Wyoming Sampler Trip 2008 ....Official Day One

I met Gregg Williamson on Friday night, Gregg's flight had arrived at 8:30pm and I picked him up at the airport. Gregg and I got up early and fished the famous Flat Creek on the Elk Preserve- --man was it tough. Two fish follows and that was it. Of course, we only fished for probably an hour. At least the one of the cutthroats that gave a look was a really good one. (photo above: Munsey Wheby, Jr. releases a nice dry fly caught Snake R Cutthroat, Granite Creek, Hoback Canyon, Wyoming).

After fishing, Gregg and I headed back to the airport and picked up the other guys. Dr. Pat Burney, Dr. Munsey Wheby, Munsey Wheby, Jr., Dr. Gary Lee, and Gregg's brother Ken Williamson from San Diego. We got everyone, went up to Schwabacher Landing to let them get a picture of the Grand Teton Range, then we headed to High Country Flies and then to ORVIS Jackson Hole to get everyone a fishing license. I had placed a call to our friends at Cache Creek Inn where we were staying and they worked it out so we could check in early (1:00 as opposed to 4:00pm)...which ultimately meant that we could get our stuff unloaded and off and fishing in probably an hour and a half afterward. And that's what we did. We unloaded our stuff and packed our fishing gear, and hopped in the vehicles and headed south out of Jackson. Since no one had had lunch we stopped at McDonalds on the way out of town, then we were off.

We drove south through Hoback Canyon and arrived to find no one fishing Granite Creek, a jewel of a native cutthroat stream. We got in and several guys caught a fish on their first cast. We used an assortment of Schroeder parachute hoppers (the best all purpose late summer fly in the West in my opinion), PMX's, Jeff's Rubberleg Caddis, and also a dry/dropper combo utilizing a small Prince nymph. In any case, the fish were on. Munsey Wheby caught the first nice fish I saw, a 13" cutthroat. The guys individually caught anywhere from a half dozen to a dozen fish apiece, about 40-50 fish between everyone. Gregg Williamson had the largest fish of the afternoon, a gorgeous 18" cutthroat that inhaled Gregg's parachute hopper.

With light fading fast we decided to hit the Hoback on the way home. The guys tallied another dozen fish or so, with Gregg's brother Ken- -on his first fly fishing trip- - -caught 7 cutthroats and had one very nice one on that came unhooked. All in all it was a good afternoon, although there were times the wind was howling at 30-40mph. But it didn't stop the fish from feeding. We packed it in and headed back to Jackson, and had a nice dinner at Merry Piglets- - -a fantastic Tex/Mex restaurant.

We are all quite excited as we will be getting up early tomorrow morning, having a hearty breakfast, then we'll be heading north up to Turpin Meadows just north of Moran Junction and just Southwest of Yellowstone National Park. From the Turpin Meadows trailhead we'll ride horseback 2 hours into the backcountry, and 7-8 miles from any development or roads. The only ways in are by horse or foot......and cell phones don't work here at all!

At first it was counting the days.....now its counting the hours.

Truly Native......Truly Special

Its Friday Aug 22, 2008, I left Jackson Hole at 5:30 en route to Bondurant, then to the upper Hoback Canyon Wilderness area. It was chilly, at least when you are used to 90's. It was 34F when I stepped out of the van and suited up.

I had passed a small group of antelope and two moose on the way in. And this is a bear area, and I was fishing with the feeling I was being watched....it was eerie with no other anglers around.....no one around. I finished rigging up and fished through a couple of runs until I came to a nice willow lined corner run or hole, it had some decent depth to it. The first cast with a parachute hopper and a nice cutthroat came up and munched it. Four more cast to the same run, four more cutties. And all of them decent fish. Little did I know that it was hopper time and that the next three hours would be filled with 20-25 native Snake River finespotted Cutthroats.

