Picked up Paul from the airport and had some dinner at four corners last night before coming back to the cabin and toasting the week. Half a bottle of makers made sure we all slept well. I was up at 7:00 to touch base with Peter Vandegrift about our plans for the week. The winter storm warning for today and tomorrow settled the discussion and we'll probably float the Yellowstone River on Tuesday or Thursday depending on how the weather shapes up. Today was mostly blustery with flurries and cold. We got a quick breakfast after talking with Peter and hit the closest fly shop for supplies and a license for Paul. Got on the Gallatin around 10:30 and fished until 3:30. Fishing was slow. Ben had the first fish of the day, I had the most fish, and Paul hooked into the biggest. Stood at one hole and caught 4 trout and 3 creek chubs. Lost too many flies for so few hours of fishing. Had to take a walk back for my net at day's end and Paul took a last minute, unplanned dip crossing for home. We're all burnt and dazed from fighting the wind all day. Headed to the supermarket for food for the week. Looking forward to a big pot of beef stew. This storm is supposed to dump anywhere from 4 to 15 inches of snow tonight and tomorrow morning. Probably going to tie flies and rest up in the morning then explore the Madison river in the afternoon.
p.s. Paul sat next to Ms. Montana's mom on the plane. She seemed to want to talk to us at the airport, but then quickly ran off. Perhaps I'm not as good looking as I think...
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Oct. 3, 2009 - Bozeman, MT - Day one
Gallatin rainbow: 
View from the fly shop:
On the road:
Got up around 5:00 this morning, packed, and started the 5.5hr drive to Bozeman. The moon was bright, hovering on the horizon to our left. The sun was slowly rising to our right, the sky slowly changing colors through the spectrum. Most of the drive was in a straight, unwavering line up I-25 and then across I-90. After Buffalo, WY, the antelope and mule deer were everywhere. Saw one nice 8-pt muley crossing the road in front of us. Must have seen 300 antelope.
Driving west through Montana slowly brought Mountains into view. Impressive, snow covered peaks would appear on the horizon, slowly grow as we drew closer and then disappear behind us. Lots of pictures were snapped - few of them, I'm sure, are any good. But it was fun to be in awe of the scenery. Pulled into Bozeman around 11:00 and went directly to the fly shop, Montana Troutfitters. Got some tips and compliments on our timing - the fishing should be awesome. Super friendly guys and a beautiful store.
After a quick bite to eat we arrived at the house. This place is beautiful. Right on the Gallatin - it's literally a 1min. walk to the stream. We threw our stuff in the house and quickly donned the waders and hit the stream. Ben caught a nice brown right away. I hooked into a large creek chub, the first of 6 through the afternoon. Ben caught a handful more trout and I managed to catch 4, all rainbows. The last fish of the day was a nice 15" rainbow that took a bwo dry out of the bubble line downstream from a half-submerged tree top.
The wind started to blow something fierce and we called it quits around 6:00PM. I'm still trying to stay on the healthy side of this head cold so getting chilled to the bone is not a good idea. A nasty winter storm is blowing in later tonight and should stick around for two days. We'll decide in the morning whether to meet up with Pete Vandegrift tomorrow or on Monday. Hoping he'll give us a primer on Bozeman streams.
Very much looking forward to being in this house for a week. I need some stability amid these travels and this is going to be just perfect. Paul arrives in just about an hour. It's going to be insane being here for so long, just the three of us, fishing, cooking, drinking, relaxing. Couldn't be looking forward to this more.
View from the fly shop:
On the road:
Got up around 5:00 this morning, packed, and started the 5.5hr drive to Bozeman. The moon was bright, hovering on the horizon to our left. The sun was slowly rising to our right, the sky slowly changing colors through the spectrum. Most of the drive was in a straight, unwavering line up I-25 and then across I-90. After Buffalo, WY, the antelope and mule deer were everywhere. Saw one nice 8-pt muley crossing the road in front of us. Must have seen 300 antelope.
Driving west through Montana slowly brought Mountains into view. Impressive, snow covered peaks would appear on the horizon, slowly grow as we drew closer and then disappear behind us. Lots of pictures were snapped - few of them, I'm sure, are any good. But it was fun to be in awe of the scenery. Pulled into Bozeman around 11:00 and went directly to the fly shop, Montana Troutfitters. Got some tips and compliments on our timing - the fishing should be awesome. Super friendly guys and a beautiful store.
After a quick bite to eat we arrived at the house. This place is beautiful. Right on the Gallatin - it's literally a 1min. walk to the stream. We threw our stuff in the house and quickly donned the waders and hit the stream. Ben caught a nice brown right away. I hooked into a large creek chub, the first of 6 through the afternoon. Ben caught a handful more trout and I managed to catch 4, all rainbows. The last fish of the day was a nice 15" rainbow that took a bwo dry out of the bubble line downstream from a half-submerged tree top.
