Cookie-Cutter Cuts and some Leftovers

When Josh and Shane told me of the awesome days they had been having, my mental salivation glands kicked into overdrive.  And when I finally saw the pictorial proof, the little hook-set craving monster inside me began to purr.  Needless to say, I was grateful when they extended an invitation.  These cuts are just as the title says, "cookie-cutter."  They all range from 16 to 20 inches on average and most have vibrant red panels on their gill-plates.

The fishing was wild.  It was slower than previous trips, according to my fishing companion duo, but was still a bit like shooting fish in a barrel.  We started out fishing nymphs and various wet flies.  Things were moderately consistent, but then the fish started rising all over to some unseen bug.  We assumed they were midges since we couldn't actually see anything.  Following this hunch Shane and I tied on anything we could find in his dry box that had black on it.  The fish were smashing anything dark.  I think Shane got a bit annoyed that I kept asking him for a new fly because the one I was fishing became shredded.  Five or six flies later, a sore arm, and an inch of snow covering anything horizontal, we called it a day.  Shane and Josh headed to West Yellowstone to grab a couple burgers and I headed back home to family and a warm bed.

There were a smattering of brookies thrown in the mix. 

Shane tagged a nice healthy 20ish incher.

The fishing duo.  Calling it a day.

The Leftovers

Salmon fly fun... yes please!

 

Belly.

The color diversity in one river is amazing. 

Either this guy is one of those eternal optimists or his eyes were just bigger than his stomach!  Either way it is always fun to catch an unexpected brookie.

Snake.  Bust I love those rings.

I don't know about you, but this guys seems a bit spotty to me.  Bad joke, oh well.

Just in case you wanted to throw something away... in... the... middle... of ... nowhere.

Leftover carp footage.

Mostly just the takes... with some previously posted pictures.




Outside of this, things have been pretty quiet on the home-front.  It's funny how things feel so much better when you try harder to be a better person, but that things also have a tendency to fall apart at that same time!  I'm sure it's all part of the plan, and it definitely keeps me humble, if that is the intention.  Whatever it is, both pairs of waders miraculously started leaking a day or two after I began the media fast, I broke my 8wt the day before that, and hours at work cut back.  The current situation is preserving many a carps lips and keeping me in responsible-not-fish-so-much-mode. Despite this, I can honestly say I feel happier and much more productive.

See you back out on the water, just as soon as I find more time, fix my waders, and get the 8wt repaired.

Brownies and Bows of the wild sort

As of late I have come to realize how much I enjoy catching beautiful fish.  Each shimmering specimen brought to hand has its own unique palette of natural paint.  The vibrant colors decorating our fine scaled friends never ceases to amaze me. 

These in-person and brief art shows are not for everyone.  The enjoyment which comes from these encounters is intimately connected with ones own perspective.  I am inclined to think that many passersby would be surprised at what cannot readily be seen.  Any Joe Schmoe who stops to look at the water would most likely stare, probably not see anything in the water, and think there probably are no fish in that area.  But on closer inspection there are in fact many fish, and these fish, when viewed closely are very bright and colorful creatures.  Put simply, it's amazing that such a flashy bit of living art can hide so well in plain sight.

To the patient observer, or maybe just to the patient angler, a trip to the gallery can be arranged... even on the rainiest of days.

The man of the hour, or maybe just the bug of the day.

This day on the river was amazing.  Oodles of bugs were hatching and the fish were in a feeding frenzy on the top.  There were even some stone flies going off!  Unfortunately we only had our nymphs and streamers.  We still managed plenty of fish.  The rain dumped on us for a while and the whole day was overcast.  I hope I can make some time to get out again.

This awesome brown was a definite "cherry on the top" for the day.  He took the little copper nymph previously shown.  There were some other biggies rolled, but with such a small hook the fight didn't last too long.

Shane managed some magnificent browns.  Many of which had beautiful blue hues on their gill plates.

Thanks Shane, for a great day on the water.

Spring, it's a comin'

Things are getting warmer, which only makes it harder to be indoors doing homework.  Time to break out the breathables again.

Trout and Carp and Awesomeness, OH MY!

Monday was set to be a beautiful sunny day with temps in the upper 40's to low 50's.  Well, the weatherman got it right.  It felt like taking the first real step through Spring's door.  We left town before noon and made it to the water around 1p.m.  The water had dropped at least a foot since the last carping attempt.  This pushed the carp into different areas, and we couldn't find them at first.  Since there weren't carp to be found initially we set to finding some trout with streamers.  After getting to the spot I intended to find trout I was surprised to see a pod of carp just off the edge in about 3 feet of water.  With my large black articulated streamer already on I made some slow retrieves trying to get the fly on their dinner plates.  Only a few casts in and BAM!  A large bow crushed the streamer. (Didn't see that coming.)  It was a beauty that almost looked like a small steelhead.  The day produced a surprising amount of large fish.

Shane later discovered a decent pod of carp.  Some were sunbathing, some were cruising, and a few were looking for lunch.  They  weren't active enough yet to chase down a fly, but if you could get the offering right in from of them, they would take.  Shane and I both managed one carp before they dispersed.  He nailed a beastly mirror with his trusty san-juan, and I tagged a medium sized common on a large black leech.

All in all it was one of those days that leaves you with a permanent grin.  Things fell into place and there were some awesome fish caught.  They fought great too.  I was also able to break in the new GoPro.  I can tell that it is the beginning of a great relationship.  This first video is a bit of a chop job.



As things continue to warm up the fishing is going to get better and better!

 

Contemplating a good day...

Fished the South Fork of the Snake River today.  Low water makes things much easier to navigate.  If someone had a mind to they could pace the whole river... almost.  I found myself standing in areas of the river bottom, looking around me and thinking, "this places has seen some powerful water."  The shape of the gravel bars, huge trees with roots intact, and crystal clear water make one feel they are wandering through a natural art gallery.  One created in the literal "wake" of a monstrous creature.

 I stared into some deep water thinking how much more deep it would be when flows are high again.  I feel a bit sheepish admitting it, but water SCARES me.  It's powerful, and as fishermen that is something we ought not to forget.  It's a fickle thing, and a love hate relationship of sorts.  Water (or the things water can do) gives me the heeber jeebers at times, but I can't seem to leave it alone. 

I headed to the river with the intent to primarily nymph, but after a while and only one little brown to show for it, I swapped to a streamer.

The large black articulated offering was the ticket.  I trailed a large prince and had a couple takers on it as well, but most of the fish came on the streamer.  The clear water made for some exciting takes!  The extra rush from the aggressive takes while fishing streamers has me hooked.  I can't believe I didn't start this type of fishing sooner!

Browns and Cuts for the day.  Didn't touch a single bow.

Check out this midge stew!!!!   These little buggers were everywhere, but I didn't see a single fish rising the whole time out.

Have you ever seen a happier looking brown?  Seriously, this guy looks like he's smiling.

Camo.

Natures bling.

Last one for the day.