Fishing

/0 Comments/in /by

If you read my brief fishing report, you’ll know that I’m feeling
a bit optimistic. After a long bout of high, dirty water, it seems
that things are improving and we’re on the verge of fishing
here in Jackson.

I’ve had some folks out on morning walk-in trips this past week
and also ventured down to the Green river. Folks have caught
some smaller trout on dry flies (caddis and parachute adams).
This has been great to see, not only because for many it was
their very first fish on a fly rod, but also because it’s been a
while since fish have taken a fly on the surface.

I think the Green’s really going to provide some great dry fly
fishing. Floating it the other day, it looked pretty good. And
while not totally clear, it’s definitely fishable, especially if you
don’t mind drifting some nymphs.

Our old friend the Snake may just come around this summer
and give us some good fishing. I noticed that the levels are
down, exposing new gravel bars and channels. It’s still dirty,
but I’d expect it to look better and better each day. Hopefully
we’ll be out on it soon casting hopper patterns to eager trout.
In the meantime, I’ll happily take folks to the Green!

Good things happen to those who wait…

Out and About

/0 Comments/in /by

Recently I headed north to Yellowstone in search of trout.
Because of the holiday crowds, my friend Matt and I avoided
popular waters and focused on a few lesser known gems that
usually offer up some good fishing when all the water around
Jackson Hole is high and muddy. This year though things were
different. What once was pocket water and long, slow runs was
now a raging torrent comprised of rapids and waves. It became
clear in a hurry that we weren’t going to find much fishable
water. Adding insult to injury, mosquitoes covered (and
devoured) every inch of exposed skin when we stopped for a
drink of water or a pointless cast. Still, we had a great time
and even managed to catch a few small brown trout which, on
a two weight, makes for great fun.

yellowstone brown

Back home here in Jackson things are still a wash with
snow runoff. I spent Sunday morning helping Joe and his son,
Brennan learn about fly fishing. They did a great job working
the water with nymphs and streamer and despite the slow
catching, had a great time getting some time out on the water.
Brennan ended up showing his dad how it’s done, landing a nice
cutthroat on a nymph.

first trout on a fly rod

An update on things around here

/0 Comments/in /by

My apologies for the lack of posts lately. The current
fishing conditions have been less than inspiring and I’ve been
waiting until I could write something upbeat. Fishing here in
Jackson Hole is tough at best and impossible at worst. The
good news is that we seem to have finally transitioned to
some genuinely nice weather. Sunshine and temperatures in
the 70s have reminding all of us why we choose to endure 8
months of winter. The weather has also spiked snow runoff,
raising all major waterways around here to near flood
stages.

Folks have been asking when the fishing’s going to come
around and I honestly can’t say. Much depends on the weather
and how fast our huge snow pack melts. I will say that we are
at least a few weeks out before anything really starts shaping
up.

Despite these hard conditions, I did a few fishing trips this
week. I warned folks of extremely tough conditions, explaining
that it would be damn hard to hook anything, but that if they
still wanted to get out and cast a fly rod and learn about fly
fishing, we could do morning walk in trips on a smaller stream.
Declining my offer to refund deposits, some eager folks
decided to go anyway and we ended up having some fun
mornings. More importantly, after pounding the muddy water
with big nymphs, a few cutthroat trout were landed, allowing
my clients to experience the thrill of catching a native cutthroat
trout on a fly. I’m glad everyone had fun and I give them a lot
of credit for their perseverance and determination.

Here’s David showing off a cutthroat that fell for his dead
drifted Black and Red. Not the biggest, but a fitting reward for
his casting. Nice work David!

david with trout

Back Home

/0 Comments/in /by

Having just spent a week back east in PA enduring record heat,
crazy traffic and a funeral, I can tell you it’s great to be back in
the mountains of Wyoming. While most of my time was spent
attending family functions, I was able to sneak in a little fly
fishing.

