and I are jacked to be back! supposed to be near 60 Sunday ...... the new raft will get it's christening then!

If you want some fun spring fishing give a call ...... discounted guide trips apply til mid May or run-off ... which ever comes first.

All the best,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service
www.northplattefishing.com 303 298 0848

2010-03-09T06:43:00.001-08:00

Hi Folks,

Been fielding lots of calls with lots of questions (see what a few warm days out West does!) so here’s a quick rundown of the questions and answers.

Equipment: We have a great selection of rods available to our clients. We don’t charge for their use …. Just don’t break em! Top notch Sage and Scott rods are what we have 2wts to 7wts. So if it’s easier for you to travel without rods and reels just use ours. If you bring sunglasses and waders you’re all set!

Evening floats: Yes. These will be early summer through August. I ran a couple last year …….. Dragging our butts off of the deck and away from the beer/scotch bar….. it’s a great time of the day, cool, no wind and some fun dry fly fishing …… it’s as beautiful as the river gets …… just like first thing in the am.

Mushrooms: Quite a few requests for mushroom hunts! Dam it Jim I'm a fishing guide! I’m guessing all the meals I put together for friends and clients the last two seasons have generated some interest in the sport! So… absolutely let’s go! I’m a nut for the sport, just like fishing, so if I’m not on the river and the conditions are right…….. It’s all go. Check out www.fungi.com for all things mushrooms and great books on the subject.

Flies: www.orderflies.com is where I get my flies and the prices are great, right around $6.00 a dozen for most patterns, you have to buy a dozen of a same pattern and same size to get these prices.

Last and not least I’ll have an assistant working with me. Young Justin will be meeting us as we get off the river to help you with anything you might need help with…. Hanging waders to dry, organizing your gear, carrying stuff, running into town to get things you might need etc… then he’ll be cleaning boats, getting lunches and drinks organizing things for the next day’s trip. Nice young man and should be a great addition to our operation. He’s a bit of a river rat himself with some interest in guiding in the near future.

I have a few trips booked already in April so Deb and I are heading up April 2nd to open the joint up. So give a call (303 298 0848 year round now) or email me and I’ll give you an up close and personal report!

All the best,
Mitch
Harrison’s Guest House & Guide Service

Fishing Report

2010-02-18T10:35:00.000-08:00

Hi Folks,

Well, it’s been a great winter; even caught my first fish of the year last week on the Platte out front of the Guest House in the riffle… lot of dust flew off the rod when I set the hook! ……… But… finding snow to ski on has been a bit hit or miss. As this pertains to the upcoming season….

Looks like it might be a stellar early season …….. By stellar I mean we might have a better than average shot at hitting the Salmon Flies on the Encampment and the Platte.

The big bugs get moving in May then start hitting the surface about June 1rst give or take. Usually we’d be mid run-off but with lower than normal snowpack we might have great access to the fish while using silly sized dry flies…. Look forward to wearing them out on our overnight trips on the upper river.

As always I’ll keep you posted with these reports or give me a call and we’ll talk water and fish. I’ve had a bunch of folks calling this winter to catch up; book trips and talk about the coming season… love it! Keep the calls coming! Lot’s of interest in our overnights on the upper river…. It will be a kick.

Cost for our overnights on the upper river… $1300. Per boat. All trips will have 2 boats with a minimum of 2 clients, a max of 4 clients. With a little notice we can get up to 4 boats together for this trip for larger groups. The trips include 2 days guided fishing, tents and sleeping bags, 2 lunches, 1 dinner and 1 breakfast…. and as always flies, tippet and rods as needed. Only $325. Per day per head with 2 clients per boat……. Nice deal for an awesome part of the river!

I’m continuing my early season deals this year (April – Early May), $300. A day on the Platte or $300. For a sweet ¾ day trip on the Encampment….. Last April we caught our largest Rainbow of the year…… and we had the river to ourselves! Hungry and naïve fish!

Dates that book quick and to keep in mind …… April – Early May, Blue Wings, lots of elbow room & discounted trips. This year, Hopefully, late May – early June for the Salmon Flies…….. Late June – Mid July Drakes …… September, Blue Wings and great weather.

We’re also hoping to gain access to put in and take on a section of the lower river that gets little to no pressure. I’ve wade fished the area and the potential for a very large trout is always the next cast away… I’ll keep you posted.

Got to go….. The youngest daughter is ready to make me look old and slow on the slopes ….. she better watch out the Olympics have me fired up…… if Bodie can come back for a medal there’s always hope ………. USA! USA! USA! Congrats to Lindsey Vonn !!

As a reminder my number… year round now is 303 298 0848

Hope this finds you all well and ready for the coming season !

All the best,
Mitch
Harrison’s Guest House & Guide Service www.northplattefishing.com 303 298 0848

Happy New Year.... 10 years in business

2010-01-05T17:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone!!

We hope you have all enjoyed the holidays and that 2010 treats you and the fishes well.

Too early to make any water predictions, we are at about 116% of normal snowpack as of this writing, but I’ll keep in touch on a more regular basis as we get closer to the season.

What I can do is give you some ideas for trips this season. A good number of folks have booked already for the coming season, some Dads, Moms and kids got fishing trips this year from Santa!

The following thoughts are for our local fishers. When I say local I mean folks that can get here by car rather than flying out……. Nebraska, Utah, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Idaho and of course Colorado are our locals unless you’re from Texas or Florida and Jonezing for a road trip!

There are a number of times during the year when the fishing can be great…. But you can’t count on it because of inconsistent weather or run-off. One of these times is April/ early May ….. Could be beautiful or you could get a foot of snow… ah transitions! What I’ve done the past few years is offer a lower price for April, early May and…. If you’re a local client you can book a date during this time and if the weather or run-off is on our side.. Game on… if the weather or run-off are making things impossible… I’ll call to cancel your trip. Easy if you’re driving. If you’re flying here it’s best to pick our prime times with the prime weather so you don’t lose money by cancelling flights and car rentals.

April can have great Blue Wing Hatches on both the Platte and the Encampment and the Encampment is a kick to float in April/May if we have at least 200cfs…… it’s a beautiful and quiet time on this small river.

Another time is the first of June and the running of the Salmon Flies….. a spooky hatch at best… but if weather and run-off work out we’ve had some great days with big dry flies… once again you can book the times and if we have decent water clarity and the big bugs are out we could have a ball ….. If not I’ll give you a call.

On tap for the rest of the year ……. Mid June water coming down and warming up…. First of July…. Drakes on the Encampment… PMDs, Drakes and Caddis on the Big River

A word about the Green Drake hatch on the Encampment….. It can be a wild show… big fish, and lot’s of them, on dries from 10:30 till about 2sh. It’s a ball! If you don’t like company this might not be your trip….. And what would make this trip perfect for you is if you can easily tie on your own flies….. Reason?..... The Encampment …. where the hatch is at its best…. Is seriously private… no stopping at all…. So while I back row to hold us and you tie on a fly you might have lost on a fish or in the willows on the bank …. We’ll be able to take advantage of all those big heads coming up all around us! I, as always, supply flies and tippet and yes of course I can tie on the flies and leader/tippet…. We can always figure something out! Also… we have a brand new, pretty blue raft to bounce down the river with.

