Blog - Page 11 of 30 - Teton Fly Fishing -Jackson Hole

Guiding on the Snake in January

January 24, 2016/0 Comments/in /by testing

Well, the 2016 Teton Fly Fishing guiding season is underway.
This past week I took two eager anglers from upstate New York fly
fishing on the Snake. Tyler and Carlos were in town on a ski trip
and wanted to do a little fishing. After breaking trail for a bit and
getting our blood pumping, we got on the water a little after 11am.
Tyler had considerable experience with a fly rod, fishing back home
for steelhead, while Carlos was new to it. After fishing a run or two
without luck, Tyler manage to connect with a nice cutthroat trout;
a fine intro to western fly fishing! Carlos continued to work on his
casting, which paid off when he landed his first fish on a fly rod.
These guys ended up with quite a few fish under their belts, not
bad for a cold day in January!

Tyler showing off his first western trout, a nice snake
river cutthroat trout!

Trudging, casting and freezing

January 14, 2016/0 Comments/in /by testing

Seeing as the thermometer said 33 degrees outside, I couldn’t resist wetting a line. Taking down the christmas lights could wait! I headed to the Snake to scout some side channels. I walked, no trudged up river, following one braid after another hoping to find a pod of cutthroat trout sipping on midges. Unfortunately my fishing turned into more of a hike. A lot of the water I thought might be productive was frozen over, save a thin ribbon of current here and there. I ended up walking a giant loop in the river bottom, casting a few times here and there but really not coming across any water that excited me. Eventually I got back to the bridge and nymphed a seam/ shelf that I’ve hooked a few fish at before. It wasn’t long before I stumbled into a decent cutthroat (who came off before a picture could be taken) and a few whitefish. I rambled on down river and hit a few more pieces of water but never saw another fish. I did come across some mountain lion tracks though….

It never hurts to get out and I did enjoy the quiet. At least I can cross that area off my map and focus on other areas this winter with the fly rod.

Below are a few pics from fishing the wind last week. Finally got around to downloading them…

Gotta respect the zebra midge; a great pattern for winter fly fishing in Wyoming!

Not the biggest rainbow, but a pretty one.

Trout of the new year

January 8, 2016/0 Comments/in /by testing

At last, I got back in the saddle and waved around the long rod. It’s been a while since I fished. Much of this had to do with the below zero temperatures we had for a few weeks in Jackson Hole. Add to it the holiday season and some various teaching gigs, and I went on a bit of a hiatus. All this changed yesterday when I threw my gear in the truck and fished a stretch of water not too far from the Teton Fly Fishing cabin.Conditions couldn’t have been much better; no wind, overcast and warm enough that gloves weren’t needed and rod guides didn’t freeze. It was downright pleasant! The water I settled on is a good choice for winter fly fishing; easily wadeable with a beaver cache to foster emerging midges. I ended up fishing for about an hour and managed a few rainbows. It felt great to be back on the water.

was hoping to have pics to post from the day, but i’m experiencing some tech problems loading them so you’ll just have to take my word and use your imagination….

Not too much else to report from Teton Fly Fishing headquarters. We had a nice, mellow christmas and new years. As I mentioned, it was really cold, meaning we spent too much time inside eating, drinking and getting fat. Lulu’s doing great, definitely coming into her own and gaining independence. Training continues and, save some backyard barking, we’re proud of how she’s coming along. Looks like the next week or so should be a bit warmer (high 20s- mid 30s) so hopefully some more fishing will occur. I’ve got a walk- in trip on the books for next week and folks are starting to book summer/fall days too.

-20

December 29, 2015/0 Comments/in /by testing

Well, Christmas has come and gone and we’re close to
welcoming a new year with new fishing possibilities. I’m sorry to
report that I haven’t done any fishing. We’ve been dealing with
some seriously cold temps here in the Hole; minus 20 has been
the norm lately and daytime highs haven’t been high at all.
Needless to say we’ve been hunkered down, only going outside to
take Lulu for walks (who doesn’t seem to mind the cold at all).
Instead of donning the waders and long rod, I’ve been tying flies
for the upcoming season. Right now most of the ties are nymphs;
stoneflys, pheasant tail variations, zebra midges, etc. These are
patterns that I use a lot in the winter months, but also in waters
like the Green and Firehole rivers. The beginning of the new year
is always kind of fun, forcing me to organize fly boxes and order
fly tying supplies. Today Lulu and I are heading to the fishing
cabin. I imagine there’s some snowblowing to do and I’ve got some
woodworking projects to get on.

at the cabin

December 11, 2015/0 Comments/in /by testing

Lulu and I are spending some time at the Teton Fly Fishing
cabin while Jamie’s out of town. Overall it’s been cold and wintery
so fishing hasn’t happened. I think I’ve gotten to a point where
sometimes it’s better to just lay low rather than prove something
by fishing when it’s too cold. It’s not so bad watching movies,
spinning records, hiking and doing some artwork.

Lulu and I took a good hike this morning high above the
Teton Fly Fishing cabin. I was winded, Lulu, not so much.

One of the many painting I’ve been working on

The great southwest

December 3, 2015/0 Comments/in /by testing

It’s been cold here in Jackson Hole lately. Temperatures have
fallen below zero at night and daytime highs have struggled to get
out of the teens. Looks like that’s gonna change in the next few
days though and I’m hoping to get out on some water and wet a
line. I haven’t done any fishing lately, mainly because of the cold
temperatures and being out of town.