The Snake River fine spot is indigenous to the Snake River and its tributaries. That is, it is a true native to the area and has always been here. They are a genetically different subspecies, and the Jackson Hole area and neighboring waters hold good numbers of them. Simply put, it is native trout angling at its finest. It is known for a ravenous appetite and willingness to feed on top....and the latter is does indeed! When it comes down to it, if the conditions are stable what you have is the best dry fly opportunity you'll ever get.

Where the Buffalo Roam...

After landing yesterday in Jackson Hole I took the road away from the airport to Kelly, and along the way saw the usual scene here.....grassland or savanna with a Grand Teton backdrop, with the grassland dotted with a herd of bison. It is a wild place for sure....

One of the things I have always loved about Jackson Hole, Wyoming is its beauty, whether water, land, the creatures therein- - -there's just something that stirs my soul about this place. And its always been that way, since my first trip here in the mid 90's.

I stopped to check out these bison, and they snorted, stared, and then posed as I snapped off a few shots of them before they decided to move on. There must have been thirty of them or more. They just continued to eat while I moved along so I could try some fishing on the Gros Ventre before darkness came.

I was thinking while I was driving about how often really incredible stuff - - -like seeing these beasts- - -suddenly become part of a fishing trip. And that's another reason I love what I do

Mountains of Flies, For The Mountains of Wyoming!

One of my favorite things is getting ready for a trip, and usually the last two weeks before a departure for a Western trip I am consumed with last minute details. One of those details is filling the boxes with some great patterns. This year is no different, and no less than fifty or sixty dozen worth the last few days before this year's Wyoming trip.

One of the things I usually polish up on is tying efficiency and speed. I mean I need to be able to crank out as many flies as possible as quickly as possible - - -not only for the "guide's box" but also for several customers too. One thing is for sure, when it comes to flies I go crazy- - -that is crazy in tying lots of different patterns in hopes of having a full box of "cutthroat chocolates" for the trip.

Another thing is for sure too. That is no matter how many flies you tie or buy there'll always be one "gotta have it" fly that no one was expecting. And that's what makes fishing fishing- - - -and tying tying.

Well, enough typing for me.....back to work and see if I can crank out a few more dozen before the day is through.

Counting the Days...

Its August again, and other than summer fishing around our area it always means its time to head to Wyoming. On August 21 I'll be heading out to do a weeklong trip with six great guys. Its a dream trip in many ways- -I mean these guys are fantastic-both as clients and friends, and I can't wait to experience the wonder of this part of the West. Every time out is just as exciting as the first time almost 20 years ago.

There's something about getting ready for the trip that is just as exciting as the trip itself. Some of it is the planning- -which I enjoy. For some it is the talking up the trip, yet some its the anticipation of a week in paradise that never comes soon enough- -but one thing is for sure no matter which one you enjoy its all fun.

We'll be doing a horseback trip into the wilds of Wyoming near the headwaters of the Snake River. We'll be lake fishing at 10000ft and fishing the Soda Fork of the Buffalo--the headwaters of the Snake River that has its origins at the edge of the wilderness area of Yellowstone National Park. Add to that some wade fishing on the world renowned Green River, the Hoback, the Greys, and a float down the Snake as our finale- -it all adds up to a great time. I can't wait......10 days and counting

Life is Good....

I was sitting here this weekend reflecting on how great a summer it has been and working on building a website with my dear friend Anthony Hipps, and later tying some flies that Anthony had shared with me. I also thought of in two weeks how I'd be hopping on a plane and heading out to Wyoming for two weeks. All in all right now life is good. Not to say there aren't some challenges here and there, but all in all things are better than I deserve for sure. I praise God for that, its all his grace.

Then I thought that is really the way it is here in our country. I mean when it comes down to it we have it pretty good. Most of us live in a nice home. We have a vehicle, maybe several. We don't worry about where the next meal is coming from. We can sleep at night without fear that an intruder is going to break in and invade our home. Simply put, if we have the above things that effectively puts us in the upper 5% of the world's population. And, things aren't as bad in our country as the media would have us believe.