As my regular clients know Mid June through July as well as September usually book quickly so give a call or email and we’ll talk fishing.

Speaking of calls…. Unbelievably I’ve gone completely wireless….. So I now have only one number, year round 303 298 0848 I’ll have the numbers updated on our site soon www.northplattefishing.com Can it be long before I Tweet…. Have a Face in a Book…… or a Blue thingy hanging from my ear……. So easy a caveman can …………

And speaking of numbers…. This is our 10th year in operation!! Thanks everyone for all the great times… on and off the water…. Deb, Scout, Rod, Par, Phil, Ray, Jimbo, Beth and I look forward to the next ten……. If our rotator cuffs and livers can take it!

Off to visit friends and clients Charles & Sarah in Texas to see if we can fill the freezer with some wild pig….. might even have some available for grilling at the Guest House over the summer season….. I know my boys from Philly are holding out for the “ Pig fries “!

Just call with any questions and again…… Happy New Year!

Cheers,
Mitch
Harrison’s Guest House & Guide Service
www.northplattefishing.com

End of 09 looking forward to 2010!

2009-10-14T06:17:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Last folks out this am and Deb coming to collect me Wednesday.

Our best year by far... thank you..... lot's of our regulars and ton's of new groups... great fun and thank you all for your generosity of spirit and great company on and off the rivers!

It's been a long time since the last report .... I think I warned that would be the case...... 27 days on the rivers, creeks and lakes from early Sept to early Oct..... lots of fun and lots of fish! You all tuckered me out!

September was up and down.... early with warm, bright conditions and a Trico hatch that would not go away! Towards the end the fish were as picky as I've seen them..... If you've been eating the same food item for two months ya kinda get used to it! But when the bluewings started showing up the fish started behaving themselves... right Gary! Even then with Bluewings coming off in droves there were still tricos.... m ust have been a great egg laying session last season!

Then it got cold and stayed cold! Mayflies wouldn't come back and play and quite honestly it was tough.... we always caught fish, and at times it was great, but as we're all experiencing in the rocky mountain west.... snow, snow and cold water.... Had two boats out Saturday... air temp high of 25..... water probably about 39... still caught some nice fish... but at the end of the day the trucks heater was more than welcome.

I usually tout the first two weeks in October as Indian summer like, crisp in the am.... nice during the day and good fishing. The weather gods stuck it to me this year!

A couple of special shout outs to my military boys... Charlie, Morgan and Carl and the old farts Jim and Wayne... that was a special few days with you guys..... glad you all made it out ... Parr and I look forward to seeing you next season! Jim I'll have more fancy graphite and bamboo for you to play with next year! My family from Dusseldorf ...... a treat.. see you in 2010.... The " day of beauty " lads..... you endured a tough day and treated it like your best day of fishing ever.... let's fish in shorts next year... not in snowmobile suits!!! Bob, great having your dad out and too much fun with you and Mike in the boat together the last day..... tough crew! Another great visit from John, Ellen and Ben... I even remembered the fish cook out this year! To the 65ers..... my belly is big... my liver shriveled.... thanks as always! I've left out tons of folks to thank... I'll make up for it this winter in my occasional reports or telling of tall tales.

After the holidays I'll email out my thoughts on the 2010 season.... our tenth anniversary!! I have a lot of you already booked and talking about booking specific times next season..... we'll talk after I reintroduce myself to my favorite blonde chicks and sleep in a few days!

Truly.... thanks for everything folks!

All the best,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service
www.northplattefishing.com

2009-09-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

August.... hot still, warm water....... not this year! With a couple of snows, some rain and very cool night time temps the sleeping and fishing have been outstanding. The fish are rising all day and night out front... trikes rule, terrestrials rule and the Bluewings are starting to show.

Outlook..... summer is over, cool weather looks like it's here to stay... the best of the best for our season.

Fishing.... With the Bluewings here and getting stronger every day and cool temps everything is a go... nymph early, dries mid morning forward and go ahead and throw a streamer every once in a while and see what happens! Or... just keep a dry on all day long.. you'll do fine! Took a little personal fishing time to exercise a few of the pets out front..... long leader down to 6 & 7 X, stealthy approach with size 24 Trico spinners or small beetle patterns...... it's a fun game!

Mushrooming.... Took my usual family and friends week or so off and have been eating fungi on a regular basis. My new favorite is the Shrimp Russula... dam thing, in age or when cooking or drying it , smells like shrimp or crab. It's an absolutely yummy shroom and is great in omelettes..... right Deb!

Crazy busy in September so the next report might be the last for the season... sometime in October. So if you need a current report just call in the evenings... in between large sips of fine to mediocre scotch I'm mumble a current report for you.

Be well and enjoy the fall!

Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service 302 326 6079

Saved Guide rejoices..

2009-08-12T06:40:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

It's either too busy a season for me or I'm losing it!

First the fishing..... very nice! We've been getting September like weather ..... a little snow in the hills, 39 degrees in town yesterday am.... and enough rain to keep the river up, cool and fishing! Tricos in full swing and terrestrials working well as well.

Had a few trips up Bennett to Treasure... fishing great but..... I had my big dogs yesterday... Scott and Brad... back for their 5th trip and at 6' 6" each, mid 200lbs and my fat butt in the boat... well we dragged a bit! Water starting to get a bit skinney up there with a drift boat. Great company, great workout.... oh yea Scott saved the trip and my ass!

A lot of you have heard the story of the Kiwi worm.... it bares repeating to show that us guides are human or just goofy buggers, So my Kiwi guide buddy is in a bar one night.... friendly drunk Swede shoves weird looking worm pattern at my buddy... guide looks at fly... dam thing looks like an old fashioned barber pole... smiles says thanks.. throws it in his wallet and forgets about it.

A few weeks later my friend is with clients being dropped off by helicopter in a remote area in the Alps of the South Island... helicopter leaves... with my guide buddy's vest! Rods with lines and leader on them... no tippet, no bugs... nothing! Frantic guide looks in every nook and cranny trying to make any fly appear out of thin air.... ah ha.... in the wallet the Swede's worm. With that one fly they rocked! Big Browns on the South Island ate it up...... the guide has since turned me on to the pattern and those who fish with me know it... and love it!

Forward to yesterday..... everyone happy at the put in.... joking, a beautiful morning and off we go down the river... with a vest less guide!! I'm beating myself up and thinking we've got all day with the eight flies we have on the rods, no tippet.... Scott without missing a beat or concerned in the least hands me his vest full of flies and tippet! I love ya man!! We did very well except for the big crash..... my savior Scott went down in a pile as we entered a chute and I side swiped a rock.... not the way to treat your hero!! OK to crash Brad.... but not my man with the vest! Get better Scott and thanks for saving the day!!