Jamie, Lulu and I took a road trip to the southwest over
thanksgiving, putting 2500 miles on the suburu and covering 4
states. Stops were made in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and
Utah. Some great friends and family put us up along the way, with
the bulk of our time being spent in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Unfortunately I didn’t take any fishing gear, choosing instead to
focus on time with family and friends. I did do some scouting
though and will definately take a rod next time! Below are a few
pics from the journey…

Here’s Kit Carson’s home in Taos, NM. After reading a lot
about Carson over the years, it was really cool to stand where he
once spent time. We spent 2 nights in Taos staying with friends Mel
and Charlie; super cool folks who showed us around and made us
feel at home.

Dressed up for a Thanksgiving feast. We went to a
friends house in Santa Fe for Thanksgiving dinner. Really had a nice
time walking around town a bit and then eating with some great
folks. Note the new Stetson… I picked that up in downtown
Albuquerque at the Man’s Hat Shop. If you’re every in the area, I
highly recommend picking up a hat there. The service was
fantastic!

Couldn’t resist a picture with Fred. Came across this
Flinstone themed campground on the way to the south rim of the
grand canyon.

f

Lulu and I did alittle painting while at the Grand Canyon.
This was the first time I’d been to the GC and it blew my mind! Far
exceded my expectations.

Now back home, my attention is focused on some art teaching
gigs and the Christmas season. We cut down a tree on Tuesday
and plan on decorating it tonight. Today i have to sort out outdoor
lights and replace bulbs….

Sneaking one in

November 10, 2015/0 Comments/in /by testing

Taking advantage of a break in the weather, Lulu and I jumped
in the truck and headed to the Teton Fly Fishing cabin. The plan
was to stack firewood and fish. My friend Nick came over and
despite a night of good food and beverages, we rallied, getting up
early, attaching the drift boat and hit the road. We arrived at the
river shortly before 9 and found the boat ramp empty.

The first few hours of the float were lacking fish; nothing
feeding on top, chasing streamers or eating our nymphs. The
forecast called for sun and temps in the 50s, but we were in down
jackets getting blown up river. After fishing a few riffles that
usually produce, I suggested we drop anchor and eat lunch, hoping
that by killing time the bugs would hatch. As luck would have it,
the sun came out and it did warm up considerably! Nick started the
post-lunch fishing with two small beachhead nymphs and
immediately hook a decent rainbow and then a BIG brown trout!

Nick shows off a beautiful fall brown trout!

Now we were feeling good! He caught another big rainbow and
then handed the rod to me. I got a few more nice rainbows and
this is how the rest of our day went; fishing riffles with both
nymphs and small BWO dry flies. In the end, it turned out to be a
fantastic day with some beautiful fish being brought to the boat.
After the long drive home (we snuck in just ahead of a fast moving
snow storm) we celebrated with beer, whiskey and steaks on the
grill. Lulu got a few extra treats herself for being a great
companion.

Netting a nice rainbow while Lulu tries to contain
herself

I don’t know if they come any prettier… a nice big male!

Nick is all smiles in the Wyoming late-day sunshine.
Lulu’s impressed

Winter’s arrived

November 8, 2015/0 Comments/in /by testing

Over the past week or so winter’s arrived in Jackson Hole. We had
are first snow of the season in town and off season is in full swing.
I’ve been taking advantage of the cold, shorter days; catching up
on any number of things that got neglected over the past months.
I’ve dusted off the paint brushes and begun working on some new
pieces.

Lulu continues to do well, getting walks everyday and plenty of
time hanging out with Jamie and I. We’re over in Dubois at the
fishing cabin stacking firewood and doing chores in preparation for
the winter season. Temperatures are decent here and my friend
Nick and I are planning on floating the Big Horn over in
Thermopolis tomorrow. We’re hoping to catch some of the nice
browns and rainbows the Big Horn’s known for. Hopefully I’ll have a
report later in the week.

Late October brown trout fishing

October 28, 2015/0 Comments/in /by testing

Now that guiding season has slowed, I get to do some fishing.
It should come as no surprise that October here in the Wyoming
Rockies means Brown trout. Shorter days get brown moving up
and down river gearing up for spawning. It’s a great time to target
large, aggressive fish with streamers.

I hit the road yesterday morning with Lulus in hopes of finding
some nice fish with streamers. After a slow drive thanks to icy
roads, we hit the water amidst some early season snow. I choose
to fish my Winston BIIIX 6 wt; a great all purpose rod for out here.
Fish, both browns and rainbows were receptive to my white wooly
bugger-type streamers. By mid afternoon, after catching 8 or 9
nice fish we retreated back to the truck to warm up and head
home.

Roads were slow going thanks to an early season
dusting of snow. Fortunately we made it to the river.

A little artsy; nice to capture this colored-up fall run
brown trout in the net.

One of many fish that fell for my white streamer. It’s
always nice to hook some sizeable fish late in the season. While
the weather might be less than desireable, late fall here in
Jackskon Hole and surronding areas is a great time to hunt for
trophy trout!

Looks to be a wrap

October 25, 2015/0 Comments/in /by testing

It looks like I’ve guided my last trip of the season (unless the phone rings of course…), wrapping up what proved to be another great year on the water. Dave and I spent two days float fishing this past week; first on the Snake and then on the Salt. The weather couldn’t have been better and it was great to catch up with Dave and his wife Celeste after not seeing them since last year. Fish were caught both days and it was nice to end the season with such nice folks.

Dave’s all smiles as we show off one of his snake river cutthroat trout from our float the other day. Warm weather has made float fishing on the Snake a great late season option- good fishing and an empty river!

Thanks to all of you who fished with me the past months. It’s always fun taking both return and new anglers out and I’m already looking forward to more of it! I’m planning on getting in some more fishing of my own in the weeks to come. Days continue to get shorter but that won’t stop Lulu and I from hitting the water. Also, I think Jamie and I are going to go float the Bighorn in the near future. And while the seasons are changing, I’ll continue to offer guided fly fishing trips in and around Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Half day winter walk-in trips can be a blast!