Southwest Wyoming is the best kept flyfishing secret left in the lower 48 states! The lower Green River tailwater below Fontenelle Dam and dozens of wild mountain freestone streams flowing from the immense Wyoming Range all offer pristine settings and “quality flyfishing without the crowds” for exceptionally large trout, all within a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Jackson or Salt Lake City.

Fishing the Smith’s Fork and Fontenelle Creek is like taking a step back in time, when there were only wild, clear, cold freestone mountain streams; before dams! Wildlife abounds and you can fish for an entire summer without fishing the same place twice. We have access to several miles of the best private fishing on the three best streams in the region. The best time to fish this region is from July 1st through October 31st . Come float the Green with one of our guides and wade-fish on sprawling ranches where the trout are wild and the scenery is boundless!

Kemmerer, Wyoming

Van’s Green River operations are based out of Kemmerer, Wyoming, just a little over two hours from Salt Lake City. From here we fish the Green River above and below Fontenelle Reservoir; two long stretches of Fontenelle Creek; the Ham’s Fork, which runs through Kemmerer; and the Smiths Fork, which is about an hour from Kemmerer. All are fabulous fisheries, each offering something different, and all have “quality fly fishing without the crowds.”

There are nice accommodations in Kemmerer and there are several restaurants to choose from but Kemmerer isn’t a big tourist town. Clients come here to fish! There are no five-star lodges, fancy restaurants or hopping nightclubs here. Just basic stuff and great fishing opportunities, and of course, professional, experienced guides from the Solitary Angler.

Many clients have combined fishing here with the Green River below Flaming Gorge or the Snake River near Jackson, and most tell me this was their favorite part and that they caught larger and sometimes more fish here. Many have told me this is the best trout fishing they ever had!

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The Green River

Season: July – October

• Flies: Mayflies, Caddis, Aquatic Worms, Hoppers, Cicadas, Golden Stones, Craneflies, and Streamers
• Type: Big water, long flat runs, deep pools
• Prices

The Green River below Fontenelle Dam in Southwest Wyoming is perhaps the last major undiscovered trophy trout stream in the lower 48. The river flows through the magnificent Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge in the middle of the Red Desert, and it’s hardly noticed by anyone.

The river is a broad tailwater and is easily floated or waded. It boasts plump rainbows, cutthroats and browns that average over three pounds, and fish over five pounds are common! Hatches include cicada, stone flies, caddis flies, tricos, blue-winged olives, midges, snails and scuds. Crawdads and minnows of all types also are very abundant for the lunkers over five pounds.

The Solitary Angler float fishes five sections of this pristine river. Permits are very restrictive, allowing only two guides per day with an exception of six weekdays per year when we’re allowed four guides. This is to protect the wildlife from being displaced in this fragile environment. You need at least two or three days to fully appreciate this special, secluded section of the Green River.

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Hams Fork

Season: July – October

• Flies: Midges, Stone Flies, Caddis, Hoppers, Baetis, Tricos
• Type: Medium sized tail-water, riffles, pools, undercut banks
• Prices

The Ham’s Fork is a medium-sized stream flowing out of the Wyoming Range into Viva Naughton Reservoir near our base town of Kemmerer. Below the reservoir is a private stretch of water that the Solitary Angler has access to. The stream is a classic tailwater, winding though willows with numerous riffles, pools and undercut banks, and holds thousands of rainbows per mile, averaging around 16 inches with many larger.

This is classic dry fly water, and hatches occur daily from July through October. Midges and blue winged olives are the primary food source but hatches of golden stones and caddis do occur in June and July. During hatches it’s hard to move from a pool because they just keep feeding.

The lower Ham’s Fork also offers great dry fly fishing and it also has a healthy brown trout population. The trout in the lower Ham’s Fork average larger and some real big browns and rainbows over five pounds have been caught. Stone flies and caddis are also more plentiful in the lower Ham’s Fork and September and October produces many large browns. Combine with a day or two on the Green River and/or Smith’s Fork.

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PRIVATE WATER

Available to S.A.C. members without a guide!

Smith’s Fork

Season: July – September

• Flies: Huge Hoppers!!!
• Type: Willowed banks, riffles and pools
• Prices
  

The Smith’s Fork is located about one hour northwest of our base town of Kemmerer. It’s a medium-sized freestone stream draining out of the southern end of the Wyoming Range. It’s a major tributary of the Bear River and is the last stronghold for the rare native Bonneville Cutthroat Trout. Van Beacham has access to over 7 miles of this jewel. Remote, beautiful, accessible and splendid dry fly fishing for plump browns and cutthroats 12 to 18 inches, some larger, all to yourself.

The river winds through a beautiful valley on working ranches. The Smith’s Fork has numerous long deep pools with serious undercut banks and endless foam lines to drift huge stone flies, stimulators, hoppers and other attractors over. The fish are very willing to hit the large dries, usually starting in July and lasting into mid September. Nearby headwaters and Lake Alice also provide ample opportunities to catch the rare Bonneville Cutthroats. While fishing the Smith’s Fork stay at the Clark County B&B located right on the bank!

Smith’s Fork

The Smith’s Fork is remote, quiet, cool and beautiful, and offers fabulous dry-fly fishing from early July through September! A medium-sized freestone stream located about 12 to 20 miles north of Cokeville, Wyoming, it is a major tributary of the Bear River and it’s the last stronghold for the rare and threatened Bonneville Cutthroat trout. There are also some very nice browns in the river, and both species average about 12 to 15 inches, some to 18 inches and a few larger.

There are about six miles of private water covering three sections at three locations. The long foam lines hold numerous trout willing to take large dry flies. The river winds like a snake through willow thickets, grass and some cottonwood trees, and the terrestrials are always falling in the water, especially if there’s a breeze. Large parachute hoppers, ants, stimulators and humpies are the ticket here for the eager cuts that readily come to the surface even when there’s nothing hatching. Let one of our experienced guides take you out for a day and you’ll see how fun it is to fish with large dry flies! Combine with fishing the Fontenelle Creek, Ham’s Fork and Green River below Fontenelle Dam.

*The Smith’s Fork is also available to members of the SAC.

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PRIVATE WATER

Available to S.A.C. members without a guide!

Fontenelle Creek

Fontenelle Creek is located on the Rocky Gap Ranch in southwest Wyoming, just 30 minutes from Kemmerer, WY. It is our newest private fishery and many people think it’s their favorite because it’s so wild and remote and gets very little pressure.

This is a fabulous, medium-size freestone stream offering great dry fly and nymph fishing for wild rainbows and browns that average 12 to 16 inches with many larger fish. There are also some cutthroats and a few brookies in the river. Like the Smith’s Fork it is only fishable from late June through mid September.  In classic Wyoming fashion the Fontenelle Creek winds back and forth creating numerous riffles, runs, shelves, glides and under cut banks for the trout.

This is truly virgin water that rarely gets fished, and dry fly fishing can be spectacular at times.

Hatches include stoneflies, caddis, various mayflies and of course terrestrials like hoppers. Streamers also work well here. There are at least three miles of private water and at least an additional three miles of public (BLM) water that is land-locked by private water. There will be several more miles of this private stream available soon.

Call Van Beacham personally to book at 575-776-5585 (leave message) or email him.

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