And many thanks to " Jimbo " my shuttle driver... after locking my keys in the truck for the first time.. I'll be dammed if I didn't do it again a week later!!?? My man Jimbo looking after the boss man, checked before locking up the vehicle at the take out.. saw the spare key, laughed and put it in the gas cap.... Jimbo got a raise!!

So with the rest of the season fully booked ... a quick shout out to my folks...... bring a check list to the put in for me!!!!!!! I feel like the fourth grader who all day long walks around with his pants on backwards and the fly open.... blissfully unaware and happy!!

Enjoy our fall like weather... we'll see you on the river!

Cheers,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service

PS TO WY fishing report

2009-07-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks,

Almost forgot the fishing tip of the year.....If you really want to impress family, friends and in my case clients.... do the following...

In the morning put on wool socks, your neoprene booties to wet wade, with then your wading boots. Get them wet during the day... at end of day take socks, neoprene and boots off and put in vehicle..... clean out truck get ready for next days fishing.

Now the important part..... forget socks in vehicle and leave under canvas cover for the drift boat.

Next morning greet clients and yourself with the vehicle smelling like a dead badger is buried inside!

Thank god for good natured clients and widows opened at 90 mph!

You all owe me.

Cheers,
Mitch

Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service

Mermaids and Tricos

2009-07-27T08:27:00.000-07:00

Hi folks,

Life continues to be great on the Platte.... need a good downpour in the Mountains to get my mushrooms poking their heads up though!

The Tricos and Caddis are still the headliners... nice Caddis hatches in the evenings, Trikes in the am with fish starting to pay attention to the spinner fall late am early pm.Fun fishing the Caddis on a tight line while swinging emergers or taking them proper like on dries..... the little ( size 18 ) speckle wing Caddis is around in great numbers right now. The Nymphing with Tricos is great right now right up to when the fish start eating the spent spinners on top. Look to my previous report re: the nymphing....... light tippet, longer leaders and tiny bugs...... a lot on my clients think I'm pulling their chain when I toss on a size 24 nymph.... right up until they land an 18" trout.... fish breed confidence!!

I got a discouraging report from a nice guy on the phone re: the fishing. I had been telling him what's going on on the Bennett float and unfortunately he called... not upset at all...... but saying they hadn't touched a fish on their own float. He did get a few nice ones wading Treasure Island though. We've been, and continue to do well on the upper, and now the lower river... so I can't stress enough how clear this water is and how important your leader set up and presentation are.... info available here anytime.

Clients.... TX Mitch up for his early summer trip brought the beautiful Miss Belinda with him this year... Ya never know what you're going to get when a client brings a partner up to fish... are they just here to please their better half.... or do they really want to fish ....... Well our Mermaid Belinda.. having never really fly fished before.... took all of a couple of hours to learn how to cast, mend and get the perfect drift! Then she started setting the hook with vigor...... the Trout never stood a chance! Mitch, after I've beat him into submission the last 8 years, is a fine fly fisher and had two stellar days... but he and I were both impressed with how quickly Belinda took to the game.... and the results were impressive! You guys were great.... see you in September! Belinda before I see you again on the river just remember ya got to let them run!!

Over the years it's been funny to watch new fly fishers when they hook their first big Trout........ they all have a certain distance they will let the trout run to.... at that point they say the Trout is too far away and they clamp down on the line and...... well.... it's advantage trout! My Deb, when I first took her fly fishing would let the fish get about 50ft out or so when she would try to rein them in..... and then she would look at me as if to say " well what are you going to do to get my fish back! " She's since learned that's why God made backing!

The lower river is really starting to get going with good numbers and good sized fish. Our next group. Father Glenn and Daughter Betsy, on only a 1/2 day trip hooked and lander a good number of fish and Betsy, not having touched a fly rod in over 7 years tending to babies and business, did a great job and was almost a hero...... probably about a 5 or 6 lb Rainbow.... out of the water three times, four ft+ in the air each jump and shaking it's head like a Tarpon...... I see a lot of nice fish on this river.... this one really got my attention... alas on the third jump he spit the hook.... the guide said really bad words..... apologized for his bad language... then said more bad words... but ......... " Tis better to have hooked.... than to not have hooked at all "

From here on out..... It's really in the hands of the weather gods... with continuing cool nights and some clouds the fishing will be as good as your drift...... If we get some hot and dusty days... it's out of bed and on the river REAL early..... off by noon napping and waiting for the evening hatch.

Can't believe we're not that far away from September...... Dam, life does speed up as you get some age on ya!! Good news is the Blue Wings are stirring on the bottom on the rivers... see ya then

Cheers,
MitchHarrison's Guest House & Guide Service

2009-07-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Many days on the water and many fish since my last email / blog fishing report.Most responses ever to any of my reports and I'm happy to say all supporting this humbled guide. Really I'm just a big whiner... I get one rough group every three years.... I'm a lucky guy!

Report...... River dropped like crazy from the 6th of July to the10th. I was fishing some other waters and got back on the Platte and Bennett the 11th and it was like September.... crystal clear! As a matter of fact the whole system I guide on was clear and fishing great. had my good friends and clients EDI back for their 5th annual retreat to our place and all four boats we had on the water scored. From Bennett to Sanger all boats did really well..... probably their best fishing trip to date with us. Pat.... please next year let the big bugger run!!!!!!!!!!

Drakes well up on the Encampment now and the Caddis are coming on strong with a great hatch the other night in front of the Guest House. Seeing the first Tricos about so it must be summer!

Speaking of summer and clear water.... best tip I can give you is this... The Platte never LOOKS crystal clear because of our fertile and moss/mud bottom... but looks are deceiving.... right now it's as clear as most spring creeks and I often run into folks using short leaders and large diameter tippet and not having very much luck. The Caddis that are hatching are from 14s to 20s, the tricos are 20s - 26s, PMDs 14 - 16s, small stones 14s - 16s, scuds 18s.... so you see the main bug menu... not counting crayfish, leeches, minnows etc.... is from size 14 all the way to 26s... and like I have mentioned the water is very clear. Couple the above info with a perfect presentation and you'll have a ball! Think long leaders with 5 & 6X tippets......

Our spring weather madness is behind us now and soon we'll be into our warm weather rhythm of up early, off early, back on late.

New group in today then Texas Mitch back with us Thursday for his 9th or 10th visit and a few days of fishing. It's been a busy month and a half so Debs coming up this weekend for a break from her busy schedule and to relax in the mountains while your's truly cooks up her catch of Brook Trout...... we're lucky kids and it's a great time of year in the valley

Best to you all,
Mitch

2009-07-07T07:06:00.000-07:00

Being guided, Indicators, shuttles and Full Moon

Hi Folks,

Long time…. And so much to report on.

First the fishing… it’s been really, really good. The Drakes continue to do their thing on the Encampment and the upper river, Bennett to town, has been great on nymphs and when the cloud cover permits on dries. Everything is hatching so there are bugs deep, in the middle and on top.

The river and our area continue to get fresh shots of rain, the river comes up and slows the fishing a bit then goes down and the fishing is wonderful. You’ll never see Wyoming, Montana or Colorado so Green in July. It’s great for the rivers and should allow us great floating well into the summer….. the down side is the folks who like to wade fish it’s tough right now… so bring your boat, inner tube, log or rubber ducky to float on…. Or hire me to row you!

