Here, at wild iris mountain sports, our selection of books range the following topics. The lakes and streams in the winds house rainbow, brook, cutthroat, and golden trout. Glaciers have left their mark in the form of ushaped valleys, serrated peaks and ridges, and alpine cirques. Nov 12, 2018 with remote waterways and unpressured trout, wyomings wind river range is the backcountry fly anglers mecca.
Hunting and fishing is allowed with a valid wyoming hunting or fishing license. Oct 30, 2019 this past summer, lillard fly fishing expeditions, led a group of returning students on a six day backpacking trip into the winds in search of the ever elusive golden trout. Got a chance to visit the western fringes of the range in 1980 which was great but it only served to whet my appetite. The wind river range boasts both the green river and the new fork river, and our guides have been fishing and guiding on these waters for over three decades.
I survive by keeping my expectations low, and my options open. Access to trailheads over tribal lands requires hiring a tribal guide. Beginning at high elevation in the wind river range near dubois, wyoming, the bighorn headwaters are formed by the wind river. Over 500 of the lakes in the range are known to support fish and. There are over 1,300 named lakes in the wind river range. Jakeys fork homestead, a hidden gem in the wind river range. Beautiful, rugged mountains and a wide range of landscapes. Use our easy lodging search to find exactly the type of accommodation you are looking for at the right price.
Streamers tend to find the largest fish, although hopper and the terrestrial season will bring big fish to the surface as well. In fact, seven of the 10 largest glaciers in the lower 48 are found in the winds. High mountain lakes the wind river range is home to thousands of lakes and ponds, with an appealing mix of golden, brook, rainbow, and cutthroat trout. The great outdoor shop is proud to offer guided fly fishing trips on some of the finest and most secluded trout water in wyoming. Have visited multiple times car camping, dayhiking, and backpacking. But several more chapters in, the book devolves into a plodding and superficial treatment of two presumably scarred souls seeking redemption in the mountains near wyomings wind river. Both rivers are popular fishing destinations because catch rates are high and both areas are quite scenic. In the solo followup to on fly fishing the northern rockies, vanzanten wanted to take readers on a factbased journey examining the history of wyomings wind river range while enticing newbies to backpacking and fishing to venture from the trailhead signs to the backcountry lakes. While this guide service and the fishing opportunities that they offer are by no means new or undiscovered, what is new is that longtime guide and outfitter darren calhoun has now added riverside lodging to his lineup, opening what we feel is the most exciting new fishing lodge in the west. Wind river canyon lodge wind river fly fishing yellow dog. In wyomings wind river range, peaks thrust,000 feet into the sky, and large trout fin placidly in remote lakes so clear they appear to be covered in nothing but cellophane. After mulepacking into wyomings wind river range, we set up base camp and explore many highalpine lakes to fish. Aug 04, 2001 introductionid dreamed of hiking and fishing in the wind rivers ever since reading a couple articles about the range in the late 70s.
This book is 255 pages long and there is a 33 page section devoted to fishing in the wind rivers. Book a trip with an outfitter or guide and experience the vacation of a lifetime. North platte fly fishing, north platte fishing guide wyoming. The lake sits on the western edge of the rugged wind river range in wyoming. Much of the novel is a dissertation on wilderness camping and fly fishing, which seems designed more to showcase the authors considerable knowledge of these subjects than to drive a narrative.
Whether you are fishing, camping or rock climbing, weve included everything to help you prep for your summer backpacking adventure in the winds. About 500 of them are named, and most of them are fishable. Granite peaks40 of them over,000 feet highdominate the landscape. Oct 14, 2016 the wind river range in wyoming is among the tastiest backpacking recipes anywhere. Great scenery and fishing are abundant, as well as lots of hiking opportunities.
Visitors enjoy hiking and backpacking into the adjacent bridger wilderness, as well as fishing and canoeing on the lake. In fact, 19 of wyomings 20 highest peaks are in the wind river range and there are more than 40named peaks rising above,000 feet. Green river lakes campground is located near the shores of beautiful lower green river lake, at an elevation of 8,000 feet. So when i traveled to dubois, wyoming to do a story on the excellent fly fishing one can experience on the upper big wind, i was pleasantly surprised by my accommodations at the jakeys fork homestead. Titcomb basin backpacking guide wind river range, wy. The worldrecord golden trout was caught in the wind rivers, making it a destination for those seeking this elusive and distinctive fish. We offer horseback riding, pack trips, spot packs, and gear drops into the beautiful bridger wilderness of the wind river range near pinedale, wyoming. This unbelievably thorough and comprehensive guide is designed primarily for advanced hikers with some climbing and glacier travel skills. Fishing wind river country wind river country sports some of the best fishing in 43,000 acres of lakes and reservoirs and nearly 2,000 miles of streams fed by mountain snow melt. Bridger wilderness fishing guide wyoming game and fish. Jul 16, 2020 add in my two fishing dogs, and a certain picture begins to emerge.
