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NEWSLETTER #24 -
MAY 2004
If you have access to Microsoft Word, open the
attachment above to see the information below in a
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Leland Fly Fishing Travel Newsletter – May, ‘04
TOPICS IN THIS ISSUE:
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NORTH PLATTE LODGE – TRIP RECAPS AND
AVAILABILITY UPDATE
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BUSH STREET SHOP DAY – THURSDAY, 5/6, EASTERN
IDAHO FEATURED
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MORE “FANTASY DAY” STUFF – BELIZE AND NEW
ZEALAND
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EASTERN IDAHO – FAMILY VACATION PARADISE
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FLY FISHING QUIPS AND QUOTES
This is the twenty-fourth edition of our monthly
newsletter with updates on great fly fishing venues
and insights for our traveling fly fishers. We want
to help you match the right location with your fly
fishing goals and objectives and properly prepare
you to fully enjoy the experience. We’ve been to
most locations and pride ourselves on our ability to
research new sites. Whatever unbiased information
on timing and locations we can provide comes at the
same cost to you as booking direct – i.e., no extra
cost.
NORTH PLATTE LODGE – A SPECIAL FISHERY
Three years in a row of outstanding feedback from
clients (most recent reports below) with varied
skill levels and experience tells us that we should
be increasing our efforts in representing a certain
lodge or destination. And that is the direction
we’ve taken with regard to North Platte Lodge. The
reasons are:
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The North Platte River is a very special
tailwater fishery that’s well managed to produce
trout in both quantity and size – mostly
rainbows with some huge browns. Veteran and new
fly fishers alike have praised the fishing.
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A lodge that is clean and comfortable (not
luxurious) with good food, quality guides and a
caring environment and pricing that makes it a
real Rocky Mountain value.
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That same lodge has negotiated/purchased the
access rights to many sections of the river
giving them the exclusive ability to let their
clients wade and fish those sections.
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It’s simply the best U.S. early season (late
March and early April) and late season (mid-Oct
to mid-Nov) trout fishing we know of.
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Reports from clients who were there in late
March and early April are below. They are
similar (even with some blustery snowstorms
encountered this year) to the comments we’ve
received each of the last three years from
everyone who’s fished the early season dates.
The late season at North Platte Lodge also offers an
interesting combination. From mid-Oct to mid-Nov,
they offer a combo wing shooting and fly fishing
program. The wing shooting includes upland birds (chukkar,
Hungarian partridge, and pheasant) as well as ducks
and geese.
Leland Fly Fishing Adventures will be handling the
late March and early April dates for ’05. One set
of dates is already full and another is half full.
Availability starts with March 17 and ends April
14. There is a special window that could work well
for father-son/daughter trips since Easter falls on
March 27 and students will be having their spring
break. Also, the lodge is offering an “Easter
Special” with a $200 discount for the period of 3/21
– 26.
They are booked solid between now and mid-October
with the exception of September 4 – 10 which we have
reserved as a Leland “Week.” I’m going to be paying
a visit myself during that time frame and we have
room for six others to join us.
North Platte Lodge details:
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maximum of 8 fisherman – double occupancy
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Packages: four nights with three days fishing
($1,125) and five nights with four days fishing
($1,500) based on double occupancy and shared
guide (Easter Week discount for 3/21-26 -
$1,300).
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Prices include
all terminal
tackle including flies, leaders, and tippets;
Casper, Wyoming airport pick up and delivery and
4 day fishing license (lodge is about 40 minutes
from the airport).
“We’d heard that the early season fishery on the
North Platte was outstanding, but it actually was
better than we expected. Both size and numbers of
fish were outstanding. 30-40 hook-ups a day were
the norm and I can only recall one fish under 15
inches. Plus, there were a good percentage of
18-20+ inch rainbows. Great fishing, comfortable
lodge, good food, super guides, etc. We’re planning
our dates already for April ‘05 and this coming
September for the dry fly action.” Bob Noyes and
son John – veteran fly fishers
“HI,
I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO
NORTH PLATTE LODGE. MY HUSBAND AND I WENT 3-26-O4
AND HAD A WONDERFUL TIME. WE CAUGHT AROUND 175 FISH
IN A FOUR DAY PERIOD. CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY THAT
IS. ALL RANGING BETWEEN 14 INCH AND 21INCH, BUT
MOST I’D SAY WERE 16 OR 18 INCH. VERY VERY GOOD
FISHING. THE LODGE WAS EXTREMELY CLEAN, AND THE FOOD
WAS GOOD AS WELL. I CAN’T SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS
ABOUT IT. WE’D LOVE TO GO AGAIN. THANKS AND GOD
BLESS.”
Roberta Taylor – Roberta and her husband are
relative newcomers to fly fishing on their second
fly fishing trip
“Just thought I would send you a note to let you
know how much all of us enjoyed the North Platte
Lodge. The fishing was above everyone’s
expectations. We were all catching between 15 and
30 fish a day and hooking up a like number of others
that got away. 15” to 21” was the norm. WOW! I
didn’t know that many big fish could be in one place
and caught in those numbers. It was a huge success
in spite of one day fishing in a blizzard with 40
mph winds (fortunately only one day). Bret and
Candy are wonderful hosts and the guides were all
great. Everyone wants to go back.”
Terry
Terry J. Sternberg – a combination of family and
business friends with a mixture of fly fishing
skills and experience.
