Green River - South Western Wyoming - Big Rainbow Trout - early July 2013

We were able to take a trip to the famed trout stream the Green River in south western wyoming for a few days. This had been a trip I wanted to make for several years. We drove down our of the mountains and onto the flats past many antelope and through the desert for several hours. The Green River appeared in the desert as a green oasis. Despite the heat, the water was ice cold because it was still fed from melting snow in the mountains.

Despite a lot of mosquitoes and some stinging nettles we found a good place to fish and as the sun set, there were trout rising. Mike soon hooked the first brown trout of the trip on an extended body grey drake. On the way we stopped in Pinedale at The Great Outdoor Shop to buy a much needed net, pick up some more Grey Drakes and get some fishing advice. 

The next day we drove through Pinedale Wyoming and down to the lower part of the Green river below the Fontenelle Dam.

Huge rain storms rolled across the desert flats at times while we were driving. There were some amazing sites. Mike had a few cases of trout slayer ale for some energy while we were fishing. We happened to drive past the first ever J.C. Penny in Kemmerer Wyoming too.

 

Bellow the Fontenelle Dam the fishing was incredible. There were massive cliffs with nesting swallows and huge sulfur mayfly and caddis fly hatches at dusk and all morning. We had a great night catching rainbows. Our friend Nick from high school met us and fished with us for the night and we each ate a fish from the day cooked on the fire. Mike had the biggest fish by far for this river. it took about 15 minutes and all three of us to get the massive rainbow to shore.

Gros Ventre River - Teton national park - Monster Cutthroat Trout - early July 2013

I got to spend a few days fishing on the Gros Ventre River with Mike and his roommate Nat. This soon became one of my favorite rivers in Jackson Hole. On my first day, as I drifted a high foam salmon fly down a rapid an enormous fish came out from under a dead tree and grabbed it. The fishing pretty much continued that way all day long. We were only limited by the sunset.

The big fish were holding right up against the shore in small pockets in the bank, the perfect cast was just inches from the shore and dead drifted down along the bank, each time I managed to keep the fly our of the overhanging brush I got a big hit. without a net with me I had to follow at least one fish down the river into water I couldn't wade and it finally broke my line.

Jackson Hole Wyoming - Flat Creek - Small Stream, Big Brook Trout - end of June 2013

Mike took me to one of his favorite spots up in the mountains to fish flat creek. The off road drive in his diesel F350 was was pretty awesome and the fishing was great too.

There was snow on the mountains above us feeding the creek. The water was cold and we could see schools of brook trout lined up in the creek. On the way up we saw a big brown bear down on the flats and then up in the mountains a lone wolf ran past us up into the woods.

The trout were really picky, I tried everything in my fly box without much luck. Eventually, I was able to drift a small hears ear with a black bead head in front of the fish and they were enticed to strike. Each drift would either catch me a fish or a log, and I lost a lot of flies, but it was worth it.

The fish were large and strong and fought hard. I caught several brookies and mike had a few cutthroat from his float tube. Mike's Dog Belle had a good day fishing too!

Jackson Hole Wyoming - Cutthroat trout - June 24 2013

I arived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on June 24th for the fishing trip of a lifetime. Mike picked me up at the airport and by the next morning Mike, Nat and Mike's dog Belle were fishing the Hoback River just outside of Jackson Hole. Click on the images below to enlarge them.

Soon my first-ever cutthroat trout was in hand by was of a big foam hopper. 

We kept a few of what we caught for dinner. These wild western trout were delicious.

The Shutter Mill - Beautiful Brook Trout, Small Stream New Hampshire - late June 2013

I was in Ossipee New Hampshire where we have a quiet place to relax on the weekends and I decided to try a fishing spot I had heard good things about. It was a pool below an old mill.

The expedition turned out to be a great one. There were several fish rising up and down the flat water parts of the stream. They were hard to coax into a strike, but my Hears Ear Emerger in green and brown did the trick. Some of these fish had spectacular blue dots. I saw a few attempt to swim up the waterfall over the old mill damn but they were swept back down into the pool. 

The Dartmouth Grant - a brook trout paradise. June 14 2013

I got the chance to travel with Mia and her friend Jen to the Dartmouth College Grant in Errol New Hampshire for a few days. The Dartmouth Grant is the only water in New Hampshire that is managed only for native brook trout. I believe no stocking of fish has ever occurred there. Any in recant times the fish have been managed very well, there are may stories of very large brook trout taken on the fly here. It is a catch and release fly fishing only untouched paradise.

Jen and Mia are dartmouth Grads so they were able to book us in a cabin called the hellgate hilton near the end of the access road. It was a beautiful time.

           

    

The first place we fished was in the Dead Diamond River within the limits of the grant. there were some fish rising and Mia, Jan and I all caught a fish on a green and brown "hares ear emerger" type of fly. These wild fish were strong and hard fighters. Even with high muddy water they were up and feeding off the surface, but they had been pushed toward the back of their pool. 

With all the rain overnight, we woke to find the rivers high and muddy. We took the day to hike and explore, eventually taking our canoe down some back roads and searching for ponds by GPS. We decided on a pond that had no obvious access, parked our car and portaged in. It was a beautiful place and the fishing was incredible. Tolling a grey ghost from two rods, we caught a fish on almost every lap around the pond, including some of the biggest wild brookies I have ever caught. My wrist was aching by the time I was done pulling in the biggest one

At the time I didn't have a net, so when I got this big guy in the boat he went crazy. I am glad he didn't get hurt banging into the side of the boat and we were able to to let him go safely to pass on those great genes.