My friend Kurt and I chose the hottest day of the heat wave to
head up to Spring Creek, PA. Fortunately, as we worked our
way through the thick forest and into the stream, the
temperature cooled considerably. I can’t say that the fishing
was fantastic; seems we just missed the sulphur hatch. But we
were able to hook quite a few modest size brown trout on
nymphs and compra-duns. The biggest fish of the trip came in
the form of a sucker who momentarily fooled us into thinking I
had connected with one of the legendary brown trout that
Spring Creek is known for. The following morning we spent a
few hours on nearby Fishing creek. While we only managed
one trout (nice work Kurt), we left believing that with a little
more knowledge and some cooler temperatures, Fishing creek
could probably treat us right.

Overall, it was good trip. I caught some fish, eat some
cheesesteaks and spent quality time with family. And while it’s
never fun to attend a funeral, it was nice to pay respects to my
Grandma; a woman who never minced words and made the
best meatballs in the world.

Friday’s fishing

/0 Comments/in /by

Here’s a photo from Friday’s mid-day fishing adventure. Sure
was nice to see blue sky and sunshine.

small stream

PA, here I come

/0 Comments/in /by

Next week I’ll get to try my luck on Spring Creek, one of
Pennsylvania’s legendary trout waters. Joining me (and guiding
me to glory) will be my friend Kurt, a guy I’ve grown up with and
spent A LOT of time on the water with. Usually it’s me pointing
out fish for him, so it’ll be nice to reverse roles; especially while
fishing a PA river on a warm June evening.

I’ve only fished Spring Creek once while doing a stint at nearby
liberal arts college. We fished it on a cold fall afternoon, trying to
convince its brown trout to take our streamers. I think I caught a
fish or two, but my memory is foggy. Anyway, I’m excited to
visit it again and test its reputation. Sulfurs and caddis are being
tied and stockpiled in anticipation of a fine evening hatch, but I’m
secretly plotting to cast BIG bunny streamers once night falls.
Should be fun!

Still A LOT of snow up there

/0 Comments/in /by

It’s the end of May, but you’d never know it here in Jackson
Hole. We’ve had an incredibly cold, wet spring this year. In
fact, just this week snow was falling and more is on the way,
with another storm system predicted to hit Western Wyoming
Sunday night. The snow pack stands at 237% of average and
locals are concerned with the flooding that will most likely
happen when temperatures warm and the snow begins melting.

It’s not uncommon to have this kind of weather at the end of
May (seems that it always snows on Memorial Day), but it is
uncommon to have so much snow sitting in the mountains
(even the old timers I talk to seem baffled). Fortunately, it
looks like sunshine is forecasted to arrive next week. Hopefully
it does, as everyone in the valley is starting to go a little
crazy.

Consequently, the fishing around here hasn’t been much to talk
about. All major rivers are muddy and swollen, with lakes in
the Tetons just starting to loose their ice. I’ve been getting out
and focusing my attention on a few small streams that have
remained fairly clear. The fish in them aren’t big, but they are
pretty, and happily take flies. Yesterday, after teaching a
cartooning project to high school biology students, my friend
Matt and I fished a nice local stream. And while it was off
color, we manage to catch a couple nice cutthroat trout on
nymphs- a fitting end to the work week.

For now, I’m going to enjoy the three day weekend with Jamie
and Sage; focusing my attention on family walks, playing some
guitar and tinkering with fishing gear with hopes of nicer
weather to come.

Fishing, just in case..

/0 Comments/in /by

While the world (or at least a few crazies) waited with
bated breath for the impending Rapture, Sage and I and went
fishing….I mean if the world’s going to end, we might as well
get one more day of fly fishing in.