Speaking of hiring me.. Or any guide for that matter….. I’m usually good at asking my clients what they what to get out of their trips… and then I’ll explain what’s happening on the river right now and what’s most effective. More often than not we can find a happy medium to keep my guys happy and put a few fish in the boat while enjoying the day on our beautiful Platte.

So I get a couple of new guys, spur of the moment who want to fish… they want to float the Encampment themselves and do the big river with me… tomorrow. I explained that the nymphing has been hot on the Platte and judging by the rain that was coming down at the moment they may want to wait a day for me on the big river so it could settle and start to drop and in the meantime and they could do their thing on the Encampment. They voted to do the Platte right away so off we go the next am.

As advertised the river was up a bit but we still had decent visibility …. No worries we’ll nymph the edges and do just fine.

Right off we catch an 18” Brown and life is looking good… until I apparently didn’t know where to fish, how to set up a leader and was using rotten tippet material.

My one client, who caught the nice Brown, all of a sudden decided that he would start throwing his bugs in all the juicy looking runs where the fish just had to be… Just like on the Arkansas says he, and tying up his own leader using his bugs ….

Sadly we were on the Platte and for an hour or so he lost flies, broke of leaders by casting into 5” of water rather that fishing the runs I pointed out. He and I were both frustrated so I pulled into an eddy took a deep breath. I looked at his leader which was now down to 5 feet and about 20lb test with no tippet …… he liked it cause my tippet was rotten and he wouldn’t break off this way….. I explained that he wouldn’t catch fish with that set up and if he would please allow me to re rig him and give my way and hour. Begrudgingly he said yes and unfortunately I set up a battle between the client…. An old fly fishing sage….. And the guide… young punk kid wet behind the ears…. That would last the rest of the trip.

So…. The very first run after re doing his rig and with him putting the fly where I asked… he could do this as he was a good caster and good fisherman…. He immediately hooked and landed a 16” Bow…… ah victory was mine and now we can start catching fish and enjoying the day. Alas it was not to be….. He is after all the client and many years my senior so by Ten am I was relegated to boat driver and following his directions …….we proceeded to not catch fish in every imaginable way.

So while this is drama is unfolding my other guy, also a good fisherman with ton’s of experience lands a nice Brown and says “ great fish… now let’s take off the indicator … which he doesn’t like fishing with…. And carry on. No worries, I don’t use an indicator for my personal fishing and it’s a challenging way to fish…. But to be effective you have to really, really, really pay attention and work hard at it… I love it!

I’m sure you’ve already guessed that without the indicator and without the intense concentration it takes to make it work…. that end of the boat stopped catching fish and wouldn’t let me work with him to get the good drifts required to catch our beautiful Browns and Rainbows…. Drat’s !... foiled again!

So……. First, if you hire a guide for the day… use him…. After all we do know a little about this game….. And if you decide not to use or listen to him, except to row….. please don’t look to your guide at the end of the day and say the fishing was poor… just thank him that the boat didn’t sink, the water and ice tea were cold and what a pretty river the Platte is.

I digress, sort of…… Now for the final blow… for the first….. And last time….. Your fearless guide committed the cardinal sin as it pertains to running the shuttle….. As we all know the key to the shuttle is the KEY! At the end of the above explained, less than stellar trip…. I arrived at my truck with both keys locked inside… E Gad… what next… with gathering storm clouds I’m sure a lightning strike was in order!
A borrowed cell phone and with my mechanics help we were on the road again… thank god for friends!

So I wake up this am…. A little fuzzy from the single malt that was used to soften the above fiasco…. off to the west I spied the moon setting…. A full moon!

So a final thought to end this rambling e mail report…… never, ever, never hire me on a full moon… let’s all just sit on the deck, enjoy a few libations, howl at the full moon and wait for the dam thing to go away!!

Hope you all had a great 4th of July and are enjoying a fish or two!

Cheers,
Mitch
Harrison’s Guest House & Guide Service 307 326 6079

2009-06-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

Really starting to feel like spring and the fishing is outstanding!Two days ago we had no less than 10 different species of bugs coming off... Drakes, Caddis, Stones ( little black and yellow sallies ), PMDs, Mahogany's, Blue Quills etc. We had pods of fish to work over... some wanted the Caddis and the others wanted the PMDs and a few wanted the Drakes... great fun.

Yesterday with bright blue sky's and no wind we had just a few bugs coming off, but the nymph fishing rocked with a good number of large fish.

For my spin fishing folks..... we killed on the lower river with one hole accounting for 3 fish over 20".... I won't tell you what on or where ...... membership does have it's privileges!!All right....... it was the town to Foote float and we killed them on R_______S...... like always I cut off two of the treble hooks and we loose very few and don't hurt the fish. If the fish are going to give it up like that it's good karma to treat them nicely!!

I think through July with the water we have it's going to be as good as it gets. August should be good in the early morning like always and September and early October as always will be superb.

Deb and I are busy putting on a new screen door, washing the deck, cleaning the grill and cooking meal after meal of wild mushrooms..... with all the rain we got this spring the Oyster Mushrooms have gone wild! My last five floats have seen me and my clients collect pounds and pounds of them! Lot's of new recipes with one that includes heavy cream, jalapeno's and sherry that is a champ!

Fish on folks, and we look forward to seeing you soon...... I'm off this afternoon to check on my Cutthroat Stream... will report soon!

All the best,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service

2009-06-10T14:26:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

OK, first things first... a lot of you have asked if I got those mushrooms I talked about in my last report.... kinda. I floated yesterday with one of my shuttle drivers and we went to the place where I had scouted out a bunch of shrooms. Alas by the time we got there the little buggers were either dried out or full of beetles... dang! .... but wait we did run into a bunch of Morels... yeah! So don't you all worry I won't go hungry and might even have some about to share on your arrivals! But don't even bother to ask me where I got the Morels..... I'd give up a 10lb trout before giving up a Morel patch!

Alright back to business. Our beautiful river is trying so hard to drop if the rain would just give it a break ( if it stops raining for a second the river drops like a rock! ).... but.... even with the continued rain ( records being set daily ) the clarity of the river is still good and the fishing has been fair to excellent above the Encampment river. Mostly fair to good because of the constant coming and going of storm cells.... if we settle down for a week or so the fishing is going to be superb!

The weatherman seems to think during the course of the week we will be getting better.... less rain, sun and warmer... into the 70s this weekend..... about time! I'm looking more like a pasty Englishman than a rugged, tanned Wyoming fishing guide.

So to all the calls and emails I've been getting re: the water..... from here on out we'll be fine and getting better unless a storm shows up of biblical proportions. If that happens I'll be giving Mushroom floats..... the good news is on those floats it's all catch,keep and eat!!

Any questions give a yell or an electronic howdy.

Best,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service 307 326 6079

2009-06-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

We'll my prediction was going so well...... river dropping, clearing and the big bugs were starting to show last weekend........ All good things come to an end!

