Hello fly fishermen,

The 2008 season of fishing looks great so far. The streams are starting to open on the face. We have a lot of snow pack this year, some areas have over 125 percent in our drainages. It has been a cold spring so far, so much of the snow has not moved off the mountain. The face has a lot of snow on it still. This week April 14 will be our first warmer week. We are expecting 60 to 70 degree weather that will start the run off. We do not get too excited at this time, because we can still get some heavy wet snow in April, May and last year June. The head waters we have are going to do well this year. The past two seasons have gotten better each year. The fish populations are too high in most creeks and we need people to come out and thin the 8-12 inch populations. There are fewer larger fish due to uneducated fisherman taking the larger fish home and putting back the eating size fish. Game and fish have been studying the fish populations for years now and they are asking people to take more of the 8-12 inchers out so the 13 and up fish have more food and space to grow. Help educate other fisherman on the creeks if you see a stringer of 13 and bigger walking out of an area. Many of your creeks have fish populations over 5000 fish per mile.

If you get a chance to visit our area stop by my shop on Main St downtown Sheridan WY and say hello. I will be happy to direct you around the Bighorn Mountains so you can enjoy our incredible fishing opportunities. Fishing now through May can be a little challenging due to weather and run off changes on a daily basis, but the reword can be some bigger fish. May through June has the best reservoir fishing, which incidentally is the hardest time for creek fishing due to runoff. Nature has given us great reservoir fishing, when she takes away our creek fishing. July, August and September are great stream fishing months. I hope you come out and enjoy our area this year. Gas is high, so plan ahead.

We are lucky to be with in two hours of some of the best fishing in the world, so make Sheridan a base and do some day trips to the Platte by Casper, The Bighorn in Montana and Wyoming, The Tongue River in Montana and our parts of the Tongue just 30 minutes from Sheridan.

My shop could use more people traffic this year to help keep the doors open. Sheridan is a great western history town with many things to do as a family in town. We have many weekly events that show a home town pride and spirit that is missing in many other parts of this great country. Come and enjoy our friendly community. And for those who think Western Cowboys don’t exist anymore, our local ranchers shop downtown too. Sheridan’s Rodeo weekend is a fun time for all with our great rodeo and street dance. If you want to just and get away from civilization for a while, our Bighorn mountains are magnificent for camping, hiking and best of all FISHING!

As I noted earlier there is great snow pack in the mountains which lead to great water in the Bighorn Mountains for fishing in 2007. I are proud to say we still have access to Piney Creek and the trophy reservoir fishing for the 2008 season This may change, if fisherman do not come out and enjoy these great waters. We also have some access to the North Fork of the Powder, Little Goose and the Bighorn River in Montana. For those who want to try some bass fishing with a fly rod, I also can take you to the Tongue River in Montana for a different skill set in fly fishing. The bass are not huge, but they are fun. I am still trying to get Forest Service permits, almost 2 years now, but Government Status Quo was winning out. Just a few days ago, the Forest Service came out with a proposal packet for me and other to complete in an attempt to get some access to guide in the Bighorn Mountains. YEAAA. It is still about 18 months or more before I may see a permit, but I am very happy to get this opportunity.

The Bighorn River in MT is fishing great right now, the browns are harassing the Rainbows on their bed areas now, so be careful where you are walking and fishing. If you are catching solid Rainbows of 18 inches or bigger, you are likely fishing a spawning bed. There are a lot of people who do it, and that can lead to year class fish problems in the coming years. Use your good judgment and fish around the beds for all the moocher trout. You will have just as much fun. If you are catching a good mix of rainbows and browns, you are likely below or above the beds, so have fun. Remember just one foot in a bed can kill thousands of future trout and years of fun. Both walk-in and float trips are always available through out the winter and spring for die hard fisherman. Watching the weather closely helps for hitting warmer days. The water is around 1900 cfs and low 40’s for temps. Perfect for getting your spring fishing fix. If you get a chance to do some winter fishing and want to share some photos, please send them to rmiller@troutangler.com and I might post them on my web site. Include when and where you caught the fish. No royalties or services will be paid for the use of the photos. Free no strings attached photos only, lets keep this civil and simple for fun only.

Most all of the public water in the lower surrounding area are now open. Tongue canyon, Tongue Access areas, Little Goose Creek, Little Bighorn and Clear Creek from the face down are open. The Little Big Horn, N.F. Powder, Shell and Ten Sleep are iced off but the water is in the high 30’s to low 40’s. The lower waters and lakes are warming up and many are fishable. The same old standards will still working well at this time. Stop by the shop to get updated reports. Spring fishing weather is hard to judge, so bring plenty of cold/wet weather clothes to be safe. Fishing in April, May and June can be exceptionally rewarding if you know where, when and what to be fishing. Buy some flies, leader or something at my shop and I will be very generous to tell you my secretes. Reservoir and lake fishing in the spring can also be exceptionally rewarding. The Passage Resort on the mountain is open and has great food and rooms available for easy access to the North Tongue in the spring 307-751-7599.

Lake De Smit and the Muddy Guards will fish good around ice off in April this year. De Smit is still frozen, but it will clear off in the next couple of weeks. There is nothing like catching a 2-9 pound fish out of our many public access reservoirs like Lake De Smit. The mountain reservoirs and lakes won’t be easy to access until about May or June. The shop’s private access guided reservoirs are iced off and in awesome shape and there are a lot of 2-4 and 6-9 pound rainbows and some browns ready to be photographed with you (catch and release); some are up to about 10-15 pounds. The private reservoirs ice off in late March to early April. Full guided days are $325.00 for one and $435.00 for two people. A warm meal will be cooked to sooth the cold and extend your fun. Groups of three on the reservoir are $635.00. A group of four people is $850.00 with two guides. Larger groups should call with group information to determine costs. Groups of 4 or more can do a Rod Fee of $125.00 per person, but no Guide, Equipment, food or other services are available at the rod fee cost. You are on your own other than a person monitoring your use of the reservoirs. Call for further information.

