[Shoe]

Looks like I'll be in Phoenix area over Thanksgiving. I'm thinking about a trip to the canyon. I should be able to skip away for a couple of days and head north.
Is it possible to fish a few areas from shore or does one need to rent a boat or hire a guide to cash in on the trout?
I've seen a show on the area and the scenery is breathtaking. The fishing wasn't too shabby either.

Any help on hatches, access and just general info is much appreciated

Thank you

[Shoe]

Thought I'd bump this thread. Our membership has grown quite a bit since the original post.

I'm working on reservations at the Cliff Dwellers Lodge and a Jet Sled for a day.
Have any of you fished the Page area of Arizona?

[lanvaettir]

Shoe, Try this site. It is always pretty accurate for New Mexico and Colorado.

http://www.anglerguide.com/arizona/

[Shoe]

Thanks for the link

I just got confirmed. 1 sled for the day... $150

Room for 2.............$60

Scenery......... Priceless


According to the local Flyshop, the hatches seem to be much like Arkansas, along with globugs, San Juan's and everyday beadheads.

[lanvaettir]

Shoe, you're in for a treat!! If it isn't freezing at night there yet try a royal wolf for a good dry to prospect with. If it is freezing the browns may be moving up into the shallower water already so mice will work in the late and early hours and bigger black/elk/olive streamers with an egg or size 12/14 bugger dropper could be the ticket. We're catching huge fish here in New Mexico right now on the Rio Grande with those rigs. My friend landed 2 browns last weekend here in northern New Mexico over 24 inches. He landed 10 fish for the day and none were smaller than 18 inches. Bring a good sinking streamer rig, lots of layers and a digital camera with good batteries. Tight lines!

[Shoe]

I'm pretty geaked already. This will be my third attempt of getting up there.
I ran out of time last year and the year before it got snowed in during Easter.


Keeping my fingers crossed

Thanks for the advice. I plan on bringing my 5wt (with a floater) and a 6wt spooled with a sinktip and a full sinker just in case. I started sorting my bugs last night. Got my streamer and wets done so far. Sure hope my bag arrives when I do.
If this pans out, I wouldn't mind flying out there a few times a year. With its proximity to Vegas and the cheap flights available, it could make a nice 3 day weekend at a decent price.

Looks like you guys are doing quite well on your home waters. My dad just got back from a month long trip along the West Coast and several stops in between. I had told him about the size and numbers of fish in the Green. When he crossed it, he wasn't convinced by looking at it. He said it was all "green-looking" and everthing was covered with some type of slime. LOL Not sure, but that sounds pretty prolific to me. Kinda like the White, Norfork and Cumberland.

[Sippy]

You are going to tie up a few "misfits", aren't ya??

[Shoe]

[Sippy]

I use olive antron for the body. The first one I made took a beating until I could get back and tie more.

I added it to the data base.

[mgj]

hmmm...browns moving up into marble canyon? that would be news to me.

you'll mostly be fishing zebra midges. black/gold, black/silver, red/silver, gray/silver and lazer midges (gray w/ pearl kf rib) in sizes #18-#22. have an assortment of scuds in olive, ginger, pink and orange. glo-bugs work well.

your standard rig'll be dry dropper w/ a wulff or stimi or the like on top w/ something mentioned above about 18" below. look for fish stacked up in shallow riffles early am once the sun hits the water. the further upstream you go, the later this will be. keep swiitching up z-midge colors until you find the magic ticket. some guys'll nymph w/ a scud/z-midge rig, others w/ glo-bug/z-midge. buggers have been known to work in slower waters, try a sinktip line in some of the deeper pools where you may see lunkers lurking. good luck getting deep enough or hooking into them. You'll catch a slew of trout in the 12-18" range, some bigger if you're on yer game.

hot spots are 3 mile bar, 4 mile bar, 8 mile bar, 9 mile bar, ferry swale bar, prop bar, duck island...there's a good guidebook w/ an excellent map of the river available by dave foster, get it. also be very careful navigating the river as it is wrought w/ hazards.

you will have a blast up there. make sure to have plenty of layering, a hat and gloves as it can get downright freezing up there. feel free to email me if you'd like more info.

mgj

[Shoe]

Thanks for the additional info.

It's gonna be tough to dail them in with our short stay. Should have reserved a guide, but my partner doesn't fish and he's just coming along for the ride.

I'll be sure to get some zebras from the local flyshop.

[lanvaettir]

[Shoe]

3's a charm... my ass

Once a year they simulate a flood condition to blow out the silt. Well, guess what? It just started. A river that normally fluctuates between 5 and 10,000 cfs is currently running at 41,000.
According to the Authorities, this should end prior to my arrival, but with my luck they'll want to run it a few extra days.

Projected River Flows: We were given the word on 11/5/04 that during the time of November 17 through November 29 the flows on the river will be different than the rest of the month. For the 17th through the 20th and the 26th through the 29th we will see a constant flow of 8,000cfs. The days in between, the 21st through the 26th we will see a constant flow of 41,000cfs. These high flows are expected to move sediment down into the Grand Canyon to rebuild beaches and to help the endangered humbacked chub. Similiar flows were done in 1996, and fishing shut down while the water was so high, but was very good once the water dropped back down to normal. We expect things to be the same this year. During the higher flows the fish will have a lot of food drifting by and should feed very heavily. After the flows drop back down to 8,000cfs on the 26th the fish should continue to feed, and we expect fishing to be quite good. I will be out there on the 26th, and hope to have a great day of fishing for Thanksgiving and to start my holiday season off the right way.

(I reserved a boat for the 27th )