Hopper was hot!

I went to the SFO Boise River in the evening after I retruned from the trip.

There were bunch of glasshoppers!!! This one looked like the same as #4 hook size.

I liked the big fly basically, so I decided to use #4 huge hopper without hesitating.

At the first hole, I got some strike to it. But I hooked all of them off, Jesus!! One of them was surely good size! I think one of causes was because of rapid stream.

At the second hole which was new hole for me, I could catch a good one(15inches/39cm) by it. It fought strong because of its width.

When I moved to the shallow to take a picture of it, I heard the rattle sound suddenly. Yes, it was surely rattle snake! It was first time to see for me.

Even if it was small one , it would like to feed the big fly .

After small one, I could catch the big boy at the exactly same hole.
He was 19inches/48.5cm, and the most largest and beautiful rainbow I've ever seen!!

I'm pretty sure that it could be one of my best fishes.

Please forgive me to attach many photos of him here, you know I was wild beside myself with joy!

I took a photo of myself also.

Grand Teton(5th and last day)

We said good bye to Yellowstone, and headed for Grand Teton!

The Teton mountains were really grand and noble. We enjoyed the scenery very much.





We went Oxbow Bend in the evening to watch the Moose!!

Althougn we couldn't see it, we saw two Beaver and one Elk there.

While we were waiting the Moose, there were some stable rises in the Snake River! I really really wanted cast, but I had to give it up...


Tonight we stayed at Colter Bay tent cabin.

It was so simple, but we had a good time there.




Next morning, we got up so eary and went to Oxbow Bend again to see the Moose. But there was no luck...

Nobody preditcs the wildlife's behavior.




We returned the tent cabin once and took a simple breakfast.

Though we had to leave the Teton for our house today, we enjoyed everything in the Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

If we have a time and money, we really visit there again and again. We liked there very much!

Yellowstone National Park(4th day)

This morning we got up early for the watching the wildlife(not for the fishing). We saw Byson, Elk, Mule Deer etc. in Hayden Valley.

They looked mysterious in the purple sky. So we were much satisfied with them.




It was a group of femal Elk.





We found the singing katydid in the glasses near the Tower fall.








I could come Lamar River again and again after breakfast in Roosevelt.
When I went down to the river, I found the one certain rise in the shallow side chanel, between rocks.


It was surely big one which was feeding the caddis!


I kept some distance from him, and did stalking and sitting down carefully.

I did the first cast well, so he moved toward my stimulator and attacked it. But he missed it. I became so nervous!

After I changed the fly to the Elk Hair Caddis which I tied long time before, I did the third cast for him. It was successful, so he was hooked well! I was so exiceted because I could see everything he did.



He was certainly native Yellowstone Cutthroat, and so beautiful!!

You know, I was so glad to catch it, because I missed the big boy twice before in the same river.





17inches(43cm)




On the way to Canyon, we could see the beautiful flowers on the sloop.






We could see some groups of byson in the hayden valley also.





I could see the male mule deer at Mud Volcano.





I drank a toast for my nice cutthroat by Grizzly Wulff Wheat. I bought it because I liked package design, but its taste was also good!! I liked it.

Yellowstone National Park(3rd day)

This morning, I got up early and tried the Lamar River again. As soon as I began to fish, there was first strike to large stonefly dry. It was surely big boy, and I could hook it. Then it tug so strong and my #5 rod was bent compeletely.

When he closed to me, it was not hooked its mouth but its back. Then it ran again deeply, and I lost its tension suddenly... It was not line break but the link plastic parts broken, which is between fly line and leader. I couldn't believe it, but it was true.

After that, I could catch beatiful cutthroats by some huge dry fly.
I couldn't forget my first fish's nightmare...

Today's our plan was to move from Mammoth Hot springs to Yellowstone Lake through Old Faithful.

This is the terrace mountain in Mommoth which seemed to consist of the lime.



That trees were bunrned by the wood wire before. There were many young trees among the old ones.





It was called a mud pot which was boiling.




We saw the big Elk on the way to Old Faithful. It had a good antler. We could see some Bison also.




It was the geyser in Old Faithful. It was so high and spectacle.





We stayed the Lake Cabins in front of Yellostone Lake. It was the cutthroat which was used the bed cover's design. Needles to say it reminded me of missed big boy in the early morning...