Wind river mountain range and includes over 2,000 glacial carved lakes, ponds, and potholes. Wyomings wind river mountain range is famous for its pristine alpine lakes and streams teeming with wild trout, an adventure paradise for fly fishermen. Jul 01, 2008 but several more chapters in, the book devolves into a plodding and superficial treatment of two presumably scarred souls seeking redemption in the mountains near wyomings wind river. However, thanks to the oldtimers who horse packed young fingerlings in milk cans to secluded lakes, today you can also enjoy fishing for golden trout, rainbow trout, mackinaw, brook trout and beautifully colored hybrid trout. Three mistakes on the wind river range high route, attempt. A hiking and fishing guide to wyomings wind river range paperback june 1, 1994 language. Mitchells book can rightly be considered the bible of the wind river mountains and is as useful today as when it was first published.
Read new our blog on the wind river range and crank up your stoke levels. From the wind river range to the absaroka mountains and the fitzpatrick and washakie wilderness areas, you can access pristine lakes and alpine meadows. Searchable listings of wind river range rv parks and campgrounds. While this guide service and the fishing opportunities that they offer are by no means new or undiscovered, what is new is that longtime guide and outfitter darren calhoun has now added riverside lodging to his lineup, opening what we feel is the most exciting new fishing lodge in. Designed for the advanced backpacker, the 50 routes emphasize the alpine terrain along the continental divide with 20% to 70% offtrail travel. Backpack the wind river range, wyoming sierra club. Seven of the largest glaciers in the rocky mountains are found here, including the single largest glacier in the american rockies. Surrounded by the towering peaks of the wind river, absaroka, and owl creek mountain ranges and home to hundreds of high elevation lakes.
Allinclusive golden trout fishing trip to the wind river. The summit has sweeping panoramas, especially to the north. The wind river range is home to over 1,500 immaculate alpine lakes. This book is a quirky, but very enjoyable journey into the backcountry of the wind river range in wyoming to hike, camp and fly fish. Beyond trails in the wind river mountains of wyoming by nancy palliser. Beyond trails in the wind river mountains of wyoming. Golden trout from high in the wind river range of wyoming welcome to my web site. A hiking and fishing guide to wyomings wind river range. Beyond trails in the wind river mountains of wyoming nancy. Much of the novel is a dissertation on wilderness camping and fly fishing, which seems designed more to showcase the authors considerable knowledge of these.
Cutthroat trout are the only native fish in the wind river range. Wyomings wind river mountain range is famous for its pristine. Wind river gold hunt trip report lillard fly fishing. A guide to the worldclass fishing scene in wyomings wind. Enjoy the beautiful green river valley below gannett peak, the highest peak in wyoming, and part of the largest.
Offtrail routes for the advanced backpacker second edition, 2017 nancy pallister. The fishing is usually superb and was interested in information about specific lakes and streams. The wind river high route is bookended in the south by wind river peak, the range s southernmost er. Sep 20, 2018 results show that the tayo and deep creekdrainage lakes near wind river peak currently offer some of the best golden trout fishing opportunities within the wind river mountains.
In most good lakes, trout will be widebodied and range between 12 and 18 inches. This bighornthe wyoming section of the same river is not that bighorn. George river and medomak river im listing these waters together because theyre similar in terms of fishing opportunity. Sweetwater fishing expeditions, llc is a fly fishing outfitter in the lander, wyoming area specializing in guided camping trips into the grand and rugged wind river mountains and day fly fishing excursions on the smaller streams coming out of the east side of the winds. On fly fishing the wind river range great outdoor shop. Wyoming high country trout tracewski fishing adventures. After some consideration, i proposed wind river countrys upper silas canyon area as our destination. Essays and what not to bring narrative by chadd vanzanten, klaus vanzanten, et al. Wind river country is known for its epic backcountry. Logan author releases new fly fishing book outdoors. Experience the beautiful washakie wilderness around cody, the pristine wind river range out of dubois, or breathtaking beauty of the bridgertetons and jackson hole. Am i wasting my time fishing for wind river golden trout. Upper silas canyon is a long, glacialcarved canyon in the wind river mountain range that is dotted with numerous lakes that just happen to be teeming with trout.
Between 1914 and 1946, swedish and scandinavian loggers, or tie hacks, floated over 10 million handhewn railroad ties some 100 miles down the wind river to riverton in massive weekslong drives. The freestone reach zigzags southeast toward riverton, eventually pooling in boysen reservoir, near the onestoplight town of shoshoni. Backpack and fly fish the wind river range, pinedale, wyoming. The tripthe wind river range extends for more than 100 miles with the crest forming part of the continental divide.
In a series of essays on misfortunate fatherandson backpacking trips, disaffected boy scouts, psychotropic deepwoods epiphanies and many other topics, author chadd vanzanten offers not only a survey of the fishing and history of the wind river range, but a tour of personal landscapes as well. I developed the site to allow you to access information about the services provided by aquatic resource consulting arc, my powerpoint and streamside programs, my books and dvd sets, and my angling and landscape art. The wind river flows through the ranch for approximately 1. This section of wind river, below the down of dubois and upstream do the east fork is a fantastic stretch of water to wade fish. Sep 10, 2018 currently, the wyoming game and fish department manages over 3 alpine lakes holding golden trout, with the highest concentrations found in the wind river range. Lander woman strikes gold at thumb lake wind river country. Were very proud and excited to be working with a lodging option located in the heart of wyomings wind river canyon range.
