Dog Sledding…

Not exactly fishing related, but thought you might enjoy a
photo or two from the recent dog sled race here in Jackson.
The International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race takes
place
the last week in January every year. Teams race throughout
the western part of Wyoming, traveling to a new town each
day and finish in Park City, UT. This year my parents came
out and experienced the race kickoff last Friday night. They
had a great time and even tried dog sledding themselves,
taking a guided tour with my friend Frank Teasley’s Jackson
Hole Iditarod.

start of the IPSSSDR

sled dog races by

 

Tomorrow, I’m headed down to Evanston and then on to
Park City for the end of the race. With forecasted
temperatures to get as low as minus 30, there is no doubt that
it is cold here in Jackson. Naturally, there isn’t much fishing to
speak of (at least for the next few days). Hope to get a fishing
related post up here soon. In the meantime,
hope everyone stays warm!

Tying for the Bonefish

I couldn’t wait any longer. Flies are being tied, and not tiny
ones for the local trout! These fly are tied on large stainless-
steel hooks and have legs, eyes, and claws- Bonefish
flies!

Merkin Fly

Over the years, I’ve become a bit of a bonefish addict.
This addiction seems to get worse the more I do it. (Make no
mistake, I’m not very good at it, but I enjoy it- fish or no fish.)
The thought of standing in warm Caribbean waters while
scanning for grey ghosts helps get me through the winter. This
however, is a problem for several reasons. First off, I live in
western Wyoming, nowhere near bonefish flats. And secondly
(and most important), I am not rich and bonefishing is a rich
man’s game. Just price airfare and lodging to far off lands and
you’ll see what I mean.

Fortunately, Jamie and I have been able to set aside some
money each year and travel (on the cheap) to bonefish rich
waters (primarily fishing on our own and staying at affordable
cabanas). We’ve spent the past few years exploring in Mexico
near the Belize border. And while we’ve enjoyed it there, this
year we thought it was time to try something new.

Bonefishing flat in Xcalak

After looking at some options, we decided to give the
Bahamas a try. Originally, we were looking at Eluethera, but
after seeing the cost of airfare, etc., we’re focusing our
attention on Grand Bahama. Seemed like it quiets down the
further east on the island you go, and we found a house to
rent on the beach for a very reasonable rate. Or friends, Kurt
and Kelly, are going to join us for the first week we are there,
and I can’t wait to go looking for fish with Kurt. This brings
me back to the flies. In addition to tying enough flies for
myself, I also need to stock Kurt’s fly box. Truth be told, we
both probably need a dozen or so basic bonefish patterns-
some gotchas, clousers and maybe a merkin. However, at the
rate I’m tying, we will hit the water with enough flies to stock
a fly shop!

Well, I’d like to keep writing about the bonefish, but I’m
headed out to fly fish on the Snake- hoping a few whitefish
will be hungry. More to come on the upcoming vacation later.
Enjoy the weekend.

Getting out

Rain in January? Yep, that’s what is happening right now here in Jackson. The past few days have been pretty mild- temperatures have been creeping up to around 40 degrees in town. This was enough to justify getting out on the Snake again the other day. Despite the mild weather, the fish stumped us. That’s the beauty of winter fishing. One day you think you just might have things figured out, only to see that confidence drift away as you stand knee deep in current, picking up nothing more than a stick. Morale is restored briefly when you (with verification from your friend) see a fish break the surface. However, the excitement fades as your griffins gnat goes unnoticed. At the end of this winter outing, the only thing you have figured out is that you have a sizable leak in you waders. On the walk back to the truck, plans are made to try again next week.

January fishing

I got out fishing today. This, after spending the better part of
the past two weeks cooped up, watching the outside
thermometer struggle (and fail) to reach the teens. Today wasn’t
warm by any stretch of the imagination, but I think at one point
it did get above freezing. My friend Matt and I, with Sage in toe,
ended up fishing a few nice, deep runs along the Snake. We both
managed to catch some whitefish, with the highlight being the
cutthroat Matt hooked on a dry fly! Not sure what Matt was
using, but I used a large Kodiak (my own creation) nymph with a
trailing zebra midge. The fish seemed to prefer the large nymph,
provided I got it down deep enough. Over all, we had a great
time. And judging by the snoring coming from Sage, she did
too.

                                  snake in winter

A new year and a new blog..

I’m kicking off 2011 with Teton Fly Fishing’s new blog. While I
realize blogging has become yet another trendy thing to do these
days, I figured a little fishing writing here and there wouldn’t hurt
anyone. I’m going to do my best to use this forum to talk about
things that matter to me; mainly fly fishing, tying flies and
fishing around Jackson Hole. I’m sure however, that I’ll
occasionally delve into other interests- rock n’ roll music, BBQ,
art, etc. So welcome and enjoy!