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Spring Creek Trips

        Trust us, you wind up doing a lot of this on the spring creeks, especially in late summer after the fish have seen it all at least three or four times and can tell what kind of thread you use when you tie PMDs.

        Feel up for a challenge?  Want to sneak up on large, wild rainbow and brown trout feeding in water so shallow their dorsal fins are getting sunburned?  A trip to the famous Paradise Valley spring creeks might be for you.  Parks' Fly Shop is located forty-five minutes from all three creeks, Nelson's, Armstrong's, and DePuy's (the lower three miles of Armstrong's), and we'd love to share our expertise on these waters. 

        The Paradise Valley spring creeks grace almost every fly fishing calendar made, and for good reason.  These are lush, productive, technically demanding fisheries in gorgeous surroundings.  The fish in all three average twelve to sixteen inches, though accomplished anglers usually encounter many in the sixteen to twenty-two inch range, as well, especially during the dense hatches the creeks are known for and in the spring, when large rainbows from the Yellowstone enter the creeks to spawn.  The creeks are also very, very private, with access limited to no more than sixteen anglers per day on DePuy's, the largest of the creeks, and only six on Nelson's, the smallest.  Reservations are required on all three creeks, with prime dates on Nelson's sometimes filling up more than a year in advance.

        Only three Parks' Fly Shop guides guide on the spring creeks.  Walter Wiese and Phil Herne specialize in DePuy's, while Richard Parks prefers Nelson's and Armstrong's.  Rates for spring creek trips are identical to those for our normal walk and wade trips, but please note that the creeks charge an additional rod fee of $40-100 per angler depending on the season, with summer obviously being the most expensive.  The spring fishing in March and April is excellent, and rod fees are only $40 per day until mid-April, making this an excellent time to sample what the creeks have to offer.

        Please note the following: we do not "block book" days on the creeks as some other outfitters do, simply because we are too small to do so.  We would be pleased to make your reservation for you, but we need at least a week's notice in the winter/early spring and at least three months notice from late May through September.  In addition to your deposit with us, the creeks themselves will want a deposit covering one half of your booking, so your credit card will show both a charge from us (for our guide trip deposit) and from the creek (for the rod fee).  You can also make your reservations with the creek of your choice (see links to the right) before enlisting our services.  Standard policies apply in this case.  Also note that the creeks are not suitable for beginners or novices, as they have the largest, spookiest trout in our area of operations, on average.

2008 Daily Guide Service Rates

Phil arrived about three minutes after I released the fish.  I would have loved to have gotten a better photo.  DePuy's spring creek.