Yellowstone National Park(2nd day)

I woke up early for fishing and left the lodge about 5AM.
When I was approaching the exit of lodge area, I saw huge something black. It was a bison! He was between the building and parking lot, so I could see him very closely. Needless to say, I was so excited!!

And I could see the elk two times between lodge and the river. I was happy to see them.

My destination was Gibbon River which was close to the CANYON LODGE.

Although I got the some strikes, I got skunked because of my unskilled fishing technique...


We visited the Lower Fall which is part of yellowstone river in the morning.
I was tired from giving my daughter a piggyback, but It was so spectacular and was worth to see.







This afternoon I got a chance to fish while my daughter was taking a nap. Though I wanted to fish in Slough Creek which was very famous for its Cutthroat, there was so crowded.

So I gave it up and decided to fish in the river that was close to the road. It was the Lamar River that met my wish.

I tried the hopper pattern first without hesitating, because there was no rise and it was hot. I casted it to the just behind the big rock, then the big boy rose to the surface from the bottom to feed it! But he stopped biting it just in front of it... Maybe the drag influenced him.

As a result, I got a small but beautiful Cutthroat by the orange stimulator. It was my memorial first Cut!


Tonight we had a reservation for Mammoth Hot Springs Cabin. The bath and restroom was out of the cabin, but we enjoyed it.

I decided to fish the Lamar River again next early morning to try the big one again.

Yellowstone National Park(1st day)

We planed to go Yellowstone & Grand Teton National park in this summer, and made a reservation(5nights, 6days) about three months ago. I was looking forward to seeing everything in the park, including beatiful fish. But I knew this trip was not fishing trip but family trip, and I should spend the time with my precious family as long as possible.

But it sholud be good time to try the yellowstone cutthroat trout! It is one of my desires in the fishing here(U.S.) to catch the beautiful cutthroat.

We left home at nine in the morning, and the driving was going well. After 7 hours(including long lunch time), we could see a certain river near St. Anthony. Yes, it was Henry's Folk of the Snake River!!
We took a rest and I observed the river. It was more beautiful than I had imagined, and there were some PMD hatches.

Then I saw one rise close the bank! I couldn't help casting, so I did a few cast with my daughter. Though I had no luck, I thought strongly that I would like to try again!


As a result, we arrived at Canyon area in the Yellowstone about 7 PM.

This photo was our first animal which we saw in the park. That was chipmunk. My wife and daughter were pleased to see it.



After we had a good dinner at the restaurant, we headed for the lodge to sleep. Before falling into the sleep, I promised my family that I would go fishing early morning and return untill 8 AM.

I had already decided the river to go by the pre-check on the way to CANYON from the park gate. I hope I can catch first fish here.

Summer Chinook Season was ended...

The Chinook fishing in South Folk of Salmon River was closed on July 13th. Which means Summer Chinook Season in Idaho was ended...

I would like to try it in fall again!

1st try for Chinook

Today I took a half day off and visited the South Folk of Salmon river first time to challenge the Chinook(King) Salmon in Idaho. As you know it is not so huge in Idaho, but Chinook is Chinook, he is king of salmon.

I knew the present situation was not so easy because the number from the ocean was a few, but I couldn't give it up.

The width of the river was narrow and water was so clear. 'Were there any salmon really? 'I wondered. And at the same time, I was surprised by the number of anglers! Was today really weekday?

I checked the almost evry hole first, and tried some of them. But I got nothing and see no fish which other people caught.

Though I was beat completely, I think I will continue to try. But I became busy recently...

Stonefly!

I went the SFO Boise river after a long interval, because the stonefly's hatch had started.

I could see some of them in the afternoon. It was first time for me to see them, surely they were huge! And there was also a caddis's hatch near the bank.

The amount flowing water was about 1,600cfs.

So it was not so good for wading, but I could wade near the bank. Which means that I could aim the side chanel only.

Needless to say, I tried stonefly pattern first. There was some attack by small one, but they couldn't bite it.

I found the good one was attacking it, but he missed it. So I change it to elk hair caddis which I tied long time ago.

Then he was hooked! It was not huge but beautiful one(15inches/37cm) .

I caught small one by smaller elk hair caddis and caught smallest one by BH caddis pupa as a dropper.

Although I had to leave around five o'clock PM, I had a good time there.