We settled on a piece of lesser-known water that I
suspected would be clear and fishable. While far from being
the legendary type of fishery that the West is known for, this
water is a sentimental favorite that never lets me down. I
took to fishing dry flies in a few favorite holes, fooling several
brook trout, while Sage happily sniffed out some expired elk.
We ended the day, having dinner with my friend Joe, grilling
buffalo ribeyes and sipping whiskey. A fitting way to end
things, just in case…….

brook trout

a brook trout's world

stream sketch

Fly rods and Individuals

/0 Comments/in /by

I recently accompanied a friend to the local fly shop. I was
along to aid in his quest for a new fly rod, and while the visit
was about helping him, I selfishly was excited to cast some
rods myself; comparing tapers and actions from brands that I
never have judged face to face before.

Prior to arrival, the goal was to find the ultimate five
weight. Somewhere along the way though, things changed and
we set our sights on a four weight; a rod that would cast a dry
fly perfectly on one the many small meadow and mountain
streams we fish out here in Wyoming. Not an all-purpose rod
by any means, more a luxury item that would only be used
when fishing to cutthroat trout on hot summer days. Here’s
where things got interesting. While we cast approximately six
rods from several manufactures, our opinions varied greatly. A
rod that my friend loved, I couldn’t put down fast enough, and
a slow action rod that I quickly became smitten with, my friend
shrugged off in favor of a stiff brown pole made of space age
NASA stuff.

Regardless of our preferences, we did think it was pretty
cool how rods, much like guitars, are destined for certain
individuals. Different rods appeal to different casting styles. I
think the guy at the fly shop said it best when he explained to
my friend that no amount of fancy writing or opinions matter,
“the rod picks you.” And it was true because at the end our
comparison, my friend picked the rod that he connected with,
not the green one that I liked and not the fancy one that
earned 50 gold stars in the magazine shootout.

Our time spent casting rods made me examine my own
preferences and rod arsenal. Deep down I’m a guy who likes a
slow action rod, but I know that for practicality, it’s hard to
argue with a fast action 5wt, at least for our here in the West,
where wind and bulky flies are the name of the game. I also
realized that despite all the fancy polymers and nano weight
technologies being employed to create fly rods these days, it
doesn’t really matter. A rod from 20 years ago cast just as well
(maybe even better- yeah, I said it) as the current crop being
built in today’s arms race.

Here’s to hoping for a Winston 4 weight some day……

fast and slow

Snowmelt…

/0 Comments/in /by

Normally I am not one to participate in the yearly snowpack/
runoff speculation. I shy away from discussions, refusing to
theorize, reasoning that an act of nature that happens EVERY
year doesn’t warrant conjecture from a bearded fisherman; it’s
going to happen. Oblivious to people’s predictions and
anticipations, the snow melts, rivers rise, rivers clear and fly
fishing in Jackson Hole turns great. This year will be no
different. Let’s get on with it already though!

I’ve tried being patient and understanding, adopting a Zen-like
demeanor, “fishing will be ready when”…. you get the point.
Seriously though, there is a TON of snow in the mountains that
needs to start melting or we’re not going to be fishing until
September of 2012! I won’t bore you with all the numbers and
graphs, just know that winter (and snow) got serious around
here back in November, and hasn’t relented. In fact, just
yesterday as I sat at my fly tying desk crafting foam hoppers,
giant snowflakes choked off the sun and blanketed new grass
sprouting up in the backyard.

I’m trying to be strong here folks, but damn it I’m ready for
spring; ready to wear my flip flops, don Hawaiian shirts with
reckless abandonment and most importantly, fish! At this point
I’d simply like a decent fishing option….something that doesn’t
require pounds of split shot and a prayer. Heck, I’d gladly take
a lake (yeah, I said it), but in order to fish a lake, it has to be
free of ice, and we’re a ways off from that happening too.

Sooner or later, like every year, snow WILL melt, rivers WILL
rise and fall and fly fishing in Jackson Hole WILL return to
glory. I just hope it happens sooner rather than later because
I’ve got rods strung up in the garage and I’m growing
impatient.