BUSH STREET SHOP DAY THIS THURSDAY – EASTERN IDAHO
Eastern Idaho offers so many great options to the
fly fisher and family. This Thursday I’ll be in the
Bush Street shop with presentations on Eastern Idaho
at 12:30 and 4:15. I’ll be in the shop most of the
day to discuss other great venues and can have
slides available. If you have a specific interest
and would like me to be prepared to discuss that
destination with you, it would be best to set an
appointment (already booked from 2:00 – 4:00).
Also, at 5:00, Steve Haggard will be making a
presentation on Fly Fishing The Tahoe Region – same
title as his recent book. Come in and say hi.
MORE “FANTASY STUFF” – BELIZE AND NEW ZEALAND
Most great fly fishing destinations are such
spectacular spots that catching fish is a bonus.
It’s being there and enjoying the overall experience
that is most important. Having said that, most of
us still hope for those special fly fishing
experiences to occur and I usually devote part of
each newsletter to some of those “dreams that came
true.”
Passionate fly fisher, Bob Sciutto, had one such day
on his recent New Zealand trip. Bob reports a day,
while stream sight casting with our favorite
independent Kiwi guide, of 11 fish for a total
weight of 55 pounds – just enough to top my
best-ever NZ day and I have a sneaking hunch that
Bob was very aware of the number. Bob was joined by
Patty on a couples New Zealand agenda. Patty didn’t
fish and the itinerary allowed for a mixture of
activities and different types of stays. Patty’s
comments included: “NZ was a fabulous experience and
I hated to leave. Highlights were the fabulous
scenery, warm and generous people, and the serenity
of wide open spaces. The environment is pristine
and should be enjoyed while it lasts.”
Alice and Ray Hallberg are a warm and wonderful
couples story. I met them four years ago when they
were the first mothership charter aboard Martin
McCord’s Meca in Belize. Ray and Alice had been
fishing with Martin for many years and wanted to be
his first clients when he completed construction of
his boat. What makes this story so special is that
Alice is 81 years old and Ray is 86. They’ve been
taking a 12 day trip with Martin each year and this
year turned out to be extra special. While fishing
a shallow tarpon flat at dusk (a tarpon flat they
had fished many times over the years and never
before seen a permit there) Martin spotted a school
of permit with their fins just breaking the water.
Ray’s eyesight has not allowed him to see fish in
the water for some years and he casts by Martin’s
instructions – i.e., “get your line in the air, more
to the left, longer, etc.,etc.” Ray made the cast
and the result was a permit released at the boat
after dark that was in the 30# range. This was
Ray’s sixth permit, but the largest by far and
special for more than just his size – this fish
completed Ray’s first SALTWATER GRAND SLAM!!!!!!!!!
I believe this is an “age class” world record for
Grand Slams – does anyone know of a fly fisher over
86 who’s taken a Grand Slam?
EASTERN IDAHO – FAMILY VACATION PARADISE WITH
OPTIONS
Throughout the years, we’ve developed a great
appreciation of this beautiful part of our country.
Yes, there are great fly fishing waters, but it’s
also an exciting destination for many wonderful
western outdoors experiences. Included in this
small geographical area are Yellowstone National
Park, Jackson Hole Wyoming, the Tetons, and several
famous rivers including the Henry’s Fork, South Fork
of the Snake, and the Teton. Options range from
staying at some of the truly “world class” fly
fishing lodges such as Three Rivers Ranch, Henry’s
Fork Lodge, or the South Fork Lodge to fine resorts
and lodges in the Jackson area.
On a personal note, we just completed planning for
another family trip to this region for this summer
and we’re very excited about it. While we’ve
enjoyed past family trips to Three Rivers Ranch,
we’re opting for a different approach this year.
We’ve rented a new, fully furnished, 2500 square
foot three bedroom log cabin to use as our
headquarters. Guided drift boat fishing days are
scheduled and day trips to Jackson Hole or
Yellowstone are easy commutes.
An experience we’ve enjoyed twice in the past has
been the overnight float trip through the South Fork
of the Snake River Canyon. This two day drift boat
excursion can be the centerpiece of a “quickee” long
weekend type trip. You spend the night at the half
way point at a stationary tent camp with great food
and a comfortable nights sleep. Good fishing and
guides, and spectacular scenery are part of the
package and it’s fairly reasonable at $650 per
person based on two people to a drift boat.
FLY FISHING QUIPS AND QUOTES
“It is the constant change, the infinite variety in
fly fishing that binds us fast. It is impossible to
grow weary of a sport that is never the same on any
two days of the year.”
Theodore Gordon (1914)
LELAND-FRONTIERS AGENT AGREEMENT
In addition to the many great destinations that we
represent, Leland Fly Fishing Adventures also has an
agreement with Frontiers to represent all their
properties (many of which we already book
independently). If you are considering any of the
destinations that Frontiers offers, please give us a
call as it’s virtually the same process as booking
through Frontiers, and we need the “bonus points.”
And, we may have some personal experiences that can
add to your knowledge and preparations.
Either phone or drop us an e-mail if you have
questions or would like more information about any
of our destinations.
An enthusiastic traveling fly fisherman,
Don Muelrath
Leland Fly Fishing Adventures
888-347-4896
flyfish@napanet.net
www.flyfishingoutfitters.com
e-mail Josh Frazier
at
Josh@flyfishingoutfitters.com
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