Pyramid Lake - February, 2020

Have you ever watched 25-pound Lahontan Cutthroat Trout porpoise at sunrise? They skim the surface like prehistoric alpha marauders.

It's crazy.

Photos by Zachary Heath

We fished hard all weekend with Nick Jackson and Ryan Dangerfield from Pyramid Lake Guides. They went above and beyond our expectations.

Many thanks to Zachary Heath (https://www.sweetazproductions.com/) for his exceptional photography above from this trip.

Carry the Zero

Mic check....1, 2...1, 2.

Is this thing on?

Ahem. Hi there. Thanks for tuning in.

Here's a few early spring troutin' photos from a local spring creek....

I've Got This

I got out yesterday with Chris for some local fishing.  It felt great to be out on the river.

Rocket from the Crick

Chris the Fishin' Machine with a Nice Bow

Here's to a healthy and happy 2014.

Dry Fly Nirvana

This was the view at the end of our very long and arduous hike.

Nearly two thousand vertical feet stood between the three of us and about ten thousand hungry cutthroat trout.

We'd just spent a total of four hours hiking to facilitate six hours of dry fly fishing.

Was it worth the effort? 

Well, it would be downright rude to mention the number of beautiful Yellowstone cutts that rose to our flies.

It would be considered uncouth, in certain circles, to mention we caught the tail end of the salmonfly and golden stone hatches.  

But with reward comes sacrifice.

Blisters, raw skin and aching bones are the price of admission.

You've got to get out of the car and pay your dues. 

You've got to walk among bears and wolves into a truly wild setting.

You've got to leave a world of relative safety behind for at least one day.

Shane and a Nice Cutty

Everything about this day was perfect.  The sun, the wind, the solitude, the company.

Trout after beautiful trout rose from the depths in clear water to slurp a skittering Turck's Tarantula.

It was one of those days I knew would haunt me forever.

I keep replaying it in my mind.

Not Forever, Just for Now

Some days it's better to just shut up and let the camera do the talking.

High and Dirty

It's ninety-eleven in the shade over here.

If you're into carp fishing, that's a good thing.

The plan was to take the trailer up to the high country this week for some troutin', but the intense heat and delayed run-off stymied that idea. Instead, the forecast dictated a little time with some carp at Blackfoot Reservoir.

Life has been pretty hectic as of late and we are now officially in 'dog days' mode, but there's always time for getting away to camp with the family in the high country...

...and sneaking out with Shane (pre-heat wave) to a small creek for a few cutties.

Bug Drunk

Shane's Spring Creek Brown

We're stuck in the mid-June doldrums over here.  High pressure systems prevail, most of our rivers and creeks are blown out and the carp are busy spawning.

Getting into fish right now requires some recon, MPG  and tenacity. Shane and I spent all day searching for fishable water, zig-zagging across the state border.

No surprises here, but local spring creeks and lower-elevation rivers were the ticket. 

Same fish - another shot

We fished pocket water in pretty places and caught some nice trout.

On the way back to town, we pulled over along the lower Henry's Fork and observed the mother of all caddis hatches - with a PMD spinnerfall chaser to boot. There were bugs in our hair, inside our shirts and all over our faces. The water erupted for over an hour.   

Those fish were bug drunk.


Revive - A Fly Fishing Journal 

Heads up - the good people at Revive Fly Fishing have launched a new quarterly journal and it is very cool.

You'll find great photography, excellent writing, fly tying videos, a "redfish in the marsh" video and other good stuff in there.  It's a pretty exceptional journal.

If you look closely, you may even notice an article on carpin' from yours truly.

You can check it out here.

Prizefighters

The grind has got me like a noose.  The real world has taken priority position over fishing as of late, but it's all good.  Mother Nature has been feeding us a steady diet of record-low temps and ridiculous wind storms, so I haven't missed much.  I expect the fishing will ramp up into overdrive in about three weeks, however.

Zombie Muskie Carcass

The past couple of weeks have afforded some tiger muskie recon (they're still not quite on the feed) and a "long lunch" outing on a local river.

I searched for carp on the flats today, but back-to-back cold fronts have pushed them down into the deep. Instead, I threw crawdad and bugger patterns across rockpiles to target smallies.

It was good to get out, if only for a little while. An hour or two on the river is always good for the head.

