All photography provided by Jack Gardner

The Rocky Mountains are a special place for fly anglers searching for trout, scenery & good times. After spending the past decade fishing my way across Wyoming, Montana, Idaho & Colorado I have settled in Alcova, Wyoming where I focus on guiding & instructing on the North Platte’s tailwaters. Grey’s Reef to the Miracle Mile.

Mission for fishing

My name is Jack Gardner. I am a fly fishing guide in Alcova Wyoming. My goal everyday is to provide guided fly fishing trips that gives each guest an experience that fulfills their goals and expectations in a fun constructive atmosphere. Whether you’ve been fishing your whole life and just want someone to shut up and row or you are a beginner that wants to learn how to fish you are welcome on this boat. Meeting each guest wishes in my top priority. I believe guided trips are all about team work and everyone being on the same page. Whether you want to wade or float, catch as many fish as possible, throw streamers for that big browns, concentrate on dry flies or even learn how to spey cast, we can plan a day that will satisfy your goals. My intention with this website is to provide a helpful and encouraging platform for fishing primarily the North Platte’s tailwaters, as well as helping anglers find where to fish in Wyoming, Montana & Idaho’s other incredible trout fisheries.

About me

I started working at a fly shop in Ohio when I was 14 years old. While Cincinnati offered some good fishing I felt most at home spending my summers in Kentucky chasing small mouth bass and the occasional trout. The first hatch I ever really experienced was a biblical 17 year cicada hatch that had millions of cicadas crawling all over the Elkhorn River in central Kentucky. Previously we thought catch 12 to 13 fish was “crushing it”, but when we tied on some big foam cicada patterns we quickly realized how many fish we weren’t catching most days. Along with my middle school friends Chip and Griffin we proceed to catch around 30 small mouths that day. We matched the hatch…I thought that was the coolest thing in the world and nothing else other then fly fishing seemed to matter.

After graduating from High School and moving out to CU Boulder, Colorado to pursue a Geology degree I quickly became obsessed with Colorado’s trout fishing, thanks to my older brother who was a fishing guide. After spending 4 years going fishing instead of going to class I started fishing my way north into Wyoming where I eventually spent 3 years working in Jackson Wyoming (Jackson Hole) at a fly shop. Fishing everything from the Green River to the Henrys Forks, I quickly realized I loved the bigger waters of Wyoming, Montana & Idaho. Spending most of my year in the greater Yellowstone area and migrating further west every fall to swing for steelhead in Idaho and Oregon, I had found the secret to happiness… always go fishing! I then moved to Bozeman Montana where I spent 5 years guiding the Madison, Gallatin, Jefferson, Yellowstone & a little on the Big Hole rivers while continuing my annual fall migration westward all the way to the coast of Oregon for steelhead & salmon.

If I could do my twenties again I wouldn’t change a thing. I cherish all those nights in the back of a pickup or in a wet tent chasing fish and guiding on as many rivers as possible. But now that I am older I have settled in Alcova Wyoming, primarily guiding the North Platte River for The Reef Fly Shop & North Platte Lodge. I still manage to sneak in tiger musky trips, long hikes up fish filled canyons, and some steelheading in on my days off but most of the time you’ll find me floating around Alcova. Below are some pictures of a fun float I did with my old middle school friend Griffin when he visited early December of 2019. Oh boy did he get em! Pretty amazing backyard to have and demonstrates why my dog and I love living here.

Guided Fly Fishing Trips & Private Access

I am proud to work for the Reef Fly Shop & the North Platte Lodge. Both are located in Alcova Wyoming on the banks of the North Platte about two minutes away from each other. Benefits of fishing with The Reef Fly Shop & North Platte Lodge include:

• Fish anywhere from the upper North Platte’s water above Seminoe Reservoir to Doug Johnson Power Plant below Casper.

• Over 12 miles of private access on the revered waters of Grey’s Reef, from Grey’s Reef Dam to Government Bridge.

• Half day wade trips & half day float trips with private access (lunch not included)

• Full day wade trips & full day float trips with private access (lunch included)

• Spey fishing trips

Wade fishing, anchoring, bathroom breaks, stretching out your legs, taking lunch virtually anywhere & use of 4 exclusive boat ramps, make for relaxing fish filled days in the boat or on foot. The Reef Fly Shop also has the best lodging in Alcova, with four upscale cottages and RV spots, while The North Platte Lodge offers guest everything from fine dining & quarters with Grey’s Reef fabled trout fishery in easy walking distance. Both also give guest access to what I consider to be hands down the best guide staff I have ever met.

Information on The Reef Fly Shop & also The North Platte Lodge can be found by clicking below

What I teach

WYOMING

The State of Wyoming for the most part has most of the Rockies last untouched trout fishing. From the headwaters of the North Platte in Saratoga in to the back country of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming has something special for everyone in angling. From a guides perspective there is an abundance of floatable rivers in the state that offer awesome trout fishing. The North Platte, the Big Horn, the Shoshone, Green River, and iconic Snake River to name a few. We are also lucky to have some of the coolest mountain ranges in the country like the Big Horns and Wind River Range that have several lifetimes worth of fishing alone. Whether your wading and hiking or floating, Wyoming has enough fishing to overwhelm most people…a good problem to have.

The thing that sets Wyoming apart is the amount of access and lack of people. If you are a hiker there are many remote spots you can hike to where the fishing has significantly less pressure and stunning scenery. Two things I definitely favor in fishing spots. So if you like driving down dirt roads and heading into the woods Wyoming will blow your mind. While not everyone has the time or physical requirements to do these types of trips, Wyoming also has a remarkable amount of easy access locations. If your driving across Wyoming you are going to be near some good fishing at some point.