Bighorn is getting Busy.

In the Spring of 2001 I started fishing the Bighorn River in Thermopolis, Wyoming. On that day I fished around the wedding of the waters. I never saw another person. I waded out in Neoprene Waters that I used to do a lot of Float Tubing on the Plains Lakes by Laramie when I was going to college. I walked out into the run, trying to cross the river. I realized real quick how deep the Bighorn River could get. I was quickly, in water over my waders and had to start swimming. I was lucky to get out with very little water in my waders because I was wearing a wading belt. Yesterday I was lucky to fish the Bighorn with a couple friends. But the situation could not have been more different. I now own a boat, a business, and lots of gear. That is not the biggest difference, it was the number of people fishing the river. I lost count but I am guessing there were more than twenty boats on the water. They had increased the flows to 2400 cfs and the rainbows are still spawning. We had a good day; although, we did have to work for every fish we caught. On the menu was sow bugs, midges, worms, eggs, and beatis. It is a little early for dry flies; nonetheless, fish are eating the nymphs and emergers. We did see a few adults on the top water the fish are not keying on them yet.