In wyomings wind river range, peaks thrust,000 feet into the sky, and. Its a region full of varied trout opportunities, from high mountain lakes to productive streams such as the green, new fork, sweetwater, popo agie, and wind rivers, which drain the flanks of some of americas most spectacular peaks. I bought this book after moving to utah and found it most helpful for not only fishing the high country, but also planning and being safe in the mountains as well. For those not in the know, the wind river range, or the winds as they are called, are one of the most amazing wild places in the lower 48 states. With remote waterways and unpressured trout, wyomings wind river range is the backcountry fly anglers mecca. Green river lakes bridgerteton nf wy, bridgerteton. It remains a special place for those seeking adventure off the beaten path. The south fork of the little wind river is a perfect example. Hiking wyomings wind river range this book offers excellent trail descriptions and includes a mileage log and elevation chart. The most prominent fish on this reach are brown and rainbow trout, with an. May 08, 2019 in addition to the wind river, there are many others that are worth fishing, including the green river, the popo agie, and new fork rivers.
The range is home to many of the states highest mountains including fremont peak at,745 and wind river peak at,192 feet. The wind river range is the largest mountain range in the state. Game and fish helicopterstocks upper tayo, lower tayo, and upper deep creek lakes with pure golden trout every two to four years. Order ahead or visit the wyoming game and fish department. Both rivers are stocked heavily and should be stocked within the coming weeks. Along your hike combine 12 cups lake hoping, 10 dollops boulder scurrying and dont forget the special ingredient 2 cups mosquito corpses actual amounts may vary. Fishing the wind river contains more than 40 named peaks over,000 feet, including gannet peak, wyomings highest at,804 feet. Overall, the area is pretty solid wherever you choose to go, be it a quick day trip on the wind river or a multiday horsepacking or backpacking trip up into the higher elevations of the wind river range. The first permanent euroamerican settlers reached the area around 1866 and by the early 1900s the river was a key contributor to the local economy. Jul 27, 2015 the excellent stream fishing, combined with exotic golden trout in the high lakes, makes the wind river range a soughtafter destination for adventurous anglers.
Wind rock ranch wyoming ranches for sale live water. Try a day trip fishing or go for the elusive golden trout on an epic backcountry trip. A guide to the worldclass fishing scene in wyomings wind river. Access to trailheads over tribal lands requires hiring a tri. This is because in many streams, the fish are so numerous they never get a chance to grow as big. The wind river range is a spectacular mountain range with great rivers, lakes, peaks, and wildlife. However, thanks to the oldtimers who horse packed young fingerlings in milk cans to secluded lakes, today you can also enjoy fishing for golden trout, rainbow trout, mackinaw, brook. The excellent stream fishing, combined with exotic golden trout in the high. The magnificent wind river range, the longest continuous chain of the rockies in the lower48 states, provides an incredible backdrop as you float and cast into one beautiful pool after another. In streams, however, fish over 14 inches are harder to find. Learn to fly fish in dubois, wy with wind river flyfitter. On a clear day, gannett peak is visible, 42 miles away by air and 56 miles by foot.
Aug 27, 2016 i had been wanted to come to the wind river range for more than a decade, after first hearing about it from my older brother ted who had a couple wonderful family camping trips there, and then from my vermont fishing friend david crowne who takes regular trips out there. It is beautiful, and the fishing is spectacular, but the place is riddled with. What i really wanted, though, after reading rich osthoffs fly fishing the rocky mountain backcountry a book recommended by david crowne. The worldrecord golden trout came out of the wind river range and our. Seven nights in the wind river range trout downstream. Wyoming game and fish department fisheries along the.
So, whether you are a local who needs to update your library, or are visiting the majestic wind river ran. Wilderness horseback adventures and fly fishing trips throughout northwest wyoming around yellowstone national park. Small, easy to read, and easy to slip into a jacket pocket or backpack, this book is truly useful and indespensible for anyone wishing to hike, fish, or just read about the wind rivers. The book has good anecdotal stories and is very well written. Choose a guided pack trip complete with camp, horses, guide and cook. Wyoming game and fish department fisheries along the middle. Am i wasting my time fishing for wind river golden trout mid.
The author spent a lot of his time in the wind river range so much of the book references this area. Enjoy the beautiful green river valley below gannett peak, the highest peak in wyoming, and part of the largest glacier system in the lower 48 states. In 1948, the world record golden was caught in what is now one of the most popular backcountry lakes cook in the wind river range. Apr 02, 2018 the wind river range is a 100mile long chain of towering granite peaks, pristine alpine lakes, and glaciercarved meadows.
1584 158 1050 1555 811 695 614 1136 1436 1277 873 783 1073 687 824 433 444 405 1394 717 684 1474 715 1269 880 781 615 264 176 291 795 1040