We've had unprecedented rains... I mean every day for now a week and their calling for a gully washer today! So the river is up, close to a couple of feet and over a 1000 cfs jump.

The clarity is not bad at all..... we just need the rain to stop, cause when it does the river will drop and it will be all on....

So if the rain stops falling..... by later next week...... into the weekend the fishing should be really nice.... Great for Rick and friends showing up next Friday but not so great for Bob, Barnard and their family. They're showing up in a few hours to stay with us for a couple of days for a 50th wedding anniversary and hoped to get a little fishing in..... I just hope the Guest House doesn't float to Pick Bridge with them in it!

So once I meet my clients I'm going to float the river tomorrow, with a step ladder in it.... and go collect some Oyster Mushrooms I scouted out the other day..... can't get to them without a boat and a ladder.... but they will be mine... oh yes.... they will be mine!

Fishing is on the way hang in their everyone!

All the best,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service 307 326 6079

2009-05-19T05:42:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

The fishing was as predicted, steady and with nice big fish. Dennis, a very good fisherman, had three fish in that 20” + or – range, one brown probably about 5lbs throwing the hook on a jump, and a good number of other fish. First fish of the Day to the boat was a beautiful 20” Bow with a red stripe an inch wide. She was almost fully recovered from the spawn and looking good!

We took fish on streamers and nymphs with lots of Caddis coming off with only one fish sighted on top…… so far… it’s a coming.

Water clarity stayed at 1 – 2 ½ feet throughout the day…. And it felt like July out… hot!

My prediction…. The Snowy Range has lost a lot of it’s snow, at last report down to 70% of it’s normal snowpack. The Snowies are where the Platte gets most of it’s run off snow above the Encampment. The Sierra Range still has close to 100% of normal snow pack… where the encampment gets most of it’s run off.

I think the Platte above the Encampment is going to fish well from here on and I don’t see it getting blown out, maybe a little higher but not dirty. More importantly this sets us up for a real good shot at getting in on the legendary but often hard to catch Salmon Fly hatch. For those who haven’t fished it ….. it’s one of those things us fisher types chase all our life trying to catch…… Bugs the size of hummingbirds on the water, in the bushes, on the rocks with everything, and I mean everything eating them! Birds, snakes, frogs, and of course Trout…… the first big meal of the year for a lot of critters.

Big Trout on dries is the deal.

As the Platte stays in good shape the Encampment should come along and be perfect towards the beginning of July just in time for another of our legendary hatches the Green Drake….. once again big dries and big fish. Now this hatch gets a lot of attention from local and traveling anglers… get up early, back eddy the boat in some soft water and wait until about 9 or so when the big green bugs start coming off….. we’ll see.

With the Encampment being full of water this also bodes well for the water downstream from Saratoga…. Good and cooler flows longer into the summer.

You’ll notice everything I’ve posted is good news……. Remember I’m a fishing guide…. The glass is always half full and the trout are all 20” plus!!

Early to mid June for the Salmon Flies and Early July for the Drakes.

All the best,
Mitch
Harrison’s Guest House & Guide Service 307 326 6079
www.northplattefishing.com

2009-05-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

Hi all,We'll spring has sprung and after catching a few fish out front and visiting the Bennett Peak put in I think this could be the time for some big fish

.Visibility is good up to 2 - 3' out front and better up above the Encampment. This will be streamer fishing to the bank and any other quiet spots the fish may be hanging out. We'll also be using nymphs and maybe some dries in the quieter backwaters as the caddis are going nuts.

It looks like the big flush won't happen as it's been slowly coming off and now that the upper river is warming we could be in line for some big naive trout not used to us evil fisher types after a long winter lay off. They'll be congregated in very obvious areas for us to take advantage of.

So for all my front range guys and gals give a call and let's talk if you have an hankering to wet a line.... or those with miles just waiting to be used!Hope all is well with everyone! I caught a few fish out front with a couple of caddis nymphs.... emerger on top and of course a Buckskin on the bottom!

Best,Mitch 307 326 6079

First Trip of the Year

2009-04-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

SO… our first day of the season is in the books.. And it was great!

Now let me explain great… One of my folks was back for his fourth trip and instead of Brother Scott I got the fun and pretty Gabriela as Brad’s partner. Really nice folks to spend a day in the boat with…. A little sun on the cheeks, waterfowl pairing up, deer, mink and even a Bob Cat which I’ll talk about later….. Any way a pleasant day on the Platte.

The fishing was great…. What I mean by great is we didn’t put tons of fish in the boat, but we did put a big Bow that was closer to 25” than he was to 20”.. A handsome boy fish far along on his recovery from the spawn. And two other fish.

So only three fish in the boat with a half a dozen other close calls and it was great? You bet. Spring on a freestone river depends on sun during the day and it still staying cold in the mountains. Even with that the water will be cold and the fish a little slow but…. It’s a nice time to get the rust off and catch a big fish. The pressure has been light, the fish are hungry and if you keep at it the chances of catching a fish like Brad’s big Bow are pretty good. And regardless where you’re fishing a 25” Rainbow is a large fish… a very large fish.

Also for me as a guide if the first day we just slayed them it kind of puts a kink in your psyche for the season …. You always want to slay them, you know it’s not always going to happen, so a slow day with a big fish is a cool way to get the motor warmed up for the season…… Somehow tempering expectations….. who knows Ken and Bob showing up next weekend might slay them and also see a mountain lion!

Speaking of felines…. We had just released our first fish of the day and everyone’s spirits were high when Gabriela told us we were being watched. On a sheer cliff, about 40 yards away, in a little cave, a Bob Cat was taking in the action. In all my years out and about I’ve only seen two, both times while fishing, both times on the Cheeseman Canyon stretch of the South Platte, and both time for just a brief flash…. You knew it wasn’t a neighbors overgrown tabby, too feral and quick, but I never got to watch and enjoy them for more than a split second. This little beauty was comfy, warm and safe and was content to stare us down from his or her little sanctuary. A rare bonus for us all!

So enjoy the pics of the Bow and Kitty and we look forward to seeing you on the river. Time to clean the boat, refill the fly boxes and welcome Ken and Bob for their first trip with us.

All the best,
Mitch
Harrison’s Guest House & Guide Service 307 326 6079

Opening up for 2009

2009-04-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter all!
Opened up yesterday and the house and cabin are still here! Only extra found was a trophy mouse in a trap. He's a keeper, I'm sending off the skull and fangs to Boone & Crocket thinking I might have the new State record!

Woke up this am and took off for the hills to take a hike.... snowshoe hike. We had a skiff of snow last night but in the hills it was miles and miles of champagne powder! About 10" of fresh. The snowshoeing was awesome... fresh snow, sun, no wind and a couple of moose.

The river is in great shape and ready to float. See attached photos out front of the Guest House. The road up to Bennett still has a few snow drifts but give us guides a few days and we'll dynamite our way through to the put in. Yesterday afternoon before the snow showed up it was warm and sunny with a f ew trout out front sipping midges....... dang it's good to be back!