Just before my lunch outing came to a close, I watched a large bronze blaze inhale my crawdad pattern and I prepared to battle a massive bass.  My huge smallie, however, soon revealed itself to be a large post-spawn male rainbow trout.

Accidental Lunker

This is ironic, as I specifically chose to fish a big river today to avoid disturbing 'bows in the spawning tribs.

This guy was chillin' on a rockpile with a few smallies in about 10 feet of water.  He was healthy and wicked strong.

Normally, I'd feel great about landing a beautiful two-foot 'bow, but not today.

Given the timing, it just didn't feel right.

Come Hungry, Leave Happy

It's Friday night and I am exhausted. I logged hundreds of miles this week for work meetings, ran a bunch of errands for the family, cooked a few dinners and skied up Darby Canyon with The Goose.

I did, however, find time to squeeze in some fishing.

Since my brain is fried and I need to get up early in the morning (for more fishing, of course), this post is going to be a photo essay...

A.M. Trout

P.M. Carp

Forage

Mayor McCheese

Shane and One of His Many Hogs

Ghostface Killah

Preggers

 

TFO TiCr 7-Weight vs. Carp

 

Let There Be Mud

Hello all.

Things have been a bit hectic 'round here lately.  The lady went back to work for the first time in three years (which means we have decent health insurance again for the first time in three years) - so running my small business and taking care of the boy when he's not in school have taken a bit of a toll on my fishing.  

It's all good though. Spring is on the way and we've exchanged snow for mud.

I love mud season.  It's a tangible reminder we've survived another east Idaho winter - which is no small feat.  Heck, my fingers are even still intact.

Tomorrow I leave Idaho Falls and head to Missoula for a 15-hour work day.  It's a bummer - I'll miss the International Fly Fishing Film Festival's local stop. 

The good news, however, is that I'll spend Thursday  targeting carp on a local flat with Shane.

The carp we'll be targeting feed primarily on crawfish, so I've been tying up a pattern (a hybrid between JP Lipton's Carp Crack and Enrico Puglisi's take on the classic Peterson's Spawning Shrimp bonefish fly) specifically for this spot.

Sight fishing to bones in Mexico last month made me jones for some carp action.  This particular flat is fed by a natural spring - so the water is crystal clear and it's one of the few locations in our neck of the woods where you can consistently sight fish for them.

Check back later this week for the first of many carp reports. 

Re-Ignition

I went from "toes in the sand" to "ice in the guides" in the blink of an eye. 

Now that the dust has settled and I've recovered from another 15-hour travel day, it's time to do a brief recap on the visit to Mexico.

Fishing - Yucatan bonefish are, on average, noticeably smaller than their eastern caribbean cousins - but they are abundant.  I think of the area as a well-rounded flats and inshore species destination.  Locals say the tarpon are significantly more plentiful from May through November and the permit make their way onto the flats in greater numbers in May and June. I am already jonesing to get back (thinking Holbox and Xcalak) and will plan accordingly.
 

Crime - Everyone has heard about the drug-related crime in Mexico and it has taken a serious toll on tourism - but dismissing the Yucatan due to crime in the border towns is like canceling a fishing trip in Montana to avoid crime in Detroit.  Mexico is a big country and the vast bulk of the drug crime occurs in other regions.  We feel safer in the Yucatan than we do in Miami.

The Mexican people in the region are, without a doubt, the nicest, most hospitable people I've ever met.  If you make even a feeble attempt to speak their language, they will love you for it.

We can learn a lot from folks who get by on a little less.

Eats - If you like Cuban food and find yourself in Playa del Carmen, a stop at La Bodeguita del Medio is mandatory.  That's right, Havana's finest Cuban restaurant has multiple locations in Mexico.

Their food is incredible and the mojitos live up to all the hype.

Coati in the Mangroves

Lodging - Options in the Yucatan run the gamut from 'all inclusives' to beach cabanas to camping.  Once you get south of Tulum, things get more rustic and secluded. 

If you're like me and want to avoid the crowds, check out the low-key beach cabanas north of Punta Allen at Xamach Dos.  It's right near the flats and there are some hidden Mayan ruins nearby.

Back in the states.  Back to reality. 

After settling in here in Idaho Falls, I made it out to the river to check on some friends. 

East Idaho is really beginning to feel like home and the quick jaunt to the tropics lifted me over the mid-winter hump.

I saw a lone robin on the river bank yesterday - a sure sign spring is approaching.