The wind started to blow something fierce and we called it quits around 6:00PM. I'm still trying to stay on the healthy side of this head cold so getting chilled to the bone is not a good idea. A nasty winter storm is blowing in later tonight and should stick around for two days. We'll decide in the morning whether to meet up with Pete Vandegrift tomorrow or on Monday. Hoping he'll give us a primer on Bozeman streams.
Very much looking forward to being in this house for a week. I need some stability amid these travels and this is going to be just perfect. Paul arrives in just about an hour. It's going to be insane being here for so long, just the three of us, fishing, cooking, drinking, relaxing. Couldn't be looking forward to this more.
Pictures from Big Thompson
Wild rainbow from the canyon stretch: 
Ben sneaking:
The canyon:
Fishing the far side:
One of the doubles:
Ben sneaking:
The canyon:
Fishing the far side:
One of the doubles:
Oct. 2, 2009 - Hotel bound
Woke up feeling like crap today. Head cold had taken over the body. Decided to take it easy and try to get healthy. After eating what was probably the absolute worst breakfast I've ever choked down we hit the Casper, WY fly shop for a couple more tying materials. The rest of the day was spend at the hotel tying, napping, taking medicine, and planning. Sucks to have "lost" a day, but we've been in hotel rooms for almost a week now and needed a breather. Miracle mile will have to wait for another trip. Spent the evening at the hotel restaurant watching the Rockies game and talking with some antelope/mule deer hunters. The bourbon felt good on the throat.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Oct. 1, 2009
Slept poorly last night on the couch. The lack of humidity and perhaps some allergies are making my sinuses hurt, eyes itch, and my throat scratch. Bothered me all day and night so hopefully I'll find a remedy soon. Despite this annoyance, the day was amazing.
We drove an hour and a bit north on I-25 into Loveland, CO and to the Sylvan Dale Ranch. Private water along the Big Thompson river. The morning was chilly, mid-forties, and the fishing was slow. The first fish of the day, however, found their way on to Ben's and my line at the same time. A double to start off the trip. We nymphed small riffles and runs hooking into fish at a slow pace. Ben got into one really good hole and caught a bunch of rainbows, I had a nice sized brown on that came off right at the net. The fish weren't too big, 8-14"s, but they were all wild browns and rainbows and colored very beautifully. Bright red gill plates on the rainbows and bright yellow on the browns. And the fish fought well, better as the day progressed. The morning ended with a cold wind and the three of us all looking forward to warming up inside the ranch. After a quick lunch we headed to the "canyon" section just above where the public water starts.
Caught a beautiful rainbow at the first hole along the canyon wall. At the second hole Chris started setting us up at some friendly competition - how many fish can you catch in 10 minutes. Ben beat me both times, but we were soon both pulling fish after fish out of the creek. Mostly baetis nymphs, micro-mays, bwo emergers, and a rainbow somethingerother. We fished up the canyon to the hole where we started the morning before heading back up to the ranch. As we were turning the car around, Ben saw lots of fish rising on the public water. Luckily, they were also rising on the ranch water. We spent the next hour casting to 100 rising fish and catching a lot of them. The sun was setting and it was beautiful on the water, fish fins breaking the surface. I caught a nice 16" brown who was stationed on the edge of the river in a small side channel. He was poking the side of his head out of the water and sipping flies effortlessly. The water was so shallow his tail was often sticking out of the water. I was on my knees casting upstream, a few drifts and he took my fly. Probably the best catch of the day, although not the biggest fish.
As the dries died down, we tied our nymphs back on and started a catching frenzy. We could hardly keep the flies in the water without fish biting. I caught 6 fish upstream, including a huge, 18" rainbow. Moved down to "teepee rock" and, literally, caught 16 fish out of the hole. Browns and rainbows, all gorgeous, all fighting like fish twice their size, and all welcome. Caddis nymphs of all sorts were killing, baetis nymphs were almost as productive. Crazy, crazy fishing. All told we probably caught 60-70 fish through the day. A helluva way to start and a heck of a bar set for the rest of the week. It was good to be so successful, but better to get the rust knocked off, get instruction from Chris on technique, and get a sense of what flies will be productive out here. I think it will make for a more confident trip, if not more successful...
After getting out of the water we drove 3.5hrs to Casper. We're exhausted in a ramada hotel room - looks like a "motor inn," indoors...odd. Tomorrow we'll explore the miracle mile and figure out what we're doing Saturday. Unless tomorrow is amazing, we'll likely leave here early Saturday and head to Bozeman to fish before Paul arrives.
