Ezahn177

My boss and his teenage son (13 years old) are looking for a great place to spend Spring Break. They love to fly fish but would also like the experience of a working ranch. Are there any ranches that offer both options that someone would recommend? They have one week and will fly to the destination from Florida.

Thank you.

Gretchen

The ranch we stayed at long years ago in the Tetons would have been it. You might look there. And in Colorado.

PeaceOut

Spring break might be too early for fly fishing weather in Colorado.

MichelleY

That is what I was thinking also: too early for fly fishing. One thing to look into is ocean fly fishing for bone fish. I had a boss years ago gone bone fly fishing in Costa Rica and Mexico.

Tomsd

If spring break is in March - it might be a little early for going to the Rockies, etc. Oregon however has some nice Steelhead running upstream from the Ocean and might also have some winter Salmon runs.

As far as combining that with stay at a working ranch - not sure you could do both at once - but check around Bend/Central Oregon for some possibilities. Here is one list of Dude Ranches in the US.

My old home town of Klamath Falls, Ore - has a very nice resort - the Running Y Ranch - that used to be a working ranch - but not sure what they offer anymore. http://www.runningy.com/

There is very good trout fishing around Klamath (Williamson and Wood River - float only down the Wood as it's pretty much all private now) - and also "over the hill" in the Rogue River Valley (Ashland/Medford/Eagle Point/Grants Pass) - there are sections of the fabled Rogue River reserved for fly fishing only.

You could also come here to San Diego and go fly fishing offshore for Mako Shark. I think this is the guy who does it best - Conway Bowman - but there are a couple others who also do it. http://www.bowmanbluewater.com/index...sc/bottom/C11/

http://www.flyfishmakosharks.com/fly...arks/Home.html

There is also good bone fishing in the south San Diego bay - and they will definitely rip the line off your reel. Ziiiiiinnnngggggg

PeaceOut

There are definitely several guest ranches in CO that offer great fly fishing. But, like I said, I think you'd be here too early in the season. I suggest you use Tom's link above and contact some of the ranches to ask their advice.

lcuy

Go to Ranhweb.com for the best info on ranches.
We stayed at a couple of the ranches reviewed by them and all were exactly as described.

Gretchen

I kind of wonder if everyone that says "it is too early" are fisherpeople. Trout really don't hibernate like bears. We have fished the Roaring Fork during ski season.
When the snow runoff is happening, the streams in the mountains can be too fast, but in the winter, you do need neoprene, and the right choice of fly.
Take a look here.
http://www.orvis.com/intro.aspx?subject=3013

We would be fishing the end of March (from a Groupon with a fly shop in Denver) but don't think we can work in the day with the family ski week.

Gretchen

This is the fly shop we will be using when we go, just for an FYI.
http://www.5280angler.com/services.html

Tomsd

Yes, Gretchen - indeed you can fish through the winter and friends of mine in Oregon even go out in snowstorms. But for the generally more enjoyable - wandering along a idyllic streambank while you cast - it's when the snow isn't on the ground - or coming down hard.

And here is another Colorado fly fishing resort - The High Lonesome Ranch - out toward Grand Junction - and it looked beautiful when their rep gave a presentation to our Golden State Flycasters club here in San Diego.

It's a big spread - so maybe they can find some dude ranch chores for ye to perform. They did have a prompt for Dude Weeks but I didn't really check it out. http://www.thehighlonesomeranch.com/ http://www.worldwidefishing.com/colo...637/index.html


And here are some other spots in Colorado. http://www.colorado.com/articles/10-...-fishing-spots

Tomsd

Also - you don't really need a guide if you know what you are doing, but they can help put you onto the best holes/spots faster - that's for sure.

Gretchen

I agree you don't need a guide. We got a great groupon for the one we are doing which is why we are doing it. When we fished the Roaring Fork we stopped at the local fly shop and got ideas of what to use and where getting into the river was good.
And if the ranch isn't THE most important thing, there is plenty of fishing around Denver and the North Platte that probably will not be snowy--or necessarily snowy.
Deckers is a trophy trout stream just south of Denver. There is great fishing on the Blue River out of Silverthorne, and incredibly so, right behind the outlet shops at Silverthorne--BIG ole fish!!

Ezahn177

Thank you all so much for your responses. It will be interesting to see if he has thought about the fact that it might be colder than he would like for fly fishing. I will start my research from the information you have provided!! Thanks again....

lcuy

The link I posted should be www.Ranchweb.com. Sorry. I corrected earlier, but I guess it didn't 'take'.

If I recall, you can use the filter to pull up ranches that highlight their fishing.

Gretchen

I don't know where you are that he wouldn't think about "cold" unless it is ocean fishing. ;o) Even in NC the streams are cold!! That is the nature of "trout".

Ezahn177

Just got an update - They decided to do the Bahama's for spring break and take the Fly fishing/Dude ranch trip in June! This should open the options....I've gotten some great information from the sites you provided.

Gretchen

Be sure to check the spring runoff in June, and choose fishing places with that in mind. Maybe not high altitude. I suggest they check with the shop I posted for at least information, although there are lots of Orvis shops around in various places that are also helpful

Tomsd

Also check around Park City, Utah - and down by Robert Redford's Sundance resort - where you see fly fishermen in waders in the fabled Green River.

There are so many great places in the West to go - that they might even forget about wanting to shovel horsedung on a dude ranch.