Pinedale May 16-20 2019
Thursday On the way up we saw hundreds of antelope between the freeway and Kemmerer. After setting up rooms and camp at Daniel Junction, we headed north and east about 30 mins to Soda Lake. Ice off was about 1 week ago and the fish were still pretty sluggish due to cold weather, cold water, and snow melt!! We saw a very few risers and only 3 or 4 cruisers on the sand. One caught a super nice brookie and another scored a hefty brown. Wind blew to beat the band and we only fished for a few hours because fishing was slow and it was VERY cold.
Friday we bank fished the Upper Green a few miles above the Forest Service Boundary. The water was colored, but visibility was around 15″–perfect for streamers!! The road was in poor condition: it had opened all the way into Green River Lakes the day before. We caught several nice fish including a 20″ rainbow along with some other fifteen to nineteen-ish sized rainbows and browns. Nobody got into the big whities. We heard and saw some pups playing on the hillside behind us, not sure if they were coyotes or wolves, split opinions on that! Silver dollar size snow flakes and high wind finally blew us back to town thoroughly chilled for a nap around 3 PM.
Friday evening we rallied for dinner at the Den at Daniel Junction: Prime Rib night!
Saturday we headed south about an hour for a little sunshine and warmer temps: Two floated with Rusti from Two Rivers Emporium from the Fontenelle Dam to Slate Creek and picked up a bunch o fish, including 20″, 19″, and so on (no monstas but the fish were in good condition, fat and shiny and sleek!) swinging tungsten bead head leeches, black, olive, purple and big heavy olive green streamers stripped slow in the back eddies. May flies coming off in waves, but the fish not up on them. Two waded Fontenelle in the same area with less numbers, but still landed fish. Flows are up from Winter levels, but not at spring flood or irrigation levels yet.
Sunday, the remaining members of the trip went to private lease water (guided by Eric from Two Rivers Emporium) near Boulder to fish farm ponds and creek between. This property has limited access, only 2 or 3 rods allowed, only fished once a week after ice out. Fishing was incredibly productive: big brookies and browns, along with some decent size rainbows. Everyone caught and landed numerous fish! Although there was quite a hatch, again there was little to no action on the surface. Streamers, traditional wet flies, and leeches were the order of the day. Windy, rainy, snowy all day!!
Monday, we headed home and stopped again at Fontenelle. Caught some sunshine and a couple nice fish right below the dam bank fishing, again on the swing on a leech pattern.
