Flav hatch in the evening

Today I missed the two attack to the hopper before they bit it.

I knew the reason of it, it was the distance between the fish and me. They could see me before they fed it, so they stopped to bite it in the just front of the fly.

But I could get the third attack in spite of strong flow.
Size was average(16.5inches/42cm), but it was fine and tugged so strong.



After the usual hole, I tried the new hole in the late evening. And there were some rises to the Flav's hatches.

Though I did hook two big boys up twice, I missed them. I think the reason was tight tension.

What I could land was only small boy, but I was happy to get it by match the hatch.

The reason why I missed many fish

I could see some Flavs in SFOB, but there was no rise.

So I decided the hopper pattern first.

Although I did hook two big boy by it, they are hooked off again and again! Why? What's wrong?

For the third one, it was a little late to set a hook. But as a result, I could catch it. Though the size was average(16inches/40.5cm), it tugged so strong including fast stream.

Finally I got the reason why I missed so many good ones. It was the timing to set a hook! Especially for the huge hopper pattern, I had to wait until the fish fed it enough. I thought the exciting attack to the hopper could be one cause of early setting a hook.

There are many things which I should learn, but I believe it is one of funs of fly fishing.

Middle Folk of Salmon River(so wild!)

This river is famous for its wildness inclucing Westlope cutthroat(not Yellowstone cutthroat), and people says there is not any hatchery fish, but native fish only. Though I don't know it is true or not, it is said that any rainbows there are really Steelhead smolt.





I picked this river as a destination of my family and my colleage Moto's family's camping trip. It took about 3.5hours to the campground close to the river.




This beautiful Bull trout was not mine but Moto's one. He caught it by spin casting. I wished it was my fish, because I've never caught the Bull trout.

He also tried fly fishing for the first time, and caught the fine fish.
He may get addicted to the fly fishing.





We built the bonfire for the first time. It was enough to keep warm for us.

We were aloso surprised by the coldness there. I've forgot that this river was very close to Stanley, which meant it showed high elevation. It should be cold!


Next morning, Moto and I woke up about 5:30, and went to the river. It was actually chilly!

Moto caught the beautiful Westlope cutthroat by lure! I think he has good luck.

On the other hand, I caught some smolts of Steelhead only... But, they looked so lovely.

We enjoyed the untouched wildness there including fishing.

I thought I would like to try the Westlope cutthroat and Bull trout again.

A lot of hooking off...

Today I went to SFOB again in the evening.

There were some good strikes for the hopper, but I missed all of them. Though I could surely hook them, they could escape from the hook everytime!!!

I didn't know exact reason. Maybe fast and strong flow made it difficult to catch.

What I could catch was small one only...

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.