Fly Fishing the North Platte River, Alcova, Wy May 29 – June 1, 2023
Alan Hautly
I joined FATC in October 2022, found the organization online, and knew John Muckermann from working with him when he was at Dierbergs. John highly recommended that I join. I had fly fished when I was a young teen, and a couple of times since, but got back into it a couple years ago. I took the spring Fly Fishing Class, and graduated April 6. Kenny Klimes and Jim Craig did an awesome job, and I learned a ton working with both of them.
In February, I attended the Denver Fly Fishing Show, and while there hired a guide out of Angler’s Covey in Colorado Springs per the recommendation of Kenny. We had an awesome day with guide Brian Hilbert, though very windy, but caught some nice fish wading the tail waters of the Pueblo Reservoir on the Arkansas River. Afterwards during lunch, he said we needed to come to Wyoming in May/June to fish the North Platte, and the tail waters of the Alcova Reservoir. Said the fishing would be spectacular, with lots of BIG fish and he only had two days open on his six-week calendar, Memorial Day, and the Tuesday after. I booked. He didn’t disappoint!!!
My oldest son Adam and I drove to Alcova, and drift boated for two days with Brian. The first day on the Gray Reef section of the river, Brian suggested that we not start until about 10am for a couple of reasons. One being the hatch would not start until late morning, and second, we would miss the rush of the other guides going out about 8 am in a clump. Again, very windy conditions prevailed, but we had a spectacular day, catching 14 very nice fish. Brian did an outstanding job navigating the drift boat, and working several stretches of the river numerous times, with success. It was Adam’s first-time fly fishing, and he caught on very quickly.
The second day, Brian and I started about 8 am on a stretch just below the Alcova Reservoir spillway. He stated that we would give the area a couple of hours, and that we would probably not catch as many fish, but they would be bigger fish. On our three passes along the first stretch, I caught a fish, and they were pretty nice ones. Brian provided the equipment, and we were fishing 10 foot, 5 weight rods, his recommendation for the fight the fish put up. Because we were doing so well, we decided to stay and Adam joined us about 10:30, and the fishing really picked up. We had a total of 22 fish that we took pics of, and two small ones about 15-16” that didn’t make the camera cut. We had the river to ourselves all day, had only two other drift boats go by shortly after lunch.
On the third and fourth day, Adam and I waded by ourselves, Brian had given us several locations that we could access. The fourth day was again very good, we actually stayed right at the launch we used on the first day on the Gray Reef. The whole trip we fished dropper rigs, with a jig/leech tied at the end, and two Baetis and Midge flies off tags at about 18’ and 36”, all under a strike indicator. Size 18, 20 and 22 were the go to’s.
It was an amazing trip and a very special one that I got to spend with Adam, some great high-quality time making memories. I am really looking forward to getting Adam out more this year, and have talked to him about joining FATC. We have booked again for next year, it was a no brainer!!