So.... if you're inclined to get out and wet a line........ bring your warmest clothes but have a few Hawaiian shirts along... you never know in April.

Take advantage of our Spring special...... $300. for a day trip.... $100. off our regular season pricing. Heck I'll still provide flies and lunch! '

Expect the fishing to be slow with our cold water but don't be surprised if we have a banner day..... the best dry fly fishing I've ever had on this river was in April.... Blue Wings and a snow storm...... remember that Uncle Jim??!!

Off to clean and polish up the house.... Deb and her Mom ( Mom in from England to celebrate the nuptials of her Grand daughter ) are on their way up for the weekend to help me open up and for Deb and I to celebrate our 17th year of Deb putting up with a fishing bum! Have a great Easter!

All the best, Mitch Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service

Exciting News !!!!!!!!!

2009-03-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Finally a big dumping of snow! Great for everyone.... but especially great for the North Platte Valley and it's rivers.

So the exciting news. I'm just back from Saratoga from meeting with the BLM and National Forest Service. As I think you would all agree we have tons of water to fish with a lot of choices. Well, our choices have just been added to!I now have BLM and Forest Service permits for all BLM and more Forest Service areas.

What that means is I can now guide Bennett Peak on weekends as well as during the week..... do you hear that Pat and Kyle? This years trip we're going up river! We also have rafts and shuttles available for floats from 6 mile to Prospect to Bennett. It's going to be fun! This also adds ton's of water to our fall sight fishing!Any thoughts or questions just yell... I'm in Colorado until the 9th of April 303 298 0848 then in Saratoga 307 326 6079 opening up and floating a bunch of new and old water!

Cheers,
MitchHarrison's Guest House & Guide Service
www.northplattefishing.com

Report 3/17/09

2009-03-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

Hi all my fishers and fisherettes,

Are you kidding me? The weather has been outrageous out West, high 60s low 70s in the Colorado front range and even our lovely Saratoga is seeing 60!!

Good news... go fishing now! Client/Friend Allen from Tennessee dragged me along to go fishing with him last week, happily I might add! Went to the Blue River in the Silverthorne area in Colorado. Hell, Allen even let me catch a fish! It was fun,...... nice, big, healthy Rainbows........ I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't say that they don't compare to our fish on the North Platte........... but they were OK Nice to be out with Allen and wet a line!

All right.... a report. The snow pack in our drainage on the North Platte as we speak is good.... but we sure would like to get some more snow these next two months. It's gone a bit dry in the high country.

SO....... stay in touch, check my blog on the site, www.northplattefishing.com and if we get a slow run -off we may have some wonderful early season fishing.... April is always fun but if we get a slow run off look for May and June for great fishing and big bugs on top! I will let you all know!

Hope you all are fine with visions of jumping trout soon to come..... just received my yearly order of fly's, new waders and boots in the mail..... just like a little kid on Christmas day I am!

Cheers!
MitchHarrison's Guest House & Guide Service www.northplattefishing.com

Out in the water

2009-03-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

It seems I'll be following some of my own tips next week. New friend and Client Allen B. has invited me to fish with him on the Blue River in CO. It seems he has some business up in Copper Mountain so... after business he booked a trip to fish and invited me..... long time since I've been on a guided trip myself...... I'll have to give the guide a rough time and really screw up my Karma for my upcoming season!

So what would you look for on a winter tail water like the Blue?? First I looked at the weather forecast.... partly cloudy... hmmmmmm.... in March...... break out the dry fly rod.. there has to be some Blue Wings and certainly midges to bring some heads up.

These bugs are tiny... the size has to be right. And these fish are educated so long limp tippets. If you're having a hard time seeing your bug just toss on a parachute something about a size 12 so you can see then drop the real bug about a coupule of feet off of it.

Don't forget your pam to wipe on your guides to fight off the ice!

Cheers,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service

Fly Fishing tips for Winter/Early Spring

2009-02-12T14:13:00.000-08:00

Hi Folks,

With the warm days a lot of Fly Fishing Talk and E Mails from the North Platte River and Encampment faithful are coming in.

It was suggested I add tips and tricks on a regular basis for folks.... so here ya go!

First and foremost the single, most important, without fail fly fishing secret to always catching more fish is......... PRESENTATION! The bug you use is is way down the list unless your in a blanket hatch and fish have been habituated to a certain size and color.... even then I often use a wildly different bug to break things up ( In February I've dragged an unweighted egg through a dry midge hatch, for fun, and slayed them!)...... make sure the wildly different bug is presented perfectly.... no drag or any unnatural movement.

Winter/Spring...... the water is cold, the fish are therefore sluggish.. as are the bugs! So... slow and perfect presentations, no drag and look for fish on the edges, not in the fastest of water, and look for them deep in the slowest of the water.... bounce bottom and go ahead and lose some bugs... the trout will like it!

Never give up on dries..... some of the best dry fly fishing of the year can take place in the middle of the most miserable weather.... snow, rain etc. No bad days, just bad clothing..... dress warm and look for heads during the worst of the weather..... midges & Bluewings love it... so will you!

Go out and get some! PS: Bring some Pam, the cooking spay, and spray some on your guides to cut down on all the ice build up! You can use it on your long haired dog during hunting season to keep burrs off as well.

All the best,
Mitch
Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service

WY Fishing deals for Spring

2009-02-06T11:19:00.000-08:00

Hi Folks,

The warm 60 to 70 degree days out West have people thinking of resting their knees from the ski slopes and soaking them in some North Platte River water. Lots of calls…… for the summer/fall months…

A quick thought and some deals for you…

My mid June – September always book quickly…. In going through our fishing diaries we’ve always had wonderful fishing from Mid April – Mid May…. before run-off. But I usually only book a handful of trips during that time.

Most of that could be attributed to me scaring people off will tales of snow, wind and hail. While under selling the fact that we have fish that haven’t been harassed for a long while that are hungry… and it can also be sunny and warm! A good time of year to get into massive Blue Wing Olive hatches as well…….. My man Jimmy F. from Sacramento could tell tales of fifty+ hard feeding fish at his feet during a snow storm…. Then after dealing with a few 14 -16” fish hooking and landing a prime 23” brownie…. All on dries! A heroic shot of Jim and the big Brown are on my site….. snow, smiles and all!

So… yes in can be cold and snowy, it can also be sunny and warm. My good friend Ole from Oslo tells us there are no bad days….. Just bad clothing!
So here ya go…… My own little stimulus/bail out plan for my fishers of the Upper North Platte River….

Mid April – Mid May – run-off (whichever comes first)
Day Trips $100. Off = $300.
¾ Day trips $75. Off = $275.
25% off on all Alpine Adventure trips….. Great snowshoeing and critter watching in the spring/late winter.

20% off house and room rates.

Same goofy owner & fishing guide…. No extra charge.

Off to play in some fresh powder with our youngest……. And looking forward to soaking my knees in the North Platte with you. Only eight weeks until back in the boat for the season…. Ye hah!

All the best,
Mitch
Harrison’s Guest House & Guide Service

PAST POSTS 2008

2009-01-19T12:56:00.000-08:00

WY Fishing Report 11/1/2008

Hi all.