The local area has a great variety of trout species many of which are in the same streams. Browns, Rainbows, Yellowstone Cutthroat, Snake River Cutthroats, Brooks, Golden trout, Grayling and Mountain White fish are the main species people enjoy fishing. There are also several other variants like Mackinaw, Brookenaw and Cut bows crosses that have been stocked since the 1960’s in the high mountain reservoirs for public access and enjoyment. There are over 100 public lakes and reservoirs in the mountains with great fishing, many of which require a 3-7 mile hike, which means few people visit them each year. Last year about 12 people brought their light weight rods in for repair after breaking their rods on fish they did not expect to catch. Each broken rod owner had a great story of the largest fish they had ever seen and while fighting to land the great fish….. snap, crackle, pop there went the fish of a lifetime. I carry a good supply of 5wt rods for all you high mountain 3wt and 4wt none believers.

The Tongue offers a great days fishing for the hardy persons that wants to try for a Tongue River Slam. From the top of the mountain down, you can catch Snake River Cutthroats, Yellowstone Cutthroats, Brooks, Browns, Rainbows, Cut bows, Mountain White fish and Small Mouth Bass as the slam. That’s awesome! There are also Carp and occasional Sauger or Walleye in the Tongue at the right time of the year. Catch and photograph all the slam species in a single day and you are a Master Fly Fisherman. Seven freshwater fish for the slam or nine freshwater fish for the grand-slam. Prove you caught the slam or grand-slam with time and date stamped photos of you and your fish 6” or bigger together in a single day, and I will get a shirt made up for you in your size with my fly shop logo and a listing of your fishing accomplishment titling you as a Master Fly Fisherman of the Tongue River in Wyoming. 2008 is the second season for this challenge and so far I am the One and Only Master Fly Fisherman of this area. It is lonely at the top, I hope some one else climes this peak to hang with me.

Our private guided water on Piney Creek is looking great for the 2008 season. Big Horn River size fish in a smaller walk in size creek, exceptional fishery. The last few years have been slow business wise, so the fish are eager to crush flies. Just bring good to excellent skills or you may get a good old fashioned trout kickin. A tough day on the water here is not the lack of fish, it is largely the fisherman’s abilities and skills that determines success. Poison creek should open and fishing good in May. Poison creek has great dry fly fishing where little skill is needed (you know your skill limits, be honest with your self) Poison is surprisingly fun for beginners to experts. Poison creek rainbows, browns and brooks can’t help but eat a fly. Poison Creek is limited to two people per day. Bookings are filling. Little Goose Creek had a fire last week and is not being fished until I can determine the extent of fishing changes. Little Goose Creek is a bit more rugged but beginners to expert fisherman can do well.

We look forward to meeting and seeing all who visit Sheridan, WY this season. The most important part of fly fishing is to have fun and put all the BS of life on the back burner for a while. It’s not how many fish you land, its how much fun you have and how relaxed you can be. Bring the right mindset with you on your vacation. Too many people base a good trip on how big the fish are and how many fish are land (i.e. touching a fish.) Vacations and fly fishing are much more than a competition. First, biggest and most is a bait fisher’s mentality. A fly fisherman determines success on a much higher plain of thought, skill and enjoyment. That’s who I like to fish with.

Thanks again for visiting my web page and I hope to see you some time.

Roger Miller, Owner, Fly Shop of the Bighorns (307)672-5866

Remember to support the small local fly shops across the nation, because many fly shops are being eliminated by the large retail stores with unlimited income from customers they really care nothing about. I’m all for finding good value in what I purchase, but I am not willing to sacrifice quality goods for cheap goods. Fly shops items sometimes cost a few of pennies or dollars more most of the time, because fly shops can not afford to buy large quantities to get higher margins, which translates to lower costs to the customers and much of the time lower quality of goods to the customers.

Typically a small fly shop has to spend $100,000.00 on inventory to make $30 -$40,000.00 profit to operate the business (expenses: several thousand per month) and try to take some money home to support a family. Most small shops do $150.000.00 to $200,000.00 of total gross business per/year, which leaves little money to take home to pay the bills. Fly shops offer extensive local fishing and some hunting knowledge about local fishing and hunting to every customer as well as the highest quality goods and services they can afford.

Many of the goods people are buying from large retail stores is the exact price you will pay across the country regardless of the store you buy it from. Cost negotiations from manufacturers of quality goods helps keep costs down and optimizes sale potential for us small shops. Spending your hard earned money at the local shops will help ensure shops will be around for yourself and future generations. Big retail stores do not have the local knowledge of local water around the country to make your fishing trip the best you’ve ever had. My experience with large retail stores is typically the sales clerk could not tell you the difference between a nymph and a dry fly.

Can you imagine spending your hard earned hundreds or thousands of dollars traveling for great fishing and not having any local fly shops to get local knowledge of fishing waters? I can’t, and that’s not because I own this shop. I bought this shop to keep it alive for all of us to enjoy. I work very hard 7 days a week to keep great fishing alive in the local Sheridan WY area for us all to enjoy. My hope is to someday pass this priceless business on to someone else who does not mind struggling to make a living. Thank you for your support and I look forward to serving you when you travel to Sheridan. I also look forward to visiting your local fly shops when I travel your way.

Thanks again for your support, Roger Miller, Fly Shop Owner.