And then there's fishing. In North Carolina, we have access within hours of everything from brook trout to blue marlin - - -everything from the expanse of the gulfstream to wild trout streams you could straddle. All in all we have it pretty good. 4000 miles of designated trout water and probably as much more that is not designated. We have some of the best saltwater and estuary fishing anywhere, our Outer Banks are world renowned for the surf fishing you can enjoy there. In the Piedmont we are 1.5 to 2hrs from what many consider (and I agree) is the best smallmouth fishery in the county - - -the New River. The Piedmont is laced with everything from slow, meandering sand bottomed creeks and streams to ponds to large reservoirs-- - some of which have been host to some well known bass fishing tournament circuits- - even the Bassmaster Classic. And, as if that's not enough, we are bordered by Tennessee to the west, home to the South Holston and Watauga River tailwaters -- - two streams that rival any in the country on a good day - - -and the SoHo which many believe is the best trout stream in the South and maybe top 2 or 3 in the East- - to which I also agree. And then there's the Jocassee Gorges area in South Carolina (very rugged), the mountains of north Georgia, the commonwealth of Virginia - - - with its hundreds of fishing opportunities. Simply put we are in a fisherman's paradise. With all of that said I'd say life is pretty good......pretty good indeed.

What goes into a new Fly.......

"Do you tie your own flies?".....a customer asked just recently. "Yes, I do" I replied. "In fact, its one of the most enjoyable aspects of fly fishing to me, and the best part of it all is when you design a fly of your own and go through the sometimes days, weeks, or even months of tweaking it to get it right", I continued as I contemplated briefly how I had just done this with a few new sulphur patterns for the demanding hatches of the Tennessee and Virginia tailwater rivers.

I was sharing a great day with client Dr. Bose Ravenel of High Point, NC. "The interesting thing too is that its tied with shipping foam, yarn, a pinch of fur and a duck feather, and is really very simple" I stated. "But best of all the fish love it" I said after that, and this day they indeed did. I watched as Dr. Ravenel hooked fish after fish with it, and on a stretch of river that is known for its great hatches and numbers of fish but also for how difficult it can be to get those fish to take a fly. But today was different, and the fish seemed to love the fly. And it had been that way all summer long with this pattern. The fly seemed to hit on something, and the continued success with it earned it a permanent spot in my guided trip fly box. I couldn't help feeling good about it and feel guilty as I watched Dr. Ravenel hook up several times on good fish with this fly when guys above us and below us weren't hooking up like he was.

I must say that one very satisfying aspect of the tying part of what I do is figuring out what makes a fly work or tick. And often the side that customers don't get a peek at is all the personal R&D (research and development is what I call it) that goes into it, plus many late nights here and there tweaking the fly to get it right. And often I have maybe a hundred hours or more in tweaking and developing a fly.

One other aspect is that when I test a fly I already know where to take it to give it a real test. I don't fish it in riffles or fast water or totally base my judgements on the merits of a fly by fishing it in that type of water, I choose places /water types where I know the fish will be selective and where I know from experience more and likely they will be very difficult to catch. That way I know for sure the fly has merit.

One last thing is that I give a few to my fly fishing guide, fishing bums, and fishing friends whom I know will give it a real test and give me an honest opinion of it with no sugar coating. That input is critical and can reveal the weaknesses of a pattern really quickly. Often they offer input into changing certain materials or aspects of it. All in all its a pretty good deal. I get good info, they get a new fly pattern.

So there it is on the design of a fly. It is late summer and I have accumulated some "experimentals" to get out on the water and try. Wonder if my wife will see through my need to do some "R&D" fishing with them.............and I might hear what I sometimes do ...."Are you sure you aren't just going fishing?" she'd say......to which I reply....."yep, Honey, looks like you caught me again." But it was worth a try....Good fishing to you til next time