Well the subject should read Harrison's Guest House & Guide Service has closed it's doors for the season...... but I'm sure with the high 60 degrees temps in Saratoga all this week the fishing could have been and probably is stellar!!

This email more that anything is to thank you all for a great season........ our books say our best!

If I had to pick a year and have every other year be like it this is the one. We had great water, cool temps and almost non existent wind..... my Philly guys I'm sure are reading this and saying all we get is sleet, rain and cold temps..... the weather has to break for you at some point guys... I'm sure of it!

The water was great on the Platte and Encampment but also great for the high country where we did a load of trips this year, climbing and enjoying the wildlife and pan seared Brook Trout for lunch. We also guided a half a dozen trips to a spectacular little stream loaded with Cutthroats...... and when weather allowed us to get to this remote spot it was always a 10!

I'll always try to find new waters for us to fish and explore... as we speak I'm working with the Forest Service and BLM to add a few more gems to our list... these will be remote locations, a little hiking involved but will give us more shots at solitude and even some great sight fishing like we enjoyed this year..... Just like down under mates!

As we speak the 4th week in September, half of June, a 1/3rd of July, are already taken..... call for your spots and hope for another winter like last year!

As always as we get closer to the season I'll keep you up to date on snow pack and how the river looks....... as always the end of August through the second week in October are as sure bets as you'll get in fishing..... Tricos, Bluewings,good weather and cooling water temps. On the front end of the season Mid June through Mid July are great bets as well.. clearing and warming water, Stone Flies, caddis and a great time to chuck streamers for larger fish.

Please call anytime for any info you may need 303 298 0848 or in season 307 326 6079 ..... even if your not staying or fishing with us we love to talk fishing, the mountains and the North Platte Valley in general.

We hope you and yours are enjoying your Fall.... if you're feeling itchy and need to wet a line.. go for it! The weather is great right now, most of our Western waters are crystal clear..... think long very light tippets and small bugs.... or thrash about with a streamer the size of a large rat, tie it to 20lb test and try to antagonize some big Brownies!

All the best,
Mitch

WY Fishing report 8/28/2008

Hi all,

End of August, Tricos in full swing with a smattering of Blue wings starting to show up… The best time of the year.

Just made fast and lasting friends with Keith and Terry out of the great state of Alabama….. Deb always has a kick when I’ve got Southern folks out as my ear bone is obviously attached to my mouth bone… At the end of their stays I can “ya’ll” with the best of them.

Keith and Terry don’t get to get out and fly fish as much as they would like, as a matter of fact this was really Keith’s first fly fishing venture and Terry hadn’t been out in 5 or 6 years….. the first day was a bit rusty and the fishing was slow, but yesterday they put a whoop on our poor fish, ton’s of fish hooked and landed, lots of jumping and high fives and more importantly the first of our lake run fish showing up, silver Rainbows, plump and hot and slightly colored up Browns starting to look for a little love, all we need is a touch of rain to keep our river floatable…… little dragging here and there on the lower river, the upper would be tough.. Keep your fingers crossed! PS: Bill, “ Wigs Run “ is in full swing!

Tip of the week….. Don’t fight the feeling…. Right now, if fishing dries or nymphs you’ve got to go small…… 22s to 24s… it’s all about the Tricos and the fall Blue Wings, don’t be afraid! And get a good pair of cheater glasses and some good 6 or 7x tippet…… but as always the perfect drift will set you free…. Not the bug!

Things are looking good as old favorites are on their way, The 65ers for their week, Tim and the Philly Mafia, John and his family, a New Zealand aficionado and our Tulsa group….. What a treat!

I’ve attached two photos showing a Cow and calf moose and a hen Blue Grouse we ran into while in the high country catching Brookies, making lunch of them and hiking away in our beautiful high country.

Believe it or not here we’ve only 5 weeks give or take before the early snow starts flying…… in a few weeks the aspen will start turning then by the first of October the river foliage will light up… another great season in the bag!

If you’re a fall person like me…. Get out in it and enjoy!!

All the best, Mitch

WY Fishing Report 8/12/2008

Hi all,

A quick report while I’m on vacation with the family and heading out to the Jethro Tull Concert tonight at Red Rocks! At 60 Ian Anderson is as fresh and as wonderful as he was when I first saw him in 1975.

Fishing…. With our initial snowpack and now with our rains and cool temps it’s probably been one of our better years…. Especially for August, good floating and great fishing from sun rise to about 1pm. Streamers early, when the sun hits the water go small mayfly or caddis nymphs… the spinner falls are getting better every day and we should have larger pods of fish on them any day now…. Bluewings can’t be far behind! Bookings… totally booked for the rest of the season except for the cancellation we have that opens up a prime spot… 15th – 21rst of September.

Also our new emphasis on Alpine hiking, fishing, and photography trips has been a kick…. See attached photos of the Murry brothers fishing a 11,000+ ft. and enjoying fresh trout, pan fried with a freshly baked loaf of sourdough bread. A great workout and a great meal!

I’m back in Saratoga tomorrow with old friends the O’Fallon’s back again from Florida and the 65ers right on their tails…….. The 65ers all turn 65 this season…. I hope I can fish as hard and play in the evening as hard as these fellow do when I get there!

The best of the year is on its way…. September and October… get out and enjoy.

PS: got my first winter warning…. Grays peak in Colorado @ 14,200+ft had 1 – 4” of fresh snow on it yesterday….. Oh my!

Cheers,
Mitch

WY Fishing Report 7/18/2008

Hi All!

Quick update..... Deb and Burt did very well on their visit....... Deb's been fishing the North Platte for 30 years and it was her best day ever! Ah such sweet words to this guides ears! Check out pic of attached 20" Brown.

So.... the river from top to bottom is in great shape and fishing well and the really good news is our nights are getting cold! THe trout are loving it and the evenings on the deck require a sweater at times... perfect.

Have a few dates left for the rest of the summer.... and just had a group cancell a week in September.... poor buggers it's right in the middle of the month... blue wings and our big run of Rainbows coming up the river... prime stuff.

Tricos are just barely starting to show up.... the main players now are the caddis.

See you on the river!

Cheers,
Mitch

WY Fishing Report 7/9/2008

Hi Boys and Girls,

Sorry so long between reports but with summer FINALLY getting here it's been hard to stay inside and peck away at a computer!

Season really started rolling with the visit of my Mississippi friends Frank " the Bull " and Graig. We had Ok fishing on the big river with nice fish but not many but....... A little piece of water saved the trip, good fish and lot's of them, won't divulge the little piece of water as it's small and could end up getting more pressure than it needs, sorry but I need to keep some secrets...... although I'm sure I can be bribed!

THe big river was bouncing up and down causing the fishing to do the same. My friends from EDI were back out again about the same time as the Mississippi Mafia and even joined them for dinner at the Guest house. The fishing was pretty good for the EDI boys with Phil looking to be top rod enjoying good days on the Platte and a little stream.

