Southwest Trip - Recommendations?

[Tight Lines]

Hey, we are going out West next spring for my son's spring break. We are doing a desert southwest tour of the National Parks starting and ending in Vegas.

Any fly fishing recommendations out there? The one I know for sure we'll look into is Lee's Ferry. Other than than, any suggestions?

This is a road trip to the parks, 1000 miles over 7 days, so we won't have a LOT of time to fish, but we may do a day of fishing, then fish on either end of the day...

Thanks in advance...

 

[northgeorgiasportsman]

San Juan river is a little over 3 hours from Moab. I don't know if Mesa Verde is on your list, but if it is, you'll only be an hour and a half from the San Juan. I made plans to hit it last year, but it was just too much crammed into an already busy itinerary.

 

[Tight Lines]

San Juan river is a little over 3 hours from Moab. I don't know if Mesa Verde is on your list, but if it is, you'll only be an hour and a half from the San Juan. I made plans to hit it last year, but it was just too much crammed into an already busy itinerary.

Thanks for the suggestion. I've fished the San Juan more times than I can count, and as a fishery it has really changed since the state changed the flows out of the reservoir. So it's probably not a place I'd plan to fish again. Used to be an epic fishery, but it's really changed, for the worse IMHO. The loop we are planning is roughly this over 7 days:

 

[Tight Lines]

Planning to hit GCNP, Bryce, Zion, Canyonlands, Arches, Moab, and probably a few side excursions...

 

[northgeorgiasportsman]

Planning to hit GCNP, Bryce, Zion, Canyonlands, Arches, Moab, and probably a few side excursions...

We did that trip last year, just change Vegas to Phoenix and throw in Capitol Reef NP. Just couldn't squeeze in a side fishing trip.

 

[Tight Lines]

We did that trip last year, just change Vegas to Phoenix and throw in Capitol Reef NP. Just couldn't squeeze in a side fishing trip.

I thought Vegas so we could hit Hoover Dam but we may switch it to Phoenix.

 

[Tight Lines]

We did that trip last year, just change Vegas to Phoenix and throw in Capitol Reef NP. Just couldn't squeeze in a side fishing trip.

I think we could probably hit Lee's Ferry out of Page on that day...not sure what else is along the routes...if we did Phoenix there is fishing north on the way to the Canyon, but it's about 200+ more miles of driving...so trade off...

 

[Tight Lines]

San Juan river is a little over 3 hours from Moab. I don't know if Mesa Verde is on your list, but if it is, you'll only be an hour and a half from the San Juan. I made plans to hit it last year, but it was just too much crammed into an already busy itinerary.

By the way Mesa Verde is amazing...not sure if we'll hit it yet, but I went there long ago on one of my Juan trips...have you fished the Juan before, or recently? Most of the guys I know that took me there originally are gone...and I don't know anyone who's been in a while. I went on a whim back in 2017 and the fishing was abysmal...I used to net 30-50 fish per day there, and we were lucky to net 2 a day...the river just fishes completely different from the way it used to back in the day...still a ton of fish but the slow flows make it super difficult...

 

[Bobbrown]

Marble Canyon…..Terry Gunn

 

[Ruger#3]

Lahotan cut throat trout…..on my bucket list for NV. Only place you can have that experience.

 

[huntfish]

I thought Vegas so we could hit Hoover Dam but we may switch it to Phoenix.

Salt Lake would be closer and cheaper airline. Also gives you the possibility of fishing the Green in WY.

 

[Tight Lines]

Salt Lake would be closer and cheaper airline. Also gives you the possibility of fishing the Green in WY.

That might be a good call...fished the Green last year without him...we could also fish the Provo, Strawberry, etc. if we did that...

 

[Tight Lines]

Marble Canyon…..Terry Gunn

That's the second recommendation for Terry, the other from my buddy I fish with in Bozeman...

 

[Tight Lines]

Marble Canyon…..Terry Gunn

Good lawd that guy is booked out forever!

 

[Tight Lines]

In checking options, LV is still the shortest loop, both time and miles vs. SLC or PHX. Seems like Lee's Ferry is the easiest unless we venture off to the San Juan, creeks around Vegas, or south of SLC...

 

[NCMTNHunter]

It’s not trout and probably not fly fishing but I’ve always wanted to fish lake Powell.