Salomone: Spring break fly rodding

Spring break travelers have spread across the country. Each one seeking scenery and activities that hold something different. For years, spring has been a time for fly-fishing trips for me.

Whether it is spring break or an end-of-ski season trip for those of us who live in ski country, planning a travel trip around a fly rod is a special thing. The destination could require travel across the country. But there are some stellar locations found in the surrounding area that provide world-class fly-fishing adventures with a do-it-yourself price point.

The Flaming Gorge, San Juan River tailwaters and the Miracle Mile on the North Platte River are three of my favorite springtime fly-fishing destinations. The fly fishing at each location gives traveling anglers excellent DIY fly-fishing depending on which direction you feel like heading. The Flaming Gorge is a portion of the Green River located in Dutch John, Utah. Emerging from the Navajo Lake Dam in New Mexico is the San Juan River. On the North Platte River in Wyoming lies a section called the Miracle Mile.

Both float fishing and wade fishing can help determine which direction to travel. Fly fishers without a boat can still obtain a memorable experience. Feeling slighted or ridiculed for not floating is a mistake. Wading is a slower, more intimate connection to each of these destinations. Floating gives you a broader, more complex view of each place.

The Flaming Gorge is the “A” section on the Green River located near Dutch John. The water flows from the Flaming Gorge Dam and carves a canyon through the red rock. The river is Tanqueray clear, giving fly fishers an uninhibited view of the giants surfing in the constant current and feeding on nymphs. The Flaming Gorge is more easily fished from a boat. Float fishing will deliver you consistent action with nymphs, dry flies or streamers.

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While I have had a few remarkable days wade fishing, the hike down from the parking area is strenuous. If any amount of rain falls, the rocks become absolutely dangerous. But once you hike down the riverside boardwalk, sight fishing for a variety of trout melts time away. This fishery is less than five hours away from Vail.

The Miracle Mile was given its name for good reason. Wyoming holds a tremendous variety of unbelievable fly fishing. The North Platte River has a history of producing quality angling. The Miracle Mile is a float fishing opportunity for me. The river flows at an easy-to-row pace and places the fly fisher in proximity to more fish than you realize. This fishery is a five-hour drive from Vail to Alcova, Wyoming, five and a half if you choose to have a hotel in Casper as your home for the trip.

To the south is the famous San Juan River in New Mexico. This river pulses forth from the base of the Navajo Lake Dam, producing one of the most iconic tailwater fisheries in the west. While you can have spectacular float fishing, I prefer to get into the river and pick apart the water found in the Upper Flats. However, floating down below the Texas Hole leads to some of the largest trout a fly fisher will ever tempt.

The Upper Flats area is where I like to get lost. Sight fishing to surprisingly large trout is a great way to welcome spring and the upcoming fly-fishing season. Braided channels create enticing runs everywhere. A competent fly fisher with good wading skills can get lost for a long time in the Upper Flats. There is a lot more area to fly fish than you think; three miles of the most productive fly-fishing water to be found.

Keep fly choices small — really small. A size 20 is too big at times. Size 22-26 flies will entice bites in the upper tailwater section. These are typical tailwater offerings in terms of fly selection and size. The San Juan is more of a commitment; the drive from Vail clocks in at a little under seven hours of driving time.

Whether it’s spring break or the end of ski season, it is time to make plans for a trip that embraces a fly rod. With the Miracle Mile to the north, the San Juan River to the south and the Flaming Gorge to the west — pick a direction and go make some memories.

Michael Salomone has lived in the Eagle River valley since 1992. He started his professional guiding career in 2002 and currently guides for Vail Valley Anglers. He lives on the bank of the Eagle River with his wife, Lori, his youngest daughter, Ella and a yellow Labrador named Poppy. His published writing has appeared in Southwest Fly Fishing, Fly Rod & Reel, Eastern Fly Fishing, On the Fly, FlyLords, the Pointing Dog Journal, Upland Almanac, TROUT, American Fly Fishing, USA Today Hunt & Fish and Fly Fisherman magazines.