Some Days You Eat The Bear

East Idaho's been hovering around or below zero degrees for two weeks now and I've been trapped inside the house, fending off a nasty respiratory infection.  Cough medicine and antibiotics have staved off the infection, but not the cabin fever. 

My head has been in a bad place since Christmas.  I really needed some time on the water today and it felt great to get out. 

 

I'll admit I get pretty superstitious about the first fish I catch each year - as if it is an indication of what's to follow thereafter.  I dread the idea of foul-hooking a sucker on my first outing of the year.  Fortunately, the first fish this year was the above-referenced cuttbow.  He was a fine specimen and, as a hybrid, was strong as a bull.  Seriously, it took me about 15 minutes to get him to the net.

Even with a short window of fishing time, it was a good day to get out - with temps in the high 20's. 

I am still jonesing for a trip somewhere warm, however.

They say a leisure class exists at both ends of the American economic spectrum.  Somehow, despite my best efforts, I've found myself stuck in the middle - with neither enough cash nor enough time to explore even a fraction of the places I've set aside for next year.

I need to feel warm water under a bright sun.  I need to explore some new territory.

Still, today's outing did wonders for my spirits.

Today, I ate the bear.

The Greatest Swedish Export Since the Large Arbor Reel

So Long, 2012

Life here in east Idaho is like a Norman Rockwell painting.  It is snowing lightly and the neighbor's sheep are proudly displaying their winter coats - like Texans in Vail. 

Still, this glorious winter weather is not conducive to fishing and I am thinking about some "must do" goals for 2013:

1) Get Back Down to the Yucatan.  It's been two years since I fished Boca Paila Lagoon and Ascension Bay and I am jonesing to get back down there.  This time, however, I want to incorporate a jaunt up to Isla Holbox and Campeche for some baby tarpon.

Campeche Tarpon Photo

2) Explore More Remote High Mountain Creeks.  I've been here four years and there are still dozens of high mountain creeks I've yet to explore.

3) More Night Fishing.  I feel like I barely scratched the surface of the night fishing potential around here in 2012, but I am intrigued to say the least.  I've been tying some skating/waking patterns that should be very productive and look forward to a lot more night fishing in 2013.  The beasts really do come out at night.

2012 was a banner year nationally for the fly fishing for carp trend - and I believe 2013 will be a breakout year for night fishing.

4) Explore the Park. It is going to take a lifetime to get my arms around all of the fishing opportunities within Yellowstone National Park.  

It has been a blast so far.

5) Get the Ranch Dialed.  There are more than a few rainbows pushing 30" at Railroad Ranch that will rise to a well-placed dry fly.  

I haven't landed one yet, but I'll be back on opening day - wadered up and ready for the challenge.

Call In The Swedes.  It's new year's day and I've been sacked with the flu for over two weeks.  Too sick to fish, in fact.  And I am no better today than I was two weeks ago. 

On days like this, when I am feeling really bummed out, I bust out some old tunes from Sweden.  No, I am not talking about The Haunted, Entombed or In Flames.  I am referring to the greatest Swedish export since the large arbor reel - ABBA.

Let's be clear - I don't like ABBA in an "ironic, retro-hipster" fashion.  I eat hipsters for breakfast. This is a genuine, sincere appreciation.

When I feel all hope is lost, I listen to "S.O.S."

I hope your new year is off to a great start.

Merry Christmas

Friday Afternoon 'Bow

  

Every Christmas, we head up to our place on the west slope of the Tetons to rendezvous with family members from all over the country.   It's a  great opportunity to catch up with kinfolk and enjoy some good food.  My favorite winter activity, however, is heading out into the backcountry for some exercise with the goose.

 

 

The goose and I would like to thank you for keeping up with our adventures this year.

A Very Merry Christmas to You and Yours 

 

2012: The Fish Gallery

I will remember 2012 as an exceptional year for fly fishing in some great places - Idaho, Montana, Yellowstone National Park and Turks & Caicos.

This is a video slideshow highlighting some of the fish that made the year special.

Thanks - Brent

Babes in Toyland

We've been given a nice reprieve from the cold this week here in east Idaho.  In fact, the temperatures made the concept of work utterly inconceivable on Tuesday.  Thus, I got out with Shane while the phone rang repeatedly all day - out of earshot on the center console of the truck.

We got into some solid 'bows all day and had a darn good time on the river.  Nymphing works a whole lot better for me when I can take the gloves off and actually feel what is going on with the fly line.

Having an opportunity to fish in relative warmth two weeks before Christmas was an absolute gift and we took full advantage - hitting every stretch of river we could squeeze in before dark.


One of the main ingredients in the recipe for success on this river is the desire to explore new places.  After all, you are probably not the only guy who has fished your favorite honey hole repeatedly for the past few years.  Complacency is not your friend - getting out and exploring new water pays dividends.

Here's some simple math:

1)  20% of the river will hold 95% of the fish.

2)  80% of success involves finding that holding water.

I was never good at math, but I find this concept holds true on most rivers and creeks.  Come to think of it, it holds true on most lakes as well.


I spent most of my time chasing carp last year, but 2012 was the year I fell back in love with trout.  While I still love carp, the complexity of rivers and the multiple dimensions of flows, depth, hatch cycles and seasonal movement are more alluring than ever.

These feisty 'bows, more than anything else, are responsible for rekindling that flame.

As the day wound down, the wind picked up dramatically - with gusts in the 30 mph range.  It was pretty clear to me our short window of nice weather had to come to an end.

Shane was off in the distance, ever the explorer.  As I turned around to check his location, I saw him approaching - bent rod in hand.  I couldn't make out what he was saying, but I could sense the urgency in his voice. 

When I approached him with the net, two words came to mind.

"Holy crap."

Undaunted

Sub-freezing temperatures are a game-changer.

Fleece, gore-tex and water repellent nylon can not change the fact that humans were not designed for wading cold rivers in winter.  One misstep with numb feet could result in a very deep, cold plunge. 

Maybe your last deep, cold plunge.

Nonetheless, "not fishing" is simply not an option.  The innate urge to stalk wild things in nature carries on despite the cold.

With each drop in water temperature, the fish slow down accordingly.  Your sense of touch needs to be 'spot on,' as aggressive takes are a thing of the past. This is doubly challenging given the cold and wind.

Sometimes, however, it all comes together and you can feel exactly what is going on at the end of your tippet. 

Such was the case with this nice brown trout.  His eat felt like a dental exam. I could feel the fly moving into his mouth in slow motion. 

It was perfect.

Although I landed a few more good fish, my mind kept playing that first brown trout's take over and over  again all afternoon. 

Moments like this make winter fly fishing well worth all of the challenges.

Although our local forecast calls for single-digit temperatures this evening, I am undaunted. 

We Will, In Fact, Be Greeted As Liberators

 

Is there a stranger paradox than the concept of the "real world?"

Think about it.  The real world is defined by human social constructs.  Deadlines, dogma, jobs, wars, politics - these are all just fabrications.

It's been four years since my wife and I left the hustle and bustle of the big city to downshift in east Idaho.  I guess that makes this season four of my own version of the real world.

I like this version a heck of a lot.  

 

In the new version, the pace is set by the flow of the river. 

It's a place where nothing is taken for granted.  Every riffle, feeder creek, slough and plunge pool is an opportunity for exploration.

It's a place where you can learn a great deal by simply listening. These woods and waters offer timeless sermons.

My son will soon learn to love these rivers as well.  The lessons he learns here will provide solace and perspective when the 'real world' comes calling for him later in life.

For now, however, our little world in east Idaho is pretty exceptional.