Pictures to follow.
We drove an hour and a bit north on I-25 into Loveland, CO and to the Sylvan Dale Ranch. Private water along the Big Thompson river. The morning was chilly, mid-forties, and the fishing was slow. The first fish of the day, however, found their way on to Ben's and my line at the same time. A double to start off the trip. We nymphed small riffles and runs hooking into fish at a slow pace. Ben got into one really good hole and caught a bunch of rainbows, I had a nice sized brown on that came off right at the net. The fish weren't too big, 8-14"s, but they were all wild browns and rainbows and colored very beautifully. Bright red gill plates on the rainbows and bright yellow on the browns. And the fish fought well, better as the day progressed. The morning ended with a cold wind and the three of us all looking forward to warming up inside the ranch. After a quick lunch we headed to the "canyon" section just above where the public water starts.
Caught a beautiful rainbow at the first hole along the canyon wall. At the second hole Chris started setting us up at some friendly competition - how many fish can you catch in 10 minutes. Ben beat me both times, but we were soon both pulling fish after fish out of the creek. Mostly baetis nymphs, micro-mays, bwo emergers, and a rainbow somethingerother. We fished up the canyon to the hole where we started the morning before heading back up to the ranch. As we were turning the car around, Ben saw lots of fish rising on the public water. Luckily, they were also rising on the ranch water. We spent the next hour casting to 100 rising fish and catching a lot of them. The sun was setting and it was beautiful on the water, fish fins breaking the surface. I caught a nice 16" brown who was stationed on the edge of the river in a small side channel. He was poking the side of his head out of the water and sipping flies effortlessly. The water was so shallow his tail was often sticking out of the water. I was on my knees casting upstream, a few drifts and he took my fly. Probably the best catch of the day, although not the biggest fish.
As the dries died down, we tied our nymphs back on and started a catching frenzy. We could hardly keep the flies in the water without fish biting. I caught 6 fish upstream, including a huge, 18" rainbow. Moved down to "teepee rock" and, literally, caught 16 fish out of the hole. Browns and rainbows, all gorgeous, all fighting like fish twice their size, and all welcome. Caddis nymphs of all sorts were killing, baetis nymphs were almost as productive. Crazy, crazy fishing. All told we probably caught 60-70 fish through the day. A helluva way to start and a heck of a bar set for the rest of the week. It was good to be so successful, but better to get the rust knocked off, get instruction from Chris on technique, and get a sense of what flies will be productive out here. I think it will make for a more confident trip, if not more successful...
After getting out of the water we drove 3.5hrs to Casper. We're exhausted in a ramada hotel room - looks like a "motor inn," indoors...odd. Tomorrow we'll explore the miracle mile and figure out what we're doing Saturday. Unless tomorrow is amazing, we'll likely leave here early Saturday and head to Bozeman to fish before Paul arrives.
Pictures to follow.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sept. 30, 2009
Early morning. 7:00AM departure from hotel and a 9:00AM flight. Uneventful flight with little interaction with folks around us. Arrived in Denver and loaded into the Tahoe. Made our way into Denver and met up with Laura. Hit up REI for some hydration packs, socks, and found a good deal on biking gloves. Got worked over a little more at the fly shop where we bought leaders, fly tying materials and couple "example" flies. Dinner, pool, and indoor-shuffle-board rounded out the day after some fly tying. Excited to hit Sylvan Dale ranch tomorrow. Don't know whether our plans to hit Casper, WY will hold up or if we'll end up in Big H(C)orn. Thanks Laura's roommate. Frantically bought a day license before crashing. Read a bunch of Charles Bukowski and its screwing with my dead a bit.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Westbound
It has been a long year. Quickly passing, but trying in indescribably ways.
Ben and I head to Colorado tomorrow to begin a 18 day tour of western waters, searching for angry browns. It is our hope that this trip meets a very pressing need for immediate escape from reality while marking the beginning of changed perspectives and approaches to life. Contradictions are obvious, but the experience of losing Dad so quickly has impressed strong desires to make meaningful contributions with our lives while finding ways to live life to its fullest and for today. Balance, harmony?, between these two approaches to life will be hard to achieve and examples are hard to find. However, the changes in my own perceptions and engagement with life, the world, are palpable each day. There is no going back - there is hardly any recognition, consciousness of how I used to think, be. I am confident this experience will make me a better, happier, and peaceful person.
I've taken trips before and often cursed my failing memories as I later tried to recall certain events, places. So, since this blog was started to catalog outdoor adventures (mostly), I think I'll try to keep a daily log of our activities, however briefly. Looking forward to the first post, tomorrow, from Denver.
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