Fly Fishing Sheridan Lake and Eagle Ridge Ranch with Steve Hyde (Traveled #22)
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
Dave Stewart
4.7 • 530 Ratings
🗓️ 20 December 2024
⏱️ 66 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/695
Presented By: Yellowstone Teton Territory
Today on Traveled, Steve Hyde of the Hyde Drift Boats family and Eagle Ridge Ranch manager shares his best tips for fly fishing Sheridan Lake and exploring nearby Spring Creek. Find out how to make the most of summer and winter activities in these areas.
Plus, hear about how Steve and his dad founded Hyde Drift Boats in their garage and the innovations that set their boats apart.
Show Notes with Steve Hyde on Fly Fishing Sheridan Lake
02:23 - We start off talking about how things are going at Eagle Ridge Ranch during this "in-between" season. Steve says they do a lot of ice fishing and managing cabins for rent year-round. We also talk about big game hunting opportunities at Eagle Ridge Ranch.
5:17 - Sheridan Lake is located in a remote area between Kilgore and Island Park, surrounded by private and public lands. The lake benefits from powerful springs, which help maintain the temperature and support aquatic life. Steve says grizzly encounters are common in the area, which adds a bit of excitement.
07:47 - The owner of Eagle Ridge Ranch is Frank VanderSloot, the founder of Melaleuca. There are 12 cabins on the ranch that can sleep anywhere from 2 to 20 people.
Fishing at the Eagle Ridge Ranch
9:42 - There are seven miles of Spring Creek and the lake to fish. You can find rainbow trout, Snake River cutthroat trout, and brook trout in the lake. Native chubfish are also in the system, though they're not highly regarded.
10:40 - Steve says they only allow up to 12 people daily to ensure a positive visitor experience. Groups of up to 20 can sometimes be accommodated, but they try not to mix groups to keep the area peaceful.
Watch this YouTube video about Eagle Ridge Ranch
: https://youtu.be/Z05KwQqWb5U?si=L6LKG2AZ3X9Pjbos
Hyde Drift Boats
14:15 - We dive into how Steve and his dad started making driftboats in their garage back in the early '80s. What began as a hobby turned into Hyde Drift Boats. Steve talks about how the boat design evolved over the years.
19:36 - Steve is the director of Wildlife Management for all of Frank's properties in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah. He also works closely with local fish and game agencies to maintain the land and support wildlife in the area.
Other Activities at Eagle Ridge Ranch
24:36 - The Eagle Ridge Ranch is great for year-round outdoor activities. People can enjoy fishing, hunting, ATV riding in summer, and snowmobiling in winter. There's also a lava bed system called Craters of the Moon just south of the ranch.
Fly Fishing at Sheridan Lake: What You Need to Know
28:45 - Sheridan Lake is a fly-fishing-only, catch-and-release spot. The peak season runs from May to October, but you can still find spots throughout the year. Steve says the lake has all kinds of hatches throughout the year.
3:15 - Steve talks about the lakes and rivers around Eagle Ridge Ranch. The main lakes are Island Park Reservoir and Henry's Lake, but there are also many rivers in the area.
Eagle Ridge Ranch offers a premium fishing experience at Sheridan Lake. Watch this video to learn more:
https://youtu.be/wAsF86xnK2E?si=YkzFY7k5G3ahWwJp
45:43 - Here are some things to consider before your trip:
Pack for all weather conditions: A sudden rainstorm can drop temperatures quickly, so you better be prepared.
Safety first: Let someone know where you're going or have someone with you.
Gear up right: Bring a 5 to 7-weight rod. Use the biggest tippet you can (4X), but switch to 5X if the fish get picky.
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/695
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Would you say the experience is more important or the catching of fish is more important as a fly angler? |
| 0:07.4 | Today's guest is all about the experience and today you're going to find out about the lake and the tens of thousands of acres he manages to create the best experience possible. |
| 0:15.7 | Whether that's hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, or other. |
| 0:18.1 | Today you're going to get a glimpse into all this plus the Stillwater School. It's all coming on today's episode. This is Traveled where we take a deep dive into a specific region of the country, so you have a better feel for what it takes to put together a trip and how you can be better prepared when you get there. Hey, I'm Dave, host of Traveled. I've been fly fishing since I was a little kid and grew up around a little fly shop and have always loved |
| 0:39.4 | traveling and adventure. This is I've been fly fishing since I was a little kid and grew up around a little fly shop and have |
| 0:38.5 | always loved traveling and adventure. |
| 0:41.3 | This is why we're digging this today. |
| 0:43.1 | Steve Hyde of the high drift boat family and manager of vast private lands out west is going to |
| 0:48.1 | shed some light into how you can connect with these amazing experiences and these areas out here. |
| 0:53.5 | You're going to find out how he founded high drift boats with his dad while starting out in the garage. |
| 0:59.6 | We're going to get into the high drift boat story. |
| 1:02.0 | And you're also going to find out how to save time at Sheridan Lake and how to have a better experience there and the Spring Creek that's nearby. |
| 1:08.4 | And also how to take advantage of some of these activities in the summer and the winter months. Plus, you'll hear about the Hyde drift boat innovation that he |
| 1:15.0 | talks about here where they combine aluminum drift boats with fiberglass drift boats and all the |
| 1:19.1 | features to make one amazing boat. We talk about that today. This episode of Travel is presented by |
| 1:23.9 | Yellowstone Teton Territory where you can explore the great fishing, hunting, and hot springs, and much, much more. Check them out. Wetfly swing.com slash Teton. Find out more there. |
| 1:35.4 | All right, let's jump into it and see where the road less traveled takes us today. Here he is, |
| 1:39.2 | Steve Hyde from Eagle Ridge Ranch.com. How you doing, Steve? Really good. Thank you. Yeah, thanks for making |
| 1:47.0 | time today to put this one together. It's going to be a fun one. We've done some great stuff out. |
| 1:51.7 | We're going to talk about Eagle Ridge Ranch, Sheridan Lake. We had a fly fishing school we did with |
| 1:56.6 | Phil Raleigh here this year. It was amazing. People said a lot of great things about kind of, you know, the fishing and all that stuff. So we're going to talk about Sharon, but also you have a pretty cool role. You got a couple things going, Director of Wildlife Management, and we're going to talk about what that entails. And then also the Hyde in your last name, you have a connection to high drift boats. And so we'll probably hear a little about that background as we get into your story here. So first off, how are things going? What are you up to this time of year? Real good. Yeah, this time of year, we're kind of an in-between season. We haven't quite got our four feet of snow yet, so it's a little light on the snow activities. They've had plenty cold weather, so ice fishing is always way fun, and we got a lot of that going on. |
| 2:38.1 | And we do rent our cabins here on the ranch year round. |
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