It pays to have friends in nice places. This past weekend,
Jamie, Sage and I headed south to visit our good friends
Brandon and Rachelle in Clark, CO. Naturally, fishing was on
the agenda, but the real reason for the journey was to catch up
with old friends and meet the newest member of their family,
Wyatt, a strong 11 month old.

The Martins reside in Clark, CO, a beautiful area just north
of Steamboat Springs. Brandon recently joined Vista
Verde Ranch, tasked with running their fishing program
and guiding guests on the many great trout waters around
Clark. Fishing conditions were far from ideal during our visit,
but Brandon had a few tricks up his sleeve and introduced me
to some cool fish; including browns, rainbows, vibrant
Colorado cutthroat trout and Grayling. Fighting through an ugly
hangover courtisey of locally made bourbon, we got hiking,
eventually finding a big, nasty riffle that held several
archetypal Brown trout. The following day we tested out the
ranches new float tubes, fishing a nearby lake and meeting up
with the ladies for a picnic lunch. I had the pleasure of
catching Colorado cutthroat and grayling, two species I seldom
get to pursue. In addition to Brandon and I hooking some fish,
both wives also hooked a few fish, making it a memorable
Memorial Day!

Below you’ll find a few pictures from our lake outing. Many
thanks to Brandon, Rachelle and Wyatt for a great time! If
anyone out there is looking to spend some time at a cool dude
ranch with great fishing, look up Brandon at Vista Verde!

Me and a cutthroat..

Brandon showing a grayling’s dorsal fin

Brandon put his lovely lady, Rachelle on her first fish with
a fly rod…

King of CO, Brandon shows off a Grayling

upclose and personal; these pictures don’t capture the
subdle iridescent colors..

As of today, many area rivers are rising and turning brown
thanks in large part to sunny skies and temperatures pushing
into the high 60s. While this puts some stretches of water on
hold for the next month or so, it also gives area lakes top
billing for the foreseeable future. Jackson Lake’s shores are
mostly ice-free and it’s a good time to take some streamers
and sinking line up there in search of hungry cutthroat, brown
and lake trout.

I’ve been fortunate, having spent the past couple weeks
wading and drifting various drainages with a good amount of
luck. Matt and I pulled together a quick camping/ fishing trip,
hitting up the “Mile” during a two-day stretch of nice weather
and pretty good fishing. We ended up ditching the tent in favor
of sleeping under the stars, not far from several productive
riffles where rainbows fell for our flies. Matt may very well
have hooked the fish of a lifetime. Unfortunately, an explosive
line-spooling run down river resulted in his line and leader
coming back missing a fly….

Jamie and I spent a few days lake fishing from the new
boat. Fortunately we didn’t have to over think things; black
wooly buggers were the ticket and the rainbows attacked them
often enough to keep us busy for the better part of the day!

In related fishing news from Teton Fly Fishing world
headquarters, my neighbor and his wife were walking their dog
yesterday morning when they spied what appeared to be a rod
tube sticking out of a nearby dumpster. Upon saving it from
the approaching trash truck, they took out the contents and
discovered a fly rod, and not just any run of the mill import
graphite stick, a beautiful……… wait for it ……..BAMBOO rod!!!
Could be the find of the century, and I must admit to being a
little envious. Congrats you two!

Some of you may have already seen this, but for those
who aren’t on my email list, here’s is a copy of the spring
2013 newsletter I sent out last week.:

A big springtime hello from Jackson Hole! If you’re as
excited as I am for the upcoming fishing season, this
newsletter’s for you. Little black stoneflies were active on the
Snake River today and Jerome took full advantage…

Overall, fishing has been pretty good lately. Spring brings
hungry trout to the surface, actively feeding on hatching
midges and stoneflies. In addition to the small, black stoneflies
we’re seeing on the Snake right now, I expect larger Skwalas
to begin crawling on the banks and fluttering clumsily on the
water in the next week or two. Fishing will probably get
underway a little earlier this year since the mountain
snowpack is slightly below average.

If you’re thinking of coming out to fish with me, I’ve got a
few exciting things to report for the upcoming season. First
off, I have a new Adipose drift boat that’s going to make for
an even better float-fishing experience. This also will let me
take folks fishing on a few glacially carved lakes when rivers
are running high. If you’re looking for a multi-day adventure,
checkout the Dubois overnight option. With the Wind River and
a variety of smaller, wild trout streams to explore, you’ll think
you died and went to fishing Heaven! All this in addition to
fantastic float-fishing on the Snake, Green and Salt rivers.

So there you have it; fish, news and exciting fishing
possibilities! Keep checking the Teton Fly Fishing Blog for
fishing reports and adventurous tales and give a holler if you’re
thinking of coming out this way and want to book a trip.

All the best, Nate

Every fishing season I keep a rough record of fly patterns I
use most, hoping to remind myself to make sure I have a
surplus for the next year. I’d say I have 15 or so patterns that I
rely on pretty heavily, with one in particular, the Sparkle Dun,
being my hands-down favorite for imitating mayflies.

The Sparkle Dun plays off the deer hair wing and dubbing
body that made the comparadun famous, but adds a bit of
zelon to the tail, making the pattern resemble an emerging
mayfly still attached to its nymphal shuck. The beauty of this
pattern is its simplicity. It doesn’t require many materials and
is a quick tie, perfect when you have to crank out a dozen in
the early morning hours before hooking up the boat. Versatility
wise, the Sparkle Dun floats high in the water and can be
fished throughout a mayfly hatch, imitating emergers, cripples,
duns and spinners. Heck, clip the wing and add some lead to
you leader and you have yourself a nymph!

I carry a variety of Sparkle Duns to “match” various
hatches out here in Jackson Hole. When fishing the Snake or
Green rivers, I make sure I have plenty of PMDs, Grey Drakes
and BWOs (baetis for those of you who insist on Latin…) Tying
these patterns only requires changing hook size and body
color.

In the next few days, look for a video showing how to tie
this fantastic pattern.