Hot on their tails came friends Charles and Sarah from the great state of Texas...... Charles you'll need to forget this next time you show up for some fishing but...... I'd guide you and Sarah for free for a breakfast of your Pig and Deer sausage!!

Charles and Sarah brought along their friends Greg and Cindy and Mark and Kate and lots of personal bests were bested and great weather for the length of their stay. Sarah did rule the second day with good fishing on nymphs.

Now.... water is dropping like crazy and the report has Drakes on both the Encampment and the Platte. With the high water we've had this might be a short lived blast of the big mayflies but I'll report back after I chase them upstream the next few days.

Looking forward to return clients Burt and Deb to show up and visit the lower river for a few days..... I'm chomping at the bit to get down there cause it looks really nice.

Speaking of looking nice...... the high country is slowly starting to open up. I got up Medicine Bow Peak yesterday and was able to see a lot of our lakes getting most of their ice off and should be able to start our treks into them soon. My fearless Deb over the 4th weekend took a hike with me into the headwaters of one of our streams as well as a lake.... beautiful country and the water is right as are the fish!!! So if your ready for pan seared Brook Trout and a great hike the rest of July - September should be choice! Beautiful view from Med Bow Peak is attached.

Hope you all had a safe and fun 4th..... let the summer games begin!!

All the best,
Mitch

WY Fishing Report 6/15/2008

Hi all,

Just a quickie........ the irrigation gates are wide open, we're getting cool to cold nights in the high country, the river has great visibility, the big bugs are out and really starting to rock. Good to the best fishing on all parts of the river.

Come get some!!

I'll be on the river a lot so I'll probably get back to anyone how wants info quicker if you call..307 326 6079.

Check out the cool shots I attached of fawn deer and calf elk!

Cheers,
Mitch

WY Fishing Report 5/16/2008

Hi all,

Well it's finally stopped snowing on us! Now we're looking at a weeks worth of 70s to 80s... uh oh... news flash Harrison's Guest House new location..... Nebraska! Let's hope the nights get cold enough to slow down what promises to be one heck of a flow.

Don't know what to tell you about the fishing at this point... The Encampment has been ok but with the warm weather it will be gone for a while, the big river is only going to get bigger, great for scenic floats... not so much for fishing. I'll keep you posted but for now if I had to take a guess... mid to latter part of June... ah.... great for the river and should set up for a great summer...... no moss hatch this year folks!

In the meantime I've been busy plotting a new part of my business.... I'll be leading a number of trips to the high country this season..... Introducing Harrison's Guest House & Guide Services Alpine Adventures...... The Forest service has enlarged my permitted area by 15 lakes or so giving me over 20 to play with, we'll be averaging about 10,000ft in altitude in some of the most gorgeous country around, our long hike will include summitting Medicine Bow Peak, 12,000ft plus a few, Brook Trout and fresh locally baked bread for lunches and sleep like a baby that evening. We'll have all sorts of hikes available, half days, full days, fishing, just hiking.... tell us what you want and we'll create a trip together.... we have lots of water and lots of options.. call for details.

So what am I up to???? I'm hiking a lot, not smoking and trying to get skinny, taking lots of photographs and waiting to see all your smiling faces on the water or in the hills! Just to show you I'm really not just lounging on the deck wrapped around a whiskey bottle I've attached a neat shot of Sage Grouse going about their courtship rituals..... out near Bennett Peak. About 18 males having at it...... if you haven't seen this it's worth casting about on the back roads in the early am in search of the amorous guys!

We'll talk soon about changing water conditions.... until then....
Cheers,
Mitch

WY Fishing Report 5/16/2008

Hi All!

Happy New Year and welcome to the 2008 fishing season!

Hope everyone wintered over well and that us poor buggers out here can retire our snow shovels til next winter! Really can’t complain much about the snow….. it was really an “ old school/normal “ winter that we haven’t had for a bit and it sure will be great for the health of the rivers! It’s the perfect time for hikes in the high country, you can hike on the snowmobile trails but the snow isn’t in good enough shape for the noisy things to pester you! Scout and I have enjoyed it and yes there’s a ton of the white stuff up there to melt………. When Scout wanders off the trails following her nose she sometimes disappears in the unpacked snow…… to the point where once I had to fall in myself to pull her out.

The run-off has started here with the river today starting to pick up some color and depth…. It’s come up 7 – 10” in front of the Guest House in the last week. Depending on Mom nature… sun, cold nights, rain, snow, etc the river could be out and cold until mid June….. I’ll try and keep you posted or just give a ring, I’ll look out the window, and let you know.

The fishing……. Started out the season with regulars Dennis, son Greg and friend Dave…. It’s fun to watch people’s faces when our drift boat, with Dave and Greg , comes drifting by with wine bottles in the front AND rear drink holders…… Dave and Greg were happy they had them as the fishing was slow to say the least.

Timing, timing, timing………. Dennis and Greg showed up Monday evening with the fishing and water temperatures good ……. The next am the Wyoming wind made and appearance…….. you know sort of like the Huns used to make an appearance…. Loud and vicious! Dennis and Greg took mercy on their guide and we decided to “try” and wade fish……. By noon the wind won and we ran away.

That night it snowed on us, about 3 – 4” in town, and with it the water temps for the next three days hovered between 38 and 42 degrees, trout hibernation temps ……… Long story short…. We caught fish, not many, but a few big ones and stopped the last two days trips by noon……. No use beating a dead fish us guides like to say!

Thank you Dennis, Greg and Dave for your good spirits and all the laughter over the four days……… thank God we have a history of stellar trips together or I’m afraid I’d have been tossed over the side!

Looking forward…….. unless we have truly unnatural warmth or wind to make all the snow disappear overnight we should have a “normal” year……Fishing taking off mid June, good floating and fishing through late July, early August, no moss, morning fishing only.. for a few weeks in August, after getting our mid to late August rains game on for the rest of the season through mid October.

For fishing this spring……… call for Gray Reef reports…. I might be talked into going up but only during the week. I’m afraid what I’ve been talking about the past two years continues to be the case up in Casper….. Lots and Lots of new outfitters, lots of boats and lots of the kids parking on spawning redds and killing a lot of fish…. The results……. Not near the fish there used to be, still some big ones but you’ll have to share them with a lot of people.

If you’re looking for a possible hot spot to be guided on, ( sorry I won’t give this one away….. yet) there is a fairly new tail water fishery that I’ve visited a few times, only a few times…… as I got lost trying to take Mississippi Frank there last year……. No Frank I still refuse to ask directions !………. It’s a neat winding meadow stream with deep cut banks and Bows up to 18”…. So far!

As always if you want to talk fishing or just shoot the bull give a shout 307 326 6079

Be well and see you on the river! I’ve attached a photo of a few Cinnamon Teal in front of the Guest House in a full pre-mating frenzy…… beautiful little birds!

Cheers,
Mitch

Opening up!! 4/8/2008

Hi All,

Opening up this week, water good, runoff big, probably starting Mid May - Mid June... Great for the river... tough fishing for a a month.

Will produce a more info/story filled report soon??

Happy 08 Fishing season!
Cheers,
Mitch